Astoria Merchant of the Week: krisTEES

Hello Lovelies!

It's (finally) time for the second installment of AMOTW! This week's merchant is none other than local fashion boutique, krisTEES, located on 23rd Avenue at 24th Street and owned by Astoria's own Kristie Foster-Chapman.

krisTEES has been in Astoria for just over three years now and it is loved by both life-long Astoria residents and more recent transplants (like yours truly). I've wandered in a few times and have always encountered friendly, knowledgeable service and a warm, inviting atmosphere. Kristie stocks her store with unique items, encompassing both modern and vintage inspirations, created by herself and a myriad of other local designers. She takes the time to work with her customers, making sure that they are fully satisfied with the quality and fit of their purchases. She is also great about maintaining constant communication, alerting her clientele via email of new collections and special promotions.

One such email caught my attention earlier this week. It advertised a special event called Shine 2009 and it promised to be a great night...



Well, I attended the event this evening and it totally delivered! Shine 2009 was fantastic, featuring not only brand new items for the holiday season, but also providing a venue for local artists and lesser-known designers.

The first thing that caught my eye, before even entering the store, was the elegant and graceful dancing of Hitomi Nozawa, a local singer and dancer. Her movements in the whimsical "Where The Wild Things Are" window display were eye-catching and delightfully unexpected, especially on the quiet, residential street on which krisTEES resides.



Upon entering, I was greeted with warm smiles from all sides and offered some much-needed refreshment. One of the shop attendants, and then Kristie herself, came over to me to walk me through the different displays and introduce me to the designers. Everyone was so friendly and happy to answer any questions I had. I fell in love with a particular coat by Mel en Stel, who may not have been present but was well-represented on the clothing racks. If I am not broke after my holiday shopping, you can bet I will be back to purchase it!

I also met two fantastic bag designers who make everything by hand. Anastasia of ASTRID took me through her creative process, describing how she thought of the unique designs of her handbags which combine fashion and function. I was a particular fan of the Sugi, a small versatile clutch. Her designs are available in an array of great colors (I'm partial to the purple)and provide a funky twist on stylish classics. Stop in at krisTEES to view color swatches in order to customize your very own!

I promised myself that I would only shop for other people. Ha! Those good intentions flew right out the window when I saw the handbags of the second designer, Pamela Kay. All of her creations are one of a kind and absolutely gorgeous. Most of you know that I love all things vintage and vintage inspired, and these purses are no exception. Just check out the little beauty that I treated myself to!




In addition to all of these incredible finds, I was also fortunate to view the work of Asami Hotta. She is an Astoria-based artist who uses antique jewelry to create custom, one-of-a-kind pieces. She does not have a website up yet, but trust me when I say that her work is beautiful. If you're interested, I would suggest stopping in at krisTEES or sending Asami an email.

If you didn't get a chance to attend Shine 2009, there will be another event on December 15th at the Brick Cafe (31st Avenue). Pamela Kay and Asami Hotta will be there, and once I hear further information I will be sure to share. I definitely recommend stopping in to check out some of these beautiful items!

All in all, krisTEES is a fabulous and unique Astoria staple for the fashion-conscious. I look forward to attending more events and seeing what other terrific products Kristie has to offer!


krisTEES
24-01 23rd Avenue
Astoria, NY 11105
T: (718) 204-5031
http://kristeesny.com/
Store Hours:
Wednesday-Saturday, 12:00PM - 8:00PM
Sunday, 12:00PM - 6:00PM

T.G.I.M.! Oh, wait...

Hello Lovelies! Happy Monday!


Well, as you may have guessed, I survived that housewarming party on Saturday night. It was a close call, but I actually managed to get everything on my list finished. I hung the last framed picture about 10 minutes before the first guest showed, but that still counts, right? And, best of all, a cohesive theme seems to have emerged out of my decorating! I don't know what to call it exactly, but still...it's a theme!


I even threw together some nifty flower arrangements, which was incredibely easy. It was really just a matter of picking the colors I wanted and the right "filler" (ex. Baby's Breath). I went to Astoria Flower Mart on 31st Street at 23rd Avenue, right under the NW tracks. The owners are very nice people and extremely helpful, but it was definitely more money than I anticipated for loose flowers. I think I'll stick to using them for more special occasions. If you're in the area, I'd suggest going over to 30th Avenue. There are a few markets that sell very pretty and inexpensive bouqets that can easily be taken apart, trimmed, and re-arranged.



This one was my favorite, but the daisies are beginning to wilt already. I'm trying to prolong them by refrshing the water every day, so we'll see how long they last.I just love the yellow and red colors; they really pop against the blue of my living room walls!





For this vase, I had originally wanted sunflowers. The bookshelf is at the top of my staircase and I have yet to find a piece of art to go above it. Until then, I like to get tall stalks to really make a statement. I think these worked out well. Plus, I love the purple-blue color!











When I eventually get married, this is what I want my bridal bouqet to look like. I love the Autumn look of roses and leaves. The orange makes a nice contrast with the green table, which actually happens to be a refurbished sewing table that I found at an antique shop in the Poconos last summer.



Unfortunately, I do not have any food pictures to show off...mainly because I was banned from the kitchen. I swear, my cooking isn't that bad! Boyfriend developed a menu and he is a bit of a Kitchen Nazi...meaning there was no time or room for me to bake the cookies I had finally settled on. Maybe that's for the best...hmm.


In other news, I received a FABULOUS delivery in the mail today!





























My vintage Salt & Pepper shakers from By The Tire Swing! I had the AMAZING honor of having the first purchase on their Etsy boutique. I received a lovely little thank you note, and the shakers were wrapped so nicely! These ladies are defnitely a class act and I would recommend checking them out for your holiday shopping. Kudos to Harlow Monroe for alerting me to this fantastic find via Twitter!





The shakers now have a lovely new home!





Last but not least (for this post anyway), I wanted to express my gratitude for those of you who have been sending me such kind words of support and motivation. You have no idea how much it means to me! So...


Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!


That's all for now! Have a wonderful night!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, Blogosphere!


I wish that I could get trick-or-treaters. I live in an upstairs apartment with no doorbell or intercom, so all of the adorable little candy-munchers are dependant on my downstairs neighbor. Poor kids.


So last night was date night with Boyfriend. It's pretty sad that we see eachother less, now that we're living together, than we did when we lived with our parents. I work full-time and attend classes at night, and he is at the mercy of restaurant industry hours. Friday night has become the "do-not-make-other-plans-or-suffer-the-silent-treatment" night, aka date night.


We went to Tournesol on Vernon Blvd in LIC. It's the second time we've been there, and I absolutely love it. It's usually pretty packed, so if you go in with a party larger than 2, you may have a little bit of a wait....but the food is well worth it. We shared the Homemade Terrine of Duck Liver appetizer and a bottle of Bourgogne Pinot Noir Antonin Rodet 2006. Boyfriend had the Hanger Steak, which looked and tasted incredible, and I had the Beef Bourguignon special (a-ma-zing). Of course I , being the sugar addict that I am, saved plenty of room for dessert: the Creme Brulee with Tahitian Vanilla Beans. I felt like I died and went to French-food heaven. Seriously, if my wallet and waistline would permit, I'd eat there every night. Boo to not being independantly wealthy with a crazy fast metabolism.


I also got to strut my stuff last night in new shoes from ModCloth.







Library Stacks Heels, $37.99
They were very comfortable, and the heel was the perfect height. I'm not a girl who can walk around normally in sky high shoes with super-skinny heels...I'd break my ankle in a heartbeat.




ModCloth is fast becoming one of my favorite websites to shop. The prices are reasonable, the designs are great, and then run fantastic deals and sales. I also received two more pairs of shoes I had ordered (pictured below) and I am dying to test them out.







Candy Apple Heels, $42.99













Proud Mary Janes in Tina, $34.99








I'll let you know what I think of them. I'm so excited!


Well, I must be off. I have to run some lovely errands (drycleaners, pharmacy) and I've procrastinated enough. Later, I'm giving myself homework: pouring through every cookbook I have in my house to figure out what I'm making for next week's housewarming/cocktail party. As always, recommendations are welcome.


Have a safe and happy Halloween!