Made In Colorado Spotlight: Rocky Mountain Leaf Company

One of our most popular lines here at Frisco Fun & Formal, the Rocky Mountain Leaf Company makes jewelry, ornaments and night lights from real leaves. Sometimes customers will walk in the door and immediately ask if we have "those earrings made from aspen leaves."

The Rocky Mountain Leaf Company started in Aspen, Colorado in 1974 as a small, family-run enterprise. Over the years they have grown and expanded, but they still carefully hand-pick each leaf. Sometimes when I call them in the autumn months to discuss an order, they are out collecting leaves!

The care they take with each individual creation results in high quality, durable, one-of-a kind pieces. Each leaf is dried, then dipped into a solution that removes the tissue and retains only the vein structure. Every leaf is then coated in a layer of copper using an electroplating process. This creates a durable foundation and protects the shape and veining patterns to create a superior and longer lasting product. Next the leaves are finished in either 24K gold, fine silver or iridescent copper, and silver items are coated with an anti-tarnish solution. 

It seems like a painstaking process, making me glad that all I have to do is unpack my orders, put them on display and sell them to happy customers! 

At Frisco Fun & Formal, we love great products that are made right here in Colorado. Besides the gift shop here on Main Street, we are beginning our foray into online sales, and we now sell Rocky Mountain Leaf jewelry and ornaments on our website. 

There's nothing like being in the Rocky Mountains in the fall, when the sun is shining and the aspen leaves paint everything in a vibrant gold. But you can take a small piece of nature home with you any time of year with these beautiful handcrafted products!

Made in Colorado Valentine's Day Gifts

Looking for something special for your someone special on Valentine's Day this year? How about something made by a local Colorado company?

At Frisco Fun & Formal, we've got an ever-expanding selection of made-in-Colorado products, and many of them happen to make perfect gifts for your Valentine!

Jewelry

We have several lines of jewelry from Colorado artists, including Lucky Old Sun, K. L. Maxwell, Rocky Mountain Leaf Company and Lucky In Love. Here is just a small sampling:

Lucky Old Sun Necklace

Rocky Mountain Leaf Company makes necklaces, bracelets and earrings--as well as ornaments

Necklace by K. L. Maxwell

Fun, beautiful earrings by Lucky Old Sun

Scented Soaps and Lotions

It's hard to go wrong with some all-natural, made in Colorado, wonderful-smelling soaps, lotions and body butters. We've got a variety of scented soaps from Breckenridge Soap Company, and a great selection of lotions by Bee Happy, from Erie, Colorado. All of these products are personally tested, approved and used regularly by our staff!

Breckenridge Soap Co...so many amazing scents to choose from!

Bee Happy lotions and body butter in amazing all-natural scents like Almond and Palisade Peach!

Candles

If you're looking for a candle made right here in Summit County, Colorado, look no further. Made with sustainable palm wax, each candle is a work of art.

These great-smelling candles make a perfect gift.

Chocolate

Last but definitely not least, we have the always-popular gift choice of chocolate. What could be more appropriate than Chocolove? Made in Boulder, Colorado, Chocolove comes in a wide variety of flavors and we can personally attest that they are all delicious. The hardest part of working here in the shop is not eating all the inventory!

We also have toffee from Fern Creek Confections out of Fort Collins, as well as chocolate bars and other fun candy like Bear Droppings and Mountain Seeds from Colorado Candy Kitchen in Glenwood Springs.

If your valentine is not a fan of chocolate, we also have jam, jelly, honey and hot sauce from Colorado companies. There's something sweet for everyone!

Delectable, melt-in-your-mouth toffee from Fern Creek

If you're looking for the perfect Valentine's gift in Frisco, Dillon, Silverthorne, Keystone or Breckenridge, come check out our selection at Frisco Fun & Formal!

Yaktrax - Extra Traction For Your Feet

While we've certainly enjoyed seeing the sunshine and some warmer temperatures these last few days, the only down side is super slick roads and sidewalks.

When things warm up during the day, snow melts and turns everything into a wet, slushy mess. Then as soon as the sun goes down, the temperatures drop below freezing, and all that water and slush re-freezes and turns our sidewalks into a skating rink!

Now, I like skating rinks as much as the next gal, but I don't wear my ice skates on my morning walk. I wear boots. My boots have fairly decent traction, but on days like this it's just not enough. Multiple times this morning, I slipped just walking on the sidewalk. Luckily I caught myself every time and managed not to fall. But I could have avoided those scary moments by simply listening to my own advice and putting on a pair of Yaktrax.

Lightweight and portable, Yaktrax slip on over your normal shoes to provide some traction, much like chains work on car tires. In fact, some of the newer models, called Ice Trekkers, are actually chains, and they work great!

For the most rugged use, try some Yaktrax Extreme or Diamond Grip Ice Trekkers. I used the Diamond Grip on a hike the other day, and totally walked right down a very steep, snowy, slick trail without sliding once.

If you're walking around Frisco and needing some extra traction, come see us! We have variety of styles and sizes to choose from. If possible, try to bring in the shoes or boots you want to wear your Yaktrax with, and we can help you figure out the best size.

You Need It, We Have It: Willow Tree Ornaments

At our gift shop, ornaments are very popular not just around the holidays, but throughout the entire year. Meaningful, small and easily transportable, they always make a terrific gift for family and friends. We carry many different types of ornaments, and each one has something unique to offer.

Willow Tree angel ornaments have definitely stood the test of time. Year after year, customers come in looking specifically for the latest design.

All of the Willow Tree ornaments are designed by artist Susan Lordi, who sculpts the original of each figure in her Kansas City art studio. Her hand, and her unique perspective, is evident in each sculpture.

Each ornament has a theme--friendship, thanks, courage, hope--and comes in a box, all ready to be gifted to that special someone.

If you're looking for Willow Tree angels in Summit County, Colorado, we've got them here, year-round, at Frisco Fun & Formal.