H&M is coming to Nashville!!!!

When I moved to Nashville from New York I missed 2 things: the ability to jay walk across 2nd ave to fulfill my chocolate craving at the bodega at 3 am and fabulous fashionable clothing on a reasonable budget. I traded my just out of college and working for a fashion company salary to being a poor i have no salary grad student. However what didn't follow me was H&M to help me look great without breaking the bank. Well it was following but at a glacially slow crawl. As i finish grad school with the intentions of staying here i was overjoyed this past winter when Nashvillians started posting announcements on their Facebook walls about a little stores opening. Next month, Thursday June 6^th at Noon in Opry Mills the first Tennessee H&M finally opens its doors. It will be almost 25,000 square foot, 25,000 square feet of AFFORDABLE fashion for ladies, men, young ladies and young men, with separate “store within store” sections for accessories, lingerie, sports apparel and maternity. There will also be they ridiculously inexpensive children’ line and the plus-size line, H&M+.

Want to save even more while in there? Clean out your closet because H&M is part of a global garment recycling program. Bring in a bag of unwanted clothes from any brand and in return reiceve a 15% off coupon for an item of your choice.

In celebration of opening day, H&M at Opry Mills will offer the first 300 shoppers in line an H&M t-shirt and Access to Fashion Pass, valued from $10 to $300, in addition to other fantastic opening offers for the whole family!

H&M will open its doors at Opry Mills in just a few short weeks.

Mas Tacos Por Favor!

I usually come up with a witty title for a blog post, but the place I am about to tell you about it the nail on the head.  Mas Tacos Por Favor is exactly what you will be saying once you finish your meal.  During finals week, I headed over the river and through the hood to East Nashville with a girlfriend of mine.  She happens to be from SoCal, so she knows a thing or two about authentic, delicious Mexican food.  She was fed up with what Nashvillians will accept as “Mexican” and I had heard rave reviews of this place.  In order to fuel up to finish our tech workshop we waiting on line for a good 20 minutes in what can only be described as a well maintained shack.  Thanks to Scoutmob we got one taco for free as an added bonus which was the initial draw.  You order from the counter which has the days menu written around it.  As we were waiting more and more items were being crossed off the board.  I was told the fried avocado tacos and the tortilla soup was out of this world. Well apparently they avocado tacos are not offered during “brunch” but the tortilla soup was unlike any soup I have ever had.  It is not your traditional tortilla soup.  It has a clear broth with wonderful fresh ingredients from chicken to avocado and of course tortilla strips.  But the flavors blend so well together but are still very distinct.  I am getting all Top Chef on y’all but what I should be saying is get the soup when you go.  This hearty winter soup packed a small price tag of only $5.  My soup was followed by fresh, local tacos that only rang up for $3 each (minus the free one).  The combinations are eclectic but not wired and there is an option for everyone.  It changes variety, but I had a breakfast and a fish taco and both were a pow of flavor.  Mas Tacos also has a food truck, so you can follow them around if you are not near East Nasty, but trust me it is worth the drive, the wait for these tacos.  I sure will be back.  Soon!

Hillbilly Heaven

Nashville! What is the first thing that popped into your head? Country Music. So when visiting put on your cowboy boots (not with a dress) and head down to 2nd Avenue to hit up the great Honky Tonks. This is your chance to embrace your country bumpkin side and enjoy all that Music City has to offer. Holding onto its stake as one of the city's last authentic bar's is Robert's Western World. Home of traditional Country music, this is where original artists come to get their start. You will be hard pressed to find a cover band strumming along on the ole guitar. When you come to spend your evenings or afternoons, you will be ahead of the trends. Next year that band or artist may just be up on stage accepting their first CMA award. Check the schedule to see when they will be playing live. If you work up an appetite order up the Recession Special from the Honky Tonk Grill inside. The no frills menu will do just the job, satisfy your hunger. Its not fancy, but that should be expected. They have your southern standards like fried Bolonga and fried pickles; something you must try at least once in your life time. Next time you are cruising down 2nd Ave and are fixin to find a place to enjoy the evening, Robert's should be at the top of your list.

image via Robert's Western World

Liquidating Tastes

I have known about this secret for fairly a long time, and now I am just revealing it to the world. Well it actually took a reminder on my recent trip to spread the savings with everyone. As I was gearing up to leave Nashville years ago, a savings mecca was setting up shop on West End Ave. Walking into the unassuming storefront, I was just checking out the newest shop in town. With no expectations, I was not exactly floored, but then I started drinking the Kool Aid. What flavor is this Kool Aid you ask? It is United Apparel Liquidators. The purpose of UAL is exactly what their name states. They take excess inventory from department stores and designer boutiques to sell to you for up to 90% off. I was just as shocked at that mark down when I was in the New Orleans location last week. I picked up a pair of thousand dollar Pierre Hardy shoes for about $200; its a shame my feet resemble the ugly step sister's and not Cinderella's. There was also the Thread Social dress that you could have spent $345 on, but at UAL it was available for $60. There are four UAL locations dotting the South East. Not in the South East? The brick and mortar stores are not the only place you can pick up these savings. Available to the rest of the world is the UAL eBay store. Do not worry it was available in every size so it is not like finding a needle in a haystack, you will leave with thousands of dollars worth of clothing by only dropping pennies.
Image via Flickr

Nuvo Nashville

If you know me I love a little musical city in the south, better known as Nashville, TN. I also love Mexican food. Although I never made it to East Nashville during my time down there (one of my many regrets) I can still report on its fabulocity. In the new, burgeoning section of town with its hipster vibe, of course the next cool Mexican restaurant will follow suit. Next time you are east of the Cumberland head to Five Points and refuel at Nuvo Burrito. In a city lacking delicious Mexican cuisine this is a breath of fresh air. How many times can a Nashvillian eat bland Mexican food without throwing a fit. Well travel south of the border without leaving the 615. Nuevo offers diners excellent Mexican options, all under 9 bucks. The most interesting burrito is the Heart of Dixie which has mashed sweet potatoes, caramelized vidalia Onions, Monterrey jack cheese and bacon. Mixing sweet ans savory, I can only imagine how decedent this burrito is. When the sun goes down and the fun comes out, Nuvo starts their after dark specials. There is a special night menu and appetizer specials. Now is your chance to take the bridge over and find out what is so great about East Nashville.

Image via Nuvo Burrito