Custom Made Shower Curtains

Forget about custom clothing, what everyone needs is a custom shower curtain...I am getting it shortened another 2.5 inches, but what a stately piece!  Thanks to Colette who hand makes shower curtains for those difficult-to-fit old tyme tubs/showers:

Colette Ringmeier

Pond Lily Shower Curtains

www.pondlilyshowercurtains.com

(920) 299-1620

Thru Nov. 13: The Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering’s Thrift Shop's Holiday Bazaar

The Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering’s Thrift Shop's Holiday Bazaar is taking place Wednesday, November 9 - Sunday, November 13 on the UES in NYC. Hours for this event are Wednesday from 10:00am to 7:00 pm, Thursday and Friday from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm, Saturday, from 11:00am to 5:00pm and Sunday 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

Often referred to as “the Bergdorf’s of Thrift shops”, the annual Holiday Bazaar draws a big crowd in search of vintage and designer labels (Alexander McQueen, Manolo Blahnik, Missoni, Gucci, etc.) at discount prices.

 Memorial Sloan-Kettering Thrift Shop

1440 Third Avenue (btw 81st and 82nd streets)

212-535-1250

www.memorialthriftshop.org

Nov. 30 - Dec. 14: Vanessa Noel Sample & Stock Sale

Vanessa Noel Sample & Stock Sale

November 30 - December 14
M-F 10-6 Sat 11-6
158 East 64 Street
(Lexington-Third Avenues)
212.906.0055
http://www.vanessanoel.com/

All current fall boots and shoes reduced 50% to 70% off. Now $200 to $2,250, original retail from $525 to $7,500. A closeout selection of 30 styles of white satin shoes to be dyed now $50, reduced from $525.
Woman’s day and evening shoes and boots. Over-the-Knee, ankle, and to-the-knee stretch suede boots, chinchilla boots, mink booties, strappy evening sandals, pumps, ballerinas, flats, alligator loafers. Also a small selection of early resort sandals.

No further reductions. American Express, Visa, Mastercard and cash accepted. All sales final. No refunds.

Private Sale: Calypso St. Barth, Feb. 13-16

I can't keep a secret....There's a private sale at Calypso Upstairs (815 Madison Avenue @68th st., 5th Fl.) February 13-16, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Special discounts on selected fall & cruise merchandise.

Designer Resale Sale, Feb 7 - 20

Designer Resale, the...well the designer resale/consignment store that is incredibly picky in what they take (but they did take my Betsey Johnson embroidered flats and quickly sold them -- netting me a take of $22) is having their Winter Semi-Annual Sale. Prices SLASHED 20-70 percent! Famous designer brands for women AND men. And wait! The sale actually extends until Feb. 21-22 when prices will be SLASHED up to 80 percent!

If you haven't stopped in yet, go to E. 81st Street between 1st-2nd Aves.

With brands including Hermes, Prada, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Fendi, Armani, Versace, YSL, Burberry, Christian Dior, etc. you would think that they'd have more up to date marketing materials - the sale notice I received in the mail has a drawing of a man and a woman in their sassy designer duds, and it reminds me of the movie "Working Girl," or "Big." Not a great first step in an effort to get the trendsetters in your store, guys. I'm surprised the woman isn't wearing a headband.

Fall/Winter Arrivals at Personal Affairs

Personal Affairs
102 E. 7th St.(A & 1st Ave.)

NY, NY 10009

1-212-420-7778

open Monday: late afternoon (appointment only)

Tue-Friday: 2:00-9:00p.m.

Saturday: 1:00-9:00

Sunday: 1:00-8:00

236 E. 80th St. (2 & 3 Ave.)

NY, NY 100121-212-288-0192

open Mon-Friday: 1:00-8:00p.m.

Sat & Sunday: 12:00a.m.-7:00p.m.

http://personalaffairs.de/index.php?en_company

http://www.pa212.com/

La Boutique Resale Gives You Gas Money

I found La Boutique's sale tactic to be somewhat amusing:

"Bad economy, inflation & high gas prices got you down? Come in for some retail therapy" and "FREE GAS to move your ass!"

No I'm not kidding.

So, if you spend more than $60 you get $5 in gas money and if you spend $250 you get $20.

With locations at Madison and 80th, Lexington and 62nd and 81st between 2nd & 3rd, I wonder how many of their customers actually drive...

But what the heck this and other sales are going on through August 31. I have scored large here before, so it is worth the "drive."

Death of A(nother) Neighborhood?

I've been living in "Grey Box" since 1997 - that's the area between Gramercy Park and Murray Hill with no name. When I moved in it was pretty much a shite-hole. People sleeping in the foyer, by-the-hour hotels down the block, drug fronts, goat meat wholesalers, ladies of the night, The Sunflower was a greasy spoon dive diner, and all the bars were either Irish pubs or completely non-descript (aside from The Rodeo). It was pretty dire, but I thought it was swell. I'm not going to romanticize and tell you it was great, but it was what it was. And slowly over the years, and seemingly in hyper speed the past year it has turned into...

THE UPPER EAST SIDE (insert shrieks and screams of terror here)

There are now 10 "Sex and the City"/frat bars within the three blocks North of my street, not counting an 11th - a wine bar opening in the very near future (Cavatappo). Here are photos of the offenders, and some of my least favorite public houses in town. And I live among them all. Sigh...

Memorial Day sale: Personal Affairs

Personal Affairs
20% off of current collection
Sunday, May 25th and Monday, May 26th.

Locations:
102 E. 7th St.(Ave. A & 1st Ave.)
NY, NY 10009
1-212-420-7778
open Monday: late afternoon (pls make appointment) Tue-Sunday: 1:00-8:00p.m.

236 E. 80th St. (2nd & 3rd Ave.)
NY, NY 10075
1-212-288-0192
open Mon-Friday: 1:00-8:00p.m. Sat & Sunday: 12:00a.m.-7:00p.m.

http://personalaffairs.de/index.php?en_company
http://www.pa212.com/

p.s. Lord & Taylor and Bloomingdale's are having big Memorial Day sales too!

Spring Gear at Personal Affairs

I haven't been able to get up or down to "pa" yet this season, but I am told that they have many new colors, prints and designs. They have cool stuff and good sales.

Personal Affairs:

• 236 E. 80th St. (2 & 3 Ave.) NY, NY 10012 1-212-288-0192; open Mon-Friday: 1:00-8:00p.m. Sat & Sunday: 12:00-7:00p.m.
• 102 E. 7th St.(A & 1st Ave.) NY, NY 10009 1-212-420-7778; open Monday: late afternoon (pls make appointment) Tue-Sunday: 1:00-8:00p.m.

http://personalaffairs.de/index.php?en_company

http://www.pa212.com/

Personal Affairs (E. 80th St.): Everything Must Go

Everything must go sale at Personal Affairs

select tops 2 for $30

pants $40 skirt $30

blazer $50

knit sweater & tunic, $30

dress $30

coat $80

vest $30

jacket $80

schedule: until end of March (THAT'S TODAY)

Personal Affairs

236 E. 80th St. (2 & 3 Ave.)

NY, NY 10012 1-212-288-0192

open Mon-Friday: 1:00-8:00p.m. Sat & Sunday: 12:00a.m.-7:00p.m.

My First Consignment: Designer Resale

In a continued effort to fit all of my apparel into the smaller, temporary dwelling, I did some real sole-searching and parted with a few items that I have been hanging onto for various (strange) reasons. For the first time in my life I thought I'd give the consignment route a shot - I mean why not make some cash on the side? So I pulled out shoes, a suit, a dress, skirt, pants and a shirt and hustled them over to Designer Resale Corp. on 324 East 81st St. Cutting to the chase - the above pictured Betsey Johnson flats were the only thing they accepted. Haha... I guess this is what happens when you are so fashion-forward that the labels you are a slave to are unappreciated by the masses. So I skipped myself on over to the Spence-Chapin Thrift Shop at 1473 Third Ave. and donated the rest...

Unfashionable: Dowtown 6 during morning rush

If I have no other reason to move back downtown this would be it. The 6 train running downtown from the upper east side is one of the worst experiences of my life.

I made the grave error in judgment this morning when I decided to catch it at 77th St. Not only is it about 150 degrees down there, not only is the platform PACKED, but also each train that meanders its way down from 86th St. is 98% full - and nobody gets off the train at 77th St. during morning rush-hour to allow for more space.

So, today, I arrived at the platform at 8:31 a.m. and had to let FIVE trains go by before I could shove my way onto the sixth at about 8:53 a.m. Glad I didn't have to be at work at any specific time, because the old "trains weren't running" excuse is not readily accepted by those who don't take them. Especially from the UES.

Let us pray: Please God. Please let Laura move back downtown as soon as possible.

Southern Hospitality

OK so another BBQ joint has recently opened in NYC. The draw on this one? JT is an investor (Justin Timberlake). While we all might agree that JT is merely Joey Lawrence with a bit of an edge, I can't get enough of this guy. In fact, it was enough to get me to go to Southern Hospitality on the Upper East Side. Well, that and the fact that I currently dwell about four blocks away.

So what's my take on this joint? Eh. It was fine. The food was fine. The service was kind of weak. There were 15 of us, so that may have presented some service challenges and issues, but stuff like there being almost no BBQ sauce on the table is kind of unforgivable at a BBQ restaurant.

It left me with the vibe like it could have (and perhaps should have) been a chain restaurant in the mall.

Sorry JT, stick to cranking out better than average pop music and videos.

Jill Anderson: High-waisted jean

I'm not sure that I'm really "down" with this look. I feel like you have to be 6 feet tall and really freaking skinny to make this look "work" - otherwise you will look like a great big flag or something - way too much material going on here for short people, and not a great look for those with prominent "tummies."

Boots n Skirts in August

I know this look is what all kids are wearing downtown. But apparently now it's what some of the women are wearing uptown. Remember ladies: just because it's a trend doesn't mean it looks good on you!

Convoluted Sale at La Boutique Resale

...but a sale nevertheless!

La Boutique Resale, a resale consignment shop where I have scored some fab duds, is having their Summer Clearance Blowout Sale now through August 31, when prices will be slashed up to 70%. If you get "the postcard" you can also take an additional 10% off of your total purchase...um...excluding 60%, 70%, and over 70% off items; excluding all handbags...oh and wait...not to be combined with other coupons/offers. Hang on...10% off taken after all other deductions calculated. Phew. Talk about disclaimers!

Caravan Sale! July 25-28

Good Candy at Newsstand on 86th St. & 3rd Ave.

As some of you know I am a retro-candy fanatic, along the lines of Gobstoppers, Razzles, Sprees and the like. It's not always easy to find such old tyme favorites, but I spotted a particularly rich newsstand on the southwest corner of 86th St. and 3rd Avenue. It's all I can do not to go Willy Wonka wild every time I walk by it.

Can I eat well and cheaply on the Upper East Side?

Wow, so it seems that late July shopping is a bit "soft" - similar to my complaint about February. Just kind of a dead time - you've already bought most of your summer stuff and gone to relevant sales and you just aren't ready to start buying fall clothes and boots since it's still hot as blazes outside.

So what is a Guerilla Shopper supposed to do? Write about her second favorite topic: FOOD. I am somewhat astonished by the high price of food on the UES. I guess I shouldn't be, but I can't manage to get take out - my favorite kind of food - for less than $17 (and that's only if I pick it up myself so that I don't have to tip a delivery guy!). Does anyone have any suggestions for me - outside of eating pizza and bagels every night? Why isn't there a Teriyaki Boy up there, for example?