Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Happy 2009!!!!

Click on the link below to view our holiday card:

Max's Holiday Card

We're Hibernating....

....every Sunday during the winter! Please note that Max's will be closed on Sundays throughout the remainder of the winter. We will re-open on Sundays after Memorial Day. Not to worry though....the rest of the week remains unchanged: Monday-Friday from 10am - 7pm, and Saturdays from 10am - 6pm.

Friday, December 26, 2008

Our Commitment

As we come to the end of 2008, I can't help feel anything but extremely grateful to, and humbled by, all of our loyal customers who have enabled Max's to have a truly wonderful year. On a personal note, I have always believed that it is my responsibility to give back to the community, and I am proud that Max's has made donations and in-kind contributions to several organizations throughout the year. Much of the cash contributions come from you, our customers, as they represent a portion of the proceeds we received from the sales of certain items, particularly the Plates With Purpose from The Riverside Design Group. A portion of the sales proceeds from these plates have been donated to the following organizations:

* Autism Society of Minnesota
* Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Minnesota
* Hospice Minnesota
* Minnesota AIDS Project
* St. Louis Park Emergency Program (STEP)
* The Alzheimer's Association; Minnesota-North Dakota Chapter
* Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity
* United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation
* University of Minnesota Children's Hospital

In addition, Max's has made cash and in-kind donations to several other organizations including: The American Diabetes Association, Antarctic and Southern Ocean Colation (Antarctica Project), American Heart Association, Children's Theater Company, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Minnesota, Special Olympics Minnesota, Minnesota Children's Museum, National Multiple Sclerosis Society Minnesota Chapter, Phillips Eye Institute and theSt. Louis Park Police.

I thank you for sharing my commitment to making the world a better place for all. My best to you and yours for a happy, healthy and peaceful new year!

The Sale is On!!!!


Yep, that's right....it's time for Max's semi-annual sale! We had a wonderful holiday season thanks to you, our fabulous customers, and now want to say goodbye to 2008 and ring in 2009 with an extra thank-you. Come enjoy savings between 30-80% off on some of the things that you've been admiring for a while. And don't forget your New Year's party...whether it's something sparkly to set off your new outfit, some chocolates for a hostess gift, or these beautifully colored liquor glasses (which come in wine and champagne styles as well) to use when you're toasting in the new year (ok, so these aren't on sale!).

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Happy Holidays from Max's!

All of us at Max's wish you and yours a very happy holiday season filled with peace, love and health. We are grateful for your support and friendship and look forward to sharing a wonderful 2009 with you!

All the best,

Ellen, Leah, Lori, Diane and Bernice

p.s. click the link to the right to see our holiday card!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Holiday Fashion Shines at Excelsior & Grand!!!!!

Join us as Max's, OPM, Shorty's Loft and Shu present holiday fashions and gift ideas during 3 informal modeling events at McCoy's and Laredo's over the next two weeks. Fashions, footwear, jewelry and other accessories will be presented during the lunch hour at noon on Thursday, December 11 and again at noon on Thursday, December 18, and at dinner at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 17. When you shop in one of our four stores by December 24 and mention that you saw the show and spend $25 or more, you'll be given a voucher for $5 off of your next visit to either of the restaurants. It's easy...dine and be inspired to "wrap up" your holiday shopping with some great gift ideas at the same time!

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

We're So Excited for This Weekend!




I hope that you'll join us for our 2008 Holiday Trunk Show! Those of you who have gotten to know us well over the last couple of years know that Vicente Agor from San Francisco is one of our favorite designers. While Vicente is widely known for his stunning 18k gold work adorned with precious gems, he will be introducing his brand new line of fine silver jewelry named "seventynine47" (including these fabulous bangle bracelets!). He created seventynine47 in response to numerous requests for jewelry created with his design aesthetic, but at a lower price point. The premiere collection of seventynine47 includes designs that were previously only available in 18k gold. The name of the collection comes from the periodic table of the elements (ok, how many of you remember that?!?), as the numbers 79 and 47 are the atomic numbers of gold and silver, respectively. Some of the silver pieces include touches of 18k gold. In addition to the new silver line, Vicente will also be featuring pieces from his Antarctica collection. A portion of the proceeds of sales from this collection will be donated to the Antarctica Project (www.asoc.org), which works to ensure that the Antarctic continent, its surrounding islands and the great Southern Ocean survive as the world's last unspoiled wilderness.

The show will run on Saturday, December 6 from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m and on Sunday, December 7 from 12 - 5 p.m. We are honored that Max's is the first store in the country to carry his wonderful new silver line that will be introduced at the show!

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Tomorrow is Silver and Gold Friday!!!

While many in the retail business refer to tomorrow as "black Friday", here at Max’s we’d much prefer to think of it as silver and gold Friday as the holiday shopping season “officially” kicks off. I hope that you’ll come in and enjoy some hot sipping chocolate while you begin selecting your holiday gifts….there’s so much to look at, so it might take a while! The glass snowmen are back this year and they brought some new friends with them to join in the fun, including Minnie Mouse, a Pirate and a Toy Soldier! We also have some beautiful hand-blown glass perfume bottles that would make great gifts and, of course, there’s the jewelry. Our cases our full and we’ve received so much new work in the last couple of weeks that I’m confident that you’ll be able to find something regardless of your style and budget. We love this time of year at Max’s because we love to help you find that perfect gift for all who are on your list. We look forward to seeing you and, in the meantime.....gobble, gobble!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

How About Something Sweet for Your Stocking?



Ok, so this gift basket may be a bit too big for your holiday stocking, but we do think it makes a great gift! We can make a chocolate gift basket for any price over $35 (the one in this picture retails for $100), and will customize it to your specifications....all milk chocolate, no nuts, only Italian chocolates, etc. And who says the basket has to have only chocolate in it? We have some beautiful glass ornaments that would look nice, as well as wine and champagne glasses. Of course we think that something shiny, perhaps in gold or silver, would work well tucked in between the canister of sipping chocolate and the box of truffles. But that's just how we think....what about you?

Thursday, October 30, 2008

A-B-C.....It's Easy as 1-2-3!



No, no, I'm not channeling the Jackson 5 these days. But I am excited about these cute chocolate letters that I think would make great holiday gifts or stocking stuffers! They are from SweetBliss and are dark Belgian chocolate covered with white chocolate and hand painted, and the whole alphabet is available by special order for the holidays. Each letter is $30 and we will need your order no later than November 30 so that they will be in the store for you to pick up by December 20. You can give an initial, spell out a name or a whole message (ok, so that might be going a bit overboard).

A is for Apples (or Alison)!
B is for Balloons (or Becky)!
C is for Candy (or Cathy)!

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Mixed Media



If you haven't seen her work before, I think Sarah Graham makes some of the most beautiful and interesting jewelry in the market today! One of the things that I'm drawn to from a design standpoint is the unusual or unexpected in terms of different elements being used together that you normally wouldn't think of. I think that Sarah is one who is at the top of the list from this standpoint, as her signature is gold and blackened steel adorned with diamonds. I can't help myself whenever I am in market and, as a result, I'm happy to report that we have a wonderful collection of her work right now in the store! As a matter of fact, we just received some new earrings from her....this is a picture that was taken when I was in market in August in Philadelphia after I had chosen these new items. Check out more of Sarah's work on our website at http://stylebymax.com/graham.php or at www.sarahgraham.com

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Its Fall Fashion Month at Excelsior & Grand!



Excelsior & Grand is the place to be this month! Grab a friend and head on over! We're calling it "Fall Fashion Month" around here, as many of the boutiques and businesses are unveiling some new wonderful things. In addition, 2 of our newer businesses are hosting their grand opening celebrations, so it's time to party too!

The events begin on Thursday, October 16, with a "Kick Off to Fall" fashion preview at Shorty's Loft, from 5-9pm. Guests will enjoy wine & cheese and a wonderful chair massage while browsing the hottest trends for the season. A portion of the sales proceeds will go to the Lou Gehrigs Foundation.

The next day, Friday, October 17 from 12-9pm and continuing on Saturday, October 18 from 10-6, we at Max's will host a trunk show with jewelry artist Todd Reed (see the post right below this one for more details). Todd is considered the premier designer in working in raw diamonds, and will be in the store during the show on Friday only, doing sketches for those interested in a custom design. Enjoy some chocolates and wine while you marvel over Todd's work which are truly pieces of wearable art!


It's party time the following weekend! On Friday, October 24, beginning at 7pm, join OPM, the Twin Cities' newest luxury women's boutique as they celebrate their grand opening. A fashion show will begin at 8pm. Guests can register for the show online at the OPM website and receive a limited edition gift bag filled with goodies from some of OPM's Excelsior & Grand neighbors, including free drinks at Laredo's, caramels from Max's, discounts from ReJoovMe, and a complete line of hair care products from The Hair District.

Stop by Shu Global Footwear on Saturday afternoon, October 25 between 2-6, and enjoy champagne and cupcakes while you browse the new fall footwear, and make sure to reserve you Uggs before they are gone! Then head down the street to ReJoovMe to join their grand opening celebration! ReJoovMe is your floatation and relaxation center, and between 4-7, you can enjoy appetizers, drinks, tours and demonstrations, and guests will enjoy a take-home gift and the opportunity to win great prizes.

So, as you can tell, Excelsior & Grand is the place to be this fall and we all hope that you can join us!


opmboutique.com



rejoovme.com



shortysloft.com


shuglobal.com

Wait Until You See This!!!!


I’m so excited to tell you about our upcoming fall trunk show this coming weekend with diamond artist Todd Reed. Todd does the most beautiful raw diamond and rose-cut natural color diamond work that are, I think, truly works of art. The trunk show will take place on Friday, October 17 from 12 noon until 9pm and Todd will be in the store throughout that time. He will be showcasing his latest designs and one-of-a-kind pieces, and he will be doing design sketches for those who are interested in a custom piece. The show will continue on Saturday, October 18 from 10 until 6 but while his beautiful collection will be here, Todd won’t be in the store, so please remember to come on Friday if you’d like to meet him! We are so proud to be carrying this beautiful work at Max’s, and are so thrilled that Todd wants to come hold a trunk show with us! Check out more of Todd's work on our website at http://stylebymax.com/reed.php or directly on Todd's website at http://toddreed.com/

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Schedule Updates for the Next 2 Weeks

Max's will be closing at 5:00 on Tuesday, September 30 and we will be closed all day on Thursday, October 9 for Yom Kippur. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. Other than that, it's business as usual!

Monday, September 15, 2008

If You've Been Trying to Call Us.....

I just learned that our voice mail system isn't working....eeek! I am so terribly sorry if you have been trying to reach us after hours and have been getting some crazy message about entering a 10-digit code. We are trying to switch from one phone provider to another and well, obviously, you can tell how that's been going! Hopefully, this will be fixed by the end of the day....tomorrow at the latest. In the meantime, if you can't get through to us via the phone, please send us an email at info@stylebymax.com. Thanks for your understanding and, again, my apologies for the hassle and inconvenience.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

So Many New Things.....


....to talk about! We have been getting so much new work in lately! I know I shouldn't be rushing the seasons along (given that all of here in Minnesota know what's coming next!), but I have to admit that a lot of our new necklaces are making me a bit anxious to put on a turtleneck sweater! Big, bold and chunky....one of the hot trends for this season, and we've got some great pieces that really capitalize on that. We are adding several new artist pages to our website...they should be live by the end of this week. In the meantime, check out this new necklace from Natasha Wozniak...one of Max's newest jewelry artists!

Friday, September 5, 2008

Want to Party?


Just a quick reminder....it's time for our annual party! But, more important than that is the fact that this is the weekend of the Ananda Khalsa Trunk Show! The trunk show takes place from noon - 9 p.m. on Saturday, September 6 and from noon - 5 p.m. on Sunday. September 7. Party festivities begin at 5 on Saturday and run until 9, but I have it on good authority that there might be some "extra" chocolate scattered about the store before the party "officially" begins! I hope you can join us to see so much more of Ananda's beautiful work like this beautiful necklace.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

We're Sleeping In!

Please forgive us, but we're going to be closed on Labor Day, Monday, September 1 to catch up, re-charge and just be lazy! We'll be open again at 10:00 on Tuesday. On Wednesday, September 3, we'll be closing at 4:00 for a store meeting and event. Again, we'll be open at 10:00 on Thursday. We appreciate your understanding and apologize for any inconvenience. Have a wonderful holiday!

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Thank You from Max's!

Welcome to Max’s Rewards Program! In appreciation for your on-going support of Max’s, we will recognize your purchases by giving you credit, in the form of points, for each purchase you make. You will receive a $.10 credit for every dollar you spend at Max’s, and you can choose when you would like your accumulated credit applied to your sales invoice. So, once you spend $10, you will have a $1.00 credit in your “Max’s bank”. When you reach $100 in accumulated purchases, you will have $10 in your “bank”, and so on. Then, for example, if you make a $300 purchase and have $25 in your bank, you can choose to spend all $25 at once and reduce your invoice total (before tax) to $275, or you can use any amount less than $25 and save the rest for a future purchase.. Again, you decide when you want to “spend” your points and how many you want to spend at any one time.

We will keep track of the additions and subtractions to your point balance….all we need is your name so that we can maintain the information in our sales system. It’s that easy!

Monday, August 4, 2008

WOW! What a Great Surprise!

Last night at the awards ceremony held during the Buyers Market of American Craft in Philadelphia, Max's was named as one of NICHE magazine's Top Retailers of 2008! What a great surprise and fabulous honor! Quoting directly from the press release, "the annual Top Retailer Awards program recognizes craft retailers who are committed to fair business practices and to growing and strengthening the North American craft community." We were one of 33 retailers and gallery owners from across North America who were recognized by the magazine in various categories. What I think is especially great about this award is that artists nominate the retailers who they think are deserving, and then the nominees are judged by other retailers from across North America. I am so proud that Max's has earned this kind of respect in its short 2-year life! A huge thank you to all of our artists whose creativity is at the core of Max's success story, as you enable us to bring beautiful work to our customers.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Kudos to the Bag Ladies!

Many congratulations to all of the women profiled in last Saturday's (July 19) Minneapolis Star Tribune as the "bag ladies" for their wonderful handbag designs! A very special "YIPPEE!" goes to Laura Nelli, who worked at Max's between 2006-2007, and Tracy Dyer, one of Max's favorite customers (Tracy.....LOVE the ring!). It was a lot of fun to open the paper on a sleepy-eyed Saturday morning and utter "wow...I know them!" Well done ladies!

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Too Much Chocolate?

So, do you think there’s a such thing as too much chocolate for one person? No, I don’t really think so either, but there was a time in the last couple of weeks when I began to ask myself that question. I was in New York at the Fancy Food Show searching out some new chocolates to bring into the store as well as getting a glimpse…and a taste….of some new products from some of our current chocolatiers. One of my goals was to find some more single-origin chocolates that were manufactured in the same country that the beans come from. Well, after having eaten countless samples of different types of chocolates….bars, truffles, toffees, caramels, you name it….I’m happy to report that I’ve found some wonderful new products. We now have some bars made of chocolate that is grown, crafted and packaged in Madagascar, as well some new chocolates from Equador…again grown, crafted and packaged there….which include some chocolate covered berries and banana pieces. We also have some delicious new chocolates from Sao Tome and Principe Africa…the beans are grown and the chocolate bars are produced there by the farmer and his two sons. And, finally, at least for now, we have some chocolate discs that are made in a very traditional Mexican style that uses stone mills to grind the beans into a coarse texture. So....too much chocolate? Never!

Monday, July 7, 2008

I am Humbled

It's with a great deal of both pride and humility, that I want to let you know of Max's nomination for a NICHE award as a top retailer for 2008! The NICHE Top Retailer Awards, which are sponsored by NICHE magazine (a trade publication for retailers of fine American Craft), recognizes the nation's best craft retailers, arts nonprofits, museums and guilds for growing and strengthening the American craft community. The program annually recognizes 24 retailers and gallery owners as Top Retailers and one Retailer of the Year, and gives awards in 10 other categories. Needless to say, I am thrilled that we were nominated! We will find out in August whether we have been recognized with an award, so stay tuned. As an FYI, in addition to publishing NICHE magazine, The Rosen Group produces the bi-annual Philadelphia Buyers Market of American Craft, the nation's largest wholesale American craft tradeshow which is a major source for many of the wonderful artists we represent at Max's.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

It's Hot Outside!



Hard to believe, but July 4th is next week....in the words of Charlie Brown, one of my childhood (and adult, I suppose) heroes....AAAGGHH!  I can hardly believe it.  I thought I was planning so far ahead when I went into the jewelry market earlier this year and specified the summer and early fall as our desired shipping dates for some of our new artists, and now that seems like just yesterday.  Oh well, as we all know, there's no changing  time.  The good news though is that the summer months mean that we have some wonderful new work coming in all of the time.  One of the artists new to Max's that we're really excited about is Aaron Henry.  Aaron is a wonderful jeweler from L.A. and this is just one example of his beautiful work (see rings above!).  He works in precious metals and stones and I feel really lucky that we are the only ones here in Minnesota who are carrying his work.  Of course, that's true about so many of our artists, and I am so appreciative that we've been able to create some wonderful relationships with our artists who are so loyal to Max's.  Stay tuned to our website as we're going to be adding some more pages in the next 1-2 weeks of some of our artists work including Aaron Henry, Patricia Tschetter (her work will be here the first week of July), Marya Dabrowski, Laura Gibson, Mio Studio and Ananda Khalsa....just to name a few!  In the meantime, what do you think about these rings?  Click here to link directly to Aaron's website:  www.aaronhenry.com

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Welcome to Max's Blog!

Well, here we go!  I really had never thought about blogging before when, suddenly, I started receiving several suggestions (some subtle, some quite direct!) in a short period of time that Max's should/must have a blog.  I dismissed the idea at first, thinking that people really didn't want to read more (or have the time to read more), but the longer that I thought about it, the more it seemed like a great way to get information to you that would (hopefully) be of interest. My hope is that the blog will provide you with information that is relevant...what I'm finding in the market in terms of trends, the new artists whose work we're carrying, the new items that we think are really great, store updates, and upcoming events that we'll be having.  I'd love your feedback....please let me know what you think of the blog and what you'd like to see on it.