Los Angeles, CA

Insatiable shoeaholics who desire to be as happy as a kid in a candy store will find FOOTCANDY offers high heel nirvana.

Located at 11934 San Vicente Boulevard in Brentwood, true expressions of your obsession await your feet, from coveted shoe designers including Manolo, Christian Louboutin, and Casadei, all wrapped in a Parisian chocolaterie ambience. Arm candy connoisseurs will be equally pleased, with handbags from Jimmy Choo and more.

Xiomara Zelaya and Robyne Wilson are the co-owners of the Brentwood salon, which is the first Southern California franchise location for founders Perry and Carolyn Butler of Napa Valley. Proving to be more than just a shoe salon, what sets FOOTCANDY apart is the art gallery presence of shoe displays, attention to detail, and -most importantly- customer service.

And if that’s not enough to satisfy your sweet tooth, indulge in one of their treats, which involve in-store private shopping and goodie bags…

YUM!!!

If you need to send a gift, Larchmont Village is a great place to do your gift shopping.  A few years ago I sent my mother some fine Belgium chocolates and flowers arranged in a beautiful antique, pitcher-shaped vase from Leonidas (201 N. Larchmont Blvd.) for Mother’s Day.  She loved it and to this day uses the vase as a pitcher to water all her flowers.   Leonidas is great because they have a wonderful selection of confections and special gift packages on holidays, and also for a reasonable fee will gift wrap and ship your gifts for you. 

Another place on Larchmont that’s great for gift shopping is Chevalier Bookstore (126 N. Larchmont).   This morning I shopped for my three-year-old nephew’s birthday gift in Chevalier’s children’s annex.  The wonderful lady who works there was full of excellent suggestions.  With her assistance I settled on an anthology of classic children’s stories.   At the check out desk I had the book gift wrapped in charming children’s themed wrapping paper and shipped for an extra fee of $9.00. 

 Now I can sit back and not worry about when I’m going to go to the post office during my busy week, and feel satisfied that I picked out a really great gift for my little loved on. 

David Tishbi Handcrafted Jewelry consists of contemporary, two-toned jewelry design. Classic, timeless pieces dominate the collection, which overshadow the trends found at the turn of every season. Found in over 500 retail locations, lovers of elegant jewelry will be pleased with the selection.

Stand out from the crowd in either a solid gold or solid silver signature piece; from 14K gold necklaces dripping in white pearls to silver stud earrings, a treasure chest awaits you. And with fashions for Fall ‘07 season calling for “pops” of color against black pieces, let your finger blaze the way with a topaz bauble.

Tomorrow, August 2nd, former fashion entrepreneur Murray Moss will open a 3,500-square-foot gallery space at 8444 Melrose Avenue. Moss, known for the SoHo gallery since 1994, will feature furniture, lighting, tabletops, and objects tricked out in a fire-and-ice illumination. The space will be embellished with a Swarovski Crystal Palace installation of eighteen 8-foot high Vertical Glitterbox chandeliers by Georg Baldele, with a 1938 Steinway Baby Grand fire-sculpted by Maarten Baas as the focal point.

The Melrose gallery will be his first outside of New York.

That would be the Splendora Classifieds, a savvy, virtual infusion of an eBay-esque/Craigslist treasure chest. I applaud anyone who makes my shopping experience as convenient as checking my inbox.

Imagine being able to shop for shoes (those Roger Vivier NIB fucshia satin heels are teasing me in the wrong size!), a job with 401K AND an LV purse in a one-click, non-bidding atmosphere. And the best news is that your tiara awaits you when you join their BFF Lounge, giving you access to prizes, exclusive offers online and presence within a chic network.