Red Door

Target's new front door is now accessible! Maybe this means the full WLR store expansion will be ready before long. The inside is still exactly the same, but at least we're not strolling into that rather ghetto construction entrance anymore. A new customer services counter greets you as you walk in. Much better than the tiny rigged up Service Merchandise-esque hole they've been operating from over the last few months. We kind of dig the concrete sitting ball at the front door, as well. Are we the only ones thinking this construction has been going on FOREVER ?

A Prelude to Summer

With a three-day weekend on the horizon and the initial AC switch-on days past, we've been craving summer. For some folks, this means dips in the pool and fresh tomatoes dusted with salt. But for us it means snapping up adorable summer goods.

So if you're refraining from the typical Riverfest flustercuck this weekend, check out these cute pieces in WLR, which are certain to be less crowded than President Clinton Avenue.

First stop? Hobby Lobby, which has a nice supply of our latest obsessions: outdoor rugs. Yes, they're ridiculously non-functional, but hot damn they're cute! These ring up at $30 through Saturday:


We're also partial to damask prints (oh, you hadn't noticed?). So we thought it would be plenty of fun to dish up grilled corn-on-the cob on these pretty plates ($3):


Same design scheme, different scene -- namely, the yard. We don't love gardening. But wouldn't we feel a little luxurious pulling weeds in this cute yard apron ($6)?


We then headed over to Pier 1. Lots to love, including $3 citronella candles, cute $5 shell-shaped acrylic plates and these great tea light lanterns for $8:


These coral-like napkin rings make us think about a tropical vacation, regardless of gas and stupid airline bag check prices ($3 for ring and $3 for napkin, eh ... $150 for gas and bag check?):


Not so outdoorsish, but this might go home with us soon. Birds are big right now:


Finally, a quick jaunt through Garden Ridge revealed that Adirondack rockers are a reasonable $60 right now. We've seen them in the $200 range elsewhere.

Discount Discovery: RK

RK Collections (at Green Mountain and Rainwood) and Splurge (at Midtowne) are offering 20 percent off all merchandise through the evening of Memorial Day. They'll even give it to you on already discounted stuff. While some of their fashions are a bit outside my taste, they have a fun jewelry and sunglasses selection. Go make good on the bargains.

Super Fabulous Super Center

We don't particularly enjoy trips to Wal-Mart. We grew up in a small town with a mother who refused to venture there. The claustrophobia-inducing aisles, the shrieking kids, the cheap and frequently rude laborers -- all equal a recipe for a raging bad mood. One time a friend asked Mama where she got necessities like toiletries. She replied, "If Wal-Mart's the only place to get it, I don't need it." This has been our motto since moving to Arkansas.

But we recently heard about a new SuperCenter store prototype Wal-Mart is testing in Maumelle. One of our good friends gave a rave review, but we were still skeptical. "It's supposed to compete with Super Target," she whispered. She had us hooked. We loooooove Super Target. Heck, we looooove regular Target. So we swallowed our pride and ambled down 430 for a look-see. Twice. We're glad we did.

The grocery section is what sets this Wal-Mart apart. It's actually kind of lovely (did we really just say that?). The bakery selections were gorgeous:

The sushi counter featured an attractive array of maki and nigiri:

The freezer section had real Jello pudding pops (one of those childhood treats we're never able to find). And while looking for pomegranate juice, we found eight possible selections!

Other features set this store apart, as well. It's organized. The aisles have more than enough room for three carts to fit down them at once. There aren't massive pallets of crap at the end of each one. The checkout lanes offer the longest automated conveyor belts we've ever seen:

We also were captivated by the motion-activated lights in the freezer and refrigerator sections. They save energy by switching off after so many minutes have passed without a customer passing by. Notice the difference between the lighted cabinets on the left and the ones that are dim on the right:

The non-grocery section is still, well, Wal-Mart. But it's kind of like Wal-Mart all dressed up for the prom. It's tidy, attractively accessorized and a little bit giddy at the prospect of being so grown-up.

But can we expect this type of Wal-Mart store to become the standard? Probably not. Some cursory research shows the big box behemoth expects to adopt this "clean store" model in about 20 new locations throughout the United States. We'd love to see it in more places. We also hope that the renovations currently underway at the Chenal Target bring it more in line with this standard. Because we can barely cope with the idea abandoning our beloved Target. And we certainly can't tell Mama we've been shopping at Wal-Mart.

New Kitch on the Block

Also noted at the Pleasant Ridge Town Center Third Thursday event:
Much speculation about the new restaurant
going into the old Imagine location.

A couple of folks in the know confirmed that two established Little Rock eateries are negotiating to lease the space. Sounds like we soon could be lunching at a new location for either Trio's or Cafe Bossa Nova.

Either would be a welcome addition, with few great lunch options currently at PR. Fingers crossed!

Re-thinking Third Thursday

Pleasant Ridge Town Center couldn't settle for just stealing some of the best Heights/Hillcrest shops. It also had to copy their Shop 'n Sip event. But the new Little Rock shopping behemoth doesn't quite have the shtick down yet.

Pleasant Ridge has been advertising its new Third Thursdays event for some time. The blueprint is to get you into its shops and boozed enough to feel comfortable with paying $175 for a cotton Tracey Reese top like one you could easily find for $30 at Stein Mart. It's the same concept that's in place for Second Friday Art Nights downtown and First Thursdays in Hillcrest. A nice respite from a long work week and free wine? Sign us up.

We definitely enjoyed ourselves. We browsed a couple of shops we'd never noticed before that have dynamic selections: Nia-Ja's (home to several Hobo clutches and Denim of Virtue jeans, recently featured in In-Style and US Weekly) and Frock-Sole (lovely designer threads – a whole wall of them on discount.)

We also hit three stores that have moved from other locations to Pleasant Ridge: Solemates, Forsythe's/Kristen Todd and Understatement. We adore the offerings at all three, like these lovely Nicole flats at the punny shoe store:


This too chic metal and leather arm cuff at Forsythe's/Kristen Todd ($75):



And at Understatement, these PJs, which may be the most adorable thing we've seen in weeks. Yup, those are mini sushis. The sight of raw fish has never been so appealing ($58):


From the perspective of a late 20-something with just a hint of discretionary income, Solemates was the favorite stop of the night. There's both luxury and savings to be found here, but the best part was the schmoozy staff. They refilled our pinot with a smile and offered to order a special size in a favorite comfy brand for Shop Girl's absurdly small feet (to which we attribute her lack of grace.)


But Pleasant Ridge has some work to do. Only a handful of shoppers milled about the stores, and most of them checked the "Over 50" box on their credit card app. While merchandise at PR's boutiques is higher end, it's definitely marketed to those of us who were more recently inducted into our companies' 401K plans. PR needs to find a better way to reach Little Rock's younger spenders.

They also need to consider attractions besides live music for these events. It was painful to see the rather loud band playing to an audience of one mid-40s dad waiting on his wife.

Shop Girl's suggestions? How about handing out free canvas shopping bags, staging a short fashion show featuring local models and samples of the food from Fresh Market, Bonefish, Crew and the new restaurant that's going in. Ohhhhhh, and Panera when it opens! The Hills Set, afterall, lusts after free food and fashion.

Other's People's Stuff

We love estate sales and second-hand shops. Some of our favorite home furnishings fell under the "someone else's trash" category before we unearthed 'em like canary diamonds at Murfreesboro. So we were pumped when a friend invited us to pick through finds at a residential sale recently. We were promised posh furniture at reasonable prices. And there were plenty of cute pieces -- leather chairs, a gorgeous antique pie chest, locally-designed art and a sizablearmoire among the pickins.

But there was one difference between the estate sales we're used to hitting up and this one: The owner was alive and kicking. And offering commentary on every piece as we perused. She was selling everything in her home before she and her husband purchased their next not-so-humble abode because she wanted to "start over." I. Can. Not. Imagine. She certainly had done a lovely job decorating this property, but to sell everything you owned, just to buy new stuff? We were shocked.

We attach a lot of memories and emotion to even the smallest material possessions. Even pieces we don't really like, we often hang on to. Maybe it was something we bought the day we got our first job offers or it was a gift we know our mothers-in-law will want to see in our homes when they visit.

We admired this homemaker because we know it must have been liberating to watch someone else carry some memories out her front door. Getting out from under the past in such a tangible way seems like a relief. But it also seems like letting go of a part of yourself.

We couldn't justify taking a part of her away from that house with us. So we walked out empty-handed.

And, really, who wants to pay $500 for used furniture from Dillard's, anyway?

Seriously?

We've seen these in more than one boutique around town in the last week:


Oh, those aren't fugly earrings, sweets. They're good old shoe clips.

Shop Girl rocked shoe clips on one occasion: a particularly disastrous regional fair pageant in the fall of 1994. They spiffed up a pair of black patent flats paired with a taffeta/lace/sequined aqua monster prom dress we got hand-me-downed from a neighbor girl. And calling them shoe clips might have been generous. In most circles they would have been called "Mom's clip-on earrings." Whatevs.

Anyway shoe clips apparently will soon be featured in all the fashion mags this fall. If you want to get ahead of the trend, check out Box Turtle, where you can find the selection above for $25.

Practically free

One of our biggest obsessions is stationery. Cards, note pads, letter paper, stickers, envelopes – we heart it all. The brighter the colors and cuter the designs, the better. If you can put our initials on it, score another point! The only thing we love half as much is adorable tableware. So imagine our total elation upon finding the Inviting Company warehouse sale today.

This adventure starts off seedy – like all good shopping trips – and ends with a high. We’ve been known to go deep into the Memphis ghettos and high into Chinatown for sought-after merchandise. So a little trek into Prothro Junction didn’t seem unreasonable. This may have been our most profitable shop run yet.

Inviting Company – which is stocked in most local stationery retailers including the Crown Hallmark Stores – hawks its overstocked goods every few months at their warehouse on Bethany Road. We made quite the haul and are contemplating a sequel visit.

We got:
• 30 packages of designer napkins and plates for various upcoming parties, showers and cookouts
• 20 pages of initial bi-fold cards to give to friends as gifts
• a stack of scrapbooking papers, also for gifts
• various witty cards to mark graduations, new home purchases and birthdays.


We paid:
$10.25 . For all of it. Seriously.

We were lightheaded just shopping. It was practically like getting a buzz on your lunch hour. Fantastic shopping releases major endorphins.

So get your trunk to Prothro Junction this weekend. Sale runs Friday 10-4 and Saturday 9-3 a.m. There are boxes and boxes of fantastic goods for sale. Napkins and plates are 25 cents per package or $2.50 per box of more than 10. Card stock, scrap materials and stationery are $2 a pound.



Tip: Bring Your own big bag and plan in advance. Lines are long and they only accept cash and check. And you'll definitely be dodging lots of stay-at-home moms with strollers in tow.

Ghost Town

We used to browse the River Market quite a bit, grabbing lunch, drinks after work and trinkets at the cute shops. Since moving to another part of town, we’ve slacked off. And apparently, so has the River Market’s Ottenheimer Hall. The strip right inside the front door is deserted these days. Community Bakery is gone, as is Scapetto’s Deli and the little pizza place. Three stores. All in a row. So now, it looks like this:


We were crestfallen when Jody Hardin decided to leave the River Market because we loved indulging in his fresh strawberry shortcake cups and dishing up our own salad creations. (We’re pumped about his involvement in North Little Rock’s Certified Arkansas Farmer’s Market and for his new shop in Argenta.) But it looks like he picked up on the clues earlier than anyone else.

The number of food court style vendors is dwindling in the main area, and filling the open spaces with additional seating is not the answer. Maybe rent is too high in Ottenheimer Hall or maybe the boom in restaurants downtown has pulled diners to other River Market locations. Whatever the issue, the staff need to remedy it ASAP. Just think about how this ghost town will look to tourists stopping in during summer conferences …

Open for Business

Face it: Shopping in Little Rock no longer sucks. Shop Girl recalls the day she moved to Arkansas, apprehensive about being 300 miles from a Crate & Barrel. She still is, but with the Capitol City now sporting a Container Store, Pottery Barn and soon-to-open J. Crew, life is a little sunnier. Shop Girl is finally able to throw out her five remaining Prozac pills and rely on the anti-depressant that is retail therapy. She knows you’ve been indulging, as well.

With an abundance of opportunities to drop cash on luxury goods in Little Rock, Arkies need a tour guide. Shop Girl and her comrades hope to save you valuable time scouring the racks at Heights and Hillcrest boutiques, let you in on which stores are vending the hottest magazine and talk show finds and maybe even whisper a few trade secrets to score you savings.

So haul out your trendy, reusable shopping bags, peeps. It’s time to rock the shops.