So I've heard...

KrisTEES was recognized on stage by Mayor Bloomberg in his State of the City speech last week (video). Congrats to Kristie Foster and her lovely boutique on 23rd Ave.

The new Lebanese place on 31st Street is gaining quite a following after only being open a short time. Haddad's is serving tasty food at great prices. From one Astorian, "Apparently the place was packed, and there was a bit of a line out the door."

Rèst Âü Ránt finally has a new website: http://www.rarbarlic.com

Il Bambino is now serving brunch, with new menu items, including about 12 new panini, most containing egg. They've also put together some new cheese plates, sourced from Murray's. Come by for a taste of some rare and amazing cheeses from around the world, and some interesting new sandwiches.

After my two most recent meals at Sweet Afton, I can say without a doubt, that their burger is the best in Astoria, having surpassed my previous favorite from Sparrow. As you know, too, Sweet Afton is serving brunch, and the burger is served with an egg, which is totally yummy. More about that later.

According to their newsletter, Winegasm is putting together Wine and Chess gatherings on Saturdays from 12-4pm. Coffee and free pastries apparently are in the mix.

LIC gets screwed by the MTA. In MTAspeak:
"No 7 trains between Times Sq and Queensboro Plaza. The N, Q, S and free shuttle buses provide alternate service. Weekends, 11:30 PM Fri to 5 AM Mon, Jan 29 - Feb 1."
Actually, reports say that service will be suspended on 10 weekends, total, so that's a PITA for 7 train riders until the first weekend in April.  If you can get yourself to LIC by other ways, I salute you.  The businesses there will need our support during this strange time.

Unfamiliar and mysterious fast food is coming to Astoria:  Texas-based Wingstop and California-based Submarina California Subs (never heard of them, says this native Californian) will be here soon.

Vesta is holding a Super Bowl Sunday event! YUM. Judith posts over on The Foodista: "They're having a celebration in honor of the big game, including a special "gametime menu," raffles and opportunities to win prizes including Vesta, Sweet Afton, Locale and Hell Gate Social gift certificates, as well as a dinner with me, your Foodista."

These bunny pillows over on SITE are the cutest!!

Astorian Weekend Edition, 14.01.10

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday weekend!  I envy you lucky ducks that get Monday off.  This is a great weekend to relax and enjoy your time away from the office, and remember what this man did for our country.

On Monday, the MOMI has a bunch of great stuff going on that appeals to both kids and adults.  Be sure to check out the video games while you're there, one of the coolest parts of the place, IMO.

This weekend is a good opportunity to stop by KrisTEES (24-01 23rd Avenue) to check out their big winter sale. Save from 25-60% off on coats, dresses, blouses, handbags, and lots more. Ethereal Boutique (47-38 Vernon Boulevard, 1L) is also having a sale this weekend, with party dresses, winter merchandise, and furnishings available.

At Parrot Market on Ditmars (31-12 Ditmars Blvd), they receive a delivery of a very delicious Romanian sweet bread every Friday. It's a yeasted bread dough with a swirl of walnuts and chocolate inside. Really delicious, and at $9.99 it's a special treat. It's especially good toasted with butter. If you can stop by for a loaf, I highly recommend it. While you're there, take a peek at the cured meat products in the back refrigerator, the olive bar, and the homemade phyllo pastries.

On Saturday, the weather is supposed to be stellar, temperature-wise. I've been running in Astoria Park this week, and have loved seeing the amazing sunrises we've had. It should be nice enough for a brisk walk with a friend - and bring your dog with you if you'd like to socialize with other dog owners, as Saturday mornings are filled with dogs romping around (supervised by their humans, of course).

Brunch is coming to Sweet Afton (30-09 34th Street)! I was fortunate enough to be invited for a preview of their brunch last weekend, and it was awesome. I'll post more about it later, but for now, take a look at Judith's rundown of a wonderful new brunch menu in the neighborhood.

Shine 2009

Just wanted to make sure you all knew about this event tomorrow! From Kristie Foster:

On Wednesday, Dec 2nd, from 5-10 p.m. KrisTEES is happy to present to you Shine 2009.

This evening is a collaboration by various artists bringing their skills to life with the energy of the holidays along with the spirit of Fashion. Inspired by the movie Where the Wild Things Are, the evening will be a magical!

Featuring:

Mieko Anekawa: Our very talented local artist who literally will be using the store windows as a canvas to inspire all!

Hitomi Nozawa: This expressionist dance artist will be showcasing her skills in an interactive window while finding her way through the “mystical forest” Mieko has created.

Valcarcel: Local designer duo Peter Valcarcel and Arianna Ward will be costuming Hitomi in the window, as well as showcasing their new Holiday looks.

Ruico Oshika: this local stylist will be treating all to a complimentary holiday make-up look using vibrant new colors for all your stand-out events.

Designer Trunk Show- Meet hand selected designers with great items for yourself or for gift giving.

And New Arrivals to get you ready for the holidays!

KrisTees
24-01 23rd Ave
Astoria

Astoria’s Second Annual "Fashion: Astoria Style"

More fashion fun! From Kristie Foster of KrisTees:

On Thursday, October 15th, KrisTees and Candy Plum boutiques have joined forces again to choreograph Astoria’s Second Annual Fashion: Astoria Style fashion show. This year the venue is at Central Lounge, located over here on the Ditmars side of Astoria. It is going to be an awesome night (and the venue is going to be amazing), including many inspiring fall/holiday fashion looks, fashion fine art by local artist Mieko Anekawa, and artistic dance performances! Should we say more?

RSVP for an event tote and enjoy a complimentary drink from Central.


Fashion Astoria Style #2
Central Lounge and Restaurant
Thursday, October 15th
Doors open at 6 p.m., show begins at 8 p.m.
RSVP for complimentary event tote to: astoriafashion@gmail.com or call 718.721.2299

Fashion's Night Out at Kristees

Kristees is participating in Fashion's Night Out, part of a global initiative to celebrate fashion. Particularly notable for the evening:

Local designers showcasing their new fall collections include Valcarcel, The Divine Tribe (exotic bags and clutches), Asami Hotta (vintage inspired re-created jewelry), deChow (knit wrist bands), Elizabeth Dooley (NYC photography), and Baby Noir (baby wear).

Henna Artist Sunita Iqbal will be designing complimentary body art for those with the adventurous spirit

You'll get a first peek at new fall looks through KrisTees’ contemporary designers, including Nicholas K, Blue Notch, Bobi, and T.Tandon.

Complimentary refreshments will be served throughout the night.

Fashion's Night Out at Kristees

September 10th

6-11 p.m.

24-01 23rd Avenue

718-204-5031

KrisTees Summer Sale

Kristees is in the midst of their summer sale!

Just a heads up that KrisTees SUMMER SALE has begun!

All summer clothing items will be marked from 20% to 60% off. Lots of great summer dresses and skirts still left and some great comfortable tees and novelty tops as well! In addition, sandals are on sale starting at $35 to novelty heels at $65.

Definitely worth a look and plenty more time to wear all of these items for summer. See you soon and stop in early for first picks!

KrisTees
24-01 23rd Avenue @ 24th Street
Astoria
718.204.5031

Astorian Weekend Edition 04.06.09

Thursday evening, stop by Kristees for their trunk show featuring NYC based designer duo Peter Valcarcel & Arianna Ward. And on the subject of Astoria clothing boutiques, did you know that Mimi's Closet has re-opened as Mimi's Market?

On Saturday, come celebrate 100 years of the Queensboro Bridge at Queensbridge Park (Vernon Blvd & 41st Avenue). From 1-6 p.m. there will be cultural and recreational activities along the waterfront. All events are free!

Also on Saturday, Socrates Sculpture Park presents the 2nd annual LIC Bike Parade. Working in collaboration with a variety of community groups, children and families are invited to celebrate LIC and the 100th birthday of the Queensboro Bridge, with bike decorating workshops, free bike helmet fittings and giveaways with the DOT-Traffic Safety Division, riding safety tips, and bike repairs. The parade begins at 2 p.m. and lasts about an hour, with a special performance by the Sunnyside Drum Corp, cyclists from Circus Amok and City Reliquary's Civic Riders Bicycle Club. Workshops are from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Queens Art Express continues on this weekend, with events at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (31-10 Thompson Avenue), Green Space (37-24 24th St. #301), and at the 33rd Street/Rawson 7 train stop. What is the Queens Art Express? It is "a multi-day multi-venue art extravaganza that will take place on three weekends in Spring 2009 (between May 30 - June 14) in the City’s most diverse borough. Emphasizing each venue’s unique show and accessibility by environmentally-friendly transportation, Queens Art Express features exhibitions, performances, and special events clustered around the No. 7 train."

While I was at the recent Dish du Jour food event (meatball battle!), I had a couple of things that I really liked: the meatballs from Vesta, and a passionfruit mousse cake at Artopolis. Both highly recommended!

Photo credit: NYC: Queensboro Bridge by wallyg on flickr, via a Creative Commons license.

Spring/Summer Trunk Show with Valcarcel

Kristees, one of Astoria's nicest boutiques, is having a trunk sale this Thursday. Details:



Up and coming NYC based designer duo Peter Valcarcel & Arianna Ward combine modern minimalism with a luxurious blend of modal jersey to create a subdued color palette of timeless, comfortable and luxurious dressing. From tunics, tops and sundresses, their looks are versatile and feel wonderful to wear!

Hope to see you there!

Thursday, June 4th
5-9 p.m.
KrisTees
24-01 23rd Avenue @ 24th Street
718-204-5031

Carnaval a Brick Cafe Next Week

The lovely ladies from KrisTees and Candy Plum have put together another fashion event! Here's the info:

I am very happy to announce that KrisTees & Candy Plum boutiques have gotten together once again to bring you another AWESOME Astoria Event!

Carnaval a Brick Cafe will be held on Thursday, March 26th at the Brick Cafe on the corner of 33rd Street & 31st Avenue.

Starting at 6PM and going till 10PM, we are inviting you to enjoy a very intimate evening of shopping among local designers launching their new spring lines… from tees, to jewelry, baby wear, house wares and accessories, there is something unique and handmade for all! Upon entering, you will receive a complimentary aperitif and then it is off to an atmosphere of spring innovation!

RSVP for the event to astoriafashion@gmail.com or call 718.721.2299.

We’ll see you there!

Sales this Weekend

I've been sick this week, so I'm a little slow on the trigger about these things, but I wanted to pass along these two weekend sale announcements to you all:

Loveday 31 (33-06 31st. Avenue) is having it's first official "recession-ista sale"!

Come cure your recession blues by getting a great deal on loads of items that have been marked down as low as 75% . All coats prices have been reduced and are now $45-$89, all vintage jewelry is 25% off, all leather jackets are $49, fall jackets are $25-$35, blouses are $19-$28, and all sweaters and skirts are $19!!! What a deal! In addition there is a special $12 vintage handbag sale, so come and dig in to our sale bin! We would love to see you!

KrisTees (24-01 23rd Avenue @ 24th Street) is having their big winter sale!!

Take 30 to 60% off designer clothes including coats, as well as select handbags & clutches, scarves & heels among other items.

We’ll see you soon & Happy New Year!

Astorian Weekend Edition 18.12.08

Here we are: it's crunch time for holiday shopping! Get your last full weekend of gift prep done locally.

If you're on a budget but still want something original, try locally grown Firelight Jewelry for that sweet lady in your life.

Clash Culture (34-03 34th St) is a pretty new fresh shop on 34th St. Find some slick original tees or some cool kicks for the little bit funky friend or
relative.

Don't forget your furry friends either! The welcoming folks over at The Jumping Bulldog (28-10 23rd Avenue) are more then happy to outfit Fido in some new gear.

For that hard to shop for style maven, try Site (35-11 34th Ave) for eclectic home goods. They are definitely good to keep in mind for random knick knacks too, my weakness!

Something a little different, you can find it at The Little Soap Shop (2207 36th St). Help that certain someone smell delicious and pamper them while your at it!

Still looking? Don't forget about some old standbys: Candy Plum , Kristees, and Loveday 31

There's a big one on Sunday! At Waltz (23-14 Ditmars) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., enjoy the Second Annual Holiday Flea Market. One of a kinds and local arts galore! And there is, of course, food and drink :)

End it all off at one of two holiday parties! Both L.I.C.Bar (45-58 Vernon Blvd) and Rapture (34-27 28th Ave) are holding an evening of merriment on Sunday. L.I.C. Bar is hoppin' from 8 to 11 p.m. with free grub. The Rapture fete also starts at 8 p.m. and with a new unwrapped children's toy, you get a free holiday cocktail and an entry for the big midnight raffle.

Now go out there and help this durn economy!

A free and fun activity for you- go now and vote for the Best and the Worst of Queens. Be heard!

View Larger Map

Astoria Holiday Shopping Bazaar

From Kristie Foster of KrisTees:

Astoria's first Holiday Shopping Bazaar is coming!

The location of our "Starry Night" shopping event is at Cup Diner & Bar, 35-01 36th Street (across from Kaufman Astoria Studios), on Tuesday, December 2 from 6-11 p.m. There, you can view some of the lovely things offered by Astoria's boutiques - KrisTees, Candy Plum, Loveday31, Inside Astoria, Site, The Jumping Bulldog, Clash Culture, and many others.

For the evening, there will be plenty to keep you entertained while shopping for holiday goodies, including:

-free shopping totes to help you put all your fabulous items in
-complimentary hors d'oeuvres
-dj spinning all night
-roller derby girls handing out holiday treats
-a raffle including prizes from other local businesses

So mark your calendars for a very special Astoria shopping night and RSVP to receive a tote at the event to astoriafashion@gmail.com or call 718-721-2299.

Treat Yourself at KrisTees

Just got a mailing from KrisTees and would like to share it with you:


Now that we all got through watching the presidential debates, take a time out and treat yourself to some new Fall Fashion at KrisTees....stop in and check out our newest collections with LOTS of color to wear for work and right into the evening! **Please note, this Sunday we will be closed unfortunately for the day, but if we miss you, we look forward to seeing you next week!

Our new collections include:

Anna Economides Garcia (Astoria's own!) - Originally from Cyprus, Anna works with the natural elements of stone and integrates them with swaroski crystal and fluid wire resulting in beautiful one of a kind pieces of art to wear on your hands! Not only are her rings fabulous, but her lariat necklaces make the perfect accent for the upcoming holidays!

Clara Collins - originally from Hong Kong and now based in France, this designer brings the simplicity of French elegance into every day tailored looks. From a merino wool cardigan with attached voile scarf, to candy stripe red blouses and shirt/tunics, Clara focuses on using innovative materials in all of her designs.

BGN - Another delivery from French brand BGN includes an AZUL ocean teal silk military top... edgy and tailored all in one!

Quail - From LA, Michelle Nguyen brings to our store a "French Twist" to a California Fall groove. Check out our strapless tweed dress as well as her high waist electric purple skirt... very girly with a touch of sophisticated fun!

Left on Houston - Our first sweater knit collection of the season featuring an AMAZING cream cable vest which will end up being my favorite layering piece of the season! Also, some great mesh knit tops with pockets in purple & black. The quality of this line is beautiful with blends of cotton, angora and cashmere... very yummy and soft!

Touch Luxe - From France, this line features hand crafted details into every piece... including a denim jumper dress with ruffle straps to wear up or down to their bohemian sweater jacket. This line is a lot of fun to wear!

Rodebjer - Our favorite Swedish line now brings wool coats to KrisTees! From a tailored double breasted melton in navy to a black downtown military influenced coat, there is simplicity and edge to both these looks.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

KrisTees
24-01 23rd Avenue @ 24th Street
Astoria, NY 11105
phone 718.204.5031
www.kristeesny.com

Store Hours:
Wed thru Sat 12-8pm
Sun 12-6pm (*note, this Sunday we are temporarily closed)
Mon & Tues - closed

Astoria Fashion Show

I received this press release last week and wanted to pass it on:

Astoria, NY: On Wednesday, June 4 at 8:30pm, three of New York’s leading independent boutiques will showcase their summer styles in Fashion, Astoria Style at Cavo Café and Lounge (42-18 31st Avenue, Astoria). Fashion, Astoria Style seeks to promote the entrepreneurial spirit that has recently captured the attention of Astoria locals and fashion-conscious New Yorkers all over town.

Astoria’s newest additions of KrisTees, Candy Plum, and Lilyth, have assembled their latest gear for summer 08 and will present them in this one-of-a-kind FREE fashion event that is being supported by some of the neighborhood’s most prominent businesses who’ve contributed to the event and to the complimentary Fashion, Astoria Style gift bags. RSVP for the show to astoriafashion@gmail.com or call 718-721-2299.

"This is the summer of Astoria," said Kristie Foster, owner of KrisTees that opened on 23rd Avenue in Astoria 2006. "Astoria summers have long been about Mediterranean cafes, nightlife and riverfront parks - now we have the style to match."

KrisTees, a new contemporary women’s boutique recently featured in Lucky Magazine, specializes in bringing smaller designers to the fashion forefront with a unique approach to wearable fashion. From Richard Ruiz (NY), Eairth (Philippines), Irina Marinescu (Bucharest), Jordi Labanda (Spain), MelenStel (Belgium) as well as Karen Zambos (California), the personalized looks created by store owner and designer/stylist Kristie Foster are chic as well as unpretentious.

Candy Plum, a boutique by Queens’ native Cynthia Puhalovic, specializes in displaying emerging talent from local artists. Focusing on fun and playful pieces, her looks can be worn for all occasions. Candy Plum has been featured in the NYTimes and Time Out NY most recently as being mentioned one of Astoria’s upcoming boutiques. Most of the pieces are handmade adding to the allure of this shop. In addition, Cynthia hand selects keys items from designers such as Amrita Singh, Super Lucky Cat, Nicole Rae Styer , Yummi Glass and Ecoist.

Lilyth, specializing in Brazilian designed clothing and accessories, owner Carla Stravos has brought to Astoria a parade of sexy, confident looks that Brazilians make ever so easy. From bikinis and cover-ups, to novelty tops and dresses, her boutique gets you in the Carnivale spirit the moment you walk through the door.

This show is being supported and sponsored by local Astorian businesses including: Brick Café, Crescent & Vine, Fatty’s Café, Inside Astoria, Rest-au-Rant, Napoli Pizza & Pasta, New York Life, The Rock Health & Fitness Club, Sanford Diner, Bid Interior, Big Rock Construction, Clearview Home Center, Marino Ceramic Tile, and NYC Surgical Supplies.

Astorian Weekend Edition 14.02.08

Well, this week brings us Valentine's Day! What a great excuse to go have a fancy meal. Astoria has a lot of great restaurants, and here are our suggestions.

On Saturday, there's a show at Maric Lanes - yep, there's a bowling alley right here in Astoria. Four bands - The Ergs!, The Steinways, For Science, and the Challenged - start at 8pm. $10 and that includes buy one get one free drinks or bowling. Maric Lanes is 19-45 49th Street.

Via MySpace I was reminded that Time Cafe has their lovely $12 brunch every weekend and holiday, 10:30 a.m - 3:30 p.m. And recently I had brunch at Igloo (22-26 31st St), and the fries were truly amazing. Hot and crisp, not soggy at all. Total yum.

Waltz has one of the coolest sounding bands on their calendar, at least according to this geometry fan - The Trapezoids! Looks like jazz to me. They're on at 9 p.m. on Saturday.

I've also been walking past The Blooming Company (22-75 31st Street) over the past couple of weeks and often stop to peer into the windows. They have so many cute things there! Plus a nice selection of clothes. Speaking of clothes, Kristees (24-01 23rd Avenue) has a number of things in stock particularly appropriate for Valentine's Day - lounge wear, lingerie, and some pretty silk flowers.

Recently I've heard good things about Melody (25-95 Steinway St.), a newish spot in the Little Egypt part of town. You can have some delicious Lebanese food, smoke some hookah, and chill out.

KrisTees Big Winter Sale

Passing on info from KrisTees to you:

Hello Friends,
This weekend begins the start of KrisTees BIG WINTER SALE.
All items are 30-50% off including clothing, hats and scarves as well as select jewelry.

In addition, starting this weekend and ending next weekend, ALL JEANS will be $95.00 as a special promotion. This is really a very special deal for our customers because all our jeans are made of Italian denim with uniquely designed stitch detailing. Our denim lines include Brown Label, Deener and Ranahan. Especially with this cold weather, it is a good time to take advantage of this promotion and get a new pair of jeans for yourself!

We'll see you this weekend!

Holiday Fun at Kristees

This week, I got a mailing from Kristees and thought I'd pass on the info to you:

• KrisTees Gift Certificates are available at the store.
  

• For the Christmas holiday we are marking down our fun novelty tees starting at $25 up to $32.
  

• Select items are on sale up to 40% off.
  

• Extended holiday shopping hours this weekend - 12noon to 9:30PM.

• Also, do not forget to stop in the store and pick up the Astoria Shopping Guide Map, which lists other great boutiques in Astoria, as well as new restaurants and bars! [I've seen this guide and it's very nice! -ed]
  

Have a wonderful Christmas and Happy Holidays!!!

KrisTees One Year Anniversary Party

I received this from Kristie at KrisTees - it looks like a lot of fun! Definitely check it out.

This Thursday night starting at 6:30PM we will be celebrating KrisTees One Year Anniversary !!! :)

As part of the festivities, we will have at the store:

• Astoria's own Duo of Anthony Lanni & Dave Kendall playing Brazilian Jazz

• Plenty of refreshments, all compliments of our very own favorite neighborhood hangouts of Fatty's Cafe and Crescent & Vine

So on your way home from work, pick up some friends and stop in at the store for some good food, great music... and maybe something new to take home!
Sounds like a Fantastic Combo to Me!

Looking forward to seeing you!

*Also, for those looking to continue the evening on a Samba note, Anthony and Dave will be playing around the corner at the Waltz-Astoria with the rest of their band at 10:00PM :) Definitely worth a trip over!

Lucky Magazine Loves Kristees, Site, and Loveday31

Kristie from Kristees passed on the notice that the September edition of Lucky Magazine has rated Kristees as One of the Top 100 Stores to Shop in New York! Congratulations to her! On page 348 you'll see that along with Kristees, Site and Loveday31 both are part of On Our Radar: Astoria, and also in the Top 100. Congratulations to all!

Summer Sale at Kristees

Just got an email from Kristies, the lovely little clothing boutique on 23rd Avenue and 24th Street (it's right there on the northeast corner), and thought I'd pass on the message to all of you:

Summer Sale Started
This week kicks off the start of KrisTees Summer Sale. There is up to 60% OFF of Select Items! So, if you are looking for another sundress to keep you cool, new tees for vacation, or just something new for an occasion or for the weekend, stop in and take a look...

New Delivery of KrisTees T-Shirts
Yes, my second delivery of tees have arrived... lily printed tees, tie printed racerback long tanks, and sunglass tanks. Very fun and great for layering!