Sunday, July 19, 2009

Shopping Tour with Carolina Gal: http://ping.fm/8w50B

Monday, July 13, 2009

Natasha @ Midtown Int'l Theatre Fest: http://ping.fm/j6pVA

Chic Boutique Tour with Carolina Gal!

I absolutely LOVE North Carolina!  So when I found out I was giving a shopping tour for a woman from Greenville who currently lives in Raleigh, I was really looking forward to some "Carolina bonding."  Afterall, I went to college in Wilmington, and pretty much partied all over the state (in Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Chapel Hill and Greenville) during those days of youth..... ;-)  I have a lot of fond memories of NC.  

This woman was really sweet, early 30s and engaged (her fiance lives in New York.)  She works as an attorney and pretty much comes to New York every weekend to visit.  The shopping tour was a gift from him and since it was just a solo tour, he opted for the subway/walking tour which she actually preferred.  She said she felt like walking and taking the subway was more authentic to NYC.  She also commented how she could see tourists really benefitting from having a tour guide to teach them about the subway system.  

At any rate, the tour stops were all the same as usual.  In Greenwich Village, she particularly liked La Petit Coquette (as did her fiance) for their classy lingerie.  (In fact, I think she pointed out some neglige sets she liked to give him an idea of her taste.)  She also tried on quite a few outfits in Owl's Lab, which seemed to be one of her favorites.  She took a card and made a note that she wanted to go back there after the tour.  She wanted to have some time to think about her purchases before she bought them--smart girl!

She actually made a comment halfway through the tour that even though she lived in New York for almost five years and visits every weekend, she had never been to the stores I was introducing her to.  Like most New Yorkers, she was always too busy to explore the often "hidden gem" boutiques in the city.  

When we got to Soho, she really enjoyed New York Look and tried on a few things there as well.  Instead of sticking to the more commercial stores, after New York Look, I suggested we head to West Soho to visit some of the vintage boutiques.  She really enjoyed Chelsea Girl Couture and Laurel Canyon (where she tried on a pair of their awesome vintage cowboy boots.)  I also mentioned Flying A and she commented that she had been there before and had been meaning to go back.  I told her that this would be a good time, since they offer 15% off vintage items to my tours.  

While in transit to the last stop on the tour, we talked about some of the amazing vintage stores in North Carolina, including Buffalo Exchange (which I told her recently opened a store in NYC) and a lot of the cool vintage shops in Chapel Hill.  We also talked about downtown Raleigh and how it's such a beautiful, quaint town.  I told her I went to school in Wilmington and she told me she had been there within the last month and actually bought the sandals she was wearing while she was there.  (These sandals were adorable and she got SO many compliments on them throughout the tour!)  

Darling, in the West Village/Meatpacking area, was the last stop, which I knew she'd enjoy because by this time, I had a good feel for her personal taste and style.  I also think she was a little overwhelmed by this point since we had been shopping for 3 1/2 hours and she had seen a lot that she really liked and wanted to go back to see after the tour.  She had also been awake since the crack of dawn and had plans to go out with friends that evening so I walked her to the nearest subway and pointed her in the direction of her fiance's.  She was really grateful to me for the tour and said she had a wonderful time.  I had a great time too.  We hugged goodbye.  I'm telling you, it's something about those Carolina connections...... :-)

If you'd like to take one of our subway/walking shopping tours, visit www.zerve.com/ShopNYCTours for more information and to purchase tickets.  I hope to shop with you soon!


Friday, July 10, 2009

The Purple Vintage Space Princess and ShopNYC Tours Meet: http://ping.fm/Xwd6p

Purple Vintage Space Princess

Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting Mammi-Ama (also known as the Purple Vintage Space Princess!)  I was at the Vbar Cafe (or what I refer to as my office) on Sullivan Street ordering a coffee and she approached me about being on "Tough Love."  We had a short conversation about the show and then she went on to tell me about her music and her passion for vintage fashion.  We exchanged cards in the hopes to network since she is so fond of vintage and I give a Vintage Boutique Tour here in the city.  

When she left Vbar I have to admit I was very intrigued by her name (Purple Vintage Space Princess) so I Googled her.  When her site came up (www.purplevintagespaceprincess.com) I was super impressed to see all that she's accomplished.  Her music is awesome (she was on the Mike & Juliet Show and there's a video of her performing) and her online vintage fashion store is SO unique.  And--and her prices are actually affordable!!  

Within a few days of meeting, we had gotten in touch because she was so impressed with what I do and I was so impressed with what she does that we decided to have a meeting and discuss cross-promoting.  I guess the rest is history......  

I'm going to be adding a link for her online store to my ShopNYC Tours website soon and she's going to do the same for me on her site!  So if you're in the mood for some great music, some online vintage shopping or some inspiration, visit Mammi-Ama's site www.purplevintagespaceprincess.com.

ShopNYC Tours is now offering Walking & Subway Crash Course Shopping Tours: http://ping.fm/OzX9q

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Steve Ward, the matchmaker who helped me is hosting a Crash Course in Love in Washington DC: http://ping.fm/POQRR