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Thursday, May 21, 2009
Features / Events Wanna be a stiletto girl?
Posted By Kimberly Lawson on Thu, May 21, 2009 at 11:13 AM
Last night at Belk Theater, I noticed two women walking gingerly down the stairs. They were late for the show, but they seemed to be in no rush. In fact, each step was taken with extreme caution. I looked down at their feet and immediately sympathized: They were wearing stilettos. Very fly stilettos, too.
Maybe they're a part of the Stiletto Girls?
The Observer ran a story about the Stiletto Girls recently, a local networking group for women that has grown to about 252 members since it was founded in January.
Started by Charlottean Susan Bear in January, the group has grown every month, and about 40-50 people attend the meetings, held the first Thursday of every month. Bear, whose day job is with Carolinas Healthcare System, lines up door prizes and vendors.Her motivation for starting the meetup.com group was simple, she says, and is without strings.
She loves to boutique shop, knows a lot of people in the fashion and beauty business, and wanted to create a place where women could socialize, network and find out more about the retail options available in Charlotte.
Their next event will be May 28: Luxury Special Stiletto Girl Event Benefit Brow Bar at Belk Southpark. The next monthly meetup will be June 4 at Apostrophe Lounge. Click here to check out their meetup.com page.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Features / Videos / Summer item Online shopping done right with bevello
Posted By Kimberly Lawson on Wed, May 20, 2009 at 1:13 PM
Love is in the air this summer with Raleigh's newest online women's boutique bevello.
Shopping online can be somewhat of a hassle at times. Will this dress look the same on me as it looks on the girl in the picture? Will it fit right? Bevello.com, which has been up and running since early April, tackles those frustrations and worries head-on.
"People want to shop online but they have a lot of doubt and intimidation and restrictions that keep them from doing so, such as will the dress fit, what will it look like, what will it feel like, is it going to be a different color when you get it," says Mary Gillogly, bevello's "behind-the-scenes girl." "So we take that frustration out and that intimidation factor out as much as possible, so that bevello can be a company that you can trust."
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Features Etsy.com's local sellers
Posted By Kimberly Lawson on Tue, May 19, 2009 at 11:00 AM
Charlotte Magazine has a neat little brief about goods found on Etsy.com made by local folks — complete with photos. Read it here.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Features The complexities of men's underwear
Posted By Kimberly Lawson on Thu, May 14, 2009 at 12:10 PM
When I read the headline of this story (High Anxiety Over Men's Underwear), I had to laugh. Men's underwear — now a $3.1 billion U.S. market — has become such an exhausting and convoluted segment of the fashion world. The age-old question used to be, boxers or briefs? Well, now you've got boxers, briefs, boxer-briefs, thongs, trunks and more. Calvin Klein offers 15 — yes, 15! — different underwear "groups."
"We're doing underwear with all of our energy and all of our creativity," says Bob Mazzoli, chief creative officer of Calvin Klein Underwear, which was an early leader in introducing stylish men's underwear. ..."We want to give him something that he can engage with and not be just that boring choice," Mr. Mazzoli says. "We don't think of it as just underwear."
Even just picking up a pair of cheap undies at Target because you didn't pack enough for a trip can be a time-consuming ordeal. I remember standing around in the men's underwear aisle, patiently waiting for my boyfriend to choose a package. Not only did he have to take size into account, but style, comfort and color were also factors. Sigh.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Features DIY sunglasses
Posted By Kimberly Lawson on Wed, May 13, 2009 at 12:06 PM
Good sunglasses are so hard to find. If you're completely frustrated with trying to find the perfect pair, check out Oakley's DIY site where you can pick your own lens and frame colors and have whatever you want etched on. (Heads up: All Oakley Custom products are tailor-made for you and for no one else, so no returns, exchanges or cancellations after the order's been processed.)
Friday, May 8, 2009
Features / Holiday Deals Mother's Day gift ideas and specials
Posted By Kimberly Lawson on Fri, May 8, 2009 at 1:44 PM
Denim Affair: They carry a T-shirt line, PeaceLoveMom, that's selling like crazy and a perfect gift for mom. They have several styles and color choices in burn out and soft jersey cotton. 9848 Rea Road. 704-341-4791. www.denimaffaironline.com
Beadlush: 1217 The Plaza. 704-376-3331. www.beadlush.com
Handpicked: New Brushed Sterling Silver Collections, New Original Stone Collections (Necklaces, Earrings, and Bracelets), New Costume gold Collections. Colorful metal vases and tubs, buy one get one free. (Great to fill flowers with for Mother's Day.) New rings and great handbags in beautiful spring and summer colors are 30 percent off. Come in while supplies last. 1721 Kenilworth Ave. 704-334-2037. 8040 Providence Rd # 600. 704-541-1431. 9844 Rea Road #A. 704-405-9780. www.behandpicked.com
Cottage Chic: Best sellers for mom — Bedhead Pajamas, locally handmade jewelry, candles (just voted "Best of the Best" for candle selection by Charlotte Magazine), bath & body goodies from Fresh and Elizabeth W, and fun bags by Jane Marvel. 1232 East Blvd. 704-375-1888.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Features / Holiday Deals Win a Paper Skyscraper gift card
Posted By Kimberly Lawson on Thu, May 7, 2009 at 4:03 PM
Why does mama deserve something nice? Tell the staff at Paper Skyscraper:
Post your reason Mom Deserves Something Nice to the Paper Skyscraper Facebook Page, and/or Tweet it to @PaperSkyscraper on Twitter. On Saturday May 9, the Paper Skyscraper staff will choose our favorite reason and award a $25 Paper Skyscraper Gift Card to the winner. The winner will be listed on our Facebook Page and will get a shout-out on Twitter. So, get to work, and good luck!
Here's mine: My mom deserves something nice because she always makes me Korean food when I go home to visit.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Features A sample sale site turned bloodbath
Posted By Kimberly Lawson on Fri, May 1, 2009 at 11:12 AM
An online sample sale site has women practically debilitated. Here are some of their stories (via TheDailyBeast.com)
“I am definitely a Gilt Groupe junkie,” says a New York City-based writer, who says she has spent over $10,000—almost a quarter of her annual income—on the site over the last 12 months. “You just get really caught up in it. It’s almost like drunk shopping. I damaged the mouse on my computer from over-clicking on an item, to get it into my cart.”
“You only have five minutes to get what you want and then you’re fucked,” says Hilary Rowland, CEO of talent agency New Faces, who says she drops everything for one of Gilt’s Dolce and Gabbana sales. “If you look at the clock and it’s 12:10, you’re like, forget it, there’s no point in even looking.”
Gilt Groupe, a members-only discount-designer-clothing Web site that features heavily discounted items from designers like Oscar de la Renta and Vera Wang, launches a new sale each day at 12 p.m. And that's when the battle begins. Quoting from TheDailyBeast.com article, "What follows next can often be compared to a bloodbath as members try to outscramble each other in filling their carts with shoes, dresses, bags, and other treasure."
That's pretty intense.
Features / Summer item Free Comic Book Day must-haves
Posted By Carlton Hargro on Fri, May 1, 2009 at 10:08 AM
On May 2, the annual Free Comic Book Day is set to again take over comic book shops across the nation. This year, dozens of publishers will hand out more than 20 different titles — but, while all the comics are free, some are more worth grabbing than others. So to help with your shopping, here are my picks for Free Comic Book Day must-haves:
Blackest Night No. 0: Writer Geoff Johns and artist Ivan Reis join forces to offer this new tale, which is a prelude to the upcoming (and highly anticipated) Blackest Night limited series/crossover event.
Owly and Friends: Top Shelf Productions presents this kid-centric comic containing a bunch of funny short stories by creators like James Kochalka and Andy Runton, among others.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Before the Turtles became household names, they were the stars of a black-and-white, underground title. Well, just in time for the team's 25th anniversry, this special comic reprints the hard-to-find TMNT first issue.
Read more here.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Features One for one: Toms Shoes
Posted By Kimberly Lawson on Thu, Apr 30, 2009 at 11:14 AM
140,000 pairs of shoes. That's 140,000 sets of feet that previously were bare, 140,000 pairs of feet that weren't protected against the elements, and 140,000 pairs of feet that were susceptible to diseases like podoconiosis (a deforming foot disease caused by walking barefoot in silica-rich soil in Ethiopia).
140,000 is the number of pairs of shoes entrepreneur Blake Mycoskie of Toms Shoes has given away to date in the United States, Argentina, Ethiopia and South Africa. His philosophy? For every pair of canvas shoes you buy, a child in need gets a pair.
The shoes start at $44 and come in men's, women's and children's sizes.
And here's the thing: They're cute. I'm particularly intrigued by Toms Wrap Boot.
Go check out the site, maybe buy a pair or two, and help out a child in need.
To read more about Toms Shoes and founder Blake Mycoskie, check out this LA Times article.
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Ruby's Gift hosts Project Art Aid Goes Pink
In honor of breast cancer awareness month, Ruby’s Gift brings you an event on Oct. 22.
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DIY sunglasses 1
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Now open: Ruby's Gift in Selwyn 1
