Brighten your winter with vibrant clothing, great reads and more.
Bookend your weekend—literally—with a great read and a brewski at Beow’s Books and Brews, a bar/independent bookstore combo inspired by great conversation and The Inklings, aka CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, Dorothy Sayers and more. Happy reading! @beowsbooks
Photo by Chris Blakenship
If your abode’s in need of some rejuvenation, look no further than Fenton’s recently bowed Rejuvenation, offering heirloom-quality lighting, sleek furniture and spunky rugs bright enough to beat the winter blues—plus a focus on superior craftsmanship that’ll class up any home aesthetic. @rejuvenation
Pardon our French (bulldog merch). If you’re a fan of Frenchies, stop byJ & J Frenchies to stock up on bulldog-themed candles and wax melts to bring some puppy love (and a sweet aroma!) into your home. No bull! @jandjfrenchies
You can never have too many bags. Crabtree Valley Mall’s forthcoming Brahmin takes luxury leather goods to the next level via an array of totes that’ll elevate any outfit—from trendy metallic mini bags to timeless black totes. Time to purse shop till you drop!@brahmin
Built for bookworms on a budget, North Raleigh’s new bookstore, Wanderlust Books, marks all its used reads for a mere $5, so guests can dive into untapped tales and knowledge without breaking the bank—NTM stock up on local art and goods. How lit. @wanderlustbooksnc
Picture this: Caitlin Cary’s curated and constantly changing selection of art Pocket Gallery is sliding over to City Market to continue to display local Raleigh artists and artisans. Talk about a perfect image! @pocketgallery_raleigh
Photo by Caitlin Cary
The ’70s are so back. Dress to the nines—and feel like a dancing queen!—in Fenton’s recently opened Johnny Was’ bold and chic boho floral-inspired ’fits perfect for the “sophisticated and free-spirited.” Free and fashionable, indeed! @johnnywas
Drumroll, please 🥁! Pop-Up Shops on Martin Street’s newest tenants Art by SRG and Needle & Thread Co. are primed for all your style needs—from upcycled clothing and band tees galore to artwork simply celebrating the beauty of being human. How on point. @artbysrg; @needlethreadco
“Self-care, I’m treatin’ me right.” Take a hint from Mac Miller and indulge at DTR’s The Self Care Marketplace, a one-stop shop for goodies that’ll make ya feel, well, good—from yoga gear and homemade goods to soaps and teas.@theselfcaremarketplacenc
Add this one to your Goodreads list. Follow Raleighite Andrea Lytle Peet’s journey via her inspirational book, Hope Fights Back, as she learns to live her life to the fullest with ALS. YGG! @go_on_be_brave
Home decor ops just keep getting bed-er (see what we did there). … Find NC-basedFairfield Chairdebuting its Camille Collection, which flaunts classically designed beds, nightstands and dressers. Sweet dreams, indeed! @fairfieldchair
Start every month with an “aww!” when you glance at Perfectly Imperfect Pups’ first-ever Triangle Dogs of the Year Calendar feting paws-itively perfect pups—with proceeds benefiting high-risk and special needs dogs. Paws for applause! @pipsrescue
Walk, walk, fashion baby. Raleigh Denim Workshopmade an appearance on the runway at New York Fashion Week, showcasing its upcycled and reworked denim with playful touches. How jean-ius (!). @raleighworkshop
Raleigh Denim Photo by Giles Clement courtesy of Raleigh Denim Workshop; The Self Care Marketplace place photo by Kimberly Thigpen; Triangle Dogs of the Year Calendar photo by Five Freedoms Photography; remaining photos courtesy of brands
Down for a good trip? Look no further than Chris Evans’ Good Trip Gallery in DTR, an art gallery-meets-tattoo studio that’s shaking up the local arts scene.
“There are no rules in art”… so says local tattoo artist, painter and Good Trip Gallery owner Chris Evans—an MO that quickly becomes apparent when you walk into his colorful gallery awash wall-to-wall with his paintings spanning all styles and subjects, from people to animals to the abstract. “I just paint whatever I feel,” he says.
The same goes for his tattoos. If he had to choose a go-to style, it would be photorealism, but, says the artist, “I don’t like saying I have a style—I like to try whatever feels right.”
A born creative, Evans picked up tattooing in high school as another way to make money. “It was probably a little illegal,” he jokes. He’d always wanted an art gallery and thought that eventually he would transition out of tattooing into a full-time painter. But why choose one when you can have the best of both worlds?! And, so, Good Trip Gallery was born January 2021, peddling both his dope tattoo skills and his paintings.
“I just hadn’t seen an [all-in-one] art gallery and tattoo studio before, so I knew I wanted to try it and bring it to Downtown Raleigh,” adds Evans, who was born in Apex, but migrated to the City of Oaks two years ago to open the avant-garde art house.
In addition to offering his artworks and tattoo services at Good Trip Gallery, Evans also participates monthly in Downtown Raleigh Alliance’s First Friday—during which you’ll find him posted up outside on the sidewalk to live-paint, with another local artist live-painting in the gallery’s back room, a DJ or live musician on-site, and late hours to boot.
This month, you also can catch Good Trip Gallery repping at IBMA Bluegrass Live! (Sept. 30–Oct. 1), where, in addition to having his artwork on display, Evans will be performing a live painting. (Unfortunately, though, you can’t get a tatt out in the middle of Fayetteville Street. Womp womp.)
And as far as the virtuoso’s “goal” for the gallery… well, he doesn’t really have one. Now in his 17th year as a full-time tattoo artist, Evans emphasizes that he doesn’t want his creative outlets to turn into work. “I know that sounds crazy being in business, but I don’t have a goal or an expectation with my art,” he adds. “Whatever happens, happens.” Sounds like a good trip, indeed. goodtripgallery.com
