Shopping Local With Libby:

You Need It? Mall Has It!

By LIBBY CUDMORE • allotsego.com

Edition of Thursday-Friday, Dec. 18-19, 2014

ONEONTA

As we get deeper into chilly December and Christmas gets closer, the Southside Mall offers two great incentives to shop – it has something for everyone, and it’s all under one roof.

“If you need it, you’ll find it at the Southside Mall,” said Mall Manager Luisa Montanti. “There’s a great selection for everyone.”

I’m not one of those people who goes to the movies on Christmas, but I do love a good film … and even more than that, the book it was based on! “We have a lot of people who see the movie, then come over and buy the book,” said Katrina Vega, owner of Black Tree Books, a few storefronts over from Southside Mall Cinemas. “When we know a movie is about to open, we stock up on extra copies, because we usually sell out.”

Black Tree also carries plenty of vintage pulp paperbacks and hard-to-find books. “We’ve got a lot of out-of-print baseball books,” she said.

If you’ve still got room on your tree, Wendy Nirschl brings her hand-painted wooden ornaments out of Etsy and into her Southside Mall kiosk, outside Radio Shack. “The cats and the cosmos are new designs this year,” said Tori Rifanburg, who was manning the booth on Sunday, Dec. 14. “I love this one of the cats decorating the tree, because that’s what they do – you put all the ornaments on, and they ‘redecorate’ while you’re gone.”

Tori also had her line of jewelry out, all made from vintage beads. “I love finding weird buttons and beads and finding new ways to use them!” she said. “It adds a personal touch.”

Like Tori, Jamie Wagner at Maurice’s knows all about sparkle and glam. “Statement jewelry is huge this season,” she said. “If you’re wearing just a simple shirt, a big necklace pulls your whole outfit together.”

Maybe it’s a little early for me to be thinking about New Year’s Eve, but all the sparkly, glittery outfits they had on the mannequins made me plan right past Christmas! “You take one of these silver glittery tanks, pair it with a jacket and heels, and you’ve got your party look,” she said. “It’s super easy.”

But maybe the guys in my family wouldn’t be interested in a gem-cluttered clutch, so it’s over to FYE. “We’ve got our toys in for the holidays,” said manager Zach Dann. “We’ve got blankets, ornaments and hats for ’The Walking Dead,’ ‘Breaking Bad,’ and especially ‘Dr. Who.’ We had a ‘Dr. Who’ toothbrush, but we sold out of it.”

Not sure I need a Dalek ornament on my tree or a zombie blanket on my couch, but I know plenty of people who do.
And don’t forget your furry family members. “We’ve got coats and sweaters, and plenty of toys!” said Petco manager Dennis Powell. “Laser lights are really popular – cats love them, but so do dogs, birds, even fish will chase them.”

And if you don’t have a fluffy friend, Petco can help with that too, cooperating with local adoption agencies to help shelter pets find good homes. Can I get this tabby cat gift-wrapped, please?