Raleigh VIP Club » Unique Raleigh Retailers

Raleigh Trader Joe's Arrives…Finally!

Brandy — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:14:33 +0000

Well I don’t know about you but I’ve been waiting for Raleigh Trader Joe’s to come to town for a long time. Long before it was in the news. The one in Cary is just too far of a hike for me.

I discovered Trader Joe’s in Northern Virginia back in 2000 and thought it was just some small gourmet store. There weren’t many people shopping there then and slowly over time I noticed more and more shoppers in the thin aisles with the small carts. People aren’t dumb. They know a good thing when they see it. The concept is great. Healthy foods with great prices. That’s what cutting out the middle man does. That’s how Walmart became a success.

Some things I remember about my first experiences with Trader Joe’s is that it’s where I bought my nuts and trail mixes. And where I bought my first Clif Bars. You know the healthy bars you eat to crave your hunger or when you’re working out. It’s better than junk food on the road.

Well back to now…on opening day, look at the lines that Raleigh Trader Joes’s brought in.

Some of the prepared foods here. Not that I’m opposed to cooking. But with prepared foods that look as delish as this, why cook?

And it’s hard to skip Two Buck Chuck. I’ve only tried the Chardonnay. It ain’t bad. I mean it tastes like a $7 bottle of wine to me. But in case the T.J. people are listening, I think you’re smart to keep it at its price if you wanna sell volume.

You gotta love their sweets too. I always the low fat chocolate cats in a plastic tub.

And if you’re planning to throw a party, it’s a great place to buy thawed hors d’oeuvres.

The one thing I’m cautious about are the prices increasing. That’s what happened in the Virginia stores. So I stopped going as much as buzz got out about the stores (… in case anyone from T.J.’s is listening).

Welcome Raleigh T.J.’s. and thanks for the free reusable T.J. bag.

Raleigh Designer Consignment Store

Brandy — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:15:31 +0000

: This is Bridger

What did you do over the Raleigh tax free weekend? I stopped in Revolver Consignment Store in the Glenwood South area of downtown Raleigh. Revolver is a neat women’s consignment clothing store. When I was growing up, they didn’t have designer-like clothing consignment places. Revolver carries new to slightly worn designer clothing. People make appointments to have pieces of clothing considered. I think I was told that people who bring in new clothing with tags that they accept get 50% of what they paid. But many pieces of clothing aren’t approved, which is understandable. I imagine they only want stuff others want, in good condition, and the style of clothing they want…like designer clothing mostly.

I sifted through some of the racks and found quite a few pieces that I liked. I like cute and stylish stuff. So it made me happy to see a lot of that. I’m like most people shopping… I get frustrated when I don’t find something that I’m looking for. This time I wasn’t looking for anything in particular.

And, Revolver has a lot of dressy tops, and casual tops. Also, sweaters, dresses, skirts, and every type of clothing that most women have in their closets. They also have a shoe section. But I’m not one for shopping or buying the previously worn shoes, but that’s just me. Even though they did have some cute shoes.

Trina Turk Top

They have a few racks of jeans. Mostly designer jeans. I saw 7 for Mankind, Joes, and other brand name designer jeans. I also saw a pair of Wrangler jeans. They had some very detailed pocketing which is really popular now and designer-esque.

Raleigh Chocolate Store I Love

Brandy — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:42:53 +0000

Do you like chocolate?…if so, what’s your favorite chocolate store? I used to love Godiva, and See’s. But now in Raleigh, it’s chocolate from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory if I need a chocolate fix. There are a few stores in the Triangle at the big malls.

I like chocolate in small quantities. I’m not a chocaholic though. I’ve heard of people who go to these spas and get lathered in chocolate. That’s just kinda weird to me. Well…maybe it wouldn’t be so strange if someone told me what the experience was really like. But for now, I think it just sounds over-the-top ’cause I don’t like the smell of chocolate…just the taste…

I like milk chocolate, and nuts in my chocoloate are okay too. I don’t mind white chocolate but dark chocolate is too bitter for me. I know people who love dark chocolate but they love chocolate in general. I think it’s an acquired taste. Any thoughts on this?

At the Rocky Mountain store, I will get a few pieces of chocolate when I’m there. I like the bears. They don’t actually look like bears — they look like big clusters of chocolate with whatever is in ‘em. Maybe the name bears came about ’cause they’re fiercely gooood. But maybe they’re actually called bear claws??? They kinda look like those. Usually the nuts like cashews or almonds give ‘em their shape. I also like the haystacks that have coconut. I’m not really a big truffle person though. But I do like the chocolate dipped oranges, apricots, pineapple and peaches. …Can you tell I get a little excited talking about sweets as I tend to ramble?

A little warning. The chocolate there ain’t cheap chocolate. If you want to save money, reach for a drugstore candy bar. Rocky Mountain chocolate and goods behind the case are priced by weight. Most my selected pieces are usually over a dollar a piece. I got my three pieces this time and it cost about $5. So then I liked it even more if ya know what I mean. But three pieces is usually all I allow myself to bring home. I know where to get more.

Rocky Mountain makes their own chocolate covered apples. They have all kinds of wild flavors. Like Avalanche Apple pictured below. It’s actually a Granny Apple in disguise. The description, since you can’t read it in the sign is: caramel-apple Granny Apple layered with white confection, peanut butter, chocolate chips drizzled with white confection. They also have Cheesecake Flavors and many others. They’re like $6.95 each. I think I’d prefer an actual piece of cheesecake. But they’re neat to look at for a sweet tooth like me.

Here’s one of the employees putting the finishing chocolate drizzling touches on the apples. If I worked there I’m certain I would gain a few pounds. She looked unaffected. Not that I knew her but she didn’t seem to have any chocolate fat on her whatsoever. Good for her.

Raleigh's One Stop Garden Shop

Brandy — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:26:33 +0000

One of my favorite things to shop for are plants. But not just any plants. The ones specifically at Logan’s at Raleigh’s Seaboard Station. Why do I say so? ‘Cause I think they’ve got the best selection I’ve ever seen. There are so many options. I can easily spend over an hour at that place. They’re also very helpful with hints and how to take care of plants. I’m a house plant girl but come spring or summer, I like to find outdoor plants.

Here’s Super Friendly and Helpful Bob.

He suggested these Calathea plants for me in my office that gets northern light exposure. The one he’s holding is actually the one I bought. It’s got some pink lines running through each leaf. He made a funny about how it reminded him of that elementary school art project where you take the carbon paper and with another piece of paper rub and draw with a writing tool over it. That took me back for a second. I chuckled ‘cause I remember carving out a giraffe once. I think it was in fourth grade or so.

They’ve got a huge pot selection too. But the funny thing is they didn’t have the one color of pot I was looking for which is a red pot ‘cause I have a red wall in my office that I wanted it to go with. But then a woman came out and asked me if I needed some help. And I told her what I was looking for and she immediately went in the back to see if they had anything like it. They didn’t but Bob showed me some other options with her and I found what I needed.

Logan’s also has some great gifts inside that you gotta check out. A lot of unique true-ism gifts and home improvement goods.

I bought some fresh peaches too, to bring home. They usually have a nice selection by the check out area. They also offered me a Logan’s Reward Card and told me the benefits so I signed up. It was free. You accumulate points I believe like you would with any other frequent flyer type card.

Oh and don’t forget to check out and get a bite at the restaurant there.

Raleigh Peche de Chocolat

Make Your Own Handmade Creations!

Brandy — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:46:16 +0000

Everything beads is what I think of when I think of this Raleigh store called Ornamentea. It’s not a big store but you could make a lot of jewelry and arts and crafts stuff with what they carry. It’s like a small Michael’s store specializing in beads. You can make your own felted wool creations too if you have time on your hands.

They have classes too most days of the week for adults and kids. You should check it out if you’re into that crafty sorta thing.

Raleigh Shopping Spree Event

Hidden Downtown Raleigh Consignment Store U Gotta See

Brandy — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 20:07:05 +0000

Raleigh has several consignment stores but one downtown is filled with low priced designer clothing. You may not be able to see the “Get Dressed” sign but you’ll see this mannequin posing outside on West Street (the one in the yellow dress…the other one is me). Sometimes you can see the train go by above across the street. It’s a neat part of downtown Raleigh.

But unlike a boutique, Get Dressed is a very large warehouse with more than just a few articles of clothing. Normally I’m not a fan to look at previously worn clothing, but some of the stuff there is really cute and designer branded. And a lot of vintage stuff – you know what’s out is in.

I felt very nostalgic as they were playing 80’s music (probably on a record player…are u old enough to remember those?). As I walked past the dolled up mannequin at the entrance, I turned left to the open entrance and saw a couch and lots of vintage clothing…

And they were playing Talking Heads “Psycho Killer”. I had a quick flashback of Annie Potts from the record store scene from “Pretty in Pink” movie… and her outrageous dramatic clothing. If you can ignore the lyrics, title, and video that are super morose, ironically the music is upbeat and catchy. It puts me in a bob-my-head-around good mood… like that new Pink song, “Please Don’t Leave Me”…da da da da! …

I like to look at one of a kind stuff. That can be harder to find at the mall where clothing is very mainstream. Here you see a lot of different types of clothes for men and women in mint condition. You also see vintage (maybe antique?) furniture and toys. As long as it’s not like old used spooky stuff like a Raggedy Ann or clown from someone’s Hope Chest from 30 years back, I’ll consider it. Btw, I don’t like clowns (you couldn’t pay me to stay at the Circus Circus hotel in Vegas .

At this Get Dressed consignment store, you see a ‘sale’ sign like this but prices are already slashed. Like this Michael Stars top. It was only $17. And saving money especially in this economy, is en vogue.

Michael Stars Clothing

And most the clothing is actually sorta cool and hip. It’s definitely not like hand me downs passed on from when you were a kid. Did they have designer clothes back then?

After walking around a bit (it’s a big store), I was getting really hot even though there were some fans running. I’m not sure if their AC was working so I don’t recommend going on a super hot day like I did. Maybe they could put a tiki bar there and serve cold refreshments…ooh…what a concept!

Raleigh Doggie Gourmet Treats

Brandy — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:27:36 +0000

Apollo meets a Great Dane

Want to get some gourmet treats for your pooch? Raleigh is a super dog friendly town with all the dog parks and all kinds of outdoor places where dogs can go. Lucky for my Apollo!

There used to be a free standing Just Dogs! Barkery that looked like a dog house (how cute)…

in Five Points, but that closed a few years ago. There are these little franchised kiosks inside the malls. But if you want real custom dog treats then take your pooch to Gourmutt’s Bakery on Falls of Neuse.

Apollo got some free ice cream there. Like momma like boy. He loved the ice cream! Not the kind I’d want to try but he couldn’t get enough of it.

Peanut butter is one of his fav’rite flavors like these peanut butter bone flavored cookies… And anything meaty. I guess he’s a carnivore.

A Southern Season Gourmet Food Shopping…15-75% Inventory Clearance

Brandy — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:37:16 +0000

Here in the Triangle we do have gourmet shops. My favorites are located in Chapel Hill. And one that stands out is A Southern Season. It’s a large grocery store that has the neatest stuff. Right now they have a big inventory clearance sale where everything is 15-75% off. That includes coffees, teas, seasonings, pastas, sauces, mixes and anything else you see. They have a lot of gift, entertaining, and housewares stuff also. And pre-made gift baskets. I like pushing around their little grocery carts. Those are the ones you usually see in a city since the aisles and stores are smaller.

The sweets section is my fav’rite! That shouldn’t come as a shock…

Pre-made Baskets Sale

They’ve got a few shelves of every kinds of Moravian cookie you can imagine. Moravian cookies are those delicate thin cookies, really popular here in Raleigh.

A Southern Season's Moravian Cookie Selection

And they have a whole section on just gummy candies. Any and everything you can think of. These Haribo gummies remind me of visiting Germany as a kid. They’re the original ones (there were some fake imitations that were out for awhile at the stores).

And back in the 80s throughout Europe they had these candies called Smarties. They were pretty much a colorful version of M&Ms that came in this colorful cardboard tube. But back to gummies…gosh, my mind gets so lost in la-la land when I think of sweets! …they’ve got this new kind of gummy candy called gummy pasta. Get it?…it took me a second. You can’t run gummy candies past me without my noticing…remember that saying…can’t pull the wool over my eyes? Well, I don’t usually miss when there’s a new flavor in town! Remember the old gummy sharks and frogs? Those are more for the kids. Me, I like the gummy cherries the best. Great sweet value as you get two cherries each instead of just one!

Gummy Candies

I also love those rolled up red licorice candies. When I was younger they reminded me of records. Funny, the things you remember!

They also have a big jelly belly section. I’m not a nut over those but I do like the popcorn jelly bean. It’s different. Kinda tastes like a sweet caramel and hint of salt flavor.

But once you make it out of the candy and sweets aisles, which can take awhile for me…you’re at the back of the store. That’s where the wines are stored. Their wines are broken out by country or region. I like that. It makes it much easier to find a special wine.

I was kinda disappointed that on my trip there were no tastings anywhere. They definitely had what seemed to be enough employees walking around that could’ve manned something like that.

Raleigh's Apple Store…

Brandy — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 19:08:57 +0000

Raleigh's Apple Store

On any given Saturday, the Apple store in Raleigh is full of people young and old. Where do they all come from?? It’s amazing… for so many of the past years, the store is still buzzing! I mean you wonder what more is there that these people don’t have? (Don’t the Apple fans have everything they could possibly need at this point?) Apparently not but there’s more it to it I’m sure. Perhaps that’s you and you can help me answer that… I haven’t turned myself onto the iPhone yet. I guess I’m just happy without complicating my life at this point. But I guess, it’s suppose to make life easier.

I am, though, a big IPOD fan. I carry my IPOD (“Poddy”) with me everywhere. She needs a new pink paint job. And maybe a trip to the spa! And she’s an older model but still slim and sleek. In fact she’s an old retired “mini” but she’s far from small in my eyes as she carries all my tunes. And she’s classy and well dressed with all the accessories! Now that’s my kind of girl!

Raleigh vintage clothing and accessories store…

Brandy — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:44:47 +0000

If you like eclectic contemporary and vintage clothing, Anthropologie could be your place. The one in the Raleigh area at the outdoor section of Southpoint opened this past spring. When you first enter, you kinda get the sense that you’re in a very big store that winds around. It’s the type of place that is visually stimulating to browse and shop around at. For some reason I always start on the left hand side…

It feels like you’re walking around tree branches. It reminds of when Banana Republic first opened its doors in the late eighties and they had this really different jungle theme with all kinds of outdoor jungle props. Back then, that was waaay different and perhaps what helped lead them to their success.

Here’s a photo of a Banana Republic purse I purchased back in the day. I like to keep my own vintage stuff in case you haven’t noticed .

At Anthropologie, I think their clothing is very girly. There’s a lot of frills and braids and all kinds of detailing. One of my Anthropologie sweater wraps has what looks like hackey sack balls all around it. These fine details weigh down the sweater to give it some additional wavy curves. I think it’s called the Octopus sweater and that’s what I call it anyway ‘cause that’s what it looks like a little bit. I like their unique stuff with details.

They use nice materials like wool and nice cotton but the clothing I’ve owned is delicate. You’re better off handwashing with Woolite and still you have to be careful the fine threads in the clothes. I put all mine in clear plastic bags to preserve them better.

They also sell perfumes, soaps, jewelry, tapestry, pillows, furniture, door knobs, kitchenware, books, and stuff you would find and new neat stuff you’d kinda find at a yard sale.

And speaking of sales…there’s a sale area in the back that you don’t wanna miss! Their dressing rooms are kinda cool. They write your name with a special pen on the mirror.