Hand Shake First Date
You left me getting my groove back. Thanks to Shop Girl's moving in next door, her mandate of Saturday nights out (SNO) and the requisite new look to accompany said mandate, I'm grooving again. At least, I think I am - or, if hand shakes are "in", I am. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

It all started two weeks ago on a SNO. A group of girls had gone out for dinner at a swank new place, and having had our girl non-meals, we descended (with plenty of fanfare) onto the even swankier bar. I'm lucky to be associated with Shop Girl as her friends are very cool/hip/beautiful. (Read: they'd never ask me to dinner on my own. I'm like a free side of fries. No one passes up a free side of fries even if they wouldn't have ordered it on their own.) Anyhoo, we were a table full of lovelies - the young(ish) and the chic. I was very confident as I hadn't gotten a 'V' in over a week. (Shop Girl has relegated to giving me a 'V' when my outfit/comment/thought process makes me a fashion/lifestyle "Victim" rather than an icon. Palm facing in, she forms a 'V' with her pointer and middle finger and puts the tips on her forehead effectively sending me back to the boudoir. She's like the Donald Trump of the small town fashion world.) V-free, I felt quite liberated from my usual does-my-hair-look-flat/has-my-blush-faded/does-my-butt-look-big neuroses. Like I said, I was grooving again.

So, at the bar, I see a guy I knew from my immediately-post-college party days. We chat about this that and the other. We joke, we laugh and we flirt moderately. (The new me doesn't flirt excessively like the old me. New me with SNO mandate has much more subtle fashion and flirt tactics. Overt flirting, like logo-mania, is so-last-season.) I try to remember why I didn't crush on him in my former life. Can't recall. The night ends.

Two days later, he calls and asks me to dinner. This may seem normal for you but this is tres bizarre for moi. I usually daydream about the dinner date or about what my name would be if we got married - but they never really call. So, suffice it to say, I was ecstatic. And after much outfit anxiety and wardrobe counseling, I'm ready to go. Heels, handbag, fresh mani and glossy lips.

Date rundown: Dinner = good. Conversation = good. Laughter quotient = high. Flirting = slightly less subtle, but mutually so. Drive home = casual, not awkward like every other first date of entire life. Walk to the door = sweet. Farewell parting = hand shake. RECORD SCREECHING ON OTHERWISE PERFECT MOMENT. Who hand shakes at the end of a date? A judge? And worse, I instigated it. He sort of smiled and said he had fun and before you could say 'dork alert', I thrust my hand out for a firm farewell. Don't spend too much time with me. You may never kiss again.

That said, he has since called twice and I think I'll see him at a party this weekend. So, it seems my hand shake didn't wreak too much havoc. It makes no sense to me. I thought everyone kissed on the first date - even if just cheek-to-cheek. Who knew? Have I entered a new era? Another chapter? Or have the rules changed? We are at war. Maybe dating is adapting to our political environment. Or maybe, just maybe, I'm ahead of my time. And the hand shake is the next in cool. Perhaps, but when I asked Shop Girl, she just rolled her eyes and gave me a V.

she she me Sponsor: Charlotte's Jewelry & Gifts
It's true that giving is much better than receiving. Especially if you're one of the rare fashionistas that always wow your friends with your extraordinary ability to give the perfect gift. Not always able to put your chicest slingback forward when it comes to gifting? No worries, Charlotte's Jewelry & Gifts can turn anyone into the perfect gifter.

One step into this gift and accessory haven and you'll swear off malls forever. Charlotte'shas something for everyone. And with Mother's Day and Graduations coming up, your list is anything but short. With engravable grosgrain ribbon necklaces and bracelets ($29), grosgrain belts and Griffin & Cooke grosgrain watches ($97), they have gifts to satisfy even the preppiest of chic.

You're sure to find something worth pining over in Charlotte's extensive offering of jewelry (many of which are local designers). Favorite designers include Marie DeMasie, Boe, Chan Luu, MollyBeads and Allyson Hardy. They also have the much coveted ribbon strand of pearls. One could spend half a day admiring the jewelry alone. But that's far from all there is to see. You will find gifts for the home, yummy treats for the spa-lover and even chi chi accessories for your favorite canine.

And because all that gifting can make a girl tired, treat yourself to a chic box of Lulu Guinness stationery. Our favorite British bag designer has gone paper on us and she does it oh-so-chicly. Once your gift giving has improved its only natural that your correspondence follow suit

Visit any of Charlotte's three locations in North Carolina for fun gifts and cute accessories. You can also learn about their collection on their website www.charlottesinc.com
2034 Cameron St., Raleigh, North Carolina 27605 Phone 919.821.9828
5929 Triangle Town Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27616 Phone 919.792.2303
The Forum, Wilmington, North Carolina 28405 Phone 910.509.9701