Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Charlotte Shopping Tour

It’s been a month since the Charlotte Shopping Tour and I still can’t stop telling people about it.

On June 22nd, I got on a bus with fellow Charlottean fashion lovers and was chauffeured around to local boutiques, hydrated by champagne at every stop, and was provided awesome deals specific to those the tour.

I got on the bus at JT Posh and everyone was quite chatty for the drive to our first stop, Fifi’s at Lake Norman. I’ve always wanted to go there but it’s quite a bit out of the way from where I live. Now I know just how much the long drive is worth! Fifi’s is a consignment store and stocked full of designer things and caters to all shapes and sizes, there’s even a section for men! Their visual merchandizing is impressive and I took pictures for home décor inspiration…

We also got to pick up our swag bags at Fifi’s and they were fabulous!

The second stop on the tour was the Junior League of Charlotte Warehouse, another consignment shop I’ve been wanting to check out. There were treasures to be found! For example, a brand new pair of Tory Burch flats…hello!! Unfortunately, they were not my size. The JLC Warehouse also has a lot of trendy statement jewelry at great prices so it’s worth a trip there just for that!

We then made an unplanned stop at the Clearing House, a home goods consignment shop. So many goodies but not a lot of time. Definitely on a list of places to check out when I have more time.

Our third stop was at The Cheeky Bean. I LOVE the Cheeky Bean. It’s a 45 minute drive from my house but I do it all for the amazing collection of clothes (a SouthPark location is opening in August). It was also the only non-consignment stop on our tour.

This was also our lunch stop and we enjoyed amazing sandwiches from Sunflour Company. I had two, the tuna and the fig & brie. Nom nom!

The fourth stop on the tour was at Summerbird, a designer consignment shop in Dilworth. It was well edited and one lucky tour shopper scored a Louis Vuitton bag! How’d I miss it…!? We were treated to cupcakes and more bubbly as we swarmed the racks.

JT Posh was the final stop on the tour and by that point I was ready to drop! You see, I was on the verge of getting sick and totally pushed myself all day. I came home and literally dropped on the couch and stayed there for four days. Ah, the joys of the summertime flu…

I had such a blast on the tour, not only because we all scored something special and got awesome deals, but we also got to meet and make new friends. Honestly, I can’t wait till the next tour!

Friday, July 26, 2013

"Passion Crushes" and Cocktails, the Bob Peters Edition

I’ve been on a “passion” kick brought on by my TEDxCharlotte experience this past February. There’s nothing more beautiful than passion. Nothing. And it’s even more beautiful to see it in action.

I now have “passion crushes” (PC). For example, I have a PC on Chad Henderson of NoDa Brewing. If you haven’t seen his TEDxCharlotte talk, go watch it. Now. Even Guy Kawasaki thought it was awesome and posted it on his LinkedIn profile.

Chad's passion for craft beer caused my friends and I to come up with the verb to Chad to explain things that we’re passionate about.

Here are a couple of examples on how to use the verb:
"I’m Chadding over feminine leather for F/W13."
"You’re going to Chad when you see this TED video."

And then last night I met Bob. Bob made me want to turn him into a verb.

Let’s back up for a moment and start from the beginning.

A couple of weeks ago I crashed a Twitter conversation between Cassiday and Bob the Bartender and asked if they needed help tasting cocktails and, to my surprise, an invite was extended. The day couldn’t come fast enough, and neither could five o’clock.

I arrived at Pisces Sushi shortly after five and sat down at the bar. A kind gentleman provided me with a glass of water and I waited. Shortly after, panic struck. Was I at the right place? The right bar? Where were Bob and Cass? A familiar looking gentleman (Jerry) walked into the restaurant and walked to the back half of the restaurant. “Is there another bar,” I asked. Turns out that there was and so began our night of magic.

The drinks were poured and the conversation flowed. Nothing was made using pre-fabricated mixes. The drinks were infused with fresh produce, mixed with local liquors, and prepared using tools I’ve never seen before. Bob is one part artist, one part mad scientist, and infinite parts passion.

Cassiday, Bob, and some tipsy chick

Huge thanks to Bryan for opening his restaurant's doors to us and for Cass and Jerry for being fantastic sipping partners in crime. I’m looking forward to many more nights full of friends, food, and drinks made by my new PC!

Cheers!

P.S. Part two of this post is coming soon with pictures of all the delicious foods and drinks.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

{Queen City Cause} Plateshare

Last night I met up with my girlfriends to celebrate National Tequila Day. We went to Monterrey’s and they had no clue it was a holiday and thus did not have any tequila drinks on special. We overcame this crisis by accidentally ordering $14 margaritas… and they weren't all that great and costs more than my fajitas. This is definitely a first world problem.

What else is a first world problem? Hunger. Yes, in this good ol’ United States of America we still have people going to bed hungry. And it’s not just adults, children are affected too. Lots of children.

If only there was an easy way to help…

Oh wait, there is! It's called Plateshare. It's as easy as going out to eat, pulling up an app, taking a few seconds to enter information, and donating money to a local food bank (it’s the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina for the Charlotte area). Instead of wasting hours sorting through canned goods and processed non-perishables, the food bank can take the change that you have donated and make it work to purchase fresh quality foods in bulk.

And all you had to do was lift a finger.

The hardest part of donating to Plateshare last night was remembering my PayPal password...

You can download the Plateshare app here.

It’s never been this easy to make a difference... I'll drink a margarita to that!

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Gold & Feminine Leather

I met Victoria a long long time ago, in 2006, at a holiday party. She was thirteen and at the time starring on Zoey 101. I had heard of the show but Nickelodeon was not exactly in my channel flipping rotation. She was sweet as can be and I could tell that she had big star potential.

The other day I stumbled upon her new music video "Gold" and it's adorable and would totally be my favorite song... if I was 16. But regardless, it's fun, catchy, and I totally fell in love with the outfit below.

Photo via J-14

I've been slightly obsessed with leather lately. Especially for fall. And more specifically, leather worn in a feminine way. There's a reason why leather and lace are the perfect match.

I'm looking forward to wearing my leather mini that I picked up at the Green Jeans Sale this past spring with billowy tops and lace tights.

How do you rock your leather?

Saturday, July 20, 2013

{Queen City Cause} MTJ Foundation's Catwalk for a Cause

There are some activities and events that require convincing in order for me to participate. Hot yoga. Camping. Tractor auction. But the moment you say the words Levine Children’s Hospital, I’m in. I don’t care what it is. So when I got an email from the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation to attend Catwalk for a Cause, I was in, all in.

My date that night was Michelle and we were one of the first people to arrive. We quickly found our way to the shrimp display and took the moment to take in the space. The runway was gorgeous and the silent auction tables were full of amazing items waiting on people to bid on them.

The big stars of the night were the children on the catwalk, each facing illness no child (or adult for that matter) should ever face. So brave and so inspiring.

The MTJ Foundation focuses on helping kids with serious and often life-threatening illnesses, a cause after my own heart. I look forward to participating in other events put on by the Foundation.

If you want to learn more about the event or the foundation, visit the MTJ Foundation website.