12/01/09

Love It: Crown Town Prize Pack from Local Etsy Artists

My love for Etsy.com truly knows no bounds - it's got to be one of the single coolest inventions of the internet. So, I was positively giddy to hear about this contest to win not one, not two, but EIGHT handmade Etsy gifts. Better yet, they are all from local, Charlotte designers. 

The rules to enter are simple:  you've got between now and December 11 to locate and comment on the social networking pages (Facebook, Twitter and blogs) of the participating designers. A winner will be chosen, and runners up could win additional handmade items from any one of the participating artisans.  For directions on how to find each designers social networking pages, and for the complete list of rules on how to enter, visit Read more »

Posted at 08:58 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

11/30/09

What's Happening: Cyber Monday Sales

To those of you that braved the crowds, the cold and the early hour last Friday, I applaud you.  Me personally, I slept. Just my way of keeping the universe balanced.  That's also why I sat around on my butt and read a book on Thursday morning... to balance out all you crazy people who ran 5Ks and half-marathons.  You can thank me later.

Anyway, today is my kind of shopping day: the kind that can be done in your pajamas. It's Cyber Monday, which means your inbox will be crammed full of emails from all the stores you've ever visited in your entire adult life letting you know about all the great deals you can score on their website today.

Here are the ones that were in my inbox this morning, in case you didn't get them:

 - Read more »

Posted at 07:53 AM | Permalink | Comments: 1

11/25/09

Love It: AfterSoles Portable Ballet Flats

Holiday Shopping week continues with yet another fabulous gift idea. ( Hint: This one is perfect for slipping in a stocking, or buying in multiples to give out to all your girlfriends!)

From the very same geniuses that brought us CitiSoles comes AfterSoles. They're pretty. They're comfy. They roll up into a tiny little ball that fits in your purse. They come in easy-to-coordinate colors (black, gold, silver), and now they come equipped with a precious little bow on the toe! Best of all they're just $15.

If you are planning to hit the holiday party circuit this December, or if you're already making plans for New Year's Eve, then you might want to think about picking up a pair for yourself as... Read more »

Posted at 08:47 AM | Permalink | Comments: 2

11/24/09

Love It: Fuss-Free Gift Ideas

Ever wish you could just get someone else to do all your holiday shopping for you?  Yeah, me too. That's why I asked two fabulously stylish shop owners here in Charlotte to give me their top gift picks for the season that will work for just about any recipient!  The items they chose are effortless and (for the most part) entirely affordable. So if you've got a mother-in-law, bosses wife, brother's girlfriend, or secret santa to buy for in the next few weeks, relax. They've done all the heavy lifting for you.

Also, I wanted to give my thanks to Taylor O'Shields at The Place for Flowers and Phoebe Howard, the... Read more »

Posted at 08:47 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

11/23/09

Charlotte Magazine's 2009 Holiday Gift Guide

Well folks, it's officially that time. Time to debate whether or not you are going to brave the crowds on Black Friday. Time to take a serious look at your checking account and decide who you need to stop being friends a.s.a.p. with so you can avoid having to get them a gift.

It's time to do your holiday shopping.

But, you're in luck! Charlotte Magazine's 2009 Holiday Gift Guide is now up on the web for your virtual perusals, and on news stands so you can write notes in the margins and tear out pages you want to leave lying around as a heavy hint to others. 

The coolest part of this year's gift guide is that everything (YES!) is locally made. From gourmet... Read more »

Posted at 09:37 AM | Permalink | Comments: 1

11/20/09

Weekend Ahead: November 20-22

PUT IT ON ICE - Charlotte Checkers vs. Johnstown Chiefs

I always love Charlotte's weather...  until about right now, when Thanksgiving is just a heart beat away and it's almost time to crank the Christmas music on the radio. Right now is when I wish Charlotte had a slightly lower average temperature so that I could feasibly wear a festive scarf without passing out from heat stroke.  What better way to give yourself the illusion of cool, wintery weather than to bundle up and head to a hockey game! Seeing our hometown Checkers play is actually a blast. There are fun diversions inbetween periods, the loyal crowd chants and cheers at every play, and even though you can't really tell under all that gear, those hockey players are HOTT (yes, two T's were warranted). ... Read more »

Posted at 08:12 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

11/18/09

What's Happening: Pop-Up Shops Crop Up for the Holidays

*** INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING THIS BLOG POST***  For maximum effectiveness, forward the link to this post directly to any men who might be responsible for purchasing anything for you this holiday season. Should the desired effect not occur, re-send twice daily so as to avoid any possiblity that they didn't see it in their inbox.

Attention all husbands, brothers, sons, boyfriends, fathers, and any other male shoppers:  We really couldn't be making this any easier for you.  In the last week and a half, two pitch-perfect pop-up shops have appeared on the Charlotte retail scene.  What's a pop-up shop?  It's a store with in a store - it's a pairing of two complementary brands or products in one location so that while... Read more »

Posted at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

11/17/09

What's Happening: Project Give & Take at The Pink Hanger

Shopping already makes me feel pretty good (my psychologist husband says it has something to do with instant gratification), but this Wednesday-Saturday shopping at The Pink Hanger will make you feel even better.

Why? Because for every gently used clothing item you bring in (to be donated to Crisis Assistance Ministry) you'll get 20% off of a new item from the store! This is the perfect opportunity to pick up that perfect dress for your office holiday party, or that gorgeous sweater, or that killer necklace, or that fabulous bag (somebody stop me!).

So raid your closet for a dress, top, pair of pants, sweater or coat that you just never wore as much as you thought you would and get it on over to The Pink Hanger and claim your 20% discount!

For more info (and details... Read more »

Posted at 02:56 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

11/16/09

What's Happening: "Cash for Clunkers" at Asana Activewear

The actual Cash For Clunkers program was over in a blink of an eye earlier this year, but the party is still going over at Asana Activewear. 

All you have to do is bring in your old workout gear (I have a particularily pathetic pair of old black yoga pants that would probably fit the bill) and they'll give you $7 off a brand new pair.  Bring in an old top and you'll get $5 off a new one.  Bring in both, and get $17 a new pair of top and bottoms!

Major shop talk love going out to Asana for understanding that even our workout routine can use a bit of a stimulus boost every now and then!

Posted at 01:49 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

11/13/09

What's Happening: Lancome National Makeup Artist Event at Neiman Marcus

It's 4 p.m. on Friday after a loooooong week, and I just caught sight of myself in the office bathroom mirror.

In a word: yikes.

Then I remembered the card that was handed to me last night at the Neiman's fashion event: 

This coming Tuesday, November 17, Lancome National Makeup Artist Tarek Abbas will be visiting Neiman's to demonstrate the latest makeup trends. Once you've been dolled up under the watchful eye of Abbas, you have the opportunity to take home a stellar gift package with a glitter-cased blush set and other luxe goodies, free with your purchase of $85 or more in products (which, judging by the circles under my eyes, I am going to need at least $85 worth of stuff to make a dent in this... Read more »

Posted at 03:02 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

11/13/09

Trends on Trial: Neiman Marcus Fall Fashion Report

Last night, former Shop Talk cohort, Sarah Crosland, and I had the pleasure of attending a runway show hosted by Ken Downing, the Senior Vice President and Fashion Director for Neiman Marcus. Ken was flirtatiously charming, teasing the models as they strutted, and wearing what was, by far, the skinniest men's suit I have ever laid eyes on.  He gave us his expert take on the looks we should be coveting this fall, and gave us a warm and sunny preview of what to expect in the resort collections in spring of 2010. 

 "Sequins for day"  As Downing so rightly pointed out, we all have a little magpie inside us that gravitates toward pretty shiny things, and according to him, it is now officially okay to wear sequins in the day time. I am... Read more »

Posted at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments: 1

11/12/09

Weekend Ahead: November 12-15

Is it Thursday already? This week has been a busy one, and the weekend looks pretty spectacular too, especially when it comes to shopportunities!

STEAL A DEAL:  3rd Mint to Be Yours Tag Sale

We are big proponents of supporting your local arts scene here at Charlotte Mag, but here, specifically, on Shop Talk I vastly prefer donation opportunities like this one over the traditional "write a check" method.  During this two-day sale (Nov 13-14) you can snag home furnishings, fine antiques, gorgeous jewelry and locally made art at incredible prices. The proceeds from the sale go directly to the Mint Museum so that they can continue to do what they do best: bring excellent exhibitions to town and add to their impressive permanent collections. FOr more... Read more »

Posted at 02:37 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

11/10/09

What's Happening: HUGE Sale at Neiman Marcus

Okay friends - now let's be clear on something: there are sales, and then there are SALES.  This is the latter. This is a cancel whatever else you have going on, call in sick, apologize in advance to anyone with whom you share a credit card or bank account, absolutely do not miss it SALE and it's only happening for ONE DAY. That day, my dear friends in WEDESDAY NOVEMBER 11.

For this one day only, regular priced items throughout Neiman Marcus will be marked down as much as 40%. We're talking Tory Burch, Ralph Lauren, DVF, Trina Turk, Leifsdottir and many, many more.... Read more »

Posted at 01:36 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

11/09/09

Saving With Style: Ann Taylor Handbags

Happy Monday morning Shop Talkers! Did you have a wonderful  weekend? I sure did!

Friday night I went out with friends to try dinner at The Liberty, which has a seriously cool decor theme and delicious food (Chicken and Dumplings and English Sticky Pudding with cherry ice cream for anyone who was wondering). Saturday, I headed out to the Metrolina Expo for the Antiques and Collectibles Fall Classic and scooped up some vintage windows, and Sunday I went to the mall for some pre-holiday window shopping and fell head over heels in lust Read more »

Posted at 09:38 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

11/05/09

Weekend Ahead: November 5 - 8

We have been hard at work putting our December issues to bed over at Charlotte Mag and where Charlotte headquarters, so our big plans this weekend include lots of sleeping. Those of you who still do have an ounce of energy left in you would be well served to check out one of these fabulous happenings:

PRINT THIS COUPON - Sale at Chezelle

Step One: Go here - www.scoopcharlotte.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/chezelle-coupon3.png

Step Two: Print.

Thanks to Scoop Charlotte for sharing this great coupon with us so we could share it with you! Chezelle at the Morrison Shops is offering 25% off of your entire purchase now through Saturday. That includes sale items!... Read more »

Posted at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

11/04/09

Online Finds: Christian Siriano for Payless

Christian Siriano was a very controversial subject in my household circa 2008. I had adored his little sarcastic diva 'tude since episode one of his season on Project Runway, whereas my spouse (who doesn't actually "watch" the show, so much as he stands in the kitchen and prentends to be washing dishes and "accidentally sees a few minutes of it") though he was annoying and far too full of himself to be so young.

Well, week after week Christian continuously proved his fans right: he was allowed to be a little cocky because the boy. had. talent.

Now he's designing dresses that show up on red carpets, putting out consistently pretty good collections, and doing fun little things like this: designing shoes that even those of us... Read more »

Posted at 12:36 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

11/02/09

What's Happening: 3 Great Home Decor Sales

My inbox this morning was full of news about great stuff going on in Charlotte's shopping world this week - but here's a few I wanted you to know about right away!

TODAY ONLY, renowned Charlotte A.S.I.D designer, Gail Brinn Wilkins, is having a once-in-a-lifetime  moving sale. She's hauling house to a new office location and has to get rid of a ton of inventory that includes accessories, furniture, fabrics and more. Head to her old location at 600 Queens Rd. before it's all gone!

Isabella is offering 20% off all lighting (a.k.a. adorable lamps and hanging fixtures) for one week only - now through Saturday. So if there's a corner of your abode that could use a little brightening, now's your chance to... Read more »

Posted at 09:24 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0