Poppy does Chicago

What a weekend--a real culture-vulture marathon, and just generally busy.
Thank goodness I lost my cellphone.

This meant, of course, that I needed a new one. I wanted a new one, anyway. The old one was kind of clunky and didn't do anything but make calls. No camera, no games, no video, no internet.

By buying a new phone at the Cingular store, I could keep the old number, but everything else was new and (to me, at least) ooh-la-la fancy. I got the Motorola Razr. In pink, of course. With the bluetooth ear thingie. If you never hear from me again, it's because I'm playing Tetris on my cellphone.

Back to Saturday. Walking east to Michigan Avenue, the first store I saw was Coach. So of course I had to go in and check out the Coach Lilly-esque patchwork bags. I thought about it for all of ... 20 seconds, and then I bought the medium-sized Hamptons patchwork tote bag. (I blame Elizabeth of The Preppy Cafe for corrupting me!)

Then I headed up to the Gap because we're heading to Florida next month and I need to bump up my t-shirt supply. The Gap was so crowded I couldn't stand it. Never again. I keep forgetting that for some tourists, the high point of their visit to Chicago is heading to North Michigan Avenue to shop at ... the Gap. They did have some very cute striped canvas tote bags and espadrilles, but I couldn't take the crowds. I'll check out the local store during the week when the kids are in school.

I then headed to Sephora because with a new pink cell phone and a new spring bag, what would be better than a new palette?

I checked out Hard Candy, Urban Decay, and Stila, but the palette that really caught my attention was Pop Cosmetic's "Beaming Popette." The palette is turquoise-colored metal (not cardboard) and has a mirrored lid. Four eyeshadows (one pearl, and three in beautiful shades of green) a shimmery peach highlighter, and three glosses.

While I was there I decided to pick up Tarte's "The Toolbox" eyebrow kit. I've used the way-cheap (and unfortunately discontinued) Revlon eyebrow kit, which consisted of a pan of brow color, a pan of brow wax, and a stiff brush. It worked great, but as I said, it's discontinued, and everyone who makes something like it charges $30 and up. Then there's the high end Chanel product: $60 will get you the eyebrow color, tweezers, a mirror, and a brow brush. Or the Anastasia product, which I believe goes for $120.

The Tarte eyebrow kit has: brow color, brow wax, a set of little tweezers, three brow stencils, a brow pencil, a tube of clear mascara, and a brush for applying the color. Pretty much everything you need in a box the size of two lipsticks. The eyebrow color comes in three shades; I opted for light.

Let me tell you--you haven't lived until you've played around with brow stencils. I had eyebrows like a movie star, man.

I also picked up the Tarte doubled-ended lipglosses in Ferris and Sloane. (They're pretty in the tube, but don't really show up all that much on the lips.)

My last stop was at Talbot's. I really try not to be so boring, but I just wanted to pick up a couple of t-shirts. And the pima cotton short sleeved t-shirts are lovely--not at all see-through, with a gorgeous hand, and a nice fit--not the boxiness I have come to expect from Talbot's. I got pink and turquoise. I'll probably pick up a few more colors to finish filling the t-shirt drawer, and then I'm done.

Spring 2006--bring it on! I'm ready!