NORDSTROM, HERE I COME

I was one of the 2,000 guests at the gala grand-opening fundraiser at Nordstrom at the Eaton Centre last night and was blown away. It was 213,000 square feet of fabulousity. Holt Renfrew must be quaking in its stilettos. There were two traffic-stopping fashion shows staged at a tented facility across the street at Dundas Square and it all went off flawlessly. No fashion roadkill; kudos to the planners. The food and booze flowed, the staff was plentiful and attentive without being obsequious, and the entertainment rocked. Who knew a band called Dwayne Gretzky was so cool? And I even bought a pair of sneakers. I am not a sneakers girl but they were black Michael Kors with faux-fur magenta accents. Besides, how could I not? Nordstrom started out selling shoes and morphed into this department store with a Barneys vibe minus the attitude.

A view from the red carpet lineup of real, live mannequins posing in the Nordstrom window.

A greeting from Nordstrom staffer Dale, who I have known since he worked at Holt Renfrew, then at The Room in Hudson’s Bay. He has defected from the Bay to become personal shopper at Nordstrom. There is a lot of that going around.

Another dapper Nordstrom dude, who works in the handbag department.

Maybe he can help me track down this amazing Mongolian fur tote bag, as seen on the runway in the fashion show. I had asked a staffer on the floor, who consulted her boss, who found out that it was a Stella McCartney bag specifically brought in for the show but she would go on-line for me. I didn’t wait around, figuring she would blow me off, and went about my business of checking out the store but she actually searched me out in the bar area (safe guess), took my contact deets and promised to call when and if it came in. Now that is customer service!

Another dramatic runway look. The designers included Alexander Wang, Burberry, Marc Jacobs, Marchesa, Missoni, Lanvin, Loewe, Simone Rocha and Sonia Rykiel.

Fun faux fur on parade on the main-floor accessories department.

A trio of sassy femmes in quirky chapeaux poses for the paps.

The second-floor bar complete with banquettes, is a welcome watering hole but wreaks havoc with sales resistance. It also gives the store a grown-up vibe without being stuffy.

The catering included pizza in what looks like a cigarette box. The smudgy glass (don’t judge me, the pizza was a tad greasy) gives you an idea of the scale.

A tray of devilled eggs, minus the one I scarfed down. Why was I the only one eating them? What is wrong with people?

The biker jacket I so lust after that I stumbled upon on the second floor, which carries labels from Madewell to Marchesa. 

The coolest guy in the place had to be stylist Luis Rajiv, who is wearing an ensemble consisting of hand-cut brown leather trousers on the bottom and Japanese obi at the back, topped by layers of neck pieces.

Moi and Derick Chetty, current fashion director at Zoomer and former Toronto Star colleague, sit one out.

Footnote: This is how it's done. The gold medalist in the shopping Olympics is John Maloney, Oakville transplant to Dallas, where he is a mild-mannered accessory designer. This haul was in London, England, and he claims it's all for research.

HOLIDAZE

Happy New Year. The holidays are finito. It’s all over but the caloric aftershock. I am still suffering from fromage overdose. I consumed so much cheese I swear I have become lactose intolerant.

The upside is there are heavy-duty sales going on. On New Year’s Eve, I dropped by the Kind Exchange location in The Beach just for the exercise, lured inside by the 50 per cent off signage in the window. They were doing brisk business, primarily women seeking the perfect LBD for that night. They'd left it dangerously late, but everyone seemed to find something, thereby alleviating the eventuality of showing up at the party in underwear. 

I scored a Mickey Mouse tank for $3 (because a girl can’t have too much Disney product on her body), a Calvin Klein moto jacket for $17 and a Stella McCartney dress for $30, which I had interviewed at Winners for 10 times the price. I had a brief flirtation with a Danier black leather blazer but was discouraged from purchasing it by fellow shoppers who pronounced it too big and boring.  Such is the camaraderie among thrifters. 

Big bargoons are to be had at Anthropologie, my go-to for yummy dinnerware, specifically the hand-painted plates from Paris when they are on sale. I glommed onto an impossibly cute bunny bread-and- butter plate that was originally $14, marked down to $6.99 and reduced another 40 per cent. It was a no-brainer:  my Starbucks green tea latte costs more than that. 

But the granddaddy of savings is the $1.98 floor at Ends in The Beach. Everything is new and everything is $1.98 -- including trousers and jackets. Lots of samples but you have to be prepared to hunt. I cashed out with a bag of goodies totaling $18 and including a fake fur collar, three tank tops for Rob originally marked at $45 each, a wool beret with cool grommets and an army jacket. 

Merry markdowns everyone.

Our version of a Christmas tree this year -- because our kitten Sammy Davis Jr. Jr. is a one-cat wrecking crew. This arrangement somehow remained unscathed for a remarkable two weeks.

Me and Christine Henry, my bestie from grade 10, doing a selfie at the subway after our traditional holiday dinner in Greektown. The venues vary but the wine count is inevitably in the two-bottle range.

We had a minor holi-blaze this year involving the old-crow-regarding-skull installation on the kitchen window. The skull is a candle which I left unattended. No casualties, except the old crow got a hot foot.

I encountered this foxy TTC fare inspector at my local Starbucks. She manages to look like Pam Grier à la Foxy Brown even decked out in bulky Kevlar vest. But not all fare inspectors are so affable. I got yelled at by one for taking a photo of an ad in the subway. Apparently photography is forbidden on TTC property. Seriously?

Cute couple alert at our fave local eatery, Xola. They are fashionistas with complimentary head wear and are both texting after dinner, for which she picked up the tab.