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