Have you seen these colorful plates and serving pieces at Jamie’s in Casady Square?  Look for them.  Jamie’s. 9313 N Pennsylvania. Telephone: 879-9999.

Drop by Trochta’s flowers and see the Thunder Display. Very cool! (Photo by Helen Ford Wallace).

Premier Card participants offer a generous 20% discount to cardholders for the ten-day period, Friday, October 30th – Sunday, November 8th, 2009. Proceeds from card sales benefit Payne Education Center.

The event is from 6 to 9 tonight with tax-free shopping, plus 10 percent off cosmetics and fragrance. This is the biggest discount Balliet’s has ever offered on cosmetics.

What’s more, you can get a little face time with national makeup artists from Laura Mericer and Trish McEvoy. Jason Hoffman with Shu Uemura also will be there.  And you definitely will want to check out Bobbi Brown’s new holiday collection, the Milly trunk show and the Gurhan jewelry trunk show.

Oh, and did we mention the free martini bar, wine tasting, drawing for a $500 gift certificate and live music?

Any shoes, clothing or handbags with one of the colors red, white or blue will be discounted 25 percent through July 3.

FYI: Zippdog will be closed July 4.

With Christmas Day 9 days away, it is time to get serious about holiday shopping. If you are ahead of the crowd and are already finished, kudos to you! However, if you are like myself, there are at least a few items that remain on a loved one’s wish list. Here are the top ten holiday shopping tips from the National Retail Federation:

1. Shop after 6:00 pm the evening before a sale is advertised to begin. Many retailers program the registers the night before, so the sale may already come up in the system despite there being promotional advertisements displayed around the sales floor.

2. Prepare a list to use while you are shopping, be sure to include alternative choices in case of stock-outs.

3. Take advantage of stores’ extended hours and shop during these times. This helps avoid crowds.

4. If you are looking for a specific advertised item, bring the advertisement with you. That way you do not end up with the wrong item or in the wrong store.

5. Always use gift receipts in the case the merchandise needs to be returned or exchanged.

6. Remember when gift shopping you are buying for someone else’s wants and needs, not your own.

7. Shop safely! Watch your personal belongings including handbags and purchases. Stores are not responsible for any lost items.

8. Save yourself some time for other to-d0′s on your holiday agenda, let the charity group at the mall wrap your gifts.

9. When shopping online, have your credit card and address book available at your fingertips. Many websites have timed windows to complete shipping and billing information.

10. Wear comfortable shoes! You will be walking a lot on tile and marble flooring.

Hope these tips are found to be helpful!

Happy shopping,

Crystal VanZandt (Linda Miller’s winter break intern)

As the holidays edge closer and you find yourself looking for cheap, unusual or special fashion and beauty gifts, check out the Fashion Matters blog at blog.newsok.com/fashionmatters. It’s chockful of ideas.

Chef Jeff van Glabbeek

Salad…. note the roasted garlic cloves.

Their new menu features lamb, salmon and chicken

Yummy chocolate dessert served by Terri Oak

Helen Ford Wallace, Social Columnist