Easy Entertaining Tips

Are you entertaining a lot this month? Here are some quick and easy suggestions that we've found work beautifully ...


1. Pick up a couple bottles of wine, a brick of cream cheese, crackers, and ginger cookies at the grocery store.

2. Stop at Joli and pick up some of the Bella Cucina Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and one of the Sweet Key Lime, Blood Orange, or Lemon Spreads (50% off right now). Don't forget some paper plates and festive napkins.

3. Pour the Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto over cream cheese, and serve with crackers.

4. Serve the ginger cookies with one of the Sweet Spreads.

5. Pour yourself a glass of wine, sit down, and relax with your friends!

Easy peasy lemon squeezy, right?!

Wondrous Wednesday

We shopgirls are pretty busy. With one of us being a full-time Mama plus Shopgirl and the other one being a Nana and Shopgirl, we're pretty much never available to visit our favorite shops during business hours. And gettting our hair done ... you should see the juggling act it takes to fit that in!

So as we were heading up to Pennsylvania recently for a last-minute/emergency visit, we started discussing how we feel bad for the many others in the same boat as us. How do they get their shopping done? Especially at this time of year?

And that's how we came up with Wondrous Wednesday. We're going to stay open until 7:00 tonight to give all of you busy ladies (and men) a chance to shop your favorite (c'mon, you know we're at least in your top 10 .... right??) local shop without being in a rush.

Courtesy of WeHeartIt

Leave the kids at home (properly supervised, of course), and head on over. Have a glass of wine. Try some delicious goodies from Dr. Pete's. Let us show you around the shop and help you out with your gift-giving needs. We've got a variety of gifts in a variety of price ranges. Plus, we've got a number of items on sale ... up to 75% off! How can you pass that up?

And if you can't leave the kids at home, bring 'em! We'll keep them entertained so you can look around.

If ya'll like this, we'll keep it going for the next few weeks. So please stop by tonight. We hate to drink alone ;)

xoxo,

Did you know?

Photo by Riann Mihiylov

Did you know that we offer Event Consultation and Design Services? It's true. We offer wedding consultation services (help with vendor selection, event design, day of coordination, and more), as well as design services for weddings, showers, and more (like the Farmer's Table event, pictured above).

Did you know that we also offer home accessorizing services? We'll meet with you to determine your style and preferences, tour your house, and help you choose the finishing touches ... those pieces that make your house a home.

Give us a call at 843.379.9191 or email us for more information.

xoxo,

P.S. Don't forget to come out to the final Habersham Farmer's Market First Friday event tonight. The Beaufort's Got Talent Talent show will begin at 6:00 p.m. (with Bellydancers entertaining beforehand starting at 5:30 p.m.)

The Cutest Chef Ever

A couple months ago, I met the gorgeous Miss Grace. She was a delight (and so were mom and grandmother). She flitted through the shop admiring all of our trinkets, and then she saw something she had to have. One of our fabulous vintage-inspired children's aprons. Her grandmother kindly purchased it for her, and I (not so tactfully) asked Miss Grace's mom if she'd mind sending us a couple pictures of Grace and the apron in action.

She did, and I've gotta say, she's the cutest chef ever (and I have a pretty cute chef of my own. Well, two if you count my husband).

Tell, me, is she not perfect??

Thanks, Miss Grace, for letting us share your pictures (and a big thanks to Mommy)!

Have a great weekend, ya'll!

Hey ya'll. Yes, we're still here. We shopgirls have been super busy, and have tons of new merchandise, which we hope to share with you here on the blog soon. But in the meantime, I thought I'd share this awesome time-lapse video that The Digitel did of Habersham's Second Annual Harvest Festival (which was terrific, by the way) ...

Enjoy it, and check back soon for new merchandise features (I promise)!

Farmer's Table -- Contest

Hey ya'll! We are so excited to announce that we will be giving away two tickets to the Lowcountry Food Bank's Farmer's Table Event!

As you may remember, we shopgirls are thrilled to participate in this event, which is being held in the Haberhsam Marketplace, next Friday, September 10 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are selling for $100 each, so this is a great chance for you to show your support for such a great cause!

All you have to do is this: by commenting below, tell us, what would you suggest our Lowcountry Farmer's grow for families in need in 2011?

Entries will be accepted until Tuesday night at midnight, and the winner will be announced Wednesday. For extra entries, visit our Facebook page and leave a comment underneath the Contest Post.

Thanks ya'll! Can't wait to see who wins!!

Meandering Prose

If you have met the shopgirls, you probably have gotten to know a few things about us, like:

• We're mother and daughter (though many people say we look like sisters)
• We are the cutest girls (seriously ... we have a necklace that says so!)
• We get along ridiculously well (it's creepy, really)
• We must have music in our lives (can you say Pandora addict?)
• We've been known to sing and dance in the shop ... while we have customers.
• We're sarcastic to a fault
• We love to laugh ... at ourselves and each other and at life in general

Which brings me to the real reason for this post. Because we are not so narcissistic to think that you come to our blog to read about us (OK well, maybe a little...). Are you familiar with Erin Smith yet?

You need to be. She's an artist ... and a wife ... and a mother ... and she says all of the things we wish we could say, but don't have the courage to. And then she makes art out of it. And greeting cards. Which we are so proud to have in our shop. Because she makes us laugh so hard that we nearly wet ourselves.

Come in and laugh with us ....

xoxo,

(All images from Erin Smith Art)

Fabulous Event

Just as we were heading back from Market, we received an exciting invitation. Probably the most exciting invitation we've received in our three-year history. The lovely girls at the Lowcountry Food Bank (thanks to the fabulous Ms. L) requested our event design assistance with their inaugural Farmer's Table event.

If you don't know about LCFB, you need to. In their own words, the mission of this non-profit is to "feed the poor and hungry of the ten coastal counties of South Carolina by soliciting and distributing healthy food and grocery products to nonprofit agencies serving the poor, and to educate the public about the problems of and solutions to domestic hunger."  

Not only do they work hard to eliminate domestic hunger in the Lowcountry, but through their Growing Food Locally Program, they strive to help local farmers succeed by providing them with "professional training, free consultations, small pay advances, and a guaranteed safety net purchase of pre-selected crops."

We are so honored to participate in this wonderful fundraising event, which is designed to showcase our fabulous local chefs and the local farmers who provide them with such delicious produce. The proceeds will go directly to the Growing Food Locally Program.

The girls at LCFB, along with chef Jim Spratling, have designed what will be a fabulous evening on September 10, 2010. The evening will begin with drinks,small bites, and a tour of Habersham Farms. Then guests will be transported by hayride to the Habersham Marketplace. In an organic, vintage-farm setting, 100 guests will dine at a community table. Chefs from six of Beaufort's best restaurants will work together to create a delicious three-course meal that features fresh produce from local farms.

We invite you to come dine under the stars with us. Eat fresh, organic, fabulous food.Support a beautiful cause. We hope to see you there!

Little Boy, Big Heart

We've had such a busy summer, and we apologize for the lack of posting. But we've had some exciting things brewing, and I think it's time to start sharing them, don't you?

First things first ... we owe you a Market recap. As ya'll know, we go to Market twice a year -- in January and July. And as usual, this trip was exciting, inspiring, and exhausting. We discovered an amazing and wonderful new vendor, Park Hill, which turned out to be very serendipitous (but that's for another post). We fell in love all over again with mercury glass; warm tones of violet, cranberry, and peach; autumnal designs; and more.

But the highlight of our trip was when we met this boy, heard him play, and listened to his story.

 Meet Aidan. The nine-year-old self-taught harmonica player. And philanthropist. From his website:

Aidan Thomas Hornaday is a jamming harmonica boy on a mission - helping change the world by showing children can make a difference in the lives of others, impact the world and find joy in the process.

This boy is amazing, sweet, humble, and inspiring. Read about him.  And if you have the opportunity, go watch him play somewhere.

Truly Honored

We shopgirls just got the shock of our lives. We won "Best Gift Shop" in the Beaufort Gazette's Reader's Choice Awards. Thank you to everyone who voted. This award means so much, and we are truly honored to receive it.

It gets better though ... almost every business in our beautiful Habersham Marketplace won their nominated categories. Unfortunately, we don't have all the details yet, but as soon as we do, we'll post a full list of the winners in our Marketplace.

Congratulations to all, and thank you again for your support!

Follow the footprints

So, have we told ya'll about our awesome neighbors upstairs? They're the best neighbors ever! They bring us goodies all the time (like homemade chocolate cake and macaroons  -- YUM). They come and chat with us when it's quiet. They have even covered the shop for us a few times.

Well, today, they took their awesomeness to a whole new level. Inspired by the uber-talented street artist, Katie Sokoler, they decided to draw footprints leading to the shop, in honor of our inaugural "First Friday" event.

Take a look ...

And you should see the hopscotch board (is that the right term) they set up for the kids. Funnest.One. Ever.

Aren't these girls awesome? The whole family totally rocks!

xoxo,

Reader's Choice!

Today began like every other morning for me at the shop ... until I received an email with this subject line:

Congratulations Readers Choice Nominee!

Imagine my excitement when I opened the email and read that Joli has been nominated for the Best Gift Shop in the Beaufort Gazette Readers Choice Awards! We are honored and touched that someone nominated us. 

Now we just need to win. That's where ya'll come in. Please please please, head on over to the voting site, and vote for us. And while you're at it, please vote for the other great businesses here in the Habersham Marketplace, as well as around Beaufort. You can vote once a day until May 17th.

Thank you to the person who nominated us. And we are so proud to be in the Habersham Marketplace, where almost every other business has been nominated as well. We wish all the nominees the best!

xoxo,

Giveaway Winner!

We are happy to announce the winner of our Loo-Pourri giveaway -- Jen (aka I'm a Nola Girl). Congratulations, Jen! And since we're all about blog-love, check out Jen's blog, by clicking below. It's a wonderful blog filled with delicious recipes, wonderful gems about New Orleans, and more!

Jen, please feel free to stop by to pick up your gift, or email us (allegra(at)jolihomeandevents(dot)com) to arrange for us to drop it off to you!

Giveaway: Loo-Pourri

OK, admit it. You've seen our Poo-Pourri display in our Powder Room. And you've been tempted to buy it, because, well, nobody likes to smell that smell. But have you been too embarrassed to make the purchase? To even ask if it works?

First of all, let me assure you that it does, indeed, work. As the tagline says, "Spritz the bowl before you go and no one else will ever know!" This all natural toilet spray uses essential oils to trap the odor before it even escapes!

Since, even we might feel a little shy about purchasing something like this, we've decided to give some away. To let one of our loyal customers and readers try it before buying it. But it gets better! Along with the brand new product, Loo-pourri (scented with Grapefruit and Vetiver), we're giving away a lovely silver, refillable atomizer. That way, you can carry it in your purse without advertising what it is. Look! Isn't a pretty little gift set??

To enter, all you need to do is post a comment. Just tell us how much you love us, or something (we love getting compliments). To get extra entries, become our fan on Facebook and become a follower of our blog (we're all about the love). A winner will be chosen at random next Wednesday.

xoxo,

Shopgirls Picks of the Week

We're back after a brief hiatus, with two spring-inspired picks of the week. 

Cheryl's Pick: BloemBoxes

 

Want spring? Check out these lovely BloemBoxes! Choose from a Bumblebee Garden, Hummingbird Garden, or Butterfly Garden. Or choose from a selection of edible flowers and other beautiful spring delights. All you need in one box. Biodegradable-fabric seed strips.Plant them in the ground, and watch them grow. Fabulous, right?

Allegra's Pick: Botanical Prints

Cherrio! What could be cheerier than these prints? Don't these little delights make you almost believe it's Springtime? Each time I look at these cottagey images, I get giddy for the warmer weather. And at $35 each, they're almost too good to be true.

Happy weekend, friends. Looking forward to seeing you soon!

xoxo,

Le Lapin

Aren't these dishes lovely? We're excited to be offering these beauties at 30% off. Stop in and check them out before they're all gone!

xoxo,

Shopgirls Picks of the Week

 How are you doing on this dreary afternoon, friends? Despite the miserable weather, I'm having a delightful time in the shop ... for two reasons:

1) While it's been fairly quiet, some loyal customers have traveled here, braving the torrential rain,  just to visit our "wonderful shop." How sweet!

2) New shipments arrived today! Much of the morning was spent unpacking new lovelies and arranging them around the shop. Don't you want to stop in and visit?

Not to leave you in too much suspense, we shopgirls have each picked one of our new items to feature in this week's edition of our "Pick of the Week." So without further ado ...

Cheryl's Pick of the Week: Goody Goody

We have been admirers of the whimsical Goody Goody purses, jewelry rolls, and wallets for some time now. And at January's show, we decided that we were completely smitten and could resist them no longer. These wonderful woven silk accessories both feel and look luxurious. Not to mention making the proud owner feel sophisticated and divine. Imagine spicing up date night with one of the purses; wrapping your jewelry like a little gift in one of the jewelry rolls, or pulling out one of the fabulous wallets during your next outing.We hope you're just as smitten with these wonderful little gems as we are.

Allegra's Pick: M.Bellish'd Watches

These watches by M.Bellish'd totally made us swoon. Why, you ask? Because they rock! And they're interchangeable, versatile, and totally chic! You start buy purchasing one of the watches that comes with a solid cuff. Then, you can add a variety of printed cuffs by just snapping the watch to it. How awesome is that?! Since the cuffs are cotton, they're totally comfortable, and washable to boot. Have you ever seen such an awesome watch? Come in soon and try them on!

Well, that wraps up our Pick of the Week post. Tell me, friends, which one is your favorite? What would you like to see us feature on future picks?

Have a rockin' Super Bowl Sunday, all. Be safe!

xoxo,

Shopgirls Picks of the Week

Cheryl's Pick of the Week: Paddywax Candles

We love Paddywax candles. They smell delicious; they're colors are vibrant; they burn beautifully. However, after carrying them in our shop since our opening, we have decided to liquidate our inventory. But that's good news for you because it means that we're offering our Paddywax candles at 50% off! Stop in and check out our selection of yummy candle goodness.

Allegra's Pick of the Week: Jewelry

Jewelry at 30% off. Need I say more? Hurry and check out our selection of awesome jewelry on sale until the end of this week only. We love our jewelry, and think it's all fabulous ... but we bought more jewelry at market and need to make room. So help us out, OK?

xoxo,

Shopgirls Picks of the Week

Cheryl's Pick: John Derian

Cheryl's pick this week is John Derian. Actually, Cheryl's pick every week is John Derian. Both of us love his decoupage plates and paperweights. And, since the entire shop is 20% off right now, it would be a great time to start your collection.

John Derian is a New York artist whose popularity has been growing at a rapid pace for the past several years. He's an avid collector of antique prints, ledgers, and letters. He hand-paints borders and patterns and combines these elements into collages which are then reprinted and pieced together under in layers under glass.

Look for his work in many decorating magazines, and see the real deal right here in your very own Joli.

Allegra's Pick: Aquiesse

One of the most luxurious portfolios of fine home fragrances found anywhere. OK. That's what the brochure says. What I say is that I am totally in love with these candles (completely smitten). The sophisticated glass containers work in any decor, and the scents are just fabulous.

Made with organic soybean oil and lead-free wicks, these candles come in fragrances like Pacific Lime Blossom, Luxe Linen, Timber, Mandarin Tea, and Grapefruit Spearmint (plus another one called Rioja, but the name doesn't do justice to the lush scent).

We'll be burning the testers all week long. Come smell them and choose your favorite!

xoxo,

Noodle & Boo Voted Best Body Lotion by Babble.com

(click for full size)

That's right -- Noodle & Boo's Super Soft Baby Lotion was voted a Babble Best in the baby lotion category. And we have to agree. The scent is heavenly, and the lotion is nourishing and quenching without being greasy. Plus, it's made especially for babies with sensitive skin and it's organic!

Stop in to check out our selection of Noodle & Boo products, or their grown-up line, Glowology!

Home again home again ...

jiggity jig. Or something like that. Anyway, the shopgirls are home from market, after a jam-packed 4 1/2 days! On our way home, we discussed the highlights from Market this time around (aside from the ones we already posted about), and we thought we'd share. So here's a list (in no particular order) of our faves:

• Choosing awesome bright colors for the Spring season (think turquoise, orange, and yellow).
• Successfully pulling off a ten-hour day (walking for 90% of it). We have our trainer at Earth Fit to thank for that!
• Finding some awesome new products for the not-so-secret garden (we officially have a working door to the courtyard).
• Getting our picture taken with Emilie Sloan founder and designer, Lisa Murphy, so she could feature us on her blog (we're not on there yet, but believe me, we'll let you know when we are)!!
• Buying from 16 new vendors and 16 tried-and-true favorites.
• Purchasing items for our soon-to-be-revealed new category (it's gonna be awesome, ladies).
• Finding -- and ordering from -- that great gourmet vendor Jane Werner told us about (we got to meet the owners, who are from Savannah, and hear their charming back story).
• Hearing from several of our vendors that this was their best show ever, and that retailers were at Market and buying. Could it be that the economy is on its way to an upswing (let's hope)?
• Watching Mom try on a "designer" showercap. I took a picture, but she threatened to write me out of her will if I posted it, and I'm holding out for her jewelry. Sorry guys.
• Successfully navigating the three enormous (seriously gigantic, ya'll) buildings, even though Mom was constantly disoriented (if I wasn't with her, I swear she'd still be wandering around aimlessly).
• Eating at McCormick & Schmick's and having the best steak ever. We enjoyed the meal so much, we went back the next night (we ate something different), and the staff greeted us like we were old friends.
• Making really awesome jewelry at Art by Amy just for ya'll!
• Getting to do something for 4 1/2 days that let us keep our fabulous customers and friends on our minds the whole time!

xoxo,

Market Highlights So Far

Well, Hot'Lanta it is not -- we're freezing our butts off here (temperatures in the 20s with wind chills making it feel much colder), but we're having a blast!

We've done a ton (TON) of shopping so far, and we still have a day and a half left! We saw some great hats that I thought we should bring into the shop, but Mom shot me down ....

We went to one of our favorite jewelry vendors and had some really awesome necklaces made for ya'll. Mom tried them on ... Do you think it's too much?

But the most exciting thing so far has been shopping for some new product categories ... here are a couple pictures as hints. Care to take a guess?

Hope to post more soon!

xoxo,