Once in a while, New York can feel incredibly small. Like when you run into an old friend at your neighborhood hole-in-the wall shoe repair shop.
The other day, I was putzing around the West Village in workout clothes: sunglasses on, ear buds in; on a mission to drop off my dry cleaning and pick up a newly soled pair of sandals. When I got to the shoe repair shop, I was idly admiring the girl’s shoes in front of me as I waited my turn...and then she spoke. “I know that voice!” I said aloud, and sure enough – it belonged to my old friend, Ashley, whom I haven’t seen in ages. We got to chatting and I picked up my rehabbed sandals, now on their 4th repair. “I’ve worn these things so much that I wish I could get a second pair, but they’re from a random boutique in LA, and I haven’t found the brand anywhere else!” I complained while tossing the well-worn kicks into my tote. “Let’s see if they’re on House Account!” exclaimed Ashley, and whipped out her phone.
My look of confusion quickly turned to delight as Ashley showed me House Account, an iPhone app for boutiques across the country. House Account offers boutiques a way to post their wares online – Instagram style, but also gives followers a chance to communicate directly with shopkeepers to ask questions and actually buy what they see. I quickly forgot all about my sandal search as I located two of my fave Santa Monica boutiques (Rocks & Silk, and Savannah) and also discovered a shop in Dallas, TX called The Gypsy Wagon that I began stalking immediately. “I’m obsessed!” I cried, “how did you hear about this thing?” Ashley confessed that she knows the founders of House Account, and made a quick intro. I told them how I love boutique shopping when I travel, and am always seeking local designers and independent brands that are often hard to find elsewhere. Upon hearing my gushing reviews, they asked if they could feature some of my favorite finds on their blog, to which I replied “of course! But only if I can spread the word on MY blog and share the shopping love!” So, here we are.
Check out fave finds in my feature for House Account [HERE]
Download House Account [HERE]