That little headline is sadly not the work of my journalistic brain, but rather the tagline of Haverford’s newest (and possibly cutest) clothing boutique, Katye K, which I had the pleasure of popping into last week on a day when I was working extremely hard outside the office (i.e., certainly not buying no less than two items wherever I went. Ahem.).

The shop is nestled in a mini shopping strip set a tad back off of Lancaster Ave. in a pleasantly open, white and light space. Owner Katye Stanzak’s looking to freshen up the Main Line with designers not often found around those parts — comfy, flirty dresses and tops from JWLA, For Love and Liberty, Daftbird, Burning Torch and By Francine. She’s got denim from Genetic and Kasil, plus William Rast and People’s Liberation, and bags by Kooba and Deux Lux.

In the back, find comfy PJs, and a smattering of the cutest baby stuff — itty bitty “Philly Baby” onsies stuffed into to-go coffee cups from Baby Take Out, and one-of-a-kind girly dresses from Green Pomegranate, made out of vintage linens, old-fashioned hand towels, table scarves, antique lace and mid-century buttons. (So can you really blame me for “not” buying no less than two items?)

If you haven’t checked it out yet (she’s only been open a month!), pop by on May 8th, when she’s having a Girls Night Out party — wine and hors d’oeuvres from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and 10 percent off your purchase.

Now you have no excuse.

The theme of a weekend shopping jaunt with my friend Cathy was undoubtedly “two for one.” As in actual goods (not sales). She picked up a reversible hat for the Phillies games her husband drags her to, and I scored a new pair of Spanx tights that I’m seriously putting up there at the sliced-bread-invention level.

These favorite tights o’mine now come as two colors in one—brown on one side and black on the other. Though this received a dull shrug from our guys (and the amusing suggestion that I wear one leg brown and one leg black), Cathy and I immediately recognized the genius (and savings!). Yes, yes, why didn’t we think of that?

Check spanx.com for a retailer near you.

If you’re not familiar with Cole Haan’s G Series, allow me to educate: The geniuses at Cole Haan take cute, fun and work-appropriate heels and flats and add perfectly concealed Nike Air technology. Meaning: walking, dancing or cocktail-hour-ing in 4-inch wedges looks pulled-together and feels like heaven on your dogs. Not surprisingly, they come with a hefty price tag, which is how Kushyfoot walked into my life and saved said puppies and my bank account.

These foot covers — they sorta look like peds — are available in a buncha forms, from athletic socks to open toe styles in basic colors like black, white and nude. (Although we’ll admit the new black lace ones are like trying to make Granny panties hot. It just doesn’t work.). What makes them special is that a padded foot bed massages and cushions achy feet all day. They all cost less than my daily wrap and iced-tea lunch and a heck of a lot less than trying to keep up with Cole’s latest styles. — Andrea Carayiannas

Available at CVC, Rite Aid, $3.49 to $7.99.

1. Shop locally: area lumber houses, mom-and-pop hardware stores, local cabinet and furniture makers, regional manufacturers, designers, architects, builders, and indie shelter shops.

2. Hire an air quality expert to assess your home’s breathing. Healthy Space, Glenside, 215-233-1852; healthyspaces.com

3. Gather up the freshest PA- and Jersey-raised fare from your favorite farmer’s market. Visit buylocalpa.org and state.nj.us/jerseyfresh

4. Spruce up a vintage chair with hand-painted upholstery. Lauren Rossi Designs, lardink.com

5. Plant a hearty window box—or hire your favorite garden guru to do the same. Main Line Flowerpot and Windowbox Co., Wayne, 610-254-0220; mainlineflowerpot.com

6. Build a bouquet of locally grown, single-color blooms.

7. Explore architectural salvage warehouses: Some of the coolest finds come from old houses.

8. Invest in a reusable and fashionable tote — or two — for groceries. Gypsystyle.com

9. Look for logos: efficient Energy Star appliances, responsibly-made RugMark rugs, sustainably harvest FSC-certified wood. Shop at stores like Green Depot, Greenable and the Environmental Home Store

10. Leave the lights off (until you need them). Hurrah for daylight savings!

First Fridays? So last year. Our favorite day is quickly becoming the last Friday of the month, when the fab shop owners on the quirky stretch between Bainbridge and Catharine celebrate 4th on 4th, during which they stay open late, serve munchies and drinks, and prove that there’s more to Fabric Row than bolts of cloth. (Hint: Participating shops hang a red balloon outside their storefront.) Here are just a few reasons to change your plans for tomorrow night:

GO: Behind Closed Doors
WHEN: 6-8:30p.m.
WHY: Owner Catherine Cifonelli will show you all her just-arrived things for spring, including Scalamandre’s new spring fabrics, oodles of luxe trimmings and tassels, and the dazzling paint colors of Pratt & Lambert and Ralph Lauren’s new lines — all while you sip cocktails.

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Ah, Gap. Ever-reliant, fundamentals retail heaven. Especially when you hit one of those stores where Gap Body is combined with the main store, like ours is on Walnut Street. About once a year I stock up on layering white camis, cropped workout (/lounging) pants, comfy hoodies and super soft v-neck Ts. Plus, there’s usually a wildcard item or two throw in, depending on the season. And this spring’s visit was no different.

Behold Gap’s striped tank dress for spring/summer 2008. It comes in an array of colors, is made of that super soft cotton, comes in a rainbow of colors, and will be as perfect to throw on after work and sleep in as it will be as a hot summer’s day go-to and the quintessential beach cover-up. Leggings optional.
Seeing as I’ll definitely use it as all of those, I bought it in two colors (love the tangerine!).

For now.

Gap striped tank dress, $24.50, various locations, gap.com.

Feel good about Earth Day at Kellijane, where 5 percent of sales for the week (ending Saturday) will benefit Philadelphia Green, a PA Horticultural society program that has been taking care of Philly’s public green spaces since way before Green became trendy. Options are endless with locally made silk-filled pillows and comforters from EcoSnug in earthy browns, deep burgundies and crisp whites; soy-based candles from Cir, the oldest candle company in the world — as in, the candles makers for Louis XV; and Nandina bamboo towels, which are hypoallergenic and more absorbent than cotton. Not to mention the organic cotton bedding from Under the Canopy and Anna Sova. — Andrea Carayiannas

Trunk show alert! Scarlett Alley’s got a party menu — owner Liz recommends the “antioxidant martinis” made with the Pure Inventions tea and fruit extracts that the shop carries — and a peek at bags, totes and clutches from the brand that kicked off my bag addiction years ago, Hobo. I’m just about due for a new splurge to carry around … I’m thinking something like this shimmery number, which is dreamily dubbed the Starlite and will go perfect with a summer tan.

Sunday, April 27, Noon-5 p.m.

I get the whole long-term message of eco-friendly living and am glad my efforts might save the great-great-grandkids from rising sea levels, but I wouldn’t mind seeing a few benefits, say, while I’m on Earth. Luckily, I stumbled across Exclusively Green, an e-commerce site that not only sells green goods from national and local makers, but also supports eco-responsible groups in the Philly area. In fact, the Norristown-based site just kicked off a new initiative, donating 5 percent of sales to a different environmental nonprofit each month.

This month, I can bike over to Roxborough’s Schuylkill Center and know that my well-spent cash is keeping the center — which promoted environmental education — up and running. And with everything from bamboo sheets to earth-friendly dog toys to choose from, I’ll have no problem stuffing my cyber cart. I’m especially fond of this Hemp Evening Clutch from Vulcana, a New Jersey-based company that turns old car tires into totally tote-able accessories. Recycled Michelin that passes for posh leather? That’s what I call instant gratification. — Cheryl McEvoy

Hemp Evening Clutch, $61.29

Provided you’re as tired as I am with political events, rallies and television in general, you’ll be glad to forget all about such trivial matters as you browse the FULL SPRING COLLECTION by Alice + Olivia this Saturday at Center City’s Kimberly Boutique.

Sweet shop owner Jimmy Contreras, every girl’s best friend, always does the cutest trunk show parties, and this one will be no exception: Look for adorably bright cocktail frocks by the ever-wispy designer (and Penn grad) Stacey Bendet (who can’t come, because she’s apparently permanently weighed down, hand-first, by her brand-new engagement rock), along with A + O’s signature trousers — six styles of them! — a rose-silkscreened gown, pleated halter tops galore, and so-worth-the-splurge floral candles that retail for $50 apiece. Don’t feel guilty: 15 percent of proceeds go to the Fund for Living at the Foundation for Breast and Prostate Health.

As Jimmy predicts, the event will be, “Unbelievable. Gorgeous.” Don’t miss it. But if you do, at least mark your calendar for May 16, when he’ll throw the boutique’s three-year birthday bash alongside Tibi designer Amy Smilovic.