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March 12th, 2010
We love our forty winks. We openly admit to slapping the snooze, catching catnaps and favoring our down comforter to downing drinks on a Friday night. A little secret: sometimes we’d rather sleep than shop (we know, blasphemy!) But before you think, “This new Picks girl is a bust,” hear us out! Falling short on shut-eye leads to Marshmallow Puff-like peepers, lost keys resurfacing in the freezer/hamper/door, and embarrassingly poor decisions (blind dates, skinny jeans, all you can eat buffets—you name it). Basically, basket-case behavior ensues. Now, is that the kind of person you want giving you the skinny on the local shopping scene? We didn’t think so. Thankgoodfully, we are caught up on Z’s and hooked on a highly reliable Rx for leaden lids (read: daily consumption of coffee equal to a Scandinavian country). You can bet that we are wide awake and ready to dish out all the oh-fer-cuteness our beloved Twin Cities has to offer! ~ Erin Kangas |
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Minneapolis Picks: |
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| 1 | Citrus on the Rocks It’s true that we love a gin & tonic as much as the next girl (don’t believe those rumors; exactly as much as the next girl, we swear). Our love even transcends gin and includes deep affection for the zippity-zing the often-underappreciated lime slice provides. If a slice of citrus is just the thing for drinks, the same can be said for spring fashion, too. A walk into JV & Company is like falling into a tropical drink that’s sublimely refreshing. That bright yellow jacket from Yeohlee? Paired with straight black leggings, it made us look like a ray of sunshine. The sumptuous silk jacket from Lorain Croft? It softened our hard winter edges, making us feel as sweet as sherbet. Just about all the shop’s lines, including babette, Barbara Wells Studio and OSKA, have found room for a sweet slice of something citrusy in their spring collections. Timeless, tangy and with plenty of pop, the clothes on display at this downtown favorite have everything we look for in a beverage—and a boutique. JV & Company |
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| 2 | Best Feet Forward Shoving our feet into salt-stained boots is fine for in-town living, but we’re planning a bit of a warmish getaway, and we simply must put our best foot forward. The pedicure appointment was made the same day the airline ticket was booked, but now we face that age-old dilemma—finding shoes worthy of showcasing our freshly polished tootsies. With a spring in our step, we headed to the Wayzata-based boutique, Side Door, and found just the pair—okay, busted—many pairs!—of warm-weather-ready shoes. Those Icon sandals are colorful, funky and the hottest thing on the beach scene. And with other must-have brands like Stuart Weitzman, Donald Pliner and Vaneli, we had plenty of choices for our darling size sevens. But of course there’s more! (Isn’t there always?) With the really hard work taken care of, we took a bit of a wander into the clothing section and gathered up some not-seen-elsewhere Escada Sport pieces that will make a seamless transition from the tropics and back into Minnesota springtime—which, if the thermometer keeps climbing, will be very soon! Side Door |
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| 3 | Dublin Your Pleasure You can't beat a holiday that creates a whole-lotta hoopla for the sole sake of sucking down spirits. Every year we stack on some sparkly emerald beads, throw on our green-beer-stained “Kiss Me, I'm Irish” tee, and soak up the St. Paddy's day cheer. And yes, our fair share of green beer… you’ve been warned. This year, for a carousing good time, we are pulling up a studded-leather stool and sipping on a pint of good 'ole Guinness among the Irish and the Irish-for-a-day at none other than Jake O'Connor's in Excelsior. It's an obvious must for any lad or lady looking for an agreeable ambiance and lip-smackin' Irish cuisine, including corned beef and cabbage, shepherd’s pie, and lamb stew. Sample 16 varieties of beer on tap including Murphy’s Stout and Smithwick's. We guarantee a pit-stop at this pub won't be the last. Avoid the blarney of the beatniks downtown and check out Ladies’ Night Thursdays, offering up 2 for 1 glasses of wine and specials on martinis—just our luck! Jake O'Connor’s |
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| Chick Picks: | |||
| 1 | Eye've Had Enough We have insanely sensitive eyes. Between 18 hours in contacts, dreadfully dry weather, and preservative-packed mascara, our weepy peepers leave us whimpering. But if there’s one thing we refuse to go without, it’s a good beauty product. While we can't do much about the weather and we look ghastly in glasses, we can ditch the goop-tube. Tarte Lash Hugger Eco-Friendly Natural Mascara lets lashes breathe and comes in a recycled aluminum tube. It gets a wink and a nod from us! |
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| 2 | Cast a Smile My Way You know it’s bad when even the tooth fairy feels the effects of the economy. After years of trading dollar bills for dinky bones, perhaps it was time to get crafty with her collection of pearly whites. Tooth fairy-esque artist, Kim Kovel of Le Knockout, began casting teeth after her son's first fallen tooth. All Lil’ Jon jokes aside, we think mothers will go gaga over these adorable little gold and pave charms. |
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| 3 | You’re E-Invited We’ve always been keen on using less paper—from shopping the used book store to installing a bidet in our powder room, it’s only natch that we’re all about online invitations. Thing is, our inner designer despises those free e-invitation sites. They’re all so cheesy and lacking in character. But with Paperless Post, we get the class of cardstock, the earth-friendliness of email, and the sticker-shock equal to that of a stamp. |
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Hip Happenings: |
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| 1 | Hitting the Runway Give a girl WINGS and watch her soar. Women Investing in the Next Generation (WINGS) is set to entertain and empower women with Flight of Fashion, a networking event, fashion show and informational on strengthening women and children in our community. Friendly conversation and spring fashions, all for a fab cause—what more could a girl want? What: Flight of Fashion |
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| 2 | Goody, Goody Gumdrops Nothing beats a good sugar high after a long day. Same goes for a good sale—we’ll scoop up almost anything with a major markdown sticker on it. So yeahness to the three days left to save 75% on a gaggle of goodies at Goodthings—a sale sure to make you feel like a kid in a candy store! What: Sale at Goodthings |
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| 3 | All the Pretty Faces We’re totally stoked about lipstick’s huge comeback, but have no idea how to make it work. Happily, Juut Salon Salon Spa is bringing in the big guns, including makeup artist Janell Geason to teach the tricks of the trade. *Registration fee is fully redeemable in Aveda makeup and skincare products the day of the event. What: Meet the Experts |
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Visit www.MinneapolisPicks.com to sign up friends, search for local hot spots, or check out our ad options for your awesome business! Xoxo. |
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