See Green JewelryOnce again I will risk nepotism, because I most expose you to some wonderful jewelry by another one of my lovely cousins. What can I say, I have been cursed with an extremely creative and talented family. Claire's pieces are hand-crafted, easy to order on her Esty site (you can even use paypal), and best of all, the jewelry is extremely gorgeous and one-of-a-kind! Claire continues to make new stuff and she's a very amiable person, so I think she could be persuaded to reproduce any sold-out items or even custom create. Right before posting this, I put my stamp of approval on See Green by ordering three items for my personal enjoyment!
Earrings by Nora Lang
I will admit that I am slightly biased, because Nora just happens to be my cousin, however she is my fabulously talented cousin. Nora comes from a grand line of creative blood and she fits right in. Last year, Nora used her considerable skills in jewelry making to help fundraise for mission efforts in Peru and I was happily introduced to her beautiful earrings. To say I love her earrings is an understatement, they are bold, colorful, and wonderfully unique. All of the earrings are hand painted and incorporate images from the natural world, as well as wire and other unique materials. I know that there is a market for this kind of homemade and interesting craftsmanship, especially here in the city where retail items are either wildly expensive or depressingly ordinary and mass marketed. Nora is able to produce a wide variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and designs of earrings, so please consider emailing her if you like what you see. Nora would be willing to make you a fair price and ship to your city.
Two Lovers-Park Slope-Fifth Avenue between President and Carroll Streets
I was lucky enough, or doomed depending on how you look at it, to have this upscale resale clothing store appear on my stomping ground, which would be Fifth Avenue between Flatbush and Ninth Streets. One day it seemed, Matter, a funky furniture store, became Two Lovers and I was in trouble. My usual excuse to avoid the fabulous boutiques in Park Slope is the high prices. The boutiques are still wonderful, however, because they have unique items; clothes that didn't once reside in an outlet mall, not that I'm against those, and that you won't see walking ten abreast down Broadway everyday. Two Lovers is doubly clothing binge worth, hence the "Two", because it has unique items and super low price tags. During my first trip to the store, I could not contain or restrain myself and I left with four new shirts, not one over $25; in fact, I didn't see a single item in the store above $40. I actually showed some level of restraint, because I did pass on an adorable sundress and a to-die-for bag. This store is also great, because it presents the clothes and the space in such a way that it's difficult to believe the items are second hand. The place is elegantly arranged, the shelves are not overstuffed, nor is there an odor of mildew and faux leather. One of the owners, who waited on me, let me know that new items are added to the store everyday and that they go out of their way to find the most interesting items. Two Lovers does carry some merchandise from big name chain stores, such as The Gap, however I found that these things were still unique and many had a vintage flair. I'm most likely preaching to the choir here, but do be wary of sales, outlets, and affordable vintage folks, because they usually mean that you'll buy two or three times as much! As I mentioned above, however, a little bit of splurging and pampering is our God given right as working people, so that is why I am sure I will find myself at Two Lovers again and again.
