All you gals out there living the "SHE" life in Clark County know exactly what I'm talking about. That exquisite, glittering epi-center of the shopping universe in Camas......Lily Atelier! Perched seductively on an otherwise non-descript corner in downtown Camas sits this most fabulous jewel of a boutique where savvy gals in the know congregate and salivate.
It all started so quietly, almost innocently, but the buzz grew.....a place where one could get hand-crafted Italian heels, brocaded opera coats and embellished tanks devastatingly paired with the most ethereal cashmere. An oasis of pungently fragrant leathers and raw silks in startling new formats......
In Camas????
Oh yes!
And then there were the dazzling windows which changed weekly and showcased new combinations not only of color and textures but sublime affairs of casual and fiercely elegant ensembles which teased us toward new considerations....Then you would run into women here and there and it was always the same question: "Have you been to Lily this week? Has there been a new shipment?" Like the standard Chinese greeting of "have you eaten?", our local war cry became, "Have you seen? Have you seen?"......
For me, it was at Lily that I began my hopeless love affair with Junior Drake handbags. Thirteen bags later (can you say addiction?), the corseted leather paired with the silk pin-up girl lining still makes me swoon.....I am not embarrassed to say I slept with my first Junior Drake next to my pillow so I could inhale the scent of the leather all through the night.....pathetic but true!
Moving on.......
Who could leave out the shop "girls"......these size 1 supermodel-esque chicks who, despite their perfection, you just could not hate! The fact that they didn't take their genetic perfection at all seriously, were wonderfully genuine, quirky, thoughtful, sweet, obsessively hard-working and could look so darned avant gard in shorts with high heels just cemented this boutique in our hearts.
As we approach Lily Atelier's six year anniversary, Lily is better than ever and we find what was a Camas anomaly has merrily pulled other glittering stars into her orbit. Our lovely Camas is alive with flavors, textures and shopping ecstasies for newcomers and long-time denizens alike. The angels at Lily continue to magically find just the right thing at the right time while treating every customer like a cherished friend. And the lovely women of Camas have never been better dressed! Dawn Staunchfield, head angel, muse, mentor and mastermind behind Lily, continues to tempt, delight and amaze us with her exquisite taste, her incredibly warm heart and her unbelievable community spirit.
Here's to wishing Lily Atelier success, prosperity and happiness for many years to come.........
I LOVE me a lil' Lily Atelier! I ALSO love your jewelry Diana... and you being modest didn't even mention that Lily Atelier sells your fabulous pieces.
Posted by: krista colvin | December 18, 2008 at 03:23 PM