Outfit of the week...

In the middle of holiday madness, we got in a shipment of Free People resort. At first I thought it was pure madness but it's actually quite wearable.

Pictured here is the motorcycle linen jacket, with a removable hood for $138, the Maui Maui rayon jersey dress for $98 and layered underneath is a striped surf and turf tank for $68. Throw on a pair of tight and boots, you'll be ready to go.

We also add a Satya tree of life necklace in gold for $68. It's been the top jewelry line this season.

We asked for it...

Well. its certainly been an unusual VT winter- it is actually cold and snowing. The Church St maintenance crew has been working double time to keep the street clean for the shoppers. The amount of snow they have trucked away in the past week is incredible. Seems like we've got more snow to date this year than all of last year.

Jennifer Kahn

We had a great time time today with Jennifer Kahn. She's an amazing local artist with some great original ideas and a lot of talent. Despite the freezing temperatures, we had one of the best trunk shows ever.

To any of the people that attended, if you email me, I'll (maybe) give up my cookie recipes!

Christmas Pug

Everyone should have a baby pug for Christmas!

This is the down time before the crazy shoppers hit. The displays are done, the windows sparkle, and we're ready to go.

Let it snow....

Maybe the predictions are right- this is Church Street yesterday. Where are the shoppers? Is it true? Are they shopping at the box stores in Williston?

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow....

Love Heals

Are you looking for something truly special this year? We just received necklaces from Love Heals. My photo does not do this line justice- it's amazing. The jewelry is handmade in California. As an added bonus, 10 trees are planted for every piece sold. Now you can buy a special treat for the person you care for and feel good about it!

Black Friday

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and got to spend time with the people you love.

We opened early this morning and enjoyed the light dusting of snow. It was all very festive.

Sweet

It's beginning to look a lot like... alright it's supposed to snow this week and it's putting us in the holiday spirit. We 're going with a "sweet" theme this year. We used button candy as garland, framed pictures of little cakes, and giant of jars of gumdrops are scattered around the store and are filling in the windows.

We have a lot of great holiday gift ideas- how about a cute super soft sweater from Free People? The one pictured at the left is $128 and is versatile enough to be worn into the spring.

French Connection Party Day

Today was the first day of our French Connection trunk show and sale. It was really chilly outside but that didn't stop people from trying on the fun holiday collection.

Our sales rep Amy and her best friend Melissa brought us samples of the spring collection and the customers enjoyed getting a taste of what was to come. Of course everyone wanted it now!

French Connection Party

We are having a special French Connection party this weekend. Enjoy 20% off all French Connection and be the first to see the 2008 spring collection. We'll unique pieces that you'll never see again. Our lovely sales rep, Amy is bringing gifts with purchase and we'll have refreshments!

Feel pretty, feel SWEET, feel FRENCH!
November 9th and 10th.

The Fabulous Five

I was lucky enough to go to Captiva Island this past weekend to celebrate the 60th birthday of my mom (pictured far left). If you ever wonder where my inspiration and good taste may come from, just take a look at these fantastic ladies!

I don't think that the island will ever be the same.

Happy Halloween

Check out Elspeth in her wicked cute kitty costume! She is the daughter of Emily, one of my employees and a real sweetheart. She's really crafty too- Emily made the cheetah print on her tights! Maybe I can get her to make me a pair...

It rained on our parade...

Today was our Free People sweater sale! We had a great morning but things slowed down with the showers that arrived in the afternoon.

The Marketplace hosted trick-or-treating for children and a parade that went on despite the rain. Here is Bobby-Jo from The Shoe Shop (our neighbors), passing out candy to some local kids.

Crazy Weather

I really am enjoying this freakish fall weather but 75 degrees at the end of October?! What's a girl to wear? I mean you can't wear light colored summer clothes and by this point your legs are so white, exposing them can cause blindness. Luckily, the Dittos are light enough, I can bear to wear them through this heat spell.

Let's hope for cooler weather for the Free People Sweater Sale!

Nylon magazine

We made it in the November issue of Nylon! Yipee! They mentioned our two stores (mixed them up) and a picture of our sister store, tribeca, is on the next page. It's so fun to see our customers and friends on the pages of Nylon!

Kegger

They said it couldn't be done. Despite a steady 15 MPH wind ripping off the lake, we managed to get a bonfire going at my father-in-law's lake house. Soon the whole party was down on the beach drinking Oktoberfest beer and hauling driftwood to keep the fire going. Buddha developed a fascination with the zebra muscle shells and had to be restrained from eating them. Despite the wind and chilly weather, it was a great way to send off the summer and greet the next season.

Foliage

It's been a busy couple of weeks and the weather has been gorgeous. Last week we had UVM homecoming/Parents weekend, Canadian Thanksgiving, and parents weekend at Champlain college the week before.

We're in the midst of planning the Free People sweater sale on October 27th and a trunk show with French Connection on November 10th. Stay tuned!

Annual Free People Sweater Sale

Save the date- October 27th is our annual Free People sweater sale. There will be new sweaters on sale and a sale on the pieces that we have in the store. It's for one day only! We'll also have a Free People gift with each sweater purchase!

Come early for the best selection! See you there.

Astrology necklaces

We got in the astrology necklaces from David Aubrey this week. Each necklace comes with a pendant representing the birth sign, element and color for the zodiac symbol. Pictured here is the necklace for a Gemini. The necklaces retail for $44 and make a great birthday gifts.

The last day at Coterie

I was on my own today and I had a lot of ground to cover. Maggie and I had a lot of appointments and we didn't have much time to wander.

Corey Lynn Calter was amazing. The spring pieces were different from the other looks that we saw but it will all work well together. Grace Potter is going to love it!

I was really pleased with the new lines that we found and the overall look for spring. It should be exciting!

A sneak peak at spring

Here's a look at the spring mannequins at the Free People booth.

Highlights today:
-Covet- amazing- great fabrics and unique silhouettes
-Free People- fresh and wearable
-Kensie- special, embellished dresses and jackets
-Industry- funky and fresh
-Hobo- the patent leather dog walking bag/leash

Day two in New York

Here's Maggie (and my arm) at Free People! We loved the spring looks there- the Moroccan tops, tribal printed tanks, wide leg white pants, and Indian inspired tunics. White is a big trend in pants. We bought into it and hopefully the Burlington girls will get on board.

This was another day of appointments- Free People, Kensie, Covet, Industry, Kensiegirl, and Me(el). Maggie flew home this afternoon and I will wrap up all the loose ends tomorrow.

In New York- again

Maggie and I are in New York for the Coterie show. The first day was filled with appointments (James Jeans, Triple 5 Soul, Le Tigre and French Connection).

Some of the things we loved: high waisted skirts at Porridge, cotton trenches at Triple 5 Soul, the prints at French Connection, full skirts at Fresh Ink, argyle sweatshirts at Le Tigre, and the washes at James Jeans.

Designer's and Agents

Spring! I was in New York to catch a spring preview at the Designer's and Agents show. It was lovely- light colored fabrics, interesting shapes and chunky jewelry. Even though people are declaring an end to the loose babydoll shapes, that look was well represented here.

Metal Monk

We got in another lovely selection of Metal Monk jewelry. The color combinations are spectacular and will add punch to a drab outfit. As style.com reports, "One way to stand apart in a well-heeled crowd is with a showpiece accessory." The necklaces start at $52.

First Friday Art Walk

Last night was the monthly First Friday Art Walk. Our sister store tribeca is hosting Dave Davidson this month. I went down after work and checked out the scene. His work is mostly screen printed and very intricate. The pieces are very vibrant and seem to hum with energy. If you get a chance, you should check them out.

Hobo Heaven

This is a luscious bag from the fall Hobo International collection. It's made from soft top-grain cowhide, that's been tumbled and shrunken to create the super soft hand. The wrapped handle is soft on your shoulder the side pockets are great for sunglasses and keys. We have it chestnut and cognac, for $358. Limited edition.

What I really did on my birthday

Happy Birthday to me!

I love champ!

Summer Deck Party

My mom came into town and stocked the fridge for our deck party. There wasn't room for one more thing!

The party was great- lots of yummy food and company.

Go green

Meet Sara, the newest member of the Sweet Lady Jane family. Here she is sporting her environmentally friendly and stylish mode of transportation.

We also got a bit of unexpected news today. Nylon Magazine called and wanted some shots of Sweet Lady Jane and Tribeca! If all goes well, we may be in the November issue. Cool.

Sweet

One of the perks of living in a city is the culinary offerings. I wish you could get a cannoli at 10 pm in Burlington.

Boston

I finally went to visit my best friend Caitlin in Boston! For those of you that don't know, Caitlin was the first manager of Sweet Lady Jane and moved to Boston a year ago. She took me on an awesome shopping tour of Beacon Hill and Newbury Street. It was very inspiring and I brought home a lot of great ideas. One of our favorite stores was Good.

Free People Showroom

I had an appointment with Free People tonight. They have a nice spacious showroom and I viewed the "Hawaii" delivery and the first spring delivery called "Spain".

Expect to see a lot of wide leg jeans and seventies inspired tops. Think of embroidered white tops, red and black being very important, and there will still be a lot of flowing tops.

A flurry of shows

It's going to be a crazy couple of days- Fame, Accessories the Show, Intermezzo, and Designers and Agents. Luckily, it's not a big delivery time for us.

I found some great new jewelery lines and some fun gift things for the holidays.

House of Lemay

A fun moment with the House of Lemay and our friend Rob- at the Seven Daysies. Now these girls have style and so do you Rob!

I'm off on another buying trip. I'll be shopping for holiday, resort, and spring (can you believe it) merchandise. I'll keep you posted.

Seven Daysies Party

Last night was the Seven Daysies award party and was it fun! Check out the Stuck in Vermont blog, to get a glimpse of the action. The picture is of Robyn, my Seven Days advertising rep and I. I'm wearing a new Corey Lynn Calter dress and Joli vintage earrings.

And the winner is...

The Seven Daysies came out today! Thank you! We have won the "Best Women's Casual Clothing Store" five years in a row! We also got runner up for "Best Women's Evening Wear" category, a first for us. Thank you so much to all of you that voted. We wouldn't be here without you.

Dog days of summer

What a nice way to end the day. I left the sidewalk sale, picked up Buddha and we headed over to the Humane Society's Canine and Cocktails event. We both got to unwind and make new friends, while enjoying a cold beverage.

It was another busy day at the sidewalk sale. We're slashing prices, so check in!

Sidewalk Sale

Hot deals and hot weather. Why does it always seem to be 90 degrees during the sidewalk sale? Well- day one was a huge success. We had some great bargains and the shoppers were out. Check out Cassidy and Lisa, peddling the sale table.

Saja

We got in a new line this week called Saja. The pieces have some sweet details, for example, the dress on the left has a row of mini pom poms on the hem line. It reminds me of when I took tap dance lessons, as a little girl.

We've been bombarded with merchandise since I returned from vacation and tomorrow is the beginning of the sidewalk sale. Get ready for the madness!

End of the Road

We made it to San Francisco! What a lovely city but they have way too many chain stores. We did make it over to Union Street, where we found some cute boutiques. A lot of the stores seemed over done and packed with merchandise. It may be because of the high rent. I can't wait to go back and I now understand why Frank said that he left his heart in San Francisco.

Route 1

Route 1 has the most amazing scenery and the most terrify driving terrain I have ever seen. Everyone should drive it at least once. We made some cool pit stops along the way; saw elephant seals, an 80 foot waterfall and some really scary cliffs.

Santa Barbara

There was some amazing little shops here but this wasn't one of them. I couldn't believe how long it was and how it was packed full of little sparkle trinkets. Imagine restocking this place! Some of the stores that I liked were; Blue Bee, a multi store collection that covered all possible fashion needs and LF, where I scored some really high waisted jeans by Era of Chaos.

Our Rental Car

San Diego Zoo

Marisa- what are you doing?! Just kidding- I miss you guys! We went to the San Diego zoo today- not the fashion capital of the west coast but extremely interesting. This character wasn't very shy about his hygiene or eating habits. Still, I would consider him for an entry level position.

California

We made it! We're on our first vacation in 2 years and it feels good. I've never had a chance to see California- San Diego rocks! Look at the size of the palm trees- it makes Florida trees look wimpy. The weather is overcast in the morning and lifts by mid-day. Bruce and Joyce are getting married tomorrow.

Inner Child

We got in some really unusual hoodies from Inner Child. I guess the designer use to design/work for Anthropology. The patterns are amazing and there's a variety of appliques. The one pictured here, has a butterfly patch and retails for $78. They're sized x-small through large and are runninng true to size.

Ramona

Jessica stopped by Saturday with her new baby, Ramona. She's an Old English Sheepdog and is 7 weeks old. Jessica is a former employee and is an awesome stylist at o'm, a chic new hair salon in Burlington. She's a big fan of our sister store, tribeca and is sporting a Tokidoki hoody.

The best colors in the world

Look at this wall of loveliness! We started to get in some transitional pieces and the spice colors will be big this fall. I love the combination on the French Connection tunic pictured on the bottom right.