Kicking off fall at the District Sample Sale

After a long, hot August waiting for fall, we were sooo happy to get out to last night's District Sample Sale. This event is always fantastic, but this fall's was off the charts. The venue was HUGE; exceptionally excellent nibbles (I was rhapsodizing about the Black and Orange Rogue slider) and deep discounts on clothes to wear NOW. I scored big on shoes. My three pairs really should have been four: At the last minute I found Oscar de la Renta open-toed stilettos that said "lady" but screamed "sex"--and what did I do? Dither, dally and ultimately pass. Don't do that, people. It's never worth it. Those shoes were originally $695. Last night they were $120 at Sassanova--that's exactly two fattening nights out at Rio Grande with my husband. I can make my own Mexican food, but not those shoes!! Another regret--not snagging a beautiful Madison Marcus blouse for $80 that I ogled this summer for over $200 at Emily Grace. Fail.

Okay, enough beating myself up. Here's what I did score: Seychelles black suede booties with hot studs for $25,  Dolce Vita dressy, sexy black suede booties for $69 and buttery leather, all-season slingbacks for $50. And, suddenly, my friends and I were all smitten with a $10 tee from Imagine that said Peace, Love and Fashion. Ok, why not? We had shopper madness and it's really cute. We finally paused at that point to have dinner: sushi, baby burgers, gelato and cupcakes. It's almost embarrassing to go on. But I will. There were also tables loaded with brie, artichoke dip, crackers, hummus--all my faves. The DSS was my official fall kick-off event. If you missed it, I hope you know not to let that happen again.

Calm before the storm at Sassanova

Sassy is all ready to go

And yes, you got two flavors with each serving. Pumpkin: unreal

 It's still the VIP hour so you get first grabs in a peaceful setting

Cocktails, wine, champagne and soda. We loved stopping here. 

 Gretchen Hitchner of Ginger awaits the onslaught. 

You could do some serious damage at the elegant Belina

 Julia Farr (far left) is working it. The madness has begun.

Friday Night ALL ACCESS Fashion Show

Once again, Tysons Galleria was the stage for the ALL ACCESS fashion event, a three-day extravaganza of panel discussions, trunk shows, beauty events and a Friday night runway show followed by a cocktail reception. The event benefits Make-A-Wish, and Mary Frances Wain, vice president of philanthropy for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-Atlantic introduced the show and introduced the young woman whose wish was granted --  a fabulous trip to Paris. Evening gowns were the stars of this show in every style from Hollywood glamour to 80s redux. Bold colors--especially purple--took center stage, while the sheer number of glittering frocks in every color proved that all that glitters doesn't have to be  gold....

A follower, not a leader, be--just this once

Just this one time--do what you're told and follow the leader. BrandLinkDC will make it worth your while. Follow, follow, follow for a chance to win some of this:

Of GiltCityDC and what I love about Bethesda

 GiltCityDC launches on Monday, which is inspiring me to wax poetic about my own dear city. The site offers fabulous specials on events and happenings around town. Specials go up on Mondays and Wednesdays at 11 (they sell out FAST so don't dilly-dally) and I've got the inside scoop: Monday's deals will include The Palm restaurant and Toka salon..... Yes.

Ok, so back to Bethesda. There are two things  I especially love (well, three. I love Twitter, so please spread the word and tweet this post with a link and tags #cityscoop and @GiltCityDC)

I love to
1. Grab a meal or a happy hour at Mon Ami Gabi;
2. Watch a movie at Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema 

Yes, I write about shopping and the stores are fantastic, but honestly, so is the food, and who doesn’t like to eat?

I also love movies, and the theater is right next door to the restaurant, which makes for a perfect place to digest in peace. Plus the films are always fantastic (the arty, indie type Bethesdans love to love).

But first the meal.

Mon Ami Gabi has great steak frites—the best around. The frites are a perfect mix of crispy and tender and come lavishly piled up on the plate next to the steak. They provide the perfect foil to my steak au poivre's subtle spice. The beef is perked up by savory peppercorns with just a hint of sweetness from the brandy in the sauce. The tender butter lettuce salad makes a perfect starter with its dollop of goat cheese. If you’re really feeling decadent, order up a side of creamy cauliflower au gratin—you won’t be sorry. Dessert? This course is why we always came here to celebrate birthdays--the hot, gooey chocolate cake is to die for and profiteroles are too special to pass up. But hey, if you’re an early bird, don’t overlook happy hour. You can get a half-price bottle of wine and appetizers. On Thursday nights there’s live music.

What makes Mon Ami so wonderful is its “adult” atmosphere. The black and white tile and outdoor tables remind me of all the little bistros restaurants lining the upper West Side of Manhattan (thought I was going to say Paris?), which makes me feel like a grown-up and sets the mood for that arty film next door.

Ok, beloved readers I hope to see you at Mon Ami and I hope to see you Twitter, too. Please post a link to this post on Twitter and tweet, tweet, tweet it with tags #cityscoop and @GiltCityDC! Thank you so much.

Real shoppers relish the Dog Days

Dog days? This is nothing. Get serious. Next month is August and that's when the real thing hits: MidCity's Dog Days of August Sidewalk Sale on August 6 and 7. You need to venture out of MoCo and check out these fabulous stores and restaurants in the heart of our nation's capital. The MidCity (14th and U streets) was home to jazz in the '40s as well as to historical landmarks such as the Lincoln Theatre and Ben's Chili Bowl and made a stupendous recovery from its demise after the 1968 riots.

There will be over 100 stores, boutiques, restaurants and art galleries participating in this 12th annual event. And even more fantastic is the Studio Theatre costume and prop sale. That's gotta be worth the trip alone. Shops like Junction, Urban Essentials and Rue 14 will feature 60 percent off clothing and accessories.  Restaurants including Busboys and Poets, CakeLove and Policy will offer specials on food and drinks. Dog Days will also feature art, literature, exhibits and performances from Twins Jazz Club and The DC Center for the LGBT Community.  For more info about the area, please visit www.midcitylife.com

Gilty Pleasures

If you love Gilt Groupe, the fabulous designer sale site, you're going to love Gilt City. Gilt City offers you great opportunities to try local boutiques, restaurants and attend movie premieres and other fun events (unlike Sin City, Gilt City is surprisingly guilt-free). Specially assigned local "curators" have edited and selected the packages and if you're like us, you won't want to miss any of the fresh new ways to start exploring your city--especially if a "staycation" is on your horizon this summer.

Today the site is featuring some pre-launch offers and most of the fabulous deals, including a shopping spree at Urban Chic with a $100 gift certificate, are already GONE. So get on it and sign up at www.giltcity.com/dcvip. The official launch is August 1.

Gilt City is also available in New York, Boston, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Tokyo with over 1.8 million members worldwide.  Gilt City will also be launching in three additional cities today: Atlanta, Dallas and Seattle.

The two best sales of the season...

1. Run, don't walk to Ginger. 50% off all summer styles. Yes, you can finally get that dress that nobody else will have and spend the rest of your summer (and very early fall) looking FABULOUS.

2. Make a list; check it twice. Friday the doors open to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. Deep discounts on everything new for fall. I have my strategy ready, checklist in hand, Nordstrom card all ready to go. Use it  during the sale for extra member points. Prices go up Aug. 1.