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Mar
9
The Shop Tart does not waste a child and husband-free day on frivolity. Saturday morning in Charleston, she awoke bright and early, grabbed coffee and hit the ground running. The day started with breakfast. Actually, not. On her way to breakfast, she spotted something different on King Street, Hampden Clothing’s new location at 314 King Street, a few blocks south of the old location. The new space is bright, airy and big - all the better to see the lovely clothes, shoes, accessories and jewelry.
The Shop Tart was in a hurry - she still needed to make notes on models’ looks for that evening - but Hampden was one of the places providing clothing for the show, so technically, she was working. (She loves her job.) Like the consummate professional she is, she did a bit of browsing. Love the Fiona Paxton necklaces. She has one, but maybe she needs another…
Hampden is ready for spring. Love this long sundress by James Coviello. Also love the nautical top to the left.
Locally designed Troubador by Lindsey Carter was hanging near the front of the store, looking gorgeous.
The Shop Tart fell in love with Margarita Saplala, a Brooklyn-based designer. These lightweight silk pieces would be perfect for spring and summer. The patterns are interesting and pretty, all at once.
There was a great necklace by the same designer. (The one to the right ain’t half-bad either.)
These ombre shoes from French designer Vanessa Bruno are the bomb, n’est-ce pas?
Hampden also carries clothing from Vanessa Bruno, including this fab cropped jacquard jacket that you would wear for the rest of your life with everything from jeans to cocktail dresses. Just saying.
And, though the Shop Tart cannot recall who makes these wood and leather wedges with golf-shoe details, they are awesome.
Owner Stacy Smallwood was there fitting models for Charleston Fashion Week. The Shop Tart can’t wait to see what they show. (Last year, she ended up in the shop the day after their show, desperate to purchase a green wrap Rag & Bone skirt one of the models rocked on the runway.) Charleston Fashion Week starts just one week from today; if you decide to go, let the Shop Tart know and have a glass of bubbly with her while you’re there!
After Hampden, the Shop Tart rushed to Caviar and Bananas for a little breakfast, this delicious omelet, which she ordered with a side of vegetables.
After breakfast, lunch or whatever that was, she headed to the Francis Marion Hotel to meet the models while they had hair and makeup done by stylists from the Shop Talk Movement, a program that trains stylists to educate their clients and increase awareness of colon cancer and the need for screening. AnnaBelle rushed in with dresses, Marysia of Marysia Swim showed up with bathing suits and impossibly leggy young women to put in them, stylists worked on makeup and added a few electric blue clip-ins to willing models’ coiffures. A rehearsal never quite happened, but everyone was smiling.
She made a quick stop in Stella Nova to stock up on her beloved Klorane dry shampoo…
…then headed to Saks for her appointment to be made up by the brilliant Susie Griffin, who had accosted her and her puny eyes she had met the night before. She is positive she would have hated all the pictures of her tired self throughout the weekend had Susie not rescued her. Mwah!
After Saks, she went back to headquarters and got ready for the ball that night in ten minutes. (Ask Mr. Shop Tart. This is totally true, thanks to Susie, a recent Keratin straightening treatment at Austral and the aforementioned Klorane dry shampoo.) During that ten minutes - maybe it was twelve - she devoured a salad with poached salmon Mr. Shop Tart had brought from Ted’s Butcherblock. She has to eat before parties so she can be nice. And away she went to the ball…
The Shop Tart is back from Charleston (but she hasn’t finished telling you about it) and is looking forward to tonight’s mayoral forum at Trustus Theatre, hosted by the Congaree Vista Guild. It is sure to be one of the absolute best opportunities to see the candidates in action. Patti O’Furniture will be there to warm up the crowd and Nickelodeon Theatre’s Larry Hembree will be moderating. (Funny that a derivative of the adjective “moderate” would be appear the same sentence as Larry and Patti.) They have been working hard to ensure the questions will be interesting. Do you know Larry and Patti? This is going to be good, real good. Doors open at 5, as does the cash bar, and the forum starts at 6. See you there!
Happy Shopping and don’t forget to tell them you read it on the Shop Tart!
P.S. Don’t forget Pout’s Chantecaille event happening today and tomorrow. Call 254-5051 to make an appointment with visiting Chantecaille makeup artist Denise Berrell.
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Mar
8
Four Events and a Nap. That would be the movie of the Shop Tart’s last four days, except without the nap. Maybe that will happen this afternoon. Thursday night, the Pink Party started it all. Friday morning, the Shop Tart awoke with excellent intentions: She would eat a healthy breakfast, she would write, she would exercise, she would carefully pack for Charleston and be on the road by 10 am. Stop laughing. At least she made it to Charleston in time for the party that evening at Saks, a pre-game of sorts for the Unmasking Colon Cancer Ball the next evening.
Friday night was a lot of fun. It was thrilling to see local designer AnnaBelle LaRoque’s dresses in Saks on King Street. She designed several signature looks for the event in cobalt blue.
Sometimes, an aggressive makeup artist is desperately needed. As the Shop Tart wandered the party, having had very little time to get ready, she wondered if her eyes were evident. (They are very small. They need make-up.) This gorgeous lady with a shiny brunette bob grabbed her arm, gently demanding, “Let me just do one thing.”
She seemed like an authority, so the Shop Tart sat in a chair and waited. In less than a minute, makeup artist Susie Griffin had used a flat brush to apply Laura Mercier Caviar eyeliner
Face ready, the Shop Tart was ready to enjoy the bubbly. (Hooray for prosecco!)
Passed appetizers from Caviar and Bananas were delish.
AnnaBelle was Twittering away, getting photo approval of course!
Is now an appropriate moment to offer a huge thank you to Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina for their generous support of the cause? Because that’s exactly what this is!
The Shop Tart really enjoyed working with fellow-committee members Laura Shull and Liz Lafitte of Columbia, pictured here with AnnaBelle and the Shop Tart.
As you can see, some of these pictures were not taken by the Shop Tart, but by an actual professional, Travis Teate (who also happens to be AnnaBelle’s beau). He was working really hard this weekend, manning a video camera and taking hundreds of still shots.
During the party, the Shop Tart made the acquaintance of a lovely Parisienne, Marie of Saks. She will be forever thankful to Marie, who helped her identify all of the clothing for the following evening’s fashion show and match it with models. Marie was able to describe every piece, saving the Shop Tart from saying things like, “This one is made from some floaty stuff.” Mille mercis, Marie!
The two ladies pictured below with AnnaBelle are Anjee Quiko Davis, director of community relations and program administration at the Center for Colon Cancer Research at USC, and Anne-Brady Moore Carlson, community relations director of the Cancer Research Center at USC. Anjee and Anne-Brady are more or less responsible for everything and worked tirelessly to make it all happen. (And they don’t even look tired. And Anjee just had a baby!)
After the party, the Shop Tart had a quick bite to eat at Halls Chophouse with AnnaBelle, Travis, Liz, Laura…and other people from the party, including some handsome and charming young men. Ahem. She enjoyed the beet salad. (Yes, one should consider steak at a place called Halls Chophouse, but it was late.)
Halls is a lot of fun. Upstairs, the dining room is quieter and has a classic feel. Downstairs, people like to party to live music by Anthony Owens. (The music was awesome and a verrah tired Shop Tart enjoyed a subdued version upstairs at a table.) Just barely, she made it to bed before midnight to rest up for a full Saturday.
Happy Shopping and don’t forget to tell them you read it on the Shop Tart!
P.S. Looking to get pretty in March? Book any service at Soak for Tuesday between 9:30 am and 2 pm and get $5 off.
P.P.S. Looking to get even prettier? Pout is having a Chantecaille spring color preview event with makeup artist Denise Berrell tomorrow and Wednesday. Call 254-5051 or email Pout to make an appointment, as they get booked fast!
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Mar
5
Lunch yesterday was lovely. DiPrato’s porch is always relaxing. It’s outside, with lots of natural light, but inside because it’s covered and there are heaters. That’s about as outside as the Shop Tart likes to get - she’s no camper. Although the Shop Tart knew what she would order - a virtuous salad with some sort of healthy protein - that didn’t stop her from sampling sharp cheddar pimento cheese with a pita crisp.
Also? She was not too virtuous to ask for a sample of the blue pimento cheese. It was suggested that this might be lovely with steak. Oui!
There were two other new items in the deli that caught her eye. The first was stuffed squash, which would make an excellent side for fish or pasta. Or both.
And she can’t wait to try these risotto balls stuffed with mozzarella and prosciutto. Insane!
Lunch, yes, lunch. Enfin, the Shop Tart headed to order, where the Nickelodeon Theatre’s Larry Hembree graciously offered to buy her lunch, a Greek salad with poached salmon. Salad is healthy enough, it should always include at least one cheese, Feta in this case.
She had every intention of waiting for the Pink Party to have a drink. But Larry was ordering a glass of wine and asked the Shop Tart which kind of wine she wanted. She hates to be rude. And everyone was doing it.
The lunch was strictly business - they reviewed last-minute details for the Oscar party on Sunday. Important details, like what everyone was wearing, what shoes they were wearing with and what kind of food would be there. (The food and wine will be incredible. Can’t wait!) You know what’s great about DiPrato’s? Well, lots of things. They are one of the restaurants providing food for the Oscar party and they are just darn nice. One diner asked for Feta for her salad. Actually, she said it wasn’t a big deal and she didn’t really need it. So they sent out this delicious little plate of pepperoncini, olives and Feta. It got eaten, mostly by the Shop Tart.
After lunch, the Shop Tart made a quick trip to VanJean to pick up a Leifsdottir sundress she begged for in September at coterie with buyer Susan. She loved it even more in person and may be rocking it at the Columbia Museum of Art’s Red, Hot…Cool Gala on April 17th. It’s a bit casual, but she may try to make it work. Unfortunately, it may be a bit early in the season for Mr. Shop Tart to wear his white dinner jacket. It will be two weeks after Easter and this is South Carolina. Do we really have to wait for Memorial Day? Because a white dinner jacket would look so nice with her dress. Opinions welcome. (Although she may decide she doesn’t care what you think and do it anyway.)
Then it was time to head home for a little child-wrangling and chauffeuring. She had been to Cromer’s earlier in the day and returned home as a hero, with lots of treats. (Look for a full report on the Cromer’s trip next week. So much fun and an easy way to impress your children.) The Shop Tart’s mother arrived bearing a gift: A clear glass thingy from Belk that could be used as a punch bowl, cake plate or appetizer and dip tray. Shop Tart Tip: You can (almost) never have too many clear and/or plain white serving pieces. They are perfectly functional and don’t detract from any color scheme. And…she got it on sale. The Shop Tart did learn a few things from her mom, Barbie issues aside.
Enfin, it was on to the Pink Party, a really inspiring event that made the Shop Tart love Columbia even more, which she didn’t think was possible. Emcee Pat Patterson’s introduction was entertaining and both of the endorsees gave moving speeches. Many thanks to the Steves, both Benjamin and Morrison.
They were presented with pink ties, though they both seem to be doing fine on their own. Larry Hembree gave a very moving speech about all that Mayor Bob Coble has done for the gay and lesbian community in Columbia and the support he has offered throughout his years as mayor. The Shop Tart want to join the enthusiastic clapping, but she couldn’t, because she was afraid of dropping the beautiful hand-blown glass bowl from One Eared Cow Glass. She was holding it to present it to Mayor Bob and his wife Beth after he spoke. She got to go all Vanna White. It was cool.
So…who else was there? Loads of people, but the Shop Tart only got a few pictures. Bud Ferrillo, Steve Morrison’s campaign coordinator, and Mayor Bob. Bud and his lovely wife Julia shared an absolutely hilarious story about an awkward party moment down at the beach. You must ask them to share if you see them out and about. Cheers, Bud!
Debbie Parker of Conservation Voters of South Carolina, who is always, always rocking the coolest looks. This dress was a pale mauve, as was the necklace. Her shoes were peep-toe snake print in an ombre pattern that went from tan at the toe to brown at the heel. Love! She is one of the Shop Tart’s fashion icons.
Larry Hembree, of Nickelodeon Theatre and State Paper fame:
Interior designer Ursula Pallares with 701 Whaley owner Richard Burts. Richard was seen moments before this photo was snapped, drill in hand, affixing fancy numbers to the Shop Tart’s future office door. That guy is everywhere.
Photographer Jonathan Sharpe and partner Matthew Butler, both looking like they stepped out of the pages of GQ. Cliche? Yes. True? Also a yes.
Bruce Lawrence of Conservation Voters of South Carolina, attorney John Morris, architect Michael Haigler and…darnit…an unknown woman with gorgeous hair. As she may have mentioned, the Shop Tart is no journalist. She’s also terrible with names. When Bruce introduced her, the Shop Tart promised herself she would remember the name. *sigh* But, seriously? Her hair is fabulous.
Floral designer Andrew Stinson was there and had spent the whole day helping decorate for the party. Do you remember Andrew? He is a genius designer, a subtle master of the bedazzler. This look was slightly less subtle than his last, but perfectly appropriate for the evening. He painted the dragon himself, then applied the sequins. Do you have chills? The Shop Tart has chills.
He was also rocking a pair of self-embellished jeans. Love!
In her excitement over his outfit, the Shop Tart neglected to take a picture of his face, but he’s verrah attractive. Speaking of decorations, they were gorgeous.
The food, provided by Spotted Salamander, the Whig and Groucho’s was delish. The Shop Tart had a lovely chat with Brad Weeks of Spotted Salamander. Drinks were provided by Shop Tart favorite Barefoot and Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina’s Firefly. Firefly rocks. We should be real proud. (Psssst…it makes a great gift for out-of-town hostesses. They are always impressed and it’s nice and local!)
Happy Weekend and don’t forget to tell them you read it on the Shop Tart!
P.S. Why are these people smiling? They were at last year’s Carniball for EdVenture. The Shop Tart can’t make it, because she’ll be in Charleston for the Unmasking Colon Cancer Ball, but if you are in town, this will be a way-fun way to spend Saturday night!
P.P.S. Tomorrow is Five Points’ Sidewalk Sale. Look for great deals from merchants. Revente is offering 20 percent off all regular-priced items Saturday and Sunday. They have a whole rack of green if you need a new look for St. Patrick’s Day!
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Mar
4
The Shop Tart is planning on starting her weekend at 1 pm, with lunch at DiPrato’s and a little last-minute Nickelodeon Oscar Party Planning. The Oscar Party? So…in case you haven’t heard…there is one and the Shop Tart is co-emceeing with Patti O’Furniture and co-hosting with lots of local glitterati, from Moore, Stewart-style, of WIS-TV to Moore, Eva-style, of Free Times. Somehow, lunches with the staff from the Nick always turn into a party, so hooray for that! Many thanks to Otis Taylor and Kim Kim Foster-Tobin of The State for a great article about the party in today’s weekend section. Since we’re being all Oscar-y, the Shop Tart would also like to thank Elizabeth Baston and Cille Arrendale of Pout for doing the makeup for the shoot, Larry Hembree, Tori Katherman, Heather Spires and Andy Smith for being such good sports about modeling and looking gorgeous, Debbie McDaniel, Dianne Wilkins and Heather Craig of Revente for letting the crew take over the store and Gentleman’s Closet for stepping up to the plate at the last minute to help dress the guys. Also? The Shop Tart would like to thank her mother, who never let her have Barbies because she didn’t want her to grow up “obsessed with makeup and clothes.” She taught the Shop Tart that you can’t control your child’s personality; she also led the Shop Tart to her passion in life, clothes and makeup. Mwah!
By the way, thanks in part to the great article on The State, the Shop Tart suspects this event will sell out soon, if it hasn’t already. It will be the bomb: food from all your local favorites, fashion galore, commentary from Patti O’Furniture and the Shop Tart, a Lincoln Town Car for red carpet photo ops, a signature cocktail, wine, beer, plenty of Oscar-watching and Valet US on hand with scooters for anyone who needs a ride at the end of the night. (They are offering rides for a flat fee of $15 rather than charging for mileage as they usually do.) Get your tickets now! (Then head to Revente to choose a fab look!)
At 4 pm, the Thursday night party continues with happy hour at Pout and look at the Clarisonic Opal. (If The Shop Tart is lucky, she’ll get to try it. Because she wants to look alert and happy for the rest of her evening.) She may have children with her, but that will not deter her. She is very, very brave when it comes to quenching her thirst for new clothes and beauty products.
From 6 to 9 pm, the Shop Tart will try to pop into Frame of Mind on Main Street. (She may not be able to make it, as she is co-hosting another party at the same time, but she isn’t afraid to try. She needs a driver. Valet US?) This evening Frame of Mind hosts a combined show of D.R. Granger and Jen Phelps. The show is the premiere of David Ross Granger’s drawings, all of which focus on the female figure. (That’s hot.) That would be D.R. Granger of the famed Granger Owings clothiers, so he gets the whole human form thing. There will also be spring fashions from Granger Owings on display. Jen Phelps has been studying print making at (the!) USC and exploring new mediums, so that should be cool. Jen Phelps herself is really cool; the Shop Tart recently ran into her at Baan Sawan, where Jen introduced her to a representative of Oxxford Clothing. It was very cool of her not to tell everyone on Facebook how verrah tipsy the Shop Tart was that evening. In addition to excellent art, fashion and company, there will be wine and fancy chocolate.
Also at 6 pm, the Pink Party is happening at 701 Whaley Street. This event is given in support of mayoral candidates who support gay and lesbian rights. This year, the Pink Party has endorsed the Steves - both Benjamin and Morrison-types - in Columbia’s mayoral race. It is recommended that party-goers make a minimum $50 contribution to one or both of the candidates the night of the party. There is still time to r.s.v.p. and the Shop Tart hopes to see you there! The hosts and sponsors are pretty fab. Ahem.
Given that Thursday evening starts at 1 pm, the Shop Tart plans to be home by 10 pm. Isn’t nine hours long enough? Isn’t it? We’ll see.
If she has any time to shop today, she may go say hello to these, though she isn’t ready to take the plunge yet, thanks to some fiscal restraint on her part. (She is fiscally conservative, socially party-mad.) These nude heels by Loeffler Randall at VanJean would change her life, she is sure of it.
Speaking of VanJean, owner Melissa Blanchard and buyer Susan Lane Steiner recently returned from New York Fashion Week. One show they attended - actually a series of vignettes at the Chelsea Art Museum - was Marchesa’s, where they snapped this pic of a model’s feet. (The phrase “model’s feet” better not bring a bunch of creepy lurkers. Oh, the internets…) Love, love, love the hosiery! Speaking of, Trenholm at Kicks was meeting with a rep the other day and looking at a really cool new line of hosiery - think Wolford without the insane price tag. The Shop Tart is in love!
Happy Shopping and don’t forget to tell them you read it on the Shop Tart!
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Mar
3
More accurately, a product to erase the party from your skin. No matter how much you tell yourself that second - or third - cocktail doesn’t hurt your skin, it just isn’t true. Drinking alcohol can reduce Vitamin A levels in your body. Vitamin A is an antioxidant that helps with cell turnover. Translation? Drinking leaves a gross pile of dead skin on your face. Alcohol can also be dehydrating, leading to flakiness. Too much salt has a similar effect. So, now you know.
Because the Shop Tart does not want to be a total buzz kill, she’s going to tell you all about a product that can help. She does not want you to give up any cocktails. (Well. Maybe she would like you to give up the third. Mos def you should pass up the fourth.) For Christmas, she received the Clarisonic Pro as a gift. It’s available at Pout and is the best thing around for removing dirt, deep-cleaning skin and brushing away those dead party cells.
And…every time she uses it, the Shop Tart finds herself thinking of raps to the beat of Supersonic by J.J. Fad
Anyhow. The Clarisonic is great. The Shop Tart uses it in the shower on her face, elbows, upper arms (where those little white bumps show up in winter) and a few other places. Ahem. It comes with a neat little charger - and seems to hold charge for several days, so you could probably skip taking the charger on a short vacation.
Once you use it, you’ll be so into it you won’t want to forgo Clarisonic cleansing on vacation - because you know you won’t be avoiding the cocktails - so you’ll need the mini version, Mia. Same product, smaller package. You could use this one at home, too.
Pout also stocks replacement brush heads and this alternative, the body brush. And, y’all, swimsuit season is almost here, snow or not.
Whichever one you choose, make sure you brush away the results of that really fun weekend, m’kay?
Pout also has a brand new product from Clarisonic and they’re throwing a party for it. The Shop Tart is looking forward to the happy hour tomorrow afternoon. (Actually, it’s two hours, 4 to 6 pm.) Recently, the Shop Tart has noticed tell-tale crow’s feet around her eyes. There’s no nice, happy way to put that, is there? She is not above blurring them out with iPhoto when she can and she has a real obsession with eye cream. The new Clarisonic Opal may be a better solution. According to the Clarisonic website, “The Clarisonic Opal Sonic Infusion System combines our new sonic infusion technology with our Anti-Aging Sea Serum for results as beautiful as they are dramatic. Opal’s soothing sonic action gently infuses the serum into the epidermis to help refresh and renew the appearance of delicate skin around your eye area. In just one minute a day, study participants report an immediately noticeable reduction of fine lines and wrinkles, and firmer, more hydrated skin.” The Shop Tart has totally noticed a reduction in lines from using the Clarisonic Pro, so she tends to believe the hype. (Her dermatologist asked her recently what she was doing and told her her skin looked great!)
Tomorrow from 4 to 6 pm, head to Pout to see the Clarisonic Opal in action. A representative from Clarisonic will be there to demonstrate and answer any questions you have. In somewhat related news, did you know you always get a 10 percent discount at Pout with a same-day receipt from VanJean and vice versa? True story. Need a lip gloss? Snap it up and get 10 percent off that fab bag. Need a new pair of Spanx? Score them at VanJean and get 10 percent off your brand new, life-changing Clarisonic! Speaking of VanJean, they are unpacking loads of new things for spring every single day. (The steamer is always in action as they hang one slice of fabulous after another.) Here are just a few of the new things…
Keep your eye on Pout and VanJean, because there a big changes in the works - changes that will make staying beautiful and dressing well even more convenient for you!
In other news, the Shop Tart recently discovered a cheap treat to get rid of dusty winter skin. Of all people, her baby brother recommended it. On a recent beach trip, she was whining about dry skin. He rolled his eyes and mumbled something like, “You need cocoa butter, man, and shea.” The Shop Tart loves a new product and headed straight to CVS where she found Lubriderm moisturizing lotion with shea and cocoa butter
Happy Moisturizing and Sloughing and don’t forget to tell them you read it on the Shop Tart!
P.S. Please welcome new sponsors, Dianne’s on Devine and DiPrato’s and do check out their listings in the Shop Tart’s Guide to Columbia!
* The good kind of “ill.” Obvi.
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Mar
2
Master gardener Jenks Farmer (his real name!) is back with his second monthly column. For the record, the Shop Tart finally got around to planting her potatoes from last month’s column and hopes she wasn’t too late. Jenks is traveling this month and the Shop Tart is thrilled to see a column on greens. Greens are good for you, for real. (Check the end of the column for a tasty and healthy way to prepare them.)
Columbia City Farmer, Part II
I’m in an airport in Bangkok. [Ed. Note: Lucky!] Just spent seven days hiking and sleeping in tiny Hmong villages in Northern Laos - came to see the woods. [Ed. Note: Wait. What? Are there fancy hotels in the woods?] I’d forgotten that 25 years ago, Hmong veggie gardens in Seattle totally inspired the research project that led to my using greens within my garden designs. (Hope I can get a pic to you. Love the Boingo app for finding free wifi.) Tom’s leaving to come back to Colatown and I’m headed to Borneo to meet up with Pat Butler of the old “Talk of the Town.” Remember him and his shocking article on a lesbian wedding in Columbia? Being away for weeks just loosens the rubber bands in my mind. What a little world. Tom will put up pics of Laos soon on my site. The picture below is of a floating veggie and flower garden in Burma.
So, the veggies of Hmong people inspired me years ago and led to one of the very cool accomplishments of Riverbanks Botanical Garden - the introduction of purple mustards, apple green mizuna, and Italian Black and Russian Red kale to the winter landscape. At that time, pansies were the winter standard. Boring, flat masses of color, like somebody had thrown a pastel blanket down to the ground.
Columbia should be proud of achievements like this. We changed an entire industry with a trend that spread across the southeast and continues to be used in gardens and commercial landscapes today. Lots of greenhouse growers and landscapers made lots of money from this ‘new’ trend. It just occurred to me that I used to do a lecture about this called “Liberate Your Pansies!”
Southerners call all those plants “greens,” turnips too. We just lump them together, heave them in with too much fat and overcook them. [Ed. note: While in general the Shop Tart tries to eat healthy, there is a time and a place for this dish, preferably prepared with fatback from Caw Caw Creek pork.] Greens are the basis of southern winter diets. The Veggies of Soul Food. The veggies of poor people in the South, because they are easy, cheap and totally reliable in our erratic cold, then warm days of winter. [Ed. Note: Erratic is right. Is it really going to snow again? That is irritating, because the Shop Tart has a new dress and wants to wear it soon. It is very short.] They’re also the staple of many Asian diets; about 25 years ago, I met all of these in a Japanese community garden in Seattle.
They’re absolutely the most nutritional veggies we can grow and eat. My ophthalmologist at Eye on Gervais told me not long ago that the best thing I could do for my eye health is to drink a kale shake every day. With a bit of pear and a shot of Saint Germain liquor, it’s a tasty treat. We have little happy hour parties and y’all have to stop by to try this. (Facebook me and ask to come, I’ll send you a Facebook invite to the next one, but remember I’m off hiking for a while.) If you can’t, check out these fantastically sweet, enzyme filled, cold pressed dehydrated Greens on-line.
Most kale is probably sold out at local nurseries, as it’s best planted in the fall. An easy to sprout alternative is mizuna. Any time after St. Patrick’s Day, get a pack of mizuna seeds. (Rosewood Market, Earthfare or Woodley’s should have them.) Try some arugula, too. Scatter the seeds over a pot of fresh dirt or a bed you’ve just tilled, not with a machine, just a little hand claw tiller rake thing. [Ed. Note: “a little hand claw tiller rake thing” is the kind of gardening language the Shop Tart can understand!] Compact the seeds into the soil by pressing down with your hand, or just walk across them. Then water them in. In about 30 days, you should have a crop of greens.
When you sprinkle seeds, always pat them down to ensure soil contact; this keeps them moist.
Join me to support and be proud of gardening in Columbia. I lecture all over the country, but not often in Columbia. March 18th is my birthday and I will be giving my first lecture here in years! It sounds sappy - “Southern Garden Memories.” I’ll talk about how I’ve learn to incorporate the good things about growing up in a fading rural south into some pretty sophisticated garden design. Tom and Bob will be there selling fairly rare crinums from our nursery, things we don’t offer on-line. Learn more about greens and my garden design and be ready to buy some rare crinums, very cool plants. (Mention this blog and get a free little gift!) For more details and information, click here.
The End
A few days ago, Jenks sent this update: “Hey. Back from hiking. Headed to a tailor in Bangkok. Amazing veggie gardening and fun to be in a vegetarian country in Laos. Here is a pic of a coriander and radish garden. Love boiled fern fiddleheads!” [Ed. Note: What the heck is a fern fiddlehead? Oh, yeah. These.]
So, about those greens. Tracie of Yum Diary fame taught the Shop Tart to sauté greens in a little miso and oil. Miso is yet another insanely healthy food and Rosewood Market stocks lots of great flavors.
As for juicing your greens, the Shop Tart will admit this sounds gross, until you try it. She purchased a relatively inexpensive juicer
Now that you will be healthy all week - gardening and juicing away - you’ll want to have fab plans for the weekend. If you feel like dressing up, there are several options. Gentlemen, you could rock black tie all weekend long. Friday night, the American Red Cross of Central South Carolina is hosting the Red, White and Black Tie Gala at the Medallion Center. The Shop Tart loves to party for a cause (or, like, any other reason). Saturday night, there are two great and fancy options. Here in Columbia, enjoy Carniball, an upscale, lowcountry party to benefit EdVenture Children’s Museum. Come dressed to dance the night away! If you are in Chareston for the weekend, do join the Shop Tart for the fourth annual Unmasking Colon Cancer Ball. It will be held at the South Carolina Aquarium and she is co-emceeing a fashion show with looks from Saks Fifth Avenue, Marysia Swim, Hampden Clothing in Charleston and Columbia’s own AnnaBelle LaRoque, who has created several signature looks for the event.
And speaking of AnnaBelle…did you know she is showing at Charleston Fashion Week? Her show is Friday night, march 19th, and the Shop Tart can’t wait! Another Columbia boutique, Bella Vista Bridal, is showing at the bridal couture show on Saturday and the Shop Tart won’t miss that, either. While she is no longer a blushing bride, she can still enjoy looking at the gorgeous dresses!
Sunday evening, if you have any energy left, join the Shop Tart, Patti O’Furniture and a fab host committee for the Nickelodeon Theatre’s Oscar Party. The food will rock, there will be a signature cocktail and the party will be an absolute blast. Get your tickets now, as they are limited. Look for more menu details right here later in the week and look for an article in Thursday’s weekend section of The State about the event - with pictures!
Happy Shopping and don’t forget to tell them you read it on the Shop Tart!
P.S. Exciting news from Solstice: They want you and they want you bad. They want you so much they have lowered the prices on regular menu items. As of yesterday, no dish on the regular menu will cost more than $15. If you want to pay more, there will be occasional pricier specials, but the regular menu is pretty darn amazing. Now is a great time to try Solstice, for the first time or the tenth. The flavor is the same, the preparation is the same, the portions are the same. Only the prices have changed. Hooray!
P.P.S. It is quite possible today’s post is too long, but the Shop Tart can’t let this go. She enjoyed Frogmore stew from the special appetizer menu at Mr. Friendly’s last night. It was delicious. The entrees looked great, too. They are continuing their Fish Camp-inspired menu through tonight. With a half-price bottle of wine (no, she didn’t drink it all), her tab was $25. She was full and had half a bottle to take home. Tonight, they will have several $20 bottles available, so go!
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Mar
1
Saturday morning, the Shop Tart attempted to sleep late. (It didn’t really work. It never works. It won’t work until her children have all moved away. By then, she will probably naturally get up at 5 am. Darnit.) She had a busy day ahead, so when she finally did get out of bed, she went to exercise. (Will you believe her if she promises this gives you more energy, not less? True story. Try it if you don’t believe her.) After her workout, Mr. Shop Tart left town with Child #1 for a soccer match in Savannah and she was on her own with Child #2, a delightful boy, and his crazy sidekick, the three-year-old otherwise known as “The Tank.” They enjoyed an easy lunch compiled from leftovers from the night before, delicious takeout from DiPrato’s.
After lunch, the Tank was invited to an event blessedly long enough to exhaust him and his adorable peers a party at the Little Gym on Beltline. (He had a blast and can’t quit talking about it. This place is genius: They run the kids ragged for more than an hour, give them cake and send them home. The sugar in the cake doesn’t destroy them because they are so tired and happy from the playing part. The people who work there have boundless enthusiasm and patience. For real.) After that party, a docile Tank went to City Roots, “your in-town sustainable farm,” for a barbecue to benefit Slow Food Columbia. The buffet was provided by Smoke and included (counterclockwise from left) coleslaw, vegetarian baked beans, the best mac and cheese evah, sweet potato cornbread, salad made from City Roots sunflower sprouts, and barbecue (center). The Shop Tart tried to eat light since she was attending a dinner later…
The salad was prepared by Tracie of Slow Food. Those greens, available at Rosewood Market and City Roots, are sunflower sprouts and they are crunchy, relatively high in protein and totally delicious. The Shop Tart enjoys them in salad and stirred into hot food, like chili, for a bit of added crunch.
Tracie’s dressing was delish and the Shop Tart plans to buy the ingredients to make it at Rosewood Market today after she enjoys their regular Monday lunch special, lemon-butter salmon. Speaking of Rosewood Market, three cheers for them for switching to compostable utensils, which may cost them a bit more but costs the environment far less. Hooray for personal responsibility!
Slow Food Columbia founder Cerelle Centeno and events manager Tracie Broom took tickets and smiled with the glow only whole, locally grown foods can give.
In addition to the aforementioned excellent meal, guests enjoyed music by Tom Hall and the Plowboys and tours of the farm, including the super-cool greenhouse. The Shop Tart is clueless about these things, but her more informed eight-year-old explained that the circulating water was full of nutrients. The Shop Tart liked the greenhouse because it was warm in there and smelled like spring.
Cerelle gave a quick speech thanking everyone and farmer Eric McClam followed her. He is a very handsome farmer. As an old married lady, the Shop Tart is sharing that as a journalist, in the interest of giving you a complete story. She is quite the journalist.
Speaking of sustainable good looks, the Shop Tart copied Tracie’s idea for a photo op and snapped Carter Cox, this pretty lady from (the) USC’s Green Quad, a learning center devoted to sustainability.
There was plenty of eco-fabulous fashion in effect, from the Shop Tart’s recycled-from-her-college-years overalls to specially created t-shirts by Emily McCravy of Fox and Grapes.
Emily’s line of shirts is created from organic materials and silk-screened by hand. (There are gorgeous ones available at KD’s Treehouse on Devine.)
Debi Schadel was there rocking a multi-strand infinite scarf created locally for Softspoken. The Shop Tart has been wanting one of these. Now she really wants one. (Other Softspoken products, including regular scarves and hats, are available at the Bohemian.) This is so freaking cool. Count the Shop Tart obsessed.
The Shop Tart has admitted before that she does not fear wine of the box variety, so she must point out that this one was pretty darn good.
The Tank tired himself out further by doing laps around the building, dancing to the Plowboys, throwing wood chips into a barrel of fire, climbing a pile of dirt, inspecting the farm, swinging like a maniac in the cotton hammocks in front of the building and - finally - doing repeated and intentional face plants into a pile of clover. Miraculously, he was not hurt and managed not to lose his shoes.
City Roots is open Monday through Friday 10 am until 5 pm. Do stop by and purchase some produce or just take a look around. The Shop Tart happens to think a downtown farm fits her philosophy to a “t.”
Tracie sent her this photo of herself from the event and it’s typical. The Shop Tart is holding a camera, a shoe and a glass of wine. Story of her life. (For those of you who follow these things, yes, her hair is looking kind of rough. She is going to Austral in Irmo on Wednesday for another Keratin treatment. Hooray!)
Just before she left for home, where she would have 15 minutes to get ready to attend a black-tie event, the Shop Tart got a phone call from her sitter, who had to cancel. The Shop Tart is not deterred by minor inconveniences, because she likes to party. She secured a back-up, rushed home, threw the Tank into the shower and rushed to get dressed. The Tank - true story - fell asleep in the shower, thanks to Little Gym and City Roots Farm. Mwah! Miss Sidney Heyward arrived to take her to “Black Tie and Boating,” a benefit at the Medallion Center for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Sidney was her date, as her husband was still in soccer hell Savannah.
The benefit was fab, of course. Executive director Dana Bruce looked stunning in a long black and white floral gown. (Hmmmm…wonder if she’ll let the Shop Tart borrow it for the Black and White Ball?) Sidney looked lovely in St. John and a new pair of evening flats from her recent trip to London. The Shop Tart looked…good enough for an old lady who only had 15 minutes to get ready. The food was plentiful and the wine was flowing. The auction items were incredible. (Private boat trip to the British Virgin Islands, anyone?) There were special touches like these messages in bottles at each place. Within each bottle was a quote from someone personally touched by Juvenile Diabetes. Very moving and super-cute!
The best part of the evening was a speech given by Anna Felder, a ten-year-old girl who lives with diabetes. Anna was lovely and so unbelievably poised. The Shop Tart cannot imagine many ten-year-olds - or adults! - who would have done as well. She was introduced by her father Johnny and guests were treated to a slide show of family pictures of Anna with her brothers and parents. The Shop Tart hopes you will take a moment to read more about juvenile diabetes and consider what you can do to help, even if you missed the benefit. Anna and other children like her deserve a cure. Forgive the low quality of the photo - a point-and-shoot has its limits - but Anna deserves some recognition.
After the party, the Shop Tart should have gone home really, but when one is out with youngsters, one has an obligation to chaperone. So she went to Bar None for a Grey Goose and soda and a slice of pizza, the perfect end to a lovely day.
Okay, fine. Someone is bound to notice the second lime in the glass. She had two. So sue her. She and Sidney wisely employed the services of Valet US and the Shop Tart dearly hopes you will consider doing the same next time you have one too many. Mwah!
Happy Shopping and don’t forget to tell them you read it on the Shop Tart!
P.S. Have you heard? Mr. Friendly’s is going Fish Camp tonight and tomorrow night. Enjoy all your favorites on this first official day of spring. From hush puppies and coleslaw to fried fish and baked clams, Mr. Friendly’s has you covered where golden-fried goodness and lowcountry fish and seafood is concerned. Yum!
P.P.S. Check out Free Spirit Designs at Unforgettable Fine Jewelry. Cool stuff, great prices! Also? Loving Unforgettable’s “Jewelry News of the Weird.”
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Feb
27
…reincarnated as a delicious lunch! The original meal included stuffed grape leaves with Feta, a delicious black-eyed pea salad, and hummus. The pita chips, Vermont white cheddar pimento cheese and roasted asparagus and broccolini made for the perfect lunch.
For the curious, yes, that is what appears to be the symbol for pi - π - above and in between the pimento cheese and pita crisps. The table belonged to Mr. Shop Tart’s family when he was young. No word on whether he or his brother carved that in there, or if it was even meant to be pi. They still aren’t talking.
Happy Shopping and don’t forget to tell them you read it on the Shop Tart!
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Feb
26
Ever so rarely, the Shop Tart gets to feel glamorous. Yesterday, she had the pleasure of styling the staff of the Nickelodeon Theatre at Revente for an upcoming (next Thursday!) story in The State about their Oscar Party. (Which you should attend. The Shop Tart is co-emceeing with Patti O’Furniture. And it is going to be a blast.) Tori and Heather started the process up the street at Pout, where Cille and Elizabeth did their makeup for the big shoot. Although the Shop Tart didn’t have her makeup done yesterday - she was the stylist, not the star - she has had the pleasure before. The ladies of Pout do a fabulous job, whether you need a dramatic look for evening, a toned-down look for your big moment on daytime television or the perfect glow for your wedding day. No matter what you look like when you arrive, they will give you the flawless complexion you’ve always wanted. (And they can save you in a skin emergency. For real.)
They used new MultiplEYE primer from Tarte to make the ladies’ lashes extra dramatic. And y’all do know how the Shop Tart feels about lashes.
After makeup, it was on to Revente. Tori and Heather tried on dress after Oscar-worthy dress, all priced at a fraction of the normal cost. (One dress - true story - still had store tags on it with the original price and Revente was offering it for 96 percent off. Yes, you read that right.) The Shop Tart doesn’t want to scoop The State, so you will have to wait until next Thursday’s weekend section to see the photos.
The shoot itself was a blast and Larry and Andy, the two male models, were great sports and great models. Gentleman’s Closet down the street provided some of the men’s clothing. Andy didn’t flinch when the Shop Tart added not one but two of these zipper-embellished flowers to his lapel comme boutonnière. They are rigged to be pinned onto clothing or clipped into hair. Fab!
Larry rocked a [deleted so you can sit on the edge of your seat for a week waiting on the story in The State.] As always, the Shop Tart was distracted by sparkly things at Revente. They had a fab white Whiting and Davis evening bag with a gold chain behind the counter and she hid it in the dressing room for herself. She is obsessed with Whiting and Davis and owns three of the classic chain mail bags, in black, gray and navy. But not white. *sniff*
And she was totally going to get the white one, perfect for spring and summer evenings. But then she saw this Blumarine blouse, in her size, for 90 percent off retail. It called to her. So did the bag. It was a painful choice, but shopping is all about painful choices, n’est-ce pas? A decision was required, because she already spent a fair chunk of change on her Cup dress this week and couldn’t stretch the budget much farther. (No, the Cup dress is not normal. Yes, she will share details later. Yes, you do need to hurry to LaRoque because she is only taking orders for Cup dresses through this weekend. Go!) She went for the blouse, but if anyone wants to get her the bag as a gift, she will be very happy.
When the shoot was over, the Shop Tart was back to reality, which turned out to be a really fun lunch with the aforementioned Nickelodeon staffers at Delaney’s. Much like the stars on the red carpet at the Oscars, everyone was starving when it was all over. Delaney’s - in case you didn’t know - offers lunch Monday through Friday, two-for-the-price-of-one, from 11 am until 2 pm, which means they are just about the best deal in town. The Shop Tart had Greek salad with salmon and it was delicious. The blackened salmon was nice and tender on the inside and the Greek dressing was just right.
Her companions enjoyed such divine delicacies as mashed potatoes with gravy, a portabella sandwich, fries, chicken tenders and a delicious-looking hot ham and cheese sandwich. So, you should go there, with a friend so you can take advantage of the great lunch deal. Anyone up for fish and chips at noon? The Shop Tart is available and so is her toddler. Just saying.
If you are looking for a more sophisticated, toddler-free meal this weekend, make a reservation at Terra (791-3443) for Saturday night and bring a bottle of wine you’ve been looking for an excuse to open. They are celebrating National Open that Bottle Night by waiving all corkage fees for the evening. Howard, a certified wine expert, will be happy to recommend the perfect meal to accompany your bottle. In his latest email, Howard shared that Chef Mike discovered a fantastic olive oil pound cake on his recent trip to New York. He has created his own, an olive oil and blood orange cake with blood orange mascarpone. Oh, yes. Speaking of that trip to New York, the dinner originally served at the James beard House will be recreated at Terra on March 10th. This one will sell out fast, so get your tickets soon. We hear the dinner in New York was outstanding.
Happy Shopping and don’t forget to tell them you read it on the Shop Tart!
P.S. Cellar on Greene is hosting another fab, free wine tasting and sale tomorrow from noon until 2 pm. There will be tons of wine to taste and great prices on wine to buy. Sounds like a post-All Local Farmers’ Market plan!
P.P.S. Looking for something to do tomorrow night? The Shop Tart will be at Black Tie and Boating, a Voyage to the Cure, at the Medallion Center on Garners Ferry Road. Beginning at 6 pm, enjoy cocktails and a silent auction, followed by dinner, a fab live auction, Fund-A-Cure, a grand prize drawing and dancing to the Lundy Band. The auction has some seriously awesome goods, so get your tickets and come to the party!
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Feb
25
One of these things is not like the others. Which one is it? The cut-up tights, the only thing not purchased - or purchased on behalf of - the Shop Tart this week. Yesterday, she finally had occasion to wear her sequin skeleton Rodarte for Target shift. (The occasion? Um. Nothing in particular. It seemed like it might go with her rain boots and it was raining.) So, she wore it with electric blue Spanx from Kicks, her boots, Alexis Bittar pyramid studs and various rings. She needed a long-sleeved black t-shirt to go underneath and, alas, all of hers were too bulky. Tout d’un coup, she remembered a way to make great layering t-shirts from old tights. Cut out the crotch (cut less than you think you need, because it stretches) and cut off the feet. Voilà! A stretchy little shirt that can be worn underneath just about anything. (When she took ballet classes, she used to wear one under strappy leotards as a sports bra of sorts.) Because she cut the hole for her neck too big, the sleeves slipped off her shoulders, but it looked kind of Flashdance-cool, so she left it. This is an excellent way to recycle tights that have holes in the toes or elastic that doesn’t spring back like it used to.
She wore said outfit to meet her mother at Gibson’s, where they were to choose invitations for a party they are throwing together. Gibson’s had loads of beautiful choices and the ladies had a great time perusing the options. In case you didn’t know, Gibson’s is the place to go for traditional invitations - engraved or printed. And although they have plenty of classics, they have more modern options, too. Also? They have probably the best selection of cocktail napkins in town. For real.
Alas, the Shop Tart wasn’t feeling any of the invitations she saw that day and her mother agreed to take a jaunt down the street to Jot, even though it was raining. (Her mother is a real sport. Or maybe she just felt threatened by her daughter’s tough-guy outfit.) One thing about living in a small town, when you are browsing custom invitations, you end up looking at a wall of past local events.
Occasionally, one wonders why one wasn’t invited to this or that. (The Shop Tart’s mother saw an address on her own street and started, until she realized she had attended that party.) The Shop Tart usually knows why she wasn’t invited - because the hostess fears she might arrive in a sequin skeleton dress, boots and a ripped up pair of tights as a shirt. The wall at Jot is fun to browse, even if you were N.F.I.
After some discussion to get an idea of the mother and daughter’s (wildly divergent) style, Jot owner Tara Felder left to start the design process. The Shop Tart resisted the urge to copy someone else and can’t wait to see what Tara comes up with for her party.
Meanwhile, the Shop Tart’s mother, who recently took up knitting, browsed In the Loop. (Jot and In the Loop share space on Devine Street, next to KD’s Treehouse.) Owner Lara was getting ready to teach some second grade Brownies to knit. Cute!
The Shop Tart’s mother decided to make her daughter a scarf - perhaps in hopes of covering the sequin skeleton on her chest - and let her pick out the yarn. The Shop Tart is verrah excited about the project. Gorgeous, n’est-ce pas?
The fries? Were you still wondering about those? Of course. After Monday evening’s art auction, the Shop Tart went to Garibaldi’s for a late-night snack with the ladies. (There was supposed to be a gentleman as well. He later claimed the parking situation concerned him. Or maybe he was afraid of having to fight five ladies for french fries.) The Shop Tart ordered a salad, as she hadn’t reached her vegetable quota for the day. Does it count as healthy if there’s a fried green tomato on it? Whatev. Delicious!
Fries were ordered for the table. The Shop Tart recommends requesting Garibaldi’s tomato remoulade to go with. When in doubt, simply ask the kitchen to send out whatever they like to dip their own fries in. You know what else is good with late-night fancy fries? A classic martini.
Looking for something to do tonight? Cellar on Greene is hosting a fab French wine tasting and sale. The tasting is from 5 to 7 pm, but French wines will be 30 percent off all night long and more French wine than ever will be offered by the glass. Comment dit-on “Hell yeah!” en français? Also? much like the kid in the picture, the truffle oil and Parmesan raw fries have stayed on the menu.
Happy Shopping and don’t forget to tell them you read it on the Shop Tart!
P.S. Check out the Pink Party’s banner at the top of this column. (You may have to re-load the page a few times, as it alternates with Carniball and Black Tie and Boating.) The Shop Tart is a sponsor and hopes you will join her on March 4th for the party!
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