"Vernis" is French for polish, with a silent "s."
 So. I admit: I’m totes late to the party when it comes to nail polish. My excuses are myriad. First is, I nearly never get my nails done. Second is, well, I nearly never get my nails done. Still, when I kept seeing these great grays cropping up on the shiny finger tops of fashion types, I felt compelled to join the smoky digit movement. So, on a recent sad, rainy day, when generous and lovely Rescue Rittenhouse Spa just happened to invite me over for a mani, I figured it must be a sign from god. Or at least a good omen from beauty goddess Kim and Dana et al at Rescue. Anyway. I went, gave over my withered hands (not pictured here, because even with their nails polished, the veiny, dishpan endpoints of my upper appendages are not fit for human eyes) to nail guru Jean — whose real name is Kelly and whom I forgot to compliment on her lovely makeup — and ,after several blissful minutes of buffing and smoothing and eventual polishing with Chanel’s subtly glittery Paradoxal, I found my plain Jane hands transformed into something vastly chicer. Industrial yet lustrous. Dark yet bright. Gray like a winter day, but also totally upbeat, modern, mood-lifting. Paradoxical. You get the picture.
Anyway. Gray nails may no longer be 100% new to market, but they remain totally pretty and completely available at Rescue for a mere $25 manicure (plus tip for Jean/Kelly). I say, so what if you’re a little late to the party? At least you’ll be fashionably late.
Rescue Rittenhouse Spa Lounge, 255 South 17th Street, 215-772-2766
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Likes in an ironic way, of course.
 I’ve always felt if you can’t have a little irony in the way you dress, then you shouldn’t bother leaving the house. Take, for example, these hilarious “Fishtown pizza pretzel” earrings. Handmade from clay, resembling something like yellow sliced cheese and ketchup with a doughy base, they are sure to be the focus of conversation on your next date. Then again, if irony ain’t your thing, you still might consider investing for your gift closet: They’d be a great gag birthday present for a fellow — or former — Philadelphian.
17 bucks on Etsy.
—Kiley Baun
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The Sale of the Century? Maybe not. But definitely the Sale of the Decade.
 I was alerted to the two following (actually really good) sales by emails entitled, “Sale of the Century” and “It Only Happens Twice a Year,” respectively. So now you know you have to pay attention.
First, from the 15th to the 31st, both local Nicole Miller boutiques (in the ‘Yunk and in the Bellevue) will be having their semi-annual sale, wherein they mark down oodles of merchandise — dresses, sweaters, tops, skirts, pants, you name it — between 50 and 75 percent. The sales are all final, so don’t just wing it instead of making a proper introduction in the dressing room, but the deals are hard to beat.
And then, from the 17th to the 22nd, so-lovely Adresse, whose windows we often find ourselves gazing into, sometimes while standing in the middle of Locust Street in front of a green light, is putting past-season styles on sale for between 40 and 50 percent off. This includes many of the shop’s fab designers — from Peter Som and Nina Ricci to Lanvin and more — and their drool-worthy designs, like this Lela Rose vest (pictured) that was $995, but will be $240 during the sale. So you get the idea.
Nicole Miller, 4249 Main Street, Manayunk, 215-930-0307, and 200 South Broad Street, 215-546-5007
Adresse, 1706 Locust Street, 215-985-3161.
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Honestly: Some are essential, some are just dang cute and cozy.
You’ve got the jacket (Moncler, North Face, etc). Now, stock up on more fab items to help you glamorously weather winter’s storms. The good news: Most things can be bought in the cozy convenience of your computer, so no need to brave the mean and slushy outdoors.
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Local artist Darla Jackson creates animals that make us feel more human.
 Local sculptor Darla Jackson is my new obsession. As I am currently in house makeover mode, I find her pieces a new must have for my ever expanding curiosities. This sculpture so perfectly entitled What Are You Afraid Of? (pictured, right, gypsum cement, $500 on etsy) is officially on my wish list.
Find more of Darla’s work, and find out more about Darla herself on her blog, on her facebook page, via her twitter, and, of course, on her etsy site.
—Kiley Baun
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This time, in the greater Rittenhouse Square-area...
 The post-holiday sales are alive and thriving, I am happy to report. Which is nice, seeing as about now is the time when most of us look around, realize it’s gray and freezing, and that unless we scramble now to throw together some sort of mid-winter vacay, this is pretty much the environment we’re going to stew in until Memorial Day mercifully comes along and slaps us awake. And, you know. Shopping helps.
The two goodies on my radar are both city sales: First, Arcadia — remember, now in both NoLibs and Rittenhouse! — is having a Winter Wonder warehouse-style sale, marking down fabulously eco-chic fall and winter dresses, sweaters, shoes and so much more by organizing them into 30-, 40-, 50-, and 60-percent off racks at both of their lovely locations. (We are very much feeling this Daughters of the Revolution Kitty dress, originally $218, and now $174.)
And then, the ever wonderfully and stylishly eclectic Petulia’s Folly, which, as we filled you in back in November, has pretty much made the conversion to full-time shelter store, is marking down tons of covetables — all full-priced items, actually, from John Derian home accessories and Auskin rugs to Armand cashmere scarves and some awesome jewelry — by 30 percent. So, yeah, see you there.
Arcadia, 819 North 2nd Street, and 265 South 20th Street, 215-667-8099
Petulia’s Folly, 1710-12 Sansom Street, 215-569-1344
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The all-American glass workshop and restaurant closes today, and its retail, in a month.
 After ten years of being an all-in-one West Chester destination, the bucolic and fascinating Simon Pearce on the Brandywine — which, quite literally sits on top of the Brandywine River — will close for kind of ever. Shut down today: the glassblowing workshop and the restaurant. To close on February 13: the retail shop, where, as a matter of course, over the next month, there will be a sale. All samples and seconds are currently 30% off. Chances are, further markdowns will take place over the next few weeks. But that’s not official, so if you have your heart set on a set of lower-priced hurricanes, a decanter, or cake plate, go now, or forever hold your Pearce. (Full-price items will remain available through select retailers and online.)
Simon Pearce on the Brandywine, 1333 Lenape Road, Route 52 North, West Chester, 610-793-0949. (Open daily 10am–5pm through February 15)
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Seven great products to treat yourself to, for a change!
It’s been the most wonderful time of the year!
The holidays have been a time to do for others. Now that we’re in the New Year, it’s the time to spoil yourself pretty. If you, like me, recently completed the joyfully exhausting rounds on the holiday shindig circuit, you probably noticed a few trends — such stay-put primers and sparkle, sparkle and sparkle — that you’d like to embrace in the year ahead. Here’s a list of my favorite beauty products to help you look festive, fabulous and fresh — well into 2011.
—by Daneen Baird of SpoiledPretty.com
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Aren't we all shopping for stuff we, or someone we loved, once had?
 Those of us who long ago embraced many things vintage know this: We constantly find ourselves seeking and purchasing items we loved earlier in life. Recently for me, these items have included: a ceramic Christmas tree that reminds me of the one in Aunt Deedee’s musty apartment, a sweater with sailor stripes similar to those on a shirt my pal Sonya lent me freshman year in college, and a tartan tie that resembles either a pair of pants my dad wore to holiday parties or the girls’ uniforms at Immaculate Conception elementary school in Jenkintown. Point proven? Good. Let’s continue.
I can’t remember, exactly, how many members of my family had corduroy suits. My mom definitely did. It was brown, and I tried to inherit it a few years ago, only to realize that my mom’s waist, post children, was still smaller than mine, sans babies. Dad certainly had cord pants, both narrow- and wide-wale, and corduroy elbow patches that my mom sewed onto his worn-out sweaters. My one preppy grandfather definitely wore cords, as did at least one uncle. So, it was only natural that when the corduroy suit had another moment — or, at least, when I recognized that moment, and when L.L Bean Signature put their men’s version on sale — that I’d want to dress my boyfriend in one. The ensemble, originally a reasonable $224, now marked down to a modest $187.20.
I suggest investing now, for happy memories in the future.
Available online at L.L. Bean Signature (800-650-6364), and in Tyson’s Corner, Virginia and the flagship store in Freeport, Maine.
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Hurrah! The holidays are over! Time to shop for yourself!
 Ah, the holiday aftermath. A time to relax. A time to regroup, refresh, and take a deep breath. A time to shop.
You know why. After the biggest of shopping seasons, stores need to make room for spring merchandise, which will begin arriving almost immediately (just on the heels of resort, of course, which serves to excite those of us lucky enough to go on a winter vacation, and tease those of us whose only countdown is ’til summer) at some point this month, however counter-intuitive it may seem. At the very least, the arrival of bright prints and cotton dresses makes it seem like some day it’ll be spring.
But in the meantime: Lots of fun sales going on. Here are a few on our radar:
- The end-of-season sale at Malvern’s petite but stylish Posh Collections means pieces from names like Trina Turk, Plenty by Tracey Reese, Susana Monaco, Robert Rodriguez, Three Dots and lots more are marked down between 30 and 50 percent.
Posh Collections, 103 East King Street, Malvern, 610-644-7220
- Bus Stop Boutique in Queen Village is currently marking down all fall and winter shoe and boot styles between 30 and 50 percent, which totally means you can scoop up more than one style — there are tall boots, ankle boots, over-the-knee boots and oodles of shoes from Faryl Robin, Oliberte, Dolce Vita, Jeffrey Campbell and lots of other fun designers.
Bus Stop Boutique, 750 South 4th Street, 215-627-2357
- Bryn Mawr’s Skirt doesn’t have a ton of sales, and this is one of their best. All fall and winter merch is marked down by 50 percent, which, when you’re talking dresses, sweaters and pants from Milly, Diane von Furstenberg, Tory Burch, Rebecca Taylr, Tibi — and the above Loeffler Randall coat — is nothing short of squeal-worthy.
Skirt, 931 Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, 610-520-0222
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PHILLY
EVENTS
So. I admit: I’m totes late to the party when it comes to nail polish. My excuses are myriad. First is, I nearly never get my nails done. Second is, well, I nearly never get my nails done. Still, when I kept seeing these great grays cropping up on the shiny finger tops of fashion types, I felt compelled to join the smoky digit movement. So, on a recent sad, rainy day, when generous and lovely Rescue Rittenhouse Spa just happened to invite me over for a mani, I figured it must be a sign from god. Or at least a good omen from beauty goddess Kim and Dana et al at Rescue. Anyway. I went, gave over my withered hands (not pictured here, because even with their nails polished, the veiny, dishpan endpoints of my upper appendages are not fit for human eyes) to nail guru Jean — whose real name is Kelly and whom I forgot to compliment on her lovely makeup — and ,after several blissful minutes of buffing and smoothing and eventual polishing with Chanel’s subtly glittery Paradoxal, I found my plain Jane hands transformed into something vastly chicer. Industrial yet lustrous. Dark yet bright. Gray like a winter day, but also totally upbeat, modern, mood-lifting. Paradoxical. You get the picture.
