Twice each year we show the season's new lines for one of our favorite designers, Sympli.  We host a great group of our favorite customers, offer a little wine and some great hors d' oeuvres and then put the pieces on real people and give our opinions on how to wear them.  This season we'll start with the social hour at 5:30 and sashay into the style show as close to 6:15 as possible.  We've chosen to host our biannual event at a place that is near and dear to my heart - at Matz & Greiff on Main Street in Perham.  What is the story behind that?  Well, I'm glad you asked...
In 1925, my great-grandfather and his brother (my great-great uncle..whoa!) opened an automotive repair shop at 318 West Main Street in Perham and named it Greiff Brothers Garage.  And on December 31, 2015, my father closed the business (by then called Matz & Greiff) after a great run of 87 years.

My dates wouldn't be accurate because I wasn't alive during the first almost 50 years of the business, so I won't give any more of them....but somewhere along the line, Walter Matz joined in the ownership of "the shop" and the name changed to Matz & Greiff.  They sold Chryslers and Plymouths for many years and then they didn't - too much drama with new cars in the later years.  So at some point, my grandpa, Melvin Greiff, took over the business over from my great-grandpa, Oscar.  During their teenage years, my uncle, Alan, and my dad, Pete, worked at the shop on the weekends (if you know Al, ask him about the mornings in the pit...he loves to tell that story) and then my dad ended up working with Grandpa until Grandpa left us in 2010 to be with Grandma (who many of you know is the Dorothy behind the Dot in Dot & Minnie's).  Up until a few months before he left, it wouldn't have been a surprise to walk into the shop and find Grandpa tucked under a hood - or at least having a cup of coffee with a friend.  The coffee breaks were pretty frequent (not sure I would have wanted to drink out of one of those cups, but I guess it's what you're used to!).
My favorite memory of the place as a kid comes from the summers when my brother and I (pretty sure I was the ring-leader, but would never admit it in public) would ride our bikes downtown just before noon.  Matz & Greiff closed every day for lunch from noon to 1 -  probably announced by the noon whistle that still blew in Perham - so my brother and I would pedal quickly to get there in time to hitch a ride to "the lake" with Grandpa so we could crash the meal and then spend the rest of the afternoon playing in the water and all-around torturing Grandma.  If we were really smart, we'd pack a change of clothes and spend the night - still remember those pancakes with little faces in them that we smothered with fresh raspberry jam or applesauce.  Oh!  Another fun memory is of Grandma driving us to town in Old Nellie...the 1950's Plymouth that is still parked outside the building.
Anyway!  My brother joined the fray for a few years and then ventured off on his own and opened his own shop in Fargo which grows stronger every year (Adrian's Autocare - in case you're looking for a good, honest mechanic).  That left Grandpa and Dad again.  Dad always felt lucky because he got to spend almost every day of his life with Grandpa.  Good family is just good and we've been blessed.

After Dad retired and had cleared out most of the paperwork and things he wanted to keep, it was time to sell the building.  Along came the new owner (Dirk) who loved the buiding for what it was and was excited to keep it as original as possible.  He started a media group (brand identities, design, publishing, production) and asked the family if it was okay if he kept the name - of course and how fun!  The new look still has plenty of the old, but with an unknown number of hours of elbow grease and who knows how many gallons of degreaser....the transformation is amazing!  It led me to ask Dirk if it would be possible for me to hold a Dot & Minnie's event in the space.  His answer was a resounding, "well of course!  We're family, aren't we?"
So I'm proud to announce that Dot & Minnie's Fall 2018 Sympli Trunk Show will be held at Matz & Greiff.  Yet another Greiff doing business in the old family building, but this time with a completely different goal and intention - to show you how you can and should feel good in the clothes you wear - not just the car you drive :)

Oops!!  I said the four letter word....fall.  So sorry!  But you won't be sorry when you attend our event showcasing Sympli's 2018 fall collection.  And guess what?!?  It's an entire month earlier (JULY 19th) than we are normally able to have it!  What does that mean for you?  Since special orders can sometimes take up to two months to receive, you'll actually get to wear them before October! 

Meet Snapdragon & Twig, a new line by the creators of Tulip!  The same generous sizing we've all come to love, but with a dressier and cleaner look.  So if you're one of those people who has to iron their Tulip (you know who you are...!), stress no more...Snapdragon & Twig is not meant to be wrinkled! 

We went all-in ordering this great new line for spring 2018...many different styles in stock now.  Some styles you'll even recognize as tried and true Tulip bodies!  Most are done in a nice, heavy linen, but with some sleek and soft cotton thrown in for good measure.  And don't fear - the tags in the new linen styles read "dry clean only," but enough test washing has been done to let me ensure you here that machine washing on gentle cycle and then hanging to dry works great! 

Do you Coobie??  What?  You're thinking - well now she's completely flipped her lid...while that may be true, trust me on this one - Coobie Seamless bras are amazing!  If you haven't tried one yet, I've not been slacking on my salesperson job.
Since the day we opened our doors (6 years ago, BTW...!!), we've been carrying at least three different styles of Coobie bras.  The most popular is the scoopneck style:

Scoopneck
One size fits most - really!  The bras are super soft and stretchy - Coobie says they comfortably fit sizes 32A - 36D.  There is also a fuller size that is more comfortable for sizes 38A - 42D.  As the most popular colors are the neutrals, we stock black, white, nude, and ivory in both the "one-size" and the fuller size.
There are no hooks or clasps to mess with - pull it over your head or up over your hips if your shoulders aren't quite right.  One the one-size the straps are both adjustable and removable (just adjustable on the fuller size), so you can cross the straps in the back or wear just one strap if your new top requires that.  There are also pads in each that are removable - they stay in place with a little pocket that can also be used to hold prosthetics if that's your need. 

Lace VNeck
Then there is the Coobie Seamless V-neck bra  with lace trim.   All of the same great features as the Scoop neck, this has an extra touch of femininity.  It's great for wearing under dresses, low cut sweaters, hoodies, coats and more. This one is also available in a fuller size.
Have you had reconstruction or are you nursing?  Coobie customers who have or are swear by these!

And as we all know..., Hand Wash simply means, Gentle Cycle.  I can't imagine going back to the days of actually washing things in my sink.  Pretty sure I'd head to the dry cleaners before I did that!  Maybe the laminated copy idea  really is overkill!

We've received many pieces of pre-loved Sympli from fellow Sympli lovers.  They are all marked and on our store floor right now and will be through Saturday.  If you've always wanted to try it, but were scared to make the investment, this is a great time to grab a piece or two at unbelievable prices!  Or - there might be a style or color you always wanted, but couldn't find...stop by and check them out!