Project E moves us into spring!

We have a pretty collection in from Project E. This unique knit line has fantastic contemporary designs in trend-perfect colors. This navy, aqua, green theme is huge for Spring. And this drape-back tank has lots of fashion going on. Also see their aqua knit-tunic. It was in our window on Saturday, but due to high-demand in the dressing room, we pulled it back into the store. Come try it on with leggings or a pair of skinny jeans from Red Engine!

Feelin' all the love.

We are having a lovely day on our opening Saturday. Our designer, Jenn Baker, came by with these stunning flowers from Derby Farms (shout out to Barbara for the well-wishes). The folks at Isis and Wild Child have all come over to cheer us on as well. And all of our staff have been in and out today...to excited to stay away.

We are open again!!!

We are thrilled with our new store!! It is everything we wanted it to be: open, bright, roomy and oh-so-pretty. There are lots of new clothes and accessories that are out for our weekend opening. Come in, say hello, and buy something special for yourself. And because we missed you this week, if you spend over $100 this Saturday or Sunday, we will hand you a Starbuck's card worth five dollars of your favorite yummy drink.

Keeping the dream alive in our hometown.

Today was busy busy busy and thrillingly smooth at Helena's. I met the contractors at 7 AM. They were eager and energetic (all arriving with giant coffees) and thus began a momentum that lasted until about 6 PM. Moved a little of this, painted a little of that. Jessica was unpacking boxes upstairs, I was directing the troops downstairs.

Then, at around 11 AM, a man tapped on the glass and asked if we were closing. YIKES! I told him we were expanding and all was good. He told me that his girlfriend had said to him, "Go buy me anything at Helena's. I love everything in the store." With lifted spirits (I am a sucker for compliments) I told him that he should come back first thing Saturday morning and see all the new stuff.

I heart Arlington.

overandout,
Katherine

Anticipation!

Just 3 more days until the big move!
Our excitement is starting to peak.
Electricians are here this morning dropping lines and doing some prelim work for the big job ahead. In the meantime we have such lovely things like this smocked waist tee from Testament to keep us occupied.

XCVI: Back to the Basics

Can a line be both trendy and classic?

XCVI is one of those lines that always seems to be in demand and never out of style. I would describe XCVI as casual comfort with an edge. Their crop pants are definitely one of our most popular items. Worn with high boots in winter or sandals in summer, their versatility is endless. The accented details, like ruching, pleating, vents, ties, snaps etc, give these basics a style that transcends the ordinary.

New Prairie Underground is in!

New Prairie Underground is here at Helena's.

The short cloak hoodie seen above is even more beautiful in person. They call this color Pizzaz, we call it awesome. Betsy tried this on yesterday and fell instantly in love with it.

We also herald the triumphant return of the basic Prairie Hoodie. Similar to the cloak but with more seaming and less pouf. We received the Prairie Hoodie in the color Inkpot, which is a deep rich and gorgeous shade of purple. Quantities are extremely limited so shop early.

Busy Bee.

This has been a blissfully productive week in the countdown to our move and renovations. I've made many trips to Tables to Teapots in Acton to find the perfect special fixtures for the growing store. My friends at Tile Showcase helped solve a glass tile conundrum, and designer Jenn and I finalized paint colors and the store layout. And I found an antique bird cage that speaks to me. I will hand it to Jessica and she will do something fabulous with it...like paint it yellow, fill it with Anokhi scarves and hang it in the window. The possibilities are endless!

Helena's is Renovating, Expanding and Moving!!

To expand our great collection of clothing and accessories, we are changing things up! Don’t fret, we are remaining inside our lovely brick building in Arlington Center. At the end of February, you will find us at the front of the store, at the Mass Ave entrance. We will offer you, our beloved customers, a beautifully renovated space, with more room to find your favorite styles.

We will expand our accessories collections and our denim. We will still have our colorful, signature styles of women’s apparel and remain a maternity resource for expecting moms.

Wild Child, or partner in the building for 5 years, will be expanding as well, and moving their boutique to the middle of the building.

Helena’s will be closed for construction from Monday February 22 thru Friday February 26. We will have a celebratory re-opening on Saturday, February 27.

Follow our move, construction, and store design on our blog! We will stay in touch with daily updates!

Gratefully Yours,

Katherine, Jessica, Betsy, Catherine, and Dianne

Coming Attractions: J-41 now Jambu

We love J-41 shoes.

Beautiful, practical and most importantly sooo comfortable.

J-41 has changed their name to Jambu, but are still producing the same great shoes and have added a fresh crop of new styles to their repertoire.

Our first shipment of Spring shoes is expected to arrive within about a week or so, and we are thrilled.

The Touring shoe is a fresh take on the popular Journey style. Touring has the same great peep toe design, but sports a slightly sleeker shape, with a smooth heel. We are expecting the Touring shoe in black, as well as brown later in the season.

The Sonya peep toe, backslung sandal is a versatile sandal that looks great with skirts and dresses as well as with your favorite pair of jeans. The Sonya will be available in this lovely Mocha brown color.

And of course, the oh-so-popular Journey Shoe is back for it's 3rd season at Helena's. This year The Journey comes in this fantastic dark grey color.

And while you are waiting for these to arrive you can still come in and get a great bargain on our Fall/Winter shoes which are still 50% off.

New Sweet Pea!

Just because we are due to get 8 inches of snow today doesn't mean we can't dream of Spring. It's hard not to when we keep getting in beautiful new styles, like these three great tops from Sweet Pea. Double layer stretchy mesh fabric and impeccable prints make Sweet Pea one of our best selling lines. Sweet Pea knows fit, these pieces cling and flow in all the right places to create a flattering look for almost anybody.

Berry Sweet: New Nick & Mo

What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than with this impossibly cute sweater from Nick & Mo?

Banded at the waist for a flattering fit, with tiny off white trim, this piece of eye candy certainly makes our hearts beat a little faster.

Like Magic: Kensie

Kensie, Kensie, Kensie....How do you do it?
Moghul inspired tile print in blues and oranges, Dalmatian spots, ruffle trim and flounces, all on a silky fabric.
Such an improbable and unexpected mix of elements in this smashing little dress.
We don't know how it works, it just does.

Fresh Spring Greens

No color is more evocative of spring than green.

Fresh, bright and full of promise.

This Spring, look for lots of soft, mellow greens, like the delicately marbled blue and green print sleeveless top from Piper and Sparrow. This lovely top exudes femininity, with it's ruffled neckline, and airy flowing cut.

Tulle, is also featuring green in it's latest Spring collection. We love the pleated pocket detail on the green canvas trench, and the cowl neck short sleeve sweater is one of our favorites.