Shopping in Four Corners

At each of Ace Hardware’s 4,600 locations around the world, attentive and knowledgeable associates oversee well-stocked shelves bearing domestic tools ranging from nuts and bolts to home goods and automotive supplies. As shoppers search for the right supplies to help with common projects such as finishing a basement or turning a mailbox into a working beehive, the shop’s hardware experts stand ready to dispense professional advice whenever it’s needed. They also deliver professional services—such as mower-blade sharpening, key cutting, and propane-tank refilling—that require more than just DIY oomph.

Framed by a bold façade of magenta and eggshell white , Le Pink Boutique’s store windows draw in visitors with their extravagant displays of chic, seasonal clothing, swimwear, and jewelry. Like the mesmerizing courtship dance of the lophorina superba, the bustling shop’s exotic decor fascinates passersby with a flurry of feathers and color. Chandeliers cast showers of light through crystal prisms upon walls striped in pink and cream, an antique golden loveseat, and jungles of slender candles and snaky black feather boas. Nestled among the mirrors with gilded frames and strewn-about roses, chunky jewelry and twirly summer dresses hint at adorable outfits to come, and mannequins flaunt saucy lingerie ensembles.

For more than two decades, Nelsen's Yuletime Christmas Trees has spread holiday cheer with its fresh-cut douglas firs, grand firs, noble firs, and scotch pines. Its trees are hand-sheared and fertilized to maintain piney freshness and rich forest-green color well through the holiday season. In addition their majestic tannenbaums, Nelsen's woodsmen also fashion handmade wreaths, and offer accoutrements including tree stands and baling to assist with display and transport.

At My Little Children, parents discover a variety of new and lightly used treasures from such brands as Gymboree, Gap, and The Children’s Place, dressing their progeny in comfortable duds while keeping them occupied for hours with fun gadgets and whatchamacallits. A quality-controlling set of consignment guidelines ensures each item is spotlessly clean and meets the famously discriminating tastes in style held by all toddlers. Kids romp in colorful threads, aided in their playtime by the shop's ample collection of toys as parents stock up on strollers, highchairs, and kids' furniture.