FASHION JACKPOT!
Not sure why, but something told me to go to the C-Mart Website yesterday. And when it claimed to have an entire lot from an "it" boutique, something told me to head up there (okay, the picture on the site of the Matthew Williamson label also helped).

If you haven't been, C-Mart is this crazy hole-in-the-wall store about 20 minutes north of Baltimore. You've probably seen their random handwritten ads in the Post (usually in the Home Section, as they carry lots of furniture, too). They receive closeouts from stores, which are sometimes crap, but a lot of times you can find some amazing things dirt cheap.

So the "it" boutique they're referring to? Intermix (labels still on). The "lot" they have? It's basically the entire store, all at 50% off: Chloe, What Comes Around Goes Around (DCCeline: you must head there--bestest store in all of NYC), Vince, Nieves Lavi, Tocca, Felix, et al. And it's an additional 20% off on top of that until tomorrow (they close at 5:00 tomorrow night). The Michael Kors Gladiator sandals I've been craving? $90. Loeffler Randall Wynne Braid Platform Sandals? Half price: $258 (although I think I did take the last size 38's in both). Even the Chloe brocade mini--you know, the one that was featured in just about every magazine this spring--was marked from $1,300 to around $500.

SO worth the drive. I got there in about an hour and ten. If you head out now...

Sample Sale!
If you're not familiar with the God's Love We Deliver holiday catalog...well, now's your time to cozy on up. They just announced their online sample sale: Narcisco Rodriguez ornaments for $2, Laura Mercier gift sets and Jo Malone candles for $10, Burberry aprons and copies of Be My Guest (heard it kind of sucks, but good for your coffee table perhaps) for $15, this Kors satchel for $50--all limited quantities, so go now and be the one who drops "Oh, that Christmas stocking? It's Tuleh" next winter.

Monogram Central
I'm a huge monogram fan. Maybe it's because I'm a younger sibling who was given hand-me-downs for the first chunk of my life. A monogram yells "MINEMINEMINE!!!" for all the world to see.

I have monogrammed guest towels, monogrammed socks, and my favorite, monogrammed Jack Rogers (haven't seen them locally, but you can pick them up at C. Orrico in Palm Beach or 15 Main in Southampton, if the Orrico girls still own that).

So I've definitely got my friend's new shop, Nantucket Lily, on my hot list. Fun monogram stuff galore.

My signature summer baby present is swim trunks/a bathing suit from Babystyle, monogrammed matching hand towel (perfect baby size) from Neiman Marcus (NM Collection or RL Avenue towels are highly recommended--the regular Ralph towels are crap) and baby sunscreen--I think I'll have to add this fun monogrammed sun hat to the mix!

I work in the sticks.
When we first moved here, our options were to live way out and maybe have a big backyard, or live close in and have DC as our backyard. We opted for the later so as not to die from boredom. But the downside: I commute to the sticks for my day job.

While driving for AN HOUR yesterday during lunch trying to ascertain a simple copy of The Devil Wears Prada (BIG news on that very soon!) to send someone as a gift, I came up with a list of things that I actually DO like about working in the middle of nowhere. Here goes:

Perfect Nails
Hidden in a strip mall in Chantilly, VA is the quintessential NYC nail salon: it's clean, well lit, and I've yet to have a bad service there. And it gets better still: Mani/pedis are $25 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays all day. Not each, but $25 for the complete, 60-minute (90 if they're slow) full on, soak your feet, get the crap massaged out of your calves kind of mani/pedi. No appointments, just walk in and pick your colors.
1406 Chantilly Crossing, Chantilly, VA; 703.378.5672

The British Pantry
Down Route 50 in a small town called Aldie sits a place that could be called nothing else but British Pantry. Every kind of anything from across the pond you could want, from Heinz Beans to Teas out the wazoo to Ham and Cheese crisps. I think they do tea parties there as well. It gets no quainter than this place.
41153 John Mosby Hwy Aldie, VA; 703.327.3215

Beyond The Pale
I'm a fan of Blue Mercury, although my heart belongs to the Tysons' NM counters during the Beauty Events (staged my very first event there in 2001!). Better than them both, however, is Beyond The Pale in Middleburg. Lines you've heard of, maybe even seen before, but never all in one place: 3 Custom Color (Doubles Lip Gloss: a godsend), Too Faced, Paula Dorf and so much more, all packed into this little shop right on the main drag.
22 E Washington St, Middleburg, VA; 540.687.8050

Leesburg Outlets: Barneys and Burberry
I'm not a very good outlet digger, but both of these outlets are small enough to make it bearable. And the Barneys outlet usually has items in an assortment of sizes, making it more navigable still. I've found a few occasional steals at Off 5th and Calvin Klein as well.
241 Fort Evans Road NE, Leesburg, VA; 703.737.3071

Gabriel Brothers
Where all bridge lines come to die: this place, on the right day, is the fashion motherload. I've scored Frette tablecloths ($12 each), an entire Urban Outfitters ensemble for $26 (skirt, cardigan and tank), and my all-time favorite find: a fabulously embroidered Dana Buchman skirt marked down from $395 to 25 smackers. I took a lap last week and didn't find much, but there was a whole rack of True Religion jeans that I just didn't feel like digging through.
130 Delco Plz on Route 50, Winchester, VA

Total Crafts
At one point in my life, I was an editor of a woodworking magazine (where my job description, I kid you not, included drinking scotch before 10 a.m. Best job ever). Anyway, I've brought some of that into my event business, and am always trying to come up with fabulous favors for smaller events. This place is small but has great stuff, unlike Michael's, which is huge and every one has the same items. It's a great place to walk for creative inspiration, and they have "25% off everything in the store" sales quarterly.
13653 Lee Jackson Hwy # B, Chantilly, 20151; (703) 817-0770; www.totalcrafts.com

Oakton Baptist Church Sign
Now don't get the wrong idea here, folks. Eight years of Baptist elementary school was quite enough for me, thanks. But in front of this crappy little trailer of a church is a messageboard whose words are always at least somewhat profound.
This week's message: "There are those who think their minds are open, but they're actually just vacant."
Someday, I'm going to travel the country with the sole purpose of documenting these signs. Do you think they have a wiki where they trade their best signs? Or a book they all go to? I've seen some heinous ones (enough Sun/Son puns, already), but some are actually quite good.
Oakton Baptist Church, corner of Route 50 and Sullyfield Circle, Chantilly

So there you have it. No good restaurants, co-workers with 80's feathered hair, but decent shopping and inspiration if you know where to look.

Things I Love About My Son
My son just turned two. Two rocks.

• I love how every room in the entire world can be divided into two distinct, yet equally significant, camps: "Fan" (Phhhhun) and "No Fan" (Nuhphhhun).
• I love how his friends are so important that when he leaves them, he spends the next few hours still saying goodbye ("Byebye Noah...Byebye Abby...Byebye Alex...Byebye Everett...")
• I love how without ever seeing an episode of MacGyver, he can still escape from the most tenuous of circumstances (eg., his crib) with simply the tools on hand ("So I have Elmo, a small pillow, and Blankie. Okay Elmo, cover me...").
• I love how he can point to any random woman on the street and say "Mama?", yet he can easily spot the difference between a bulldozer, cement truck, dump truck, big digger, and as of yesterday, steamroller (okay, so this point isn't that great. For me, anyway.).
• I love how he digs all things Pittsburgh Steelers, yet always runs up to me after I get a pedicure and exclaims "Red Toe!"--sometimes while simultaneously attempting to clod around in my 5" Co-op platforms.

Like I said, two rocks.

I swear, this isn't a crazy dream
So I'm driving home on Saturday from Alexandria--had to drop off an outfit we borrowed from Bella boutique for the models at the event. I'm heading up the GW, just past the Key Bridge, when I'm signaled to stop by a cop. I'm the second car in what will shortly be a huge line of stopped traffic. Apparently there's a bad accident on the other side of the road and they're landing a helicopter in front of us.

So I'm waiting, trying to figure out my new Blackberry when I look up, and there's Donald Trump. Standing, oh, about 10' from my car. He's with his son (who, last I heard, still lives here), his son's model/wife, and a random blonde in a DVF artichoke shirtdress that I've been lusting after. Just checking out what's going on.

The weirdest thing was how blonde he was. Not just "had a little run in with the Sun in" blonde, but Upper East Side Blonde. It just wasn't right.

It was just a weird experience--the copter, Donald's chauffeur trying to look useful in front of his boss by attempting to glean any information at all out of the cop, the bad dye job (unless he was Nina Griscom--then it would be top-notch) the awkward crowd, ("Do you approach him? But there's a bad accident ahead. But it's The Donald"--that sentiment seemed to be the overall consensus, based on the sly cell-phone shots and casual comments being dropped around him). A strange afternoon, indeed.

Es Finito.
Wow. That's all I can say about last night's event.

Okay, I can probably say a bit more:
1.) We raised a TON of money last night for the cause. The client who spoke on behalf of the charity, did a wonderful job. It's great that everyone got to see first-hand the difference the charity can make.
2.) I met SO MANY amazing people last night: Becky from 30x30, the infamous DCCeline (both: fabulous), and about a million other people, new friends and old friends that I got to see after being so buried for the past few months. I kind of felt like it was a wedding, though--just enough time to say hi, not enough time to hang out substantially with anyone.
3.) Most adorably fabulous man in the world: R. Nichols. I'm so honored that he came up for the event, honored that he's my friend, thrilled that he's donating substantial proceeds for the month of May for the cause. He's hilarious, adorable, smart, witty...I'm too tired or else I'd have more adjectives there. He's everything I expected and a million times more.

Before the doors opened, the DJ's music was playing, the lights were cued, everything was set up, I had a moment to just stand in the middle of it all and take it all in. And I've never been as proud of anything I've ever worked on as I was last night. The host committee for the event was just an awe-inspiring bunch who worked as hard as they could, then pushed it even harder. The volunteers last night were spectacular.

So if you had anything to do with last night at all, I just want to give you the most heartfelt of thanks. We collectively made the world a little bit better last night.

P.S. My grandmother's dress: a total hit!

Ahh...
The Auction Program is done. And it kicks ass.

Holy Guacamole
Just spoke to R. Nichols. He's coming to The Event. From Florida.

I just might faint.

R. Nichols = Fabulous
Beginning today, May 1, until May 31, R. Nichols, genius stationer (sold at Neiman Marcus, Gumps, amongst others), brilliant artist (it's his artwork on the cover of the bestseller French Women Don't Get Fat), and all around amazing guy, will be donating $5 per box from his fabulous Shopping line of notecards to Suited for Change. Cards include "Hats", "Pashminas", "Handbags", and my personal favorite, "Shoe Salon."

Get thee to his site and order now! He even gives a free goodie bag and lollipop with every purchase (told you he was great!).