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Aug
29
The Shop Tart hopes you started your weekend early - by watching the game or at least going to a party where you pretended to watch it. The Shop Tart loves football - the parties, the liquor, the people, the parties, the bonding, the parties - any excuse for a party, because parties are a great time to dress up and the Shop Tart loves to dress up! For those of you who aren’t football aficionados, but want some intelligent things to say about it, she highly recommends Seth Emerson’s Gameday blog. Somehow, he manages to make things clear and interesting, even to the Shop Tart. Wonder if he’s single. Ladies?
Now for the Rest of the Weekend.
Friday:
- Mr. Friendly’s is featuring specials this week inspired by tailgating food, with their own sophisticated spin, of course! Go for lunch - and a chance to spot everyone you know in Columbia - and try the Beer Braised Bratwurst with Housemade Sauerkraut & Creole Mustard. In the mood for something lighter? Citrus & Pepper Grilled Shrimp with Cucumber-Tomato Pasta Salad, Mixed Greens, Blue Cheese & Tomato-Cilantro Vinaigrette sounds delicious!
- Kick it off this afternoon at Simply Savory’s free wine tasting, from 4:30 to 6:30 pm. Take a look at their developing space - the former Ben and Jerry’s - where they’ll have a cafe soon. The Shop Tart can’t wait, because she’s a huge fan of their pimento cheese and feels sure the cafe will be a hit!
- Feeling artsy? Check out if Art Gallery’s new show today in the Vista. The opening reception is from 5 to 10 pm. Works by Roland Albert, Mary Gilkerson, Sjaak Korsten and Kees Salentijn will be featured. Call 238-2351 for more info.
- If you’re staying in the Vista, enjoy a light dinner on the patio at Gervais and Vine. The weather should be perfect.
- If you can make it this long, the Art Bar is the place to be for dancing on Friday nights, but it doesn’t really start happening until after 11. If you can stay awake, the music is eclectic, as is the crowd and you’ll have a blast!
Saturday
- Start your day the right way, with a class at City Yoga. There’s a class for men at 8 am - Mr. Shop Tart is a fan! The Level 1-1.5 class, for men and women, starts at 9. Namasté, y’all!
- After your class, do a little window shopping in Five Points and on Devine Street. If you can’t choose anything for yourself, you might want to get one of these from Kicks for the Shop Tart. Just sayin’.
- Work up an appetite while you’re shopping and head to the Gourmet Shop for a late lunch. Stick around for their $1 wine tasting from 2 to 5 pm. While you’re there, pick up a few snacks from the deli case for any Clemson parties you might be attending this evening, because…guess what…
- The Clemson Tigers kick off the season tonight at 8 pm, against Alabama. Go Tigers! If you are not so much of a sports fan, but your companion is, the Shop Tart highly recommends dinner at her favorite Sports Bar, Mr. Friendly’s. Sure, it isn’t known as a sports bar, but the bartender will usually be happy to put the game on the (unobtrusive) television and you can enjoy a great meal and keep up with the game. Great wine list, too…
- If football, eating out or having a party at home hold no interest for you, tonight is the last Summer Concert in Finlay Park. Local rock band Tokyo Joe will play from 7 to 10. Bring a picnic or buy food there.
Sunday is a day of rest. But you have to eat, right? Motor Supply Company has a phenomenal brunch. Grab a friend and the newspaper and enjoy!
In other news…
- Granger Owings is having their Last Chance Summer Sale through tomorrow. Unbelievable deals - go take a look!
- Strobler’s having a Labor Day Weekend Sale. 15% off everything full price, in stock or custom. Time to redecorate!
Happy Shopping!
Aug
28
Of course, they don’t just lunch - they work, they take care of children, they go to school - they do all sorts of things, really. But lunch is one of the most important, isn’t it? A lady won’t have the energy for any of those other important things without lunch! One of the Shop Tart’s favorite places to go with the ladies is Mediterranean Tea Room. Ladies like salads, and they have a great one. The Greek salad with chicken is on the menu, but they often have a special with grilled shrimp instead. The other day, the Shop Tart was there with her friend Kandie and her sister in law Virginia. They all got salads. Here’s Kandie’s (and her cute top!)
While they were there, they ran into Kitty Hoffman and Kristy Gibbs. Actually, Kitty almost ran into them, when she was trying to park her car on a slope, heading right for the patio where they were sitting. It was kind of scary and the Shop Tart made sure Kitty had put on her parking brake. Kitty’s on the left. She doesn’t look like a daredevil sort of driver, but you can never tell, can you?
The Tea Room isn’t just about ladies and salads, of course. Mr. Shop Tart has high praise for their cheeseburgers. The Shop Tart adores their Eggplant Pita Pizza and the Eggplant Appetizer. They also have (and this is very, very important) extremely cold sodas. Yum!
In other news…
- GO GAMECOCKS!!! Ahem. Maybe you didn’t know this, but their first game is tonight.
- The Shop Tart went to Kicks yesterday after lunch and they are fully stocked with gorgeous shoes for fall, in a variety of price ranges, as always. They also have quite a few things on sale. Hooray!
Happy Shopping!
Aug
27
Look of the Week!
Filed Under Look of the Week, Sip and Shop | Leave a Comment
Whew! The Shop Tart is exhausted from last evening’s Dirty 30 Party at VanJean. The birthday girls didn’t look dirty at all - they looked gorgeous! Both of them were wearing bright blue. Susan’s dress was stunning (Oops! With all that Champagne In all the excitement, the Shop Tart forgot to ask who made it!) and the bright blue made her skin just glow! Speaking of glowing, Elizabeth barely looks like she’s expecting, but she is! In true VanJean style, she was wearing a Mint dress, with the belt a little higher than normal - she’s one of those pregnant ladies that manages to look like a maternity model. Gorgeous!
The Shop Tart couldn’t settle on just one Look of the Week, because everyone looked fabulous. These looks should help you plan your Fall party look - Take your pick! Without further ado…here’s one of birthday girl Susan and Melissa Blanchard. Melissa’s in a gorgeous chartreuse shift by Mint, wearing piles of gold and turquoise necklaces. Did you know necklaces are the new bangles? Wear as many as you like, ladies!
And here’s the other birthday girl, Elizabeth, in a Mint dress with an embellished belt. She’s standing with Kristy (of Tullulah fame), who’s wearing the Safari shift by Tibi.
Speaking of belts, embellished or otherwise, they’re big. A lot of dresses come with belts - and not ugly belts, like the one that came with your First Day of School dress in the second grade. Nope, these are gorgeous and you’ll wear them with more than just the dress they came with. Christina’s dress in the photo below, by Elijah, came with that gorgeous embellished belt. Kindall’s top is by Tibi (the Shop Tart is sure of that, because she has the same one, as does a certain lady ruler of the gourmet scene in Columbia, as does Kelly Ripa.) Later in the evening, she added a lace wrap by Phillip Lim to the look. So pretty!
And the last shot of the evening - but maybe not the last glass of Champagne! - Melissa and Allison, in a gorgeous blue dress with embellished shoulders, reviewing the evenings photos…
You know what the Shop Tart says…never miss a party. And she’s sure glad she didn’t miss this one. Happy Birthday, Susan and Elizabeth! And thank you all for a lovely time!
In other news…
- Don’t forget Frame of Mind’s art opening this evening, showcasing the work of Jen Phelps. Wine, cheese and art. What’s not to love? 5 to 8 pm.
Happy shopping!
Aug
26
A long, long time ago, when the original 90210 was popular*, the Shop Tart read a blurb in some magazine or another that said all the young celebs, including Tori Spelling, were shying away from bold nail polish and using more natural colors, including Tori’s favorite, “Natural Pink” by Chanel. The Shop Tart rushed right out and bought it. She was faithful for many years. Sure, there were times when she wanted a bolder look, and she indulged, but Natural Pink was her standard. One of the first things she sees in her wedding pictures is the subtle glow of Natural Pink. With just a swipe, it made her nails look clean and sophisticated, the white crescents at the tips whiter. You’re probably planning on rushing out and buying it right now, aren’t you? Well, allow the Shop Tart to save you a trip to the mall…because they discontinued it. Why? Who knows. And who cares, because the Shop Tart was at Pout the other day, reminiscing about the loss of her favorite polish** and Lisa Seth showed her another color, a color so similar as to be indistinguishable from her beloved Natural Pink.
The color is Baby Love, from the Lippmann Collection. Lisa herself was a fan of Natural Pink, so she understood the Shop Tart’s pain. She’d been burned before, by other polishes that looked right in the bottle, but transformed on her nails, so the Shop Tart wasn’t ready to let herself feel joy. She rushed home and tried it and decided to feel tentatively joyous when it appeared to be the same. She was tentative because, in the past, she’s had some near successes with polishes that looked good in the bottle, looked good on her nails and turned yellow after a day. Guess what? Drum roll…Baby Love is still gorgeous after three days!
Why such an obsession over a neutral polish? Well, neutrals are perfect because they last and last, giving your nails a professional look long after other colors or even a bare nail would let you down. Little chips don’t show. A pedicure can last for weeks. A manicure? Not so much. Natural shades will often last until the nails grow and you have to re-apply. Besides, if neutrals weren’t important, why would the Lippmann Collection have so many? Hm?
Baby Love, by the way, is the one in the picture above with no spare bottles behind it. Lisa has assured the Shop Tart (who scored the last bottle - hooray!) that she’s ordering more. You might want to put your name on the call list for its arrival. While you’re at it, you might want to put your name on the Tarte 4 Day Stay list. It’s sold out again, on back order everywhere, and the Shop Tart can’t recommend it highly enough!
Neutral isn’t always the right choice for nails, so please be assured that there are plenty of other fab colors in the Lippmann Collection. The polish is great - it goes on smooth and doesn’t seem to chip easily. And…psssst…it’s even a few dollars cheaper than Chanel…
In other news…
- VanJean’s Dirty Thirty Party is today! Happy Birthday Allison and Susan!!
Happy Shopping!
* The Shop Tart has no intention of telling you whether she watched it with full, pre-teen enthusiasm or irony.
** Yes, it has been years, and yes, the Shop Tart still reminisces. But no more!
Aug
25
Follow the Shop Tart!
Filed Under Eat and Drink | Leave a Comment
Like it or not, it’s here, y’all…Football season! The Gamecocks are kicking off on Thursday, the Tigers on Saturday. Now, I know some of you get real fired up about your team. The Shop Tart does, too, but only because it makes all the parties more fun. Get your outfit, order your tailgate food and be enthusiastic!
- The Gamecocks play NC State Thursday, right here in town, at 8 pm.
- The Tigers play Alabama on Saturday in Atlanta. If you aren’t planning a road trip, why not host a television party?
- VanJean is having a “Dirty 30 Party” tomorrow to celebrate Susan and Elizabeth’s thirtieth birthdays. They’re offering 30% off one Fall item - that day only. You might want to stop by today and scope out the new collections, to see what you might want to nab tomorrow. You can also register to win a $500 VanJean gift certificate and a Pout goodie bag! Not that you need any more incentive, but they’ll be serving dirty martinis and other refreshments that evening. Call 803-252-4339 for further information. The Shop Tart won’t miss this one!
- The Summer Cearance Sale at Weathers ends Saturday, August 30th. Last chance to get SUmmer merchandise at 70-80% off.
- Belladea has a lot of new ella moss and Susana Monaco.
- Frame of Mind is putting up a new artist on Wednesday evening. Jen Phelps’ will be there to talk about her work from 5-8 pm. How about a little wine and cheese after work?
- Speaking of Ladies’ Night, are you a Wine Goddess? There’s a Wine Goddess dinner tonight at Gervais and Vine. The party will benefit the children of St. Lawrence Place, so you can have a blast and do something good at the same time!
- Did you miss the Sidewalk Sale at Kicks on Devine? Kicks of Lexington (located inside Lola) is having a sidewalk sale starting today - prices are 40-80% off.
- Simply Savory is taking pre-orders for their fabulous store-made chicken salad and pimento cheeses. They have three types of pimento cheese - Sharp, Gouda, and Pepper Jack. They sell out of these fast Send them an e-mail by Wednesday and it will ready for you to pick up on Thursday or Saturday.
Happy shopping and Go, Team!
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