Erin McDermott

I started teaching/subbing at a day school and found out that one of the preschool teachers I work with makes jewelry when she isn't busy teaching. Erin McDermott is super cute, friendly and I just checked out her website. Several Charlottesville papers have interviewed/reviewed Erin and her jewelry and have loved her.

The names of her designs are fabulous and fun and while I don't really wear jewelry other than a crappy, tiny pair of diamond studs and my engagement ring, each of her designs is totally adaptable to whatever style you are wearing and are totally flirty and cheerful.

Just a little shout out.

Little John's

This place is great. I have been here for lunch many times, and I have had many of their sandwiches (it is mainly a sandwich joint). For the price, it is probably the best place for lunch on the corner. Everything I have had there is good, and I have had a lot. My favorite is the "Five Easy." They heat their sandwiches in a very hot oven right behind the counter. The sandwiches are delicious, and not pretentious like some of the other sandwich places in town. The staff is very friendly, and very good at what they do. They move a lot of people through the line very quickly during lunch. Also, I am not sure if they make them on-site, but their muffins may be the best I have ever had. Little Johns is on the corner, right in the middle of all the shops and restaurants on University Avenue. I highly recommend this place, even if you are not on a graduate student budget. Also, it is open 24 hours, and apparently their breakfast is good too.

Bristles

So I have been hearing about this hair place for years (my sister would splurge here when she was an undergrad at UVA) and decided to try it out. I have been going back and forth between short hair or long hair, bangs or no bangs...and eventually end up getting so fed up with this hair that I either get it chopped or cut my own bangs over the bathroom sink. Charlie waits by the doorway terrified of how I'm about to freak out because I just ruined my hair and will now need to rush to a hair salon to fix the bangs I just messed up. Needless to say, I have had sideswept bangs of some sort for almost 4 years now and don't see them going anywhere anytime soon.

This recently happened but the hack job was not too horrible that I had to rush to the salon. Instead, I was able to make an appointment for a trim (and a bang rescue) at Bristles. The stylist actually took time to check out my hair and talk to me about what I was looking for and how I wore my hair regularly. I usually throw my hair up in a pony tail within minutes of blowdrying/styling...but so far (and it has been a week) I have worn my hair down every day. The hair cut is super cute and something I can wear anyway I want. I even had a crush on the girl's hair who went right before me...short, shaggy, awesome bangs. And my favorite part - I didn't have that helmet head that you often have when the hair stylist sprays half a can of hairspray on you just before you leave the chair.

Overall, well deserving of the Reader's Choice Awards they have received for 10 years in a row.

(and if you want the name of the stylist who did my cute new do, Bristles is offering a 25% discount for referrals for both parties) :)

Mellow Mushroom

I have been here a couple of times for lunch. My favorite pizza is very thin crust New York style and although this is not what they make at Mellow Mushroom, they do make excellent gourmet style pizza. I especially like their "Gourmet White" pizza, which has a couple of different cheeses and fresh vegetables. It is a little on the pricey side for lunch, especially because I usually get their delicious cinnamon sugar pretzels (in general I usually end up spending 8 or 9 bucks), but I will probably continue coming here for lunch every month or so. The Mellow Mushroom is on the corner, east of 14th street on Main St.


Betsy says "my older sister had our family all together for dinner at Mellow Mushroom before her wedding and everyone loved it. Grandma was a little confused as to what 'shrooms' were but enjoyed her sandwich even with the mysterious shrooms on it. I made my own pizza with meatballs, sausage, and olives on it and it was very good. Their salads are also fab and fresh."

feast!

So, we live right behind the Main Street Market (which is fabulous) and recently discovered Feast! - a gourmet deli and grocery store. Their prosciutto mozzarella sandwich is now my new favorite lunch item. While the deli closes at 3:00pm, there are fresh pre-made sandwiches available. The sandwich I had had proscuitto, fresh mozz. slices, a roasted tomato spread and fresh basil on an ABC baguette. It was surprisingly light and fulfilling. The fresh limeade is also delish.

Charlie had been there before and bought an italian sandwich. He says it was "mmmm delicious".

While the sandwiches are a big hit in our house, the groceries are somewhat pricey. We bought a chunk of cheddar that is quite good, but cost more than a comparable cheddar at the traditional grocery store. Charlie bought a last minute carton of eggs one evening, and while organic and from a farm nearby, they were double the price of organic eggs at the grocery store.

Check out the sandwiches (around $8 each) and enjoy the cute and fresh atmosphere.