What I Did on my Mini-Summer Vacation

[nonelvis]

columbina and I were in DC this weekend visiting my family and participating in Race for the Cure. For the first time, Col and I stayed in a hotel rather than with my parents, which allowed us to sleep better than we would in my old bed, and also gave us the chance to see how dramatically the city of Silver Spring has changed since I lived there. The old, grungy part of town is now a vibrant retail/restaurant district with an artificial, Vegas Strip-like flavor I'm not entirely sure I like, but at least beats the hell out of what was there years ago.

Among the retailers there is one of only three Marimekko concept stores. (One of the others is apparently close by in Cambridge, MA, which came as a total shock.) And though I had told myself I wouldn't buy anything on this trip, because that would mean hauling more crap in a carry-on, I was seduced, SEDUCED, I tell you, by these Chucks-like sneakers. I swear that a certain TV character's footwear choices had nothing to do with this purchase -- I bought them purely because they were irresistably, insanely cute.



See? Tiny green pears of cuteness. How could I not buy them?

Comments

[otherwise-nyc.livejournal.com]

They are so so wonderful. I don't wear any of my Chucks often enough, really, but I'm not sure I could have resisted them either!

[nonelvis]

The third Marimekko concept store is somewhere in NYC. And if it is anything like the one in Maryland, it is chock-full of crack. It was seriously all Col and I could do not to walk out with a new (only somewhat pricey) set of sheets and a duvet cover ... plus that green chiffon skirt I loved that was totally out of my price range ... plus the little watering can with a happy blue flower on it ... plus, um, about half of the rest of the store. And! They also have ties, though perhaps you shouldn't tell your husband about this.

[columbina.livejournal.com]

Even I wanted one of those ties. Except they cost FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS. What she is not telling you is that everything in the Marimekko store is as cute as can be, but costs a fortune. There is not a men's shirt in the world that is worth a hundred bucks; if, on the other hand, the one I coveted had been about half that, I'd probably be wearing it to work tomorrow. (I add that last to show that I'm not cheap, I just have mental thresholds on Most I Will Pay For Things of Type X.)

[otherwise-nyc.livejournal.com]

Oh dear. It sounds like an incredible source of temptation.

On the other hand, when things are *so* far out of my range of Most I Will Pay For Things of Type X, I don't feel that pain of covetousness -- instead, the shop ends up feeling like a design museum or something.

On the third hand, if I were really really crazily rich, Marimekko is the sort of thing I would spend my ill-gotten gains on!

We so know it

[(Anonymous)]

Yup. That's the thing . . . we don't want to be a design museum! [Yup, I work at that MMKO Silver Spring store.] The output of Marimekko's young designers (e.g., Louekari, Dahlstrom, or Tuominen) is just so inspired, our group couldn't resist opening as Marimekko and not in the name of our online store, Honfleur Home. The fabrics are mainly $25 and $38. Here's our company's philosophy - (a bit treacly, I know): We figure that most people are happiest when they have what they need; get enough sleep; realize that measured indulgence is entirely human; and appreciate the importance of small, good things. Besides, I really believe that we can't all shop in Target all the time. Yes, I love a Merona T as much as the next woman, but at some point, frequent Target and Ikea shopping makes me think of The Stepford Wives. Plus, there's always the risk of fluorescent light induced blindness. Hopefully, folks will also get to know about our pretty neat community events. That's why everything in the store is on wheels. And we try not to scare everyone by offering artist inspired children's games and such from $6 - $24. No, it's not clothing, but it makes me feel good (no Baby Be Brilliant for us). And yes, I just love Jukka Rintala and Samu-Jossi Koski's work. But we balance that as best we can with $59 Mika Piirainen pieces. Go for the tie. It's great at $79! And if not the tie, drape the fabric over a rod! Marni

[iko.livejournal.com]

Oo. I am in the DC area now and I brought my car. I might have to visit.

Especially when I spotted this fabric (http://www.honfleurhome.com/ItemDetail.cfm?CatID=245&ItemID=1991&GoTo=220By220). Gorgeous!

[nonelvis]

Parking is plentiful in that part of Silver Spring, and the store is easy to find (about a block away from the intersection of Georgia Avenue & Colesville Road). I didn't check out the costs of bulk fabric, but they seemed to have a wide selection.

Nice Pair

[profrobert.livejournal.com]

But I've said that to you before.

Actually, the sneakers don't suck, but I checked out the website and everything else they have does. I mean, it's criminally ugly stuff -- ugly, ugly print patterns. I can't imagine having those fabrics in my house. If that's what they do in Finland, I'm amazed it's *Sweden* with the high suicide rate.

Re: Nice Pair

[aet.livejournal.com]

"If that's what they do in Finland, I'm amazed it's *Sweden* with the high suicide rate."

Take a look at this table of suicide rates in world (http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/suiciderates/en/) and you see that Finland has much higher suicide rate than Sweden (and Estonia is worse than that, even if when compared to some other post Soviet countries, Estonia still has it good ...).

Re: Nice Pair

[profrobert.livejournal.com]

Ah, now that makes much more sense, given what 24/7 of Marimekko must drive people to do.

[gethen.livejournal.com]

those are utterly fantastic.

[nonelvis]

Thanks! I totally agree :-)