Shopping in Midvale

For about three decades, the professional framers at Art and Frame Station have been hanging rectangles around everything from photographs and artwork to collectibles and memorabilia. The shop’s brick walls hold thousands of mouldings and acid-free mattings, many of which are available in multiple colors, sizes, and candy coatings. The owners perform all framing services onsite to ensure the tight seal and alignment meet the surgical standards of each client.

Entering one of The Framing Establishment's locations is like walking into an art gallery. Large traditional landscapes and contemporary abstracts hang on the walls, and shadow boxes housing portraits and collectibles line the shelves. Amid this modern decor, professional framers scuttle about, sizing objects and answering customers' questions. They help their patrons pick out ready-made frames and art or consult with them to determine flattering custom mouldings and mats for their photos or most impressive parking tickets. They also help customers transform their TVs into works of art by providing frames and fabrics that complement home furnishings.

Frustrated with the ill-fitting choices at department stores and the time-consuming work of online shopping, Brittney Hanks decided to take swimsuits into her own hands. Seeing the tasteful results of her sewing, friends and family cajoled her into crafting hundreds of suits that fit and flatter the female form. Brittney's suits were so popular that she was eventually forced to outsource the work and focus on designing suits that fit every body type. She specializes in tankinis and one-piece suits of armor; her nylon-spandex creations contain waist-defining ruching, fashionable high-waisted and boy-short bottoms, and a variety of skirts that show off assets without baring too much skin.

Winchester Gardens' veteran landscapers and nurserymen stock locally cultivated species of tree, shrub, rose, and ground cover known to thrive in the harsh Utah climate. The shop's ever-changing supply of ornamental grasses focuses on drought-tolerant varieties and dowsing rods for locating underground aquifers. Winchester Gardens' clients may also take advantage of the staff's aesthetic expertise to settle upon the perfect combination of foliage and garden décor such as water features and rocks.

In the comics, several superheroes—Captain Marvel and The Flash, among others¬—wore the symbol of a lightning bolt¬ as a signifier of their heroic identities. In the same vein, an unassuming storefront donned the iconic symbol to become Dr. Volt’s Comic Connection, harbinger of comics, toys, and games. Scattered across the store, comics and books hold the legendary tales of Superman, the X-Men, and Spawn, chronicling their feats throughout the ages. In addition to classic tales of the time the Batmobile lost a wheel, are new issues abound with contemporary characters from serial issues of Dr. Who, Nightwing, and Gears of War. The shelves also seem to disappear under the sheer magnitude of the shop’s toys, card games, and miniature figures or the drape of heroic logo shirts hanging from the shops numerous racks.

Local quilters’ pinwheel and patchwork creations adorn the walls of Floyd and Lizzie’s, their kaleidoscopic colors and patterns enlivening the high-ceilinged space. It’s the most conspicuous sign of the shop's mission to foster a community of quilters within their spacious environs. In addition to proudly displaying patrons’ finished pieces, they offer a diverse class curriculum that equips crafters of all ages and levels to confidently embroider patterns, operate sewing machines, and free hopelessly tangled kittens from balls of yarn. Staff members can also help customers sift through hundreds of fabrics, including a vast selection of intricate batik patterns, and hone in on Husqvarna Viking, Pfaff, and Singer sewing machines.