February 23, 2008: Vol. 31, No. 8

We’re no strangers to lingering in stores right as they’re about to close, and we know the look of an angry cashier all too well. But on Saturday, Feb. 23, those who want to linger at Harriet’s Alter Ego, a boutique and art gallery in Prospect Heights, are welcome to stay. In fact, they’re welcome to sleep over.

“We’re always thinking of against-the-grain, interesting ways to incorporate our customers,” owner Ngozi Odita said of the sleepover party Harriet’s Alter Ego has planned for the evening. “People are always hanging out at the store, so we thought it would be interesting to have them there all night.”

The “Girls Night Lock In” — no boys allowed — is the first event like it at the shop and will feature cocktails, snacks, makeovers, facials, a midnight yoga class and live musical performance, a styled photo shoot, a “chick flick marathon” and a continental breakfast all for a $30 cover charge. (The cash registers, however, will be closed for business.)

“We’ll have all the things you would have at a slumber party when you were younger,” said Odita, who herself hasn’t been to a slumber party since grammar school. “It’s a way to pamper yourself and be indulgent in a supportive environment.”

Just don’t be the first one to fall asleep — you never know who’ll break out the shaving cream.

©2008 The Brooklyn Paper