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!

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!

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?

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)!

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

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/