For participating stores and more information, click here.

Earlier this month the third annual 2011 Full Figured Fashion Week™ (FFFWeek) www.fffweek.com was held in New York City. I attended the FFF Week Finale Fashion Show and Awards Ceremony at the Marriott Marquis. Eleven independent designers, boutiques and retailers showcased their summer and fall collections. Curvysta debuted their first collection the Black Label Collection for fall 2011. The collection is for women size 12-24. Jovanna Reyes the designer for Curvysta  is based locally here in McLean, Virginia. Jovanna and her partner/sister Ingrid Reyes founded Curvysta in 2009.

Last week, I had an opportunity to sit down with Jovanna, whose background includes stints as a boutique owner in Atlanta, Georgia, a buyer for Bloomindales and stylist. As a plus size woman herself, she understands the frustration that plus size women face in finding high-end, high quality, designer fashionable clothing. She noted that “Regular sized women have over 101 designers to choose from, plus size women do not have the same options.” She also explained that during her experience at Bloomingdales she learned the importance of high quality in design in terms of the fabric choices and in the craftsmanship. This is something that she incorporates into her own designs.

Jovanna explained that her inspiration for the Black Label Collection is vintage clothing. She explained that two of her favorite pieces in the collection are the little black dress and the velvet coat. This “basic” black dress is a form fitted dress with intricate lace on the top. It is inspired by a vintage dress that her mother once owned and wore often during her childhood. She noted that “The dress has built in foundation – so you don’t have to wear a bra with it!” Isn’t that great? Another “vintage” inspired piece is the full length velvet swing coat. She once owned a vintage velvet coat that was her favorite piece in her wardrobe.

Other highlights from the collection are the black matte stretch sateen high waist pants and mandarin silk white blouse that comes with two interchangeable collars, one with a ruffle and another with sequins. Another standout was the kimono dress with a dragon print. Her black jumpsuit is sexy; it also has built in foundation. She also told me that she also loves her Kim Kardashian inspired dress which is a gray tuxedo dress with the flat ruffle on the bottom. The dress is made of cotton and features a tuxedo waistband. Her evening looks include liquid sequin pants with matching jacket and a stunning liquid sequin floor length gown.

Jovanna will be previewing her collection on Tuesday, July 12^th at 6:00 p.m. the Full Cup 218 N Lee St, Suite 206, Alexandria, VA (Old Town) during the Sparkle & Lace Charity Event benefitting Dress for Success. Also featured will be the jewelry from Lia Sophia www.liasophia.com/tiffanybernier and clothing from the BeautyFull Boutique. “Bra-tini’s and light nosh will be served. Bring a friend and receive a $5 gift card from Lia Sophia. A portion from the evening’s proceeds will benefit Dress for Success. RSVP by July 10 to lindsey@thefullcup.com

Also, stay tuned for a Curvysta trunk/fashion show which will be held at the BeautyFull Boutique in the fall.

Camille Leverett is the owner of the BeautyFull Boutique Designer Consignment for Size 14 & Up in Old Town Alexandria at 118 N. Fayette Street.  Twitter:@BeautyFullB  |  Facebook: BeautyFull Boutique

Last year my best friend, Lisa and I decided to succumb to the traditional ways of spring break and traveled to the Dominican Republic. This year we decided to go in a different path. We decided to visit local shops and restaurants here in Old Town Alexandria. With so many different choices, who could resist. It started on a Friday night. We came to Old Town and went to Rock-It Grill, a karaoke bar. It’s not the best looking bar on King St, but it was a lot of fun and there was a fun atmosphere inside. Definitely not for those who don’t like any chaos, but it’s your typical bar but of course, with singing. On top of visiting Old town during our break, we had one golden rule: No shopping at any chain stores. It wasn’t easy to follow and we did have a couple slip-ups (7-11 and CVS) but it really made the week interesting.

We started off by having lunch at Bugsy’s Pizza Restaurant and Sports Bar We had originally planned to eat at MoMo’s a Japanese restaurant with Amazing Sushi, on Queen St. But they were closed for another hour and our grumbling stomachs could not last that long. Now, the Cuisinettes are long-time customers of Bugsy’s. Who can resist thick, cheesy pizza and yummy chocolate cake. Lisa and I had the Margherita Pizza: tomatoes, basil, garlic and mozzarella cheese. I love their specialty pizza’s and this one has become my new favorite. Fully stuffed, we walked the town for a bit, admiring attractive window displays. King Street is full of different shops but the side streets have much to offer as well. On Union St, there is The Christmas Attic, with beautiful Christmas ornaments and household decorations. We passed The Sugar Cube on North Lee St, which is candy heaven. Although we were not able to go inside because of limited time, it’s on my list of stores to visit. Before we left, we walked up to Grape and Bean, to have a delicious cup of organic coffee. I am in love with this small but cozy restaurant and now Lisa is too. They have delicious salads and sandwiches but my favorite is their flatbread with crescenza cheese, prosciutto and truffle oil. They also have a friendly staff and a nice atmosphere. We were definitely coming back to Grape and Bean., or G n’ B, as I like to call it.

Our break happened to fall the week of St. Patrick’s Day and of course we were excited to be in Old Town for any festivities. We did not go to any Irish Pubs. We just aren’t into being in an overcrowded pub, feeling like packed sardines. So instead, we first went back to Grape and Bean to try some of the beers they carry. I’m not a fan of ales, but I actually did enjoy them and had seconds! The staff helped us find a place to go, and we headed up King St, to The Light Horse. They were not overpacked, but did have a crowd and we had to wait a bit to get upstairs to their dance room. The bartender downstairs was very friendly and let us try a bit of the beers before ordering, just in case we didn’t like the taste. After a very short wait, we were able to go upstairs, where they have pool tables, tables to sit and a dance floor and DJ. The place had a nice vibe to it and we made friends quick. Overall, it was a fun night and I was more than happy for choosing Old Town as my destination choice. The following night, I was in Old Town once again. This time for a dinner date with my sister at Grape and Bean. As I said before, it’s an obsession to go there. After dinner, we walked around King St. It was a great end to a wonderful week.

Thinking about the fun we had, Lisa and I have made Old Town our new place to go. D.C has a lot of variety and more to choose from, but Old Town has a feeling of comfort. The atmosphere is friendly and we felt safe walking up and down King St. There are so many different restaurants and shops that we are still planning to visit them, one visit at a time. -Katie

Each of the 30 stores of the Old Town Boutique District have organized activities around their charity of choice.  For example, Bellacara will hold Stacy Boyland Day on May 14th, in memory of Stacy, the store’s first ever employee, who lost her life nine years ago to Cystic Fibrosis.  100% of their profits from that day will be donated to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  “The unfortunate and sudden loss of Stacy presented an opportunity for Bellacara to turn it into something good,” said Kim Putens co-owner of Bellacara and Bloomers. “So, we thought why not multiply that goodness by 30 and host an OTBD Charity Day.”

Here’s what the other OTBD stores are doing so plan accordingly:

NEW BUDGET DOES NOT INCLUDE ADD-ON TAX TO BUSINESS
City Council Heeds Vigorous Call from Business

May 3, 2011: Fitness on the Run, Old Town’s Premier Fitness Studio applauds the Alexandria City Council for passing a budget without the Commercial Add-on Tax (CAT). Last night, after hearing strong opposition from a coalition of small business owners about the proposed CAT, the Alexandria City Council heeded the advice of the City’s most important asset: small businesses, deciding not to include this tax in its budget.

The tax, proposed to fund additional transportation needs would have meant thousands of dollars in additional taxes to small businesses. More than 25 business owners testified at a special hearing before the Council on April 16, including Fitness on the Run’s Founder and co-owner Adrien Cotton. Cotton stated, “As a committed business owner struggling to remain in the black during a tough economy, this tax would be a hit we cannot afford to take. Make no mistake about it, Old Town is our home. At Fitness on the Run, what we enjoy most is seeing people make serious changes to their lifestyles that will ultimately increase their longevity. We are proud to be part of a tight-knit business community, coming together to support each other and the City residents we serve.”

Fitness on the Run would like to thank the City Council for inviting us to speak, for listening to our request and for making the right decision.

Please sign our petition.

On the heels of the worst recession in decades, the City of Alexandria is proposing a brand new tax aimed directly at the city’s locally-owned small businesses and the community’s entrepreneurs are uniting in opposition.

The proposed “Add-On Tax” would stick commercial property owners with an additional 12.5% tax burden in a city where small businesses make up 90% of the business tax base.

City officials have justified the higher tax on the theory that comparable new levies in Arlington and Fairfax Counties give Alexandria the competitive capacity to raise commercial property taxes. But local businesses disagree, based on Alexandria’s unique economic reliance on small, locally-owned enterprises.

“Unlike Fairfax and Arlington, 90% of Alexandria businesses have fewer than 20 employees,” said Kim Putens, owner of Bellacara and Bloomers in Old Town. “Even the Washington Business Journal recently noted in an article that Old Town Alexandria is king of independent retailers.”

By contrast, Arlington and Fairfax have commercial property bases dominated by high-rises owned by national real estate investment corporations – institutional owners who are more insulated from the effects of an increase in taxes in one area of region.

Alexandria business owners are trying to educate council members on the direct impact of skyrocketing taxes on the businesses that fill the city’s Old Town and Del Ray corridors.

“While not all business owners own their buildings, almost all commercial leases are constructed in triple net terms,” said Todd.  “This means that the business, or lessee, pays all taxes associated with the building and if the taxes on a building go up, the lessee’s business costs go up.  When you raise taxes on landlords you automatically raise taxes on the stores.”

Alexandria’s proposed property tax increase is not in response to any kind of city financial crisis – the City’s budget boasted a surplus last year. Further, the Add On Tax is not the only tool the City has to pay for transportation projects and it is not the only option that the state legislature gave them. 

The organized small business owners invite all Alexandrians who are concerned about the Add On Tax to come join small business owners in a protest at City Hall on Saturday, April 16 in advance of the City’s budget hearing at 9:30 am.   Many small business owners will be speaking at the public hearing to express their disappointment with the City’s approach to taxes on job creators during the challenging economic climate.

Please sign our petition.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  I hope you are all wearing your green and not getting pinched. Or, perhaps you enjoy being pinched.  In that case, enjoy wearing blue!

Recently, I found a fun site that has become a bit of an addiction.  It’s called Pinterest. This site is a social site where folks create mood boards and share them.  You can pin items on your board, pin other people’s items on your board, comment, share, and follow.  It’s quite inspirational.  I hope you will check it out and possibly follow me – Amy Rutherford is my handle.  (Original, I know!)

Today I threw together a quick sampling of several of my favorite green products in honor of St. Patrick: Erin Go Bragh.  Below is a screen capture of the board.  Still trying to get the hang of this new fancy computer so my apologies for cutting it off.  I hope you find the products as wonderful as I do.  Would love to see some of your favorite green items! Thanks to McLean Robbins and Deacon of Deacon Does DC for the DVF dress.  LOVE IT!

I’ll bet you’ve never knitted while riding in a Humvee or an F16, while wearing a gas mask or cleaning a gun.

Lieutenant Commander Jenn Almy, Combat Knitter and Family Physician on the NATO Role 3 Multinational Medical Unit, has done all of these and more in her course of training and between caring for patients in Kandahar, in the south of Afghanistan.

This is the story of Jenn Almy and the Kandahar Combat Knitters.

Jenn has been knitting for about 3 1/2 years. She took up knitting as occupational therapy for her wrist, and to create a baby blanket for her sister’s new baby. Jenn grew into a “second family” during knitting classes at Yarning for You in San Marcos, CA. The knitters there made items for deployed soldiers, and gave her a warrior hat when they learned she would be deployed. Before leaving, Jenn lined up 6 months’ worth of knitting projects for her mom to send to her overseas.

During her course of field training prior to deployment at Fort Dix in New Jersey, Jenn’s CO, Captain Michael McCarten, noticed her knitting during down time. As McCarten’s wife, Kathleen, is also an avid knitter, he knew to ask Jenn if she was a Ravelry member. She was – and so he got them in touch with each other. Between them, they began to organize what became the Combat Knitters. Kathleen is also a member of the Knitting in Alexandria group on Ravelry – more on that in a moment.

En route to Kandahar, Jenn’s knitting began to attract more attention. Her colleagues were asking if she’d teach them to knit once they were all settled in. Even though she’d never taught before and considered herself a newbie, she agreed.

Jenn began to dream up a collaborative project to help teach new knitters and represent the military serving in Afghanistan. Her search led her to the  idea of an American flag made of blocks – each one representing a state, military service, or star. The state blocks were designed by Rhonda White, the wife of a marine serving in Okinawa.

Jenn says: “Each square used an average size needle and its finished dimension of 8.5inch by 8.5 inch was a reasonable size. I thought this would be an excellent learning block for the future combat knitters. I would teach them to cast on, knit, purl, bind off and how to read a pattern. They would then finish a square and contribute to the overall project. They could complete this fairly quickly (well some faster than others) and then I could get them started on project for themselves (scarf, hat, etc).”

Jenn was still in touch with Kathleen here in Alexandria. Kathleen began to organize the yarn, needles, and patterns necessary to create Jenn’s American Flag afghan. She called on our help here at fibre space™ to contribute yarn to create the project.

Jenn ended up teaching about 20 people to knit in private lessons, setting up individual times between shifts. She says she tried to get men to learn, but “no takers.” She also created a Combat Knitter’s patch, which you can see her wearing below.

Staff members in Jenn’s hospital serve on the front lines of casualty care in Kandahar, the Taliban capital. They treat many types of patients, from American soldiers to Afghans burned in oil stove accidents, pregnant women, and children with devastating war-related injuries. Jenn helps these post-operative patients recover prior to evacuation. We all know that knitting is valuable for stress relief, and for the combat knitters this is even more true. Knitting has helped give the Combat Knitters a hobby during their infrequent down time, and something other than trauma to think and talk about after a day’s work at the hospital.

While Jenn’s deployment is ending, the Combat Knitters are still knitting, passing on what Jenn has taught them and planning new projects.

Here’s a look at the American Flag afghan – almost finished!

Jenn says: “The [afghan] is almost finished but it was more the journey of the project that was the most worthwhile aspect. Is the project perfect? No. There are mistakes. Does every block have the same gauge? No. The project though in my eyes is perfect because despite dealing with never ending traumas and patients, the combat knitters wanted to leave something behind. The project ended up larger in size than initially thought of. We have decided instead of one Afghan we are going to divide the Afghan into 4 parts and hopefully have someone mount it on a frame/board and then be able to hang in the NATO Role 3.”

We’d like to give a big thank-you to Jenn and the Combat Knitters for contributing these photos and telling their story. Also a big thank-you to the Knitting in Alexandria group (and others) who have generously supported the Combat Knitters and other service members. Jenn and other members of the Combat Knitters will be returning home and are looking forward to getting to their LYS. We are hoping to see some of them wearing their patches in our hood as well!