Category Archives: shopping

Shopping

Posted on by
5

Shopping in Huntsville AlabamaAfter a week of spring here in north Alabama, we were hit with Shopping in Huntsville, Alabamawinter again. It’s been rainy and cold for a few days now and everybody’s going around coughing and sniffing and complaining. ( I know, I know. Cold weather doesn’t really cause colds. But it can’t help.) My older daughter and Coffee shops in Huntsville, AlabamaI, however, recently braved the chilly rain and went out in search of spring. We found it at Al Christopher in Huntsville, Alabama — a wonderfully warm and cheerful shop in the historic Five Points area. We were charmed as soon as we walked in the door and saw candles, table ware, baby gifts, stationery and spa products that made me immediately want to go home and take a bath — in a good way. Also, those soft and silky pajama sets demand you lounge around the house all morning with a cup of espresso and a good book. (And of course you’d be wearing makeup and have your hair combed brushed and your teeth brushed. And the dishes washed and cat boxes cleaned out. Sigh.) Al Christopher is one of those shops that just makes you happy when you go in and wander around, which we did as long as my 11-month-old grandson allowed us to. Then we ducked into the nearby Olde Town Coffee Shoppe for that espresso and found touches of spring there, too, with this delightful recycled decor in the women’s room. I am so going to steal this idea.

Five Points, an Historic Preservation District, was a working-class neighborhood near downtown Huntsville. Dedicated supporters have preserved the area and encouraged its emergence as a vibrant arts and music venue. Most shops and eateries are in restored and remodeled bungalows that add so much character to retail spaces. Go here, http://fivepointshistoricdistrict.org/, for details.

Arts and Crafts

Posted on by
6

Tea towelsMy friend Jana is one of the most talented people I know. She can Appliqued tea toweldo anything and frequently dazzles us with her creativity and imagination. Luckily for us, she got an embroidery machine for Christmas. (I think the fact that her first grandbaby is on the way had something to do with it!) For her beginning practice projects she made tea towels for several of us and ourdaughters. “They’re easy,” she said as we were oohing and ahhing. “Really. There’s nothing to it.”  I am unconvinced. Because that’s the same thing my younger daughter — another one of those awesomely talented people — says about the appliqued and quilted tea towels she makes, inspired by projects in “Alabama Stitch Book” by Alabama native and fashion designer Natalie Chanin. I love all things with black-and-white patterns, and my daughter made me this black-and-white tea towel for Christmas. I am in awe of these talented people who do such incredible work — and am grateful I know them. Otherwise, my house would be pretty bare.

Girlfriend Getaways

Posted on by
7
Girlfriend getaway

My friends look so sweet and innocent, don't they? Hah!

The Odd Couple: Female Version

Tam DeBolt and Kristin Staskowski star in Red Mountain Theatre's production of "The Odd Couple (Female Version)" in Birmingham, Alabama

If you ever get a chance to see “The Odd Couple (Female Version),” do it. It’s both funny and a wonderful snapshot of life in the 1980s, complete with big hair, pink velour track suits and Trivial Pursuit — remember all that???Sportswriter slob Oscar Madison becomes news-exec slob Olive, uptight obsessive-compulsive Felix becomes obsessive-compulsive super housewife Florence and the English Pigeon sisters become the Spanish Costazuela brothers. The best way to see it, of course, is with a bunch of your best friends. That’s what I did this past weekend when some of us saw “Odd Couple” at the Red Mountain Theatre in Birmingham, Alabama. But really, the comedy on stage was nothing compared to what we five created on our own. Let’s see — scenes included confusion about our scheduled meeting place, confusion about our scheduled meeting time, a dash into Banana Republic for a finally-on-sale jacket with 15 minutes remaining before curtain time, confusion about directions to where the theater was, confusion about where we actually were going, discussion about whether the parking police checked spaces on Sunday afternoons and then applause all around as we finally made into the theater as the lights were going down. Our encore? One of us dropped a ceramic tile out of her purse — after all, you never know when you’ll need to match some tile —  as the intermission lights came up, causing an immense echoing clatter throughout the theater as the guilty party fled to the restroom and the rest of us, literally, fell out of our chairs laughing. I think we should audition for the next production, entitled “Golden Girls Gone Wild, or Can Our Heroines Stay Awake Past 5 p.m.?” I’m sure we’ll get rave reviews!

Makeup

Posted on by
9

L'Oreal Age Perfect MakeupI don’t know if it’s a change of season or a cleaner bathroom mirror, but all of a CoverGirl Simply Agelensssudden I’m tired of my usual makeup and have gone on an obsessive hunt for something different. I’ve used bareMinerals foundation for years and I originally loved the light non-makeup feel of it. But now, despite Leslie Blodgett’s assurances that it doesn’t, the powder is settling into and accentuating every wrinkle and line on my face. That may be because I’ve got more L'Oreal Visible Liftwrinkles and lines than I did a few years ago, but still. And since I haven’t looked at what’s new beyond the occasional mascara and lipstick lately, I’m delighted to find foundations aimed at the over-50 me that claim to do exactly what I’m looking for: Cover lines and wrinkles, brighten skin tone and add a little love along the way. And speaking of “cover,” we’ve got Ellen! Listen, if Ellen DeGeneres is recommending anti-aging makeup, I’ve gotta try it. And I’m glad I did, because I’m officially in love with Cover Girl Simply Ageless foundation. It’s light but creamy and really does cover wrinkles and smooth out lines but truly feels as if you’re not wearing makeup. I actually get compliments now — well, my older daughter said my makeup looked good when I asked her, but I’ll take it. And I adore the compact-style packaging  — why give you an applicator without a way to carry the applicator around? Which brings me to L’Oreal Age Perfect Makeup, my runner-up. This is more mousse-like and creamier but does cover well, if a little too thick for me. It leaves more of a matte finish where Simple Ageless has a natural look to it. If I were redoing my makeup to go out at night, I’d go with the Age Perfect, although the cute little applicator brush of course immediately 1) gets lost, 2) gets dirty or 3) becomes a new cat toy. Or is that just what happens at my house? My third pick is L’Oreal Visible Lift Line-Minimizing Makeup. Some people love this and it does good things for your skin, but even though it looks OK on, it’s  too heavy and old-school foundation for me. I can feel it in every pore when I put it on — makes me want to wash my face. Yuck.

For a mascara roundup, read the Smaurai Shopper in The New York Time’s spring women’s-fashion magazine at http://www.nytimes.com/indexes/2009/02/22/style/t/index.html#pageName=22samurai. This is the first time I’ve seen someone agree with me in print that the makeup artists’ supposed darling Maybelline Great Lash is overrated and underwhelming. It flakes and glops and leaves me with short stubby lashes. Double yuck. And besides, I can do short stubby lashes on my own without any mascara help, thank you very much.

Healthy Eating

Posted on by
5

Better nutritionAs much as we try to eat healthfully and buy organic and nutritious Better Nutritionfood, it can get expensive. That’s why I was happy to see an article titled “Eat Well, Eat Cheap” in the March issue of Better Nutrition magazine — a freebie publication that’s probably in your local health-food store. I’m usually cynically suspicious about this magazine — Will the SuperEnergy Natural Organic Green X48  multi-vitamins really help me lose weight, sleep all night and beat every disease that comes my way? — but this article actually was objectively helpful. It’s not on the Web site, http://www.betternutrition.com/ yet (the site’s getting a makeover and will be updated early this spring, so the cover image here is March 2008 instead of the newest magazine that’s out right now), so grab a copy of the March issue if you find it. And what are some healthy and nutritious foods you can include in an even stretched-to-the-limit food budget? Author Lisa Turner details 15, such as eggs, cabbage, sweet potatoes, sardines, canned tomatoes and oats. This issue also has a great recipe for a St. Patrick’s Day potato appetizer that even people who turn up their noses at “health food” will gobble up: Top roasted red-potato slices with a feta-olive oil-fresh basil mixture and garnish with a parsley leaf. Yummy and green!

Baby Showers

Posted on by
5

Baby giftsI love getting baby-shower invitations, because who doesn’t Baby showersall adore all those sweet tiny baby things? And I would never express a preference for baby-girl things over baby-boy things because I’m having so much fun shopping for my precious 11-month-old grandson, but there’s just Baby giftssomething about little and pink and frilly that makes us grown women go sort of silly. We can’t help it. And guests got a delightful dose of that baby-girl femininity this past weekend at a shower for the daughter of a friend of mine. So much Baby shower decorationsfun! As much as I like to be sophisticated and grownup —  no, really, I do —  I cannot resist miniature pink baby buggys filled with candy. And one of the best things about baby showers in my Alabama town is shopping at the Baby’s Room, our local baby store. Expectant moms go there to pick out shower presents, parents-to-be shop there for nursery furniture and giddy grandmas go there to buy those gorgeous and impractical outfits only grandmas can get away with. Plus, I love the way the Baby’s Room folks do gift registries: You’re assigned a cubicle and you physically put what you’d like in your cubicle. Friends and family members shopping for you get to see and touch and feel your choices before deciding. (Coming in and perusing the cubicles is also a good way to keep up with who’s pregnant.) The best part of Baby’s Room shopping? The free and beautiful gift-wrapping. Actually the best part is that the Baby’s Room owners and staff make you feel special just for coming in. That’s the way shopping used to — and should —  be. Check it out at http://www.thebabysroomstore.com/.

Furniture

Posted on by
9

Bedroom furnitureWhenever we’re someplace where there’s a furniture store and we’ve got a few minutes to kill — which happens maybe every other year or so — my husband and I go in and wander around and  pick out things we both like for when we (hope to) get a new house together and start from scratch. Right now we’re in the house I bought with my ex-husband years ago and raised my two daughters in as a single mom. It has a definite girly vibe with ex leftovers. My Sofehusband is a good sport and says he doesn’t mind for now but it’ll be good to have our own house together with our own things together. So on a recent weekend visit to Nashville, Tennessee, we did some furniture “shopping” and as always, I was surprised by some of my husband’s picks. For instance, I would have thought he’d dismiss this bedding set as too shiny, but he liked the sophisticated sleekness of it, I think. Sort of upscale hotel meets big-city loft — or at least what my small-Alabama-town imagination thinks that marriage would look like! He also approved of this white sofa with the blue and black pillows. Again, he said he was drawn by the simple yet substantial lines and peacefully quiet colors. Of course, my maternal inner housewife thinks, “White? Are you kidding?” And I’m thinking of myself here, since I can’t eat or drink anything without making a mess. I guess I’d have to sit on the floor. Or switch to white wine.

Food

Posted on by
11

Fried okraAm I the last person to find out about fried okra? I’m not talking about the okra your mama slices and sprinkles with cornmeal or flour and fries in an ancient cast-iron skillet. That’s what “fried okra” always meant to me — up until this week, that is. Because now when I think about fried okra, I’ve got a completely different picture: Whole okra pods fried to light and crunchy S'moresdeliciousness and sprinkled with a bit of salt. I’d had fried green beans before and was sort of underwhelmed, but I promise you, fried okra is incredibly tasty and addictive. I found them at a Fresh Market produce section and because I’m a junk-food connoisseur and cannot resist anything new — Oil! Salt! Crispy goodness! — I had to try them. And am I glad I did. Everyone I’ve shared with loves them, too. There’s a hint of okra’s signature “slimy” taste and a definite sort of fresh-from-the-garden flavor that reminds you you’re eating vegetables. And vegetables are good for you. Okay, these are fried vegetables. But still.

On the other hand, learn from my mistake and ignore this new product at Target: S’mores Tortilla Chips. You would think that chocolate and marshmallow and tortilla chips would be a great combination — well, I did, anyway — but they are not. Somehow, the usually rich and sassy combination of sweet and salty flavors did not work here. Instead what you got was something akin to the fancy candy bar you picked up on impulse from the clearance rack right before you got to the cash register and then when you got home you realized the expiration date was 2002. But you bit into it anyway. And were very, very sorry.

Consignment Store

Posted on by
15

Name that store! Here is your chance to have a hand in a new business opening up in Sheffield, Alabama — and your chance to help a friend of mine. My talented and creative friend Susan and her talented and creative daughter-in-law, Freda, are opening a furniture and home-decor consignment shop. They can’t decide on a name for it and need y’all’s thoughts. Here are the two choices they’re considering: Repeat Street and Upscale Resale. They like them both equally and so are sort of stuck in the middle. Or maybe you’ve got something better. They’re open to all suggestions. What do you think? They want as many ideas as they can get so please poll your friends and pass this along so they can get lots of input. Vote here in the comments or e-mail me at cathylwood@gmail.com by Wednesday night– and then, of course, you’ve got to plan a trip to Sheffield to see their shop. Knowing them, it will be fabulous.

Update: Looks as if Upscale Resale is winning. Thanks to all for your help! Susan and Freda don’t need to make a decision until Wednesday night, so there’s still time to chime in if you’d like.

Update No. 2: Upscale Resale it is! I think cyber-voting is the way to go now when it comes to naming new businesses. Anybody else got something that needs naming???

New Orleans and Mardi Gras

Posted on by
10

Beignets for Mardi GrasAs Fat Tuesday rolls around — it’s tomorrow — everybody has a little New Orleans in them. And if you didn’t make it to Mardi Gras this year, you can celebrate at home (and a little quieter) with your Books about New Orleansown personal tribute — and you don’t even have to wear purple beads. For instance, you can find Cafe Du Monde Beignet Mix and ground coffee in almost any grocery store. And it’s pretty good, too. Not the same of course of sitting at a Cafe Du Monde outside table and brushing powdered sugar off your clothes while you make fun of other tourists people-watch, but it’ll do until you can get there yourself. Check out http://www.cafedumonde.com/ for details. And for some delicious New Orleans Mardi Grasreading while you’re sipping your chicory cafe au lait, pick up a copy of “Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table.” Sara Roahen was a professional cook when she moved to the Crescent City while her husband attended medical school. She soon got a job as a food writer, and this book chronicles her joyous exploration of New Orleans’ food and people. She falls in love with her adopted city, and she’ll make you want to book the next flight there. Go to http://www.sararoahen.com to learn more. And for another New Orleans fix, don’t forget about “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” If you haven’t seen it in the theater, put it on your must-rent list when it comes out on DVD. This intelligent and cinematic film is so thoughtful and artistic — and the city of New Orleans should have gotten a supporting-actor award for its part in it. I thought that such a mystical and magical and slightly other-worldly film could have been shot only in New Orleans, despite the Baltimore locale of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s original story. Visit http://www.benjaminbutton.com/ to find out more. Need more NOLA? Go to http://www.nola.com/mardigras/ for Mardi Gras parade webcams and up-to-the-minute details on what’s happening. Best viewed with a Sazerac in hand.