The Circus at JPJ

So when I was a kid I went to the Circus and I was amazed at all the acts and how fantastical everything was. Everything just seemed larger than life. 20 years later.... A friend of mine had two tickets to the Circus at John Paul Jones Arena that he wasn't going to use, so Betsy and I decided to take them off his hands. Let me tell you that the circus is a lot different when you are 24 than when you are a little kid. The whole thing seemed pretty small and most of the acts were kind of lame. The highlights of the show were the elephants (duh...) and a really funny clown who wasn't really a clown at all. He was more like a silly Frenchman who does bicycle tricks. (I should mention that his outrageous French accent slipped into an Australian accent sporadically) The climax of the show (for me anyways) was this silly Frenchman riding a bicycle that was about 10 inches long through a hoop of fire. We enjoyed ourselves, but we probably wouldn't spend $20 on tickets again.

Lee's Grill

This is a small restaurant just east of 14th and University on the Corner. It has very good cheap Asian food. It has Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and other Southeast Asian dishes. I had a Vietnamese beef noodle soup and Betsy had a grilled beef dish. Both dishes were very good, and at the right price this place will become a once-in-a-while lunch stop for me. The service was excellent and the waitress made us feel very comfortable. I think they do take out too, so it might give us a break from Asian Express.

O Suzannah

O Suzannah is an adorable stationary (which I love) store on one of the side streets off the downtown mall. I had had a few friends recommend I check it out. The store is much bigger than it seems and is packed with journals, calendars, cards, books, pens, and other knick-knacks. The owner apparently loves planners so I already felt a kinship with the store :) We were there right before Christmas so it was pretty crowded. I doubt this is the norm so I'll have to check it out again when I can take my time browsing. A great place for gifts and cute office supplies.

Posh Style

On our C'ville exploration day today, we stopped in any stores we had been meaning to check out but had never gone in. My mom told me to pop into Posh as she met the owner and loved her. First thing - a little old lady was sitting on the couch right in front of the door and greeted Charlie and I with "you are welcome". The store carries vintage jewelry, gloves, purses, and other nic-nacs but they also carry some cute quirky clothes - some Michael Kors mixed with some designers I haven't seen anywhere else. The store smelled like Charlie's grandmother's house and definitely had some charm. I might stop in again if I'm looking for a little vintage gift. Worth checking out at least once.

Eloise

I am in love with this store! I could just sit in here for hours and love my life.

The clothes are super cute - and you should see their clothes for kids - expensive, but cute. Sitting right on Water Street, Eloise carries Nanette Lepore, Theory, fabulous jeans and tees, James Perse, and super fun jewelry. They have a bargain bin the back of the store and a great couch area for boyfriends (or fiances) who have been dragged along.

You have to check it out!

Wonderful, just wonderful!