Trick-or-Treat

Looking for last minute Halloween costumes and don't want to break the bank? Look no further than Recycling Red Dresses thrift store in the Down Street Market Place, 454 Broadway. I found an adorable poodle skirt for my 50's girl for 8 bucks! They have children and adults!

Happy Halloween!!

A perfect night for Pumpkin Carving and Soup....

That pretty much sums up my evening.
All right, all right - I'll come clean... There was also pick up at the bus stop, ballet lessons, haircuts, math tests, homework, reading, going through paperwork, dishes, prayers, good night kisses and here I am.... whew! We do fit in a lot from 3:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.. Thanks to people like Cindy Shaw from What's Cooking Whatiscooking.com, 518-495-0053, personal chef service, she takes the stress of cooking a home cooked meal off our to do list. I happened to have this Butternut Squash Soup left over in the freezer from a dinner party Cindy catered a few weeks ago. It was delicious and perfect on a cold Fall evening. Cindy will cater your party - large or small (I've done both) or she can add you to her personal chef service. She sends out an e-mail each week with that weeks menu and will deliver it straight to your house complete with directions on how to reheat your gourmet meal. She delivers once a week, $14.00/portion.
Bon Appetite!

Shoe obsession this week???

Stopped in to 80 West 80 W. Circular Street and and saw these great flats. Just had to share them with you all - I mentioned ballet flats last week during REESE WEEK but had a hard time finding really great ones for under $100.00 and now that we are Recessionista's we know that's important.... So here they are! These cuties range in price from $36.00 - $48.00. I saw Michael Kors ballet flats in Saks this past weekend that look a lot like the metallic ones on the right with the buckle. these are much more affordable.... And yes, they are comfy too.

Where does a Recessionista shop Downtown?

OK - the news is depressing. We all have to change our ways and tighten our belts (just make sure they are the skinny patent ones - preferably in a violet) and be more creative with our shopping. Notice I didn't say stop - I said creative and I don't mean the taking from Peter to pay Paul kind of creative! I mean going out and find the look you want at the price you can afford. Isn't the hunt half the fun? I learned from the best - my Mom! I'm here to help... Lioness (closed Monday's and Tuesday's) a great new consignment-vintage boutique celebrated their grand opening at 30 Beekman Street last Friday. The consignment shop is set up to give you the feel that you are shopping in a well merchandised boutique at a fraction of the price the typical "experience" will cost you! They sell both men's and women's clothing and accessories. I found the above shoes for $22.00 - totally loving the plaid and the button.
So, out with the Diva's and in with the Recessionista's..... it's time to take our shopping and saving more seriously.... Hunting anyone?

Brown's Week End Buzz

I'm off to NYC with the girls for the weekend... If you are staying around town here's what I recommend:
* KIDS: Lake Avenue Fun Fair - Friday 10/24 6-8:30. Lots of games, fun and scaaaary scooter rides in the gym!
* OPENING: 30 Beekman Street Grand Opening - Friday 10/24 6-8:00 LaFayette Jewelry Designs, Girard Stoneware and Lioness Consignment Boutique.
* SHOP: Bring in a gently used coat or sweater to Banana Republic and they will donate it to Goodwill Industries. To reward your generous heart they will take 30% off any regular priced item. Offer ends 10/26.

Have a stylin' weekend!

Reese Week - Accessories

Bracelet from Violet's Boutique 482 Broadway $62.00

Sunglasses from Banana Republic $98.00

Necklace from Aggie's 454 Broadway $35.00

Earrings from Lucia Boutique 454 Broadway $24.00

Rings from 80 West 80 W. Circular Street. Prices range from $15.00 - $45.00

Accessorize with any the above and you have mastered the Reese Look!
Now go shopping!

Reese Week - Cardigans

Not your granddad's cardigan. A mod cut on an an old classic. Plus it's eco friendly! Made with eco-heather yarn. Check it out at speck boutique 353 Broadway $45.00

Soft and Feminine. Super comfy with delicate pointelle detailing throughout the fabric. Lucia Boutique 454 Broadway $65.00

This is soooo Reese. Wear this French Connection cardigan with a slim tee underneath, narrow belt over and tie on a scarf and you have mastered her look. 80 West 80 W. Circular Street $118.00

Love, love, looooove this Vince shrug. Worth the investment because you will live in it all season. Aggie's Boutique 454 Broadway $295.00 (we're talking cashmere)

Reese Week - Jeans

Reese's Pick: J Brand Jeans available at Aggie's Boutique 454 Broadway $160.00

Straight Leg: Hudson Jeans available at Violet's 482 Broadway $150.00

Weekend: Silver Jeans available at Lifestyles 436 Broadway $78.00

Trouser Cut: Cello Brand available 80 West 80 W. Circular Street $65.00

Reese Week - Tee's

Deal: Gap tee $15.00. Gap.com. Make a statement.

Go Green: Lucia Boutique, LAmade tee $39.00, 454 Broadway. 100% Organic Cotton.

Personal Favorite: Aggie's Boutique 454 Broadway, James Perse tee $70.00. Once you put it on you're hooked. Perfect fit for layering or on it's own.

Cool and Casual: 80 West, 80 West Circular Street, Nation Ltd. tee $85.00 This tee is in every magazine I pick up. Loose fitting, super soft, burnout tee with raw edge v-neck. Super comfy! Why should the celeb's be the only ones in the know?

Spice It Up: Violet's, 482 Broadway Sweetees $118.00. Perfect for a night out on the town.

Reese Week - Shoes

Deal: Ann Taylor Loft $29.99 on Broadway or AnnTaylorLoft.com

Middle Ground: 9 West at the Shoe Depot $69.99 - look for ballet flats like the above in fun colors.

Splurge: Lilly Pulitzer $248.00 at the Pink Paddock 380 Broadway

Personal favorite: Tory Burch $195 SaksFifthAvenue.com

The Week of Reese

OK - Why Reese Witherspoon? She's a working mom, she seems real for those Hollywood types (can't you just see her hanging out at Mrs. London's having a cappuccino before she strolls across Broadway with her kids to check out G. Willikers?). Her style is classic and attainable for us here in the Spa City. You can't go wrong having some solid classic pieces in your wardrobe that you can wear over and over again and look great every time - even as we are running out the door to drop off the kids to school and then on to the marathon we moms run every day! Why wear sweats when you can have a killer fitting pair of jeans, a soft slim tee, and great flats to run around town in. Layer a cardigan, cool sunglasses, a pretty scarf or some fun jewelry and you are good to go. I'll show you where to find great pieces to add to your closet and to give you Reese's classic style - it's not hard and all the pieces I will list are in the stores now! Happy Monday and Happy Shopping!

Looove her...

Real. Chic. Simple.

Reese has iconic style. Rarely does she get it wrong.

Imitate her look here in the Spa city. I'll show you how....

next week

More reasons why I love Fall....

Birthdays
(bouquet from My Favorite Things 454 Broadway)

Anniversaries

(bouquet from Price Chopper - with a little help from the recipient)

He made dinner and bought roses. I am a lucky girl!

A Fun Fall Day in Saratoga.... Priceless...

Apple Picking at Saratoga Apple: $5.00 for a small bag, Rt 29 Schuylerville

Finding the perfect pumpkin at Sunnyside Gardens: $0.45 per pound, 345 Church Street, Saratoga Springs

Take a walk back in time and check out the lobby of the Adelphi Hotel: $0, 365 Broadway, Saratoga Springs.
Unless you want to spend a night - but you better book soon! They close for the season on Saturday, October 18, 2008.

things that make ME happy....

Planes, trains or automobiles??? Whatever your travel choice - do it in style with this great overnight bag and accessories I found at Ever After (372 Broadway). Lovin' these crisp clean color combos. Bright white with black, navy, orange or pink. So fun and zippy! Made from Oil Cloth so they are durable too.
Bag $45.99, Luggage tag $9.99, Passport holder $15.99, TO DO list holder $10.99, Document holder $22.99.
Not going away? Give them as a gift and make them happy!

Land of Make Believe

Let's pretend! You be McCain and I'll be Obama. We'll play "debate" and actually answer the questions that are asked! The polls will show your guy is leading with more than a 5 point spread, the economy is thriving, gas is $2.00 a gallon, and there is affordable health care for all! Play however you like with these paper dolls I found at Soave Fair on Broadway, $7.99 each. Plus, they come with an Election Night Score Card. The fun continues for 4 more weeks, but on Nov 4th playtime is over, so be sure to VOTE!

On the road again......

Long weekends, leaf peeping, away games, and the holidays are coming our way. How many DVD's can your kids really watch on that 4+ hour drive to Nana's house? I just survived a looooooong road trip to South Bend (yes, the Irish won and the weather was perfect) with the help of these great boredom busting activities that I picked up at G. Williker's Toy Store on Broadway. My kids loved the auto bingo (reusable, they slide the red clear plastic over various sights like cows, trucks, traffic lights, you get the idea), Time Flies (all sorts of word games, tic-tac-toe, and hangman - best part is it comes with 2 dry erase pens so you can erase and do it again on the way home!) To improve fine motor skills the cool Wikki Stix (comes in a rainbow of colors and can be molded into stick people, letters or flowers or whatever your budding artist dreams up). I had a lot of fun with ALEX bracelet maker (makes a single friendship bracelet -- think Girl Scout Camp) - this one was a bit too advanced for my 6 yr. old. Best part - they were all $15.00 and under!

Brown's Week End Buzz

Take a walk on the west side

First Saturday Arts Night 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Stroll Beekman Street. Hear some good music. Stop by the Local on Friday night for some live Irish acoustic music 7 ish or Saturday for their Oktoberfest party.

Check out the many art galleries. Mimosa (70 C Beekman Street) will be featuring Elisa Sheehan. I feel in love with that one!

Or TAILGATE!! Grab some friends and some savory eats and drinks from Putnam Market and Putnam Wine and go to a football game! It's a one stop shop for all your tailgating needs!
Enjoy this fabulous Fall Week End in the Spa City!

KNOT ready for a jacket? TIE on a SCARF!

These beautiful soft tone wraps are made from 100% Bamboo! They are extremely soft, warm and cozy - just what we need on these chilly nights. Knot around your neck or wear as a wrap - they drape perfectly and will never lose their shape, $110 Mimosa (70C Beeckman Street)

Aggie's (454 Broadway) and Violet's (482 Broadway) offer chunkier styles that work great now with a sweater and will transition perfectly when the dreaded winter coat is needed! Both stores offer scarves ranging from $36 - $48.

There is that oh-so -in plaid again! A cheap way to update your look!
Violet's (482 Broadway)

We can all use some color when the grey days settle in. Speck (353 Broadway) and 80 West (80 West Circular) offer a rainbow of choices. $18- $30