Shopping: Comfy, colorful shoes and a store closing
I discovered a very nice shoe store this week, which I’m sorry to say, I hadn’t noticed before. Carolyn’s Shoes is on Highway 50 in O’Fallon, across from Walmart in a small strip shopping center. (Look for Game Stop.) Inside I found a brand of shoes I wasn’t familiar with, Corkys.
Wow. I love colorful, casual shoes and Corkys’ lightweight slip-on flats, sandals and wedges would definitely make my feet and my wallet happy. Made of stretchy woven fabric, with cushioned soles, the footwear comes in a variety of color combinations, priced from about $40 to $60. The shop also has a good selection of dress shoes, handbags and fashion jewelery, as well as some clothing. See more information on the boutique’s Facebook page.
Store closing
Hancock Fabrics in O’Fallon (next to Aaron’s on U.S. 50) is going out of business, along with the rest of the company’s 184 stores nationwide. I stopped in Tuesday and saw a lot of shoppers picking up fabric at more than 50 percent off. There’s no closing date yet, but from the looks of the place, it won’t take long to see it bare. Go now if want to get any kind of choice in material and supplies. The business continues to take cash, credit and debit cards.
Entrance gone
OK, I admit to being a little miffed at Menard’s in O’Fallon. I parked by the garden center sign, got out of the car and, intending to use the entrance there, realized it had been bricked over. Gone. Now, you have to go all the way to the other end of the building to enter the store and walk the entire length to get to the interior entrance of the garden area. The check-out counter is gone there, too. (Walmart, Lowe’s and Home Depot all have separate entrances/check-out lanes for their garden sections.) What bargain did I see at Menard’s on Tuesday? Well, you can buy a big plastic watering can for $2.99.
Brighten up the night
AtHome (formerly Garden Ridge) in O’Fallon has a bright selection of LED pillar candles for $9.99. Choose from five colors and mix and match them with the big metal lanterns in three styles on display with them in the store. The lanterns, some of which have glass panels or hurricanes, were about $20 to $25.
It’s free!
Effinger Garden Center in Belleville is holding an Easy Landscape Design seminar at 10 a.m. Saturday. Bring pictures, sketches and photos of your outdoor project and get some hands-one, one-on-one advice.
Sandy’s Back Porch garden center in Belleville is hosting a free Cooking with Herbs demonstration by cooking and gardening enthusiast Arla Chevess at 10 a.m. Saturday. Infused olive oils and herbed butter, along with her famous minestrone soup, are just a few things Arla will be demonstrating.
All Smoothie King stores in the greater St. Louis area are celebrating the Cardinals’ home opener on Monday with a free 12-ounce Strawberry X-Treme smoothie. Stop by between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.
This story was originally published April 7, 2016 at 9:25 AM with the headline "Shopping: Comfy, colorful shoes and a store closing."