North Star Mall boots celebrate 40 years

northstarboots20 — The North Star Mall boots celebrates 40 years this month. In honor of the artist, Bob “Daddy O” Wade, a commemorative limited edition Fiesta medal will be out in February. Photo: North Star Mall, used with permission.

The adage that everything in Texas is bigger and better is best illustrated by the massive cowboy boot sculpture that adorns North Star Mall’s northern face. The “World’s Largest Cowboy Boots” sculpture stands an impressive 35-feet, three inches tall, 30-feet long, nine–feet wide and weighs in at 10,000 pounds. (North Star Mall, 2019)

Artist Bob “Daddy O” Wade was 36 years old in 1979 when he was contacted by the Washington Project for the Arts out of Washington, DC to create a Texas-themed sculpture to be featured in an empty lot, mere blocks from the White House. Built on site, Wade created two structures that in 2016 became Guinness World Record-certified Cowboy Boots – the largest such sculpture in the world. Approximately forty feet high and thirty feet long, the boots are made of tubular steel sprayed with polyurethane foam. Wade is known for several other giant creations, including a 40-foot long iguana that now sits atop the Ft. Worth Zoo, dancing frogs that can be found on the roof of a Taco Cabana in Dallas and a 70-foot high saxophone in Houston, among others.

Shortly after its creation, a bidding war ensued between a company in Houston and The Rouse Company, then owners of North Star mall, who purchased the landmark for $20,000. Getting them from DC to San Antonio is a story that includes getting stuck under an overpass. From that point on the truck drivers responsible for moving the boots took back roads all the way to Texas.

The World’s Largest Cowboy Boots is celebrating its 40^th anniversary in January. They have become iconic – used in commercials and highlighted in every San Antonio event that garners state and national attention. According to Wade, they’ve even been the subject of a master’s thesis – a fitting study for boots that have earned their place in Texas culture.

“The North Star Mall family was deeply saddened to learn of Bob Wade, artist of the World’s Largest Cowboy Boots, passing on Christmas Eve. In his honor and memory, we are creating a commemorative Fiesta Medal that will be available in February. Please check our website and Facebook page for details. The Boots, much like the artist who made them, are larger than life and have a special place in San Antonio’s heart. Bob will always be an important part of North Star Mall history; may Bob’s legacy live on through his sculptures.” Brenda Crawford, Sr. General Manager, North Star Mall

Holiday shopping deals around town

Photo: Shake Shack, used with permission.

This week, Black Friday ushers in the holiday shopping season and area businesses are offering special deals to their customers to help them get the most for their dollars. (Shake Shack, Pluckers Wing Bar, Hiatus Spa + Retreat, 2019)

In celebration of Black Friday, Shake Shack will be running a Black FryDay promotion from November 27 through December 1. Each guest (for all order modes – in-Shack, App pick-up, or delivery order) will receive a scratch-off ticket in their bag for the chance to win a prize. The scratch off area is the first gondola and all cards will be a winner. Prizes include: Free burger with any $20+ order or free fries with any $15+ order on the Shack App, Free Delivery with any $15+ order through Grubhub or Free Shack for a year (aka a $2,500 gift card). This offer would be a great time to try one of Shake Shack’s holiday shakes: Christmas Cookie Shake, Chocolate Peppermint Shake and Coconut Snowball Shake – which are offered now through January 5.

- Christmas Cookie Shake: Sugar cookie frozen custard, topped with whipped cream, crumbled shortbread and holiday sprinkles.
- Chocolate Peppermint Shake: Chocolate custard, peppermint fudge sauce, topped with whipped cream and chocolate peppermint bark.
- Coconut Snowball Shake: Vanilla custard, coconut, marshmallow, topped with whipped cream, coconut and sprinkles.

Pluckers Wing Bar will be offering $10 Pluckers Club Memberships on Black Friday and 20%-off everything via the Pluckers Shop (excluding gift cards) on Cyber Monday. Pluckers Club members enjoy a variety of rewards, including, but not limited to, free birthday meals, invitations to exclusive events, food and drink specials and more. Pluckers club membership is now available through the app on iTunes and Google Play – a treat for current and aspiring members.

Hiatus Spa + Retreat is running a special on their Bright and Early gift cards perfect for holiday gifting, stocking stuffers and to kick off the new year. Guests who purchase an online gift card valued at $125.00 get it for only $99.00. The limited time offer is valid through Friday, November 29. Hiatus Spa + Retreat is ringing in the holidays with the December monthly specials and holiday packages such as:

- - - The Merry & Bright: Two is better than one. Pick any two Essential Services–The Signature Massage, The Tailor Made Facial, The One & Only Mani-Pedi, The Body Glow or The Body Wrap–and make a day of your getaway. 2 or more hours, $179 (up to $220 value)
    - The Peace, Love, & Joy: their three most in-demand services —The Signature Massage, The Tailor Made Facial and The One & Only Mani-Pedi — are bundled up and tied with a bow, for your sugar plum 3.5 hours, $269 ($320 value)

December Monthly Retreat: December in Manhattan
“Embrace the holiday frenzy with our take on December in Manhattan – inspired by the timeless cocktail. A gentle full-body exfoliation prepares you to be smothered in a warm masque of antioxidant-rich Black Cherries, spicy Nutmeg and luscious Bourbon Vanilla. Unwind with a deeply penetrating massage, letting the fragrant masque nurture your skin and inspire your senses. A final rinse under the Vichy shower leaves you soft, sultry and satisfied, ready to sip a heart-melting Manhattan made with housemade bourbon and Madagascar vanilla-infused cherries.” (80-minute service for $195)

Pearl announces new pop-up: Nave Coyote

Pearl is excited to present Nave Coyote, the third pop-up in the Diehlman Building. As the brainchild of designers Peter Glassford and Isabel Moncada, Nave Coyote will showcase a compilation of hand-selected contemporary designs from Guadalajara, Mexico, Moncada’s hometown. Glassford and Moncada curated a vibrant collection of fashion, jewelry, leather goods, tabletop designs, furniture and lighting items that vary from practical to extravagant. This showcase will introduce San Antonio to the booming contemporary design scene in Mexico. (Pearl, 2019)

Designers Peter Glassford and Isabel Moncada kick-started their careers in 1990 after falling in love with the talent they found in Mexico. The duo formed Glassford Moncada in 2016, a design alliance and workshop in Guadalajara with a Tex-Mex perspective. Their pop up in the Diehlman Building will have items that were exclusively selected for the Pearl and will be available for a limited time; from Friday November 29 through Monday January 6. Business hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10a.m. to 6p.m.

Diehlman Building
200 E. Grayson Street, Suite 100
San Antonio, TX 78215

The Shops at La Cantera includes retailers once found only online

dogatlacantera — The Shops at La Cantera has had unique tenants open their doors onsite. Photo: The Shops at La Cantera, used with permission.

Patrons of The Shops at La Cantera have had a variety of new options for fitness, dining and shopping pleasures in 2019 thanks to several new tenants that opened their doors at one of Texas’ premier luxury retail destinations. Stores that were once only available as online retailers now have a brick-and-mortar presence at The Shops at La Cantera. New-to-market restaurants, retailers and health and wellness businesses made their mark here this year, further solidifying the position of The Shops as South Texas’ premier unique and upscale open-air center. This comes as The Shops approaches its 15^th anniversary as an Alamo City icon. (The Shops at La Cantera, 2019)

Stores like Tecovas, formerly an online-only cowboy boot retailer, added their second physical location at The Shops in July and has been well-received by patrons. Quay Australia, a once digital native retailer of sunglasses, brought their “notoriously cool sunnies” to the property as well. The Shops will also be home to one of two American locations for high-end fashion retailer Purificación Garcia, which boasts nearly a dozen locations across Central and South America. Premium jeans maker 7 for All Mankind is another first-to-market retailer at The Shops. While Louis Vuitton has had a store inside anchor tenant Neiman Marcus for years, they expanded their presence in 2019 with a new store to display more of its luxury French handbags and accessories in the Neiman Marcus wing of The Shops. In May, California-based Restoration Hardware opened its doors to offer patrons the chance to enjoy its many lines of select furniture designs, including sections for children and babies.

Several new dining and food-related options are also new additions to The Shops, including upscale fast casual creperie Sweet Paris and another French-inspired café, Le Macaron French Pastries. In the mood for more sweets? Try unique ice cream sandwich shop The Baked Bear. In San Antonio, these culinary offerings are only available at The Shops at La Cantera.

On the health and wellness front, Orange Theory Fitness will be coming by the end of 2019. Pop-up yoga studio Half Moon Power Yoga opened earlier in 2019 and will continue to offer its healing services to patrons at their location next to Nordstrom.

As it celebrates another year of redefining destination shopping and lifestyle experience in South Texas, guests can enjoy a diverse experience that can only be found at The Shops at La Cantera this holiday season.

“Fifteen years after we opened the first phase of The Shops at La Cantera, we continue to draw exciting and innovative stores to this beautiful space. This is going to be a great holiday season to come out and see new faces, to taste new flavors and to enjoy new experiences.” – Brian Schroeder, senior general manager at The Shops at La Cantera

The Shops at La Cantera
15900 La Cantera Pkwy
San Antonio, TX 78256
(210) 582-6255

Niche at Pearl to expand and change name

nichepictures — Niche at Pearl, a modern boutique apparel collection, will have its grand opening in November. Photo: Niche at Pearl, used with permission.

Pearl is excited to announce the re-opening and expansion of Niche at Pearl this month. Niche is a modern boutique apparel collection headquartered across the river from Pearl. Niche’s flagship location at Pearl will now feature a broader range of clothing with a themed concept occupying the expanded space every few months. Throughout the month of October, Niche at Pearl will have a soft opening with its grand opening slated for November. (Niche at Pearl, 2019)

The boutique will feature a wide range of apparel including children’s clothing, beauty products, handmade jewelry and a pop-up space that will showcase a different theme several times a year. Each rotated concept featured at Niche at Pearl will have new merchandise, decor, events and vendors that match the theme. The theme will take over the majority of the 1,200 square foot added retail space, giving patrons an entirely new shopping experience. The renovated space will double the size of the original store to a total of 2300 sq. feet.

Playroom will kick off the first rotation with a focus on children’s products for newborns to age six. It offers the Niche “Mommy & Me” and “Mommy & He” collections, with coordinated looks for mothers and their young daughters and sons. This collection includes tiny versions of Niche best-sellers, including the Origami Tunic, Twinbutton Tops, and Canopy Pants. Other children’s apparel lines include Minneapolis-based Oh! Baby, a delightful line of children’s apparel with unexpected details in soft, organic materials and Austin-based Cat & Dogma, with graphic prints of coordinated play outfits.

Playroom will also have toys and activities to keep the little ones entertained while adults are shopping. There will be vendor pop-ups, a lemonade stand on busy weekends and activities for kids. The store will offer huggable plush stuffed animals, tents for children to crawl in for cozy play, vibrant sensory squeeze balls and sustainable wood dollhouses, including an eco-friendly model complete with toy solar panels and recycle bins. Gifts for new parents, birthdays, baby showers and yogis range from swaddling blankets, eco-friendly teething rings to kids size yoga mats.

The Playroom concept will wind down by spring 2020 to make room for a brand new theme which will be announced at a later date. Niche at Pearl will be located in suites 112 and 110 at the historic Pearl, in the space formerly occupied by Pearl’s pop up shop.

Niche at Pearl
302 Pearl Parkway, Suite 112
San Antonio, TX 78215
(210) 437-0239

Fall pop-up series at the Pearl

mironcrosbyboots — Miron Crosby, a boot brand from Dallas, will be one of the pop-up events coming up at the Pearl. Photo: Miron Crosby, used with permission.

Pearl is thrilled to announce three new pop-up experiences coming to Pearl’s Dielmann Building this fall. The series will feature curated brands made in San Antonio and Dallas and offer locals another unique shopping opportunity as each will occupy the space for about a month. (Pearl, 2019)

The Dielmann Building, formerly the Il Sogno space, will host retails shops Miron Crosby, Period Modern and a contemporary design studio by Peter Glassford and Isabel Moncada. Miron Crosby, a bespoke boot brand from Dallas, will take over the space, followed by Period Modern, a brand offering hand-selected vintage and authentic Danish mid-century furniture. The pop-up series will close with a contemporary Mexican design showcase of vibrant fashion, jewelry, textiles, leather goods and furniture from Guadalajara-based Peter Glassford and Isabel Moncada.

The pop-up schedule at Pearl includes:

Miron Crosby – September 12 through October 12 open from 10a.m. to 6p.m.

Sisters Lizzie Means Duplantis and Sarah Means are the force behind Miron Crosby, a bespoke boot brand with a flagship store in Dallas’ Highland Park Village. Miron Crosby is inspired by the sisters’ experiences of growing up on their family’s West Texas cattle ranch and later living and working in New York City. Their artisanal boots for women, men and children are hand-lasted in Texas by Rios of Mercedes, a 160-year-old manufacturer and cousins of the Means sisters. Their line features the iconic tall cowboy boot, the popular shorty and the novel midi-boot.

Period Modern – October 15 through November 24

Period Modern hand selects mid-century modern classics with pieces by Harry Bertoia, Finn Juhl, Adrian Pearsall, Hans Wegner, Eero Saarinen, Milo Baughman, George Nelson and Vladimir Kagan. Artwork showcased at Period Modern includes many mid-century artists and several local artists.

Hello Diseño Mexico – November 29 through January 9

Guadalajara-based Peter Glassford and Isabel Moncada will showcase contemporary Mexican design with a vibrant mix of fashion, jewelry, tabletop, leather goods, and furniture. The pop-up will introduce San Antonio to the booming contemporary design scene in Guadalajara, which is well known to the world but underexposed in San Antonio.

“Pearl loves collaborating with unique brands that reference regional sensibilities. We’re excited to utilize the space to showcase small businesses and expand our retail footprint.”- Elizabeth Fauerso, Pearl’s chief marketing officer

The Dielmann Building
200 E Grayson St, Ste 100
San Antonio, TX 78215

BoxLunch opens San Antonio location at North Star Mall

BoxLunch a pop culture gift store with a cause, announces that it will open its newest location in San Antonio on Wednesday, August 21 at the North Star Mall. BoxLunch offers a thoughtfully curated selection of officially licensed apparel, accessories, collectibles, beauty, home goods and gift and novelty merchandise for everyone from the most dedicated fan to the more casual pop culture enthusiast. The new store will celebrate its grand opening weekend, Saturday, August 24 to Sunday, August 25 from 12p.m. to 4p.m. with DJs spinning live music, in-store giveaways and trivia games. (BoxLunch, 2019)

To fulfill its civic mission of “Get Some. Give Back”, BoxLunch will donate one meal to Feeding America® for every $10 spent in-store or online. BoxLunch is proud to support national hunger-relief efforts as well as local efforts through Feeding America’s nationwide network of food banks, including San Antonio Food Bank, which will directly receive a percentage of the donations raised at the North Star Mall BoxLunch store.

In-store campaigns will highlight BoxLunch’s exclusive Back-to-School assortment inspired by The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and merchandise from the Japanese animation film studio, Studio Ghibli.
BoxLunch’s store design features a bright, organic design that encourages the customer to journey through its collection of licensed pop culture product offerings by providing a tactile and exploratory shopping experience

“We are thrilled to bring BoxLunch back to San Antonio. Our mission is simple, sell the best product and use our business to inspire and implement solutions to help fight the hunger crisis on both a local and national level,” – Robert Thomsen, senior vice president, general manager of merchandising and marketing, BoxLunch.

BoxLunch at North Star Mall
7400 San Pedro Ave.
San Antonio, TX 78216

The Vintage Bouquet Bar announces rebrand

The Vintage Bouquet Bar is a Pearl retail space that consists of full-service floral customization where customers can select their florals, fillers, greenery and arrangement style for a completely unique and personalized piece. Fresh from announcing the rebrand to The Vintage Bouquet, it will be transitioning from a retail space into a studio, dedicating its entire focus to weddings and events, something the brand is extremely passionate about. The studio space will continue to offer the same one-of-a-kind floral design classes to its customers by appointment. The new private studio will open by appointment only starting on May 7; to make an appointment, please fill out submission form online. (The Vintage Bouquet, 2019)

Vintage Heart Farm, the flower farm owned by the same company, will continue to have its grab-and-go flowers available for customers at the Pearl Farmers Market on Saturdays and Sundays.

“It’s incredibly exciting to have the opportunity to bring to fruition something I feel so passionate about, especially in a place of such integrity and foresight. My passion for design and creating truly unforgettable events has inspired me to create a studio space where we can provide clients with a unique and dedicated experience for their event or wedding.” – Ashley Mauricio-Flores, owner and creative director for The Vintage Bouquet.

Full Goods Building at Pearl
200 E. Grayson St., Suite 108
San Antonio, TX 78215

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