Shopping in Tonawanda

After years sewing funky, girly clothing for her young daughter, Lisa Jamieson began to sell her creations online, founding the business that would become The Tutu Boutik. Colorful leg warmers, flowered headbands, and the boutique's namesake tutus line shelves and fill racks throughout the boutique's pink and zebra-striped space inside the Boulevard Mall. A licensed cosmetologist, Jamieson also makes over petite patrons' hair, faces, and nails alongside staff in the spa, forgoing techniques such as cuticle trimming that might be unsafe for tiny digits. A make-your-own-lip-gloss station grants visitors the chance to craft their own sparkly solutions, and a pink catwalk mural encourages two-dimensional guests to work the runway.

Lisa Keating, who founded Leelee after the birth of her daughter in 1998, glides across the shop's amber hardwood floors, casting an experienced eye over proud mannequins draped in threads by Tracy Reese and Trina Turk. Lisa peruses offerings by brands including Nicole Miller, Hard Tail Forever, and Autumn Cashmere to curate brimming alabaster racks in the boutique. At-home wardrobe assessments and personal-shopping services let professionally selected items leap into ensembles to add class.

Each edition of the award-winning Buffalo Spree magazine delivers a full month of event calendars, local feature stories, and articles showcasing art, design, and culture across Western New York. Dining guides highlight the best local eateries, and profiles of the area's movers and shakers introduce notable businesspeople and do-gooders. Shopping guides and reviews of designers and stylists keep readers up to date on the latest trends. Home and garden coverage bores a peephole into area abodes through photographic tours of residential interiors, exteriors, and laundry rooms.

Thanks to vast selections of singular gifts, both Jo-An's and Suzie's Hallmark Shops have achieved Gold Crown store status, making them ideal destinations for card- and trinket-seekers. Each store's vast collection of greeting cards, keepsakes, and gifts helps guests celebrate both special occasions and everyday memory-making opportunities. Customers can spice up parties, baby showers, and holidays with keepsake ornaments and vibrant gift-wrapping accoutrement. Additionally, their selections of recordable storybooks and plush toys help parents commemorate their children's milestones with lasting gifts that both parent and child will value for years.