I complimented a friend yesterday on her skirt. Was it new?

She said not at all.

She just hadn’t worn it in awhile, adding that she had done a bit of “shopping in her own closet.”

I really liked that phrase.

Sometimes you realize you have a shirt or skirt you haven’t worn in ages. You put it on — and to most everyone, looks like you have something new and pretty.

You get that little ego boost — and you saved yourself a little money, too.

Simple pleasures…

Some days it’s coffee; others tea.

I go back and forth — but I always love looking at tea “accessories.”

Of course, over-the-top floral or Victorian styles always catch my eye.

It’s here…

Shoppers who love to hit the big city? to do a bit of shopping will no doubt want to check out the latest from Zagat.

The Zagat New York City Shopping 2008 guide has just been released:

I love getting this handy little book and always check out to see how my favorite city spots have fared… and then poke around looking for some new places to try out.

Once again, the book has taken opinions from more than 7,500 shoppers about more than 2,000 shops, in all five boroughs.

And it’s gathered in a slim volume ($15.95) that slips nicely into a tote bag.

Will you buy a copy?

First off, just wanted to say thanks for your patience.

We’re still in the process of transitioning our blogs to a new server, so the kinks are still being worked out.

A note our systems department asked us to post a few days ago still applies:

In the coming days, we will be moving this and other LoHud blogs to a dedicated server that will provide more stability and better troubleshooting capabilities than what we currently have. Please bear with us during this transition. Some features may not be available during this time. We will reincorporate them as soon as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience you might encounter and thank you for your continued patronage.
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In the mean time, though, I still want to share some shopping news.

Madelynrose, the Pearl River children’s boutique, has announced its spring shoe sale is under way. Buy one pair this month and get the second for half off. The sale includes styles from Stride Rite, Geox, Timberland, Primigi, Umi, Kenneth Cole, Keds, Lelli Kelli, Skechers and Sperry.

The shop, at 38 E. Central Ave., is also having other discounts on select merchandise. Visit the Web site or call for more details.

And owners Lisa Dorman and Michelle Worob remind shoppers that Communion dresses, suits and accessories are now available.

To reach the shop, call 845-735-3028.

Hope you’ve enjoyed my show highlights — and if you go (it continues through Sunday), I’d love to hear what you thought.

So, to wrap things up, I’d like to share a little visit with Green Design Furniture Co. from Portland, Maine.

You thought I was covering local companies? Well, this one has a pretty good connection, since it’s the company of Douglas Green, a 1973 graduate of Scarsdale High School.

One of the other local contacts made yesterday at the Architectural Digest Home Design Show was artist Jay Palefsky.

He was doing brisk business at the Morphicism/Kutzkies Artworks booth.

Between the many customers crowding the space, we found out he is a Garrison resident with a shop in Beacon called Morphicism.

Palefsky said to give our attention instead to some of the younger artists, since he’s more of a veteran.

A great thing about attending the Architectural Digest Home Design Show, which I did at Pier 94 in Manhattan yesterday, is uncovering a new story.

Last year, it was a thrill to meet Cortandt Manor’s Dan Lehmeier, who was formally debuting the furniture he creates through Casselwood Creations. We had a great chat and soon after the show I found myself in his incredible home/workshop/studio doing a feature on him.

Hoping to do the same with Barbara Galazzo, a Cold Spring glass artist I met this time around.

I got a little souvenir from the Architectural Digest Home Design Show that I attended yesterday on Pier 94 in Manhattan:

It was a very real part of the marketing being done by a new local company, John Stone Fixtures.

I’m in the midst of a series of posts about my visit to the Architectural Digest Home Design Show, which continues through Sunday at Pier 94 in Manhattan.

I’ve already given a bit of an overview; now I’m starting to put the spotlight on our local participants.

I walked the show with my friend and colleague Bill Cary, who in addition to being a fellow home-and-design writer is also our resident gardening expert (check out his In the Garden blog).

Anyway, Bill had written a great story about Carinda Swann last year. She is an artist living in Cold Spring who has found a pretty swanky way to recycle.

I gave the quickest of glimpses yesterday into what I saw at the Architectural Digest Home Design Show, which continues through Sunday at Pier 94 in Manhattan.

Today, you get the full treatment.

This show is a great way to check out trends in home and design while also checking out the booths of some local participants.