April 2011 | www.fdlreporter.com 1

Prom dress shopping in downtown Fond du Lac

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For more information, call (920) 922-6780 or email woodsfloral@tds.net. Hours at Wood’s Floral & Gifts are Monday through

Friday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; & Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Dorothy Bliskey | Special to The Reporter

Wood’s Floral & Gifts is nearly 100 years old and still flourishing in downtown Fond du Lac at 36 N. Main St.

The business was opened in 1916 by Ray Wood. His daughter, Doris, took over ownership and operated the business until she retired in 1975, selling it to Eugene Berg.

In 1993, current owners Rick Bode and Dave Buechel took over the business — Bode as a designer and purchaser and Buechel as the office manager.

Many changes have occurred since Ray Wood started the business nearly a century ago.

“Originally, Wood’s was more like a truck farm focusing on produce, not so much flowers,” said Bode, noting that in the early years, it was located farther south on Main Street. “We’ve been in the same location since 1962, and of course, the business changed from produce to a floral and gift shop.”

Now, the shop carries fresh and silk flowers, green and blooming plants, custom-made centerpieces and gift items such as wall décor, lamps, candles and candle holders, plush animals, a wide assortment of angels, memorial stones, seasonal décor and more.

Of the 10 employees, three are designers who custom-design fresh or silk arrangements and who will assist with home or business decorating needs. Special occasions — whether happy or sad — traditionally call for flowers, and that’s where Woods steps up to the plate.

Creating personalized floral tributes for funerals or memorials is an area Woods handles for grieving families. For happy occasions like weddings, Wood’s begins with a personal consultation and continues to oversee all floral needs until the big day is over.

“We deliver to homes, businesses,

churches and wherever the need is,” said Bode.

The business services Fond du Lac and the surrounding area.

Prom connectionWith flowers for any occasion as the focus, Wood’s gets busy during prom season.

“Prom corsages are not the pin-on kind like years ago,” said Ken Giebel, a designer at Wood’s. “Girls prefer wrist corsages now, and roses seem to be the flower of choice. Roses will never go away.”

Orchids are also a prom corsage favorite, he said.

While the corsage is comprised of beautiful fragrant flowers, that’s not all there is to a prom corsage these days. The flowers are embellished with a blast of bling — sparkling jewels, crystal pieces, rhinestones and dazzling colorful wires that match the dress.

“They like touches of sparkle in with the flowers,” Giebel said. “And the guy’s boutonnieres usually match the girl’s corsage.”

The prom corsage is secured onto the girl’s wrist with either a metal wire bracelet or a jeweled bracelet laden with sparkling jewels that can be worn as just a bracelet once prom is over.

Wood’s also helps out by providing flowers and props for the prom setting.

“Every day is interesting here,” Bode said. “You never know who’s going to call. I enjoy being able to help people at the highest time of their lives, like for weddings and proms, and at the lowest times, such as funerals.”

The downtown area has been good for Wood’s, Bode said.

“Everyone knows where we are because we’ve been in the same location almost 50 years.”

in downtown for 95 years

THE REPORTER PHOTOS BY JUSTIN CONNAHER

Rick Bode of Wood’s Floral & Gifts displays prom flower arrangements in the store located at 36 N. Main St. in downtown Fond du Lac.

Wood’sFloral & Gifts

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Dorothy Bliskey | Special to The Reporter

prom dress

Resale shop is inexpensive route to prom When teens enter Cinderella’s Closet, a ladies’ formal wear consignment shop located on at 104 S. Main St., they may be able to find that perfect prom dress at a cost much less than buying a new gown.

And that cost savings could lead to more money for other prom-related expenses.

Prom dresses — like all wedding and special occasion dresses at Cinderella’s Closet — are worn once (or maybe never) and are consigned or sold by shop owner Jackie Ninneman so that the original owner can recoup some of the money she spent on the dress.

Gently used dresses serve two purposes. The customer gets more dress for the money and the former owner of the dress recovers some of the original cost.

“Our shop offers a way to regain some of the money spent on a new prom dress and at the same time allows someone else to purchase the gown of their dreams,” said Ninneman, adding that her shop carries everything from short cocktail dresses to full scale bridal wear.

Offering a wide variety of prom dress styles, Ninneman suggests girls not judge a dress by how it looks on the hanger.

“I encourage them to try it on even if they think they might not look good in it,” she said. “They might be surprised at the results.”

Accessories such as jewelry, tiaras, garters, purses and shoes can also be found at Cinderella’s Closet.

“For prom, we carry dresses that may be vintage, new or consigned,” Ninneman said. “One of the things our customers like most is that we have only ‘one-of-a-kind’ dresses that arrive from all over the state. Chances are no one else will show up at their prom in the same dress.”

Cinderella’s Closet is open evenings and Saturdays and is located at the corner of First and Main streets, on the second floor, above H & R Block. The shop is open Tuesday,

Wednesday and Thursday, 5 to 8 p.m.; and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; with extended hours during prom season. To check

current hours, call (920) 960-1271.

shoppingdowntown

THE REPORTER PHOTOS BY JUSTIN CONNAHER

Katie Knoecke, from left, Brittany Stremke and Amanda Bechler model prom dresses available at Cinderella’s Closet, 104 S. Main St.

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Prom dresses galore line the racks at Edith’s — the largest full-service bridal shop in Wisconsin, located at 9 S. Main St, Fond du Lac.

Owned and operated by Cathy and Tom Diette, Edith’s was started in 1937 by Tom’s aunt, Edith (Diette) Murphy. Edith’s has a second shop that operates temporarily at Fox River Mall in Appleton just for prom shopping.

Prom dresses come in a variety of colors, styles and prices with some on sale.

“Our sale dresses have been moving very quickly,” said Cathy Diette.

A new feature this year is a prom dress registration database. It’s a system that assures the buyer she is getting a one-of-a-kind dress from Edith’s.

“If a girl buys a full-priced dress, one not on sale, no other customer in our store will be sold that same exact dress,” said Diette, adding that the dress could appear in a different color. “We register that dress to just her.”

“Prom is the one dance of the year where the girls let their personality show through by the dress they wear. It’s a very special time in their lives. They want their dress to be unique.”

Styles for prom dresses include the popular

strapless neckline, some with optional spaghetti straps. Floor-length dresses are in demand and offer everything from a long, slim skirt to a billowing ball gown style. Colors are endless, with some prints, florals and iridescent shades available at Edith’s.

The jeweled look is definitely in. Rhinestones, crystal pieces, silver sparkle and glitz can be found on nearly every dress selection — whether as an accent at the hip line, the bodice or scattered across the skirt.

Accessories such as jewelry, garters, strappy sandals with bling, and rhinestone tiaras (worn by more girls than just the prom queen) are also available.

“At Edith’s, we think of all prom girls as princesses,” Diette said.

For the guys, the tuxedo selection at Edith’s is extensive. Bright and bold is in. One example is the option to rent the tuxes made famous from the movie “Dumb and Dumber,” in which the colors were bright orange and powder blue. Edith’s only rents them to one person from each school, and they usually are requested the year before for the following year’s prom.

“A lot of guys’ vests and ties match their date’s dress. Some go for the bright and bold and others chose a top hat and cane,” she said. “For the guys, it’s all about being unique, just like it is for the girls.”

1 - Ahern Gross, Inc.

2 - Cinderella’s Closet

3 - Focus, Inc.

4 - Fond du Lac Antique Mall

5 - Fox Valley Savings Bank

Our “Advertising Hot Spots” displays the locations of our valued advertisers in this special section. You can easily find their locations on the map and then find their ads within these pages to find the great specials and deals that they have to offer you!

6 - Kitz and Pfeil

7 - Lillian’s

8 - Mazatlan Restaurant

9 - Unified Martial Arts

10 - Woods Floral and Gifts

Edith’s hours are Monday, Wednesday and

Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information on Edith’s, go to www.ediths.com or call (920) 921-2420.downtown

Local bridal shop is haven for prom dresses

THE REPORTER PHOTOS BY JUSTIN CONNAHER

Megan Willis looks at a dress at Edith’s, 9 S. Main St.

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April 21 DFP - Downtown Morning Exchange Sponsored by Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership. 8 to 9 a.m. at Cujak’s Wine Market, 47 N. Main St., Fond du Lac. Here’s a chance to meet your fellow downtown business associates, share a cup of coffee and friendship, along with the latest downtown news from the Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership.

April 30 Play for FREE Sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Fabulous Fond du Lac!

Located at the Childrens Museum of Fond du Lac, 51 Sheboygan Street, Fond du Lac; 920-929-0707. Noon - 4pm; FREE! Come and enjoy some free time at the Childern’s Museum. Special thanks to our sponsor the Kiwanis Club of Fabulous Fond du Lac!

May 1 - May 22 Sunday Stories Located at the Childrens Museum of Fond du Lac, 51 Sheboygan Street, Fond du Lac; 920-929-0707. Each Sunday 11:30 a.m to 12 p.m. $4.25 per guest, infants under 1 are free Museum visitors are invited to hear a story enhanced with creative dramatics and group participation. Featuring selections from the New York Public Library’s “100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know”, participants will be inspired by literature to create art and fun! Program is free with paid admission. No reservations are necessary.

May 8 Mother’s Day Massages Located at the Childrens Museum of Fond du Lac, 51 Sheboygan Street, Fond du Lac; 920-929-0707; 10 a.m to 4 p.m. $4.25

May 14 Artists in Action Childrens Museum of Fond du Lac, 51 Sheboygan Street, Fond du Lac; 920-929-0707. 11-11:30 a.m. $4.25; The

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The 3/50 Project started with a simple premise - if everyone would just pick 3 local stores and spend $50 a month at those stores, what a vibrant local economy any city would have.

What started just 2 years ago in Minneapolis as a comment in a blog, has swelled into a grass roots movement to promote locally owned independent businesses.

Join Cinda Baxter, founder of The 3/50 Project, as she tells her story of how this all started, and how we can join in. Cinda understands small business from the inside out, having been a retailer herself. Her mission is simple: “Saving the Brick and Mortars Our Nation Is Built On”.

The 3/50 Project is brought to you by the Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership. The mission of the partnership, a Wisconsin Main Street community, is to establish a diverse, prosperous and healthy district that is the social, commercial and cultural heart of our community.

Think about which three independently owned stores you’d miss most if they were gone. Stop in and say hello. Pick up a little something that will make someone smile. Your contribution is what keeps those businesses around.

If just half the employed U.S. population spent $50 each month in independently owned stores, their purchases would generate $42,629,700,000 in revenue. Imagine the positive impact if 3/4 of employed Americans did that.

For every $100 spent in independently owned stores, $68 of it returns to the community through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures. If you spend that in a national chair, only $43 stays here. Spend it online and nothing comes home.

The number of people it takes to start the trend...you.

Children’s Museum’s visitors will be guided by some of Fond du Lac’s best and brightest as the museum welcomes John Scotello and art students from UW-Fond du Lac with this collaboration program. Children and their caregivers will be invited to explore a “mystery art” medium each week as they create an original work of art.

May 24 The 3/50 Project Sponsored by Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership. 7:30 am to 10 am. $20 for any downtown business representative; $25 for public. Windhover Center for the Arts, 51 Sheboygan St., Fond du Lac. 7:30 a.m. Networking and Continental breakfast; 8 a.m. Program

The 3/50 Project started with a simple premise - if everyone would just pick 3 local stores and spend $50 a month at those stores, what a vibrant local economy any city would have. What started just 2 years ago in Minneapolis as a comment in a blog, has swelled into a grass roots movement to promote locally owned independent businesses. Join Cinda Baxter, founder of The 3/50 Project, as she tells her story of how this all started, and how we can join in. Cinda understands small business from the inside out, having been a retailer herself. Her mission is simple: “Saving The Brick And Mortars Our Nation Is Built On”. Pick 3. Spend 50. Save your local economy. For more information, visit www.the350project.net. To register, call 920-921-9500.

For more information on what’s happening in downtown Fond du Lac, call 920.921.9500 or log on to www.downtownfdl.com

Farmer’s Markets Downtown Fond du Lac offers two Farmers Markets, Saturday mornings and Wednesday afternoons.

Saturday - May 14 through October, 6:30 am. to noon. City/County Parking Lot at Western Avenue and Linden Street.

Wednesday - June 1 through October, 2 pm to 6 pm. Hamilton Park Lot on the corner of Division and Sophia streets across from St. Paul’s Cathedral.

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