The temps are cooling and those beautiful autumn days are coming. While fall is full of festivals, apple picking and harvests, we do love to squeeze in a day trip to a winery or two…or more. We asked our contributors to share their faves within driving distance of Alexandria.

We have always wanted to get in on the fun Historic Alexandria Homes Tour, presented by The Twig, and thank people for coming to our town for the day. We collaborated with some of the stores on a Snip and Shop. Build a “Boutique Bouquet” by starting at Enchanted Florist to pick-up floral paper and a sticker then continue on to the seven other participating stores.

Ulla Johnson is known for: feminine dresses topped with the perfect amount of puff, ruffle and details that make them feminine but not overly fussy. As the brand has grown she has evolved into other offerings and pieces that might not be what you typically think of when someone says “Ulla.” These changes of pace are the pieces that most excite me about this fall.

We usually don’t do events in August since most folks are out of town, but we decided to give it a try with Ulla Johnson. Starting Thursday, August 22 we are kicking off the Ulla Johnson event with some summertime cocktails from 4pm to 7pm. We are going to be serving everyone’s favorite summertime cocktail, an Aperol Spritz. It seemed like a fitting drink for the end of summer and for Ulla.

Since this is the last weekend on South Fairfax, and it’s the big summer sale in Alexandria, you can imagine that we have some major markdowns at both stores. We are also starting the markdowns before the actual sidewalk sale – starting Thursday, August 8, both stores will be marked at their lowest prices of the season.

It’s hard to believe it has been 15 years since I started the Sidewalk Sale. Like most things, it started very, very small. I can remember calling Angela, who owned Bellacara at the time, and telling her about the idea. She was like, “All my makeup will melt outside – you are crazy!” I convinced her to do it anyway. We got our usual collaborators to take part and it grew, becoming bigger and bigger every year. Now Visit Alexandria has taken over the sale so we can include all of Alexandria!

Let’s face it: nobody likes paying taxes. When I was growing up people would head to the beach in Delaware in the summer and hit up the outlets for back-to-school shopping. There were great deals and they didn’t have to pay sales tax. Well, I feel Alexandria is the Delaware shore this weekend.

The first two weekends in August are a great time to shop in Alexandria. They are two of my favorite events of the year! We kick off August with Tax Free Weekend, then the following weekend the entire city is basically on sale for Sidewalk Sale weekend.

Well it’s week two of our Courtyard Clearance Sale at The Shoe Hive. Things are moving quickly, that’s for sure! This week we have only two price points: $75 and $100. There’s something about the arrival of fall merchandise that makes us grab the red pens and reduce prices on summer merchandise.

Our team of lucky booksellers got to take on a fun challenge: Match the cover of a book you’re recommending this summer to an M.M. LaFleur outfit! Here’s what we came up with. How did we do?

This year is going to be a big one because, well, it’s our last one. After the Sidewalk Sale in August, we’ll be merging the Shoe Hive (on Fairfax Street) into the Hive’s location at 315 Cameron Street - and won’t have the awesome courtyard. This sale is a little bittersweet for me, and the deals are going to be major!

Since it’s officially summer and the Fourth of July is almost here we wanted to help everyone spruce up their summer accessories. Starting June 27, all straw accessories are 50 percent off! Shop online or in store at The Shoe Hive, check them out!

We've now hit that mark -- where we've moved the layout around a bit, know where all our items are stored, when the mail arrives, etc. --  and we're ready to celebrate our Grand Opening on Upper King! Join us this Saturday to toast to the journey and the strength of community.

The one item that folks come in looking for the most from April through July is: white jeans. To help everyone out with this summer staple we are having a White Denim Sale, June 24 through June 30. All white denim will be 20 percent off online and in store. 

In lieu of summer camp for adults and to prepare you and your kiddos for their own amazing camp experience, our stores have decided to spend July bringing a dose of camp to Old Town. We’re calling it Camp Stone Soup!

I’m sharing my favorite spring shoes since they are all marked down to 50 percent off. I mean, these shoes are the good stuff – made by master crafters in Italy!

Highlights include a full drink and food menu with shareable plates. Megan shared that we should expect, “a great mix of cocktails – dirty martinis, espresso martinis, sangria and lighter cocktails for the summer.” And of course, plenty of neon, rainbows and iconic art for those photo opps!

To kick off this summer and celebrate the passing of another school year, we’re throwing a little party at Pippin Toy Co. on June 12 from 1pm to 4pm. The fun will start with crafting and milk and cookies.  

Over the week we have featured our favorite items from The Shoe Hive and The Hive. Now it’s Yellow Jacket's turn, and it is with great sadness that I have to announce that it isn’t just the start of the spring sale; it’s our Going Out Of Business Sale.

Madeline picked some of her favorite pieces that she can’t believe made it to markdowns, along with items that already found their way into her closet this spring. Check ‘em out!