There’s a lot of shopping to be done in the next few days — here’s a reminder of just a few of your options:

• The Island Imports warehouse sale — refer back to the sneak peek I gave you earlier this month for details — is about to get under way.

The sale at the Hawthorne-based wholesaler of women’s accessories will feature designs from the Christian Livingston Collection and Island Designs by Harry Haslett.

My friends and I are known to go wild at these sales — bet you’ll do the same if you go.

The event runs for two weekends — from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. tomorrow and Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and during those same hours, respectively, Oct. 25 to 27.

The company is at 5F W. Cross St. It’s right off the Sprain Brook Parkway, northbound, by taking the Route 141/9A exit, the second one for Hawthorne; or via local streets, off Route 9A right down from the Hawthorne post office. For more details, call 914-747-1040.

• Darunee Fasano of Pearl River will be displaying her sculpted clay flowers at the Morristown CraftMarket this weekend. The event, in Morristown, N.J., is a showcase of crafts held Friday through Sunday at the National Guard Armory on Western Avenue.

Her works, a blend of polymer and natural clays, are further combined with oil paints to achieve a uniform color and unusual accents. Orchids are a favorite theme, but Fasano also creates roses, irises, gardenias, American wildflowers and some tropical blooms from her native Thailand.

For more details, visit the show’s Web site.

• March in Briarcliff Manor is marking its first anniversary this weekend. Stop by the boutique from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday to join in the festivities. There will be refreshments, new fashions and accessories to discover — and a gift with purchase and a drawing for a DeGroot clutch bag (in pewter). March, owned and operated by Lynn Puro, is at 1250 Pleasantville Road. Call 914-923-2100 or visit the store’s Web site.

• The Bedford Historical Society holds its annual Antiques Show Saturday and Sunday at Historical Hall on the Village Green in Bedford. The hours will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $10. For more details, visit the society’s Web site or call 914-234-9751.

Let me know if you go — and what you buy.

Hello. Good to be back.

You may have seen our blogs were down for a few days, but it looks like we’re back in business.

Thanks so much for your patience — and for coming back.

I was disappointed not to be able to share something with you last week, but as the old saying goes “better late than never.”

See, there’s a great new shop in Tarrytown that I stopped by Thursday morning. I had been planning to give you all a sneak peek before the weekend’s grand opening… but that was not to be.

But, it’s still early days (the shop only opened Saturday), so these pictures still tell the story of a place you’ll certainly want to make time to visit.

It’s Pretty Funny Antiques, where I visited while owner Stephanie Leggio was putting on the final touches.

If you’re thinking the name Pretty Funny, or even Leggio, are familiar, you’re right.

I’ve featured Leggio here before — and also written about Pretty Funny for The Journal News.

The story was part of one we did in late spring on “pocket shops,” small retail gems that make a big impact on their customers.

Leggio’s Pretty Funny was in a slip of a space on Main Street (also in Tarrytown), a treasure trove of costume jewelry, vintage accessories, folk art (and some surprises).

When I did that story, Leggio was telling me she had downsized to the little shop, having had a larger space in the village for a long time. While she was still using that space a few times a year to host big sales, for the most part, she had turned her attention to all things small.

Which meant no more lifting heavy furniture and the like.

“I decided I’m going to be lifting rings and lifting bracelets,” she told me.

Well, I called her on that when I was walking through her new, two-floor space (the same one where she held those big sales).

The new shop, after all, is within a great old home perched over Broadway/Route 9 and filled with so, so much… including furniture, lamps, desks, etc.

What about the lifting?

“I’m not. I have people lifting for me,” Leggio said with a grin.

OK, that’s settled!

As Johnny Cash music set just the right tone, I wandered through the many rooms and vignettes, which are all really attractive.

Here’s the set-up. You can see how much thought — and work — Leggio’s put into creating a really funky space. She’s even showcasing the work of local artists, starting off with Sandy Henke, whose whimsical pieces are found throughout the shop. (A few are just visible on the wall in this first photo below; sorry, I couldn’t get a clear shot of the intricately detailed work).

Shoppers will find it hard to not buy something. Just take a look at all that’s on offer.

(Those who love vintage clothing may want to check out a new segment, which Leggio is calling “recycled” clothes. These are well-designed pieces that might only be 10 years old. The prices, she says, will be less than the classics, broadening the appeal and reaching out to a younger audience).

Leggio has even introduced her own line of bath salts and cards, with plans to expand offerings down the line.

And not to worry — Pretty Funny’s “trademark,” the $10 costume jewelry — is still featured. In a big way.

I just love how she’s added subtle touches, too, such as these stars that dangle in the windows. (“You can never have enough of those,” Leggio says.).

And here’s Leggio, taking a pause on the wraparound porch that’s already filled with merchandise (and will serve as a year-round showcase).

The shop, at 80 S. Broadway, is now open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.

Call 914-631-3368.

There are a few events on the “shopping front” in coming days that I wanted to pass along.

I’ll keep it short and sweet, so you can read quickly — and then go shop!

Pam Older of Larchmont, a jewelry designer, has let me know she’s doing a trunk show from 4 to 8 p.m. tomorrow at Wondrous Things in Croton-on-Hudson. She’ll be showcasing her fall collection — there are some lovely designs in colors perfect for the season — while also working to promote breast-cancer awareness. The store is at 4 Old Post Road South. For more details, call 914-271-3044.

The Pearl River Chamber of Commerce will hold the inaugural Pearl River Day festival from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. It’s designed like a big “block party,� with Central Avenue (from John to Main streets) and North Main Street (to Franklin Avenue) closed to traffic. There will be a farmers’ market, music, demonstrations, children’s activities, a fashion show and even appraisals of antiques. Pearl River’s filled with great shops, so make sure to stop by a few of those, as well.

JoEllen Finnie of New Rochelle, one of my favorite antiques dealers — she specializes in vintage clothing, accessories and jewelry — is set to participate in the Manhattan Vintage Clothing & Antique Textile Show & Sale, to be held Friday and Saturday at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Manhattan. It’s from 1 to 8 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Stop by, at 125 W. 18th St., and say hello to this New Rochelle lady.

The All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Briarcliff Manor is holding its “Fabulous Fall Sale� from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday on the church grounds, at 201 Scarborough Road (at Old Briarcliff Road). Expect antiques and collectibles, jewelry and gifts, as well as appliances, linens and other housewares. There will also be small furniture, sports equipment, tools and toys. Admission is free. Call 914-941-6955.

Finally, for those of you wondering about the huge tag sale usually held this month at Lyndhurst, you haven’t just missed the signs for it. I checked in with the organization that ran and benefitted from the sale — Planned Parenthood-Hudson Peconic — and found out that the organization has ended the 35-year-old tradition. Wow. I will never forget the first time I went to the show and at opening, literally saw people hopping over shrubs to get to the merchandise. Oh well, I’m told an auction and jewelry boutique will be held in place of its longtime fund-raiser; it’s expected to happen in April, so I’ll let you know when I get details.

Things just were not quite right.

I go to most editions of the Stormville Airport Antique Show and Flea Market, up in Dutchess County.

The October show has always been one of my favorites. There’s usually that nip in the air. You wear gloves when you get there, and grab a quick cup of coffee before heading out onto the fields. And since I rarely make it back for the single-day, season-ending sale in November, this is usually my “last licks” for the year. (Meaning I’m ready to buy a bit more as this would be it)…

Well, this past Saturday, I was pretty disappointed. Nothing specific. It was just a general feeling of discontent that kind of grew.

It was warm (hot, actually). Didn’t seem to be as many dealers, especially on the antiques-end of things. So on the surface, I’d rate it as a less-than-perfect end to my season there.

BUT — I have to say, a day at Stormville is never a wasted trip. This one will remain memorable because I was able to pick up the brooch I’d been eyeing for quite awhile from my favorite costume-jewelry dealers, Gary and Marge. I run into them a few times a year, at Stormville but also at shows in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

I decided, as this was the last time I’d see them this season, to buy this lovely Regency pin, which dazzled me with its unusual look:

Can’t wait to wear it on my winter coat!

And, as I’ve said before, I like nothing more than to come home from a flea market with some new jewelry and head to my reference books to look it up.

This weekend, I had a new book on hand:

It’s the second edition of “Collecting Costume Jewelry 101: The Basics of Starting Buiding and Upgrading,” with an identification and value guide.

The book (Collector Books, $24.95) is by Julia C. Carroll — and it’s a winner.

The cover’s inviting; the inside even better. I knew I had found a book I’d love when I started to skim and came across Carroll’s descriptions. One necklace was described as “glorious.” A brooch was “remarkable.” Other pieces were called “graceful,” “outstanding” and “pleasingly pretty.”

She’s on my same wavelength. I read the section on Regency and found a pin very similar to the one I had bought.

But then, I spent plenty of time reading about companies I knew — and learning about those I wasn’t as familiar with.

The pictures are beautiful. The details are plenty.

The book — along with my pin — team up for a nice “jewelry moment” for me.

(Yet another… ha).

One of the fun things about buying cosmetics in a department store is when you get a “gift with purchase.”

I admit, I often wait to buy some of my splurge items until it’s “bonus time,” so I can score the freebies.

Well, about two weeks ago, I got a call from someone at the Yves Saint Laurent counter at Bloomingdales in Manhattan. Did I need anything from them?

It caught me off guard. I had ordered from there before, ages ago, more often shopping in person.

But this particular store, actually, had been one of the only in the region where I was readily able to find the shower gel of my favorite (and only) scent, Paris.

So, I asked if they had that product — yes, they did. And since I was already ordering, added in a body cream, which I’d need soon enough.

Well, got home Friday night to find a huge box from Bloomie’s.

As I started to unwrap it, I got worried. They had sent the wrong order — the first thing I saw was a box from Opium, a sister scent.

I checked quickly for the receipt — and it was my order. I was charged for the two things I ordered, plus shipping.

So I again looked at the Opium box. It turned out to be a candle. I dug further into the bubble wrap to find sample after sample — two Stella McCartney scents, then a sample vial and lotion of another item, Miss Boucheron, AND a fun little plastic wristwatch:

All, it seems, freebies for placing my order!

Now that’s the way to get some pretty neat bonus gifts without ever going to the store.

This morning I had the chance to catch up with Darryl Jones, who owns The M Shoppe in Nyack.

I had met him around this time last year, come to think of it, when he invited me to check out his men’s grooming shop on Franklin Street.

Well, Jones had let me know awhile ago that he had moved — still within the village — and I finally had the chance to go see the new place.

Think you’ll like what I saw.

The M Shoppe is now on Main Street, in the heart of the business district.

It’s part of a “mini-mall,” a handful of really cute shops and casual-dining options in the old Woolworth Building (and yes, I remember shopping there as a kid!).

For those familiar with the shop’s original space, the feel here is similar.

There are the trademark gifts, from cuff links and shaving sets to key chains and grooming products:

But there are some new categories, too, as the store expands its reach.

These include puzzles and games, with more clocks and jewelry (including pendants and earrings):

While the new space no longer offers shaves, the haircuts are still available with Ben Clark (appointments are available Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays):

And as the shop continues to carve out its niche, Jones says he’s about to introduce a new service.

How do you like the look of that shirt? Quite classy, right?

Jones is about to launch “The Custom Shirt Program,” which will feature made-to-order dress and sport shirts. Jones takes out a book filled with fabric swatches, showing the many choices that are part of the “eight points of measure” process.

The M Shoppe, at 92 Main St., is open Wednesdays through Sundays.The hours are noon to 6 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Call 845-358-5300.

Don’t forget there’s a Nyack street fair Sunday — perfect time to stop by and say hello to Jones and see The M Shoppe.

Every so often, I see something so stunning that I start to daydream of owning it.

Then, reality sets in.

This was the case when I recently got a press announcement about a sale to be held in December at Sotheby’s.

The New York auction house is holding a “Magnificent Jewels” event Dec. 4, featuring pieces from the collection of Kelly and Calvin Klein.

And the selection will include this:

Gasp!

It’s a single-strand natural pearl-and-diamond necklace from Cartier, Paris.

Its provenance? It’s from the “Collection of HRH Queen Mary, gifted to her beloved son the Duke of Windsor, the Jewels of the Dutchess of Windsor, Sotheby’s Geneva, April 2, 1987.

The pre-sale estimate? $1.5 to 2 million!

And that lovely pendant on the necklace? It’s another natural pearl-and-diamond wonder, also from Cartier, Paris, and was also part of that legendary Dutchess of Windsor sale in 1987.

Its estimate is $400,000 to $600,000.

One of the nicest things about these auctions is anyone can go (for free) and watch — or even get a close-up view of the featured items during the preview, generally held in the days leading up to the sale.

Might just have to stop by and visit this dream-inducing set!

(Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s)

Color and style will be on display at Contact, a Briarcliff Manor boutique, Thursday.

And it won’t only be in the fall fashions featured at the women’s shop.

Tobi Klarnet, a Briarcliff Manor resident, will also be showing her watercolors with an exhibition opens that day and continues throughout the month.

To celebrate, Contact’s owners, Marcie Kesten and Denise Zaccheo-Ozeri, invite the public to an opening reception.

There will be wine and cheese from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and again from 6 to 9 p.m.

Enjoy the art — and the style.

Contact is at 549 N. State Road. Call 914-941-7760.

I’ll admit it. Sometimes I will be looking through a magazine, see a bag (or shoes or makeup) and zero in as if I have found “the meaning of life.”

I must have the item. It will make everything better.

Know that feeling?

Well, it happened to me again when I was reading this month’s People StyleWatch magazine.

There was a page devoted to Soap & Glory, the “HOT NEW LINE� from the founder of Bliss.

Well, I was all over that page, devouring every tidbit about how Marcia Kilgore, who’s called “the mastermind behind the upscale mega-hit spas,” had launched this new — affordable — line of beauty products.

And the packaging? Oh, quite retro, quite cheeky.

I had to have it (and the page told me it was carried exclusively by Target).

Well, I tried to forget it. I was going to go one day and look for it, when I could. And days passed but I kept thinking of it all.

I kept remembering the page, how it said the line launched in the United Kingdom, where Kilgore is said to live, last year and was a major success.

The Anglophile in me was not to be calmed.

Then, on Saturday when I was in the city, I picked up Nylon magazine, which I don’t think I’ve really read before. Seemed to be a mix of fashion and culture, with real attitude.

Yep, you guessed it. They also had picked one of the Soap & Glory products for its “That Girl� feature, saying “Don’t be surprised if these products achieve iconic status.�

That was the final push to get me into my local Target before 9 a.m. today.

And I’m glad I didn’t wait any longer.

There was indeed a huge display for the line, with most everything already gone.

I fought off a wave of panic and took a good look — and was more than pleased.

For just $2.99 I could get a small tub of “The Righteous Butter” — the body cream I had wanted most — and a tube of “Great Shakes” hand cream for $3.99.

Prices that allow you to easily try things out and then maybe come back for the larger versions.

I just put on some of the hand cream. Love the feel and the scent? Fantastic.

The package says “The most astonishing hand cream ever? You decide!”

I’m not ready to make that strong a statement — but I will say I’m glad, this time, that those magazines pointed me to something that seems to be more than worthwhile.

Anyone who’s read this blog before knows how I’ve enjoyed writing about Island Imports — the Hawthorne-based wholesale company features some pretty amazing accessories.

Well, in the spring, I had the chance to go to my first warehouse sale at their headquarters — and as I wrote here last month, another is coming up in a few weeks.

This morning, I started my day by stopping in to see Henrietta Porter at Island.

She runs things at the warehouse, while her son, designer Harry Haslett, travels the world finding goods and manufacturers.

The company features bags, scarves and all kinds of jewelry under the Christian Livingston Collection and Island Designs by Harry Haslett labels.

The next sale will be another six-day event — and believe me, there’s enough stuff to last all those days, if what I saw today (the items already being set up and the stock for replenishing each day) is any indication.

Porter was kind enough to let me snap away, giving us all a sneak peek at some of what’s to be on offer when the sale is held Oct. 18-20 and 25-27.

(I’ll be sure to post a reminder when it gets closer, but mark your calendars now!).

Here’s just a bit of what I saw.

The bags, depending on their material, will range from $20 for faux leather:

$15 for microfiber:

and $10 for the others:

The slight nip in the air this morning made me really pay attention to all the scarves, too, while also thinking about presents for the holiday season:

Then, there is the jewelry (which we all know how much I love):

The sterling pieces are going to be $10:

Here are some of the $10 rings, too:

Not enough? How about the varied finds in the ”$5 room”?

Oh, and earrings in this section are two pair for $5.

You may start your shopping lists now.

Again, I’ll be back the week of the sale to give you final details.