Summer Sale begins Monday, July 15!

Our annual Summer Sale

begins on Monday, July 15!

Enjoy 30% - 50% off on sale merchandise throughout the store. Gifts and Home Decor items…Jewelry…Handbags…Scarves…Candles…Stationery…Napkins…Gourmet Gifts and Specialty Foods…Religious and Inspirational items…Toddler and Children’s Clothing…the list goes on and on. Even merchandise by your favorite designers like Jan Barboglio and Michael Aram is on sale!

Better hurry in for the best selection.

Most of our sale merchandise is in the store but check our website because a few of our sale items are there too!

https://www.smwexchange.com/shop

Funds Distributed to 71 Agencies

May is an important, busy month for many of us. It marks the end of a school year and the beginning of summer. So many activities crowd the calendar that we are often winded when this hectic month comes to a close! At St. Michael’s Woman’s Exchange, May is huge for us too — for a different reason!

Each May we distribute our profits from the previous year to agencies which feed the hungry, provide aid to the sick, offer shelter to the homeless and offer comfort and assistance to those on the margins. In other words, the money our store earns goes out into the world to do the important work of serving those in need.

Many of our customers know that our store is run by volunteers but may not know exactly what happens to the money we raise. For the past few months, a committee which carefully reviews grant requests has been diligently working; and now the decisions have been made. We recently delivered 72 checks to this year’s grant recipients.

Some are large, well-known agencies and some are small agencies with which you may be unfamiliar. Most are local while others do their work far from Dallas. For all 72 of them, we are honored to support the life-changing work they do.

For most of us there is likely an issue or agency that is of particular concern — a problem that weighs on our heart more than most. If that is the case for you, the chances are good that the group whose work means the most to you is on the list of agencies we support.

Do you see your favorite on the list? When you shop with us, you support them too! Do come by and make a purchase. Or shop with us online. Let us wrap your packages. And remember that when you shop at St. Michael’s Woman’s Exchange, you really are Shopping For Good!

For more about our story and also the current list of our 2019 beneficiaries, click here.

https://www.smwexchange.com/about-us

https://www.smwexchange.com/current-beneficiaries-final

Gray Malin Signs ITALY on Wednesday, May 22!

On Wednesday, May 22 Gray Malin returns to St. Michael’s Woman’s Exchange to greet our customers and sign copies of his latest book, ITALY.

We invite you to join us as we welcome Gray back to The Exchange to celebrate his new release. Gray Malin is a fine-art photographer and the New York Times bestselling author of Beaches, Escape and Be Our Guest, all of which are available in our store and on our website. His work hangs in homes across the world and can be found in both private and public collections. Gray is originally from Dallas and lives now in the West Hollywood area of Los Angeles with his family.

In ITALY,  Gray Malin turns his unique eye to the coasts, beaches, and landscapes of Italy. From the sparkling blue waters of the Amalfi Coast to the dramatic coastal scenery of Cinque Terre, Gray Malin: Italy captures and celebrates many of the country’s most famous and beloved destinations. Inspired by Malin’s bestselling photographic series “La Dolce Vita,” Gray Malin: Italy highlights timeless details of the Italian Riviera: happy beachgoers, retro beach umbrellas, luxury motorboats, and of course, the sun-soaked water. Featuring never-before-seen, -published, or -privately-sold images, Gray Malin: Italy beautifully depicts the incomparable scenery and enviable lifestyle that the Italian coastline has to offer.

Texas Pecan Sea Salt Gelato from Paciugo!

And to add to the fun on Wednesday, we are pleased to offer 20% off on all in-stock Gray Malin photographic prints as well as Gray Malin acrylic trays! The sale is for one day only and applies in our store and in our online shop.

You’ll definitely feel the Texas - Italy connection because our friends at Paciugo are providing gelato with a Texas twist. We’ll be serving their famous Texas Pecan Sea Salt Gelato!

So join us on Wednesday, May 22 from 1:30 - 3:30 to meet this enormously talented artist, grab a book or two, shop your favorite Gray Malin merchandise…and enjoy il refresco! Ciao!

Book Signing with Melanie Shankle

Join us on Wednesday, May 15 when the New York Times Bestselling author, and writer for The Big Mama Blog, signs her books at St. Michael’s Woman’s Exchange. 2:00 - 3:30.

The charming and disarming Melanie Shankle helps her readers to see and make sense of the divine in the everyday. Her book, Everyday Holy, is your invitation to reexamine your life and find the little pieces that create a beautiful picture of a big God. She will also sign copies of Fearless Faith: 100 Devotions for Girls.

It seems to be a rite of passage for every woman: you wake up one day and think, "Wait. THIS is the life I signed up for?"

Melanie Shankle, is brave enough to say it out loud! And Everyday Holy is your invitation to find the little pieces that create a beautiful picture of a big God.

On any given day, she wonders:

Is Instagram making me crazy, or am I actually supposed to have a perfectly curated cup of coffee on my artfully rumpled throw blanket every morning?

Doubts about my faith are normal, right?

Is eating cookie dough straight from the fridge fine as long as it’s organic?

Could it be that loving my family well is my spiritual gift?

It's a common theme: Am I okay? Is my life significant? And how do we measure significance, anyway? Melanie's hilarious and poignant insight offers you the deep breath of relief that God is working in all the moments, no matter how big or how small. In 100 devotions, Everyday Holy: Finding a Big God in the Little Moments invites you to see your life as God intended: rich with opportunity and significance, even on the overwhelmingly ordinary days.

This funny Texan’s commentary on her work and her process… “Anyway, this is about me trying to live life with some semblance of grace and dignity while finding plenty of time to watch a lot of shows on Netflix, waiting for things to go on sale at Anthropologie and trying every beauty product I hear about because aging is for real.”

So join us on May 15. It promises to be a fun afternoon!

Book Signing with Architect Gil Schaffer

For award-winning architect Gil Schafer, the most successful houses are the ones that celebrate the small moments of life--houses with timeless charm that are imbued with memory and anchored in a distinct sense of place.

Schafer's ability to translate his clients' personal visions of how they want to live into a physical home has established him as one of the most sought-after, highly-regarded architects of our time.

In his new book, A Place to Call Home Schafer follows up his bestselling The Great American House, by pulling the curtain back on his distinctive approach, sharing his process (complete with unexpected, accessible ideas readers can work into their own projects) and taking us on a detailed tour of seven beautifully realized houses in a range of styles located around the country--each in a unique place, and each with a character all its own.

Opening with memories of the childhood homes and experiences that have shaped Schafer's own history, A Place to Call Home gives the reader the sense that for Schafer, architecture is not just a career but a way of life, a calling.

Part II of the book is the story of seven very different houses and the places they inhabit, including a charming cottage completely rebuilt into a casual but gracious house for a young family in Mill Valley, California; a reconstructed historic 1930s Colonial house and gardens set in lush woodlands in Connecticut; a new, Adirondack camp-inspired house for an active family perched on the edge of Lake Placid; an elegant but family-friendly Fifth Avenue apartment with a panoramic view of Central Park; and Schafer's own, newly-renovated and surprisingly modern house located just a few feet from the Atlantic Ocean in coastal Maine. In Schafer's hands, the stories of these houses are irresistibly readable.

“As a residential architect, I believe that my highest achievement is to successfully create places our clients can call home. that word “home” to me, has everything to do with comfort, family and friends —and memories, most of all. Growing up, I learned that if a house is going to feel like home, it has to create opportunities for memories, even in the smallest moments of life. ”

— Gil Schaffer

Join us on Thursday, April 25 between 2:00 and 3:30 to meet this great American talent and have him sign A Place to Call Home.

Create Coveted Invitations

St. Michael’s Woman’s Exchange offers an extensive selection of personal stationery - from casual notepads to the most formal wedding invitations - and everything in between.

We know that the invitation sets the tone for the party; so whether you’re planning bridal shower for a special couple or a Mexican Fiesta for no reason at all we’ll create an invitation they’ll remember.

And speaking of weddings, we would be delighted to help you select the perfect wedding invitation! Choose a beautiful, formal engraved or letterpress design. Or pick from any one of our colorful, more casual choices. We also have a great and varied selection of all other wedding papers from shower, luncheon and rehearsal dinner invitations to formal and casual personal stationery for the bride and groom. In addition to our wide range of wedding papers, we carry custom photo albums, wedding books, and guest books, place and table cards, and even the lovely pearl pen for your guest book. Call the store at (214) 521-3862 to make an appointment with our Stationery Manager.

There is no reason to leave the children out! What better way to encourage the writing of thank you notes or letters from camp than with their own monogrammed notecards.

So whether your needs are casual or formal…whether you need 20 or 500…whether it’s a gift or your own supply is running low…stop by The Exchange. We’ve got the Write Stuff.

https://www.smwexchange.com/stationery-1

Hippity Hoppity...

Spring has sprung at The Exchange! This is the perfect time to freshen up your decor for spring. We are awash with bright green and lots of white, which is just what we all need after our long spell of gray winter weather.

We have bunnies everywhere! Whimsical bunnies doing yoga…elegant bunnies for your dining room table…big bunnies…small bunnies…even a bunny to wear on your head!

And of course there are the bunnies on the smocked toddler clothing you’ll want your little ones to wear on those Easter Egg hunts!

Enjoy the Show!

We recently celebrated quite the milestone at The Exchange…Our 60th Birthday! And for the occasion, we had a video made which celebrates our mission, honors our volunteers and showcases our beautiful store!

If you have never shopped with us before, we would be delighted to assist you in finding the perfect decorative accessory for your home, a gift for someone special, the perfect outfit for that special baby or toddler, the wedding invitation that sets the tone for that most special of days…and of course we’ll wrap it beautifully. Our gift wrapping is extraordinary since, well we’ve been practicing for 60 years!

So stop by at #5 Highland Park Village, where we’ve been since 1958. Or browse in our online shop, which we added last year! There you’ll find a carefully selected assortment of items from throughout the store.

We hope you’ll agree that 60 looks great on us!

Take A Little Tour

Has it been a while since you strolled through St. Michael’s Woman’s Exchange? Or have you never walked into the store before? Take a moment to go on a virtual tour of our small shop with the big mission; and let us remind you why so many customers call us “the best gift shop in Dallas”!

Behind our elegant displays and cases full of gifts and necessities is a store with a mission. For 60 years now we have been here at #5 Highland Park Village, assisting our customers in finding the perfect gift or accessory, wrapping it beautifully and then doing what no one else does…giving our proceeds away!

Decorative accessories, jewelry, scarves, table top items, baby and layette, toddler clothes and gifts, stationery, coffee table books, cookbooks, specialty food gifts, inspirational items. Seriously. Its all here. And we’ll wrap it.

So if you haven’t been here in a while, we invite you back. If you haven’t visited us before, we would be delighted to welcome you!

Book Signing with Renowned Interior Designer

We are thrilled to welcome Brian J. McCarthy to St. Michael’s Woman’s Exchange on Thursday, January 31. He’ll join us from 2:00 - 3:30 to sign copies of his books, Parish-Hadley Tree of Life and Luminous Interiors.

Brian J. McCarthy creates dynamic personalities within each home he designs. Known for his attention to detail and love of texture, he brings a refreshing, unique perspective to each of his projects, living and working by the motto that no two homes are ever alike.

The legendary interior design firm Parish-Hadley Associates set the standard for American style in the finest homes for more than three decades, from the 1960’s through the 1990’s. The partnership between Parish and Hadley had a great impact on the style, creative process and practices of the designers who worked for them. In Parish-Hadley Tree of Life: An Intimate History of The Legendary Design Firm, 30 of the most well-known designers and architects relate their personal experiences working at the firm and offer images they’ve chosen of their own work. The author, Brian McCarthy, began his Parish-Hadley career in 1983 and luckily is included in this beautiful collection.

In Luminous Interiors, Brian J. McCarthy explores nine of his favorite projects around the country, from the Hamptons to Southern California. Gorgeous, inspiring photographs, alongside McCarthy's personal, informative text, take us through his creative process. Meticulously layering interior architecture, finishes, furniture, art, and decorating objects, McCarthy creates rooms that seem to have lived lives of their own.

McCarthy graduated from New York City's Pratt Institute and has worked on projects around the world. In 2005, he designed the private quarters and refurbished the State Rooms in Winfield House, the official residence of the Ambassador to the Court of St. James. Additionally, he has designed an array of stunning private residences. McCarthy is a member of Elle Decor's A-List, and his work has been featured in many publications, including House Beautiful, Elle Decor, New York Magazine (100 Best), the New York Times, and Veranda, as well as in several books.

So join us on January 31 to meet this warm, engaging and talented designer!

Gift Guide - Some of our Favorite Things

It’s one of Oprah’s Favorite Things…and we see why! Never struggle to find your keys in the bottom of your bag again! We’ve seen the light…and you will too. A perfect gift for the organizer on your list, PurseN bag insert fits right into her purse.

For the adventurer, or the adventurer at heart! It's never too soon or too late to start on that bucket list.

Classic and “old school” this beautiful pocket sized calendar/date book in tangerine leather is the perfect stocking stuffer.

The athlete on your list will love these no-slip, polarized sunglasses!

Stationery and Gift Trunk Show

Join us on Saturday, December 15 when we welcome Ben Paladino to The Exchange. This trunk show, featuring stationery items and candles which show Ben’s whimsical artwork, will let you find the perfect gift or stocking stuffer for the stationery lover!

Fly Away Style showcases Ben’s light and airy water colors — and there is something for everyone!

Fly Away Style Trunk Show

Saturday, December 15

1:00 - 3:00

Michael Aram Personal Appearance

Michael Aram, the award-winning American artist and designer of jewelry, tableware, candles and sculpture is coming to St. Michael’s Woman’s Exchange on November 14 from 12:30-4:30. The Exchange has carried his pieces for many years and is one of the primary sources in Dallas for his well known work.

Michael Aram trained as a painter, sculptor and art historian who finds inspiration in nature. Although best known for his work in metal and wood, Michael Aram works with many materials and focuses on objects made by hand. Inspired by a trip to India as a very young man, he established a workshop there, where his pieces are still made.

Aram’s pieces are equally at home in a traditional setting and in a contemporary room, which make them very popular gifts.

On this visit, Aram will bring a collection of his jewelry, which is new for The Exchange. Don’t miss an exciting opportunity to meet this important American artist - in time for holiday gift giving!

Are You Ready For Some Football?

Are you ready for some football? We are! Whether or not you bleed burnt orange or drive a Sooner Schooner we have last minute game day essentials for the big day! From tasseled key rings to totes and blankets, we’ve got you covered!

Maybe you feel the need to pray for your favorite team. Regardless of the outcome, win or lose, cheers to all!

Julia Reed signs her latest book at The Exchange

Author and humorist Julia Reed returns to St. Michael’s Woman’s Exchange to sign copies of her latest book, South Toward Home: Adventures and Misadventures in My Native Land. In considering the pleasures and absurdities of her native culture, Julia Reed quotes another Southern writer, Willie Morris, who said, “It’s the juxtapositions that get you down here.” These juxtapositions are, for Julia, the soul of the South, and in her warmhearted and funny new book, South Toward Home, she chronicles her adventures through the highs and the lows of Southern life—taking us everywhere from dive bars and the Delta Hot Tamale Festival to an impromptu shindig on a Mississippi River sandbar.

Julia Reed is a contributing editor at Elle Décor and at Garden & Gun magazine, where she writes a regular column, “The High & Low.” She also contributes to The Wall Street Journal, where she writes a food column, and is a frequent guest on MSNBC. She grew up in the Mississippi Delta and currently lives in New Orleans.

Food, Politics and the South. More than enough material for the observant and funny Julia Reed. Join us on Friday, October 12 from 2:00-3:30 and meet this southern treasure.

Celebrate 60!

On September 15, 1958 we opened these doors for the first time! And for the last 60 years we’ve helped you select the perfect gift for a treasured friend or an accessory for your home; we wrapped your gifts…and were delighted to see you each time you walked through the door.

Each time you made a purchase in St. Michael’s Woman’s Exchange you made a difference to the hundreds of worthy agencies we have funded through the decades. And this year, our 60th, cumulative distributions topped $9 million!

On Saturday, September 15 we hope you’ll come in to help us

Celebrate 60!

Receive a free gift wrap with an in-store purchase and have some birthday cake!

There is much work still to be done…so shop with us in our beautiful store or shop with us online.

Stop by on Saturday to tell us Happy Birthday!…and let us say

Thank You, Dallas!

Montes Doggett Fine Handmade Ceramics

Beauty.  Function.  Originality.  All describe the Montes Doggett line.  We have so many new pieces in this collection of fine handmade ceramics!  The creamy white color is at home in a contemporary setting as well as in a more traditional home.  Mix these pieces with wooden serving pieces or with other ceramic lines for a rich and interesting look.

This collection has its roots in Mexico, where the designer was raised; and her personality and love of entertaining are apparent in each handcrafted piece of this collection of tabletop ceramics and pottery.

Fans of the Montes Doggett line love to get creative with ways to use each piece.  For example, would you use this one for burger condiments?  nuts and olives? salsa, guacamole and pico?  The possibilities are endless…

This stand might host a cake…or cheeses and fruit…

Speaking of cheese, you probably assumed that this grand crown was designed to be a cheese platter…and it certainly could be…but the designer tells us that she designed it to hide her husband's array of vitamin bottles which cluttered up the kitchen counter!  It is definitely the most beautiful “vitamin hider” we’ve ever seen!  

                  A Crown Jewel of a Vitamin Concealer!

All Montes Doggett pieces are oven, microwave and dishwasher safe!  Stop by to pick out your favorite…or add to your collection.

Gifts with a Texas Twist

Sometimes you just want to give a gift from way down Deep in your Big Texan Heart, don’t you?  

You have that friend or neighbor who might be new to town… or even to Texas.  

Maybe you know a homesick Texan who could always use a little Lone Star Love. 

Perhaps a housewarming gift is the way to offer a heartfelt gift with some Texas flavor.

Select just one or let us put several items together in a Texas-sized gift package

So many books with a Texas theme...

Maybe its time to indoctrinate those little ones in your life…

If you need some help and inspiration, Bless Your Heart, we have some TEXCELLENT ideas for you. And contrary to popular belief, not EVERYTHING is bigger in Texas.  Some of these items are quite small and perfect for mailing!

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Some of our Texas themed items are even available in our online shop!  Click https://www.smwexchange.com/shop/  to check them out.

And of course, finish with the perfect card!

Shop Online at The Exchange!

You Asked…We Delivered!  These days more and more of us rely on online shopping so we can make selections at our own convenience.  Even a specialty gift boutique like ours should offer customers this important service…and now we are!

We carefully selected some very popular items from all across our store to offer in our online shop.  Need a baby present?  No problem.  Housewarming gift?  Easy.  How about a wedding or shower gift?  We’ve got you covered.  A Birthday gift for a special friend?  Several options for you.  And of course we know how much our customers depend on our beautiful gift wrapping service; so if you would like to have us wrap your purchase you may order that too!

We invite you to browse our online shop beginning today!

https://www.smwexchange.com/shop

Of course if you are interested in something you don’t see in our online shop we’ll be delighted to help you in the store or over the phone.

2018 marks our 60th year of passing on our proceeds to serve those in need; and we are thrilled that this year we surpassed the $9 million mark in cumulative grant distributions.  There is still much work to be done though.  So log on and Shop Once and Give Twice…any time. anywhere.

Shopping. For Good.

May is an exciting month for us!  Each May we distribute our profits to a new group of agencies which do life altering work for those they serve.  A committee which reviews grant requests has been diligently working for the last few months; and now the decisions have been made, the checks written and delivered!

This year, we are funding 67 agencies whose work will feed the hungry, offer shelter to the homeless, provide aid to the sick and elderly, offer comfort and assistance to the battered among us and support education for those on the margins.  Some are local and others do their work far from here.  Some are large, with familiar names, and some are small, doing their work quietly and largely unknown to most of us.  For all 67, we are honored to support their work.  

For most of us there is likely an issue or agency that is of particular concern—a problem that weighs on our heart more than most.  If that is the case for you, the chances are good that the group whose work means the most to you is on the list of agencies we support.  

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2018 Beneficiaries

2ndSaturday CDC     Aberg Center for Literacy     Achieve    Association for Independent Living

AIDS Interfaith Network     AIDS Services of Dallas     Alley's House     Attitudes & Attire

Austin Street Center     AVANCE     Brighter Tomorrows     Brother Bill's Helping Hand

Bryan's House     CitySquare     Cornerstone Crossroads Academy     Creativity for Peace

Crossroads Community Services     Dallas CASA     Dallas Christian Women's Job Corps

Dallas Furniture Bank     Dwell With Dignity     East Dallas Community Organization

Exodus Ministries     Family Compass     Gateway of Grace     Genesis Women's Shelter

Girls Inc.     Heart House     Honduras Threads     Hope Supply Co.     Housing Crisis Center

Human Rights Initiative of North Texas, Inc.     Interfaith Family Services     Irving Cares

Jonathan's Place     Jubilee Park & Community Center     La Bajada Urban Youth Farm

Legacy Counseling Center     LIFT     Literacy Achieves     Mosaic Family Services

Network of Community Ministries     New Friends New Life     North Dallas Shared Ministries

North Texas Food Bank     One Man's Treasure     Our Friends Place     OurCalling

Promise House     Rainbow Days     Restored Hope Ministries     Services of Hope

Shared Housing Center     SMAA Austin Street Cooks     SMAA Tela, Honduras Mission Trip

St. Philip's School & Community Center     The Family Place     The Senior Source

The Well Community     Turtle Creek Manor     Under 1 Roof     Visiting Nurses Association

Wesley-Rankin Community Center     White Rock Center of Hope     Wilkinson Center

Youth Believing in Change      Youth with Faces

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Our regular shoppers know that since 1958, St. Michael’s Woman’s Exchange has distributed our proceeds to benefit those in need.  This year, as we celebrate our 60th Birthday, cumulative distributions topped the $9 million mark!  We are thrilled to reach this milestone of course, but there is still much to be done to relieve the suffering in our community and the world beyond.  So do stop by and make a purchase!  When you shop at St. Michael’s Woman’s Exchange, you really can shop once…and give twice!