Frillby Awards

Last Sunday, Richmond Magazine announced the winners of the Fifth Annual Elby awards, and I couldn’t be more proud of the local restaurants and people making an impact in RVA! If you haven’t seen the results you can check them out here.

I love Richmond and I love the city’s food scene, so I want to share MY favorites with all of you. We’re going to go ahead and call it the Frillby Awards! Obviously I won’t be renting out the entire Virginia Museum of Fine Arts for a seated dinner and award ceremony, but at least you can kick back in your yoga pants and sip on some coffee while learning a little but more about me.

Favorite place to get wine: Barrel Thief, which just so happens to be my next door neighbor at the shop. They have a great selection and give great advice.

Favorite lunch takeout location: Westbury Pharmacy – Junior Chix Salad Club. Chicken salad, provolone and BACON!!! on toasted whole wheat.

Favorite “special occasion” go-to: Acacia!!!

Favorite “sit down” lunch location: Lulabelle’s, “the Mary”- yummy crispy flatbread with apple, goat cheese, caramelized onions and fig jam.

Favorite brunch location: CanCan, ALWAYS.

Favorite donut shop: Sugar Shack wins!

Favorite coffee shop: Lamplighter – the original on Addison Street.

What are some of YOUR favorites? Would love some suggestions! There are so many great options here in RVA!

 

Lunch Date

Today I grabbed lunch at MOSAIC Restaurant in Richmond, setting aside a little time to chat and chew with my VCU intern. The two of us enjoyed some of their Fit options and chatted about the GREAT stuff coming soon to Frill. We can’t wait to share it with you!

 

 

Fashion Friday

I have never met a tassel I didn’t love!

In fact, I collect them in my travels – my most recent ones came from an artisan’s fair during a trip to Guadalajara.

Artisan Fair at Lake Chapala near Guadalajara

If you take a look around Frill, you’ll find tassels everywhere! It’s important to me for the shop to reflect my personal tastes and style, so I can guarantee you won’t find a single thing I wouldn’t wear or put in my own home.

I hang them on my mantle during the holidays!

Tassels make great purse charms. I think they give purses the extra decoration they need to stand out.

This bag by Beth’s Addiction even has mini tassels – how cute is that? These colors are awesome – the contrast and bright colors remind me of Mexico.

Scrap the idea that tassels are just for graduation caps! They’re all unique, and the collection I have is close to my heart.

Fashion Friday

If you know Frill, you know how much unique jewelry the shop has for sale. The opportunities truly are endless. Our earrings come in all shapes and sizes, from simple to elegant, or basic to colorful. We take pride in our jewelry selection because it is constantly changing – so you can never get bored!

Just like necklaces, earrings are a staple for your outfit and they can make a statement. A cool pair of earrings can jazz up an entire outfit, and when they are matched with a necklace to compliment … you’ll feel unstoppable. Think Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Classic.

We used some of our earrings and modeled them on some magazine images – it creates a really abstract image. Love it!

Anne loves this quote she found on a J. Crew article titled “How It’s Done: The Statement Earring” —

“The bigger the earring, the better! Longer styles draw attention to that space between your jawline and your shoulders (which is quite flattering).”

It’s so true. Don’t underestimate what jewelry can do for you – it accentuates some of the most flattering parts of your body.

What are your favorite looks? Short hair and big statement jewelry, or simple all the way around? Let us know!

National Wine Day

In celebration of National Wine Day, we asked the girls at the shop (and some lucky customers) what kind of wine they liked the best!

Anne (Frillseekers): “Whatever you’re buyin’. But if I’m paying, it’s usually Malbec.”
Leigh (Lucky Lilibet): Verdejo
Teresa: Old Carinena Garnache
Sharon (Modern Artifacts):  “I vary between cheap red table wine and really good champagne.”
Conway (Van der Wolks): Cava
Linda LaClair (All About the Beverage): Cooper Vineyards

Customers said they enjoyed Riesling and Prosecco!

Comment and tell us what kind you’ll be celebrating with tonight.

Engagement Chicken

The day of love has come and gone once again. For some of your friends, February 14 is Single Awareness Day. For others, it’s full of teddy bears and chocolate, and maybe even an engagement ring!

NY Daily News published an article in 2011 about a recipe for something called “Engagement Chicken.” A Glamour magazine employee shared the recipe with women in her office, and everyone who cooked it for their boyfriends ended up engaged. Glamour shared their recipe, and over 70 people have shared their stories about the chicken and its “marital bliss.”

Coincidence? Maybe. But we thought it was cute and wanted to share it with you. If someone is dragging their feet, you can always try it out. No harm, no … fowl.

This recipe, and many others, were compiled into a cookbook called 100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know.

** Featured image property of glamour.com **

Fashion Friday

Give your bag some purse-onality!

Your purse is a solid part of your outfit and it deserves to be accessorized. Adding a purse charm to your favorite bag can instantly give it personality, and a fun wallet or change purse can also help your bag stand out.

Frillseekers has some options to choose from if you’re looking to give your bag some bling! When people see these dangling off of your purse, they’re guaranteed to ask you “What is that?!” In a good way, of course.

They’re super cute, and those eyes are definitely protecting your stuff. We have some less ‘aggressive’ looking options, if you’re looking for some colorful tassels instead. Or double-up on the purse charms, heck. We won’t judge.

Another accessory to consider are these Money Monsters:

Seriously, aren’t they precious? The zippers are their mouths! Let them gobble up your money.

Come check out our options at the shop, we’d love to help dress up your favorite purse!

Why Shop Local?

“Small Business Saturday” doesn’t have to be once a year, and it definitely doesn’t have to just be on a Saturday. In fact, any chance you get, you should support your local businesses. Why? It’s important.

When you shop at small, locally owned shops such as Frillseekers and the Shops at 5807, you are investing into your own community and supporting business owners who have a vested interest in their products and customers. Richmond, Virginia is the home to many diverse brands, tastes, and shops that compete with large chain stores every day.

According to the American Independent Business Alliance, your economy and community benefit from customers who shop from local business versus chain stores. Here are some ways listed on their article titled “Top Reasons to Buy Local, Eat Local, Go Local:”

• When you go out and interact with your community by shopping in local stores, you are participating in what AMBIA calls “the ultimate social networking site.” Step aside, Facebook and Twitter! These friendly interactions help build relationships in your community, which makes it stronger.

• Not only are you helping strengthen community relations, you’re helping strengthen you local economy. You’re truly like muscle milk for your whole community! AMBIA says each dollar you spend at local, independent businesses returns three times as much money to your local economy than money spent at a chain. This money spent also impacts the prosperity of businesses and residents.

• Your environment will benefit from these community-serving businesses. According to AMBIA, these businesses typically take up less space, carry local products, are closer to residents, and create less traffic and air pollution.

But speaking of Small Business Saturday, come out and shop local THIS Saturday, February 13. The Shops will be having the Annual Indoor Winter Sidewalk Sale, starting at 10 a.m. and we hope to see you all there!

Fashion Friday

We know it can be hard to feel fabulous in beige. Forget how dreary the color may seem, we are going to try and change your mind – beige doesn’t have to be boring!

FashionTag said it best in a 2015 Spring Trend Alert post:

“Beige shades look clean, fresh, refined and quite luxurious. The mix of all nude colours holds a certain femininity to it and a classy minimalism with tones of glamour or bohemian vibes, while being kind of understated.

To me these colours have a certain grown-up quality to them, especially when worn with bold lips, stiletto heels, and expensive looking accessories.”

This shade of nude is a fashion staple during the spring. Pairing a beige shirt or cardigan with a cute floral scarf or colorful necklace can help frame the accessory and bring out the colors. Not to mention, it looks great against tanned and darker skin tones!

 

We aren’t just talking about beige clothes; there are also accessories in this neutral color. It creates a very boho-chic look we are absolutely crazy about.

Frillseekers can help you with the beige anxiety you may have. We can help you look “pretty in pale!”

NY NOW

While everything may seem calm and normal at 5807, Anne is out on her second shop-related trip of the year (And it’s only February)! In January, she took her annual trip to AmericasMart in Atlanta, Georgia. She brought back these cuff bracelets:

This time, she is in New York City at New York Now. This convention center is PACKED with some of the most beautiful merchandise – we’re so happy she and Leigh are on the hunt for rubyblu and Frillseekers! 

Here are some of their sights at NY Now:

If you’ve ever wondered how Frillseekers is able to stock the shelves with some of the most unique products around, there’s your answer.