It happens. You’ve done it. You go out on a Thursday, thinking you’ll chat with a few friends, have a drink and go home. A little teaser for the weekend to come, if you will. Just know that if Tom Hall is involved, you’ll be in FPO* faster than you can say “two oyster baskets, one Fat Tire and a glass of white wine, please.”

Tom Hall’s newest venture with Dan Huntley is a restaurant, music venue, playground or whatever else you want it to be. It’s just off of exit 24 in Blythewood, quite a drive from downtown. (Tom claims it’s only 20 minutes. Lies.) Drive or not, Smoke is worth it. Last night was the soft opening. Translation: An intimate gathering of the Halls’ inner circle. Second Translation: About a billion people. Or more. The music by Flatout Strangers was fab.

The line for food and drinks never disappeared, but it moved fast.

Smoke.

Speaking of food, yum. The screened-in kitchen stayed busy.

The kitchen at Smoke.

Roasted oysters with crispy bacon and cheese were a hit.

Smoke.

The plain ones were real good, too.

Smoke.

That little hush-puppy looking thing is a boudin ball, something you must taste to believe. Delish!

Smoke.

Tom Hall was everywhere**. Behind the bar…

Tom Hall at Smoke.

…auctioning off food to the masses, like this crispy smoked chicken stuffed with cornbread craw fish stuffing…

Tom Hall at Smoke.

Speaking of food, there was plenty.

Smoke.

Loved this plate of meat and three meat.

Meat and...at Smoke.

Still on a Smoke high***, the Shop Tart, her husband and her parents stopped by Tombo Grille to check out the new menu. Mr. Shop Tart was rocking one of his favorite shirts.

Mr. Shop Tart at Tombo Grille.

Mr. Shop Tart recommended the Muscadet. His wife insisted on sharing her oeno-therapist’s advice with the waiter and asked for “a dry white wine that’s minerally, not buttery.” He brought the Muscadet. Ha!

Tombo Grille.

The trout cakes with lemon horseradish remoulade were divine.

Trout cakes at Tombo Grille.

This plate of spreads was fantastic. The edamame Feta basil mash was a favorite. The olive tapenade was superb and may or may not have had grapefruit in it. Whatever it was, it was good to the last bite.

Tombo Grille.

If you haven’t tried the new menu at Tombo yet, Halloween is a great time to do it. Happy “Hour” on Saturday night is from 5 to 7 pm and again from 10 to midnight. Billy Sloan will be playing from 7 to 10 pm, when DJ Irv Thompson takes over on the wheels of steel (or the iPod of plastic, as the case may be). Irv will play all your favorite dance tunes until it’s time to go home. There will be a costume contest as well as a free glass of wine for anyone rocking a costume.

After Tombo, they…went home, of course. It was a school night, after all. The Shop Tart hopes to find time for a nap today. How else will she be at her best for Carpe Noctem and the Black and White Ball tonight? At Carpe Noctem, she’ll be volunteering as one of several judges for the costume contest. Do come out and strut your Halloween stuff a day early. She’d love to see you!

Happy Shopping and don’t forget to tell them you read it on the Shop Tart!

P.S. A couple of the above photos are courtesy of Aaron Marterer. His photos are identified on the Shop Tart’s Flickr page. Yes, that’s famed local blogger Craig Brandhorst at the bar.

* Full Party Overdrive. The Shop Tart doesn’t know where that phrase originated, but she first heard it from her friend Lee from Rock Hill. You need to hear it with the accent to fully appreciate its charms.

** Tom’s lovely wife Julie was everywhere, too, moving too fast to get her picture taken. The Shop Tart is sure Tom has the sense to worship the ground she walks on. Right, Tom?

*** Get it? Smoke? High? And, yes, it’s just a joke. The Shop Tart doesn’t smoke anything to get high. She is old, tired and forgetful enough without help.

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The other day, the Shop Tart dropped the bomb that natural lip color fades with age. This came as a surprise to many of you and the Shop Tart is sorry. She’s no scientist, but she would imagine regular application of a product containing SPF might help. (Why? Because SPF is the solution to all things aging.) Regardless, your lips are still going to fade. Even worse, the outline of your lips gets fuzzier. If you live long enough, you’ll look as though you have no lips at all, just a flesh-colored pucker between your chin and nose. Fun times. So, wipe your eyes (gently!), blow your nose and read on.

Lately, the Shop Tart has been using Skinceuticals Anti-Oxidant Lip Repair, which seems to help maintain some volume and, at the very least, keep lips smoother. The cream can be purchased at Urban Nirvana, H2 or Tonic for around $34. It seems as though it may last forever, as only about a third of a pump two or three times a day is necessary.

Skinceuticals Antioxidant Lip Repair at H2.

Since the age of fifteen, the Shop Tart has been in search of the elusive lip-colored lipstick. Her mother introduced her to Estee Lauder’s Pink Ceramic lipstick, which has grown to possibly mythical perfection in the Shop Tart’s mind since it was discontinued years ago. The only downside was that it tasted a bit soapy. These are some of her favorite replacements.

A while back, the Shop Tart had the pleasure of having her lips made up by Victoria Luburich at Pout, founder and creator of Wallett Cosmetics. Victoria used Wallett lip pencil in Cameo from Pout, still a favorite.

Wallett Cameo Lipliner at Pout.

Victoria followed with Sheer Natural lipstick, but the Shop Tart has since switched to Sheer Daquiri, a slightly less pink color, in an attempt to look as though she isn’t wearing make-up at all (ha). The color looks dark in the picture, but goes on sheer. Please excuse the imperfections in the photos; these lipsticks are used and had to be dug out from the Shop Tart’s bag.

Wallett Sheer Daiquiri at pout.

For a rosier look, Chantecaille Narcissa from Pout is pretty close to perfect. It smells and tastes like honeysuckle. Lovely!

Chantecaille Narcissa at Pout.

For the least color, the Shop Tart loves Classified by The Balm, purchased in Charleston at Stella Nova. This color is so pale, it adds more depth than color. It’s lovely layered over a slightly darker liner like Wallett’s Cameo. This shade is also perfect for toning down over-zealous application of another color when blotting doesn’t do the trick and you don’t want to start from scratch. Also, it smells and tastes good, like vanilla with a hint of mint.

The Balm Classified at Stella Nova.

The other day at Coplon’s, Ursula gave the Shop Tart the full lip treatment. Coloring the lips is a process, ladies, involving more than one product. Practice makes perfect, though, so never fear. Ursula started with Trish McEvoy’s Deep Rosette liner. Bonus: it comes with a brush on the other end.

Trish McEvoy Deep Rosette Lip Liner at Coplon's.

Next, she layered Pink Innocent Sheer Lip Color.

Trish McEvoy Pink Innocent Lipstick at Coplon's.

For a slightly darker look, she recommended Trish McEvoy’s Cream Lip Color in Pink Rose.

Trish McEvoy Pink Rose Lipstick at Coplon's.

She finished with a swipe of Trish’s Simply Glamorous Lip Gloss.

Trish McEvoy Simply Glamorous Lip Gloss at Coplon's.

The effect was gorgeous and lasted until the children came home from school, at which point the Shop Tart polished off the rest of their kettle corn from the All-Local Farmers’ Market. No lip product can last through that. Also, the Shop Tart kept pouting at herself in mirrors, which was getting a bit silly. So, you might be wondering how involved this will be. Will constant re-application cramp your style? Will you spend hours in the ladies’ room making sure your lips are covered? In a word, no.

Years ago, the Shop Tart read very specific instructions in a magazine (Of course she doesn’t remember which one. Maybe Jane?) about how to make your lip color last all night. She doesn’t employ the technique every day, but it does work.

All Night Long Lip Color*

1. Start with a moisturizer for the lips, like the Skinceuticals Antioxidant Lip Repair or Smith’s Rosebud Salve, available at Urban Nirvana. You’ll need very little salve and you might want to wait a few minutes for it to absorb.

Rosebud Salve

2. Next, line your lips and fill them in with liner.

3. Apply lipstick.

4. Blot.

5. Re-apply the liner, coloring in the entire lip, not just the edges.

6. Re-apply lipstick.

7. Blot.

8. Apply a swipe of gloss for depth. Alternately, apply a dot of gloss at the center of the upper and lower lips and rub your lips together.

9. Drop the lipstick in your handbag, just in case, but you might not need it.

Speaking of gloss, the Trish McEvoy is lovely. Rosebud Salve works, too. The Shop Tart also likes Freeze 24-7 Plump Lips in Clear, available at Pout.

Freeze-24-7-Plump-Lips

So, don’t cry, you can keep your lip color - at least the illusion of it - with just a little bit of effort. In fact, even a clear gloss alone will magnify your natural color and add depth. Think of it as a magnifying glass for your lips. Mwah!

Happy Shopping and don’t forget to tell them you read it on the Shop Tart!

P.S. Some people claim lip products themselves sap natural color over time. The Shop Tart thinks that is bull. Show her the proof.

* Cue the Lionel Richie, please.

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First things first: Please don’t forget to leave a comment in the comment section below to be entered to win a family pass to EdVenture’s HalloWonka, open tonight through Friday. The comment can be about anything whatsoever, even what you ate for breakfast. Or how you really feel about your ex-boyfriend. The Shop Tart wants to know. HalloWonka will be loads of fun. Wouldn’t you like to enjoy it for free?

The Shop Tart can’t help it: She’s a sucker for a celebrity willing to show up for a good cause. She was looking forward to yesterday’s sold-out luncheon at Travinia in Lexington. The ladies of Lola are as generous as they are fun. Yesterday’s luncheon was held to benefit breast cancer research and the ladies were out in full force. Each guest enjoyed a fabulous lunch and a few small gifts, including chocolate-covered pecans from A Taste of the South and coupons from Austral Salon and Revitalash. (Speaking of, it’s about time the Shop Tart reminded you about Revitalash. It is awesome. Life-changing, really.)

The Shop Tart is always impressed with generous business owners who donate when they’re asked. There were tons of raffle prizes. Ladies were invited to buy as many tickets and put as many in each prize bag as they liked.

Fashion for a Cause with Lola.

The Shop Tart was one of several models strolling around the room showing off clothes from Lola and talking up the numerous raffle prizes. Models included several breast cancer survivors and Lola customers. The girls from Austral Salon helped the models get pretty before their big moment.

Fashion for a Cause with Lola.

Back-stage bubbly and snacks also helped the models prepare. Ahem.

Fashion for a Cause with Lola.

One of the models was Miss Ashley Witt, pageant winner and protegée of the celebrity guest…drum roll…wait for it…hear that trumpet?…Cyrus Frakes of TLC’s “King of the Crown!”

Fashion for a Cause with Lola.

Both Cyrus and Ashley were as nice as they could be. Ashley was so calm back-stage, she made the rest of the models feel a little more relaxed. Cyrus, who happens to be the son of a survivor, was so kind to take time out of his busy schedule to support the cause. He and Lola co-owner Candy handed out prize after fabulous prize.

Fashion for a Cause with Lola.

One lucky lady won the grand prize, a gift basket filled with products and coupons for services from Dermatology of Lexington worth nearly $1000.

Fashion for a Cause with Lola.

The Shop Tart had so much fun, she wants to be a pageant girl now. Think she’s too old? In the photo below, she’s modeling a Plenty by Tracy Reese tunic top from Lola. She wore it with fuschia Spanx (also from Lola) and her black stiletto booties by Enigma from Kicks.

Fashion for a Cause with Lola.

Cyrus was a doll about posing for pictures. Here he is with hostesses, sisters and Lola co-owners Candy and Cindy.

Fashion for a Cause with Lola.

And more models…

Fashion for a Cause with Lola.

One of the most charming guests was Gigi, a Lexington second grader who started making earrings when her parents decided to experiment with banishing television for a month. Her grandmother Judy suffered from breast cancer and passed away this summer. Gigi and her brother, who helps make the jewelry, donate 25% of their proceeds to cancer charities and are saving the rest for college. Gigi, who explained she was the boss to her older brother assistant, plans to go to Yale where she can help find a cure for cancer. The Shop Tart thinks her chances are good! Her designs are lovely, so if she decides to go the artist route, she’ll be just as successful. Gigi’s work is available at several stores in Lexington or on-line.

Fashion for a Cause with Lola.

Other guests included Melanie and Amanda, who are looking forward to the opening of their new shop, the Shoe Boutique at Lola.

Fashion for a Cause with Lola.

Kicks of Lexington, the former shoe boutique in Lola, now has a dedicated location in the Shoppes at Flight Deck (109 Old Chapin Road). Congratulations to the lucky ladies of Lexington, who will have not one but two fab places to buy shoes! Amanda and Melanie are officially opening on November 2nd, with grand opening celebrations on November 19th and 20th.

Fashion for a Cause with Lola.

Candy and Cindy invited everyone to Lola after lunch for Champagne and dessert. The Shop Tart is definitely considering a move to Lexington.

Tomorrow, she is heading to the other side of town to check out Smoke Southern Barbeque Revival, the newest place to go for fab food, music and fun. The Shop Tart is thrilled to report that Michael Cramer, representative for Republic National, will be providing the wine at Smoke. He happens to be a distributor for Shop Tart favorite Barefoot Bubbly as well as lots of other excellent choices. Smoke is owned and operated by local bluegrass star Tom Hall of the Plowboys and Dan Huntley, nationally acclaimed food writer and barbeque expert. Here they are with Caw Caw Creek farmer Emile DeFelice.

Tom Hall, Dan Huntley and Emile Defelice.

Smoke is open for lunch already and the Shop Tart hears great reports. The restaurant is located in the former location of Myer’s BBQ in Blythewood (10324 Wilson Boulevard. Phone: 803-754-0270). See you there!

smoke

Happy Shopping and don’t forget to tell them you read it on the Shop Tart!

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Are you ready to invest? The Shop Tart knows just the place to go: The Lela Rose trunk show at Coplon’s. Not ready? Go anyway. The separates are more affordable than the evening gowns and there is nothing in the world wrong with pairing a high-end designer top with a skirt from the Gap, a vintage piece, or something from your friend’s closet (as long as you ask her first, of course). Even if you don’t plan to buy a thing, go look at the selection. Why? Because if you love fashion, you need to get to know it. A three-thousand dollar evening gown might not be in the budget at the moment - and, oh, how we wish it was - but if you don’t see things up close, how ever will you know how to effectively shop consignment or vintage? A trunk show is your chance to see the real deal, and a lot of it at once.

The Shop Tart owns exactly one Lela Rose skirt, purchased at Revente, mais oui. There are certain brands she seeks out in consignment shops and Lela Rose is one of them, for the glamor, the construction and the timelessness. Although she had nowhere to wear the bubble skirt shot through with metallic threads, she knew better than to pass it up. Cocktail skirts are verrah, verrah versatile. Unlike dresses, they can be worn year after year with different tops and accessories. Although the Shop Tart didn’t photograph any cocktail skirts - she was too giddy over the dresses and her camera battery was fading fast - there were plenty, many in the same fabrics as the dresses she photographed. Cocktail skirts don’t get enough credit; they are excellent investment pieces. The Shop Tart has a brown lace pencil skirt she purchased after the birth of her second child. He’s eight. She still gets compliments on that skirt. (And she isn’t embarrassed to wear it, even though everyone who reads this will know it’s eight years old, probably older, since it was purchased on the sale rack at J. Crew.) She has another cocktail skirt, purchased a year or so after that one from Belladea. It’s made of vintage tie fabric and has a little pleat on the back that makes her look like she has a behind. Just last year, she bought a new top to go with it. Do you get the point here? It’s okay to spend on a cocktail skirt. Moving on…

The Lela Rose accessories were fab, including this statement necklace for spring. The clear stones and fabric studs lighten the look for warmer weather. Resort, anyone?

Lela Rose at Coplon's

Speaking of resort, this dress would work year-round. In fact, it would be perfect for Friday evening’s Black and White Ball at the museum.

Lela Rose at Colpon's

If you are looking for a present for the Shop Tart, as much as she would love a new ball gown, this would thrill her. She would wear it with tall boots in early spring and nude sandals as summer approached. She might even wear it right this second, just because. Lovely!

Lela Rose at Coplon's

In fact, anything from the collection would make a lovely gift. Just ask Margaret at Coplon’s what size to select for your favorite blogger. Mwah!

After ogling the clothes, the Shop Tart went to visit Ursula at the cosmetics counter. She is planning a post on lip-colored lipstick. You know, the lipstick you wear to re-visit the color you had naturally at fifteen. That’s one of those things no one mentions about aging: Your lip color fades. Weird, but true. Never fear, there are plenty of options and the Shop Tart will tell you all about them soon. Speaking of aging, the Shop Tart also ordered some Trish McEvoy Beta Hydroxy pads from Ursula; they are great for targeting that pesky, flaky skin in winter.

Trish McEvoy Beta Hydroxy Pads

Speaking of winter, it isn’t here yet. Fall is, though. Speaking of fall, Hallowonka starts tomorrow at EdVenture. Visitors can enjoy all of the usual museum offerings in addition to lots of Halloween fun. There will be games, Oompa Loompa Arts & Crafts, a cake walk, Pixy Stix Art and more. Hallowonka is the ultimate Halloween carnival. Don’t miss the amazing candy sculptures created by local students. EdVenture wants you there and your children will love you for it. In fact, they sent the Shop Tart a pass to give away for a family of four to enjoy the carnival, any night Wednesday through Friday. So, this calls for a contest, n’est-ce pas? To enter, leave a comment in the comments section. Any comment. About anything. Leave the comment before 3 pm tomorrow, when the Shop Tart will select a number randomly from a hat. (Or a bowl. Possibly a pillow case. Ooh! Or a handbag! Yeah, a handbag.) The corresponding commenter wins! Hallowonka tickets are $7 each and this is a great way to get in for free. Ready, set, go! The winner will be contacted by e-mail.

HalloWonka!

Speaking of Halloween events, how about a couple for grown-ups? Friday night, the Shop Tart is going to be a busy lady. Carpe Noctem, a fab event hosted by the Unbound Dance Company, starts at 6:30 pm at 701 Whaley Street. The Shop Tart plans to be there when the doors open. In addition to the UNBOUND dancers (who will perform Thriller!), revelers will enjoy music from DJ Chris Wenner, belly dancing by Natalie Brown, cabaret singing by Dell Goodrich*, and guest dancers from Vista Ballroom. Artists Scott Bilby, Travis Teate, and Michael Krajewski will also be in attendance. The event also features a silent auction and a costume contest, which the Shop Tart will help judge. After an adult beverage, the Shop Tart will slip out to the Columbia Museum of Art’s Black and White Ball, which starts at 8 pm. (Pssst…Look for an article by Otis Taylor in The State’s weekend section on Friday about the ball. It should include lots of fashion information.) At some point, she will head back to Carpe Noctem to judge the costume contest. She is very thankful to have Mr. Shop Tart as a driver**. After all that, she will probably go home. Or somewhere to eat cheese fries.

Happy Shopping and don’t forget to tell them you read it on the Shop Tart!

* Dell Goodrich rocks. If you’ve never seen her perform, you should attend Carpe Noctem just for that!

** Confidential to Mr. Shop Tart: You will be her driver, won’t you? Please? Or should we call Landa from Aiken Limousine again? It would be kind of fun to cruise back and forth between the two events in a Lincoln town car…

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This weekend, Mr. Shop Tart played at some tennis tournament or another in Charleston and la famille stayed home. It could have been awful, but thanks to a rained-out soccer game, a pot of soup, the All-Local Farmers’ Market, a football game and a babysitter, it rocked. On Friday, the Shop Tart spotted a Hubbard squash at Earth Fare. She discovered this large, pale blue delicacy years ago, when one was given to her. Actually, it was bestowed upon her mother, who had no idea what to do with it and let it languish on the counter for a bit before deciding it was not her problem. She gave it to the Shop Tart, who loves to experiment in the kitchen and knows how to use Google to find recipes. She found a good one, but she didn’t use it on Friday. Inspired by both the macrobiotics lecture on Thursday and her subsequent butternut squash soup at Solstice, she made this.

Hubbard squash soup.

It was easy. First, you must deal with the squash. Cut it in half and scoop out all the gunk and the seeds. Put the squash halves face down in a jelly roll pan. (That’s a cookie sheet with sides.) Fill the pan with about a half-inch of water and cook the squash at 375° for an hour or two, until it’s tender when you poke it with a fork. The skin should come off easily. Now make soup.

Hubbard Squash Soup

Heat a splash of olive oil in a big pot. Add a chopped onion and some chopped garlic and let them cook a little, until the onion is clear.

Add the squash and about a cup of vegetable stock. You will eventually add an entire quart, which the Shop Tart purchases in a box at Rosewood Market.

Stir as you add two heaping tablespoons of miso. The Shop Tart prefers a mix of white miso and the heartier barley miso, but use whatever you like.

Add a can of coconut milk, light or regular.

Add the rest of the vegetable stock.

Now, you need some flavor. You could add a mixture of spices, rice wine vinegar and some other stuff. Or you could add the rest of a jar of store-bought Thai curry sauce. Guess which one the Shop Tart did?

Bring it all to a low boil, reduce the heat and simmer until everything is soft enough to purée with a stick blender. If you don’t have a stick blender, you can purée in batches in a food processor or blender. Shop Tart Tip: Go buy a stick blender.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with chives, green onions, basil or anything else green. Because it looks pretty.

Saturday morning, the Shop Tart was too exhausted from making dinner the night before to contemplate breakfast, so she took the gang to the All-Local Farmers’ Market where Gervais and Vine is once again providing an excellent breakfast made with local ingredients. They had three different kinds of quiche - made with Wil-Moore Farms chicken, Caw Caw Creek sausage or local vegetables. Each five-dollar plate included a piece of quiche and a side of Anson Mills grits. Given her low-key Friday evening at home with the under-twelve set, the Shop Tart was not rocking a hangover. If she had been, the breakfast would have cured it. Even without a hangover, the meal was excellent.

All-Local Farmers' Market

The floral arrangements on the tables were lovely.

All-Local Farmers' Market

The children were still hungry, so they bought kettle-corn, made on-site. The Shop Tart encouraged them to eat it all, for fear she would do what she had done before: Eat it all after they went to sleep. Did you know it was possible to have a kettle corn hangover? Well, it is. This is the best kettle corn in the freaking world.

All-Local Farmers' Market

While the children ate, their mother shopped. Palmetto Pepper potions had a new dish for fall, pumpkin fluff. You can find the recipe and others on their website.

All-Local Farmers' Market

Speaking of Palmetto Pepper Potions, the hot sauces are the bomb. You probably need one of each.

All-Local Farmers' Market

New-ish vendor Spotted Salamander was there, offering ready-made dishes to take home and heat for dinner. The squash and bacon casserole was heart-breakingly delicious. In honor of the eight-year old vegetarian in the house, the Shop Tart purchased the meat-free mac and cheese instead, equally tasty, but without bacon. She also tried a sample of their sweet and mildly spiced pecans. Yum!

All-Local Farmers' Market

She also discovered a new-to-her vendor selling cheese and hand-made pasta from Castra Rota, a restaurant in Brunson, South Carolina. Do you know where that is? In the low-country. Based on the cheese, the Shop Tart would like to make a road trip to eat there. That is some mad awesome cheese. They sold spiced feta in olive oil.

All-Local Farmers' Market

The hand-made pasta looked lovely.

All-Local Farmers' Market

The Shop Tart sampled and bought this soft cheese. She plans to hide in her room and eat it for supper with some delicious bread. Shhhh

All-Local Farmers' Market

Speaking of delicious bread, Heather was there - with plenty of variety - selling out fast as always. The Shop Tart managed to score a sunflower loaf and her favorite ciabbatta, but the baskets were getting low.

All-Local Farmers' Market

Love the local honey.

All-Local Farmers' Market

And the flowers. Shop Tart Tip: Give Donna some money and let her do her thing. Her arrangements are mad chic and mad fresh, so they last for days, if not weeks.

All-Local Farmers' Market

If the Shop Tart gets around to it, she would love to make holiday baskets filled with local products for all her friends. She might start with Susi Toffee. Although the sample was delicious, the Shop Tart was afraid to buy a whole bag. Because she would eat it all.

All-Local Farmers' Market

She could add Heather’s bread, a packet of Wolf Pecans, a jar of cheese from Castra Rota, a bottle of Palmetto Potions hot sauce, a bag of kettle corn, a growler of Hunter Gatherer beer and at least one of these cute little jars of honey…

All-Local Farmers' Market

…and a bird feeder!

All-Local Farmers' Market

Admittedly, the bird feeder might be a bit much. Perhaps she could get one for each of the grandparents instead. Grandparents love bird feeders…and grandchildren.

All-Local Farmers' Market

Although the Shop Tart didn’t need seafood, shrimp, clams and wreckfish from Wadmalaw Island (home of Firefly Sweet Tea vodka) were available.

All-Local Farmers' Market

She signed up for the Wild Carolina Sustainable Seafood email list so she’ll know what they’re bringing in the future and can plan dinner accordingly.

All-Local Farmers' Market

Banu Varlik of It Bites Gourmet was there with her home-made delicacies, including classic and chocolate baklava, tabuli and delicious carrot and yogurt spread. The carrot and yogurt spread with a box of fancy crackers was the perfect thing to take to two different parties over the weekend. (The Shop Tart was still exhausted from making the soup on Friday and couldn’t possibly come up with a home-made dish.)

Saturday evening, the Shop Tart left her children with a wonderful sitter and a Spotted Salamander mac and cheese casserole. She went to the game with her friends and enjoyed watching the Gamecocks win. They won. OK? The details aren’t important*. After the game, she went to the Whig. Sadly, cheese fries were not on the menu at that hour. She had this instead. It was pretty good.

Sunday morning, she made an omelet for the children with Wil-Moore Farms eggs, Split Creek Farm feta from Rosewood Market, sweet peppers and spinach. It was delicious, especially with a hot cup of Cashua Coffee. The rest of the day was spent waiting for daddy to come home. He arrived and la famille went to an afternoon party with a container of carrot and yogurt spread from It Bites to share. It was a hit (and a now-permanent dish on the Shop Tart’s party menu).

Happy Shopping and don’t forget to tell them you read it on the Shop Tart!

P.S. Guess who has a blog. AnnaBelle LaRoque! Check it often for fab pictures of things in the shop and tidbits about her process and what she’s working on now.

* Sigh.

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