The Shop Tart has an affinity for a certain brand of nail polish. She carries it with her when she goes for a pedicure, because she loves the colors and always likes to have a back-up for chips. (She isn’t silly enough to be totally beholden to the brand. But she always likes to take the color home after a mani/pedi and will buy a bottle of the spa’s brand when she chooses one of theirs. Speaking of, Soak is offering 40 percent off all retail products until February 1st. Time to get all your OPI colors! back to your regularly scheduled program…) When her favorite brand releases new colors, she must order them, because they are often so popular, they don’t make it to certain stores. She’s not proud of this, but it is what it is. The other day, she ordered just such a polish, eagerly awaiting her little package.

One day, arriving home, she saw a large box on her front porch, large enough to hold two pair of shoes or a big, puffy jacket. Or two dozen Hermès scarves. Or a bunch of that yummy popcorn that comes in three flavors perfect for mixing: butter, caramel and cheese. Or a set of Champagne glasses. Her birthday was coming soon and she thought someone had sent her a lovely surprise. She picked up the box, very carefully in case it contained crystal. It was very light. Perhaps someone had sent her some delicate and lovely origami creations or a selection of peacock feathers. She opened the box carefully so as not to crush them. Inside, she found a pile of tissue paper. Although she thought she should set it aside and save it for another purpose, she tossed it to the floor, excited to see her present. Under the tissue, there was a smaller gold box, large enough to hold a couple of carefully packed Champagne flutes. At first, she thought the box itself was a gift. It was heavy and appeared to be lacquered. It was tied with black silk ribbon. Carefully, she lifted the lid. There was more tissue paper. What on earth could it be?

A tiny bottle of nail polish.

No lie. How ridiculous was that? She was tempted to call the company and launch into a petite tirade about what excessive packaging does to the environment. As much as she wanted that nail varnish, she didn’t want to kill little baby animals for it. Instead of feeling excited about her acquisition - and it can be difficult to secure the newest colors - she felt guilty. Grrrr. She would like to say she will never buy from them again, but she is not that big of a person. In the future, she will drive to Charlotte and buy it there or have a salesclerk from the store mail it - in a small, bubble-wrap envelope.

She can only assume that purveyors of this fancy brand were trying to create a luxury experience. Incidentally, the Shop Tart doesn’t fall for such ploys. She just wanted fashionably lovely nails. If she wanted luxury, she would scrimp and save to go to a really nice resort on St. Barth’s or some such island. (In fact, she would like that. Won’t you take her? She’ll let you borrow her nail polish. It will be so fun!) She does understand that packaging is part of the experience for a buyer. In this case, it made her feel worse. But a lot of places do way better, with far less impact on the environment*. In December, she ordered a vintage belt from Library in Charleston and thought the packaging was divinely chic.

More recently, she ordered a blouse from Lyell. She lusted after the same blouse on her trip to New York, but wanted to wait for a sale. When the sale finally happened, the original color was sold out, but a lovely blue was available. Oh, happy day! The Shop Tart actually preferred blue. In fact, she had been thinking her wardrobe lacked blue tops. When the time was right, she emailed the shop to find out if the blouse was on sale. Sasha answered and was as nice as she could be; it was almost like going to the actual shop. Sasha sent the Shop Tart photos so she could see the blue color and made sure she knew it was a little brighter than the photo images. After a brief and pleasant phone conversation to impart her credit card number and shipping address, the blouse arrived. (It had been mailed two-day shipping, for more than the shipping charge she had paid, which was a nice touch.) The box seemed too small to hold a blouse. The Shop Tart thought someone might have sent her a bottle of nail polish. She opened it to find something wrapped in tissue with a nice note and a re-usable lightweight cotton bag with Lyell’s logo.

The packaging itself made the Shop Tart feel as though she was back in Lyell’s small boutique in Nolita. In fact, it made her want to go back there very soon.

Perhaps more importantly, it made her feel like Sasha personally wanted her to have the blouse. Feeling the love is never a bad thing, n’est-ce pas? This, dear reader, was brilliance in packaging. The blouse tumbled, miraculously unwrinkled, from the tissue, the blue silk contrasting nicely with the matte black paper and ecru bag.

So, what do you think of the new top? Do you like it? Do you? Eh. Doesn’t matter. The Shop Tart would like to take this moment to remind you that you don’t need to dress for anyone but yourself (and perhaps that one friend who shares your awesome taste and always thinks you look fab.) To quote herself: She was not put on this earth to look pretty. Neither were you. You like it? Rock it.

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

P.S. Don’t forget to comment on Monday’s post to be entered to win tickets to John Tudor’s amazing magic show at Cromer’s on Saturday. All you have to do is let the Shop Tart and your fellow readers know what your favorite party favor is. Favor suggestions for adults, children and pets welcome. The drawing will be random, so even if you feel your suggestion is not the most creative, please share! Winners will be announced this afternoon at 4:30 pm.

P.P.S. Did you miss Kicks’ sidewalk sale on Devine Street? It’s moved to their Lexington shop. There are shoes  available for as little as $7 a pair. True story. The sidewalk sale in Lexington is going on today and tomorrow. Yay!

P.P.P.S. Need a laugh? The Shop Tart enjoyed this immensely , via Otis Taylor of The State.

* The Shop Tart understands - and knows you do, too - that buying and trading locally has the least impact on the environment, but she has never claimed to be perfect. And never will.

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Although it seems like the decidedly materialistic Shop Tart would be easy to buy for, she isn’t. Her husband - who tries, y’all, he really tries - is not a smart shopper. Whenever he gets her a gift, she cringes a little, knowing if he had waited just a week or two, it might have been on sale. Recently, for the first time ever, she decided to buy herself a dress - any one she wanted - not on sale. It was for a party at her own house and she “had nothing to wear,” which is a rarity for her. She tried on everything she craved, glancing at the price tags for a fleeting moment. (She did still have a vague limit in mind.) She tried on frock after frock, without considering the price. She knew she would find the best party dress ever. And…she couldn’t. In the end, she tried on a sequined number she had been afraid to even touch. She wanted it real bad. She told herself the lights in the dressing room were bad, so she went out into the shop, where the salesclerk confirmed what she already knew: That dress, albeit pricey, did not look good on her. Not at all. She ended up buying a different dress, priced lower to begin with and marked down even more. Love!

So, what can Mr. Shop Tart get her? The kind of thing she adores that never, ever goes on sale. He once got her the watch she had dreamed of since childhood. For her birthday this year, with only very strong hints as opposed to insanely over-bearing hints, he gave her a Fiona Paxton necklace. Squeeee! She had seen them in magazines and on-line, but seeing them up close at Hampden Clothing in Charleston sealed her desire. Every time she goes there, she looks at them and sighs. They are (her) style-defining, life-changing accessory. And, enfin, she has one, in exactly the color she wanted. How did he know?

Hampden has them in several colors and they all rock. Next time you are in Charleston, go take a look. Or don’t. Because then you’ll want one real bad.

And nothing makes the Shop Tart want a fabulous cocktail like wearing something new. She likes to celebrate. (She is the sort of person who will have a party just to debut a new dress. She doesn’t tell people that’s why they’re invited, of course.) Thanks to Andy at Terra, she now understands that shaking a cocktail more than one might think necessary results in a lovely, cold beverage with little flecks of ice throughout. She took her necklace to the bar at Garibaldi’s, instructed the bartender to shake it like a Polaroid picture on speed, and enjoyed this charmingly alliterative cocktail: a Grey Goose gimlet at Garibaldi’s. (Shop Tart Tip: For slightly more budget-friendly drinking, order the fanciest brand for round one. Take a step down for round two. Round three? Probably you should skip this one entirely, but if you must, switch to house liquor. If you can tell a difference, your tolerance is too high.)

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

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P.S. Don’t forget to comment on Monday’s post to be entered to win tickets to John Tudor’s amazing magic show at Cromer’s on Saturday. Let the Shop Tart and your fellow readers know what your favorite party favor is. Favor suggestions for adults, children and pets welcome. The drawing will be random, so even if you feel your suggestion is not the most creative, please share!

The Shop Tart needed a bit of cheering up. It comforted her to believe the collaborative effort between Chef Alex duMonde of Baan Sawan and Chef Tim Peters of Motor Supply was just for her - and all the other lucky diners on Sunday at Motor Supply. The mood was exactly the way the Shop Tart likes it, mellow and fun. Motor owner Eddie Wales, the two chefs and Baan Sawan co-owner and oeno-therapist Sam were having a great time, admiring each other right and left. With all due respect to her own husband, Eddie, Tim and Alex’s wives and Sam’s significant other, the Shop Tart must take a moment to offer a word of advice to her male readers: Mutual admiration is sexy as h*ll. Snarky competitiveness - as opposed to the good-natured kind - is just not sexy. After dinner, a conversation was had - the Shop Tart will not say by whom, to protect the more or less innocent. One of the men wanted to know why women often referred to something as “cute” or “adorable” when it was actually “sexy as h*ll.” The Shop Tart enjoyed her fair share of feminist theory and women’s studies classes in college, as well as some reading on her own, and launched into a brief but rambling explanation of society’s expectations about women’s sexuality and the fact that many women are taught to ignore or subjugate it. She also mentioned the theory that some eating disorders are triggered by that fact rather than skinny ladies in magazines. This lecture got boring, though it was met with approval by her lady friends.

The confidence to admire other people’s skills is always sexy, especially when their expertise lies in the same area as your own. Especially if you are working with those other people to feed the Shop Tart one of the best meals she has ever enjoyed, with some of the best wines she has ever had the pleasure of drinking. That’s hot. Without further ado…

The extravaganza began with boiled peanuts. That’s right. Where’d you think you were, fancy pants? Boston? The Shop Tart has the utmost respect and enthusiasm for legumes boiled in the traditional manner (with lots of salt water, for a whole day before being taken off the heat and soaked overnight). But these were no ordinary boiled peanuts. They were pad Thai boiled peanuts with stained glass cilantro, paired expertly with Victory’s Golden Monkey beer. The Shop Tart is not a beer drinker, but Sam recently introduced her to a beer she liked and she could mos def imagine enjoying a cold one with boiled peanuts and shrimp. Please note that these photos do not convey the presentation as well as they could, as the Shop Tart and her party requested seats at the bar, which is slightly sloped.

After just the right amount of time had passed, round two arrived. Oh. My. Gosh. Did you know there was such a thing as rice grits? Did you know they are really good prepared with coconut milk, half and half and butter? And topped with wild shrimp, lemongrass and Kafir lime broth? Well they are. Every diner the Shop Tart asked named this as one of their favorites of the evening. The toasted coconut on top was perfect.

That course and the salad following it were paired with Cristom ‘07 pinot gris from Oregon. The wines came from Advintage wine rep Danielle Iskrzak Robinson, who worked with Sam on the pairings. She was seated at the bar, too, and is a heck of a lot of fun as well as verrah knowledgeable. (Look for her tastings around town.)

The pinot gris also went well with the salad of local greens, pickled onion and quail egg.

In between courses, the chefs and Sam would give brief explanations, peppered with jokes and plenty of ribbing. They wanted diners to enjoy the meal and know what they were eating and drinking, not write a thesis about it.

If you are interested in a more expert - and sober - take on the wine and food pairings, take a look at Baan Sawan’s blog. The next course was a spiced miso consommé with poached frog legs and foie gras stuffed in a Shiitaki mushroom.

The wine with that course and the next was Bilton Estate’s 2004 Matt Black blend of shiraz, merlot and petit verdot. Heck yeah, it was.

The following course, paired with the same wine, was also a crowd favorite. What’s not to love about Thai-braised local Caw Caw Creek bacon in a natural reduction? Heaven! Again, the lopsided presentation is due to the slope of the bar, not any unbalance in the kitchen.

Next came a lime sorbet to cleanse the palate.

The sorbet was paired with Avinyo cava rosado, which was much-appreciated as you can see from the empty bottle. One of the diners brought it from his table to the bar to chat. (Wonder if he was looking for a re-fill? One of the many advantages of sitting at the bar is a friendly pour.)

The cava mixed with the remains of the lime sorbet wasn’t a bad idea at all. Sipped through a straw and super-fancy, y’all.

The main course was a divine combination: Beef tenderloin tournedos topped with red curry-poached black cod and lobster and finished with a ponzu demiglace. Sommelier Sam, who also happens to be Chef Alex’s brother, mused, “As with a lot of things my brother does, [this dish] complicates my life.” Pairing a wine with a course that has a little bit of everything is a challenge. Sam rose to it with gleeful enthusiasm. Are you surprised? Sam’s words are far better than the Shop Tart’s:

now. the main course of tenderloin, cod, and lobster in a citrusy demiglace was an expression of indulgence for my brother, who is quite fond of food on top of food on top of other foods. and if he can wrap one in another he’s especially happy. but he’s not really a wine drinker and this combination is a terror when i felt the need to pair the main course with a red. a good, rich graves bordeaux blend would’ve worked great but i feel like the general expectation for a main course is a red wine. working with my wine rep we settled on the domaine des tours vaucluse, a bright, smooth blend of grenache, cunoise, cinsault, syrah, and merlot from the south east of france. i was so happy with how this turned out as there was enough richness of flavor for the red meat, brightness of red fruit and acid for the seafood and the fresh fruit quality it had (as opposed to ripe or cooked fruit) played nicely with the ponzu demiglace.

Et le vin.

The Shop Tart can take or leave dessert. In this case? A resounding “take.” The ginger and coconut panna cotta with Thai coffee crème anglaise and peanut lace was exactly as fusion-tastic as you imagine. But better.

And may we present the chefs, who like each other a whole lot. And might be mad at the Shop Tart for this photo. But she likes it.

So…missed the dinner? This Sunday, they are having another one at Motor Supply. The Shop Tart is 100 percent sure it will be amazing. See you there!

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

P.S. Don’t forget to comment on Monday’s post to be entered to win tickets to John Tudor’s amazing magic show at Cromer’s on Saturday. Let the Shop Tart and your fellow readers know what your favorite party favor is. Favor suggestions for adults, children and pets welcome. The drawing will be random, so even if you feel your suggestion is not the most creative, please share!

P.P.S. Kicks on Devine Street is also still rocking a sidewalk sale, so go now to take advantage of great deals. On Friday, all the sale goods will be moved to Kicks in Lexington for a sidewalk sale out there. Ready, set, go!

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The Shop Tart eats. Some people say they are too depressed to eat when things are not going their way. Others claim to have been so busy they forgot to eat. The Shop Tart has never, ever - not once in her life - forgotten to eat. She’s been eating out a lot recently for various reasons - work, family, lack of motivation to cook - and often, her children come with her. When they don’t, they are treated to delicacies from the freezer. The Shop Tart stocks the freezer for times like these: casseroles from Spotted Salamander, vegetable samosas from Trader Joe’s, extra servings of soup she made herself and - her most prized freezer meal - spanakopeta from the Greek Festival.

Last night, the Shop Tart had a meeting at Dianne’s. (*sigh* She doesn’t have an actual office. Please, don’t feel too sorry for her.) She had a hankering for the famed “wedge and w(h)ine.” The meeting lasted long enough that she and her friend decided to share the sea bass with vegetables, substituting spinach for the angel hair pasta. Delicious! Mais oui, the vegetable of the day was fried cauliflower. Everyone deserves a little bit of fried, n’est-ce pas?

One of the Shop Tart’s companions was taking notes about the subject at hand - Nickelodeon’s Oscar party on March 7th. It’s sure to be one of the most fun events of the year. Why on earth would you watch the Oscars at home? Then who would you talk to about all the outfits? Mark your calendars and plan your outfits - this party will be an absolute blast.

When you’re eating in a lot of restaurants, you need to have light, healthy standbys to balance out the deliciously fried options. Cloud Nine is a Shop Tart favorite for lunch. She had a meeting there the other day with Lynn of Celebrations*. (The Shop Tart loves her job, which is all about meeting fun, stylish people for lunch and cocktails. She didn’t go to college for nothing, yo.) She had the spinach salad, always perfect.

Cloud Nine is the perfect place for a business lunch: It’s not too loud and they have free wi-fi. Also? The perfect place to catch up on some Facebook stalking and stare out the enormous front window at people walking through the Vista. And? If you have recently included them in an article about great places to eat lunch for under $10, they might offer you a deliciously citrusy piece of pound cake to say “thanks.”

A reader recently asked the Shop Tart about a nice engagement present for her friend. The Shop Tart can think of many, but Champagne glasses are always lovely. They aren’t necessary, they might help the couple embark on a lifetime of celebration and you don’t have to give a full set, because what is more fab than mis-matched flutes? The Shop Tart was thrilled to receive two of these flutes by Sophie Conran for Portmeirion from her mother for her birthday. Her mother was with her the first time she squealed over them and knew she would never buy such a thing for herself. Squeeee! Love the informal look, because who says bubbly has to be fancy?

If you want to give these glasses as an engagement gift, why not take it a step farther and add an inexpensive bottle of bubbly? Cloud Nine has some great options, some for as little as $10. They’ll be happy to advise you.

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

P.S. VanJean is still having a sidewalk sale…inside. Yesterday, the front room was still filled with heavily discounted merchandise and the Shop Tart had to put on blinders, as there were some great finds and she has already scored her share. Hurry, because they won’t be there much longer!

P.P.S. She knows that many of you are waiting on the edge of your seats for her review of the Baan Sawan/Motor Supply dinner Sunday evening. It was amazing. Duh. She hasn’t shared yet because she wants to get the names of each wine from the expert, so she can advise you. Look for a post soon, probably tomorrow. Also? Make reservations now for next Sunday’s wine dinner at Motor Supply. You will not be disappointed. The Shop Tart enjoyed herself so much she’s going back. See you there!

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* Speaking of Celebrations, they are one of the major sponsors of the Carolina Cup, which is coming up on March 27th. The Shop Tart can’t wait to celebrate in Camden under one of their glorious tents in a fab dress. What are you wearing? Remember that one of the easiest ways to have a truly original look is by going to LaRoque for a custom dress or skirt and top. AnnaBelle is the premier designer of Cup dresses in Columbia. But go soon: This is her busiest season and you need to get your order in by the end of February. See you there!

As much as the Shop Tart loves warm weather, she’s looking forward to more winter. Because she scored a totally awesome winter dress in VanJean’s sidewalk sale for a fraction of its original price and she wants to wear it at least twice. On the other hand, she scored a spring dress that will actually make her look forward to church: $895 marked down to $95. And Mr. Shop Tart found a pale green checked shirt perfect for spring at Britton’s marked down to a mere $15. Outside Non(e)such, the Shop Tart spotted a three-foot tall clear plastic wine glass. She can only assume it was meant to hold ice and wine at an outdoor party. Had she gotten there sooner, it would have been hers for a Target-like low price. Alas, she didn’t go until after lunch. The moral of this story? Do not miss the sidewalk sale and don’t be late. (If you did, never fear. Plenty of your favorite shops have end of season deals on things you can wear right this very second.)

Although the Shop Tart is hoping for a little more cool weather, her new dress is not a day dress, so lower temperatures at night will suffice. Warm weather during the day is a call to El Burrito on Harden Street. The patio is lovely, the ingredients are fresh as all get-out and the people-watching is excellent. The other day was unseasonably fabulous; the Shop Tart was comfortable in a camisole and loosely-knit cardigan on the porch at El Burrito. Mr. Shop Tart started with chips.

His wife started with people-watching and style-spotting. The juxtaposition of hipsters sitting alongside business-y people always makes her feel like she lives in a bigger city. (And how nice to get that feeling without the expense.) For lunch, Mr. Shop Tart swears by two tacos, which he claims equal three meals. Which he eats one after another. The first taco is a meal. The second taco, eaten over the tinfoil that held the first, is a second meal. All the stuff that falls out of the shells and his mouth during the process comprises the third meal, which - thankfully - he eats with a fork instead of his hands. It isn’t pretty, but there you have it. Here they are, pre-mastication, nestled all snug in their tinfoil beds.

The Shop Tart considers other options and ends up ordering the salad with chicken every single time. If she’s really hungry, she adds black beans. She always adds fresh minced jalapeñons and cilantro from the bar.

The other day, she also picked up a salad for her aunt from California, who was in town visiting her mother (the Shop Tart’s grandmother) in the hospital. Hospital food - as we all know - is bad, bad, bad. (Although Lexington Medical Center does have some pretty fine cheese grits. And the Shop Tart once enjoyed a lovely chicken soup with a side of graham crackers spread with peanut butter at 2 in the morning after having a baby at the Women’s Center in Florence, South Carolina.) No matter why they are here, the Shop Tart doesn’t like anyone to leave town without knowing how fantastic our local cuisine can be. Aunt Betsy - who lives in Sausalito, California, with more fab restaurants nearby than we have churches - gave the salad an enthusiastic thumbs up, praising owner Suzi Sheffield’s house-made vinaigrette without any prompting from the Shop Tart. The vinaigrette, y’all, is magically delicious. At the end of your meal, while you are still enjoying the sunshine and conversation, discreetly lay a chip or three in the dressing remaining in your basket. After a few minutes, when no one is looking, scoop up the saturated chips and enjoy!

Speaking of spring, there is a two-page spread in February’s Elle, all about lucite.

While Mr. Shop Tart shopped Britton’s sidewalk on Saturday, his wife looked at jewelry. They always have a great, budget-friendly selection. These lucite pieces were right on trend. The Shop Tart is particularly enamored of the second one. So sparkly!

This bracelet is not clear, but is still pretty awesome, n’est-ce pas?

Speaking of February, it’s almost Valentine’s Day. For those of you purchasing gifts for a male object of affection, the Shop Tart recommends a trip to Unforgettable Fine Jewelry on Devine Street. Each week before Valentine’s Day, they will offer Shop Tart readers a special deal on a specific gift for men. This week, Shop Tart readers get free engraving on money clips. These are all a little less or a little more than $50. (Pssst…they would also make great graduation gifts, so consider stocking up for spring!)

Speaking of men, Granger Owings three-for-one sale begins today and features deals on suits, sport coats, pants, sweaters and woven shirts. Speaking of Granger Owings, the sale also includes women’s items, so while you’re picking out a gift for your favorite guy, choose something for yourself. (If you are a guy buying for your favorite guy, choose guy clothes for yourself. Obvi. You don’t want him to look better than you, do you?) Men’s shoes are also included in the sale. Time for a wardrobe overhaul, gentlemen!

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

P.S. Cromer’s is celebrating their 75th anniversary by having fun and giving back. Next Saturday, they’ll open the warehouse for two shows, at 10:30 am and 2 pm. Magician John Tudor will dazzle crowds of all ages with unbelievable new tricks and old magic tricks inspired by those of James Cromer, the second generation owner of Cromer’s. Much like Willy Wonka’s factory, Cromer’s warehouse is rarely open to the public, so don’t miss it! Tickets are $5 and include free popcorn. Proceeds from the shows are going to Columbia’s Ronald McDonald House. You can buy tickets in advance at Cromer’s 1700 Huger Street location and a limited quantity will be available at the door. Or…you could enter to win. Cromer’s has donated four tickets for Shop Tart readers. She will give away two sets of two. Go to the comments section at the end of this post, name your favorite party favor (for children, adults or pets), and be entered to win a random drawing for the tickets. Winners will be announced on Friday. Ready, set, go!

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