Announcing Store Adore’s latest exclusive deal: Save 25 percent at Mosaic!

You can always tell a well-traveled gal by her home: from carved animals tucked between books to mounted masks to tapestry rugs to a crafty handbag, a person’s exotic journeys yield chic collections of artisanal treasures. Liberian native and long-time accessories buyer Chioma Amegashie’s polished e-boutique Mosaic is dedicated to that global aesthetic: packed with handcrafted accessories and gifts from the far reaches, Mosaic is an aptly-named melange of jewelry, tabletop pieces, handbags, shoes and miscellany with an emphasis on fine quality. Gold-dipped leaf cuffs from SUREvolution and stunning abstract earrings by Soixante Neuf head up a jewelry selection that is at once organic and modern; buttery leather boots from Coclico represent the best of Spanish craftsmanship; elaborately worked Moroccan tote bags and gorgeous Indian serving bowls further diversify the museum gallery-style collection. To complement the distinguished accessories, Amegashie playfully adds a library of Putumayo’s renowned world music, Tibet Collection notecards, and a variety of glossy coffee-table and travel books on the world’s more exotic destinations. The site also notes each product’s country of origin, offers bios on its artisans to further inspire shoppers and supports fair trade vendors.

We Adore: The rough hewn design of this wood bangle (regularly $85, sale price $40, Store Adore price $30) is inspired by the work of West African artisans, but is handmade in Colombia.

We Adore: Handcrafted in Spain, these Miner Boots (regularly $465, sale price $395, Store Adore price $296) are fashioned from soft brown suede and are distinguished by the gold ring hardware at the top.

We Adore: This set of feather Cake Knives (regularly $60, sale price $45, Store Adore price $33) is the perfect marriage of form and function.

Click here to save 25 percent at Mosaic!

Announcing the latest Store Adore deal: Save 10% on everything at Manhattan Fruitier’s store and website.

Since 1987, Manhattan Fruitier has offered customers baskets of fruits, flowers and gourmet foods modeled on arrangements from the turn of the 20th century and designed to evoke Dutch still-life paintings. These baskets and hampers are made to order in the Gramercy Park shop: From organic fruits to chocolate dipped dried fruit, kosher baskets with Israeli honey, hampers of roses and chocolates, artisanal and organic cheese baskets, and bamboo chests of caviar, each and every arrangement makes an exquisite impression. In addition to the continental U.S., Manhattan Fruitier ships to Europe, Asia and Hawaii via overnight delivery—and if you’re lucky enough to live in NYC or L.A., you can request hand-delivery of your delicate gift. Though customers are invited to stop by the Gramercy Park storefront to pick up candies and dried fruits, all edible arrangements must be ordered ahead of time. Take the opportunity to enjoy the online catalog’s special features, like the fabulous guide to fruits and how to eat them.

We Adore: The Baldwin Hamper (regular price starts at $125). Stocked with twenty two pieces of fresh and seasonal fruit, the stacked willow hampers are stunning upon arrival. The best part is the sweet treats you selectively add to the basket, with options ranging from biscotti, chocolates, and cheddar cheese. Forget the Thank You that this was meant to be, you’ll end up sending one to your own address in no time.

We Adore: If you can’t make it home for the Jewish Holidays, send Sweet Sentiments basket (regular price starts at $80) , and we guarantee you won’t be missed. Baskets come with fruit, rugelach, chocolates, roasted almonds and dried apricots (it’s all kosher) and can be upgraded with additional treats.

We Adore: For folks who place Halloween on par with Christmas and Thanksgiving, Chocolate Ghosts (regularly $28. Store Adore price $25) make a sophisticated (and equally tasty) alternative to Snickers bars and M&Ms.

Announcing the latest Store Adore deal: Store Adore shopers save 20 percent on purchases of $40 or more at Wishingfish.

Soon to become your favorite source for quirky yet always thoughtful gifts, this online-only boutique is guaranteed to stock something that’s not only suitable but also happily received for every occasion. Baby bunches (a collection of infant clothing presented as a blooming flower) are among our top picks for newborn gifts; a tea kettle painted to look like a strawberry is just right for a housewarming; and a miniature day at the beach (a 4″ square box stocked with sand, a beach chair, umbrella and more) is the perfect piece of paradise for anyone who needs a mental getaway.

All of the unique items are sure to put a smile on your face without a dent in your wallet (most items cost around $30!), and as if that wasn’t reason enough, now browsing the store is a double-time bargain. Store Adore shoppers receive a 20% discount on purchases of $40 or more!

We Adore: With 12 sheet of colorful paper and a detailed instruction booklet, Fashion Origami (regularly $10) is the best way we’ve seen to play fashion designer.

We Adore: There’s no losing your wallet in the bottomlessness of your handbag with these bright shades. This Pylones Orchid Wallet (regularly $35) has enough pockets and slots for all of your credit cards, change, receipts and cash.

We Adore: As the folks at Wishingfish say, it’s always time for sushi somewhere. This smart sushi time plate (regularly $49.99) keeps your soy sauce at the ready without letting it drown your dragon roll.

Click Here to get your 20% discount on purchases over $40 at Wishingfish!

You don’t need me to tell you (I already did) that the world is…uh…ending? No, not really - I just mean that, you know, we’re approaching 2012, and the economy’s sleeping next to the toilet, making the world as we know it a wee bit eerie. And just in time for Halloween! In the relatively market-neutral world of fashion, All Hallow’s Eve is a festival not to be undercelebrated: a Voudou extravaganza of creativity, visual stimulation and the transportive power of imagination, it is now and has always been my favorite day of the year. Following is my short list of go-to places for garter belts, top hats, plastic puke and fog machines—as brought to you by the Big Apple.

For PVC Pole Dancers: Ricky’s NYC

It’s a tragedy that Ricky’s proper doesn’t sell online, because Manhattanites (rightly) kneel at the altar of this beauty/makeup/costume mecca.  For 345 days out of the year, Ricky’s is the best place around for designer shampoo and shea butter creams—but come autumn it specializes in everything Halloween. The best news is that the entire Ricky’s Halloween collection is available for purchase nationwide to anyone with a mouse and an internet connection.  From orange nails, garter belts and pink wigs to neon thigh-highs and pre-packaged PVC costumes, Ricky’s is great for last-minute finds and drag-show inspired getups. Everything’s also pretty cheap. This place is so beloved for this stuff, in fact, it even runs an all-year Halloween franchise down on Wall Street. (Photo thanks to Daily Mail.)

For Marie Antoinettes: Halloween Adventure

This store is legendary, and for good reason. Housed in an old Gothic East Village building across an entire avenue and two blocks, online shoppers and NYC locals rely on Halloween Adventure for the massive selection of costumes and incredible masks/rubber heads. It’s also favored by local theater companies, celebrities and Tom Cruise would-bes for the basement rental department of voluminous velvet gowns, capes and tophats. Even if you don’t have Marc Jacobs’s gala to attend, or other reason to justify the rental cost, you’ll find all the cheaper props, favors, apartment decorations you can imagine (no, really, it’s not a hyperbole—I once went looking for a sword and spent 20 minutes debating between 14 varieties). Just be prepared, come September 25th, to stand in line to gain admission. And have a stiff drink first. The crowds are epic. (Photo thanks to Indiewire.)

For Magicians’ Assistants: Abracadabra

In the market for trick gum, new-and-improved-squirting-flowers, boomerang bowties or super stink bombs? Abracadabra is the Mario’s Magic Shop of Chelsea, and even if your needs vary from Pee Wee’s, you’ll have a hard time leaving the shop without some fake mustachios or a juggling set. Abracadabra specializes in magic props but also boasts a huge costume department that includes movie references (think Trinity’s Matrix coat) and full bodied plush costumes (fuzzy dolphin anyone?). Like any self-respecting year-round Halloween joint, carries wigs, guns, clown supplies and FX stuff like fog machines and strobe lights. (Photo thanks to TVworthwatching.)

For Madonnas, Little J’s, and anything DIY: Tokio 7, Beacon’s Closet, and The Salvation Army

Sometimes DIY costumes require merely a couple of sandwich boards and some puffy paint; but certain occasions call for vintage finds, cut-up-able random items, and other reliable used crap. Whether you’re going as Courtney Love c. 1994, Little J, a walking pun, or Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie, New York’s secondhand scene is the way to go. On the higher end, Tokio 7 carries all the old Givenchy and Chanel you could need in a gorgeous flapper getup (and for like, fifty bucks). Brooklyn’s Beacon’s Closet is the place for aspiring Debbie Harrys or Punky Brewsters. And the Salvation Army…well, it simply can’t be beat for trash-turned-treasure of all kinds. (Photo thanks to UrbanAddiction.)

It’s finally fall, and I got my first taste of crisp, cool weather this weekend during a jaunt to East Hampton. The forecast? Rain, with a side of clouds and more drizzle. It was the perfect excuse to don the wellies (mine are rainbow stripes) and search for fall weather apparel.

My quest? Boots, boots and more boots. Not only are booties on of this season’s key trends, but they’re infinitely wearable in short, tall, flat or high-heeled varieties. Here are a few of the to-die-for pieces of footwear I came across during my travels:

I’m a big fan of anything I can tuck into boots, and at $371.25, these black suede flats are a no-brainer. The snakeskin trim adds a modern touch. Available at Tory Burch … they’re on sale!

They may not be the center of style in any season, but Uggs sure were on the feet of many a fashionable-looking lady in the Hamptons. After all, what can beat cozy slippers that pass as shoes? My hot pink pair is looking a bit worse for wear, so I picked up a new pair at Shoe Inn.

(Image courtesy of Zappos.com)

The fringe on these is too cute to pass up, but I like these because they look up-to-date, not 1978 revisited. $455 by JOIE, available at RevolveClothing.com.

The detailing on these L.A.M.B. booties reminds me of a Philip Lim shirt– perfectly decorative but not over the top. I love, love, love these–especially the of-the-moment grey color. $425 (also in black) at ShopBop.com.

I’m a huge fan of SimplySoles.com, the DC-based e-commerce company and sole purveyor of hot local brand lilybee. But the best part is the ecclectic mix of smaller and big-brand designers; these Chie Mihara “Dosha” boots are the perfect twist on your average black ankle boot. $525.

With an unlimited budget, who WOULDN’T want these crystal-studded Giuseppe Zanotti booties, a cool $1075 at Intermix. I saw them in the window of the East Hampton store, and made several “visits” over the course of a weekend.

(Sweet deal - use code ADORE at checkout to get $50 off any purchase of $350 or more at Intermix Online).

In case you too get caught in the rain, cheer up with these cute as a button wellies (with miniature whales!), only $60 at South Moon Under. I am, quite literally, obsessed with this store.

(Not a local? Snag free shipping with code ADORE on purchases over $100 through October 15th).

Store Adore Founders Meredith Barnett and Cristina Miller were featured in Intuition’s e-newsletter today, where they chose their top picks from this favorite site for fun-loving trend-seekers.

Intuition Shoppers: Sign up for Store Adore here and enter “Intuition” in the “referred by” field to receive your special discount!

Click on the image below to see the full newsletter.

Bad economy be damned! The news is not all about bail outs, shut downs, credit crunches, and contractions. Sir, the home base for designer Joanna Baum’s exquisite collection, is actually expanding. Sir is adding to its Nolita and Boerum Hill outposts with a third in Williamsburg on 129 Bedford Avenue between North 9th and North 10th Streets.

The shop will officially open on October 4th, and will feature more of Baum’s hand-dyed and expertly tailored tops and dresses (many of which update silhouettes of yore—we especially like the frocks built on long, flapper-style lines) that are all rich jewel tones, raw hems and drapey bias-cut gorgeousness, constructed with the kind of meticulous detailing that distinguished men’s tailoring of yore—hence, the shop’s irreverent name.

Pictured: Hayden Tunic, $325

Fashion writers: they’ve always got the latest scoop on the hottest designers. But you don’t have to write for a style mag to be in-the-know about up-and-coming names in the industry—and you don’t have to be a celebrity to wear them. This October, U Street boutique Caramel is celebrating DC-bred talent with Local Designer Month!

Three weekends, three trunk shows, and here’s your invitation.

Click on the image below to view the invitation.

Wanna be like Madge? Now you can work on your killer body in Even Keel yoga wear by Liz Matthews. Her organic threads and soft, sustainable active designs will be sold at 15% off on Saturday, October 4th, from 11:00AM to 6:00PM.

All that glitters…must be handmade. Ruth Barzel’s delicate jewelry, made of meticulously wrapped fine-guage wire and semiprecious gemstones and pearls, have made her a local celebrity in the DC area. Now you can sport her elegant styles at up to 50% off on Saturday, October 18th, from 12:00PM to 6:00PM.

L. Shandi by Lara Akinsanya offers a full monty of have-to-have pieces filled with bright colors and bold patterns inspired by West Africa blended with Western style. Pop a balloon on Saturday, October 25th, from 11:00AM to 6:00PM to reveal discounts of up to 50% off!

Announcing the latest Store Adore deal: Store Adore Shoppers Save 20% at Barackawear.

Excitement about this 2008 presidential election reached a fever pitch even before the primary season, saturating the national consciousness the way only AAA-list celebrity doings—think Angie & Brad—had in the past. Inspired by the magnetic candidate Barack Obama, entertainment industry veterans (and brother-sister team) Brandon and Lori Broussard launched Barackawear in 2007 to supply established and would-be B-Rock supporters with awesome gear worthy of their political fervor. Printed on supersoft, well-fitting American Apparel hoodies and tees, the Broussards’ distinctive Barack-The-Vote logo is fresh and stylish, evoking the familiar (but unrelated) MTV slogan from the ’90s. Celebs from will.i.am to Stevie Wonder rock the Barackawear logo, available on hats, lapel pins, and garments for people of all ages and sizes—including preggers gals, tiny tots and pooches. Get the goods up until the election in November, and note that 25 percent of all proceeds go straight to the Obama campaign.

We Adore: With this SO HOOD HOODIE (available in pink and black, regularly $40, Store Adore price $32), the 2008 election can get a whole lot fashionable. Why slap a bumper sticker on your car when you can head to a debate watching party in one of these?

We Adore: It’s never too early to start supporting your candidate. Barackwear tees come in tots sizes too (regularly $16, Store Adore price $12.80).

Click Here to get your 20% discount at Barackawear.

Paris, New York, Milan, Georgetown… Okay, it may not be an international fashion capital, but the boutique-y stretch down along Wisconsin Avenue and M Street ranks among our favorites1

Check out Store Adore’s latest newsletter on exclusive Georgetown deals! Don’t live in the District? Fear not — there are plenty of e-commerce options to peruse.

Pictured above: Ultra chic Urban Chic