Oh, what a night! Thursday evening, Lotus boutique hosted a ladies night that was feelin' right. Laughter, champagne and strawberries filled the air while girlfriends went crazy for the brand-new and very enticing spring collection. New arrivals to check out include fun tunics, flirty dresses and ruffle waist shorts cute enough to buy for the cruise you haven't booked yet.
Lotus added a special twist to the event the fabulous evening of shopping wasn't just to benefit our closets. Proceeds went to Care Ring, a nonprofit organization which "provides access to preventive health services to the uninsured and underinsured, serving annually 10,000 people in Mecklenburg County." An evening to celebrate a new wardrobe season and to give recognition to a wonderful organization a fashion-forward success in my book.
Mark your calendar, another great benefit for Care Ring is happening this Saturday, Feb. 5 at Extravaganza Depot. The organization's annual Casino Night promises to be a fun-filled night of gambling, h'ors d'oeuvres, young professionals and more.
Today I stopped by and interviewed LaVonndra Johnson, owner of Elle VJ, a cute little boutique in NoDa's Hart Witzen Gallery. The interview will be posted next week, but wanted to share a quick photo of some of the party/cocktail dresses she offers (in addition to some cute flirty tops as well).
Strange but true, Forbes has released its first ever ranking of the best U.S. cities for shopping. And beating out places like New York City, San Francisco and Atlanta, Charlotte ranked #11.
According to Forbes, the top 10 cities for shopping are Houston; Dallas; Baltimore; Columbus, Ohio; Indianapolis; Philadelphia; Phoenix; San Antonio; Jacksonville, Fla.; and San Diego.
And what was the method to their madness?
When it comes to shopping, everyone has their own style. Some of us are in-and-out. We know what we want, we know where to find it and wed like to be on our way, thank-you-very-much. Others are in heaven strolling through well-lit retail centers, window shopping to our hearts delight, even if theres nothing we need. And some of us are on the hunt for a bargainif it isnt on sale, its not on our list.In compiling our list of Americas best cities for shopping, we took the interests of all types to heart to find the urban centers with the best combination of options, ease and affordability.
So what does that mean? Ultimately, rather than considering the kinds of shops available or selection of consumer products, Forbes looked at the numbers. See for yourself in the below screenshot from Forbes what Charlotte has to offer.
So, what do you think? Is Charlotte a shopping destination?
Certainly, you've heard by now that Verizon is finally getting the iPhone next month. (Yeah, I would have blogged about it yesterday, but I was trapped at home because of the snow and ice. Also, who really wants to work on a "snow day"?)
As a devoted iPhone user/AT&T customer, how do I feel about this? Well, I'm pretty excited. But not because I plan to make the switch to Verizon.
I know people have complained about AT&T's bad cell phone service since the beginning of iPhone time. But let's consider the sheer number of iPhone users tying up AT&T's network. If, say, 25 percent of them jump the gun (and pay that outrageous fee to break their contract) and switch to Verizon, that's more space for the rest of us to do our data business. In other words, a major win for tthose who will stay with AT&T.
So, current iPhone users, what do you need to do? Convince every friend, foe, and family member who loves the iPhone or wants one to GO WITH VERIZON next month. This way, we can clear out the clutter that is our network.
(Important side note that I don't want to mention but will anyway: Current iPhone users, you can't take your phone and simply switch carriers. You've got to buy a brand-new iPhone WITH Verizon, if you want to use their service.)
Business must be good at Target. (Eh, who am I kidding. I fight for parking every time I go to the Target at Midtown.)
The super retail giant announced yesterday that it will be opening 21 new stores in 13 states next year.
For North Carolina, we'll be seeing two new stores open up in Gastonia and Morrisville (where the heck is Morrisville?).
First, there was the Snuggie. Now, there's Pajama Jeans, the "hot new fashion sensation that fits every figure perfectly."
What won't people buy, right?
At first, I didn't know what to think of this new "As Seen on TV" product. Basically, you're looking at a pair of navy blue sweat pants with threading on the side to make them look like denim. Who's going to spend $39.95 + shipping and handling on something you can buy from Walmart on the cheap? The driving concept is comfort, and what's more comfortable than a pair of sweat pants or stretchy yoga pants?
And yet ... I'd almost guarantee that the Pajama Jeans will be as hot as the Snuggie. Remember when that product came out? Sure, people scoffed that you could attain the same result by wearing a bathrobe backward and yet, I'm sure you know more than one person who has one. (In fact, I bought my boyfriend a camouflage one for Christmas.)
So, what do you think? Do you see a pair of Pajama Jeans in your future?
Discounts of up to 75 percent off on lots of merchandise throughout the store + all the remaining Christmas products are 75 percent off as well.
And you should probably not go on your lunch hour, for risk of getting caught up in perusing all their great stuff, you lose track of time.
1111 Central Ave., Suite 200
(704) 344-8774
Monarch (1222 East Blvd.), a new inspired collaborative boutique has opened in Dilworth. This is your go-to store for (more affordable) designer clothing, shoes, jewelry, accessories. From jeans and jackets to shoes and purses ... you'll be tempted to bring everything home. The metamorphosis of Monarch, which we've been watching from their Facebook page, is certainly a wonderful addition to Charlotte.
Someone on my Twitter stream today said we should support the New Year's Resolutioners. And I agree.
Sure, it might be a tad annoying that the gym is full of folks right now, but hey, they're working on getting it tight again, so kudos to them!
If you're one of those New Year's Resolutioners, here are a couple of opportunities to save some money while attempting to get back in shape. Because after all, isn't one of the biggest excuses for not working out that gym memberships and equipment cost so much?
Yelp.com is offering a kick-ass deal called Yelp Kicks Butt. They're offering 50 percent off on select classes/day passes/services throughout the Charlotte area through Jan. 31. Example? Get a pass for unlimited yoga at Y2 Yoga for $19.50 (regular price $39). Click here to check out the flyer.
If you're looking for workout equipment instead, Amazon.com has a pretty good sale going on right now: Save $100, $200 or $300 off the purchase of select equipment sold and shipped from the online retailer. Here's more info on that.
Take a gander at Oscar de la Renta's spring collection at Coplon's Thursday and Friday night. It'll blow you away. (And sorry fashionistas, the star of the show will be the clothes, not the man.)
Here's a video clip from his collection's premiere in New York last September. You've got to love those prints perfect for spring!