E. Village Change of Season Changes Focus

Change of Season re-opens: Focusing on menswear and gender neutrals.

ANNA Moves on Up...Still on the East Side

Storefront

Store left

Store right

Store counter

ANNA Store window: ALL RIGHT!!

My favorite store in all the land has relocated 8 blocks north and 1.26 blocks west.  I visited last week and bought a great dress while visiting with Heather who assured me that I didn't look as "Rubenesque" as I thought I appeared in the mirror (I do, but thank you for being nice).

But I digress...With double the dressing room space, you and your alter ego can try on everything in the store in half the time!  There's also more floor space covered by a freshly lacquered wood floor that will come in handy when you need to check out how the dress you're trying on will look while you are dancing - preferably BREAK dancing, although you should probably buy the dress before you go and do that. 

With the finishing touches almost complete, the apparel is as fresh as always! (Although there is no expiration date on ANNA-gear).

And if that doesn't convince you to visit: the neighbors are not unworthy either: Pas de Deux and Veniero's, in particular.

ANNA
330 E. 11th St.
www.annanyc.com
http://twitter.com/annastorenyc

Fuzzy Blackberry photo

The mighty foyer has finally come together this weekend.  I was going a little bit for the black & white art deco (loosely defined).  I brought the mirrors over from my old apartment (Target), the table, which I mentioned the other day, is from Pottery Barn.  The vintage glass vase from Damon Crain.  The old photos c/o my mom thanks to my long-departed relatives Schlaffer and Anderson, as is the silver (stainless?) tray on the lower shelf.  The silver key dish picked up years ago at Daffy's, and candle holder...hmmm...I believe I received that as a gift.  And in closing the glass spinning picture frame thanks to my friends for my birthday on Friday.  Yay!
Hidden: white glass light fixture hanging from a black chain, from Lowe's.

Flowers from bodega on Broadway & 93rd St.

Betsey Johnson Starts Its Liquidation Sale

See if you can guess...

Betsey Johnson Starts Its Liquidation Sale
For those of you who knew me in the 80s you may remember (because you made fun of me) my 8th grade grad dress, or the gun skirt, or my eyeball sweater.  Or even the bright yellow skirt with the giant silver zippers that prohibited me from sitting, or the red snakeskin belt.  They were all Betsey Johnson.  God I love(d) the 80s.  She was ahead of her time and then everyone else caught up, yet watered down. And then she got watered down.  I knew when I saw her clothes in Lord & Taylor it was all over.

Pottery Barn: Entry way table

Entry way table featuring vintage glass c/o Damon Crain

Who knew finding a table for the foyer would be one of the biggest challenges of the renovation?  Well, I finally found something close to perfect at Pottery Barn, except it almost slipped away into the black hole of online retail...

I found it!  It's perfect!  Glass top with a glass shelf, almost black frame, not too wide (14") and the price...well, not too bad ($399).

Except when I proceeded to try and order it online, I learned that:

a. tax was not yet included ($40)
b. shipping was not yet included ($40).
c. "special handling" was not yet included ($40), and...
d. it would not be delivered until mid-July.

So my practically perfect table went from $399 to $520 and I wouldn't even see it for 2 months?  Not acceptable.

Cutting to the chase I printed out the page, went with my helper and explained the predicament to the salesperson in one of the NYC locations.  After a phone call, my table was on its way to that store IN TWO DAYS and ended up costing me $347 (all in).  All I had to do was get it from the store to my apartment, which I did with the help of my helper.  And although the photo I took with my Blackberry above pretty much stinks, I can assure you that the table does not.

I hope that this puts the Guerilla Shopper back in your good graces. 

DSW to open in old Filene's Basement space on 79th & B'way

DSW to open in old Filene's Basement space on 79th & B'way.  I just noticed this as I traversed the expanse of my new 'hood yesterday.  Stay tuned for an Upper West Side survival guide as my eons-long renovations come to a conclusion.

Ceiling Medallion

How else to make your room look like an olde English estate while covering up the empty unpainted spot on the ceiling when you switch out your lighting fixtures?  THE MEDALLION.  They sell tons of these things online for cheap.  This one (Soleil 20 in. Ceiling Medallion) is from Home Depot and cost $43.  I ordered it online and picked it up in the store on 23rd St.  While it's basically just made of plastic, when it's up high on the ceiling (9 feet in this case), you can't tell that it's not wood.  And I didn't even paint it!

Random Things: Will this ever end??

Light fixture above medicine cabinet in bathroom from Lowe's

Drawer pulls in kitchen. Also from Lowe's.

Counter-height stool from Room & Board, Soho.  Dark Brown Leathaaaa.

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

Counter Balanced

Chroma Quartz by Pental

Color: Mesa Polished