Home again, home again. And the shows were fabulous! Although she missed the first two days, the Shop Tart had a blast on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. She ate her way through Charleston and did just enough shopping to feel content. Hampden Clothing’s show on Thursday was so great, the Shop Tart had to go there the very next day to snap up a Rag and Bone skirt she spotted on the runway. Owner Stacy Smallwood was so sweet - she let the very rushed Shop Tart try on the skirt in the stock room as lines for the dressing rooms were three-deep. A trip to Bits of Lace yielded the Shop Tart’s first ever La Perla bra and the knowledge that they have things in the stockroom that aren’t on the floor, so you should make sure to work with one of their knowledgeable and patient salespeople while you’re there to find the brassiere that will change your life. The Shop Tart headed straight to Biton to use the gift card they included in her media freebies bag (love this job) and discovered she didn’t want skinny white jeans after all. She wanted bright, neon yellow skinny jeans. Who knew? At Stella Nova, she was thrilled to find the real Anthelios sunscreen, straight from Europe (as opposed to the American version found at drugstores). As she remembered, it goes beautifully under makeup and protects from the sun like no other. She also found some lovely pink lipsticks from Nars (Roman Holiday, also available at Pout here in town, get the velvet matte pencil, too!) and The Balm (Classified - a nifty, neutral color, almost like Silly Putty). Last, but not least, she scored her first bikini of the season - by Trina Turk - using another freebie, a discount coupon for Everything But Water.

And the food, oh mercy, the food. While in Charleston, the Shop Tart loves to head to Ted’s Butcher Block for little treats to eat in, like pâté from Cafe Lana, roasted vegetables to add to salad and bubbly to wash it all down. Ted’s also has wine and…wait for it…bacon tastings. Yum. Thursday night, she ate alone at the bar at one of her favorite spots in all of Charleston, La Fourchette. And she wasn’t alone for long, because she was entertained (and treated to a glass of bubbly and a little dessert) by chef and proprietor Perig Goulet. La Fourchette may just merit an entire post later this week. Friday night, she joined the VanJean crowd at Basil for delicious Thai food. Susan, Christina and Mr. Susan were there. Yet another VanJean Susan joined them later, when they were headed to some bar on Sullivan’s Island. After midnight. Yes, the Shop Tart is too old for that kind of behavior, but it was fun and she got home safely, so who cares? Saturday afternoon, after sleeping in (and jogging to retrieve her car from the parking garage where she wisely left it the night before. ahem.), she joined her cousin at King Street Grille, where you can invent your own salad, choosing from about a billion ingredients. After the final shows that evening and a short stop at the Gala to hear Cynthia Rowley announce the winner of the Emerging Designer competition (Marysia!), the Columbia crew (with the addition of the charming Shani and Aaron Gilchrist) headed to Rue de Jean, where they waited semi-patiently for a table for about an hour. The french fries hit the spot. For future reference, the Shop Tart will order fries, sushi or mussels there. And bubbly, of course! At Rue de Jean, they ran into divine jewelry designer Jane Pope Cooper, who will be moving to New York soon, where her husband will be attending graduate school. Jane’s designs were featured in a lot of shows, including finalists’ Marysia and Troubador. The Shop Tart hopes she has time for one more trunk show at VanJean before they go. Sunday morning, she and her husband went to an old favorite for brunch, the Hominy Grill. They enjoyed absolutely perfect weather on the patio before one more quick jaunt down King Street. After a frozen yogurt at Fresh Berry and a quick peek at Caviar and Bananas (next trip, they’ll eat there, for sure), they ran into an old friend on the street and chatted until it was time to rush back and relieve the grandparents. Whew!

There are too many pictures to show individually (or to spend time editing!) so please enjoy these slide shows…

Thursday, non-slideshow version.

Friday, non-slideshow version.

Saturday, non-slideshow version.

Sunday, non-slideshow version.

The Shop Tart really enjoyed The Digitel’s coverage of fashion week, particularly their Twitters (one of which informed her that, yes, she was sitting beside a travel writer from Italian Vogue. Who was wearing what appeared to be denim cowboy boots. And somehow managing to rock them.) Anyhow, check out the Digitel for all kinds of Charleston insider news; maybe, just maybe, they can help us be a little cooler next time we visit… They were also super friendly. Hip and friendly is a fab combination, n’est-ce pas?

Here’s a last look - three short, badly filmed videos. These are the final walks for the three emerging designer finalists. In the last one, winner Marysia’s, the Shop Tart seems to drop her camera. Thanks to her diligent use of the wrist strap, she narrowly escaped such a travesty. Thanks to the woman next to her, who was a little too into the free bubbly, she was jostled and her short clip interrupted. This woman, for some unknown reason, was wearing a leather jacket, in spite of the rain and heat. A leather jacket that was flung at the Shop Tart like a wet cow when drunk lady stumbled up to applaud. She was also carrying an enormous, suitcase-sized matching bag, in spite of the close seating. She also spilled one of her myriad free bubblies on the ground and was forced to put her enormous bag at the Shop Tart’s feet, where the Shop Tart was tempted to - but to her credit did not - stomp on it. Grrrr. Some people. Ahem. Anyhow…

Alena Fede show, final walk.

Lindsey Carter’s Troubador, final walk.

Maria Dobrzanska Reeves’ Marysia, final walk (dramatic jostling included.)

Although she had a blast, the Shop Tart is happy to be back home in Columbia, where the weather is good and the shopping rocks. She was proud to represent Columbia at Fashion Week and tickled pick when people stopped to ask her what she was wearing. The bright blue Loeffler top (VanJean) got props worn with her new Rag and Bone skirt from Hampden and obscenely high Louboutins from Coplon’s. So did the Phillip Lim gold wrap skirt, teal Tracy Reese cropped blazer and Loeffler harem pants (all VanJean.) Lots of people gushed over these Arturo Chiang shoes from Kicks. The Shop Tart has them in tan (and wears them way too often for her own good). She would like to give a shout out to Jackie and the ladies at Kicks for managing to find shoes that look and feel way more expensive than they are!

The girls in Mary Norton loved them and wrote down the information for Kicks, even though that particular pair is gone. Speaking of Mary Norton, the Shop Tart loved visiting the store and trying on a few pairs, including the ones below, which were surprisingly comfortable and stayed on well enough for dancing.

If you’re buying, she’ll take these, too. And the bag. Mwah!

Home again, home again…

• Revente just got more Etro and Gucci consignments. This is your chance to own fab designer goods at a fraction of the regular price!
• Don’t forget to register: Owner and shoe goddess Jackie Howie of Kicks founded Get in the Pink to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of her shops. On May 9th, Get in the Pink will host three fab events: The Stiletto Sprint (men welcome), a 10K road race and Soirée on the Saluda. All proceeds from the day benefit the American Cancer Society. The Shop Tart will be there to cheer the runners and she will certainly toast them at the soirée that evening!
• KD’s Treehouse was in Baby Couture Magazine recently, for their Kate Quinn Organics line. You know what that means…better hurry in if you want some for yourself, because people will be calling the shop from all over to order it.
• La famille Shop Tart enjoyed the spinach lasagna from Simply Savory last week - so good, so easy and it lasted for one more meal. At $20, two meals for a family of five is a steal! Check the shop for other meals to take home. They also have big plans for Easter, including a pre-sale of cooked spiral sliced bone-in hams with a brown sugar glaze. They come in a beautiful gift box and are the perfect thing to share with your host. Please e-mail, call or stop in to reserve yours today. Also, mark your calendar for the morning of April 11th when your child can enjoy an Easter Egg Hunt from 10:30 until 11:30 am, have their picture taken with the guest of honor, Miss Bunny, and choose lunch from Reese’s Kid Menu. Reservations will be required so Miss Bunny can plan for the Easter Hunt. The Shop Tart thinks this sounds like much more fun than a trip to the mall for a photo with the bunny there.
• Wednesday and Thursday, Coplon’s will be showing new Piazza Sempione. They also have new pieces by Theory. Both lines are great for tailored classics, Piazza Sempione for when you just got a big fat bonus check and Theory for the other times…
• Until Saturday, enjoy Mary’s Spring Sale and get 30% off everything in the store. Bring in a gently used pair of jeans to donate and get 35% off. Boutique Basement is offering 20% off and you can snag coupons for 50% off at Adriana’s (valid after 3 pm.)
• Lunch at Dianne’s is always a pleasure, even more so with a coupon! Print and enjoy.
  
• Wednesday, Finleaf will host a Grand Opening Celebration from 5 to 8 pm for their new garden shop featuring Mill Creek Greenhouses. A garden shop right in the heart of downtown. Yay! Art by Beth West and jewelry by Haley Keisler will also be featured at the opening.
• Through April 11th, save 20% on all children’s shoes at Little Lambs and Ivy. Both store locations have shoes, so take a look at both.
• Mark your calenders and get your tickets! Thursday, April 16th brings the 7th annual Girls Night Out to benefit EdVenture. This year’s fashion show and party will be held at Coplon’s. The evening features drinks, hors d’oeuvres, fashion and fun - we love those things! Eight fabulous gift packages will be raffled off throughout the evening.
• Don’t forget your tickets for the Hootie and the Blowfish ballet this weekend. The Shop Tart will be there with her two older children, who are fans of the band (as is the Shop Tart!) What a fun way to see them live and get some culture with your rock and roll. Can she wear her new neon yellow skinny jeans to the ballet or is that too crass?

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

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