Caroline's Closet

Hot Online Shopping Tip: Hampden Clothing

2012-01-28T15:17:00.001-05:00

Attention my lovely fashionistas, a favorite store of mine in Charleston, SC, is having its winter sale with some seriously fabulous—and usually uber-expensive—items on sale. 75% off cannot be missed, so get yourselves over there now because it's about to end (tomorrow). Here's the URL>>
HampdenClothing.com.

Some hot selections, for your perusal:

I call this one Pilgrimmage

And this one is Fire Ball

Finally, this one I want

2012: A Plea to the Young People

2012-01-02T11:58:00.000-05:00

Arriving back to NYC from FL this week, I was struck by just how few people I noticed on the street looking hip and stylish. Usually when I'm away from this fine place for an extended period of time, I'm immediately struck by how hot, and cutting edge so many people look. Ok, we still have a ton of hotties here, but the outfits are, well, mainstream. Every woman in the East Village is wearing leggings and boots (myself included). Every woman in Brooklyn knots her hair on the top of her head and wears a chunky knit scarf. For a while I was blaming globalization for this, and according to this article I just read in Vanity Fair—"You Say You Want a Devolution?"—that's part of the reason why style, culture, art, etc. hasn't really changed in the past decade (at least). But this is New York City, people, and that is why my first post of the new year is a plea to the young people.

My dear twenty-somethings:

I understand you're faced with a lot of tough elements these days. A college degree doesn't guarantee a job once you graduate, but it is likely to guarantee some serious debt. We're smack dab in the middle of a deep recession that's only getting deeper. Life, especially life in this city, can often feel like a treadmill you'd just like to take a break from. As someone who moved to South Carolina for three years believe me, I get it.

The thing is, we're counting on you. We in our middle-to-late thirties, and older, need you to shake things up. We need you to actually innovate and not fetishize the word innovate. We need you to occupy Wall Street, and if you can't afford to take off work to do so, get involved in some other way. It's great that you worked on Obama's campaign, but we need you to continue to volunteer, be passionate and contribute.

Let's move on from Steve Jobs. Yes, Apple products are amazeballs but the products of the future can and should make them obsolete. Let's move on right now&mash;we are counting on you to knock our socks off so that ten years from now we can say "that's so 2012" and have it actually mean something.

And on a fashion note, I am counting on you to wear the stuff I'm in awe of. I'm counting on you to rock the shoes I can't wear because I'll break my back if I do. I need you to get the new haircut I can't because I don't have straight hair. And most importantly, I need you to design the most killer pair of spectacles never before seen on any hipster for when my eyes go.

Your friend and mentor,

Caroline

Pegged Jeans

2011-10-04T09:12:00.000-05:00

This weekend I noted not one but five different young ladies sporting the banana clip in their hair*. That clip is a terrible element of the 80s to try to bring back into vogue (stop it, Urban Outfitters, I know it's you that is to blame for this...or maybe Forever 21). But here in this photo is a wonderful element of 80s style to bring back -- the pegged jean!

This is the fabulous ER, who I'm proud to say is a colleague of mine, rockin the pegged jean. Hot!

*Note: all these youngsters were spotted in Brooklyn

Divorce

2011-09-21T22:43:00.001-05:00

Life can be hard. I have now been sitting here in front of my laptop for more than ten minutes trying to come up with a follow-up sentence to that statement that gives it justice and also sends us into the point of this blog post, but I keep deleting the drafts. There's not really much more to follow up with after that simple statement: life can be hard.

A few years ago when my ex-husband and I were in the thick of our culture shock in South Carolina, life was hard. Soon after that we went to counseling and life got even harder because we unearthed the hard truth that I wanted kids from our marriage and he didn't. I was sad and I was angry, but what I didn't realize then that I see plainly now is that we had started on the path to clarity.

After spending a lot of time trying to first convince my ex- that we should have children and then convince myself that I didn't need children in the marriage, I came to a point of acceptance. Mind you, once I got to a point of acceptance, life wasn't rosy. There was and still is a process: I moved back to New York to restart my career, I reached a point of forgiveness of myself and my ex- and I am now currently (re)learning how to be (yep, I'll always be learning that; spoiler alert: we all will).

My ex- and I worked really hard to make our divorce as smooth a process as possible. We started the work of drafting an agreement last year with the goal of being officially divorced by June 2011. But the month came and went this year and the trial still wasn't on the calendar in the courts in South Carolina (you know, y'all, it was the summah and therefore beach season). I began to get really anxious. I was panicky. I had kept "the first week of June" in my head as this marker — a milestone that would soon be surpassed. After that hurdle was cleared, relief would be the reward. But once June morphed into July, I became a total wreck. The what ifs wormed their way out of my subconscious and into day-to-day thought.

Then like a gift a date was finally set for our divorce trial: August 23. I made sure to keep my cellphone close by me in case something funky happened at the trial, but thankfully it was smooth sailing. Sure enough, when my ex- texted me that it was official (so Gen Y of us, right?), the sense of relief struck deep. I wasn't surprised by the feeling. I had intellectualized the process enough so that I assumed relief would be the outcome. It's just that I didn't fully understand why relief was going to be the response. Now on the other side of August 23 I realize that I was relieved because I was no longer responsible to a relationship that wasn't working. Couple that with this amazing lift of the pressure of having children, a pressure that only I was putting on myself, and I present to you, my dearest darlings, the joy of life.

Are there trying times ahead? Yes of course there are and these times can probably be summarized under one general category: dating. Is joy fleeting? Yes, I believe it is. But there's this concept I learned from my therapist in South Carolina that was recently echoed by my sweet JK who got it from this TED talk by Brene Brown and it is that in order to have joy in your life, you must open yourself up to grief. As Brown says in the talk, "to feel this vulnerable means I'm alive" and I am thankful and relieved that I am alive.

A Day of Beauty, EV-Style

2011-07-24T11:49:00.003-05:00

What's your personal maintenance regimen? Does it involve more than one place? One of the 5,892 reasons why I'm so glad to be back in NY is that all my beauty bars are within walking distance. Here's my list, for which I have the lovely ladies of the EVC to thank (except for my eyebrow place - I found that one all on my own!)

- EYEBROWS: Lulu's Nails on 1st Avenue between 8th and 7th Streets. This place has zero frills but the waxing woman knows the difference between "clean up" and" shape" and has never given me vampy eyebrows.

- BIKINI WAX: Maria Bonita on Prince Street. You're in, you're in pain, you're out. It's a nice, clean job every time.

-NAILS: Top A Nails on, you guessed it, Avenue A. This place is also very efficient. In the winter, they wrap your newly-done toes in plastic wrap, then put on your socks and shoes (smart).

-HAIR: Of course I go to Devachan, y'all. It's probably one of the top 20 reasons why I moved back here. Curly-heads of the world, UNITE!

What's your routine? Have any cool, affordable places in NYC to share? Comment!

Day 304ish

2011-03-31T19:18:00.002-05:00

I woke up, went to work (subway), came home from work (subway), stopped by Filene's and bought some Vince jeans on sale for $39.99, happened upon a dance troupe of 10 people dancing in unison and not-so-in-unison in the square outside of the St. Mark's church which is now a cultural center, decided to stop and watch the troupe, decided then to sit (under my umbrella because it was raining! they were dancing in the rain), then a man also standing in the square who had been whistling at a bird who was chirping back tried to get my attention about how he was talking to a bird and I looked away and continued watching the dancers, then the man kept staring at me so I rolled my eyes and left the bench, I walked two more blocks home and peeled my wet clothes off, got into dry ones and thought it was a pretty nice end of March 31, 2011, my 304th(ish) day back in the city.

My Favorite NYC Restaurants as of March 2011

2011-03-25T13:41:00.004-05:00

Hello lovers! That's right, I'm so back in action now I can OFFICIALLY share with you my updated list of favorite restaurants. I crafted this list back in my SC days for when friends over there were planning visits here and asking me for my recommendations. Since then, plenty has changed. But some solid favorites have stayed on the list. And so now I think it's only fitting that I celebrate coming to the close of my 10th month back in the city with this groovy wee list.

Enjoy!

FAVE FARM-TO-TABLES
Northern Spy
Back Forty
The Redhead

GREAT BIG-NAME RESTAURANTS
Locanda Verde (Ricotta prepared differently for breakfast than for dinner = love)
Blue Hill
Hearth
WD-50
Craftbar

GREAT RAMEN
Ippudo

GREAT TAPAS/SMALL PLATES
Alta
Boqueria on 19 Street or Spring Street
Bar Jamon on East 17th

FAVORITE GREEK
Pylos

GREAT MEXI
La Palapa (Still the best margarita in all of Manhattan, IMHO.)
Hecho en Dumbo

GREAT BRUNCH
Ciao for Now
Hundred Acres
Prune
Public
Five Points

Monkey Centeno

2011-03-17T22:31:00.004-05:00

I have a vivid memory of the day in 2001 that the World Trade Center was destroyed because it reeks of guilt for me. I slept late because I had a service person coming to my apartment to work on...what – a window, the radiator, the buzzer – something that was so instantly trivial, my mind squelches that detail of the memory. He was running late for a visit scheduled for 9:30 am. I commented on his tardiness and told him I had to get to my work at an office (figuring that was something he could never really understand) though the reality was I had only woken up about 20 minutes earlier. "I don't think you’re going to get to work today, lady," his flippant tone annoyed me, as if he knew my secret wake-up time.

"Oh I walk to work, so if it's a matter of the subways being off, that isn't an issue for me." This poor now-faceless guy was going to get it, whether he deserved it or not.

"Uh, have you opened your windows today?" he replied. "The twin towers are down. They've been hit. No one's going to work or anywhere else for a long time."

I grabbed the string that pulled my window blinds up and gaped at the far-off scene unfolding. Only one tower? Smoke everywhere? What does this mean? Would my new friend/comrade be the last person I would see on earth?

The seconds quickly evolved into hours as I turned on the television, learned about the attacks and began my personal story of where I was on September 11, 2001.

In order to mentally calculate my dog's age whenever people asked me, my mind would shoot back to September 11, because Monkey Centeno, the fawn-with-black-mask colored French bulldog who was my dearest fur ball and sweetest companion to-date, was born on October 11, 2001, exactly one month after that historic date. Whenever I struggled to think of how old she was – whenever strangers asked me her age because she was so youthful, so playful – my baseline was that tragic day for New York and the world. It was a historic day with a date I'd never forget, so it worked as the subtle reminder for a proper calculation. What's more, in a matter of one month I went from someone who was considerably selfish, to someone who could be enthralled by another living creature other than myself.

When I first got Monkey, my boyfriend at the time was a seasoned dog-owner and lover. He had enjoyed two Pitbull Terriers before his "overbearing" mother got rid of them behind his back when he left for college. I now realize she didn't want to take care of dogs that were simply not hers, but at the time I made sure to show support for the injustice of it all. We talked of revolution in the form of dog ownership, and six months later – after I completed numerous dog and human personality tests – we decided on a Frenchie.

There's part of me that hates the fact that he was a part of Monkey's life. But I really can't hate someone who took such good care of Monkey in her puppy years. Being a dog owner has its territorial qualities not unlike the personality of dogs in general – is this a learned behavior born from spending so much time with them? You teach your dog, and she teaches you.

After hearing about a stellar breeder in Ohio from a couple I met, I got the nerve up to give her a call and see if there were any dogs available. Her website indicated that she had a litter on its way, but maybe each pup was already claimed?

I had wanted a brindle-colored French bulldog. They're the ones with the tiger-stripe-like coloring. But when I spoke to the breeder, she informed me that there was possibly one pup left (she’d have to check with the woman who originally expressed an interest) and she was fawn black mask. I’d never heard of such a color, and Googled it right after I hung up the phone. Huh, it looked a lot like a Pug. Would everyone confuse her for a pug (answer: yes)? Would I be disappointed if people confused her for a Pug (answer: yes; defensive too, but for different reasons than I had initially thought)? I decided to be glad there was maybe a waiting list for this Pug-colored French bulldog.

The next day the breeder called me back and informed me that the woman who had been in line for the last puppy in the litter had bailed. Based on all I had been thinking just one day before, I completely surprised myself when I blurted out, "I'll take her!" I guess I was ready no matter what color, shade or tone this dog was born with.

While we waited for her to be born, and then to be old enough to come to our home, my boyfriend and I played house like the stork was delivering us a pickle in just a matter of days. I was happy to be sharing this experience with someone I loved, but he was younger than I and I knew deep down that he truly would not last as the lifetime owner of this dog. She was mine and I could feel it before I even met her.

Monkey was born into a litter of three pups with a brother who was being adopted by a family in New Jersey. This family owned a private plane, and since Monkey's breeder was based in New-Something-or-other, Ohio, the family and I negotiated a deal whereby I'd help pay for plane gas and they'd bring Monkey back to Jersey with their new pup. My boyfriend and I joked that Monkey was going to think she’d be living on Park Avenue, and not Avenue D.

After we drove the soup bowl-sized lump of fur back to our apartment, we delicately carried her up the stairs and gingerly placed her on one of what would be at least 15 different dog beds. We stared at her wondering what she'd do next. She stared back at us, her head all eyes, and peed on her first bed. I knew I would have my work cut out for me with this little fur-covered cannon ball.

When I walked Monkey down the street, or in the park, or carried her around in a dog carrier to take her to Florida for the holidays, the conversation with strangers was always the same:

"Your dog is so good, what's his name?"

"Her name is Monkey."

"Oh, that's what I call my husband/wife/son/daughter/dog too. How'd you choose the name? Because she looks like a Monkey?"

"I gave her the name before I even met her. I knew one day I'd have a dog, and her name would be Monkey."

Monkey grew to precede me in every circumstance. When I'd walk her to Tompkins Square Park dog run, neighbors on the streets where she and I ended up living – first 6th Street, then 10th, then 12th and again on 10th – would call out, "hey Monkey!" or "there she is, in a rush to get to the park." She was the official mascot of each office of the four different companies where I worked over the course of her lifetime. When she and I lived in South Carolina with my husband, she was the muse for two works of art: a song with the line, "running through the grass, you can tell she's having a blast, it's Mon-key" and a drawing done by a young woman in art school of Monkey sleeping in a pile of clothing strewn on the floor. For I don't know how many years of my life, at least the past five, when talking to or emailing with friends I hadn't seen in a while, the first two questions they would ask, in the following order, were always: "how are you?" and "how's Monkey?"

Having a seemingly ever-present lump of love around all the time was life changing. There was a time that I was selfish. There was a time that I had too much free time. Then there was Monkey. Her importance in my life took me so much by surprise, I suppose her sudden death makes sense in that it equally took me by surprise. Just as quickly as she took a hold of me and rocked my trivial world by becoming the dearest family member, so too did she rock my life by leaving so abruptly. At the beginning of the week she was having seizures, by the end of the week she was gone.

Monkey, aka, my sweetie girl, Mageelee Mo, Mugs not Drugs, Monkers Speelunkers, Mugs Geelilyloo, Mary Mo (and a host of other nicknames), I miss you dearly...and thank you.

Don't Give up on Century 21 Department Store

2011-01-16T21:08:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, after recycling some electronics at TekServe with SH, I decided to cruise down to Century 21, my all-time favorite discount department store, to purchase some new jeans. Though I didn't get off the N in time and therefore took the scenic route downtown via Brooklyn (but who doesn't love a beautiful view of the city from the Manhattan Bridge?), I eventually ended up elbow-to-elbow with many European tourists sifting through the racks.

Many of you dear readers have recently lamented that Century "isn't what it used to be." I use this post to say to thee, you are correct. In fact, it's better and here's why:

1) There are now dressing room stalls
2) The women working in the dressing room are actually nice
3) I didn't overhear any sales people lamenting about their nare-do-well baby daddies
or some other type of gripe. In fact, I didn't overhear any employee conversations.

And on top of all this new-and-improved customer service, basically everything in the store is at least 1/3 if not 1/2 off. I got two pairs of J.Brand jeans for $40 each and I went there looking for jeans. True story.

My Fashion Forward Office

2011-01-04T16:48:00.006-05:00

How cool are my colleagues? Answer: so cool! Today everyone is rockin the hot styles. So much so that I simply had to share their funky outfits on the blog. Check em out, yo. And by the way, Happy New Year!

Here's Karen in culottes and a tie-at-the-neck top:

And what about Simon's glasses? Awesome, right?

Check out Sara, our fearless leader, in these pink wool pants. That detail she's pointing to is PART OF THE PANTS!

Selling Handbags on eBay

2010-11-28T17:09:00.006-05:00

Well there's a first time for everything, and this time I've decided to dabble in the wide world of eBay and sell four handbags I no longer use, but still think are super cute and in great shape.

I'll keep you posted on the experience. So far I can tell you that I spent the last two hours updating my eBay profile (many years ago I had a small addiction to anything with Badtz Maru on it, but more on that later), taking photos of my items, describing and tagging them and finally hitting "sell item." Phewf! It's not easy, my friends, but hopefully it will be worth it.

If you have any interest, here's the link to preview the items (dontcha just love my sales copy?).

And here are photos of the sassy numbers. If you have any questions, just drop me a line via eBay!

Stacking Rings continued

2010-10-05T09:16:00.002-05:00

OMG - has it really been over a month since I've blogged? For shame! The thing is, life is moving WAY fast in the big city and I find myself still trying to keep up with it. Case in point, I took this photo this summer of KD's two-stack ring combo so that I could blog about it, but only just came across it now as I was cleaning out my Gmail box.

So this is more along the lines of what I was referring to a few months ago when I wrote about ring stacking. The key to it is that you stack rings that aren't meant to be stacked, but nonetheless work well together.

Exhibit A.

Dr. Bronners At The Corner Deli

2010-08-19T14:01:00.003-05:00

Last night I went over to T&W's house on Clinton in Brooklyn. Don't ask me what neighborhood that is - I've asked them myself about 15 times. As a native NYer, you'd think I'd know more about Brooklyn than I do. But the BK is large, people, and it houses a lot of neighborhoods. Since I've never actually lived in Bklyn, it's hard to always remember where I am.

But the actual point of this post is the simple stop I made at a deli that's caddy corner to my friends' house. I had committed to bringing dessert, but saved that purchase til the bitter end of my trip to their house, so I had to resort to deli options. I found some fairly decent hazelnut wafers but the best surprise of all was that the place was selling all different scents of Dr. Bronner's soap. The bottles were less than $10, I had been meaning to pick up a bottle of the lavender, and boom - there it was at the corner deli on my way over to a dinner party. How sweet is NYC? So sweet. How good, clean and fair is this soap? So totes. How glad am I to be back?

Trend Alert: Stacking Rings

2010-07-16T13:13:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I went to my broker's office to pick up the keys to my new apartment. Emily was rocking a new set of stacked rings that were different than the combo I loved on her the other week. Though these stacks are more uniform than what I described in my last post, I still adore them (note the pointer finger on her right hand) so I had to take a picture and share. How awesome is this look? And with the nail polish? Love.

AAAAaaaaand We're Back!

2010-06-21T17:22:00.006-05:00

I promised KH my first post back in NYC would be given this headline, but the first post after coming back really had to be about the key. For this second post, post-arriving back in NYC, I think the headline works.

Here's a round up of all the trends I've noted here in our wonderful Nueva York by which I am both fascinated and repulsed (again, a nod to KH with a reference to the beautiful grotesque).

FOR WOMEN:

Roman/Gladiator-style sandals = not made for every leg, yet seen all over town because flats are easy for pounding pavement

Eyeglasses with Ray-Banesque frames = everywhere

High-waistedness: shorts, skirts, pants, oh my! = KD and I decided it's a trend we're just going to have to live with and play out

Adults wearing silly bandz = boo and hiss (I hope my cousin will forgive this one because he was wearing a couple from his kids this past weekend)

Side boob cleavage = the shirt or dress is cut so low, the inside side of the chest is revealed

Stacking mismatched rings on one finger = this is my favorite one yet! I'll post a photo when I can grab one.

FOR MEN:

An oval haircut whereby the side of the head is shaved so that the shape of the actual "cut" is an oval on the top of the head. Some choose to rock 80s-style bangs with this, others don't. It's probably a summer/heat thing.

Key to the City

2010-06-06T10:24:00.013-05:00

For the first couple of days I was in a fog. It was a combination of reverse culture shock, driving for 12 hours straight from SC to NYC and not getting enough sleep. Also, the people. Everywhere. I left my laptop at the outdoor bar/cafe in Bryant Park and sprinted 2.5 42nd Street blocks back in heels to (thankfully!) retrieve it. I smiled at people on the street or on the subway who caught my eye. One woman smiled back. I got on the express train when I should have hopped the local.

But by the weekend after my first business week here, I was thankfully able to wake up late, cruise over to Ciao for Now and grab cawfee and a snack, take Monkey for a leisurely stroll to the dog park, then shower and hit the streets by myself for the day with the goal of reclaiming NYC. It worked, and the best part about it is that I even got a key to the city!

The Key to the City is a public art project running through the summer. I waited in line at a kiosk in Times Square to run through a "ceremony" during which I "bestowed" a key to the city to someone and he did the same for me.

I haven't visited any of the spots to which the key grants access (there are locked places in all five boroughs -- a smart way to promote intra-city tourism, no?), but the act of obtaining a key during my first weekend back to my home town was symbolic. The small act of picking up the key was precisely the type of homecoming I needed.

Oh and by the way, it all went down in typical NY fashion. I was paired up with a woman who was an usher for Broadway shows and we waited in line together for 45 minutes (a painful 45 minutes in direct sunlight after staying out the night before until 2 am during which time our chit chat involved her wanting to know if doing digital marketing meant I worked with Facebook because she had a bone to pick with "them") to get our keys. Once we received our keys and were informed that we had just five more minutes of waiting time to get to the ceremony element, usher decided to ditch me. Her argument was that she had to go back home to Staten Island to have dinner after which she needed to get back to Times Square for her show to let out. She had some words for the people working the project and then left in a huff. Thankfully someone who works for the creative agency managing the project stepped in so I could officially get my key.

Bad Haircut

2010-05-19T07:59:00.009-05:00

It's been a while since I've blogged. As most of you know, that's mainly because at the end of this month I am starting the first wave of what will likely be a few waves of the great move back up North. And yes, I am referring to it as "back up North" but for all a y'all who have been following me since day one: NUEVA FREAKIN YORK!

I am excited, to say the least.

But on to a more serious note: my hair. I have been a years-long follower of the Devachan Salon and Deva hair products. Since we moved to South Coka, I have saved my hair cuts for visits back to NYC. While this has seemed frivolous to some, it's important to me for many reasons. As a young person, I loathed my hair. It really wasn't until I found Ouidad and then Devachan -- two salons in NYC that specialize in, meaning only cut, curly hair -- in my mid-twenties that I was truly able to celebrate the curl factor.

I don't need to tell you ladies about how important our hair is: we all know that if we don't feel good about our hair, all bets are off about anything else on the face. In fact, all bets are off about everything else on the body because generally we buy outfits that work with "how we look" and "how we look" has just about everything to do with our hair. I am now learning this life lesson the hard way.

Because of my deep devotion to the Deva world, I was mildly curious at first when visiting Boston and later Florida to learn that Deva had begun training independent salons on the Deva cut. This might sound crazy cult-like, but the cut is a process of first cutting the hair when it's dry, then rinsing the hair with all the Deva products, setting/drying it, then trimming out all errant pieces. It takes at least 3 hours no matter which stylist you tend to visit.

Curiosity morphed into full-blown (pun intended) interest when I learned there was a place in Asheville, NC -- a mere 2.25 hours away from Columbia -- that had been trained by the Deva peeps. Oh joy! I could now travel one state over to get my maintenance cut. It's important to note at this point that with my hair, I really only need to get a cut once every 6 months.

Now some people think it's crazy that I drove 2.5 hours each way just for a haircut. Others think it's nuts that I decided to do this on the day of a good friend's wedding, which was back in Columbia that evening. But most understand that when you're at that point where you can't stand your hair because it needs to be cut, you'll hire a private jet to shoot you out to another country and time zone just to get it done. It turns out that's what I should have done (hire a jet to NYC...or waited three more weeks for when I moved there. Argh!).

Almost as soon as the woman started cutting I knew I was in trouble. Whereas the Devachan people cut every curl on an angle (at the curve of the "S" shape it makes), this woman was cutting each curl with the scissors parallel to the floor. The thing was, I had shown her a photo of myself from December 2009 [for reference, see this Shop Tart post] and explained that I liked it short in front and long in the back. She said, and I quote, "OK, so more of a shaping than a cut." With this in mind, I didn't pipe up about the style of cutting.

But then she did the unthinkable; something that would never have been done at Devachan: she took a whole hunk of hair right by my face, not each separate curl, and chopped it straight across. That was when I freaked out and made a comment to her and I think it was pretty much all downhill from there. When we were done washing, productizing and setting the hair, it was uneven. She began trimming the longer side (fine) but then started snipping the shorter side (wtf?!). I told her she needed to stop cutting, then quickly ran through the process of buying some Deva products, paying and leaving in a flash because, remember, I needed to get back to Columbia in time for CC's wedding.

By the time I was about 25 minutes outside of Asheville, my hair had fully dried and was the length of my face! I had told her to take one inch off, but at least three, if not four, were gone. I had told her I preferred it short in the front and long in the back (like the old photo), but as you can see from this photo of irate me, it's long in the front and short in the back.

So I called the salon and complained, and they called me back two hours later saying that they would be reimbursing me for the cut and invited me back in for a "fix." I suppose that if my hair were about 2 inches longer than it is now I might give them the opportunity to fix this do, but with such short hair now I can't possibly let anyone fix anything unless they are located at Devachan NYC HEADQUARTERS!

Please let this mournful tale be a lesson to you, lovelies. If you have a person who or a place that cuts your hair the way you like it, don't stray. I did and I've paid the price - my hair is now a triangle. For those of you with super curls, you know what I'm talking about.

Nordstrom Rack Attack, Times Two

2010-04-15T22:09:00.012-05:00

It's one thing when you and your bestie discover Nordstrom Rack, the store where all past-season items from Nordie proper go to be purchased at a discount, and you go wackadoo buying the place out. It's another thing when after you've already spent a good amount of time and money at the Nordstrom Rack in Danvers, MA (formerly Salem but renamed after the famous witch trials; coincidence? I think not), you head over to Natick, MA, only to discover there is another Rack there too and you proceed to spend more time and more money at that second Rack. This is the story of how KH and I did just that. It's a day in the history of our friendship that I now fondly refer to as the "Rack Attack, Times Two" [insert movie trailer voice here].

Pay no attention to the fact that the previous paragraph has a sentence that is entirely too long. Instead, please picture this: a crisp, sunny, typical New England Spring day with cotton candy clouds dotting a bright blue sky. It's the kind of day in which some Bostonians might consider taking a jog or a stroll along the Charles, or walking their dog through the Commons. For the likes of me and KH, this is the best kind of a day to hop into the car and get ourselves to either the outlets or the local malls. Since we had already spent the previous, rainy day at the outlets, it was off to investigate this "Nordstrom Rack" K had seen advertised online as having a grand opening.

Well my friends, grand opening was apparently code for an additional 30-50% off. My haul included the following: two pairs of Havaianas because I think all the cool kids are wearing these in NYC (TBD), a pair of gold Birkenstocks, a pair of Jeffrey Campbell gladiator-style sandals, a navy blue cloth jacket, two shirts for the hubs and a pair of travel-size Tweezerman tweezers in lavendar. Excessive? Certainly. But nothing until you hear what I bought at the next Rack.

At the next Rack I spied and brought home with me what can only be referred to now as an "epic purchase." In the handbag section, hanging by itself with no other bags like it, let alone bags of the same designer, was the exact bag I had told myself I would purchase. It was kind of camouflaged because it's covered in zipper pockets and each of the zipper pulls had a thin strap of leather hanging off of it. With so many pockets, these leather straps ended up giving the bag a heavy-on-the-hippie feel.

But those measley leather straps were no hindrance for me. With K's help, I removed about 4 or 5 of them and looked in the mirror. It was perfect, it was pricey, but it had to come home with me.

Sure enough it made the cuts. And the reason I'm so obsessed with it now is that, upon returning back to SC, I did a brief Google search for Rebecca Minkoff and found similar styles on ShopBop and elsewhere for more than double what I paid for my little number. Is the style I now own past-season? Most certainly. Do I care? My dears, I'm pretty sure that by now, you know the answer to that one.

Oh yeah, we also went to see Chelsea Handler live, drank a bunch of vodka in solidarity with Chelsea and danced at a club until 2:00 am. To say we had fun is an understatement.

Built By Wendy is Wonderful

2010-03-31T09:10:00.009-05:00

I've started using the word "wonderful" a lot and I realize it's a common expression here in Columbia/the South (though generally it's pronounced more like "whunnduhful" and it's usually an older crowd that uses it). I think it's a good alternative to "fabulous" or "terrific," so I encourage you all to merge it into your lexicon.

On the shopping front, since my trip to NYC a couple of weeks ago, I've decided my new favorite brand is Built By Wendy. I got these dungaree linen track pants while I was there and they are a big hit!

I originally spied them in Lucky magazine (btw, while in NYC I was shopping at the favorite, TG170, in came Gigi Guerra - fabulous fashion editor!). In fact Built By Wendy has gotten another shout-out recently from Tina Fey in Vogue...well, maybe not so much of a "shout out," but rather more of a cut? When commenting on a photo of herself as a little girl with some funky 70s outfit, Fey said, "You could put that on Built by Wendy and sell it for $260—the whole look."

Oh well, all this buzz worked on me: I was dead-set on getting to the BBW store and purchasing either the track pants or this lovely outfit:

Since I went with the pants I'll wait until this summer and try to snatch up the shirt and skirt too after I've saved up some duckets.

Black Tie Attire for Women

2010-03-03T18:07:00.004-05:00

I haven't blogged in a while so I thought I'd post this quick topic to hopefully spark some reader input. I am attending a black tie affair this Friday night. It's a local Red Cross event and I don't know anyone on the host committee except for my great friend who is taking me as her date. She insists that whatever I wear will be grand, but I have a sinking suspicion that this is more of a senior black tie event than, say, the Contemporaries Black and White ball at CMA. If I'm right, a knee-length dress will not, in fact, be appropriate.

All the websites out there say that the "rules" are if the invite says black tie, women wear long dresses or fancy black pants and beaded tops (see "senior" reference above). Apparently one can only push the envelope when the invite specifies "creative black tie."

Let me just get this out: never have I been so paranoid about what I am wearing since I moved down here. As many of you faithful readers know, I am normally very confident about my fashion sense (hello, this blog), but the South occasionally throws me some curve balls. This is one of them.

Online Fashion Inspirato

2010-02-13T17:38:00.004-05:00

After getting back from a much needed dose of discount shopping (just happened to cruise into Van Jean to find all the items I chose from the back room were, in fact, on super-extra discount), I was wondering if I could find some photos of the 3.1 Phillip Lim skirt I just bought online to get some inspiration on what to wear with said skirt.

In the eternal beauty of the internet, I happened upon The Ensemble Project. Not only did I find inspiration for my skirt -- mind you, the actual skirt is not featured on her blog, but her creativity gave me enough to go on -- but I ended up getting some great tips all around. Fashion, interior design, you name it, this Philly-based woman knows her stuff! Go check her out.

She Bop

2010-02-12T11:32:00.002-05:00

I love this video clip of Lady GaGa and Cyndi Lauper on their press circuit for their MAC lipstick collaboration for many reasons, but mainly because of everything Cyndi Lauper has on her hands. Check out the triangular ring, the fringe bracelet and the fingertip gloves. Love Love LOVE! I will spend the rest of the weekend searching for these items online. Plus, who can resist the faux hair bow GaGa is rockin? Look out, Hello Kitty.

The other reason I love this clip is that Cyndi is yackin' away. GaGa can't really get a word in edgewise, and maybe she doesn't really want to because (a) she's giving Cyndi her props as one of GaGa's many precursors, musically, but also because (b) she could very well be flat out knackered from the junket.

WWCD

2010-02-02T10:55:00.002-05:00

Just yesterday, in response to this brief article in The State, @RileyComm asked, "what would you say?" It got me thinking about the tape loop of thoughts I have about this city and what I would do to improve it. In the spirit of the upcoming mayoral elections, here's what I would do to improve Colatown.

- I would increase parking tickets from $7.00 to $14.00.
- I would hire someone for Main Street development with experience in retail recruitment and have that person recruit some worthwhile retailers to Main Street. I might then consider blocking off Main Street on the weekends to be pedestrian-only.
- I would curtail housing development until there was more of an infrastructure in place to support people living here.
- I would improve the city's bus system and build more sidewalks (not just road improvement).
- I would increase cigarette and alcohol tax.
- I would improve the city's website SEO so that a search for "city of columbia event calendar" would pull up Columbia, SC above Columbia, MO.
- I would make sure businesses like City Roots were rewarded for what they are doing...meaning I would be sure there aren't any chemicals leaking into the ground surrounding the farm.

There are things that are out of government control that really irk me, like certain restaurants not being open on the weekend, and local boutiques not staying open during "after work" hours, and customer service in general around town. But in my experience living here, I've come to realize that unless the local government improves the machinations of the city, demand will not rise to the point at which these businesses need to meet it.

Shopping to Look Forward To

2010-01-31T17:44:00.014-05:00

This is investigative journalism at its finest, people.

Sonia Rykiel has a line coming to H&M You can read more about this on the H&M webiste. Do you think there will be anything left when I head over in March? I know, unlikely. Well Northern friends, think of me if you happen to cruise in there and spot something in the line that's to die for.

2G's Annual Warehouse Sale Now I've never been in this store because, frankly, its painted sign isn't inviting and they put too much stuff out on the street. But DS works with the store and she's just posted to Facebook the fact that they are having a sale starting on Thursday in which all clothing is 70% off. I will, once and for all, go and check this sale out.

iPad You know the hype, so I don't have to go to great lengths here, I don't think, but yes, I've pretty much convinced myself that I should get one. It's the in-between gadget, yo! (Note to self: Also go to Verizon store this week and complain about phone calls sounding like I am in a tunnel. Seriously, this is dumb. I keep trying to hype you, Droid, but I'm not so sure.)

Anna Sheffield for Target Jewelry I just happened upon this jewelry at my local Target (Woodhill) and lost it big time when I spied this necklace. Hello -- it's a trophy with a rhinestone inside of the trophy being fastened to the chain by lightning bolts. If this doesn't make you feel AWESOME, I don't know that will. Buy it online here or go to your local Target and see if it's on sale.

Target and Costco

2010-01-24T21:34:00.003-05:00

I got my Target fix this past weekend by popping over to the Target in Woodhill. The store has 5 or 6 aisles with signs that read "Big Savings" and a ton of the kind of multipack items you'd find at Costco. In fact, there was some kind of outdoor furniture set for sale that was indeed Costco brand.

Could this mean that Target and Costco have some kind of partnership? Will these aisles be a regular thing at our local Target? How awesome would that be considering we don't have Costco in this town?

Final note is that they also had Ed Hardy handbags ("Sick" -- see Ed Hardy Boyz on FunnyorDie.com for reference) and Polo shirts. Whaaa?

Winter Coats and Boots 2010

2010-01-08T10:29:00.009-05:00

Hello my cold readers! In the past week I've received requests for tips on coats and boots for this (seemingly endless) winter. Request #1 came in the form of a letter:

Dear Caroline,

I have the requisite down black puffy long coat, purchased 5 years ago. It is hideous, though still warm and functional. I want to replace it with something a little hipper, a little more flattering. I don't want it to read too Upper East Side and I don't want to spend a lot of money. I have narrowed it down to a few options and would welcome your readership's opinions as well as other suggestions.

Thank you,
Puffer-challenged

Here are her selections:

SPIEWAK AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM

THE GAP

NORTH FACE AVAILABLE ON BACKCOUNTRY.COM

Puffer-challenged,

I believe the option from The Gap is your best bet. Though I am not a fan of hoods, when it's frigid outside it's absolutely necessary to have a hood. Plus, that one is the best middle ground between ultra-stylish (the Spiewak option) and ultra functional (the North Face option). Any other thoughts from the peanut gallery? Comments welcome.

Request #2 was about good winter boots. Boots are absolutely impossible! If they are cute or fashionable, they're useless in the cold/snow. If they're ugly, you're guaranteed to be protected from the elements. What the ladies up North tend to do is to wear ugly boots to tromp through the snow, and then to change into sassy shoes once they've arrived at their destination. I found that process totally annoying, so what I did my last few years in NYC was to rely on leather boots that I didn't mind getting covered in snow and the related salt strewn out on the sidewalks.

The question about boots came from KB who has recently moved from SC to DE. I can count on one hand the number of times I've worn the following collection of boots since we moved down to SC. How nuts is that? These items were absolute staples of my wardrobe in NYC, but now they are virtually useless.

So to answer your question about boots, KB, I advise layering up on socks and choosing the tread of the boot based on the amount of rain, sleet or snow you'll be facing that day. I usually chose the option second from the right.

Good luck, ladies, and stay warm!

To Whom It May Social Media-ly Concern

2010-01-05T16:20:00.006-05:00

Dear friends,

Starting in 2010 I will not be a fan of your business if I have never interacted with your business (shopped there, eaten there, experienced your services, etc.). Also, if I've only met you once, I will likely not become your friend the next day...unless we bonded, in which case yes, I will. If I met you at a business event, I will indeed connect with you the next day on LinkedIn cuz that's for business networking.

I won't be connecting my Twitter and Facebook statuses because I think they are two different audiences. However, I am considering connecting Twitter and LinkedIn, so please stay tuned.

Also, I actively maintain all three social media venues so I expect you to do the same. I'm not going to pester you via the actual platform, so please read this post to the end so that you read this part too.

And finally, on good advice from DA, when I see you face-to-face I will not be referring to things I posted online unless you bring them up. Well, ok, I might occasionally bring some of those things up, but that only means I feel very strongly about them (recent news, politics, a sale that's going on, etc.). Actual time together is indeed just that.

Your friend, online and off,

Caroline

My Decade of Knowledge

2009-12-15T13:43:00.010-05:00

A ton of media outlets are rating the "best" of the past decade. I wouldn't purport to know what's the best of anything, but I can share with you the most important things I've learned in the past decade. Here goes.

- The best way to get a job is to network.

- If you don't pay someone to make your wedding photo album for you, it will never get done.

- Beyonce sings some catchy songs. Jay Z is a catchy rapper. It's no wonder they got married.

- "Shop your closet." - JQ

- Here's the answer to what "FAIL" means and where it originated> Slate article on "FAIL".

- The worst anyone can ever say to you in response to anything is indeed "no."

- A vacation once a year to a new place is imperative to the health of a marriage.

- Time spent in NYC should not be wasted eating bad food.

- Being 35 is mentally better than being 25, but I really could do a hell of a lot more when I was 25 (exercise, run errands, drink, remember things).

- Being proud of yourself is paramount to everything.

- It's not selfish to make sure you're happy and healthy first before you can be anything to anyone -- friend, husband, wife, sister, father, mother, etc. -- and be happy about it.

- It seems true that if you accept the grief, you can also accept the joy.

- Local is different than organic. If you'd like to learn more, visit Slow Food USA.

That's the last post for 2009, my dears. Happy New Year from Miami, FL!

French Bulldog Friday

2009-12-11T16:49:00.003-05:00

Hey, I'm for sale in NYC. Why dontcha buy me for your bestie?

Photo credit: Jerusha Klemperer

As for me, I ain't no Frenchie, but don't I really look like one in this photo?

Photo credit: Ryan Cockrell

All I Want for Christmas..

2009-12-10T10:55:00.011-05:00

...is this stuff. Just a few items. Not too much to ask, right?

I figured that since I shared what I'll be getting everyone else this holiday season, I should also share what I want you to give me for Christmas. Me me me. Gimmie.

Spendy

If you wanted to really splurge on me, you'd get me these flat boots from 7 for All Mankind, easily available in my size on Bluefly.com. Cute, right? Flat, gray and buckled out, yo.

Reasonable

I said it before and I'll say it again, I love to sing to myself. Fred Flare has this awesome iKaraoke machine. I featured it in the post about what to give everyone else, so I won't repeat the photo, but I think you get the idea: plug a mic into your iPod and booyow -- insta-jammyland!

But I'll tell ya what I want. What I really really want is subscriptions to the following publications.

And Sunday delivery of this one:

Charleston lunch

2009-12-06T14:12:00.003-05:00

Duck confit sammich at Caviar & Bananas - delish!

Holiday Gifts 2009 - Family, Friends, Bosses, Colleagues, etc.

2009-12-04T11:29:00.018-05:00

I don't really need to introduce this post with the typical "it's that time of year again!" do I? You know you're behind the eight ball on gift purchasing this year, you've done some preliminary searching online and haven't found what you're looking for AND you've gone to your local holiday markets and gotten bogged down by monogramming and polka dots. So here you are; and I am here to help.

Family

Last year when the recession hit us all big-time, I suggested to my family that we do not buy each other anything. The rule for gift giving was anything repurposed, recycled or hand made was an allowable gift.

I've made it abundantly clear that I like to shop. Sometimes I buy things that really aren't right for me, and I hang onto them for a loooong time. Also, I make it a point to rotate my wardrobe throughout the year to make room for newer, trendier things (I realize as I get older, this statement is more ironic than actually true. Sigh.). So usually around the end of the year I have a big bag of new and slightly-used clothing to either take to Revente for consignment, share at a Bitch n' Swap, or ultimately give away to the Salvation Army. Well not last year! My sister is 27 and only a few inches taller than I am, so we tend to be the same size. Anything that was slightly used or still had the tags on it was wrapped up and put in a box for her. If she's a faithful reader of my blog, CC, here's a spoiler alert: I'll be doing the same thing this year with a few things.

My sister got slightly more creative: she made me a CD (part of a collection of music she's been sharing with me over the years called, "What the young people/cool kids are listening to") and she made me a collage that she framed with my favorite quotation. How'd she know what my favorite quotation is? Simple: it's on my Facebook profile. My point to you, dear reader, is this: creativity and resourcefulness isn't JUST about decoupage, smocking and hot glue guns...although the gifts that result from that stuff can be way cool too.

Last year for my Dad was great. He got a bunch of Tshirts both Ethan and I got at various events last year (he's also very tall, it's where my sister and I get it from, so he's the only one who can rock the size L and XL). Since he's not at all on the digital music train, he also received a bunch of our old or already downloaded CDs.

But this year we've planned to spend up to $50 on each other, so there's some shopping to be done. Here's a collection of great online gift resources:

Fred Flare - this has been and always will be the best resource for affordable gifts. EJ, if you're reading this, the iKaraoke is perfect for me, dontcha think?

MXYPLYZYK - this is like a more mature version of Fred Flare, but not by much. I love going to this store when I'm in NYC and was so happy to learn they sell online too. The pronunciation of the name is online, so you'll have to visit to learn the Superman reference. I got this "Lucky Beggar Purse" for my sis one year because I love it so.

Another great idea for family is to tap into your friends who are artists and buy them a piece of art. For EJ's birthday a while ago I framed some art that I was generously given by a friend who did drawings of surfers. This can often be affordable when it's a matter of buying photo prints. I am thinking about doing this again with a friend who does surfer photography.

Friends

Friends are just like family, so there's not really a point to me listing the following tips and sites separately except that I've committed to giving you advice about what to get for the different kind of people in your life and dang it, I am sticking with that commitment!

I've gotten all of my nearest and dearest a bag from Nana by Sally and y'all know my obsession with her and the bags. So if you've haven't already gotten your BFF a Nana bag I guess it's because your BFF is a guy? Well guess what, Sally made EJ a wallet so she can make your guy friend one too.

Another designer I've fallen in love with is The Small Object. I got KH this tiny mustache stick at last year's Crafty Feast which is a total classic and I think she loved it because we laughed about it for a while. Speaking of Crafty Feast, if you're a resident of Columbia, SC like I am, I can safely guarantee that the best place to find great gifts for your friends this holiday will be at the Winter Crafty Feast which will be on December 12 at the Tapp's building on Main Street. I will definitely be there because The Small Object will be back and I heart these wine stoppers.

The online version of Crafty Feast is a website KH recently introduced me to which is called Rare Bird Finds -- this is a great resource for finding unusual gifts for your friends.

Bosses and colleagues

The other day I was doing some very preliminary searching for gift ideas for bosses. It totally illed me out that everything I clicked on was some stupid collection of Cigar-of-the-Month clubs, golf balls and dark liquor tumblers. You know what I'm about to say, but please allow me this rant. WHAT ABOUT THE BOSSES OF THE WORLD WHO ARE WOMEN?!! The dumbest thing about these "guides" is that they are mainly written by women. Here's a tip, my dear freelance writers: even if your assignment is to write about good gifts for men, maybe you can suggest some gifts for women just for the hell of it?

All of my bosses are women (ok there's a man or two in there, but the big cheeses are the ladies). Last year, for my boss in NYC, I sent her a "care package" of all-South Carolina non-perishable delicacies: things like benne wafers and grits. You can give that to a male boss too, ya know. This year she's getting a Nana bag. That's a serious spoiler, I know, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she's not a close reader.

My colleagues are all getting Craque this year. Those of you may know this as "puppy chow," a southern delicacy, but craque is a bit of a twist on that and it's just what the name says it is - crazy wackadoo addictive. Another great idea for colleagues is to hit the sale racks at Target. You can find funky shirts for $4.00 and popular novels at a deep discount. This is a great resource for those last-minute white elephant or "secret santa" things some offices like to spring on you.

And there you have it, dollfaces. A redux/review of what I've done in the past and what my plans are for this year. I hope this will inspire and help you as you cruise into the final stretch before the holiday madness is officially upon us.

Earth Fare Customer Service Improving?

2009-11-19T12:57:00.001-05:00

Today marks about the third time in the past couple of months that I've noticed the people working in Earth Fare are being nice. Not only that, they're being helpful.

After seeing Dr. Ann speak at Heathwood the other week, I decided there are mos def some changes that need to be made to my diet. As part of this kick, I am embracing vegetable juice. No, not V8, but the for-real, freshly-made stuff. So last week I went to Earth Fare and the young woman behind the juice bar counter actually advised me on what to order. Her tip, Zesty Carrot, is my new fave. It has carrots, beets, celery, wheatgrass and other stuff. It has just enough bite that the flavor is more appealing than gross. Here it is:

Isn't the color zippy? It makes me feel so good and I've unofficially decided that I am going to drink one of these each week in hopes of keeping the flu away this season. I'll keep you posted on that one.

So I'm back at Earth Fare today and there's a different person behind the juice counter who is, again, nice. Plus, there's a massage chair right by the lunch food area and apparently massages are $1.00. Not too sure how relaxed you can get for this price, but hey, it seems like this store is finally understanding that if they don't shape up, they'll be shipped out.

Caroline's Carolina Closet in Columbia, South Carolina

2009-11-17T18:29:00.004-05:00

Seriously, people, we have GOT to come together and get much more creative on how we're naming our businesses in this town. If I see one more marketing firm, tire store, masseuse or doctor's office with any of the following words in its name, it's over.

- Palmetto: its our state tree, I know. I have one in my front yard and loathe it. What's more, I think it's dying.

- Carolinas: I guess this is some sort of attempt to be lumped in with North Carolina and therefore gain some sort of legitimacy?

- Columbia: oh, is that where we are? I had forgotten.

- Southern: again, I realize we're in the South, y'all.

Consumer As Employee

2009-11-13T11:31:00.007-05:00

Since no one has sent me any new French bulldog photos, I've decided this Friday is Deep Thoughts Friday. Here goes.

On the one hand I am extremely thankful for all the user forums I find online that help me with Google Apps, Wordpress, my new Droid phone, my new magic mouse -- basically, all the technology I use in my life; but on the other hand, I'm starting to get a little resentful that we consumers need to be doing everything for these brands. We blog for their advertising/marketing/branding, we answer people's questions for their customer service...doesn't it stand to reason that we should be getting their products for free for all this work we're doing on their behalf?

Of course that question leads us to what many people consider the "negative" side of blogging. Indeed many bloggers DO receive a lot of products for free in exchange for writing about them online. Considering this blog has always been for me and my ten friends (or as JK would say for comic emphasis, me and my eleven friends), I have the free and clear luxury of always saying what I actually truly think about a product or brand. And there are plenty of blogs or websites that do, in fact, rate products based on their prescribed system no matter how they came to receive the product. Still there are plenty of online properties that aren't really telling you the most unbiased POV on a product or service simply due to the kick-backs they're receiving from the source.

So what's a reader to do? I guess the answer is to be discerning in the online content you read and absorb -- as discerning as you are when you choose to actually buy something. In today's world where we obtain so much information online, it ends up being a tricky balance of real/fluff and good/evil, not only for the brands working so hard to keep the new highly-verbal consumer satisfied, but it's also very hard for us as consumers ourselves to weed through fellow-consumer content. Good luck, my dears!

Charleston, SC - That's Chuckles, To You

2009-11-12T23:28:00.000-05:00

While it's absolutely lovely to drive for just a little over an hour to Charlotte, NC, to get one's shop on (i.e., mine), Charleston, SC is where it's at because you can also get your city life on.

It's evolved into a little bit of a routine which so far hasn't gotten stale for me: EJ wakes up hella early in order to surf at Folly Beach (Editor's Note: this was before the "accident," i.e. a broken clavicle bone. Ouch!). Then I head down late-morning and cruise around the city until we meet up in the late-afternoon. The following outlines my route.

City Lights Coffee - this shop off the corner of Market and King Streets (on Market itself) is a great way to juice yourself up with well-caffeinated joe before a day of hoofing it to all the shops on King.

King Street - so then I make the rounds between the "mall stores" (Saks, Banana, J.Crew, Urban Outfitters, and occasionally Nine West and Benetton) and the privately-owned boutiques (V2V, Copper Penny, Copper Penny Shooz, Hampden Clothing, Worthwhile).

Culture - every so often it's important to pepper some culture in with the shopping blitz. The other weekend we went down for Kulture Klash which is HOT and makes you feel like our neck of the woods can rival NYC, LA, etc. The Klash takes place in a big space in North Chuckles with walls covered in visual pop art. Bands, DJs and dance circles fill up the space throughout the night. Dirt bike (2009) or skateboard (2008) demos go on outside. If you've never been, it's worth checking out. I think going twice (thrice for EJ) is enough to get the point, but local art should be supported no matter what.

That same weekend I was able to check out the Daufuskie Island photography exhibition at Gibbes Museum of Art. Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe is the photographer (Arthur Ashe was proud to call her his wife) and my latest fascination. Here's a shot from the exhibition at Gibbes.

Eating - Hello! Charleston isn't known as the foodie capital of the south for no reason. There are a ton of great spots to eat -- and eating is a very important element of shopping and walking the streets -- but my current faves are La Fourchette, FIG, Monza and Taco Boy. If you're feeling super-slurgy, McCrady's is the business. When we were in town for Kulture Klash we checked out a very new place, thanks to the Harrisons, called Amen Street Fish and Raw Bar. Fresh seafood = delish.

In summary, I sincerely thank you, Charleston, for being just two hours away. And I'm sorry, Columbia, but our proximity to a city like that is indeed a bonus.

Shopping For A New Mobile Phone

2009-11-01T18:46:00.005-05:00

The Refresh Columbia peeps informed me last week I should get a Droid Phone. In addition to the fact that I love the name, it seems comparable, if not "better" than the iPhone. So I believe it is decided that if I can find one for sale in Columbia, I will be switching providers and buying a new phone in exactly eleven days, and counting.

Check out this most helpful 'Total Cost of Ownership' table on a blog called Bill Shrink. Hello, how can you not love this resource? This is the tops.

Find the best cell phone plans and more graphics at BillShrink.com

French Bulldog Friday

2009-10-30T10:52:00.007-05:00

It's a new tradition based on an idea I had a million years ago when two different friends emailed me photos of Frenchies in the same week: French Bulldog Friday! If you have a Frenchie, or have seen one on the street and snapped a shot, please share your photo here.

A Boston-based little pup

Two NYers getting some sun

Off leash waiting at the light with its owner = good dog.

Look at that grin!

How I Pimped My Ride

2009-10-15T15:28:00.006-05:00

You may recall that a while ago I made a very big deal about the addition of bumper stickers to my sweet ride, Rubie (aka, Rubaroo). Well that was only in June, people. Since then, the Columbia, SC sun has BURNED THE HEART OFF MY 'I LOVE NY' BUMPER STICKER. Oh, sweet irony.

So for about a month I've been driving around like this - I BLANK NY:

Thankfully I have a very artistic friend, Larry Thacker, who I have commissioned to create a mini-mural on the bumper of my car. Hey, if they can emblazon palmetto trees all over the place, I can certainly pimp my ride. Here are the first stages of my customobile:

Now I triple-heart New York, so there!

In all seriousness, when I was in NYC last month I was really struck by how many people actually wear the I Heart NY t shirt. I guess there are plenty of New Yorkers who are crazy mad into their city as much as the folks here who emblazon their cars with flip flops and palmetto tree/crescent moon stickers. Touche, yo, touche.

She's Got Legs

2009-10-12T20:07:00.007-05:00

Dear Caroline,

It's getting cold out, so do you have any recommendations for good tights? I'm also wondering if leggings are appropriate for a 35 year-old.

Sincerely,

Chilly in the City

My dearest Chilly,

Ma chere! You help me realize I haven't worn tights more than twice in the past two years. I am sad and grateful at the same time. We call this mixed emotions.

But my thoughtful nonsense doesn't answer your questions. In my earlier years, my two absolute favorite brands for tights were DKNY and Nine West. Always look for opaque and for me, the thicker the better. Check out these photos of fun colorful DKNY tights currently for sale on Nordstrom.com. >

Hey lovely readers -- if you have any other fave brands for our friend, Chilly, kindly share them via commenting.

And now onto the leggings question. When leggings were all the rage, they were ridiculously trendy. It is my opinion that they are now like any other clothing staple: jeans, white tank tops, black cardigans, etc. Especially now that the 80s are so hot (still). Just take a look at the Ready-to-Wear Fall Winter 2009 line from our savior, Marc Jacobs. It features leggings (not to mention tights, black tights!) on the runway. The leggings are indeed more like body stockings, but hey, a body stocking ends up looking like leggings on the legs, no?

Check out these hot little velvet leggings from Victoria's Secret (Caroline's Secret: while I hate Vickie's bras, I like her catalog/website for affordable clothing). >

My Own Private Project Runway (And The Rest Of It)

2009-10-11T20:21:00.011-05:00

Well cutie pies, it's been quite a couple of weeks. Let me start from the most recent and move back in time.

Today I was in Publix at the deli counter and you know how they're so charming and if, for example, you order a 1/2 pound of swiss cheese they cut the first slice and bring it to you on a sheet of plastic and ask you if the thickness is ok and no matter how you respond, they ask if you want to try the slice? Well today not only did I say, "no thank you," but I also asked them to slice the slices thinner (probably the first time ever). Guess what the girl behind the counter did in response? She THREW OUT that first slice! I saw her kind of throw it down but I thought she put it on the counter or something so I said "oh but you can add that first slice to the weight, no worries" but she said she had already thrown it out. WTF? Are we not in a recession? Are there not people who could eat that cheese, namely me? Ay dios mio.

I headed over to Publix after I went to see the movie, The Time Traveler's Wife. People, I read this book twice I liked it so much, and the movie wasn't too bad except for the fact that my beloved girl-crush, Rachel McAdams, fell short in the roll. One element that I will say stayed so close to my mind's eye was the color and tone of the movie. Maybe I should be a director of photography?

Or maybe I should be a handbag designer? Either way it's a little far fetched, I know, but after my experience with Nana by Sally, I felt like I could at least try out for the next Project Runway. Here's the sitch: During a trip to NYC in March, I popped into Mood for the first time ever. It's no wonder that store has gotten so much play on TV: everyone there is really quite nice and they run a tight, knowledgeable ship.

As many of you know, Sally traditionally works in fabric only, but she and I had been talking and we agreed that if I purchased some soft leather, she'd be willing to give it a try. Well check out the two beauties Sally created with the two hides I bought at Mood -- the clutch is her signature "Sophie" design and the bag is a new design that has been named *ahem* "Cerelle."

Isn't the "Cerelle" totally mod? It's very color-blocked, yes? The bottom is a very light grey suede and the clutch is a light beige buttery-rific leather with a funky beige, gold and black fabric interior. If you don't yet have a Nana by Sally bag, I ask you the simple question, why?

The Gift of Anonymity in New York

2009-09-25T09:46:00.003-05:00

I am now back on the freelance worker train and as such, have had the flexibility to come to New York for a week. There are, of course, a million things I miss about the city (like the way peeps pronounce the word "always." It sounds like "oh-ways"). But mostly it's the anonymity it affords its inhabitants.

I loved this article in the NYTimes called, "Reading Underground" mainly for this quotation from a woman who was interviewed for the piece: “Although you're surrounded by people, the anonymity is really forgiving." I find something sad and beautiful in that brief comment -- it perfectly explains one of the strongest qualities of New York life.

Step Up & Step Out = Best of All Worlds

2009-09-09T21:27:00.003-05:00

I am crazy excited about this event that's coming up on September 26, 2009 in NYC -- it's called Step Up & Step Out and it's all about SHOES! What's more, it's a benefit for the Step Up Women's Network, which is all about women using their networks to help other women, teenagers and girls.

Hello! Women helping women, leveraging communities, empowering teenagers, women's health issues>? Yes, love. What's more...shoes! It's pure genius and I am so thankful to be able to head back to the city for this shindig.

Check out the brunch or just the sale. You can buy tickets here.

Generous = fabulous.

From the Trenches: Labor Day in CT & NYC

2009-09-07T10:43:00.002-05:00

I can't think of a better way to spend Labor Day weekend than to come to NYC, shoot out to Camp Sloane for a reunion weekend, then come back to the city to enjoy a local Eat-In as well as catching up with friends, culture and fashion!

Here's the gist of it:

- Camp never changes! The numbers of campers can expand and contract, the popular activities can evolve, the rules for counselors can become more "strict," but C-a-m-p-S-l-o-a-n-e is still one of greatest places on earth.

- Short shorts with hard-backed (i.e. covering the back of the heel) gladiator sandals and longish, billowy shirts (with the occasional summer scarf) are hot hot hot. Everyone's wearing this in the final warm-weather days.

- DBGB is a nice new addition to the Bowery (warning, the site loads with music playing).

- There's a Hayden Harnett in Manhattan now on Elizabeth Street. That's a fairly recent addition, right? Also in that area is a Vince. Oh how I covet thee, Vince...and in related news, thanks to our current economy, everyone working in a store was nice to me. There were no bitches>?! Crazy, right?

- If you're an entrepreneur, or supporter of people who run small/start-up businesses, you need to join this movement> Build A Stronger America!

Southern Women, Part II

2009-08-28T09:33:00.004-05:00

Check out these hotties I was hanging with last night. Is this a cute-fest, or what? Hello - look at those dresses. And the pin in CC's hair? Love.

Southern Women Email FWD

2009-08-21T11:53:00.003-05:00

With all the hoopla and rigmarole in the online marketing world surrounding social media, there's still so much to be said about good, old-fashioned email. First of all, it's the tool Facebook uses to maintain the stickiness of its site. Secondly, email forwards are still very much alive and well.

I normally read the FWDs I receive, have a chuckle or roll my eyes, and then hit delete. However I got one this week from AC in NYC (aka, "Sweetie Darling") with the subject line, Southern Women, and I had to share some highlights with you, my dears, because y'all know what's up, and I'm still fixin' to know what's up.

I dedicate this fondly to the wonderful women I've met and befriended down here in South Coca.

**********************************************************************

Southern women have a distinct way with fond expressions:
"Y'all come back!"
"Well, bless your heart."
"Drop by when you can."
"How's your Momma?"

Southern women know their summer weather report:
Humidity
Humidity
Humidity

Southern women know their vacation spots:
The beach
The rivuh
The crick

Southern women know the joys of June, July, and August:
Colorful hi-heel sandals
Strapless sun dresses
Iced sweet tea with mint

Southern women know everybody's first name:
Honey
Darlin'
Shugah

Southern women know their cities dripping with Southern charm:
Chawl'stn
S'vanah
Foat Wuth
N'awlins
Addlanna

Only a Southerner knows the difference between a hissie fit and a conniption fit, and that you don't "HAVE" them, you "PITCH" them.

Only a Southerner both knows and understands the difference between a redneck, a good ol' boy, and po' white trash.

No true Southerner would ever assume that the car with the flashing turn signal is actually going to make a turn.

Put 100 Southerners in a room and half of them will discover they're related, even if only by marriage.

In the South, y'all is singular, all y'all is plural.

And a true Southerner knows you don't scream obscenities at little old ladies who drive 30 MPH on the freeway. You just say,"Bless her heart" ... and go your own way.

Excerpt from an email forward. Source unknown.

Celebrating Real Food, Fashionably

2009-08-15T13:15:00.003-05:00

I am quite proud of a volunteer effort I started with a group of people right after I moved to town -- Slow Food Columbia, a local chapter of the national non-profit organization Slow Food USA that supports good, clean and fair food.

We've held two fabulous fundraising events at Terra Restaurant, my favorite restaurant in this city, partnered with the University (on workshops and soon the come, the farmers market) and the All-Local Farmers Market, and hosted food tastings and potlucks. Recently, an article ran in The State paper, our local pub, about Slow Food Columbia with a big ol' photo of me in front of the All-Local Farmers Market sign. I was both proud and embarrassed, but mainly happy for the PR it gave our chapter.

But my real claim to fame in relation to Slow Food Columbia came a day after the big event at Terra, and it was this: The Shop Tart blogged about my outfit! Full disclosure (and as you will note if you read her post): we have the same dress. But she liked my belt! This is my own personal favorite 15 minutes of fame, people!

Threadless.com

2009-07-30T17:37:00.002-05:00

What do we want? Graphic tees! When do we want 'em? NOW!

Seriously, who doesn't love a graphic Tshirt? Most of us have at least three in our wardrobe, if not more if we're of the Indie/Emo persuasion.

So there's this website called Threadless that all the cool kids I work with really like. It's a "community-based tee shirt company," as it notes on the homepage, where as a designer you can submit your design for vote by the general public. If your design wins one of their ongoing competitions, your Tshirt is sold on the site -- Threadless gets a cut of sales and you get a flat fee. Neato, right?

I dare you not to lose hours on this site searching for your favorite funny/ironical shirt. And while you're at it, vote for my colleagues' idea>

You get it, right?

Monkey as Muse

2009-07-28T10:18:00.003-05:00

Monkey my dog has inspired some of the most genius, creative people to write a song and put a slideshow to said song. I don't really know what to say except that this is the best thing ever.

Song by Casey Kundert
Photos by Ryan Cockrell and Elizabeth Lloyd
Produced by Ryan Cockrell

How We Got Punk'd by Chase Mortgage Lending

2009-07-22T10:33:00.006-05:00

Recently our mortgage payments went up slightly based on some deal with the PMI. When we - my husband and I - attempted to log into our online account in order to alter the automatic deposit, all hell broke loose. In a nutshell, we are now waiting for Chase to fix its website so that we can pay them. EJ has been on the phone with Chase at least three times now and was informed that the issue affects at least 150,000 people but (a) Chase doesn't know when the glitch will be fixed and (b) it can't notify us when the issue does indeed get fixed. Of course EJ's natural response was, "don't you want my money?"

Well no, the answer is that Chase would rather charge us a late fee for something that is their responsibility to fix. You'd think, with so much drama surrounding the mortgage crisis in general, Chase would be more organized about this website-payment glitch, but I guess 150K customers is a drop in the bucket?

Being a first-time home owner (and house-dweller, btw), I'm not sure really what my next move could be. As consumers, we're pretty much locked into Chase because of the rate - to switch now would mean we'd have to alter rates, right?

Mortgages, health care -- bla! Shelter and good health are fundamental and they've got us by the throats on both fronts.

Palmetto Candy Company

2009-07-14T07:15:00.002-05:00

GeoTagged, [N34.00034, E81.01668]

When you need a snack or a drink during the work day and you work in the Vista, Palmetto Candy Company is the place to go. I got these 2 snacks for a total of $0.80! The animal crackers have high frutose corn syrup, which is bad, but I'm sure the trail mix will balance out the health factor.

Palmetto is also well known for its bulk candy, cartons of smokes and containers of pickled eggs/pigs feet. It's the last remaining corner store in the Vista so go give them some love!

Calvin Klein Underwear

2009-07-12T19:53:00.005-05:00

I could blog about tubing down the Saluda on the 4th of July -- a day which ultimately culminated in our neighbor bitching us out for setting off fireworks -- or I could tell you about the fun-filled weekend I just had in Myrtle (Surfside, really), but instead I have the most important matter to discuss: Calvin Klein underwear.

So there's a type of underwear, underpants really, that Calvin Klein used to make that it seems is no longer in production. They're basic bikini with an elastic that's strong, but not too strong (meaning tight). Apparently what's making them so appealing is that they're not cotton, but 95% modal, which I'm hoping means "as safe and as good for you as cotton."

Could it be that Calvin Klein found modal to be too expensive? Did they get into a fight over cost with the primary supplier of the fabric? I am hoping it is something as innocuous as these issues rather than a discovery that modal is poisonous.

When you find your favorite underwear, or panties (!yucko word!), it is not AT ALL the kind of product you want the company to stop making. Even shampoo which is so particular to the way I look is something I can ultimately replace. I have been looking for new underwear for about a year now and thus far, to no avail.

I ask you, dear reader, any recos? Please share your comments!

Surf Rumble 2009

2009-06-29T22:17:00.002-05:00

The crew
Originally uploaded by cccphotos

First there was Tom and Jerry.

Then there was Sharks and Jets.

And then there was Macho Beach Noseriders and Columbia Kook Squad!

This past weekend we had an absolute blast when the Macho Beach Noseriders hosted the Columbia Kook Squad (CKS) for an all out rumble! The two surf clubs competed in board-paddling relays, paddle-biking relays and tug-o-war. Though CKS was beat down, we did not go down without a fight. And then after the fight there was much good times to be had so who cares who won anyway?

Many thanks to the kings and queens of Folly for such a great time. The next round is indeed on us.

Check out the full line up on Flickr.

Cupcake Coming to Columbia

2009-06-25T10:28:00.005-05:00

I just chatted with a woman - I think it was the owner - bringing tables into the soon-to-be Cupcake on Lincoln Street in the Vista (specifically between Lady and Gervais Streets). She said they'll be opening up some time in July. Hooray!

Here's an excerpt from the Cupcake website that inspires hope:

"Kristin [Kuhlke - Cupcake founder] tells her story this way: A year, a month, a week and a day. That's how this all began. That's the amount of time I lived in New York City. I moved up there looking for an adventure—after 10 years in Charleston, South Carolina—and I found it. I found so much more. I found answers to questions I thought did not have answers. I also found inspiration..."

So not only will we be getting a cupcake place which is something we do not yet have in Columbia (i.e. not another wings joint) but it might also have an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere. Dare to dream!

Cosmetics Aisle at Target

2009-06-22T21:56:00.007-05:00

It's not like y'all need help shopping at Target BUT just in case there are a few stragglers, here goes.

Have you been checking out the cosmetic aisles recently? Hello - they're selling Kiehl's (yes, you heard me right...of course the Target in Woodhill Mall seems to have run out and not replenished its inventory recently, but it was there at one point), Origins and Clarins. Wha?! Hooray, I know - I snagged the Kiehl's pineapple and papaya facial scrub as soon as I spied it about a month ago.

Having had such great luck in such an unfrequented aisle, when I went back last weekend I figured I should take another gander. Indeed I spied some magical numbers in the Sonia Kashuk section. This is a weekender I really didn't need, but coveted:

I also loved this wee clutch, so I dragged her home with me:

.

I'm not much of a makeup gal, but I love to peer over the rows of lotions and potions. Now that there's gear along with the makeup, I'm sold.

Sample Sales in NYC

2009-06-15T11:37:00.002-05:00

Phooey that I don't have a private jet to scurry up to New York and hit these sample sales. If you're there, please go in my honor - and in your honor - and then comment about whether or not they were worth it. I need to live vicariously through you, my dears.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE LISTINGS WERE ALL GRABBED FROM THE BELOVED DAILY CANDY. I am merely highlighting my faves.

What: Diptyque
Why: Forty to 90 percent off deluxe candles, perfume, and body washes.
When: June 18 & 19. Thurs., 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; Fri., 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Where: 11 E. 26th St., b/t Madison & Fifth Aves., ste. 600.

What: Generra
Why: Slub cotton V-necks and polos for guys are $30-$35. Cotton tanks and racers for ladies are $15. Tops and dresses are up to 60 percent off.
When: June 17-19. Wed.-Fri., 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Where: 275 W. 39th St., b/t Seventh & Eighth Aves., 5a (212-768-2868).

What: Catherine Malandrino
Why: Spring and vintage items are 80-90 percent off retail. Dresses are $125 (reg. $495-$695). Skirts and pants are $60 (reg. $345-$495).
When: June 17-19. Wed., 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Thurs. & Fri., 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Where: Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W. 18th St., b/t Sixth & Seventh Aves., 4th flr.

What: Shoshanna and Anlo
Why: Up to 75 percent off swimwear and dresses. Up to 70 percent off denim shorts and skinny jeans.
When: June 17 & 18. Wed., 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m.; Thurs., 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Where: 231 W. 39th St., b/t Seventh & Eighth Aves., ste. 422 (212-719-3601).

Movie Nite, Columbia, SC

2009-06-14T19:41:00.001-05:00

Here's one of the many things I love about living in the South: movie night out on the front porch! Here we all are on the Thackers porch -and yes, it is Fast Times At Ridgemont High.

CLT Me ASAP

2009-06-13T10:02:00.005-05:00

When you need a city* fix and can't commit to driving to Charleston, it's best to hit 77 North and go to Charlotte, NC for the day. EJ and I headed out there yesterday for a lunch-and-learn conference. After a couple of client calls we were free to roam the downtown area. Though Google Maps (i.e. our combined ability to properly read Google Maps) failed us once again in terms of getting us to our intended location - Las Ramblas restaurant - it did afford us the opportunity to walk up and down Tryon getting a better sense of the location of popular museums (Mint, McColl) and most importantly for you, my dear shopping-focused readers, the location of Heels.com. Check out that website! How bummed was I to walk by the showroom/distribution center only to realize it's mainly an online retailer and in order to shop in the store I needed to have made an appointment. Next time, Heels.com, next time!

There's a new museum being built on Tryon Street across from Ratcliffe on The Green (which as you may recall I've mentioned in a previous post about shopping in Charlotte) that I thought was striking so I snapped a shot - check out that orange.

After we got a firm handle on what Tryon has to offer, we hopped in our car and drove over to Las Ramblas Cafe. With a name like "Las Ramblas" - a big street that runs through the heart of Barcelona - you better deliver. While the location right next to a Tuesday Morning leaves something to be desired, the interior decor is impressive enough to give you hope. The open kitchen boasts a big brick oven, there are tall bar tables for more casual dining next to the kitchen and bar, and regular tables for more formal seating on the periphery of the space. We took one glance through the menu, however, and were once again skeptical. Mozzarella and tomato salads are not Spanish, and Pan con Tomate was nowhere to be found.

But rather than leaving, we ordered a bottle of Albarino and the following tapas: Artichoke Cakes, Jamon, Manchego, Olives, Patatas Bravas, Gazpacho and Boquerones. Three cheers to everything we ate! It was indeed wonderful. Here's a shot of EJ with the Boquerones dish - great presentation, cierto? (And by the way, don't you just love the word "boquerones?" It's almost as great as "butifarra.")

*Note my definition of "city" here is a city where people walk the streets and there are plenty of sidewalks and shops, restaurants, museums, etc. to accommodate.

How the South Is Trying To Get Me Fat

2009-06-09T13:31:00.002-05:00

1.) It's 90 degrees outside and it's only June 9

2.) The local lunch place put mayo on my chicken salad sandwich (yes, that's in addition to the mayo that is a key ingredient in chicken salad)

3.) Few sidewalks and no walking culture

4.) Five Guys Burgers and Fries

5.) Did I mention how hot it is outside?

Summer Camp

2009-06-08T23:10:00.005-05:00

It could be because the school year has come to a close, or it could just be the warm weather, but every year around this time I get nostalgic for summer camp. I was a camper for five years and a counselor for two years at Camp Sloane in Lakeville, CT. Every so often people will ask me if I was ever a camp counselor and I proudly reply in the affirmative. Apparently the character traits stay with you (the last time I was asked was in a trade show booth in response to my peppy attitude after having repeated basically the same sales pitch for hours upon hours).

As an adult, there is an unspoken - or in many cases acknowledged and spoken - bond among people who at one time were summer camp counselors. I've grown closer with people in the workplace after connecting about our mutual love of camp. It's got to be something special when a group of people write a (hysterical!) book about it called Camp Camp.

But camp is most especially special to me because it's where I met my husband. Most of you have heard this story, so please bare with me as a recount the series of events for our not-yet-in-the-know readers. EJ and I were just pals at camp. In fact, I think we dated just about everyone else in our mutual circle of friends except each other. He smoked back then. We kept in touch for a while in and after college, but life sent him to Spain and me back to NYC and we ultimately lost touch. Then in 2001 he moved to my hometown and we ended up living about 4 blocks from each other. Once we ran into each other, the rest was history.

We're planning a trip back to camp at the end of the summer for the annual family camp/reunion weekend so it's down memory lane we go. And where does an intergeek turn to take that stroll? The Facebook of course, where there are about 4 groups devoted to our beloved camp - at least 2 of which are regularly updated. But tonight, browsing through hundreds of photos of people I don't know wasn't enough. I took the plunge and scanned and uploaded just under 20 photos of my own.

I'm sitting here now peering at these photos and thinking about what a wonderful time in my life that was. I don't know the numbers of kids going to summer camp these days, but knowing that children are increasingly more sheltered and attended to by their parents worries me that the value of summer camp has changed dramatically. Let me share with you the importance of summer camp and then I will get off my soapbox. If you want to instill any of the following values and character traits in your children, summer camp is the way to do it: friendship, independence, teamwork, time management, creativity, campfire-building, lanyard-weaving, the butterfly stroke, singing, kick-balling, horseback riding and archery.

Things I Never Thought I'd Do

2009-06-04T21:08:00.008-05:00

There are a couple of things I've done recently that I never thought I'd do. No, they aren't salacious or diabolical - they are both appearance-related.

The first one is wear a piece of apparel by the dreaded retail brand Juicy Couture. I'm not young, I don't wear my ponytail on the side of my head except in jest in the privacy of my own house and I haven't owned a pair of Ugg(ly)s in years. But KH and I found a funky pair of orange flip flopesque patent leather sandals by the one and only Juicy at the end of the summer season last year and they were too cheap to pass up (under $20 at Monkees in Greenville - hello!). So I've taken the plunge and wore them yesterday with white jeans and a royal blue tank and received two compliments, thank you very mucho.

Here's a shot of the shoe with Munks looking puzzled. How great is the orange with the dark grey toe polish?!

The other one is a bit more devastating considering the comments I've made about the culture of stickers on cars here in South Cakalackee. But before you totally give up on me (and this message is mainly for my Northern friends), please understand how this collection of stickers I've decided to affix to my car is meant to not only represent my volunteer efforts, but also be a slight jab to all of the "Carolina Girl" and Palmetto-Tree-with-crescent-moon stickers you see ALL OVER TOWN.

Columbia's Crafty Feast Was a Big Hit!

2009-05-31T20:04:00.018-05:00

I am very excited to report about Crafty Feast, the indie craft festival that happened in conjunction with the Eau Claire Ribs & Renaissance Festival (apparently a yearly occasion) this past weekend.

With a whopping 50 vendors, this festival delivered BIG TIME. Everyone was under one tent. I attended the Feast with my pals CS and JH. Once we had hooked ourselves up with some beers and a burger (yikes that line was so long!) we were properly equipped to shop. I decided that I was going to do one lap of the entire tent before diving into purchase mode. Here's the damage:

1) Snitches Get Stitches - how can you resist a tagline that reads, "We Make. You Buy. No one gets hurt."? The answer is, you can't. At least, I couldn't and that's why I snagged the following two cuties.

No, I have never been to a rave nor have I done ecstasy, but I did go through a hippy phase and it is for this reason I gave this necklace the moniker Hippy Trippy. Yes, that is glitter and a mushroom all in one pendant.

The resin-encased mushroom wonderland came dangling on one of those keychain/ball-based chains. I switched it to the silver chain you see in the above photo, then made the mistake of asking my husband if he liked it better on the new chain. He gave me his classic look and responded, "I don't like mushrooms used in art." Thankfully, he was a fan of the other item I snagged from Snitches, this Tim Burton-esque skull ring.

After SGS, I strolled (read: plowed) over to Token Emotion. I loved the name and the aesthetic of this Charlotte-soon-to-relocate-to-Asheville-based designer. She had linens, jewelry, stationary, china, etc. I got a set of 4 beautiful bird-printed napkins. I would have also purchased a silver flower ring, but it wasn't available in the right size.

I wrapped up the spending spree with The Small Object (check out that website - enuff said, right?). Here's a photo from The SO's website of the stickers I got. Don't ask me if I need stickers, the answer in this case is a resounding, "YES!"

Meanwhile CS did exceptionally well with a fabulous oxidized silver necklace from BEC Metalwork and perfect earrings from Heather someone who has pieces at Blue Sky Studio. And after much deliberation/thoughtfulness, JH got a couple of gifts for his sweetie who hopefully doesn't read my blog religiously.

It was a wonderful day. I felt the same way I had when I attended the first Runaway Runway last year -- thrilled by what can happen when creative, determined minds motivate in Columbia (three BIG cheers to the Crafty Feast organizer, Debi Schadel) and excited about the future of our small-but-growing town.

Beguiling Burgundy

2009-05-14T21:51:00.006-05:00

Dear Caroline's Closet,

I am going to a wedding this weekend and I got a fabu cocktail dress at the BCBG outlet to wear to the event.

Now the only problem is my dress is burgundy and I don't know what shoes go with?

Please help!

- Confused in CT

Dearest Confused,

Connecticut can be most confusing indeed this time of year -- 60s/70s F during the day, then down to 50s/40s in the evening! Meanwhile, it's nearly June. The best thing you can do is err on the side of Spring-into-Summer dress code.

You are most generous for sharing your shoe selection so that we don't have to "fly blind" on our recommendations.

I vote for the second from the left - what seems to be a peachy gold; a look I find most appropriate for this time of year. If this were a Fall/Winter wedding, I would recommend the shoe on the right - the deep gold is more Autumnal.

In summary, play up the purple in the Burgundy with the peach in the shoes: that's a totally 80s combo which is therefore TA (totally awesome).

Yours in solidarity...and sisterhood,

Caroline

Not So Ga Ga for Gossip Girl

2009-05-14T11:59:00.004-05:00

Ok, I have to admit - I don't get the Gossip Girl phenom? I finally sat down and watched an episode this week and it seemed like One Tree Hill/Dawson's Creek but at private school. Supposedly the school these girls go to is my alma mater or another similar school (and we've all got our knickers in a twist, pun intended, about the recent coverage from a fellow classmate and friend who now lives in the UK), but I think the show is as much a representation of the all-girls private school experience as Dawson's Creek was about a high school in the burbs (it was about a high school in the burbs, right?!).

Don't get me wrong, I think it's fun to see bitchy characters and fabulous clothing, but the one episode I watched did not hook me...and yes, I am hoping this will spark some lively commenting from all you GG fans.

The Mani Side of Mani/Pedi Season

2009-05-06T15:04:00.007-05:00

In my last post about mani/pedi season, I had only two pedis featured - no manis. Well this hot Boston-based mani was just emailed over to me from KH. Light lavender on the fingers? That's what I call one HOT mani!

Further to my last post about Belk, CC set the record straight with her comment about Belk and shoes -- more hit or miss than a guarantee. Ok, that sounds more like it. Nonetheless, she got those hot little numbers at Belk! That in and of itself is news, yo.

Finally, are you noting the purple trend here, my dear reader?

Mani/Pedi Season!

2009-05-04T19:48:00.006-05:00

I am very happy to officially celebrate mani/pedi season. I got my first one last week after KH found the grey nail polish I had been searching for! Check it out - I'd still like to find a lighter grey for my hands, but in the meantime I am loving this for zee feet.

And check out this little color combo CC (not me, I have a friend w/ the same initials) was sporting on Saturday. It's an orangey-coral-pinkish with purple sandals. Hot! And how cool are those sandals, right? Would you believe it when I tell you they're from Belk...the Belk at the Richland Fashion Mall?! Well it's all true. What I like most about these little numbers is that they sport the in-style fringe but they're on a flat sandal, not a super-stacked heel. Apparently they're part of the Kristen Davis collection - kudos to Kristen on the shoes. Not so much on the clothing line.

So the word among the group on Saturday is that the Belk has good shoes. Hmmm, TBD, my friends, TBD. I shall investigate soon and report back.

Great Restaurant in ATL Airport!

2009-04-23T11:53:00.006-05:00

On my layover to Boston I decided to treat myself to a good lunch. The restaurant One Flew South in terminal E had the exact aesthetic to which, apparently, I am drawn: light wood ceiling, big photo of a forest behind the sushi bar and round silvertoned light fixtures.

The food seriously delivered! I had a frizzy salad with Benton Farm bacon followed by this crazy, wackadoo good duck confit sammich.

The best thing about the restaurant? Everything but the seafood is from no more than 100 miles away. Done and done. To all my pals in ATL propa - if you're feeling 1950s-esque, drive out to the airport and have yourselves a fine meal! The manager says that if the airport locale is a success, they're thinking about opening an offshoot in midtown.

Lastly, here's a shot of the sandwich w/ sushi bar in background. Mouth-watering, no?

The Most Miserable Macy's

2009-04-15T11:39:00.004-05:00

It's the Columbia, SC Macy's, people. It has virtually no name brands - the most notable shoes are BCBGirls, Nine West and maybe sometimes Sam Edelman; as for women's apparel, it's INC or nothing; finally, for handbags it's Dooney & Burkey or a plastic purse.

It's so infuriating! The worst part about it is that I've been more than once because a certain family member keeps presenting me with gift certificates to Macy's as holiday gifts. Don't get me wrong - in this economy, I am not complaining, but why must every department store in our city be so bunk?

My solution to this dilemma was to go to the original Macy's when in NYC last week. Oh joy! To be honest (or should I simply say, "Listen!"?), the NYC Macy's is such mayhem it's hard to commit to shopping there. Still, it has to be done because they carry decent as well as above-decent lines. I scored a sweet, bright red, short-sleeved Anna Sui top (sorry, can't find a photo of it online). Success amidst slow-moving tourists.

What's Hot in Columbia: Twilight

2009-03-24T11:23:00.002-05:00

I am not joking when I tell you I saw a Twilight car sticker on a car outside of the vet's office yesterday evening. We all know the book series/movie is H-O-T hot, but nothing is truly accepted as a part of our SC culture until it has been made into a car sticker.

Move over...

- Monograms
- Flip flops
- Colleges
- Palmetto trees
- Anything shaped like a Palmetto tree and moon sliver (golf ball on tee, martini glass, rooster's claw, etc.)
- Carolina girls
- Georgia girls
- Natives

...there's a new sheriff in town.

Go Out Gear or the Day-to-Day Basics?

2009-03-19T21:29:00.003-05:00

Times is tough - we all know it, and I've certainly been blogging about it. So tonight as I was washing the dishes, I had another e-piphany about a poll for my readership. Here goes, my dearests:

Knowing that you can't spend as much this year on apparel and accessories as you did last year, for what are you saving your shopping sprees?

(1) "Go Out Gear," aka, clothing to wear to cocktail receptions, museum openings, bars, clubs, late nights, birthday parties, evening fundraisers, weddings, galas, dinners at faboo restaurants, etc.

(2) "Day-to-Day Basics," aka, casual work environment, weekend brunch, shopping, afternoon cocktails, flea marketing, poetry readings, block parties, book festivals, your kids' soccer games, etc.

Please post your comments and let us know! I value the day-to-day much more than the fancy, so that's what I'll be saving much duckets for this year.

More Fashion Ideas on a Shoestring Budget

2009-03-03T15:46:00.003-05:00

Further to my latest posting, I think we're all crying out for MORE tips and tricks on how to remain fashionable (and therefore, fabulous) despite the state of our national/global economy.

1.) Make your own clothes. In December, at the She's Geeky conference in NYC, I was privileged enough to meet the co-founder of BurdaStyle, an open source sewing website. What's that, you say? Oh, it's a site where people not only share sewing patterns, they share their different takes on sewing patterns. Genius, right? Open source isn't just for software, peeps.

2.) Order more affordable options at your favorite restaurant. Now I know this one is tricky because believe you me, all I need is two glasses of buttery Chardonnay (read: Prosecco) at my favorite restaurant, Terra, and all of a sudden my intention to order light flies out the window. But at Terra, it's possible to sit at the bar, order an app and a pizza (the Prosciutto option is my absolute fave) and still save room in the budget for a glass or two of the good stuff!

3.) Go to free art openings and events. What better way to score a free glass of buttery Chardonnay (read: buttery Chardonnay)?

Five Fashion Ideas for a Bum Economy

2009-02-26T14:29:00.004-05:00

It's hard out there for a pimp! Here are my five latest and greatest to hopefully get you through this rough patch.

1.) Get your shoes resoled: if you're like me and you own a lot of shoes and you walk hard in them, you might find you've quickly gone down to the nailhead in the heels of a few of your favorite pairs. We all know this is because unless they are a luxe shoe brand, women's shoes are made to decompose at a more rapid clip than men's shoes. For a fraction of the cost of buying a new pair, you can get your lovable old shoes resoled and feel like new because the cobbler will shine them too!

2.) Ditto on leather handbags: sometimes the stitching in a leather bag will fray to the point at which you don't want to use it anymore. A shoe repair person who wants the business can help you with the fix.

3.) I sweat. A lot. In an attempt to not get too graphic, this means I go through a lot of white shirts. I recently found a formula online of 1/3 baking soda, 1/3 water and 1/3 hydrogen peroxide for removing those yucko shirt stains. You have to scrub very hard and can therefore irritate your hands if you don't wear plastic gloves, but it was worth it for me when I reclaimed about 8 shirts I had previously given up on!

4.) There's a lot in your closet you bought last year that you don't wear. Hey, come on now...admit it! If you can't wait until next year's tax break to realize the benefit of donating your old duds, take them to Revente in Five Points and see if maybe they'll work on consignment there. The last mess of clothing and handbags I left yielded $156. The grooviest part is that, similar to Beacon's Closet in NYC, you can use your credit towards shopping for other items at the store.

5.) If you still need a "spend money" fix after all of this, then keep it on the cheap and go check out the Orla Kiely for Target housewares line in stores right now. Her iconic pear print is used on tablecloths, seat cushions, place mats, kitchen towels, etc.

Keep an eye out for more tips coming soon!

21c in Louisville KY

2009-02-10T18:00:00.003-05:00

This is a quick post to let you all know about the absolute coolest hotel I've ever been to - 21c Hotel - which is actually a museum, a hotel and a fabulous restaurant all in one in Louisville, KY. It's pure brilliant genius and apparently something that the owners are aiming to develop in cities around the country (maybe world?).

Some of the pieces in the museum space are so cutting edge it's a shame that I have to use that played-out term to describe them. The restaurant highlights LOCAL food when possible/available and the bartenders are super nice, friendly and knowledgeable. I really and truly can't say enough good things about this groovy place. If you're heading to the Ville, be sure to get yourself over there!

I was in town for a conference and was also able to find the mint-flavored Maker's Mark which, in my experience, is ONLY available in Kentucky. Pretty exclusive stuff - you picking up what I'm laying down?

More to come. Over and out.

Somewhere in Toledo...

2009-01-25T12:26:00.002-05:00

...a teenage girl is wearing the same tights as I am because we both bought them at Target. Harumph.

That's my thought for the day, and I know it's so brief I should have Twittered it, but I don't have the Twitter app.

Winning the Academy Awards Betting Pools

2009-01-24T17:46:00.004-05:00

So how many of you out there are now frantically watching everything possible in order to win the betting pool this year? Times are tough, yo, so go ahead and spend $100 to win it back!

In an effort to do well this year when we attend the Nick's Oscar Night Party, EJ and I went to see Revolutionary Road today. Yeesh! Spoiler alert - this one is a heavy downer to anyone who is married and/or lives in the suburbs.

I Walked Home Last Night From Work, And I Liked It!

2009-01-16T14:18:00.002-05:00

Most people in Columbia drive. In fact, I walked home last night after work with Monkey because EJ and I had driven in together in the morning and he left with the car to go to "band practice" and I saw only one other person walking...and we live about 13 blocks away from the office (AND note that some of these "blocks" are much longer than NYC or Boston blocks). We're not a walking city, but we really need to be. In order for us to get the retail I know many of us want to see in Columbia (J.Crew + any kind of store on Main Street), we are going to have to be willing to walk. In this case, I am using walking as a catch-all for many things were are going to have to be willing to do: work hard, push our city (and state) to have a competitive advantage - both economically and from an education perspective - use our libraries, use the internet, support the arts, support local food producers, etc.

It's more than placing a likeness of our state flag on your car, house, or boat. It can certainly start there, but then I think you need to walk.

I'm Not Going to Blog about The Golden Globe Outfits

2009-01-12T22:05:00.008-05:00

Miley Cyrus looked too old, Miley Cyrus looked age-appropriate. Renee Zel looked crazy, Renee was the only one who took a real fashion risk. I'm normally into all the glitz and glam, but this year it just seems a bit ostentatious, don't you think?

Now let's focus on the deals:

Last week there was a Marc by Marc Jacobs sale on RueLaLa.com. Normally I'm not too into the inventory this site ends up getting, but I was intrigued by the sunglasses they had for $50.00 each. That was just a smidge too much dough, and I'm glad I passed because on Sunday I went to Marshall's to return some Seven Jeans that just weren't my dream pair and lo and behold - a pair of the sunnies I spied last week! What's more, they were $40.00, so really I saved $20.00 with the shipping and handling I didn't have to pay by buying them online.

These are the shades.

So go check out Marshall's right now because between the Seven Jeans I found in Delray Beach, and the sunnies I just found yesterday, they have some good deals. Then, bop over to Target (if you're in Columbia, I went to both stores in Harbison) and take advantage of the 30%-50% Clearance shoes. I got these royal blue booties for $20.00!

Resolution #1: Blog More

2009-01-05T20:04:00.004-05:00

#2: Post photos online in a more timely manner

#3: Read the bookclub books more diligently

#4: Be more healthy (run more, yoga more, less wine, bla blee blue)

#5: Consume more non-internet marketing-related media (magazines of note: Seed Magazine, BUST Magazine and Garden & Gun)

#6: Motivate on the business plans

#7: Complain less, DO more (Slow Food Columbia; 701 Center for Contemporary Art)

#8: Get over the whole "I hate the phone" thing

#9: Take dance lessons with EJ

#10: Follow through

Geeking Out

2008-12-08T20:55:00.009-05:00

This past weekend I had the special pleasure of attending an "unconference." The idea is simple - breakdown the laws of traditional conferences for the purpose of having real conversations that are decided upon by the attendees. At least, I assume this is the general gist of the unconference that I attended this past weekend put together by She's Geeky. It was invigorating and inspiring, so I encourage all my West coast sisters to attend!

When I wasn't geeking out at the conference, I covered some old ground in the East Village (and by ground I mean I ate my way through the weekend; when I wasn't eating I took the following shots).

Here's FO selling craque on the side of the street. Ha! It's a small holiday market off Freeman's Alley. I'll keep you posted if she sets up anywhere else in the future (and yes, it was that cold - a little FYI for all my SC friends complaining about the "cold").

Finally I was back home and welcomed by this face.

Best Online Shopping Solution: Shop It To Me

2008-11-21T10:07:00.002-05:00

At the risk of never getting my $10.00 off by directly recruiting people through the interface, I feel I simply must tell you about the hands-down best online sale shopping app out there. It's called Shop It To Me and in my experience, it's the easiest way to view all your favorite brands, on sale, online.

I promise you I do not know the owners nor do I have a friend who works there, I am just this much of an evangelist!

Arturo Chiang Shoes

2008-11-20T18:37:00.003-05:00

Can someone give me some more information on Arturo Chiang shoes? They are cool, comfortable, affordable...so what's the catch? I've done some simple searches and haven't come up with anything about this brand.

A few weeks ago, while shopping in Charleston with BR, I got these sassy little numbers.

Of course last week I saw them in NYC on sale for 1/2 the price I paid in Chucktown, but such is life! Instead of getting all bummed about it, I found these perfect little black pumps at Anbar Shoes for a mere $41.00. What? Yes, that's right. How many times do I have to tell you to go there and get your shoes on?

Newsflash - This Just in from NYC

2008-11-16T21:36:00.006-05:00

I'm back in SC from a wonderful time back home and have the following to report re: what's hot right now in the city.

- Grey nail polish (a grey matte color, not silverized)

- Flowers in the hair (kind of like Kenley on Project Runway but without the 40s steez that comes along with her look)

- Billowy, light-weight cashmere scarves

- Wide cat's eye sunnies, ala the Tom Ford Anouk versions below

Photo from ShopStyle.com

What's Hot in Columbia: French

2008-11-12T10:32:00.002-05:00

As I head out to soak up all that is NYC for the next few days (thank you, Travelocity), I leave you with a quick observation: The French language is growing increasingly hot in the Colatown. Not only is the local Advertising Club using French in its promos for the upcoming awards celebration, but now STIR magazine is also on the bandwagon with L'Absinthe Fete.

Who will be next? Je ne sais pas, tu ne sais pas, on ne sait pas, mais tout est bien qui fini bien.

Lines to Vote on Election Day 2008 in Columbia, SC

2008-11-04T09:57:00.005-05:00

Here are some shots of all my fellow candidate "shoppers" on line this morning to vote in Columbia, SC. I was there at 6:30 am and was out of there by 8:30. The photos were taken just before 7:00 am.

In front of me:

And behind me...can you tell how long that line is? Peeps are rockin' the vote!

Shopping for a Candidate, Part II

2008-10-30T13:51:00.003-05:00

Friends,

I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the upcoming election. A while ago I blogged about shopping for a candidate. Well by now you've probably shared about 20.5 YouTube videos (at least!) with friends and colleagues, re-watched the debate highlights online and received the myriad email forwards from supporters of both parties.

Many of you know the line of work I am in, so I leave you with this one tidbit you may not have had time to look at. The following are the number of results on YouTube.com for searches with the listed keywords as of today, 10/30/08 at around 3:00 pm.

"Obama" - 600,000
"McCain" - 323,000
"Palin" - 144,000

I HOPE this means something.

Giraffe Print Handbags Are Horrible

2008-10-07T21:51:00.002-05:00

Lovely ladies of Colatown,

Stop your obsession with the giraffe print handbag! It's a knock-off of a past-season Dooney & Burke model. It's old-lady-esque. Most of the time, the version you're carrying isn't even leather (and I don't think you're a vegan).

It's an old style from a former season. Right now in our town, there are a lot of exciting developments in the art, food and culture world. Further, non-profits are working towards making our fair city a better place to attract and retain talent. How are we ever going to get there, really, if we're all carrying kooky bags?

Really? Really.

Sincerely,

Your friend, Caroline

TG-170 Sale

2008-10-01T11:48:00.002-05:00

Oh sniff sniff that I can't be in NYC right now for a TG-170 sale. That does not, however, mean that my *loyal* readers up North shouldn't benefit from my recently-acquired knowledge. The following is a cut-and-paste job from the NYMagazine's "Best Bets" email from today. Enjoy and think of me if you buy anything!

Lower East Side boutique TG-170 is making way for new fall stock with discounts of up to 20 percent on dresses from Sari, Pepper and Pistol, and more, as well as accessories by Bing Bang and Greta Cavazzoni.
When: Daily (12–8).
Where: 170 Ludlow St., nr. Houston St. (212-995-8660).
- Source: New York Magazine's Best Bets email, Tuesday, October 1, 2008

Shopping in Asheville, NC

2008-09-26T15:01:00.011-05:00

Two weekends ago, EJ and I wisked ourselves away from the hustle and bustle of Colatown and spent the weekend in the mountain oasis that is Asheville, North Carolina. This Burlington/Boulder-eque town is THE mountain retreat of the area.

There's no need for me to give you in-depth descriptions about the sights and eats that can be experienced, because the NYTimes does such a great job with its Travel section feature, 36 Hours in Asheville (yes, we ate at Table and it was awesome. So is Tupelo Honey and Salsas). But I would like to - surprise! - highlight the shopping to be done there.

If you have serious cash to burn there are a number of galleries where original, local art can be purchased. My favorite exhibits were at Blue Spiral 1 which is right across the street from Mast General Store (a store which gets a lot of press, but is rather touristy IMHO). There are also a lot of jewelry shops with a style of jewelry that I only know how to describe as mountainy. It's not hippie, because it's not cheap, but it's very arty.

The clothing shops, in general, are indeed hippie. Chunky sweaters, lots of embroidery, and funky cloth handbags. But when you're in the mountains, people, you embrace your inner hippie. Paul Taylor makes custom sandals and belts. Here's a shot of its window display - and yes, EJ was contemplating a belt.

On the outside, Tops for Shoes looks like a place your parents would shop for shoes (even the website looks like something your parents designed - dang, am I beating up on your parents or what?). But a gander on the inside reveals brands like Marc by Marc Jacobs and Pink Studio. In fact, the Tops Outlet section is the business! There are a couple pairs I spied that I am kicking myself for not purchasing, but that's what the next trip is for. Anyway, I was saving my duckets for a store that we finally found on Sunday - Moda.

Moda is located in Gerber Village, a 15-minute drive away from downtown Asheville. If you're driving away from the downtown area on Biltmore Avenue, it's a shopping center that's just off Hendersonville Road after the turn-off to Biltmore Estate (Biltmore Avenue basically becomes Hendersonville Road).

Moda is owned by a mother and daughter so the photos near the register are of fashionable family members. Lauren is the daughter whom we met when we went in. They carry fabulous, different looks that satisfy both people in their 20s/30s and those in their 40s/50s. It was nice to see that diversity - from all the stores in Asheville, really. Coming from a college town, the general theme of the stores here is decidedly 20s. The reason I was so hell-bent on getting to this store was because it was listed on the jeweler Emily Amey's website as a retailer of the line. Jewelry is one of those things that is tricky to buy online. Indeed Moda had a whole bunch of Emily Amey jewelry; I got the ring in the photo below, but there were actually a lot of cool pieces by a bunch of other designers to choose from as well. Other brands carried included Coclico shoes and Lilla P tops. Lauren's mother worked in retail for a number of years and you can tell with the pieces they sell. The moral of this story? Fashion can be found in Asheville, you just need to investigate slightly off of the beaten path.

Franchise Vintage

2008-09-21T22:37:00.002-05:00

Wow, I'm not sure how I feel about this concept: a franchise of vintage clothing stores! Over Labor Day weekend, KH and I went to Greenville for the day because I had heard some good things. While it's no Charleston, it does have a Whole Foods...and a Clothing Wearhouse. Interestingly, this store is actually a franchise of vintage clothing stores. You can learn all about it on the website. What's more, you can buy vintage clothing from the business wholesale. It's genius, really, but leaves me wondering where all this vintage clothing is coming from?

As I'm sure you can guess, I bought two dresses at The Clothing Wearhouse in Greenville. I mentioned how thrilled I was about this store in my previous post. Now that I know it's a franchise, I guess it makes sense. Every dress in the store was on a hanger with a see-through plastic garment cover over the dress. There was a display inside that featured male and female mannequins all dude-ed up with styles labeled "50s," "60s," "70s" - you get the picture. It was all just pure genius! Hm, I suppose I just answered my question of how I feel about this concept. Hey, if I'm willing to shop at BR, JCrew, H&M, Zara (the list goes on), then why not this place?

Back in the Summer of '08

2008-09-11T21:35:00.009-05:00

In the immortal words of Gracie Peanut, "Lordy, lordy, lordy, lordy!" August was a long old month indeed. I drove up and back to upstate New York, then two days later I flew out to Northern CA to hang with the O'Malleys and work a trade show, then it was back to Colatown for the first Slow Food Columbia event, then KH came to visit for Labor Day weekend and then I started a full-time job last week.

A shopping/things I acquired this Summer redux:

I grabbed a bunch of furniture in NY. This china cabinet was something I believe my parents bought. Not an heirloom, but cool nonetheless.

In Northern California, I spent the entire time in awe of everything in the region - food, culture, lifestyle, etc. Here are my fave people in the BAY Area:

And here is one of my fave purchases from Los Altos. Yes, these are jelly-esque...I prefer to call them the anti-croc (or should I say, anti-croque?). These are from 151 Boutique.

Oh sweet Melissa - "plastic dreams" just sounds so magical.

By the way, my apologies for these fuzzy photos, but that's my PDA for you. Ok so onto my shopping extravaganza with KH. We rocked it out with day trips to Gaffney (outlets), G'ville (GREAT vintage clothing shop there - more on that TK) and Chucktown. Of course we hit the King Street strip in Charleston, and K had an exceptionally successful trip in Hampden Clothing, per use. My piece de resistance was this killah rubber necklace from my favorite, B'Zar.

And now it's back to the ol' 9-to-5. Feels great to be able to talk with people throughout the day!

Hos before Bros

2008-09-10T09:36:00.004-05:00

First there was the "wife-beater" shirt, which is a term that I loathe. I love me the tank top, but I really despise that name.

Then last night I saw an ad in latest hard copy issue of Blue Ridge Mountains Outdoors promoting some sort of Subaru called the bromobile or something like that. I will report more correctly on that later, but the use of the term "bro" seems to be seeping into everything these days.

And now finally, the piece de resistance -- the "Cougarette" skirt from Diane von Furstenberg. Argh! Here's the photo of it. Cute, I guess. And I suppose it is some sort of take-back of the phrase, but come on.

Bla!

Victoria Keen sample sale

2008-09-04T15:41:00.002-05:00

Hey all my NYC ladies! Apparently Victoria Keen had a sample sale and I just got an email that she's extending it due to the recent Labor Day weekend. Get over there and buy some groovy yoga pants. Do it now! And be really Zen about it!

Crocs Outrage

2008-08-05T13:02:00.002-05:00

This article about making Crocs stop on Newsweek.com is one of the funnier ones I've read recently. Still, has anyone addressed the need to recycle these things on a corporate level? I can't seem to find a like-minded comment out there.

Suggestion for Target

2008-08-01T09:56:00.004-05:00

Thanks to a conversation I had with SB last night about the quality of Target clothing, I remembered the other suggestion I was thinking of recently, this time for Target.

I think it's great that Target gets guest designers for apparel, shoes and handbags, but when it comes to handbags, they are always plastic. And I'm not talking the nice vegan plastic, usually it's the obvi-not-leather plastic. A while ago they featured Rafe for Target. Hello, I love Rafe as most of you know. But plastic? That's a not so much. Right now it's Botkier for Target. Although they have one metallic bag that isn't obviously pleather (see image below), most of them are a disappointment.

Which brings me to my latest idea: why not have at least one bag in the collection that is leather? I would pay, and I'm sure others would pay, $100 to $150 for a [INSERT GOOD BRAND HERE] for Target leather bag. I might even pay more if they marketed it right, and if there's one thing I don't doubt, it's that Target knows how to get me - and a whole heck of a lot of other people - to buy.

Hollywould Go Lightly (And Did)

2008-07-31T07:57:00.005-05:00

What a pleasant surprise to stumble upon the great sales happening on Hollywould.com. Just check out these cutie flats (they're only $100!). There's a lot on super-sale - aka: Final Sale - and a handful of metallic espadrilles and other super hotties that are on basic sale.

Something Old, Something New?

2008-07-30T21:12:00.003-05:00

So I'm feeling a little melancholy about Girlshop being officially gone. It was either the last time I was in NY (March 2008) or right before I moved (May 2007) that I went out to the retail store in the Meatpacking District because it was having a going-out-of-business sale. I didn't understand at that point that actually the retail store, presumably a last-ditch attempt for the online retailer, was the first stop to end-of-businessdom. And I feel blue about it because I bought plenty of items at Girlshop (sample sales only, mind you, which is probably a main reason why they're now gone) that I don't own today due to wearing through, wearing out or getting bigger. It's like a time period in my life came and went and I have nothing to show for it.

In related news, it seems that Nau is now coming back. Those brats! As you may recall, I recently bought a couple of items from Nau. While I am indeed impressed by the comfort of the material of the pieces, I ordered what are my usual sizes and of course, both dress and skirt were too big. There's no returns while this company morphs into something new, so I'll just have to don these items when I'm feeling fat, I guess. But I feel like clothes that are big on me make me feel even bigger, so I'm not quite sure what to do with these duds. Anyway, stay tuned for the Nau developments.

Suggestion for the Makers of Crocs

2008-07-16T16:14:00.003-05:00

So Crocs are really popular down here for kids, and kids are really popular down here in general. I was thinking that due to the typical kid-like wear and tear a shoe will receive, and the fact that kids grow out of their shoes faster than you can say "apple juice," there are plenty of Crocs being thrown away.

In light of the green movement going strong across the country, wouldn't it be a great PR move if Crocs had recycling locations at the major retailers selling their sandals? Maybe people who actually recycled their (kids) Crocs could receive a discount on the purchase of their next pair.

If the company has some good PR/search people they will come across this posting and take my advice. Or maybe a plan like this is already in the works/happening? If so, kind reader, do let me - and the other handful of peeps who actually visit this online destination - know.

Best Shopping Resource for Columbia, SC Stores

2008-07-13T14:52:00.005-05:00

Dear Caroline,

What's the best way for me to quickly learn about all the good boutiques in Columbia and the special deals, sales and trunk shows they might be having?

Sincerely,

Southern Shopper

Dearest Southern,

A new friend of mine, Anne Postic, is fashionably fabulous, a dedicated locavore, an intense Pilates instructor and has two blogtastic websites (to name a few of her many talents and interests). Her newest endeavor will be your main resource for learning about everything happening, shopping-wise, in the Colatown. It's called The Shop Tart and if you're wondering if I'm jealous that she came up with this great idea the answer is "yes!"

So here's the drill - yesterday, once I peeled myself off the couch after watching a Project Runway marathon (the season that Chloe won. Yes, I thought she had the chops and skills, but I liked Santino Rice's final show so much better and didn't care that it wasn't cohesive and I want that pleated dress with the ruffles down the front! More on that to come in another post), I had the urge to shop. Furthermore, I had to go find a birthday gift for CC so I pulled up The Shop Tart website. Lo and behold, there's up-to-the-minute information on the latest sales. I was thrilled to learn that Kicks is one of the stores with items on sale - most everything in the store is 30% off. Sure enough, I managed to find these groovy BCBG silver platform shoes on the super-sale table. They were only $57, people!

Anne also maintains another blog called The Daily Digress. There's no way to give this blog true justice in a simple description. It's genius - just read today's post (July 13, 2008), bookmark it and thank me later.

Mullets...

2008-07-10T21:22:00.001-05:00

...have finally hit Columbia. This just in: it's been 5 years, but they've finally made their way down.

More to come.

Patriotic Poison Ivy

2008-07-03T09:33:00.009-05:00

This week, in preparation for the July 4th weekend, I managed to get a serious case of poison ivy in our backyard. As I mentioned earlier, apparently we have it growing all over the place back there. He's a shot of it creeping up our neighbor's fence (this is the side of the fence facing our yard).

Bel Biv Devoe, now I know!

In the meantime, Thacker finished painting the two rooms that were a horrible color. I was therefore able to settle our things into the rooms a little more and now feel comfortable sharing some more shots of the house. Here's the guest room -- ready and waiting for your visit down to the South Cack.

And these are the two living room/den areas on the first floor on either side of the fireplace.

By the way, the guest room is more of a grey, but a pretty blueish grey it seems. I guess our house is evolving to showcase the color blue. Here's our bedroom, which we didn't repaint.