HOUSE OF CARDS One bamboo-green paint job and a changing of the guard later, the former home of Paper Doll is seeing cards all over again with the arrival of An jé nu. The specialty paper boutique features a sweet selection of stationery: glitter-kissed, girly cards by Sophie’s Philosophies; letter-pressed love-letter kits packed with vintage stamps; Swarovski crystal–adorned cards by Soolip; and local lines Dina and Fresh Frances; and owner Kristie Wagner’s own line, debuting later this fall (single cards range from $5 to $10). In addition to designing wedding invitations and birth announcements, Wagner offers custom gift-wrapping (she’ll even wrap goodies that you buy elsewhere). And after she settles in, she plans to utilize her on-site studio space to customize individual cards upon request—so you can bypass the typical Hallmark schmaltz for your own more sincere sentiments. 1747 W Division St at Hermitage Ave (773-469-2212).—Jessica Herman

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL Kaveri Satpathy knows there are dozens of boutiques in the city. So what makes her namesake shop, Kaveri, stand out? According to her, the answer is simple: top-notch service. “We’re taking the stylist approach to our customers,” she says. “We’re honest and aim to help to make sure our customers get the best experience.” Friendly, one-on-one service isn’t the only key factor in a successful store, though: Kaveri carries labels that will surely lure in shoppers. The well-edited collection—geared to professional urban women—includes trendy, yet dressier selections from Edun, Ulla Johnson and Trovata. High-quality Gryson bags ($695–$795)—produced by the same Italian makers of the superpopular Marc Jacobs bags—are poised to become the next must-have. And a denim selection ($200) by Rag and Bone adds the right amount of casual options to the shelves. And as if the high-quality selection of the clothes weren’t enough, Satpathy and her team will also be right there to make sure the whole experience is just as satisfying. 1211 W Webster Ave at Racine Ave (773-296-2141).—Kevin Aeh