Shopping
Place you never knew existed but have to try
The Spa at Neiman Marcus
From here on out, every trip you make to NM should include a scheduled visit to the store’s spa. Yes, spa. These lush treatment rooms are where, on scheduled appearance dates, skin and beauty care professionals and estheticians from lines such as Dior, Orlane, La Prairie, Lancome, Amore Pacific, and Bobbi Brown provide complimentary treatments like facials and exfoliations using their products. The monthly spa facial calendar is listed online, and you can RSVP for future events including special appearances by designers and upcoming trunk shows.
SouthPark, 704-442-7900
Chain store that doesn’t feel like a chain
Crate&Barrel
Crate&Barrel is not only affordable, it’s also stylish and chic with homewares, accessories, and furniture that fits just about every décor. The two-story space is full of kitchen gadgets that give The Pampered Chef a run for its money, funky geometric print table linens, inexpensive yet classy glassware/ stemware, and smooth micro-suede chaises and dining room chairs. From cottage chic to contemporary sleek, C&B makes it easy to furnish your new home on a budget.
4320 Sharon Road
704-362-4003
Vintage clothing
Hong Kong Vintage
The bright red, circular sign about a half-mile down Central Avenue from The Plaza denotes one of the area’s greatest vintage treasure chests. It may be small, but Hong Kong Vintage boasts a clean, well-maintained collection of leather jackets, polyester dresses, and wide-collar button-downs. As with most vintage shops, everything is arranged by color, and if you’re patient enough, you’ll likely walk out with a stylish $20 outfit which, best of all, no one else will be wearing at the restaurant that night.
2005 Central Avenue
704-334-0538
Place to buy maternity jeans
Belly Elan Maternity Boutique
Belly Elan loves mommy-to-be bellies and loves to show them off with hot, stylish clothes for all stages of a pregnancy. Carrying cargo, wide-leg, and boot-cut jeans from Citizens of Humanity and Tala Jeans, among others, this sweet boutique makes you and your belly comfortable in the latest trends. Best of all, the staff is knowledgeable and honest. Check out the denim collection online (www.bellyelan.com) and use it to create a wishlist for your upcoming baby shower.
5349 Ballantyne Commons Parkway, 704-844-8820
Luxe bed linens
Isabella
Your bedroom is your oasis and should be designed as such with plush, super-soft bed linens. With options from Dwell, Frette, Signoria, and Peacock Alley, owners Erin Dougherty and Kristen Cox have established their cozy boutique as a go-to shop. Intricately embroidered duvets, silky smooth throw pillows, and extraordinarily soft cotton and sateen sheets are among Isabella’s many other bed linens while home accessories like scented lotions from Lady Primrose, Slatkin candles, fragrant boxed soaps by Rance, antique furniture, classy lingerie, cashmere throws, and lighting round out the other options. A bonus: Cox, an Allied Member of ASID, can help bring all the pieces together to create that relaxing retreat in your home.
715 Providence Road
704-377-4919
Garden nursery
Pike Family Nursery
On any given Saturday, Pike Family Nursery turns into a family playground. Wide indoor aisles complement the vast array of greenery outside. It’s an inviting, casual shop with an independently owned feel even though it’s an established operation in Birmingham and Atlanta. Pike is large enough to carry just about every gardening item, plant, herb, and small tree known to man, but small enough to offer individual attention to its many customers. And get this: A member of Pike’s design staff will come to your home or office to personally design your landscape. Perfect for a household plagued by a black thumb.
12630 N. Community House Road, 704-341-7453
Place for kitchen gizmos and gadgets
Cooking Uptown
Tucked away on the corner of Seventh and Hawthorne streets is the most fantastic and inviting kitchen supply shop in town. Though its thousands of products may be overwhelming at first, after a few visits you’ll include Cooking Uptown as a line item on your annual budget. Owner Karen Cooley offers only the best—Wusthof knives, Emile Henry cookware, Gaggia espresso machines, and even her own line of spices. If she doesn’t have what you need, she’ll find it. Sign up for a Saturday cooking class or Girls Night Out series where you’ll learn from the pros how to get the most out of your Cooking Uptown purchase.
1707 E. Seventh Street
704-333-7300
Chic, affordable furniture
Boulevard Bazaar
The owners here go on a weekly hunt for great finds to restock their warehouse with classy furniture goods that make you wonder why you ever drove to High Point instead. Open to the public on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, this South End-area spot boasts beautiful bed frames from Highland House and Century armoires in addition to cool accessories like weathered wooden mirrors for the dining room or foyer. Upholstery services are also offered with a four- to six-week turnaround time and interior designers are always on hand to help with your selections.
3021 Griffith Street
704-527-4223
Place to buy your basics
American Apparel
Everyone has a favorite tee, the go-to wardrobe item for running errands and watching rainy-day movies. Joining South End’s eclectic boutique offerings, American Apparel is straight out of L.A. but without the designer price tag. Cotton, Spandex, and a combination of both can be found in V-necks, crew necks, long and short sleeves, and even a few very 1980s leggings, which are offered in every color of the rainbow…and then some. The main reason American Apparel is a winner: All clothing is designed, manufactured, and marketed in “Made in the USA” fashion.
1504 Camden Road
704-342-6040
Place for a hostess gift
Blis
Blis’s apple-green bags are unmistakable among Charlotte’s uptown businesswomen. It’s the must-stop shop for a last-minute shower or hostess gift, and an easy five-minute browsing break during lunch hour. Give the embroidered blankets and towels, fragrant bath soaps, and colorful totes as gifts, or wait for the always adorable, unique finds during every holiday (even better after-holiday sales). You can also find a distinctive selection of signature stationery and thank-you notes, clever cocktail napkins, colorful candles, picture frames, gingham dishtowels, and every once in a while a one-of-a-kind apron hanging on the front display table.
100 N. Tryon Street
704-376-3888
Outdoor furnishing goods
The Hearth and Patio
The folks at The Hearth and Patio are here to help you realize your dream of an outdoor oasis. The rich inventory of patio furniture, accessories, outdoor fireplaces, and top-quality grills fit any backyard, deck, or screened-in patio. A Martin Fireplace matched with a commanding Fire Magic Elite 50 and impressive Luxor dining table by Landgrave will transform your deck into a five-star restaurant. If you’re keeping the party inside, impress guests with an authentic wood stove from Vermont Castings.
4332 Monroe Road
704-332-4139
Place to chill on your lunch break
Polished Nail Bar
Your boss is annoying, your interns talk too much, and that report due at noon is just not gonna get done. You need to get away from your four-by-four cubicle, and Polished Nail Bar is your lunchtime refuge. Enjoy complimentary glasses of wine during your service and watch the TVs tuned to the guiltiest pleasure of all (a.k.a. reality TV). But it’s the affordable menu options that make this place a beauty regime staple, with services including manicures ($15-$25), pedicures ($25-$35), facials, and waxing. They also offer specialized treatments like Meni-cures for your beau and Little Diva nail treatments for girls under ten ($12-$20).
2041-F South Boulevard
704-954-0004
Place to buy your LBD (little black dress)
Metropolis of Ballantyne
Audrey Hepburn epitomized it in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. And Tom Ford did it best at Gucci. Year after year the little black dress tiptoes back into our repertoire, a constant friend among sequins and sashes. In Charlotte, the selection at Metropolis is unmatched. From a romantic, ruched-satin Nicole Miller pick to a strappy French Connection piece, head down to Ballantyne Village for this wardrobe staple.
Ballantyne Village, 704-369-5122
New women’s boutique
Coco Fleur
Boutiques come and go but, based on its to-die-for inventory, we’re betting that Coco Fleur is here to stay. With light lavender walls and hardwood floors, this 1,600-square-foot Parisian-inspired boutique offers dresses by Nicole Miller, Rachel Pally, Robert Rodriguez, and Tocca; shoes by Patrick Cox, Bettye Muller, Marc Jacobs, and Emilio Pucci; bags by Goldenbleu and Anne Valerie Hash, and jewelry by local designer Elsa Lee and Geo Art.
8145 Ardrey Kell Road, Suite 102 704-321-2626
Custom furniture and accessories
roost
In this custom furniture gallery in downtown Waxhaw (yes, Waxhaw) you’ll find leather couches and chairs by JJ Hyde Co. out of Newton in addition to handmade wood furniture by roost’s owner, Josh Burch, who also makes custom guitars. Commissions are welcome, and the store also carries original art by Laura Campbell, Chris Hood, Matlock, and Dorothy Myers.
101 East North Main Street Waxhaw, 704-243-0530
Place for a unique gift basket
Calloway’s Baskets & Blossoms
Looking for a little something to cheer up an under-the-weather friend? A Dr. Feelgood basket—tea, honey, treats, and puzzle books tucked into a doctor’s black bag—is sure to make her smile. And who couldn’t use a pretty pink Anti-Stress basket brimming with bath-time goodies and chocolate truffles? For something truly unexpected, order a pet basket for a friend of the furry variety.
601 S. Kings Drive, Kingspointe Shopping Center, 704-372-8892
Place to buy a gala gown
Capitol
The ladies who lunch, the city’s highest-profile female philanthropists, and all the socialites in between flock to Capitol when it’s time for the Black & White Gala or any other fancy soirée. With exquisite designs by Lanvin, Peter Som, Brian Reyes, and Valentino, who can blame them? In addition, owner Laura Vinroot Poole has assembled a sharp floor staff that’ll make sure you won’t discover your gown on someone else at the big dance.
6815-C Phillips Place Court Phillips Place, 704-552-8987
Place to get home goods for your kiddies
Lucy and Company
Nurseries are much more than mobiles and plush animals these days, and kids’ rooms are much more than Matchbox cars and Barbies. If you don’t believe it, pay a visit to Lucy and Company, a full-service design firm that focuses on wee ones. Here you’ll find cribs by Relics Furniture (these can be painted in any Benjamin Moore color) and Angel Line (those cool round cribs), in addition to colorful accessories and rugs. The store also offers custom painting services for furniture or walls.
1009 East Boulevard
704-342-6655
Place to spend half your wedding budget
Crayton Heritage
If you really want to set the bar high for your wedding, shower or Christmas party, start with the invitation. We’re not talking about embossed. We’re talking about the art of letterpress printing. At Crayton Heritage you can have your declaration of love or your invite to party printed on rich Italian paper for all to see and feel. So luxurious—and well worth the money—is Crayton’s work that one bride spent $20,000 on her order.
2321 Distribution Street
704-333-5413
Baby goods
Looby Loo
After being on East Boulevard for five years, Looby Loo made the big move to Blakeney Village in Ballantyne this spring. Not to worry, the store managed to transfer its intoxicating whimsy without a glitch as it still carries precious baby ensembles by Catimini and colorful swing top jumpers by Zutano Baby Basics. As for infant toys, well, let’s just say that Santa should close down his workshop and stop by here instead.
9852 Rea Road, Blakeney Village 704-544-3110
Consignment shop
Consign by Design
Beverly Sokol has created a destination where blouses with Laundry and Blumarine tags hang on racks next to Seven jeans from last season and across from St. John suits—all at discount consignment prices. She also carries jewelry and handbags, but the real Coaches and Fendis are hung from a shelf above her desk, away from the designer knock-offs. Consign by Design is the perfect place to earn some extra cash for those Theory slacks that will never fit, and also a great way to find a Nicole Miller top for about half the price.
739 Providence Road
704-348-2506
Place for rugged gear
REI
Outdoor enthusiasts chimed in for a collective “Hallelujah” when REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.) opened in Pineville last year. Divided into specialty areas such as camping, cycling, hiking, etc., the 26,500-square-foot store offers everything you need to enjoy the great outdoors: hiking boots, water bottles, and even Lexan wine glasses for the romantic hiker. The store also has sandbags and weights available to fill backpacks so you can decipher which one is right for your gear.
11067 Carolina Place Parkway Pineville, 704-341-7405
Exotic home store
Sticki Rice
Walking through Sticki Rice is like taking a tiny journey through the Orient, and that’s no accident. Owner Amy Jenkins, who grew up in Asia, fills her cozy boutique with gifts and home décor items she purchases from Asian villages. Nothing is a replica; pieces are either old or handcrafted. Choose from antique armoires, coffee tables, and sideboards in addition to fun accessories like leather boxes filled with chopsticks, handbags from Vietnam, or iPod cases made from Indian saris.
1222 East Boulevard
704-644-5363
Place for paper goods
Salutations
Chapel Hill-based Salutations chose Charlotte for its second location, and we’re sure glad it did. Unlike typical stationery stores, Salutations is devoid of clutter so you can easily view invitation offerings by Crane & Co., Anna Griffin, Mara-Mi, and William Arthur, along with stationery lines by Carrot & Stick Press, kate spade, and Vera Wang. If that’s not enough to satisfy your paper fetish, check out the boutique’s extensive selection of Kolo albums, Molly West handmade photo books, and Moleskin journals.
14825 John J. Delaney Drive, Ballantyne Village, 704-369-5260
Place to buy women’s shoes
Step by Sloan
Show us a woman who doesn’t have a weakness for a fantastic pair of heels, and we’ll show you a liar. Step by Sloan’s bountiful array of strappy Diors, classic Cole Haans, and stunning Sergio Rossis will leave you speechless. Luckily, owners Courtney Sloan, Jill Sloan Pleune, and “Shoe Man Dan” Daniel Mauney are there to provide expertise on the exact pair to flatter your footsies. Can’t justify $300 loafers? No worries, Step’s generous sale rack stocks designer shoes, bags and accessories often for less than $50.
1419 East Boulevard, The Shops at Twin Oaks, 704-376-1275
New home accessories store
Home Eclectic
Although the word eclectic is used way too much in regard to home design these days, it truly applies to this store. Where else can you find dinnerware from traditional Vera Bradley and contemporary Jonathan Adler sitting just shelves apart? Not to mention Wilton Armetale Serveware, Godinger Silver, Villeroy & Boch serving pieces, Flor modular carpet tile, Zevro cereal dispensers, fun swizzle sticks, beach stone placemats, and dupioni silk curtains. Owners John Naretta and Mike Smith certainly know how to mix things up.
601 S. Kings Drive
KingsPointe Shopping Center 704-332-4346
Place to buy wine
winestore
This is a simple, well-organized place that doesn’t overwhelm you with thousands of bottles. Instead, winestore has a carefully selected collection of excellent wines ranging from affordable to very expensive. With an urban, chic, hip design of glass and steel, finding a good bottle is easy with categories like Dinner Party, Girls Night Out, Making Up, Loose Change, and Tax Break. It also has a fantastic method of sampling wines for sale. It’s an automated dispenser that’s activated by a wine card you purchase at the counter. Each sample is one ounce and costs $0.70, which is a great value—especially if you’re wondering if the $50 bottle you’re considering is any good.
702 Governor Morrison Street, 704-625-2900
Place to buy a suit (men and women)
Taylor Richards & Conger
When you shop at Taylor Richards & Conger, it’s all about you. From the minute you walk in the door you feel as though you’ve entered the luxurious world of plush suiting. With designers like Armani, Canali, and John Varvatos, some suits and tuxes are certainly more expensive (but worth it). But you can still find reasonable options in Italian sports coats, crisp dress shirts, and ultra-smooth leather shoes and belts. And if the in-store selection isn’t exactly what you want, try the custom route. TRC’s polite and knowledgeable staff will fit you for trousers (starting at $150), a full suit (between $800 and $6,000), or, for the ladies, a Hamilton dress shirt (starting at $160).
6907 Phillips Place Court, Phillips Place
704-336-2905
Place to buy your power bag
Neiman Marcus
With in-store bag boutiques for its Chanel, Gucci and Prada collections, Neiman Marcus is an “it” bag bonanza. From jewel-encrusted clutches by Judith Leiber to super-soft Chloé totes, NM has a bag to fit every occasion and every shopper. If you can’t find what you want in the store’s boutiques, check the floor for designs by Chloé, Bottega Veneta, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Marc Jacobs and Nancy Gonzalez.
SouthPark, 704-442-790
Bridal attire
The Lily Rose Couture Bridal Boutique
When you’re a bride, it’s really all about you. The owners of The Lily Rose know that and they give each customer their full attention the moment she walks through the door. However, the bride’s attention will go straight to the boutique’s gown selection with designs by Carolina Herrera, Kelly Chase Couture, L’ezu Atelier, Pronovias, and Kathryn La’Croix. Finish your wedding day look with jewelry by Erica Koesler, shoes by Grace, and a veil by Malis-Henderson.
Jetton Village, Cornelius, 704-895-1007
Place to buy a stylish gift
Luxe Home Couture
This home décor store has lovely glassware, candles, and frames (check out the ones made from carved bone) but if you want to earn the title of gift-giving guru, you’ll opt for the more unusual goods like a sterling silver accessory box with a carved silver alligator on top or mosaic ostrich eggs from South Africa. If you really like the person, you might want to splurge on a petrol blue stingray bowl by R & Y Augousti, which is also carried at Barneys.
227 East Boulevard, 704-370-2644
Place to find your guy stylish duds
Billy Reid
It doesn’t matter if your man is a banker or a bad boy, Billy Reid has something for him, whether it’s a denim oxford button-down, a colorful collared dress shirt, a pair of funky striped wool trousers, or a cotton cashmere cord blazer. The store’s atmosphere, with its vintage photos and Americana/ blues/soul music blaring through the speakers, borrows its character from the old house in Alabama where Reid designs his collections. This store is so cool your man just might decide to shop with you.
SouthPark, 704-365-6311
Candles
The Bee Man Candle Co.
Brian Howell (the actual bee man) doesn’t just sell candles; he makes them, too. In his South End store, he makes 750 tapered and natural dipped candles daily (the town of Williamsburg, Virginia is one of his biggest clients). His molded candles, which are made at his Barringer Drive production facility, come in twenty-four colors and are sold in the store. Howell also sells scented candles by Illume and Harvest Wind Candles, which are made in nearby Concord.
1440 S. Tryon Street, 704-333-4823
Freshest produce
Talley's Green Grocery
During the months when area farmer’s markets offer limited or no selection of fresh local produce, there is no better place to go. Nearly everything here is organic, local, or both. Even in bleak November, you can find North Carolina mountain apples and tender organic butternut squash in the produce section. Come back in summer and enjoy fresh heirloom tomatoes and herbs from nearby farms. The only thing missing is shrink wrap.
1408-C East Boulevard, 704-334-9200
Gift shop
The Village Store
A trip to The Village Store is like going on a treasure hunt, although it’s not much of a hunt as everything is a treasure. For more than forty years, this Davidson shop has supplied gifts for all occasions complete with complimentary wrapping. Owner Megan Blackwell stocks her store with Vera Bradley’s hottest designs (this year’s flip-flops are a must), along with the latest in entertainment and seasonal items. Best of all there’s almost always a half-off sales table in front of the store.
110 S. Main Street, Davidson, 704-892-4440
Hardware store
Blackhawk Hardware
There are still a lot of great old-style neighborhood hardware stores, but they usually fall short when things get serious. Then there are the hardcore hardware stores for the pro, but they don’t have anything for the garden or barbecue. Blackhawk Hardware is the best of both worlds, with a neighborhood feel, a softer side, great service, an impressive assortment of nuts and bolts, and an appealing blend of hardware, housewares, and barbecue accessories.
Park Road Shopping Center, 704-525-2682
Place to buy cigars
McCranie’s Pipe Shop
This is a no no-smoking zone. If you like tobacco, this is where to go. McCranie’s carries the best cigars: AVO, Arturo Fuente, Cohiba, Diamond Crown, Montecristo, Padilla Miami, and many more, all of which are kept in a walk-in Spanish cedar humidor. The shop also carries excellent blends of pipe tobacco and beautifully handcrafted pipes.
Park Road Shopping Center, 704-523-8554;
20910 Torrence Chapel Road, Cornelius, 704-655-9055
Place to buy sausage
Kalinka European Foods
Kalinka has a wide assortment of Russian salamis and a couple of versions of kielbasa that any serious tailgater would give up his Panthers tickets for. But it’s the parowki cielece (veal frankfurters) that make this place the best. No junky fillers here, just pure meat, baby. Boil, fry, or grill them, and eat them with sauerkraut. This is the place for sausage lovers and it’s well worth the trip.
10403 B-2 Park Road, Pineville, 704-542-2623
Place to buy meat
The Fresh Market
The Fresh Market is clean, the presentation is amazing, the service is superb, and the choice is abundant. Choices include Hereford beef, bone-in ribeye, tenderloin, standing rib roast, New York strip, and more. The chicken is fresh, unwrapped, deboned, skinned—however you like it. The pork is the best cut and of the highest quality. Fresh country style sausage is featured in a big tray molded to look like a pig. Plus, the store sells ready-to-bake Italian meatloaf and Italian beef pinwheel, which has spinach and cheese or portabella and mozzarella worked into fresh ground beef. The meat options here are endless.
4223 Providence Road, 704-548-1973
Place to buy fresh seafood
Jim’s Seafood Market
Buying fresh seafood can be tricky but not at the spotless and easy-to-navigate Jim’s Seafood Market. Color illustrations make it easy to determine what’s in the bins, which contain a wide assortment of trout, salmon, catfish, flounder, striped bass, perch, shrimp, crab legs, and oysters. And the fish is always on ice. The counter people are very helpful in describing what is fresh and what is frozen, and they will clean, scale, or filet the fish if you desire.
2103 N. Graham Street, 704-344-0705
Organic selection
Harris Teeter
With so many outstanding natural foods stores around Charlotte, one might ask why we chose a national supermarket chain for this category. The reason is that Harris Teeter (headquartered in Matthews) has done a top-notch job of making organic products both available and affordable, from milk to salsa to raisins to chocolate chip cookies. Thanks to the HT Naturals house brand with its familiar sky-blue packaging, buying organic requires barely any extra time or effort. Best of all, the quality standards are high and not a single item tastes like health food.
Various locations
International grocery
Central Oriental
What sets this midsize grocery apart from other international markets in East Charlotte? The store stocks a wide array of Asian specialty foods but the selection doesn’t end there. On the shelves you’ll find not only wonton wrappers, hoisin sauce, and rice noodles, but also West Indian curry powder, fresh breadfruit, and coffee from Cafe du Monde of New Orleans. Good organization, clear prices, and friendly staff make this the place to go first for ingredients you’ll struggle to find anywhere else.
2920 Central Avenue, 704-532-9888
Lighting
Modern Lighting Design Showroom
Liza Branch recently moved her unique lighting showroom to the welcoming corner of South Tryon and Camden streets in South End. The front window, filled with samples from Bruck Lighting Systems, Vibia, and Foscarin, is as impressive as the surrounding art galleries. Branch will help determine the best design for your needs out of her catalogued items, which you’ll proudly display in your home in two to three weeks. From floor lamps to chandeliers and outdoor sconces, the lighting found at Modern will be a conversation starter among guests. Modern Lighting is the place for the home decorator who wants to make a statement in lights.
1447 S. Tryon Street, 704-332-0109
Lingerie Boutique
I.C. London Ballantyne
There’s an old Newlyweds episode on which Jessica Simpson admits to then-hubby Nick Lachey that she went on a $750 panty shopping spree at an L.A. lingerie shop. Think it can’t be done in Charlotte? Think again. At I.C. London you’ll find sleepwear and lingerie so comfortable you won’t want to get dressed; camisoles so elegantly tailored and adorned with subtle trim you’ll want to wear them to dinner; and bras so beautiful your beau will—well, you get the point. Find lingerie staples in lace, super-soft cotton/Spandex, mesh, silk, and satin by Cosabella, Hanky Panky, On Gossamer, Le Mystere, Leigh Bantivoglio, and many more. Plus, get professionally fitted for your new brassiere.
Ballantyne Village, 704-341-0034
Best place to buy make-up and skincare goodies
Jeffre Scott Apothecary
Jeffre Scott, a cosmetics-branding guru from New York City, chose Charlotte for his first retail store. Located next to the Manor Theatre, Jeffre Scott Apothecary carries mineral make-up lines by Susan Posnick and Alison Raffaele, Dr. Lewinn’s line of luxurious skincare products (love the self-tanner), lip wear by Wallet, plus Zinnia’s line of sweet-smelling soy candles. If you’re intimidated by mineral make-up, no worries—Scott and his staff will educate you on how to apply it as they pamper you. Also, check out the men’s goods, with skin and hair care products from Philip B. and True Gentleman.
607 Providence Road, 704-339-0010
Place to buy jewelry that the Hollywood set sports
Dilsey Coal
While some fine jewelry boutiques in Charlotte require an appointment and trust fund to enter, Elizabeth Johnson’s lovely Dilsey Coal is a true open-door operation. Open since 2003, Johnson offers beautiful and unique pieces from a variety of designers including Roseanne Pugliese, Subversive Jewelry, Thea Grant, Jennifer Meyer, and Balboa. The collections are stylish, original, and refreshing, often handmade by these talented designers. Be it a wishbone necklace, hammered gold bangle, or peridot drop earrings, Dilsey Coal is the best accessory for your wardrobe.
1419 East Boulevard, The Shops at Twin Oaks, 704-334-8991
Jewelry designer Nicole Kidman would love
Elsa Lee
Elsa Lee learned about beading by working summers in a now-defunct bead shop in NoDa. Although the shop is gone, her love for the art has only grown stronger. Now a full-time jewelry designer, Lee uses natural wood, leather, and precious stones to bring her visions to life. Her creations can be found at ChezElle, Coco Fleur, Laughing Budha, Studio Moda, and online.
Studio Moda, 1525 Central Avenue 704-333-0850
Jewelry designer Sarah Jessica Parker would love
Christine Owczarzak
Christine Owczarzak has been designing jewelry since age ten. Although she uses precious stones in her work, the pieces that make her designs stand out are the found objects she picks up along the way. One necklace features a starfish she found at Paper Skyscraper, while another includes part of an antique comb. Look for her designs at her bead shop, On a String, as well as City Art Works and Sloan.
On a String, 416 Providence Road 704-334-1105
Jewelry designer Chloe Sevigny would love
Day Hixson
Day Hixson uses an anvil, drill press, grinder, hydrolic press, jewelry saw, and rolling mill to turn silver and found objects into works of art. One of her favorite creations is her custom hip-hop-inspired name rings, which can span four fingers. She also has a penchant for cuff bracelets. Her industrial-looking pieces can be found at City Supply Co., NOFO on Liz and Limjerbou.
daycreations, 704-277-5860
Place to buy flowers for your wife
Flower Hut
Admit it, it doesn’t take much to make the wife happy, does it? Flowers delivered to her office can instantly transform you into her shining knight. Order online from Flower Hut and get exactly what you see on the Web site, fresh from the grower, delivered for free. And owner Bill Miller bumps off 20 percent for local online orders. So now you’re thoughtful and thrifty. You might just get lucky tonight, knight.
5208 E. Independence Boulevard 704-535-1041
Gallery of Flowers
Make a great first impression without wearing your heart on your sleeve. Mosey on over to this pretty little shop and choose from as many as sixteen different types and colors of roses so you can save romantic r
