Aw Else Boutique, LLC

If you've read my earlier entries and my "about" information, you'll already know that I have not been a frequent patron of Greensburg's local retailers.  There are many, many GBG stores on my list of places to investigate, so this might be premature to say this, but: Aw Else Boutique (or AEB) is the cutest retailer in Greensburg I've visited.

Before I go any further, I have to mention that I once again do NOT have Greensburg Directions to Aw Else's location at 1020-4 Towne Square Drive, Greensburg - but it's not my fault this time!  The establishments on Towne Square are new.  The only thing that used to be there was a hillside! 

Next, I think it's important to address the adorable story of how the boutique got its name.  Partners Danielle Testa and Mark White live in Greensburg - she with her four-year-old daughter, Ella and he with his three girls Ashley, Amanda, and Ally.  They came up with a clever way to name the boutique after all four girls.  Specifically, Aw Else comes from the girls' initials: Ashley, Ally and Amanda White = “Aw” and “Else” Ella Louise Shaffer.

Picture of the girls I totally lifted from the AEB website

Personally, I think it's also aptly named because you walk into one area of the store and go, "AW! Look at this whimsical bracelet."  Then you stroll over to another corner and say, "Aw d@mn this is a hot pair of shoes!"  Plus, there you can find everything "else" you need to transform an ordinary ensemble into something uniquely you!

Aw Else Boutique is Danielle's and Mark's response to losing their j.o.b.s in 2009.  Danielle was interested in opening a boutique for women's accessories because she loves fashion and how having just the right accent piece can allow a woman turn a nice outfit into a fabulous outfit.  Ladies, you know it's true.  Those times when you have the perfect pairing of clothing and accessories - whether it's a handbag with a pop of color, a scarf tied just so, or an attention-grabbing cocktail ring - it's total fashion Zen, right?  (NOTE: I'm somewhat fashionably challenged, so this has happened to me on far too few occasions.  But I still know the feeling!)  The store just celebrated a year in business in August.

Now to the types of items you'll find at AEB!

I have sort of a hate-love relationship with the three-word descriptors of stores or products.  On one hand, it's kind of tired.  On the other, it can be a simple way to capture the essence of something.  I have many more words I could use, but I'm boiling my Aw Else labels down to Functional, Fun, and Flair.

The functional comes in the form of items that you need like umbrellas, shoes, gloves, luggage and other bags.  But many of the products are extra functional because Danielle places a special focus on offering styles of an interchangeable nature.  Aw Else carries the Transformers® of women's accessories, if you will.  It started with Danielle's past as a frequent, corporate traveler who found herself struggling to find luggage solutions that kept travel as light and convenient as possible.  The result is several interchangeable lines of accessories you'll find at Aw Else, including shoes and jewelry, which are geared toward minimizing the number of items you need and allowing you to swap out accessories and change your look as simply as possible.

You can change the "snaps" on these (hot!) Lindsay Phillips pumps
to modify the style to best suit your outfit!

Of course, the fun comes naturally because it's enjoyable to try out different accessories and to "play" with your fashions.  Aw Else carries all those "fun" types of accessories your outfit doesn't officially "need," but take getting dressed from something you just do to something creative that you really look forward to.  Beyond the boutique’s products, AEB makes shopping extra fun, too, with their AEB Bucks program.  Patrons who accumulate 250 AEB Bucks receive a $25 gift card to use in the store.  And although each dollar you spend at AEB earns you one AEB buck, bucks can be earned through other means, as well, such as customer referrals and instructions found in Aw Else's email newsletter.

Finally, Aw Else accessories have flair - and not in the Office Space sense.  You can find accessories in any old women's store, but you'll find something more interesting, more out of the ordinary at Aw Else Boutique.  At Aw Else, they're not mere accessories, they're adornments. If she lived around here, Fancy Nancy™ would shop at Aw Else (despite the fact that I didn't notice any feather boas...), as their assortment includes choices for every woman to add her own, truly personal touch to her wardrobe.  Aw Else's options are perfect for the woman who doesn't mind standing out from the crowd a bit.  And face it:  Shouldn't we all want to stand out, at least occasionally?

So that takes care of my three f-words, but let me add one more: aFFordable.  You'll find a variety of price ranges among the different lines of product at Aw Else, but none of them are super pricey by any means.  Not only will you find something to fit your style, but you can find goodies that will also fit your budget.

I love going to Aw Else to buy gifts because I know I'm likely to find a present the receiver hasn't seen before.  But I also have a personal Aw Else wish list that's longer than my arm (ahem, did you see those shoes?).  To anyone who intends to buy me a Christmas gift this year, you now know where to go to get me something I'll love at a reasonable price!

I almost forgot that I took this picture of my first-grader, Emily, with the sharp, new tote bag I got for her at Aw Else for carrying her books and papers to school:

No boring backpack for this kid!

I got a great deal on it, as the parent company that sells the line is phasing it out (stop in NOW if you want to get in on the clearance sale!).  The other good news is that it reminded me of something else about important about Aw Else: They are truly interactive with their clientele - through their blog, Facebook, and Pinterest - and value feedback.  Hop over to their latest blog post to see how they're engaging customers to help them select a new line of bags to add to their lines.