My new apartment has me newly obsessed with home decor. (Who needs dresses when you can have damask wallpaper?) Graphic carpets and whimsical lights will be a central theme throughout the new place—even in the closets. You see, the best thing about these new digs is the walk-in closet in the bedroom. Granted, once you walk in, you can’t walk far. But it’s there … and it’s ours … and my wonderful husband said I could paint it pink. This sweet chandelier (that is really what it’s called) is the icing on the cupcake that is our closet. It’s only $99 from PB Teen, Pottery Barn’s offering for the 12 to 16 set, plus older folks with a youthful spirit.

Boston’s trendy South End has undergone many changes in the last several years, going from gritty to urbane; rough to polished. Always notable for its charming brick row houses and scenic green parks, today the district is equally famous for fine restaurants, art galleries (and the Boston Center for the Arts) and some truly stellar shopping. This is definitely the ‘hood to visit if you’re in the market for unique home decor (furnishing and design shops, like Lekker and On the Side, are plentiful), but the South End has so much more to offer in conteporary fashion, quirky gifts and so much more. Check out the full South End Shopping Tour here!

Pictured: Hudson

Announcing the latest Store Adore deal: 25% off of everything at Kathy Kuo.

Clearly a born aesthete—industrial designer, model, buyer and decorator—entrepreneur Kathy Kuo returns to her roots as a home designer with her e-boutique Kathy Kuo Designs. Drawing on her jetsetting lifestyle and extensive experience working in interior design all over the world, Kuo offers an eclectic line of furniture, home accessories and linens with a global flavor and elegant presentation. Mahogany writing desks, ornate nesting tables, slender armchairs upholstered in taupe velvet and hewn bookshelves bring to mind Tahitian hotels and Thai treasures; while garden urns, carved figurines, mirrored wall coverings and antler coat racks are among the kind of unique objects one finds on a journey abroad. In addition to the larger investments, a collection of throw pillows, wall hangings, croc-embossed serving trays, whimsical jars and canisters make for rare gifts. The recent introduction of Kuo’s personal pet project, her handbags, makes a trip to this webshop a must: a favorite among Kathy Kuo shoppers, the Model Tote is a go-everywhere hand/diaper/gym/evening bag with an Eastern feel that’s similar in style to the chic home goods. Her New York-based fans with a bit of a decorating budget will love her home design service, available through the site.

We Adore: Oversize Antler coat racks (regularly $210, Store Adore price $157) are at once artful and functional. Less of an investment than a full blown chandelier, they offer an equal dose of that hunting lodge chic charm.

Click here to get your 25% discount at Kathy Kuo Designs

Once a week, when my roommates and I actually find a minute to meet for dinner (college is a time guzzler) the evening routine is so exact that I can time it by the half hour in my Filofax. Somewhere in the midst of Samantha’s urgent Gossip Girl spoiler, Sarah’s latest political peeve and Nora’s search for a vegetarian option on the menu, the table erupts in a collective “I hate my job” rant. And while my gal pals share Manhattan’s intern abuse, all three pause to hear my office tale of the day: “Meredith took me downtown to a gift show and it was awesome.” Maybe I should have just nodded along.

But really, if your afternoon task was a loop around a gala featuring the latest trends in gift giving and home decor, wouldn’t you want to share? Luckily, the glares of envy turned into expressions of amazement as I described the totally revolutionary discoveries I had made at the gift show. By the time I got through all of the knicks and knacks that had filled my lunch hour, we were finishing dessert and laying down a tip. It’s not every day that a design show leaves its browser with a dinner’s worth of details, but I had stumbled upon so many shocks and surprises that by the end of my blow-by-blow, my three besties had completely forgotten how much they hated me for my fabulous job! Well, I’m sure the fact that I picked up a gurgle pot for our apartment had something to do with their indemnity.

One of the most fascinating- and delicious- products at the show was the California Wine wafer (above, $8.50 for a box of . The recipe for these scrumptious paper-thin cookies has been in the owner’s family long before World War II. Called oplatky, these cookies are low fat, brilliantly light, and meant to be paired with your favorite wine. Meredith and I were happy to test these European delights on behalf of the Store Adore staff. My job is so hard! I tasted the Mocha Chocolate with a sip of red wine, while Meredith sang the praises of the Lemon Vanilla Almond, being that she’s partial to white wine herself.

The cookies can be ordered online at The California Wine Wafer E Commerce site, and at a reasonable price to boot! Each box contains 8 luxury wafers at $8.50 a pop, and with four delicious flavors to choose from we bet you’ll be a California Cookie convert in no time. Plus, these are a fantastic little something to bring to a friend or colleague’s home.

We are big multi-taskers here at Store Adore (In fact, Meredith is going to be on Fox and Friends tomorrow morning with a goodie bag full of double duty items!). As I walked past the Bobo Wrapping booth, I was completely charmed by scarves, box covers, purses, and wine holders decked out in the prettiest patterned silk designs. It took me a while to realize that every article in the mini display was made from the very same one-piece wrap! (above: Bobo Wrap in Black Rose, $32)

My favorite use of the Bobo Wrap was the adorable Tissue Cover that can be made in three easy steps (above in preppy polkadot, $18-$22). The E Commerce site includes a special How-To page, which walks a wrap owner through the simple steps to make the tissue cover, lotus wrap, and two bottle carriers.

Around the Store Adore offices, I am known for my constantly changing, and always interesting nail polish. From a black-tipped French Manicure, to the Turqouise tint I got Marissa hooked on, or today’s Canary yellow, my ten typing friends are always well dressed. So naturally, when I walked passed a table of the most attention-getting colors I’d seen in ages, I had to know if they were worth my buck.

Sula Beauty’s Nail Colour (above in Modern Mauve, $10) is a water-based polish that comes in four flashy hues. The most amazing part of painting on this product is actually taking it off. With its smooth, shiny finish, I almost didn’t believe my eyes when one woman wearing the coral color began to peel of the polish. Sula’s Nail Colour peels off in a second, making harsh astringent removers a thing of the past.

As you may have seen in our most recent newsletter, Meredith is decorating a new apartment, so when we came across the GurglePot (above, $40), it was one fun home accent that she couldn’t do without. Sure, the adorable fish design makes this water pitcher an unconventional addition to any chic kitchen, but it was the unexpected entertainment value that was the reason I left with one in Red (above), and Meredith with the Oatmeal edition. As you pour water from the guppy-shaped jug, the GurglePot produces a delightful gurgling sound. It is so cute that I’ve had to steal it back from my mom twice since Wednsday!

Grab a press pass to an exclusive design show, discover dynamic asian wrapping scarves, pick up the latest in innovative beauty gear, nosh on some crispy cookies and wine and leave with a striking addition to my NYC kitchen. No wonder other interns are jealous! Oh well, it’s all in a day’s work here at Store Adore.

The first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word Tuscaloosa? The University of Alabama? Football? Sunshine and southern accents? All that and more…but probably not shopping. As a fashion-obsessed student—and one of three equally enamored sisters, whose closets I have the benefit of sharing—I make it my mission to stand out from the blue-jeans-and-a-polo clad crowd. Though I’m a master at scouring the malls and I take occasional trips to the boutiques in Birmingham, I still long for more options when it comes to shopping. That’s why I was particularly excited for the summer. Not only would I be in New York, where there’s a sweet little boutique to discover on every corner, but I’d also be interning at Store Adore, the ultimate authority on shopping. After weekends spent trolling the streets of Manhattan and afternoons browsing the site (hey, it’s work), I found a few new favorites. Here are my top five:

1) LF

The pages of a teen mag come to life at LF, a chain of retail stores aimed at youthful women with a freewheeling style. Filled with unknown and up-and-coming designers, LF’s merchandise feels fresh, with an emphasis on layering, eye-catching accessories, and mixing unexpected colors and patterns. I visited the Spring Street location, and was thrilled with the rainbow of options and the laid-back customer service. Since the LF site is ecommerce (bonus points for browsing options according to press, bestsellers, trends, and celebs), I can shop from home for undone looks like the one below.

2) Giving Tree Jewelry

What better way to get inspired or send good energy to a loved one that with jewelry with an uplifting quote or message of love or good wishes? Giving Tree Jewelry, a comprehensive jewelry site that also boasts a gallery and shop in Cape Cod, devotes an entire section to jewelry with meaning. I love the quotes on these Jeanine Payer pieces: The necklace ($330) reads “Nothing is worth more than this day” and the ring ($550), which has pieces that move, reads “Keep not standing fixed and rooted. Briskly venture, briskly roam.” Best of all, Store Adore shoppers get up to 20 percent off everything on the site.

3) ABC Home

When my mom came to visit me here, the first thing on her to do list was to go shopping for the New York apartment that she and my dad just purchased. I found ABC Home on Store Adore (natch), and I adore the eclectic selection (a different design theme on every floor!). We browsed classic bedroom sets, organic bedding, Persian carpets, and handmade baby toys.

4) Pink Olive

Calling all mommies! A shop that serves both babies and grown-ups with adorable gifts and personal must-haves seems so obvious, but is surprisingly hard to come by. Owner Grace Kang set up her store, which has locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn as well as an e-shop, according to three categories: Baby, Gifts (candles, jewelry, stationery, and knick knacks), and Getaway (bikinis, books, coverups, spa products, and anything else you need from some me-time, even if you never leave your house). That means I can shop for my little girl (see the two of us below at the Store Adore party at Big Drop), get presents for my friends at home, and scoop up a little something for myself. I would love to see my girl in this cheecky tee ($38) and to get her this antique pedal car ($200). Store Adore shoppers save 10% on everything at Pink Olive too.

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5) Revolve Clothing

Any girl, but especially a college girl, needs her annual supply of jeans. Well the world revolves around denim at this extensive site, which boasts brands from Diesel to Antik Jeans to J Brand, plus the tops and tees (sports logos, Ed Hardy graffiti, to retro Mickey Mouse Club and more) to match. Even better, much of the site is on sale right now. While my closet is filled with Lucky, BKE, and Silver , what I’m craving right now is this pair of Ed Hardy with the colorful tattoo design ($198, on sale for $99) The white Diesel pair ($114, on sale for $57) also caught my eye also because I have been looking for a pair of hot white jeans all summer long. Revolve Clothing also offers work appropriate pieces and going out looks to round out a wardrobe, and from those my picks are the dress below by Joy Han ($283) and these super sexy pumps by Giuseppe Zanotti ($925)…

I just moved into a new apartment, and I’ve been staring at bare, just-painted walls for weeks. These naturally inspired silhouette wall stickers by Danish design company Ferm Living, available at Lekker, would be the perfect thing to add an artful element to those stark white expanses! They’re removable too, so you can change your mind.

The problem is, I can’t make mine up. Which should I get?

I’m leaning towards the Lovebirds ($70)…

but I’m also digging the Branches ($115)…

and the Gold Sparrow Crest ($130) would look great over the bed.

Thoughts, anyone?