Saturday Morning at Easton Town Center

{alexis}

On Saturday morning, Alicia and I were invited to attend a blogger brunch at Marmi Shoes. Put together by your favorite Girl About Columbus, the event was a great way to meet all the other folks who love Columbus as much as we do. There were a lot of laughs, a lot of interesting stories, and hopefully the beginnings of some new relationships — if nothing else, I’ve got a lot more reading material!

When the brunch was over, so was the rain, and I found myself with a sunny morning at a nearly empty Easton. I had planned to go right home, but here was an opportunity! I shed my jacket and strolled down to Madewell. I don’t always have the best luck there, but I never give up! This day I was even luckier than usual — the store was hosting a pop-up shop by On Paper, a darling stationery store in the Short North bursting to the brim with some of the most beautiful products I’ve seen, and an endless selection of custom options. I even got to meet the proprietor herself, Joan Schnee, who showed me around the table and pointed out a few of her favorites.

The stationery and the Madewell accessories complement one another pretty well, don’t you think? You’ll see note cards, writing accessories, and greeting cards of all shapes, sizes and styles. On the far end was a charming collection of Mother’s Day cards (REMINDER: GET YOUR MOTHER A GIFT) that I leafed through for quite a while.

On this other side, you’ll notice some examples of their custom invitations. I know they do beautiful work on wedding invitations, and I’m sure they can guide you through what is often a complicated process (what do you mean there’s an envelope inside an envelope?). You’ll also see supple leather journals, and even a cheeky throw pillow or two! It really was a neat set up right in the store. And, as part of the event, Madewell had run out for snacks!

I knew I was fated to be here as soon as I saw the Pistacia Vera. I limited myself to one (possible only because we had a box at home in the fridge), my new favorite flavor, strawberry lillet, and got to shopping. Today was really my lucky day, because I picked up two, seriously marked-down, seriously cute frocks, perfect for the summer.

It looks very different on me, more Betty Draper-esque, as the skirt seems a bit fuller. It will be perfect for a work event husband has coming up. After ringing up my purchases and waving good-bye (thanks for the chat, Joan! thanks for the help, Suzanne!) to my new friends, I headed down the way to my favorite store, Anthropologie.

Anthropologie is bizarre, and beautiful, and whimsical, and a feast for the eyes. I am famous for my devotion and enthusiasm for the space and their clothes, and could spend hours here feeling the fabrics, examining the tchotchkes, and piling my arms with strange and wonderful garments. When I lived in Boston, I stopped in at least once a week. The huge store always had a towering new display to see. The Columbus store, though not quite a flagship, has a lot going on, too.

That, ladies and gents, is sand. Sand! In the store! On the hardwood! Who even cares about those comfy-looking, printed pants, when I am dealing with sand indoors in Ohio. These displays are no joke. Not impressed with this? Perhaps you need something on a bigger scale.

Oh you know, just a non-permanent, sparkling chandelier. They even coordinated that scarf to the sofa. This place is no joke.

Last weekend they were having a 20%-off-sale sale (which NEVER HAPPENS), so I grabbed even more than usual (don’t shop with me — I will embarrass you), and headed into the fitting rooms. Because I try on everything that has a remote chance of being flattering, I usually end up in outfits so comical and odd, I have to record them with photographic evidence. These pictures are usually sent to my mother, and my girlfriends for a laugh, but even afterward, I have a hard time deleting them from my phone. Here’s a favorite from over a year ago.

I originally thought this was a maxi, but was delighted to find pant legs. Look how happy I am! I do this ALL THE TIME while shopping. The more nonsensical the better. But now that I’ve shown you a classic, I fear nothing on Saturday could compare. I picked up a classic pair of jeans, and a casual summer dress.

So next time you feel like a laugh, let’s meet up at Easton. I’ll try on anything you want, and have a great time doing it.