Nordstrom Rack Grand Opening!

Sorry for the lack of posts, readers, my real job has been pretty busy lately and I just have been too exhausted. BUT wanted to at least post ONCE this week, and what better topic than the grand opening of Nordstrom Rack at Gateway on October 22?? Here are the details:

At the grand opening we will hold our 'Race Through the Rack' sweepstakes. One lucky person will be chosen to be the first customer to enter the store and have 90 seconds to select up to $2,000 worth of merchandise. Arrive early—the drawing will be at 8:45am in advance of the 9am grand opening. The first 1,000 customers will receive a Nordstrom Rack tote bag as a gift with their opening day purchase.

Okay, the tote bag I have to tell you does not excite me, but if anything can get me to stand in line for a store opening, it's a shopping spree.

Kari and Jocelyn Discuss: Louboutins and shopping at high-end department stores

And now, time for a new blog feature, in which I basically post email conversations between me and my friend Jocelyn. The other day, she sent me a picture of these gorgeous Louboutin shoes, and the conversation began.

Joc: You would not believe how close I was to buying one of the above two pairs of shoes. It was scary Kari. Really scary.

Me: Louboutin--that is terrifying. They are both gorgeous, so I completely understand the terror you almost brought upon yourself. There is something about that red sole...

J: EXACTLY. I can totally pick those out on any celebrity. I just really love that oversized boxy toe they have. I also am obsessed with just the classic black platforms. I will say one thing - those suckers are TALL. I must be 5'10" in them. I loved it. I probably would have cried if I actually bought them.

K: YES! I am obsessed with platform pumps right now. I can't believe you even tried those on, I would be so afraid that I would love them. You are very strong, Joc.

J: I did try them on - and tacky style too. I took off my Reef flipflop in the middle of saks and took the shoe off the shelf and got right in. I felt so trashy...I was not dressed appropriate for Saks. I had on a $16.99 TJ Maxx dress and flip flops. Shameful. But really then you feel kinda like Julia Roberts in pretty woman and you feel like you have to prove that you can afford this stuff when, typically, you cannot. Its depressing.

K: I feel that way everytime I go in Neiman's or Saks and am looking at high end stuff. Feel it is obvious that I cannot afford anything I am looking at, but at same time, feel the need to project that I could buy whatever I want, which makes me shuffle around uncomfortably, making it very obvious I cannot afford anything I am looking at. Vicious circle.

J: It is terrible. I pick things up, look at prices, and think to myself - good god, are you serious?! And I want to drop the item instantly in case there is a fee to even pick up said object. But I must disguise my face as - Oh thats not bad. Maybe I should get one in each color.

Hate the fact that you have to dress up to go into certain stores for fear they will shun you. That is another reason I love Nordstrom--they are nice to me no matter what!

The new Ann Taylor

Have you guys been in Ann Taylor lately? The old girl's had work done, and she is looking fabulous! Now, Ann Taylor has great quality at reasonable prices, and I used to buy a lot of stuff there. But in the past few years, the clothes have been downright matronly. Well, I went in the other day and was really excited to see really modern, cool clothes. Apparently, they have a brand new design team, and in my opinion, they are doing a great job at performing some much needed updating.

The collection for fall is all about gray and purple, sheath dresses and pencil skirts, and soft, feminine tops. I am loving it. My entire closet is already gray, so I had made a rule that I would buy no more gray or black for fall. What can I say, I'm weak. I already can tell I'm going to have to buy some of these pieces, they are so pretty and so reasonably priced.

Here are a few of the standouts:

1. Ruffle Front Shift Dress (top, left) -- sleek, but the ruffle collar makes it a little softer. $170

2. Merino wool grosgrain trim cardigan (above, left) --gorgeous deep blue color, ribbon trim at the neckline and little rhinestone buttons. $95

3. Tropical wool pencil skirt (top, right) -- beautiful, classic shape in a great lightweight wool. $110

4. Chiffon trim cardigan (above, right) -- the picture does not do this justice. This cardigan has a really sweet vintage feel to it, and feels slightly distressed. So pretty, and only $55. Also comes in gray and black

5. Short sleeve long cardigan (left)--the softest cotton, and I love the long, modern shape. You can wear this now and into fall (and here in Texas, winter for that matter). On sale right now for $60. Also comes in a bunch of other colors.

Shop Review: Hem Jeans

Went to Hem today with my friend Ilyse for another Austin Fashion Week event, this one for Elee Designs. The designer only had a few pieces displayed--I'm not sure if we were just there early and

they didn't have all her pieces out, or if that's all there was.

Regardless it was fun, and I love Hem (warning! their site has sound). It's all denim, and it's all fabulous. They have an incredible selection of all the premium labels, like True Religion and Hudson, and also some that I'm not familiar with but that looked amazing. They have every cut and style you can think of. They have a very substantial men's section, which I thought was cool...although not many men I know would set foot in here. If I suggested my husband pay $200 for jeans, he would laugh until he became hysterical.

I found the prices to be on the high side, but the service seemed excellent. We were greeted warmly when we came in, and the salespeople were cheerfully pulling pair after pair for the customers they were helping, and that counts for a lot--when you're dropping that much money, you want to make sure you find the best pair you can. It's also nice to be able to go to one shop and find that kind of variety.

Being the bargain shopper that I am, I headed straight for the recycled denim section, where they have gently used premium brands at discounted prices. The jeans were in great shape, and they had a really good variety of brands, cuts and sizes. I loved this Rock and Republic pair, and they were only $80. Unfortunately, since my husband is sick I had to drag my 5 month old son with me, and I found he does not enjoy shopping as much as I do, so I didn't have time to try them on. I'm seriously tempted to go back this weekend though.

People for Fresh at Adelante

Just got back from Adelante, a really cute boutique at 35th and Lamar (I'll be posting a shop review soon), for a showcase of designs by People for Fresh. Here's a picture of the designer, Hazelle Samson. She was so sweet, and absolutely adorable. She's standing next to my favorite piece, a gorgeous silk maxidress. This picture really doesn't do it justice, the print is really beautiful, the fabric has an amazing feel to it, and I love the bright blue color. She also had some really pretty tops in the same fabric, and some tops that were a really cool almost mustard yellow color. As part of Austin Fashion Week, Adelante is hosting a launch party for People for Fresh tonight from 6-8, with appetizers, cocktails and a DJ. They're raffling off a piece from People for Fresh and an Adelante gift certificate, so go check it out!

Shop Review: Finch

In my pursuit to buy a few Christmas and birthday gifts, I wandered down 2nd Street, Holiday Shopping Card in hand (they're a participating merchant!), to check out Finch, a store that I had passed by a few times but never gone into. This store is a little oasis, it is such a calm and peaceful little spot. The space is small, but it's arranged so beautifully, with all the merchandise displayed in a fun and easy manner.

It's a little hard to describe their merchandise, because they have a broad selection, but it's a combination of home decor and gift items. They have absolutely gorgeous table linens, all in very simple, modern patterns. They have a nice assortment of bedding by Dwell. And then they have just a hodgepodge of unique things I hadn't seen before, including really pretty vases, stationary, glassware, tableware and ceramics, all in modern, interesting designs.

I found several gifts here, and more than a few things I wanted to pick up for myself. The salespeople are incredibly gracious and helpful, and the store is so fun to wander around in. I will absolutely be back.

PS: While you're there, if you have children or need a baby shower gift, check out their sister store Wee, located next door. They have the cutest baby stuff I've ever seen, all super modern and unique.

Embellish Salon

My friend Blair and I went to the cutest nail salon I have ever seen on Saturday night, Embellish, which is located in the Triangle. This place is truly adorable. It has pink walls and pink and brown furniture, and is so girly and fun. They have big screen tv's, which was playing "13 Going On 30" while we were there (which, that movie is awesome, and we got to see the Thriller dance scene, so I was very happy!). They steam sterilize all their equipment, which is very important to me. They have a little bar area for manicures, and pedicures are done on big comfy chairs and couches. The prices are very reasonable, $35 for a pedicure, $20 for a manicure, or $50 for a mani/pedi combo. The service was wonderful, and they worked really hard to make sure Blair and I were timed correctly so that we could sit together while we had our treatments. They have a really cool boutique section of the shop as well, which has cute purses, tshirts (they had a few UT shirts that I really liked), and jewelry. This is my new go-to nail place--the prices, cleanliness, service and atmosphere cannot be beat.

Last Call Neiman Marcus

I've blogged briefly about this before, but was inspired this weekend to talk about it again. Have you guys checked out the Neiman Marcus Last Call Clearance Center over in the Brodie Oaks shopping center off South Lamar? If not, you seriously need to go there. My friend Shelly was visiting me from Dallas this weekend, and she is a seriously great bargain shopper, so we hit Last Call on Saturday to see what they had. Guys, they have a LOT of great stuff. All the brands, from BCBG, Theory, Juicy Couture, Marc Jacobs--any high end designer, they pretty much carry. They had some gorgeous Neiman Marcus brand cashmere sweaters, and an extensive collection of denim by Seven for all Mankind. Their dress collection was great, I saw the most beautiful navy silk beaded Theory cocktail dress. Their handbag section was very impressive, they had some great bags by Kooba, Cole Hahn, and Tory Burch, to name a few. The prices are very discounted--the stuff is pretty much last season, but...who cares? You definitely have to shop here, you're not going to find something every time you go, but when you find a great bargain, it will be totally worth it.

Sale at Shiki

Hey Austin Shoppers! Shiki, an adorable boutique I've previously blogged about located in the 2nd Street District, is having a great sale right now--25% off any regularly priced clothing, jewelry and accessories. They also have a substantial sales rack where merchandise is at least 50% off. The sale runs from July 13-23rd. If you haven't yet, this is a great time to check this place out.

Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy United!

My friend Blair just pointed something pretty awesome out to me. Now, when you go to any of the websites for Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy or Piperlime, you can move between any of the sites by clicking on tabs for each store on the top of the site. Also, when you're shopping online, you can add different items from each store to the same cart, so you can checkout one time. AND you only pay $7 for shipping per order, regardless of the number of stores you're purchasing from! Such a smart idea!

Shop Review: Shiki

Shiki is a really fun boutique located in the 2nd Street District. The atmosphere is laid back, and the clothes are super chic. The salespeople are extremely friendly and helpful, and very knowledgable about the merchandise and designers they carry.


This is not for bargain shoppers (except for the sales rack, which did have some amazing bargains)--most of the clothes are priced over $200. But they have really beautiful things, and they have a pretty wide selection for a small boutique.






Shiki carries everything from casual clothes to work wear to denim. I love this store because they carry clothes you won't find everywhere. I discovered a designer I'd never seen before, Malene Birger, a Danish designer whose clothes are really elegant and rich looking. Denim labels include William Rast (shown above), Justin Timberlake's clothing line. Other designers include Mint, Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent, and T-bags, among many others. They had a really great selection of fun summer dresses when I was in last week. They also had some beautiful handbags, including the most gorgeous grass green Kooba bag, and shoes by Michael Kors.







Shiki also has a nice jewelry selection. My favorite pieces were lockets from Vintage Rehab, an Austin company. They take vintage lockets and rework them, and the results are the most special pieces. The lockets are fairly expensive, they ran from $250 to $400, but they would be the most amazing gifts.







Verdict: Beautiful, super stylish clothes in a really cool atmosphere.

DSW Online

I love shopping at DSW, a discount shoe shopper's paradise, so I'm really excited that you can now shop DSW online! Now, it's really not a substitute for going into the store, because they have different stuff than the website gets, but it's still pretty cool. As expected, the website has a lot of cute, inexpensive shoes. I found these Tommy Hilfiger fabric and leather wedges for $59.95.

I really love the simplicity of these cork slides from Unisa, but they have little gold flecks in them, which makes them a little different. These would be a perfect neutral summer work shoe, for $49.95.

They have some higher end brands too. I like these Isaac Mizrahi reptile slingbacks for $195.95...

and these great leather slingbacks from Cole Haan (which also come in black) for $179.95.

They have really cool men's shoes too. I love these Cole Haan sneakers, on clearance for $99.94.

They have a LOT of shoes, this is only a small sampling. My favorite feature is the clearance item search, where you can search by size. And if you're not already a rewards member, definitely sign up--DSW has a great rewards program. It's free to join, and you'll get coupons and special savings.

Shop Review: Martin & Osa

My friend Blair described Martin & Osa as the love child of Gap and J.Crew, and that's a pretty perfect description. Martin & Osa is a chain owned by the same company as American Eagle Outfitters. Let me put this in SAT terms: Banana Republic is to Gap as Martin & Osa is to AE Outfitters. (Which, if SAT questions focused on more relevant topics such as shopping, I'd have performed much better on that particular test) I'd never seen the store before, but yay! Austin has one at the Domain!


The store is really nice. It has wood floors, the store is so spacious and well laid out, and the dressing rooms rock. They are huge, as are the mirrors inside them. Customer service is awesome--the people helping me were all super friendly and maintained the perfect balance of helping me and leaving me alone.


And the best part is that the clothes are really cute and reasonably priced. The clothes all seem really well made, the materials they use feel really nice and seem more substantial than a lot of mass-market places.


I really love the two tops above--the blue and white striped pintuck front voile shirt is $58, and would be great for work, and I love the washed silk cami in navy (on sale for 39.95 right now) layered under jackets or worn alone for evenings and weekends.

They also have cute work pants, outerwear, shoes and accessories. I like these twill pants for $68, the adorable oversized patent leather clutch for $98, and the cotton trench below in a great shade of gray blue for $128. I especially liked their swimwear, and they have some great looking sandals.

This is a great place to pick up basics. I was really impressed with the quality of the merchandise, and the layout and feel of the store.



Definitely look at their online store as well, which has free shipping and free returns, how awesome is that?

Shop Review: Luxe Apothetique/Blue Elephant

This weekend, I went and checked out Luxe Apothetique, a boutique located at the Domain. The store is really big and spacious, and has such a big variety of merchandise. The concept is boutique crossed with an apothecary, hence the name. So about half the store is beauty products and gift items, like hair products from Bumble & Bumble and Phyto, skin products from Mario Badescu and makeup by Bare Minerals and Paula Dorf. They had a huge selection of fragrances from Bond No. 9, and gift items like Tocca candles. And they have a really great collection of young, fresh fun clothes, including designers Marc by Marc Jacobs, Diane von Furstenberg, and Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent. I fell in love with this cute shirt from Marc by Marc Jacobs for $158.

But the best part about Luxe Apothetique is its outstanding collection of premium denim. They have every designer you could possibly want, including Citizens of Humanity, 7 For All Mankind, Joe's Jeans, and True Religion. They have a great selection of styles. I really love these cross-stitch A-pocket Sevens. They had a huge rack of denim on sale as well.

The sales people were super helpful, and very knowledgeable about the merchandise.

Luxe Apothetique is owned by the same owner as Blue Elephant, although the two stores have different buyers. Basically, Blue Elephant has the same sort of merchandise as Luxe Apothetique, but they tend to carry different styles from the same basic line-up of designers. Blue Elephant is located at 4001 North Lamar Suite #510 , in the Central Market Shopping Center.

Shop Review: b. chic

This weekend I went to check out b. chic, a boutique located in the Mira Vista shopping center on Bee Cave Road, about 1 mile west of Mopac. I absolutely love this place! It's a great space, with hardwood floors and a sort of quaint but fun atmosphere, and it's packed with a really eclectic collection of clothes, gift items, bags and accessories.

Misti, the owner of b. chic, was extremely helpful and friendly, but in a very low-key, non-pushy way. They have a really cute collection of gift items, including beautifully packaged candles, monogrammed bags, paper weights and picture frames. They also have a lot of quirky items, like this adorable sewing kit for $8, which I really need to buy and keep in my office.

They sell designer handbags, including "pre-loved" Louis Vuitton bags which are guaranteed to be authentic. Such a great idea, and so much safer than eBay.

In the back of the store, they carry denim by Freedom of Choice, a line by designer Nathan Menashe, formerly of Joe's Jeans. Check out the cute pocket detail with an embroidered dove. These jeans are super soft and had a really great fit. There's also a nice selection of cute tops, tees, dresses and belts.

They have a really nice jewelry collection, including a lot of pieces by Austin designers. I love this necklace in a mix of sterling silver and gold for $50 by Austin designer Sikara, and the gold filled leaf necklace by Austin designer Mingle for $96.

TJ Maxx Jeans

TJ Maxx is one of my favorite places to go treasure hunting for all sorts of things, but it is especially a great place to find designer jeans at great prices. I was at the TJ Maxx off of Brodie Lane a few weeks ago, and sure enough, there was a rack full of Seven jeans, including a really cool pair with pink stitching on the pockets that I had never seen before. I've regularly seen jeans from Seven, Hudson, and Joe's there, and have even seen a few pairs of Rock & Republic. The best part is most of the jeans are $99.

Now, this is not the place for those of you who hate to shop (although those people are probably not reading this blog anyway). You can't just pop in and find the perfect pair in 15 minutes like you can in a department store. But this is the perfect place for those of us who love the thrill of the hunt. Most of the time you'll go in and there will be a very small selection, or none of the jeans will be your size.

But then you'll have that moment when you spot the pair you've been looking for, in the cut you want, in the wash you want, with pocket detail you love, and they're in your size, and they fit you perfectly, and they're only $99 off from $175...savor that moment. You don't know when it will come again. Tomorrow you may be paying full price, but today...today you saved $75.

www.tjmaxx.com for locations.

Shop Review: Eliza Page

The Eliza Page store, at 229 W. 2nd Street in the heart of the 2nd Street District, is a little treasure box, with beautiful, unique jewelry from a wide array of designers, about half of whom are from Austin. This shop contains so many truly special pieces. They carry fine jewelry, but also a lot of fashion pieces, and the prices vary accordingly.

I love this Mark Joiner belt of distressed leather with a handmade glass buckle for $182. A little pricey, but so different and fun.

I also like this sterling typewriter charm necklace for $32 (additional charms $16), which would make a really great gift.

My favorite pieces were by an Austin designer named Kendra Scott. Check out these gorgeous earrings ($60).


I really love this store. It has such a wonderful variety of jewelry, and they are all little works of art. This is the place to find a special piece for yourself or a perfect gift for someone special.

http://www.elizapage.com/


FYI, Eliza Page is actually hosting a trunk show tonight, April 3, from 6pm-9pm at its shop for Kendra Scott, where she will be showing her Spring 2008 collection.

Shop Review: Girl Next Door

Today I went to Girl Next Door, a boutique that recently moved from 500 North Lamar to the 2nd Street District. Eh. I wasn't blown away. I will say that they have some pretty fashion forward pieces, but most of the items in the shop are over $250. They carry very cute, but very expensive, denim from Rock & Republic (around $275) and Genetic Denim (around $220). They had a small sale rack, and I did see some really cool chocolate brown cords by Anlo for $70. They also carry some less expensive basics by Splendid and Erebelle.

They had some really cute pieces by Ella Moss, including the tank above which is $80.

I'd say this would be a good place to shop for a special outfit that not everyone else will have-- if you have the money to spend.

You can check out their website at http://www.girlnd.com/ .

Shop Review: Sana

Today I went and checked out Sana, a boutique in the Second Street district (237 W. 2nd Street) . I was really impressed with Sunny, the owner of Sana. She was incredibly nice, friendly and helpful (which, sorry, but there's not always too much of that in 2nd Street boutiques). Sana is a small store, so it obviously doesn't have as much selection as a department store, but they had a really well edited selection of clothes and accessories. They had some really cute BCBG tops, pants and cocktail dresses. They had a nice collection of pants, including some really cute cropped pants and shorts. They also carry Calvin Klein and Michael Kors. My favorite thing about Sana though was the jewelry. They carry fashion jewelry by a local designer named Donna Lee. They have a really pretty group of earrings (which seemed to range around $20) and necklaces (around $30). They had some really cute mirrored bangle bracelets for $12 a peice. I bought a really beautiful silver chain link necklace for $30 (I'll try and post a picture later).

I really loved this store, particularly the personal attention from Sunny. Her obvious enthusiasm for clothes is infectious, and she seems to take real pleasure from helping customers. My only suggestion for the store is that they add more merchandise, but I will definitely be back.