This Friday, May 2nd, and next are both Invitation Nights in Newburyport. You may be familiar with the winter Invitation Nights in town; we get good crowds and lots of stores stay open late and offer drinks and food…it’s a good time.  Well, now we’re trying the same model for spring and I hope some of you will join us. We’re going to offer some treats and some good deals so come on down!  

Now I remember the upside to enduring five months of winter: Everyone is so darn happy when it finally gets nice out! The past two days have been sunny and in the 60s (although low 60s for sure) and the store has been filled with happy people. We have had so many unsolicited comments about the current line-up of merchandise and how many great items there are. Allow me to highlight a few of my faves:

On the top left is a great update from Dick and Jayne of the classic shirtdress, a summer staple. It’s 100% cotton and has a sort of June Cleaver vibe, but the funky print makes it 100% modern. On the top right is a denim jacket from Fillmore. It fits so great and can spice up any outfit. And on the bottom is a totally FUN retro print of trees and birds on a Lulu Via smock. I will be calling on Monday morning to see if we can get more of this one - it’s going fast!

We have some good deals as part of the city-wide Earth Day activities so we hope you’ll come visit soon! 

Origins jewelry has been a Mary Jane staple since we first stumbled upon the line years ago. The pieces are simple but oh-so-versatile, making them perfect with jeans and a tee or with a formal dress. Each piece is made from resin (recycled stuff) and shell and the colors for summer are bee-ootiful. Come check ‘em out - and you can see the pansies in our window boxes, too! Even better, it was still light out when I left the store tonight, at 6:30. Woo-hoo!

I returned from my much-needed vacation to find that a) it had snowed, again, which is not okay; and b) we received some great new stuff while I was gone, including a lovely group of skirts, tops, and jackets from Neesh by DAR. This plaid jacket was so cute that I had to drag it outside for a proper photo:

I was just yesterday looking at these sad dead greens in our window boxes and thinking that I need to throw them away. Then, I came back today and they were gone! That means soon the window boxes around town will be filled with cute little pansies which, in turn, means absolutely, 100%, for certain that spring is around the corner. 

By the way, isn’t this a cute dress?

There is so much new stuff at Mary Jane right now! It’s my favorite time of the year, when all the new spring merchandise starts rolling in. (Actually, my favorite time of the year is when it stops drizzling and gets over 40 degrees, grumble grumble.) In the world of apparel, you place your orders so far in advance that sometimes you don’t even remember things when they arrive at the store, so it was fun to have a totally different experience: a nice woman popped in to show me the tees and onesies that she and her husband design and manufacture. Their company is called Meme and you can read more about them on their web site. www.memebaby.com. And the best part is that they are local - so local that everything was hand-delivered. They also make women’s tees and hoodies - we sold several on the first day. If you need a baby gift or a little treat for yourself come on down. Meme is going to go fast!

We are so excited to have Camper shoes back in the store. After taking a break for a few seasons we decided that they are a great fit (har har) for Mary Jane: they’re total funky but also completely wearable. Who could resist these two styles, above? I never thought I’d find an orange shoe to be so…sexy! We also got some great wedge heels in from Indigo, so hope to see you soon!

We’ve had so many customers ask about the spring line from See Kai Run so I wanted to let everyone know that the first delivery is here. It includes the above styles, Lola and Boden, as well as several others for girls and for boys. The sandal styles will come later. They are all so cute, and several have sold already, so call if you know exactly what you want and we’ll hold it for you. Your toddler will have the most fashionable footwear around! 

It’s hard to believe that there was a time, not so long ago, when we didn’t sell Silver jeans; these days, it’s rare for a day to go by without selling several pair and special ordering a few more. (Next time I see Cynthia Butler, our rep for great lines like Lulu Via, Angie, and By Deep, I need to give her a super high-five for recommending Silver to us.) Many customers are drawn in by the great price ($72 a pair!) but what is really amazing is how many different women look great in these jeans - we’re talking totally different shapes and sizes. If you haven’t tried Silver, come on in and try some different styles and washes. If Haley is working she’ll walk you through it, although Ann Marie and I are learning, too! 

Who can’t behind sentiments like that? In fact, I am wearing the "love big" shirt today. Guess I’ll be wearing it on Thursday, too! Anyway, these are some of the graphics on our new Average Girl tees. They are super soft , 100% organic cotton tees, currently in long sleeve scoop necks (the short sleeves arrive later, and are made of bamboo). Several tees from our first delivery were purchased as gifts - I thought that was a nice idea.

We also have some cute Valentine’s Day stuff. Nothing crazy, just red heart rings (plastic, $10) and some cute necklaces. If you are on our email list, you received the special deal of the week. If not, check out what you missed, and sign up for the next offer on our "Deals" page!

in other news…why, why, why is it so cold and windy out? The wind keeps blowing the door of the store open and the awning is making crazy, creaky sounds. We need to start a countdown to spring!