Moving Day

Think of this post as a Xeroxed memo on the door of your favorite shop. At first you're concerned about what will fill the void. Then you're relieved to read the message: "Please visit us in our new location."

That's right. Rock the Shops is packing up and moving out. (Cue the Billy Joel.) I'm joining a new project put together by some friends and fellow writers, all of whom are moms. While I'm not a mom and also not planning to be anytime soon, this seemed like a great venture and I'm excited to be part of it. So visit me in my new location: http://shops.littlerockmamas.com/

I'll continue to update news I get about the best sales, latest store openings, interesting finds and other pretty, shiny things at the new URL. So don't forget to update your Google Readers or add the updated link to your bookmarks list. I can't wait to see you over there!

Brand New Shoes ... Lots of 'Em

After more than a year of delays, DSW finally opened on Thursday at Promenade at Chenal. I couldn't resist a post-work trip today, and it was like my own personal happy hour. Even though we escaped without any merchandise, I still had a nice little retail buzz going.

I wasn't alone. DSW kept a nice little line going the whole time we were there, and the (many, many) aisles were crowded. One of the managers said the store set a goal of selling $8,000 worth of merchandise the first day, and by 7:30 p.m., they'd already pushed $35,000 worth of soles out the door. Not bad.

Here's a little tour:

The selection is pretty much unrivaled in Little Rock. But in terms of true "designer" brands, there were only a few represented: Coach, Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, and Cole Haan among them. Most of those ran between $70 and $100 a pair.

The lower-end stuff was still scrumptious. Lots of pretty Nine West, Born, Merrell, Ann Klein and other brands between $35 and $60.

The store really shines in its men selection. There's absolutely nowhere locally that offers this level of nice men's footwear. I'm blessed to be married to a patient shopper, but he actually tried on more shoes that I did.

There's also a nice little retreat for those guys who aren't such troopers, complete with fake leather chairs and a flat screen on ESPN:

If you're thinking about checking it out for yourself, be sure to print out this coupon, which will save you $15 on a $50 purchase through Aug. 27. DSW is open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Mind the Gap

There’s one reason I sign up for retailers’ mass e-mails: promotional discounts. And this week Gap has e-mailed out a great one: 30 percent off all purchases Thursday, July 30 through Sunday, Aug. 2 in stores, and a one-time 30 percent discount online. Plus, it’s good at the sister shops, Banana Republic, Old Navy, and new sports wear brand Athleta.

If you got the e-mail, share the love by forwarding to friends you know aren’t on the list (Gap allows forwarding with it). If you didn’t, be sure to sign up here so you get the next sale alert.

If shopping spam drives you crazy, don’t use your regular e-mail address. Think about creating a designated free online e-mail account and sign up for the lists from your favorite stores. Then you can check for discounts on your own terms.

OMG, DSW!

Just a little reminder that DSW allegedly opens on Thursday at the Promenade at Chenal. I say allegedly because there have been several rumors about start dates for this joint since the sign first went up last fall. The lights have been glowing inside for several months with nary a stiletto in sight.

But DSW has promoted the Thursday opening, so it should be a firm date. If they keep their word, the place will probably be insane this weekend. I'm curious to see if this DSW lives up to the hype. Their stock varies depending on the market, with smaller outlets usually having a limited selection of true designer shoes. But I've also been to a couple around Atlanta that are sublime. Fingers (and toes) crossed ...

Adult Swim

No one is a fan of swimsuit shopping. It's pretty much the only retail experience I dread. So I hadn't bought a single bathing suit since before I moved to Little Rock in 2003. But we're heading to the beach this weekend, so it seemed like the right time to make a purchase.

A friend mentioned that Barbara Graves Intimate Fashions had some good sales last week, so I decided to stop by after work. It was the right call. I always enjoy browsing there. It's like the anti-Victoria's Secret. No teenagers flitting around with thongs and low-rise boy shorts slung over their arms. No obnoxious scents that overwhelm you on entering.

And it turns out that Barbara Graves has a nice selection of swim apparel, most of which is discounted right now, starting at between 20-30 percent off.

There were plenty of styles that were flattering and modern without giving it all away. Plus, there were several fun tops and dresses included in the sale merchandise. I even picked up a Ralph Lauren nightgown that will double as a great beach cover-up for $20. It was originally $63.

I walked into Barbara Graves at 5:25 p.m. and made my exit five minutes before they closed at 6 with two new swimsuits, and the total came in under budget. How refreshing. Now it's time for a swim.

Coach Now Open

Coach opened a new store in Park Plaza last Thursday. I dropped by to check it out yesterday, though clearly lacked the budget for a purchase. Still, it's a great window shopping locale. The light is beautiful, and the bags are drool-worthy.

Their fall line is full of rich orange, red and metallic bags. And several of them are tasteful without prints that scream "Coach." (I always waver on the logo fabrics.)



I've been to several Coach stores where the personnel were snotty and unhelpful, especially when they spy my Target-chic purses. But on Wednesday, the crew at the Park Plaza shop were genuinely nice and helpful. They definitely understand that half the people who stroll in won't be dropping $500 on a handbag.

And while we're on the topic, it's a good plan to check out the Dillard's Coach selection before you buy at the new store. They had 50 percent off several summer styles, when the exact same bags were marked at full price in the Coach shop. It's still fun to browse the big selection at the new joint, though.


Check it out for yourself on the third level of Park Plaza, next door to the Crown Shoppe. Their hour follow the mall's schedule, which is nice since some mall stores have been closed on Sundays lately. Anyway, Monday through Saturday: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Sunday: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Paper (price) cut

There's only so many packages of cocktail napkins and paper plates a girl needs. And yet, I can't stay away from the Inviting Co. quarterly sale. I turn into a zombie every time I go, wandering 25-cent stacks of designer paper goods in a daze. (See a previous review here.)

Since my first visit, I've outfitted at least six parties, four BBQs, two weekend bachelorette trips, and dozens of weekend lunches with plates, napkins and cups for probably a total of $15. There's a taste of them to the left. Inviting Co. stocks most of the local stationery stores, including the Crown Shoppes.

On Saturday, expect big crowds of moms, some pushing twin strollers (sans twins) stuffed with designer cardstock.

If you're a newbie, be sure to bring a bag. Or a grocery cart. Generally, they offer 1/2 price off their deeply discounted goods during Saturday hours. This is a great time to think about Christmas presents for the office crew or obligatory teacher gifts. So check it out this weekend at their warehouse just off the Prothro Junction exit on I-40.

Details courtesy Inviting Co. below:

Thursday, July 23 and Friday, July 24:
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday, July 25:
9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

4545 West Bethany Road, North Little Rock. (From I-40 East, take the Prothro Junction exit. Head to the right and past all the fast food outlets. Turn right at the first real intersection, with Bethany Road. Take this down until near the end of the road, when you'll start to see SUVs lining the road. The Inviting Co. warehouse and parking lot will be on the right.)

Free Carbs, Not-so-Free Coffee

Starbucks is touting their new, better-for-you pastries by letting you indulge for free tomorrow, Tuesday, July 21, until 10:30 a.m. The new muffins and scones will be free of artificial flavors, artificial dyes, artificial trans fats and high-fructose corn syrup. They call it "real food." Among the little batches of goodness included in the Tuesday special are pound cakes, morning buns, coffee cakes, cheese danishes, and other still not-quite-good-for-you delights. Oh, and you have to buy a beverage to get the free goods. (Not valid at Barnes & Noble locations.) Also, take this invitation in or show it to the barista via the fancy smart phone you usually just play with while waiting for your order.

Checking in at Pleasant Ridge Town Center

A Sunday stroll at Pleasant Ridge Town Center in Little Rock (Cantrell past 430) revealed several summer sales to keep in mind.

The Crown Shoppe has their entire stock of adhesive wrapping paper at 50 percent off. I've never used adhesive wrapping paper, so I can't vouch for how well it works. But they have some fun prints, and it's hard to beat $2.50 a roll for Hallmark-quality wrap.


If you're looking to fill out your cookware collection, stop into Kitchen Co. this week. All their Emeril-brand stainless pots and pans are 25 percent off. The 10-piece set was marked down to $199.

Also at Kitchen Co., Le Creuset stockpots are down to $40, with a few colors to choose from. (But really, the red is the most attractive of the lot.)


Maternity retailer The Sassy Stork is apparently hanging it up. Right now they're offering 60 percent off their goods as part of a closing sale. A peek in the window -- they're closed on Sunday, of course -- showed some fun pieces. One maternity T (which though funny is not among their classier offerings) noted "I should have had a headache ..." right above the bump zone. Clearly for the mom-to-be with a decent sense of humor.


Strasburg Children has a sliding scale clearance going on for the next couple of weeks. There's a wide range of clearance outfits on sale, with 20 percent off the first item, 30 percent off the second and 50 percent off the third. Of course, when original prices are $75 for an outfit made to fit a 3-month-old, 20 percent off isn't a big help. Still, there were some awfully cute frocks in there.


Hit up Belk for some good handbag and shoe clearance deals. All Dooney & Bourke bags are 25 percent off. There's an entire rack of Michael Kors purses at 40 percent off original (they're usually around $300-plus). Granted, it's time to throw a retirement party for some of these styles:


And I was happy to see that Belk has streamlined their footwear clearance tables. (The ones on the regular sales floor; not the tiny room in back.) They used to be a total cluster -- open tables with box tops strewn around and sizes in the wrong areas. I'd frequently open a box to find unmated shoes under their old clearance floor plan. The new stacks, which are kind of like mid-height bookshelves, each have a size assigned and are just much more organized.


OK, so I've buried the lede here: Shoes are marked down AND you can take an additional 30 percent off to equal 65 percent off original price. As always, the Belk shoe clearance is a nice little treasure hunt. If you happen to have a size 6 foot and love luxury brands (not that I know anyone like that), this pair was still available on Sunday. Cole Haan, marked at $92, with discount comes to about $65. (I tested them out and they're supremely comfortable.)



And if there are late summer weddings in your future, Belk has "contemporary" dresses marked down 30 percent. Check them out downstairs near handbags:

Box Turtle Event on Saturday

Details are being withheld, but Box Turtle on Kavanaugh in Little Rock is promising a special event this Saturday, July 18 from 6-9 p.m. They say they'll tell more later, but for now they're keeping us guessing. You can usually rely on Box Turtle to supply good noshing fare and cute little plastic cups of decent wine, though. And, of course, they sell Korto fashions.

They did let slip that all summer clothing, shoes, accessories and (*gasp*) handbags are 30 percent off right now. I might just be stopping by my favorite Hobo Intl. purveyor to see if they've marked down the confection to the right, which I've been eyeing
since May.

Cheap white cotton (and pricey black satin)

Just a heads up for anyone in need of lingerie: Dillard's is flush with good deals right now. From terry cloth bathrobes by their house brands to luxury pajamas by designers like Vera Wang and Ralph Lauren, there are lots of reliable deals right now. Summer clearance is upon us ...

Catching Up

Shopping has taken a back seat to family obligations, work and school lately. But that's not to say that I haven't strolled into a few boutiques as stress relief. And oh, more is to come. We're heading to another city filled with great outlets this weekend and plan to do some major catching up.

This past weekend, we were in Memphis, where we hit the Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma outlets - two favorites. But we didn't have any major luck at them. If I'd had more time, I probably could have done some damage buying kitchen staples at the WS outlet. But I need time to think during that kind of endeavor, and that's difficult with parents and a husband who want to vacate as soon as possible. Maybe next time.

I did, however, stumble upon a new Memphis obsession: The Vera Bradley store at Saddlecreek Shops. I'd never been in a store that was solely dedicated to Vera. I was in heaven.

After discussing my VB passion with a friend, I agreed with her conclusion that it tends to be an SEC trend. Never have I seen a piece of Vera outside the dirty south. But oh, how I adore it.

My love affair with Vera Bradley didn't exactly begin happily. I received a piece in 1999 for my high school graduation and knew nothing about it. I was like, "Wow, a printed duffel bag." It came from family members who had two daughters at a snooty southern state university, and they promised it was all the rage.

I toted it to my non-Fayetteville SEC alma mater and was the only girl in my dorm who'd even heard the name Vera Bradley. You couldn't buy it anywhere in our trendy college town, and when I looked for a matching piece in a nearby major southern city, none was to be found there, either.

But I started to love this bag because I could stuff a ridiculous amount of crap in it. I mean, tons of dirty laundry, all my books and folders, a pillow, my make-up bag, a variety of hair dryers and straighteners, plus clothes and jewelry for the weekend. That meant only one trip down four flights of dorm stairs was required for any trip back home. Perfection.

Two summers later, Vera was in every boutique and Hallmark store I entered. This is my long way of telling you I pride myself on being ahead of the Vera Bradley curve.

I now have six Vera patterns, four of which have been retired. I get a piece for every major holiday or milestone from my family, and I'm always excited to see which pattern and bag I'll be adding to my collection. If you're not the type who loves frou-frou bags and luggage, do keep Vera Bradley in mind simply because it's incredibly durable and the bigger pieces can hold EVERYTHING!

In Little Rock, you can find the best Vera selections at the Crown store at Park Plaza and the one near Wild Oats. If you're in Memphis, be sure to drop in the Vera store there. It's kind of breath-taking.

I bought this great travel brush holder, with six very nice make-up brushes for $35. The pattern is Yellowbird:

In other news, we ate at a restaurant in Memphis that is slated to open a branch at Shackleford Crossings, Yia-Yia's Euro Bistro. This will be a welcome addition to The Rock. Yia-Yia's pizzas rivaled Za-Za's in the Heights (go figure). They also served generous portions of delicious entrees. The menu included gnocchi, risotto, inventive burgers and a flavorful baked chicken with peppers. The atmosphere and appointments were similar to PF Chang's -- very metropolitan. We were pleased with the experience. Hopefully the Little Rock branch will be similar.

More Sales Reports

This a great time of year for finding discounted merchandise. A lot of the sale stuff these days can double for fall. If you're not familiar with Forsythe's & Kristen Todd, this would be a good weekend to check them out. (They're one store -- Kristen Todd is the front half and is all accessories, Forsythe's is the back and is jeans and clothes -- located just down from Belk at Pleasant Ridge Town Center). They're offering 75 percent off but all sales are final and you have to pay in cash.

Also, Barbara Graves on Rodney Parham is offering 40 percent off swimwear, sundress and spring/summer lingerie. This is my favorite lingerie shop in Little Rock and they have by far the best selection of nice bathing suits. Also noticed: half off at Beyond Cotton (Pleasant Ridge Town Center) and 50-75 percent off at Companions (an expensive-ish boutique on Highway 10 in the same strip mall as Entree' Vous). A good weekend to indulge is on the way!

Starbucks Speculation

Speculation about which Starbucks locations will be powering down their espresso machines is rampant. One of my favorite blogs, savvysugar.com, has a well-organized Google map showing some of the rumored closures, including the one that went in last year in North Little Rock on McCain. It's in that little strip mall behind Hooters. There's no official confirmation from the coffee nazis in Seattle yet, but the tip came via the Seattle Times, so maybe it's true.

This location was one I'd imagined would be on the chopping block. It makes no financial sense for Starbucks to close the locations where they bought the land and recently constructed new facilities. But it does figure to close the shops they just threw into rented strip malls.

A global communications VP for Starbucks spoke just two weeks ago to a professional group in Arkansas (just two work days before the 600-store closings announcement). She mentioned that the company would be making more big changes aimed at moving their holdings from 80 percent U.S. stores to dominantly overseas locations. You'll see no more music or DVDs there that can be purchased elsewhere, she added. And I'm more than thrilled that they've switched from the T-Mobile pay-by-the-day Internet access to free AT&T wireless for people with registered Starbucks cards. Our household already has two.

Reluctant Shop Boy and I have contemplated asking our baristas if they know any buzz about the future of our local Starbucks. But we figured that's akin to asking if you know whether you're going to be fired. Our fingers are crossed that our favorite Starbucks location keeps its green sign lit for many ventis to come. Even in a shaky economy, a girl's gotta have her occasional iced vanilla latte.

Bad Hair Day

I have a love-hate relationship with hair dryers. They are essential for me to look remotely acceptable for work. Yet I've had two nice ones break since January. It happened again on Saturday, so I trudged to Target and was unimpressed with the selection. Most of them were the same brand that had just disappointed me: Revlon. I settled on a $20 Conair with a small diffuser, but wasn't happy with the purchase.

Then on Sunday I made a quick stop at Drug Emporium (corner of Reservoir and Rodney Parham), and realized that's where I should have headed for my new hair dryer. Drug Emporium has a full aisle of them -- every brand, type and heat-setting you can fathom. Mostly for the same prices as Target, but definitely a better selection. There's a bunch of nice curling irons and straighteners and curler sets, too. 

I've been buying my shampoo at Drug Emporium for at least a year. They sell all the designer salon brands (Aveda, Bumble & Bumble, Bed Head, etc.) for a couple bucks less than you'll pay elsewhere. And the selection is pretty incredible. They sell the typical drug store brand hair products, too. On these, there's at least double the amount you'll find at most of the local big box stores.

Be warned that Drug Emporium doesn't take credit cards, though. Since they don't have to pay the credit card fees back to the companies, they pass the savings back to customers by making everything a tad cheaper. Feel free to use your debit card there, though. 

If only we liked to cook ...

For a couple that doesn't especially enjoy cooking, we love kitchen gadgets. This may be because we like to play with gadgets of any type. But we always fawn over fun pointless devices meant for fancy chefs. For this reason, we had a ball during our recent visit to Eggshells, the store that replaced Sauce Co. when it joined all the other Heights shops in the West Little Rock Mass Exodus of 08. (Several boutique have moseyed over to Pleasant Ridge Town Center on Highway 10). Eggshells is on Kavanaugh kind of across the street from Mary Healey's.


Eggshells doesn't offer a spread of dips and noshing fare like its predecessor. But it does offer everything from frilly kitchen rugs and coordinating oven mitts to stainless steel measurement converter magnets and high-quality zesters. You can waste a lot of time browsing and find things you've never seen elsewhere.

Case in point:


This is a new-age ice cream scoop. You plunge it into a container of ice cream, twist the top and pull it out of the carton, then push it to deposit the ice cream in a bowl. The ice cream comes it out neat little round stacks (think cylinder-shaped building blocks with flat tops and bottoms), rather than a squishy ball of dessert. This would make ice cream a novelty at dinner parties. Obviously from the picture, they cost $15.

Another neat offering -- and great gift for a foodie who prides herself on a well-decorated kitchen -- is a hand-painted pepper grinder. There's a large selection, starting around $35 and going above $50.


For moms who are introducing their young 'uns to the kitchen, there's a cute Racheal Ray kid's cooking set for about $30. Other interesting items include some beaker-style olive oil dispensers (perfect for, say, your sister who is persuing a PhD in microbiology ;) ) and a ergonomically-shaped corn-on-the-cob butterer.

We have yet to check out the new Sauce Co. location in West Little Rock, but look forward to dropping in soon. For now, Eggshells is definitely filling their shoes in the Heights. Though we do wonder whether there's enough room for both Williams-Sonoma and a fun little kitchen toy store on this side of town.

Cocoa Belle Review

We headed to the River Market for lunch on Saturday and stumbled across Cocoa Belle, the new confectioner in Ottenheimer Hall. The metropolitan stand, which features artisan truffles, held its grand opening on Saturday. We had to wade through a crowd of women lusting over the chocolates to place an order at the counter.

When we made it there, we ordered nine truffles so we could sample several selections and the cash register rang up at a steep $19.50 with tax. I think that level of pricing is going to be hard to sustain for this little shop once its newness and novelty wears off. But who knows. Tourists in Little Rock definitely spend more money on less worthy treats.



Now on to the chocolates themselves. We definitely don't have anyone in Little Rock who is making creations like these. We've long wished for a full-fledged Godiva store here, especially since the chocolatier at River City Coffee and Tea moved on. Cocoa Belle fills a void in Little Rock.

The confections are purely scrumptious. We have four left in our little box and are continuing to savor them. Cocoa Belle's truffles are inventive. We've so far tried a raspberry truffle that had real berries (including a couple of seeds) in them -- it was a lovely marriage of tart and sweet, but didn't leave us feeling overwhelmed.



The milky truffle is a classic -- plain jane but yummy. My favorite is the Key Lime truffle -- white chocolate, graham cracker crust, cream and a little lime zest. I ordered three of these and am saving the remaining two for an after-work indulgence this week. My husband gives his endorsement to the Grand Mariner-stuffed truffle. Why? "I don't know," he said. "It just tasted really good."

Cocoa Belle's owner, Carmen Portillo, told me that this week she'll begin stocking homemade pralines, which include hazelnuts and almonds. I prefer pralines to truffles, so I'll definitely be stopping back by, though Cocoa Belle will have to be a rare treat in our household. Our palates loved these confections, but at $2 a pop, our wallets can't support the craving.

Retail Therapy

Nothing like a little window shopping at the Container Store to restore balance and order. After a long month and a full-force bad mood, Reluctant Shop Boy made a suggestion that we drop in after dinner on Thursday. I came out feeling a high -- even though I left sans shopping bags. The Container Store makes me want to give gifts to everyone I know just so I can wrap them. The gift wrap is a bit high ($5ish for a small roll, $4 for bags, $2 for four gift tags), but oh-so-adorable:

Riverside's Rockin' Some Deals

A friend who's been furniture shopping mentions that there's a big 40 percent off sale going on at Riverside Furniture Factory Outlet in North Little Rock. Love this place! I have three pieces of their furniture, and it's all sturdy, good-looking stuff. If you're not familiar, Riverside is off JFK next to the new Saver's, formerly where Big Lots used to be.

On a regular day this store has scads of beautiful pieces at cheap prices. The idea of a sale there blows my mind. Needless to say, I'll be hitting the other side of the river soon.

By the way, I do realize there's been a dearth of good photos here lately. What can I say? My cell phone camera blows. But I'm eyeing one of those 3G iPhones so maybe you'll get better visuals soon!

Bridal Bonanza

Looks like the Wal-Mart of Wedding Dresses is going to open up shop in North Little Rock. Yuppers, David's Bridal has taken out a permit for a location on McCain. (I reserve the right to make fun of David's, having strutted down the aisle in deeply discounted David's original. Yes, that was after the initial trip to Low's.)

It only makes sense that David's would go in to NLR. With Bridal Row on JFK doing so much of the matrimonial merchandising in this area now, it's probably a competitive move. The new location will be at 4188 E. McCain. GoogleMaps puts the new store in the area of Jason's Deli.