Things are starting to look a little different around the Oakdale Pilates Studio and owner Monica Harris is excited about it.

This Saturday, Dec. 12 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Harris will open the studio, not for some stretching and toning, but some shopping and sipping.

The business owner has opened the front area of the studio to nine area vendors for a special bouTEAque event. An event which will include specialty items such as: honey, jams, soap, hand sanitizer, essential and CBD oils, as well as beauty gift baskets, house plants and baked goods.

“Just lots of great things that would be good stocking stuffers or great Christmas presents,” the studio owner said.

“People will also be able to blend their own essential oils,” she continued. “I’ll have a booth set up with different oils and they can make their own.”

The health and wellness enthusiast shared that during the shutdown, she’s made some changes to the studio space, one which happens to now allow for retail space in the front of the studio. Eventually she would like to see the entry space evolve into a boutique space which offers some product, as well as sells tea.

“We’re doing really healthy tea for people too. The goal is to promote health and wellness,” Harris stated of the future goal. “Just to give people a place to sit and just slow down. I mean you can’t drink tea fast, you’ve got to drink it slow.”

The 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours of Saturday’s event were planned intentionally with hopes of allowing natural spacing for shoppers to comply with the distancing guidelines.

“Basically we’re just opening up the studio to vendors who have health, beauty, wellness products to offer,” she concluded. “It’s a tea and shopping event.”

Oakdale Pilates Studio is at 143 N. First Ave., Oakdale. Harris may be reached at 209-204-1700.