And here we have the lovely Denise, of Mary. She’s wearing a great shift by Ella Moss, super cute plaid espadrilles by Not Rated (from Sophie Shoes just a few doors down) and carrying a bag that the Shop Tart really, really loves by amykathryn. The patterned bag with lavender metallic trim was big enough for a day at the pool or a day of shopping. Denise is also wearing her own necklace, by Diana Werner. There were several other gorgeous necklaces by Diana Werner in the store. They reminded the Shop Tart of Alexis Bittar’s hammered gold jewelry, without the hefty price tag!

Diana used to be a Gamecock cheerleader, which isn’t surprising given her great smile! There were loads of cute dresses at Mary that made the Shop Tart long for Spring. There’s nothing better than a sunny Spring day spent strolling up and down Devine Street and through Five Points, shopping, eating and chatting, n’est-ce pas?

As a mother of three, The Shop Tart (how can we put this so as not to hurt her feelings?) needs a little help in the bustline department. Okay, a lot of help. Nothing pulls an outfit together more than the proper foundation garment. A bra that fits and doesn’t show through her clothes can make a lady look ten pounds thinner and sixty-two percent more put-together. That is a statistical fact (that happens to be made up, but is true nonetheless.) Those sorts of bras tend to be pricey, which is why The Shop Tart was thrilled to hear about the sale that Kristy’s having at tullulah: buy one bra, get the second half off*, Wednesday and Thursday only. She’s expecting a big shipment, with a huge range of sizes.

The Shop Tart recommends (and owns!):

• The Carina, which goes lowest in the front and has straps that can be worn criss-crossed or regular.
• The Tisha, with straps that are farther apart, better for wide necked tops.
• The Strapless bra, with optional straps.

Kristy also carries frillier stuff, for special occasions (honeymoon!) and insanely cute but practical stuff for other occasions, like a matching robe and gown for the hospital when you’re there to have a baby. Trust the Shop Tart on this one: You do not want to receive visitors in a grungy t-shirt, even if you did just go through labor. And trust the Shop Tart’s mother, herself a mother of four: It’s a good idea to keep a nice bathrobe by your front door when you go home with the baby, so you have something to throw on over your clothes that’ll discourage visitors from staying too long. Works like a charm; the Shop Tart and her mother employ this technique until the baby is at least a year old. And it has to be a cute robe, because if it isn’t, people think you’re depressed.

Kristy can also advise you on any lingerie issues  you might have, including unsightly panty lines and proper bra fit. And don’t leave without a little box of Hollywood Tape, double sided tape movie stars use to keep their clothes on straight and avoid wardrobe malfunctions. The Shop Tart has even used it in a pinch to temporarily hem pants.

So don’t miss that sale, Wednesday and Thursday. If you want text messages sent to your phone the day of a big sale, click here to follow the Shop Tart on Twitter. She promises to only send messages about sales and not random things she  wants you to buy for her!

Happy Shopping!

* Fell free to insert your own jokes about bras being "half off" here. The Shop Tart is far too classy to do so. Ahem.

Wasn’t the weekend lovely? There was plenty of sunshine in between the rain! Allen Stephenson of Southern Tide Polo was charming and the Shop Tart was thrilled to meet his mother, who was charming as well and cute as a button. She must be so proud of her son, who by his mere presence managed to convince the Shop Tart’s husband that he must have a Southern Tide Polo in Vintage Orange, which made him look very healthy. Allen himself was rocking the shirt in Charcoal and looked quite dashing. Here he is:

The Shop Tart, in giddy fan mode, had to snap the picture with her cell phone, which is why the quality is not the best. Here’s one more shot, in which Heather (of Britton’s) is sipping a Hurricane and wearing the cutest earrings that she created from Southern Tide Polo fish hang tags:

And here’s the Shop Tart’s plan for the week:

• Bohemian Home is carrying wine now! Go ahead and pencil in their first wine tasting on May 15. The Shop Tart particularly enjoyed a bottle of crisp Italian white, Pignoletto Superiore by San Vito. Of course she shared, silly! Not that it matters to true wine connoisseurs, but the label was so pretty (there was a drawing of a bird on it). And these things do matter when choosing a hostess gift, as does the price, which was just right at $18.
• Strobler has a store full of new things and they’re offering 15% off all Prada and GrassRoots furniture until the end of the month. There were a lot of sophisticated occasional tables and very useful and attractive glass paned cabinets, perfect for spring cleaning and organizing linens!
• Belladea still has a full sale rack, so go take a look! And buy the Shop Tart that pair of white Paige jeans that she doesn’t need at all while you’re there.
• Sophie Shoes is offering 25% off all shoes. No word on how long that sale is going on, so get in there today. Check out that gorgeous pair of multi-colored, patent leather spectator heels by Hale Bob. Scrumptious!
• You only have two more days to take advantage of the offer from H2 Women: No enrollment fee if you join this month. The gym is beautiful, so is the spa and they have free chocolates and coffee! What more could a girl want?

Happy shopping!

Sometimes, it’s difficult to get men to dress the way you would like. The Shop Tart has chosen her battles with Mr. Shop Tart very carefully. Early on in their relationship, she gave up on ever separating him from his nasty, kelly green Chuck Taylor’s. If a man refers to something affectionately as "My Bar Shoes," go ahead and let it go, because you will never win. And you might as well learn to love his Sebadoh t-shirt, because you aren’t going to win that one, either. Recently, Mr. Shop Tart replaced the bar shoes with plaid Vans. The Shop Tart, by the way, is no Demi Moore and her husband is no Ashton Kutcher, but she has the sense not to even hint that he might be a bit old for such a look, lest he replace them with something even worse. Actually, it’s a testament to her love for him that she kind of likes the Vans (and misses the Chuck Taylor’s, just a little bit. Please don’t tell him, though, because he might try to resurrect them!)

From noon until 6 pm tomorrow, you and your man can enjoy a Fish Fry, Barbeque and Southern Tide Polo trunk show in the parking lot behind Brittons of Columbia. You’ll even be able to meet the founder and creator of the Southern Tide polo, Allen Stephenson. And he’s from Greenville, which is extra exciting, because the Shop Tart loves anything local! The Shop Tart stopped in Brittons today and was treated to a demonstration of the superiority of the Southern Tide Polo by Lucky Levinson of Britton’s. The shirt is  so soft on the inside and the fabric has just a hint of lycra, so the collar never loses it shape. Mr. Levinson is so sure of the shirt’s integrity that he stretched it out. As promised, it kept its shape. The colors are stunning (Dear Mr. Shop Tart, you would look very nice in the Periwinkle or Fusion Coral, but we can just call them "blue" and "orange," if you like!) The Southern Tide Polo is also available for women.

The Shop Tart thinks this Fish Fry/Barbeque thing will be a great way to trick her husband into going shopping enjoy a Saturday with her fashionable husband. She’s sure that free food and Allen Stephenson’s enthusiasm will turn him into a believer!

The Shop Tart loves baby showers, particularly when they’re for girl babies. You see, she has three boy babies and one husband. Although she adores the boys, she’s always excited to have an opportunity to shop for a girl. It’s probably a good thing she has no daughter, because she might blow the poor girl’s college account on clothes…

In her quest for the perfect baby gift, the Shop Tart found too many to count. Here are some highlights:

• Tickled Pink is the place to go for all things custom. Owner (and designer and seamstress!) Caroline Glenn can monogram anything and has a room full of fabric to choose from. When the Shop Tart stopped in, she was working on monogrammed night-light shades. Too cute! Tickled Pink is known for their custom nursery bedding, but they also do clothes, curtains and bags. Speaking of bags, they carry the très chic Petunia Picklebottom diaper bags. They also have baby socks that look like Mary Jane’s by La Trompette if you’re looking for something small. If you’re looking for something big, they are the only place in town carrying Silver Cross strollers.
• Debbie at Sid and Nancy had the perfect gifts for a mom who plans to keep rockin’ after baby. She showed the Shop Tart several Rock onesies (in black, so they won’t show dirt!), tiny rockabilly-style sunglasses and the absolutely essential Temporary Tatoos for baby! She also had a totally punk-rock messenger style diaper bag that made the Shop Tart (almost) wish her toddler wasn’t heading towards potty training.
• Little Lambs and Ivy as always had plenty of great things to choose from. They carry a ton of the very stretchy, cute and cuddly Zutano, which the Shop Tart has found holds up very well to repeated washing and wear.
• Paul D. Sloan Interiors isn’t a place one would normally think of when shopping for a baby. In fact, actually bringing a toddler into the store could end up costing you thousands of dollars in damages. But they carry the cutest bowls, cups and divided plates by BabyCie. They have French words on them, which makes them très chic and educational, too!
• Last, but not least, Tiny Treasures has a great selection. The Shop Tart particularly likes their collection of traditional baby clothes, like day gowns and bonnets. They also carry very pretty small diaper bags in Toile, perfect for baby’s trips to church nursery!

Happy shopping!

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