CLT Me ASAP

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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!

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!

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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...

...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

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!

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

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

#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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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?

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

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

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...

...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

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.

Hanging around with Hanging Baskets

After a week in the new place, I realized that the trend in our new hood is to have hanging baskets of plants or flowers or both on the front porch(es). Furthermore, there's porch furniture to consider. Since my mother-in-law is responsible for advice and opinions on the garden/plant-related element of our house, she and I went out to Rebekah's Garden at the Farmer's Market the other week and got these.



The ones in front are sweet potato plants and the ones off to the side are petunias - I think, but all the flowers have fallen off the sides facing the house so you can't really tell there's any difference between the four baskets. Yes my friends, this is what it's come to.

So here's what those baskets look like when facing the house. Green does well with the peach/pink color, wouldn't you say?



Oh by the way, these things need to be watered at least once a day. I've purchased a garden hose with a "wand" to attach to it and traipse outside nearly every evening to water these puppies. I guess I have poison ivy growing near the garden hose because the other day, before book club, I was a rashy mess after watering the baskets. It is truly a different world.

Caroline's Closet Presents, the Closet

ML has been asking me for photos of our new house. The thing is, even as the furniture is placed and the boxes emptied, I don't know that photos are doing the place justice because, frankly, there's a lot that still needs to be done (don't tell my husband) -- dining room table, more than 10 items to hang on the wall, etc.

Anyway, the point is I realized that the one room I am ready to show you is my closet. My wonderful master bedroom closet. EJ very selflessly gave me the entire space. It's the first room that has been fully set up.

As you may have noted from the updated profile photo - Caroline finally got her closet.

Je T'Aime, Paris

So it's been pretty hectic what with going to France for a week, moving into our new house, the long weekend. But believe me, I'm not trying to make excuses, just explaining myself a bit. Now on to the good stuff.

France was a wonderful experience. Friends have been asking me and EJ what we liked the best and all I have to say is, "all of it!" I didn't care that the euro was kicking my butt and stopping me from buying $300 Repetto shoes (at the actual Repetto store, no less! Mon dieu, it was beautiful). I didn't care that a bottle of water was $6.00 - I really loved the whole experience. The most exciting part of checking out the way women in Paris were dressed was that they generally looked like peeps in New York. The weather was beautiful - sunny during the day and cool at night with no rain for a week - so women donned RayBan-esque aviator sunglasses, roman-style, strappy flat sandals and casual dresses. There's not really a lot of crispness in the general style of clothing as I see here in Columbia - it's more drapey linen. Surprisingly, I didn't see one scarf. As I said, it was warm weather, but from what I've been reading in Lucky, the Spring/Summer scarf is popular here in the U.S. Maybe it was just too hot.

So that's the news from the fashion capitale du monde. I really needed to get that one out so that we can now move on to my new shopping focus: the house! More on that to come. In the meantime, I leave you with this little shot from the streets of Paris.