Posts Tagged ‘book signing’
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, November 28th, 2011
Hello, shoppers! Have I got news for you — a fabulous book signing, an open house with wondrous giveaways, an exclusive bridal trunk show, a jewelry trunk show/sale, savings on Santa pics and more!
On Thursday, Dec. 1, from 6-8 p.m., Vienna’s totally amazing Trousseau will host a book-signing event along with professional bra fittings by Chantelle Lingerie experts, champagne and hors d’oeuvres. Ali Cudby, author of “Busted! The Fab Foundations Guide to Bras That Fit, Flatter and Feel Fantastic” will be the featured author. RSVP to kpalermo@chantelle.com.
On Saturday, Dec. 3, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Details Boutique in Haymarket will host a Holiday Open House. Go for the bubbly and bites; stay for the awesome swag! Giveaways have been generously provided by The John Medeiros Collection, Spinning Jewelry, Spartina 449, Kameleon Jewelry, Vera Bradley, Scarlett Robin and Brighton. Also, Blend Couture will create Custom Lipstick Bars for guests. RSVPs (include name and number of people) are not required, but are welcomed by Dec. 1 to Details@ChicPR.com.
Calling all blushing brides — Gainesville’s Blush Bridal Boutique will host a Justin Alexander Trunk Show from Friday, Dec. 9, through Sunday, Dec. 11. Shop Justin Alexander’s Spring 2012 line before it hits stores. The couture line is famous for its sweeping ball gowns, mermaid styles, ruffles, lace, beading, sweetheart necklines, fitted bodices, dramatic and flowing skirts, texture, delicate details, sheer bolero jackets, crystal-embellished belts and elegant sashes.
One of the gorgeous Justin Alexander gowns to be featured in the trunk show at Blush Bridal Boutique Dec. 9-11. (Photo courtesy of Blush Bridal Boutique)
Also on Saturday, Dec. 10, from noon to 4 p.m., BeautyFull Boutique in Alexandria will be hosting a Jewelry Trunk Show & Sale featuring local jewelry designers and vendors including Nicky B’s, Ellen Young and others. Light refreshments will also be served. Register here.
Speaking of stellar locally designed jewels, on Saturdays Dec. 10 and 17 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays Dec. 11 and 18 from noon to 5 p.m., Queen Bee Designs will host their Holiday Hive Trunk Show & Sale! If you can’t make that, they’re hosting a Mid-Week Open House where Early Bird/Mommy Shopping is every morning all week from Dec. 12 – 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Working Ladies/Socialite Shopping Weekends are Dec. 12-15 from 5-9 p.m. All jewelry and accessories will be offered at wholesale prices (up to 50 percent off)!
And even Santa loves a sale! From now until next Wednesday, Dec. 7, get $3 off photo packages and a free gift when you visit Santa in the Fashion Court at Tysons Corner. See prices here and Santa’s hours here. Santa will be at Tysons until Dec. 24.
Happy shopping!
–Lexie Ramage
PS. Check back soon for Natalie’s Cyber Monday Spectacular!
Live blogging this weekend from Manassas’s 150th Anniversary Reenactment
Posted by Lorin Drinkard / Thursday, July 21st, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
As reenacters grab their muskets and prepare to fight back in time 150 years, to the first major battle of the Civil War – the Battle of Bull Run, we, too, are prepping for this weekend’s historic events and sending our own reinforcements to scout out the troops.
Photo Courtesy: Gail Weyant
Meet Sylvia Whitman, our guest blogger for Friday and Saturday’s battle reenactment coverage.
Sylvia Whitman is a writing specialist at Marymount University and freelance writer in Arlington, Virginia. She has ancestors both Blue and Gray. According to family lore, her great-grandmother was “rolled in the fire by Union soldiers”—a story that led to the discovery that her great-great grandfather, Washington Curran Whitthorne, served as a Confederate adjutant general for Tennessee.
In addition to the battle reenactment (9:30 a.m. to noon, Saturday and Sunday), there will be exhibits, demonstrations and book signings throughout the weekend.
If you can’t make to the battlefield yourself, no worries – Sylvia will be posting and reporting back to our very own Game Plan blog with insider details and interviews straight from the trenches.
For a full list of the anniversary events and how to get to the battlefield, check out the Manassas Bull Run website.
- 
Lorin Drinkard
Discover Finder and his latest series
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, August 17th, 2009
Joseph Finder’s one of the leading voices when it comes to books filled with crackerjack intelligence dudes and espionage aplenty (and lots of Washington intrigue, which we Northern Virginians are familiar with), and he’s started a new series starring Nick Heller, former Special Forces operative and ace investigator. In Finder’s latest, “Vanished,” Finder’s brother has, well, vanished in Georgetown and he teams with his nephew, comes to grips with his corrupt dad and takes on a nefarious corporation. You gotta love nefarious corporations. Finder is coming to town to sign copies of the book at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Baileys Crossroads Borders.
Those who are interested in breaking down fiction, or even just writing some, may want to stop by Politics and Prose downtown at 7 p.m. Wednesday, when James Wood will be chatting about his collection of essays, “How Fiction Works.” The store also hosts local author Eugenia Kim at 7 p.m. Tuesday when she’ll be there promoting her debut novel “The Calligrapher’s Daughter,” about her mother’s struggles in Japanese-occupied Korea.
There’s been all these shakeups in Gotham City lately, with a new Batman and Robin and the town going to heck with Arkham’s finest running amok, so why not add a new Batgirl to the mix? She makes her debut this week in her own monthly title, and the Man of Steel’s got one heck of a problem in the form of Black Lantern Superman when the ring-bearing corpse shows up in Smallville in “Blackest Night: Superman.” Daredevil celebrates his 500th issue by continuing his arc with Kingpin and Lady Bullseye, “Punisher Noir” (written by the fantastic Frank Tieri) looks great with the gun-toting vigilante targeting Dutch Schultz, and the first two books from the Vertigo Crime line debut: Ian Rankin’s “Dark Entries” (starring John Constantine) and Brian Azzarello’s “Filthy Rich.”
“The Time-Traveler’s Wife” debuted in theaters on Friday, so if you’ve seen it, what’s better: the movie or the book? Let me know in the comments.
They’re not booing. They’re saying, ‘Duuuuuune.’
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, August 10th, 2009
Frank Herbert’s 1965 vaunted space opera “Dune” and its five sequels are close to many a sci-fi fan’s heart, and the series spawned the 1984 David Lynch film (you know, the one with Sting) and many other pop-culture adaptations over the years. Herbert died in 1986, but his son Brian and fellow scribe Kevin J. Anderson are keeping the sandy political and ecological epic going with a set of prequels and, currently, a set of novels set in between dear old dad’s tomes. The latest, “The Winds of Dune,” is a direct sequel to “Dune Messiah,” and Brian Herbert is coming to town for a signing event at the Baileys Crossroads Borders at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. The store is also hosting ace crime novelist Linwood Barclay at 7:30 Thursday, who will be promoting his latest thriller, “Fear the Worst,” about a single father and the daughter who mysteriously disappears. And Democratic types will want to hit up Politics and Prose downtown at 4 p.m. Thursday since Howard Dean, former DNC Chairman, will be chatting up his new book, “Howard Dean’s Prescription for Real Healthcare Reform.”
The debut issue of “Blackest Night” last month was fantastic, and so should the second issue be this week. It’s getting pretty crazy with the Martian Manhunter, the Dibnys and (possibly) Hawkman and Hawkgirl being turned into Black Lanterns. Who’s next? I can’t wait to see, because Geoff Johns is writing some magnificent stuff. Batman gets his own “Blackest Night” miniseries, and he’s teaming up with Deadman to deal with some resurrected people from his own past. Also debuting is “Adventure Comics” featuring Superboy and Starman from the Legion of Superheroes, and “The Marvels Project,” a series breaking out of Marvel’s 70th anniversary this year that tells the origins of the Marvel Universe.
Better fantasy epic: “Dune” or “The Lord of the Rings”? As always, let me know in the comments!
The inherent zen of a motorcycle shop
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
I’m back! And so is Matthew B. Crawford, who’s both philosopher and Richmond motorcycle shop owner. He worked at a D.C. think tank for some years before opening up his shop and writing the tome, “Shop Class as Soulcraft,” and he’ll be signing copies of this biography/self-help book about finding more of yourself through manual labor at the Politics and Prose downtown at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The store also hosts Washington Post writers Dan Balz and Haynes Johnson at 7 p.m. Wednesday — they’ll be discussing their coverage and analysis of the Obama/McCain presidential election that went into creating “The Battle for America 2008.”
Being a comic geek, one of the events I’m most looking forward to is on Saturday, when the very talented Ben Templesmith stops by Laughing Ogre Comics in Lansdowne for a signing between 12 and 4 p.m. He’s one of the best horror comics around, co-creating “30 Days of Night” with Reston native Steve Niles and hatching both “Welcome to Hoxford” and “Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse,” which he writes as well. He also co-created and does the art for Warren Ellis’ fantastic “Fell.” His style is unmistakably detailed and colorful, so definitely be sure to check this out since he’ll be signing anything and everything.
And while you’re in the comics mood, be sure to pick up the debut issue of the new “Doom Patrol” series. The “world’s strangest superheroes” have gone through many different incarnations since 1963, but this time could be better than ever since the book’s courtesy of writer Keith Giffen. Also out this week: We fnd out what happened to the Masters of Evil when the Scarlet Witch went bonkers in a “House of M” special; “Luke Cage Noir,” featuring the great period art of Falls Church’s own Shawn Martinbrough; and everybody’s searching for Steve Rogers in the second issue of “Captain America: Reborn,” while Steve is doing his best “Lost” impression and is somewhere else in time.
It’s now August! What’s the one summer read you still need to get to before Labor Day? Let me know in the comments.
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009
Hey all! I’m off to San Diego for the better part of the next two weeks, but I wanted to fill you in on what to do in the meantime. Because I know you’re all lost without me. (I kid, I kid.) So…
Go to: Sarah Dunant’s signing at Politics and Prose downtown at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 29. She’s presenting “The Sacred Heart,” a 16th-century historical fiction revolving around a convent and perfect for anybody who was a fan of her “The Birth of Venus.”
Read: “Amazing Spider-Man” No. 600. It’s a milestone issue for Spidey, and to celebrate, Doctor Octopus is back! All eight of those mechanized arms will be in full effect, as will an appearance by Daredevil, a wedding the Webhead never saw coming and a return of someone we haven’t seen in a while. All that and Stan Lee, too.
Watch: One of three movies this week, depending on your interests (and age): the Disney family adventure “G-Force,” starring a bunch of guinea pigs who are crazy good at espionage; the chick flick “The Ugly Truth” pitting Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler in a war of the sexes; or “Orphan,” a horror movie featuring one of the creepiest little girls since those twins in “The Shining.”
Buy: “Watchmen” Director’s Cut on Blu-ray. OK, you can get the standard edition, but this is the kind of thing that makes you upgrade your current home entertainment system. While the movie was good in the theater, Zack Snyder’s director’s cut is 30 minutes longer, features more stuff cut from the Alan Moore masterpiece, and looks INSANE in high definition. Seriously, go now. Turn off the computer. It’ll still be here when you get back.
What are your feelings on standard editions vs. super-duper extended extreme editions of movies on DVD? Let me know what you prefer in the comments, and here’s your video of the next two weeks:
Nobody Watches the Watchmen – watch more funny videos
It’s time to party like it’s 1959
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, July 14th, 2009
Instead of writing about 1958 or 1960, Fred Kaplan has picked to write about the many culture-defining events of the the year in-between in “1959: The Year Everything Changed.” In it, he argues that ’59 was the year that kicked off the Sixties and a period of sociological, cultural and political changes. A lot of interesting people make appearances, from Malcolm X and Miles Davis to John F. Kennedy and Lenny Bruce, in this intriguing tome, which Kaplan will be presenting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Politics and Prose downtown.
The store also hosts another couple of events for those interested in world history: Seth Jones will be speaking at 7 p.m. Wednesday on his book about the many world powers that have tasted defeat by invading Afghanistan, “In the Graveyard of Empires,” and Matthew Aid stops by at 7 p.m. Thursday to chat about his chronicling of the National Security Agency, “The Secret Sentry.”
A little bit closer to home, popular chick-lit author Jennifer Weiner will be in town at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Baileys Crossroads Borders and signing copies of her new book, “Best Friends Forever,” a female-friendly story about two childhood pals reconnecting after years apart thanks to unforeseen circumstances.
Many movie and book fans have been awaiting this day for a while, and on Tuesday at midnight, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” finally hits theaters. It was supposed to get released last November, but was pushed to this summer, much to fans’ chagrin.
The sixth book was by far my favorite of the J.K. Rowling series, as it delved deeper into Voldemort’s past and showed how Dumbledore was involved, introduced the all-important seven horcruxes, and allowed Harry and his pals to grow up a little bit more. If the new movie’s even half as good as the book, it’ll probably the best one yet. Director David Yates is back in the saddle, too, which bodes well for the movie franchise after doing a spot-on job with “Order of the Phoenix.” (Of course, I don’t think anyone’s going to come close to what Alphonso Cuaran did with the third film, “Prisoner of Azkaban.”)
So what’s your fave Potter book and movie, and do they match? Let me know in the comments.
Who doesn’t love national security and baseball?
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, July 7th, 2009
It may be post-Independence Day, but the patriotism continues this week in area book stores. Heck, even a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is out our way for a chat! Gen. Richard B. Myers is stopping by the Baileys Crossroads Borders at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday to talk about “Eyes on the Horizon,” his look at his whole career, what it was like being in the frontlines warring against terrorism and what he thinks is a good plan for national security in today’s times. Equally American is the national pastime, and Tim Knouse will be doling know-how at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Woodbridge Borders from his “Amazing Baseball Tips” book. (Hey, at least it’s not “Mediocre Baseball Tips.”) And Thursday offers a double feature of sorts at Politics and Prose downtown. Olivia Gentile will be signing copies of her new book “Life List,” the biography of famous bird lover Phoebe Snetsinger, at 7 p.m. Thursday, and she’s bringing her husband along with her: comedian Andy Borowitz, author of “Who Moved My Soap?”
Did you catch “Captain America: Reborn” at your comic shop last week? Get it now if you haven’t, especially if you like “Lost.” But this week is the time to start gearing up for “Blackest Night,” since the official prologue begins in “Green Lantern” No. 43. Black Hand has been a GL for years, and we start to discover his ties to all the upcoming hubbub as the first Black Lantern is unveiled — or unearthed, as the case may be. (And should we read into the fact that Black Hand is positioned around the grave of Bruce Wayne on the cover?) DC Comics tries something new with its “Wednesday Comics,” a weekly tabloid-size book that tells tales of your fave comics characters in the newspaper comic-strip segments. (Me, I kinda like consuming my comics in their normal state.) I’m going to have to get the 13th and last volume of “100 Bullets,” entitled “Wilt,” to complete my collection, the miniseries “North 40″ features the denizens of a small Midwestern town with all sorts of weird things creepin’ around, and “Dark X-Men: The Beginning” breaks down Emma Frost’s super team in a “Utopia” tie-in.
What’s your “great American novel”? Let me know in the comments section!
Henry Thoreau, John Dillinger and one inspiring golf lover
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, June 30th, 2009
It’s Fourth of July week, and it’s front-loaded with goodness. So let’s take a quick look at some cool things you can attend, read and see before channeling your inner caveman and being wowed by pyrotechnics.
D.J. Gregory, an inspirational guy with cerebral palsy who walked with a different player during each PGA Tour event, talks about his experience and will sign copies of his book “Walking with Friends” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Baileys Crossroads Borders. At the Politics and Prose downtown, John Pipkin comes to town at 7 p.m. Wednesday to promote “Woodsburner,” his debut tome about the Massachusetts residents affected by a fire inadvertently set by Henry Thoreau.
The big news in the comic book world these days is the return of the thought-dead Steve Rogers just in time for Independence Day, and the original Cap is back in “Captain America: Reborn.” Suck it, Red Skull! Another fan favorite — one who actually never dies — gets a new series with “Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth,” which finds the antihero in the Savage Land seeking out the dangerous severed head of the Marvel Zombies Deadpool. (It’s a lot cooler than it sounds.) Those “Sex and the City” girls have nothing on “Marvel Divas,” which brings together Black Cat, Firestar, Photon and Hellcat all in the same book. I loved the debut issue of Grant Morrison’s new “Batman and Robin” so I’m looking forward to the second issue that pits the revamped Dynamic Duo against the Circus of Strange and the mysterious Professor Pyg. Those getting ready for “Blackest Night” will want to pick up the “Rage of the Red Lanterns” collection, and Vertigo takes ancient gods and tosses them into the back alleys of London town with “Greek Street.”
Because of the holiday, Hollywood’s throwing out its movies early, but Wednesday brings a doozy: Michael Mann’s “Public Enemies.” Love gangster flicks? Love Johnny Depp? This flick is like peanut butter and chocolate, with Depp as legendary most-wanted man John Dillinger in his glory days as a bank-robbing Robin Hood-esque figure. Oscar winner Marion Cotillard as his love interest, Billy Crudup as head FBI guy J. Edgar Hoover and Christian Bale as crack G-man Melvis Purvis.
What are your Fourth of July plans? Let the rest of us know of anything cool brewing in the comments section. Check out this brilliant video of the week, and have a great holiday!
Sedaris brings the essay noise, ‘Berzerker’ brings the pain
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
Remember those essays you used to HATE reading in school? David Sedaris doesn’t write those — his rock and are in no way lame. The acclaimed humorist and frequent NPR contributor stops by the Baileys Crossroads Borders at 7:30 p.m. Friday to read from and sign copies of his latest book of essays, “When You Are Engulfed in Flames.” His other books might not have as cool a cover (it doesn’t get much more awesome than a chain-smoking skeleton), but tomes such as “Me Talk Pretty One Day,” “Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim” and others are well worth a buy while you’re there. The store is also hosting local jazz musician Marcus Roberts at 4 p.m. Saturday, when he’ll be performing and putting his John Hancock on copies of his new album “Poetically Justified.”
This week is a good one for comics fans, beginning with the debut issue of “Berzerker.” Presented by “Heroes” star Milo Ventimiglia’s DiVide Pictures and written by “Friday Night Lights” scribe, the brand new Top Cow title follows a couple of two dudes with primal rage issues leading to an insane level of strength and power, and the mysterious group that wants to use them for their own means. There’s a lot of good buzz on this one, so check it out. (For a preview of some of the carnage, read the issue zero preview here.) The “Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men” miniseries takes “Dark Reign” out to San Francisco, where mutant riots break out in the X-Men’s new neighborhood and leads Norman Osborn and his crew out that way for a major-league throwdown. The storyline also spawns “Lethal Legion,” where bad guys such as Mr. Hyde and the Absorbing Man aren’t brought into Osborn’s fold and act up out of spite; “The Sinister Spider-Man,” featuring the new Venom (and old Scorpion), Mac Gargan; and a new supervillain who’s ready to shake up everything in “Zodiac.” There are a trio of Bat-titles worth picking up, too. “Gotham City Sirens” is a new monthly series starring the city’s femme fatales Poison Ivy, Catwoman and Harley Quinn. Batwoman, a breakout star from “52,” gets a lead role starting in “Detective Comics” No. 854 (it’s worth it just for the insanely top-notch art of JH Williams, who might be the next Jim Lee). And fans of Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight” will enjoy the collection of his work in “All Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder,” now in softcover form.
With July 4 quickly approaching, what’s your favorite American history book, fiction or nonfiction? Let me know in the comments below.
