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!

Splendora's

This gelato parlor on the downtown mall is quite fabulous and they have tons of fun flavors, including a newly discovered Apple Cider flavored gelato. I think this flavor may be a close second to Turkey Hill's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (not like they are very comparable). It was delicious and very comforting while at the same time fresh and refreshing.

Charlie highly recommends any of their coffee flavored gelatos.

I just get the bambino sized cup (just one scoop) while Charlie opts for the small - which gives you the option of having two flavors.

Mmm Mmm

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."