Gatherings & Gifts, St. Charles, MN

On Saturday, 07-07-07, store owner Laura Kirby welcomed me to her charming gift shop, Gatherings & Gifts, for a book signing in downtown St. Charles, MN. The area is well known for drawing tourists who come to see the rolling topography of Southeastern Minnesota, a quaint, picturesque community not far from Lanesboro and Rochester.

A delightful store, Gatherings & Gifts is filled top to bottom with interesting and unique boutique-type items. Laura was a gracious hostess and introduced me to her family and several friends who stopped by to say hello and pick up a book or CD. Gatherings & Gifts turned out to be a perfect fit for playing Brule'/AIRO music. Laura, a music major in college, has a piano right in her store and invites local musicians such as friend Rose and her twin sisters who are known as The Bandanas, to perform on Friday evenings. She also hosts local fundraisers and other fun "gatherings" in her store. It was easy to see that Gatherings & Gifts is a integral spot in downtown St. Charles.

Laura apologized for the unusually low volume of foot traffic on Saturday, but we chalked it up to either the extreme heat (97 & humid!) or the July 4th holiday weekend. Either way, Laura and I thought we might try another signing in the fall. My chauffeur, otherwise known as hubby John, and I thoroughly enjoyed our day. A special thanks to Laura for offering us a chance to visit her store.
Blessings,
Barbara