Monkees of Morrocroft is stocking up on our favorite Tory Burch shoes – already have 18 (18!!) different Tory Burch Flats in, along with 7 TB heels and one Tory boot.  Finally, there’s a chill in the air!  Oh wait, that’s just my AC cranked up.  Well, the Tory flats will be gone before you can say Fall Football, so don’t miss your chance.  And Monkees Of Morro manager Christa Hathaway will be heading off to a new job at the end of this month, so if you know her and ♥ her, stop by and say Happy Trails.

chezElle in Morrison Shops is now selling ONLINE.  Their site is quite nice, exactly what you would expect from one of our most popular contemporary shops.  It’s full of chezElle’s unique fashion & jewelry, delivered with a fun, friendly vibe and a great blog.   Just don’t google “chez elle” to find the site, as you may wander about in the ether for days….bookmark it now at www.shopchezelle.com.  Shipping is free, so you can shop chezElle and never leave the sofa.

High Cotton Home is a new 7,000 square foot furniture store on South Boulevard across from Atherton Mill featuring a wide and eclectic assortment of highly customizable, American-made furnishings.

An Evening with Thom Filicia, 7:30-9p Tuesday, Aug. 16 at High Cotton Home, 2137 South Blvd., will feature light bites, bubbles and plenty of socializing. A suggested donation of $10 at the door will benefit the Junior League of Charlotte and include one drink ticket.

HERE”S YOUR INVITE TO THE PARTY.  Don’t forget to RSVP!

Stopped by Seventy Two Shoe Boutique in Blakeney yesterday to check out what’s left in their Gambler’s Sale.  (You gotta know when to…..walk away, know when to ……buy).  Found several shoes at great prices that will take you right into fall.  These fit perfectly with the LadyLike trend you’ll be seeing a lot of this Fall and Winter: pumps stage a major comeback, bows and ruffles are big, skins of all kind are key.  Each of these buys will work with bare legs in September and black opaque or sheer stockings this fall.  Oh yes.  You read that right.  Black.  Sheer.  Stockings.

Butter Camel Spectator Wedge now $114 (orig $280)

Ann Roth Suede with Bow $99 and BCBG Faux Skin $85

Bacio61 $85

Via Spiga Black "Skin" pump $74

In addition to these finds in the 75% off rack (tons more, check out their facebook here) KK Bloom has a Saturday sale with all full priced clothing is 25% off, including purses and belts plus a jewel box with all jewelry $15 or less.

$14 at KK Bloom

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Denim Affair & Boutique on Feet are hosting a GIRLS NIGHT OUT party this Sunday, July 17 from 5 – 8pm at Denim Affair in Blakeney.  Join them for an evening filled with incredible denim, boutique’s adorable fashion, food, drinks, drawings and specials.  Please do rsvp by emailing boutiqueonfeet@gmail.com if you would like to go (you can invite some friends, just please rsvp!).

Opening of the International Fashion Style Academy: Local fashion maven Sonya Barnes will be launching an educational program for aspiring stylists and fashion folk.  The inaugural course will be held in South Park July 14-16.  You can read more detail about the program and the fab Ms. Barnes here.

June Find of the Month:  City Art Works.

You either know about this secret treasure or you don’t.  Yes, stating the obvious…but City Art Works is one of Charlotte’s best kept shopping secrets, and your friends who go there regularly might not tell you about it.  That’s the kind of amazing find it is.

HOT SCOOP:  You’ll find a coupon for 20% off $100 or more in jewelry at City Art Works HERE on our scoop coupon page.

From the name and the exterior in the strip shops at Park Towne Village (the Total Wine shopping center on Woodlawn in Myers Park), you might think this is an artsy crafts store with a Berkeley & Birkenstocks vibe.  There certainly is an appreciation for fine craftsmanship at City Art Works, but what is going to knock you out at this shop is the jewelry.

City Art Works presents a collection of the most popular, coveted, contemporary jewelry designers available in the country.  These are the kind of pieces you will see in every mag on every model & celeb – on their casual days.  Owners Alan Goldstein and Susan Sloan-Lieb have cultivated relationships with many hard-to-get designers whose work is mid-priced artistry.  Susan can tell you an in-depth story about each jewelry designer and practically each piece of jewelry. Nothing is crazy over the top expensive, and everything is very hip, very good quality, and presented beautifully.

The jewelry speaks for itself at City Art Works, but to entice you, we’re going to provide a small preview of the designers and styles you will find there.

CORALIA LEETS This is one of my favorite designers so that’s why she’s first up.  One of the more expensive brands at City Art Works, which of course why it’s my fave.

RACHEL ABROMS The coolest wrap bracelets in town. New, different, unexpected.

LOVE HEALS Another personal favorite.  Pearls, strung together in Ojai, CA with charms or not.  Love Heals is a company with a mission to create beautiful jewelry and do a lot of good in the world.

KATHY BRANSFELD Jewelry for the poet in you….A thinking woman’s pendants.  Lovely little hand-stampled quotations and messages, hidden beneath a gold vermeil pendant.

AVINDY unusual combinations of semi-precious gemstones, intricate layers of oxidized sterling silver and gold-fill chains, hand carved hammered pendants, charms and other accents.

SWALLOW by Ria Charisse Organic, delicate, natural.  Like this white topaz macrame’d into gold silk for a lovely, vine-like necklace.

ALAYA BAR Absolutely amazing concoctions of color, stone, fabric, cord and beading.  Exotic and intricate.  Victorian, bollywood, vintage and european looking all at the same time.

Also designs by LIZ PALACIOS, LA VIE PARISIENNE by Catherine Popesco, JEANINE PAYER and many more.

And a table of Everything Under $30 which is one of the stores most popular collections.

City Art Works has also cornered the market on the popular personalized and create-your-own charm category. Three different designers, all of whom can and should be mixed-and-matched.  You’ll find substantial presentations by WAXING POETIC, PICK UP STICKS, and SALLY JEAN. If you have a young-ish girl or woman to buy a gift for, starting a personalized charm necklace or bracelet for her is a SUPER popular idea right now.

Many of their designers  are only found at City Art Works in Charlotte.  Some pieces are one-of-a-kind, some can be re-ordered and some can be re-created by the designer once sold-out.  All are unique, quality pieces crafted with semi-precious and hand-made elements set in vermeil, gold-plate, sterling, pewter.

I know you know that the jewelry is our jam, but there is much more to give here than jewelry.  You will also find a phenomenal selection of Sticks furniture, the biggest selection of Michael Aram in town, and gorgeous art glass and pottery.  Don’t miss my son’s favorite, the shadow-boxed dried butterfly and spider collections.  Oh yes.  This is a little slice of gifting heaven right here in the Queen City.  Sandwiched in between the Verizon Store and Jewelogy.  Yep.  You’ve driven right by and not even known what treasure awaits.

Follow City Art Works on Facebook, or visit their website at www.cityartworks.com.

1630 E. Woodlawn Road, Suite 267, Charlotte, NC  28209
(704) 527-1300, workscity@bellsouth.net
Store Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10:00am until 6:00 pm. Sundays open 1 to 4 pm.

Want to skip the story and get right to the discount?  Click here to save 10% on your entire purchase at activewearusa.com when you use the promo CODE: ” SCOOPCHARLOTTE ” at checkout.

A funny thing happened at lunch at Dean & Deluca the other day.  The couple at the table next to me remarked upon my work-out pants (by be present, which I love because I can wear them out to lunch after exercise and not look like a Cirque escapee), and then I sort of recognized the woman, and then one thing led to another, and I discovered I had met her at a mom-preneurs networking group, and that she is the owner of ActivewearUSA.com.  A Charlotte-based online yoga and activewear store that carries some of my favorite brands, like KOS, ION, Bluefish and Margarita, plus some lower-priced alternatives like ALO, MPG and Green Apple. (more…)