#HeardItThru the Grapevine – Black Friday Shopping Preview at Grapevine Mills Mall

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I got to tell you folks, one of the best things about living in a large metroplex is the shopping.  Coming from a small city of about 150,000 people and moving to a metropolis of 6 million gives a new perspective on where and what you can buy!

Very close to our home here in North Texas is an awesome ‘outlet’ mall called Grapevine Mills.  You may have heard of it because it’s a premier tourist destination for those that visit the area.  Besides the countless premium stores located in the mall, it has an AMC 30 theater complex that features dine-in theaters, a Lego Discovery Center, the Sealife Aquarium, a Rainforest Café and so much more!  We’ve been a couple of times now since we’ve moved for both movies and shopping, but I’ll be blogging more about the mall and some of the attractions there as we’ll be taking our visiting family to it when they’re here over the holidays.

Last week thanks to a contest I won via Jenn’s RAQ, I got to attend a Blogger Black Friday Weekend Sneak Preview at Grapevine Mills.

We started out in the lobby of the AMC theaters with drinks and hor d’oeuvres (the crab cakes and queso were splendid!), and after mingling among the bloggers, the Simon Malls team took us out to see some of the styles and must shop at stops for this holiday season.

First off everyone needs to know where the Family Bathrooms are located in any mall.  Am I right?  Grapevine Mills just renovated their family restrooms that are located by the Chili’s restaurant in the mall.  So you can grab a bite to eat before, during or after shopping and take your kids to a nice clean restroom, that features lower sinks, a small potty and lower changing decks (this very short mom is appreciative of that, so many restrooms have the changing decks so high!).  Plus a beautiful nursing room for mom and baby to relax when needed.  

Then we headed to the newly renovated Nike Factory Store.

We even got a fashion show from the employees showing us the latest trends for the season, which in this area includes the very popular Nike Dallas Swoosh T-Shirt.

Then we headed over to J.Crew to see their winter fashions.

They were telling us that it’s all about the sparkles this holiday season!  Plus they have a terrific selection of accessories for both men and women that make great stocking stuffers and gifts.

Did you know that Saks Fifth Avenue has an outlet store?  Yes siree they do, it’s Saks Off 5th.  Whether you’re looking for Career Wear or a new Handbag – you’ll find some great deals on fabulous designer brands there.

The store is bright and spacious and its industrial loft style is really fun to shop in.  I even found a ‘Hidden Mickey’ in their light fixtures 🙂

Another great store to pick up designer fashions that are affordable on ones pocketbook is Neiman Marcus Last Call. 

They’re even helping a gal out, by letting us know what “the” trends are for fall fashion (and I’m sure much of that extends into the winter season as well).

You may even bump into a famous celebrity when you visit Grapevine Mills this holiday season…

Grapevine Mills is opening at 8PM on Thanksgiving night and will remain open until 9PM on Black Friday.  That gives you 25 hours of premium shopping at their mall!  Starting the week of December 16th to the 23rd they will remain open until 10PM for shoppers (except for 12/22), and on Christmas Eve they are open from 9AM to 6PM for all you stragglers.

If you’re in the DFW area, be sure to check out all that Grapevine Mills has to offer this holiday season, visit www.grapevinemills.com for more details.

But even if you don’t live in North Texas or aren’t traveling this way during the holiday season, check out your local Simon Malls and their retailers or visit the shops online for the latest seasonal fashions and trends!