I’ve always been a big advocate for shopping locally.

For this month’s shopping excursion, I didn’t have to go too far (about a mile, actually) and I couldn’t have gotten much more local. I took a trip to Orono, the town I call home. I’ve been on the road a lot this month, so rather than heading to a far-flung locale, I decided to rediscover some of the places I take for granted.

Last week, as I hung out on Mill Street eating a fajita during Orono Festival Day, I looked around and saw a lot going on, from a shopper’s point of view. Sure, the only mall in town is a tree-lined stretch on the University of Maine campus, but that’s OK. If I want to shop at the Gap, I can drive to Bangor.

In Orono, I can just walk, and that’s what I did earlier this week. The journey started, as most of my days do, at The Store-Ampersand on Mill Street. This gourmet-health food-wine-gift shop has been a favorite since my freshman year at UM, and the good, inexpensive coffee and pastries still lure me in. I walked downstairs to the gift portion, chatted with my old friend Robin, perused the soaps, housewares, greeting cards and pottery (I love the Orono-made Elm Street Pottery!). I ended up buying a copper and glass-bead bracelet that looks handmade ($12).

Then I headed up to Park’s Hardware, where I do most of my business these days. Surprisingly, I bought nothing for my renovation. I did consider buying a fancy outdoor thermometer for $19, but I settled on a few packs of Johnny’s Selected Seeds for next year (at $1 a pack, how could I resist?).

Next, I walked up the street to Art Etc., where Frank Williams has supplied countless UM art students over the years. I’m more of a crafter than an artist, so I bought three sheets of fancy rice paper that I plan to turn into window shades. I saw it in a magazine, and if I screw up, I’m only out $5.

I wandered up Mill Street, pausing to window-shop at Jane’s Gifts and Tanning, where I used to get my pre-vacation tan on, and lingering at the window of DeGrasse Jewelers. I hardly ever buy myself real, noncostume jewelry, but DeGrasse’s is a gem, pardon the pun. They’ve bailed me out of many a bad situation, including an emergency watch repair on Christmas Eve. Love those guys!

On Main Street, I ducked into The Pretty Woman – Nancy Paul’s window dressing is always a treat, and the shop is full of interesting, affordable, pretty clothes for women of all ages. Sweaters are the shop’s strong suit, but I picked up a pair of chandelier earrings, and was delighted to find they were on sale. Everything but the most recent acquisitions is on sale – mostly 20 percent off, but summer stuff is half off. My earrings set me back $9.60. Not bad.

I considered popping into Dr. Records, a favorite for CDs and vinyl, I figured I’d spend the whole day in there, and it was too early to think about wine, so I skipped another of my regular stops, Burby & Bates, which has a fabulous selection of reasonably priced wines (and an even more tantalizing selection of wines outside my price range).

Instead, I headed up Main Street to Judy’s Scrappin’ and Stampin’ (I get so overwhelmed by scrapbooking so I didn’t stay long). I walked next door to Second-Hand Rose, which I’m sad to say is closing at the end of the month. Much is on sale, but it’s hard to get excited about it knowing that Rose Frick, her flowers and her antiques won’t be a Main Street fixture anymore.

With my head hung low, I went back down Mill Street toward the Byer Factory Store. Best known for its cots and camp chairs, Byer also sells bright hammocks, hammock pillows (I got a factory second for $14.95), tote bags and blankets. The store is a bit tucked away, but that’s the fun of shopping in Orono.

Also tucked away on Water Street is the Shaw & Tenney factory, which has manufactured world-renowned paddles for boats and canoes since 1858. The new owners, Nancy and Steve Holt, have added a small, attractive factory store full of discounted paddles, pack baskets, T-shirts, hats and my favorite, pasta paddles (like a big, nice wooden spoon) for $5.

It was Wednesday, so I stopped into the Orono Thrift Shop on Birch Street to see what I could find. It’s like a treasure trove in there – I’ve found some of my favorite vintage goods there, including a fur-trimmed wool coat and a cute striped sweater that I wear all the time in the winter. As if the clothes weren’t good enough, all of the proceeds benefit the Orono Health Association and almost everything costs less than $2.

This Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sofia Wilder will hold a sale of clothing, antiques and collectibles downstairs from the thrift shop in the Birch Street School building. A portion of the proceeds will go directly to the thrift shop. She’s a collector, and though much of her merchandise has been in storage, you should ignore the wrinkles, because this is really good stuff – new coats, vintage goodies, fancy dresses and unworn designer footwear. Fabulous.

If your interest lies more in outdoor gear than designer shoes (not that the two are mutually exclusive), you should visit my final stop of the day, Rose Bicycle on Pine Street. I bought my bike there several years ago on sale, and since then, owner Jim Rose has added snowshoes and cross-country skis by Atomic and Rossignol to the mix. All 2004 bikes are on sale, and the 2005s are starting to arrive – it’s never too early to start thinking of Christmas gifts, especially if you know an aspiring Lance Armstrong.

For once, I skipped lunch, but only because I felt guilty splurging on Thai when I had plenty of leftovers at home – I guess that’s the only downside of shopping nearby. But an ice cream at the Orono Pharmacy wouldn’t hurt, now, would it?

Reader question

Dear ShopGirl,

I was searching the Web trying to find information on how to tell if I have bought a fake Chanel bag, and a link brought me to you. Great article! I enjoy your writing style.

I bought the bag at a tag-yard sale for only $5, and I was told it was the real deal. I am not a designer label person, so I really don’t know. But after looking online at the prices of real (Chanel bags), I am not so sure.

What should I be looking for? It’s a small, round, white leather purse, a gold chain shoulder strap with leather laced through it, a rather large leather tassel with a gold top, quilting on one side of the bag, and the signature “CC” on the other. Inside it has a zippered pocket with a label, it says “Chanel” and “made in Paris” under it. The zipper pull has an oval gold piece that has the signature “CC” and then “Paris” under it.

What more do I look for? Any telltale signs? Can you help me out? Or is this something that really has to be looked at in person to tell?

Would greatly appreciate any help you can give me!

Thanks for your time,

Laura Davies

Dear Laura,

Thanks for writing! Chanel’s a toughie. I’ve tried to research a similar question in regard to a Burberry bag, but the problem is, no one ever gets back to me on the corporate level. I think it’s because they hate the idea of their stuff being resold.

My one question is, with eBay out there, why would anyone sell a real Chanel bag at a tag sale for $5? But then again, you never know what you’re going to find.

If any readers have insight on this issue, I’d appreciate it, because Chanel’s out of my price range.

Thanks, and happy shopping!

ShopGirl would love to hear from you! Send questions, comments or suggestions by e-mail to: kandresen@bangordailynews.net, by U.S. mail to: Kristen Andresen, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402-1329, or by fax to: 941-9476. Tune in to ShopGirl at 5 p.m. Fridays on WLBZ-2.

Destination: Orono

Art Etc.: 19 Mill St. 866-3221.

Burby & Bates: 7 Oak St. 866-2533.

Byer Factory Store: 74 Mill St. 866-2171.

DeGrasse Jewelers: 5 Mill St. 866-4032.

Dr. Records: 20 Main St. 866-7874.

Jane’s Gifts and Tanning: 5 Mill St. 866-2016.

Judy’s Scrappin’ and Stampin’: 44 Main St. 889-8000.

Orono Pharmacy: 16 Mill St. 866-3800.

Orono Thrift Shop: Birch Street 866-4648.

Park’s Hardware: 33 Mill St. 866-7811.

The Pretty Woman: 24 Main St. 866-0275.

Rose Bicycle: 9 Pine St. 866-3525.

Second-Hand Rose: 46 Main St. 866-2080.

Shaw & Tenney Factory Store: 20 Water St. 866-4867.

The Store-Ampersand: 22 Mill St. 866-4110.