The CWS is Coming to Town!

We're just days away from the first pitch of the 2010 College World Series! The sporting event gets underway on Saturday, June 19th for the final time at the legendary Rosenblatt Stadium, but the party starts on Friday with a opening ceremony featuring music and fireworks.

No matter who you are rooting for this year -- Arizona State, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Oklahoma, South Carolina, TCU or UCLA -- Trocadero has a rainbow of accessories so you can color coordinate with your favorite team. Baseball caps and t-shirts are so passe. There's no reason why you can't be chic while watching the game! Show your Bruins pride in a pair of turquoise DV sandals. Rather than sweating in a giant foam finger, wave your red, blue or yellow patent Anya Hindmarch clutch in the air to cheer on your favorite players.

Here are some of our favorite accessories in this year's CWS teams' colors.

Maroon/Red: Anya Hindmarch patent clutch, Red Flower Blood Orange candle, Rescue Beauty Lounge nail polish in Chinoise, Matt Bernson Barracuda sandal, Harajuku tote, Kara by Kara Ross bangle and enamel ring, Crocodile Creek bib

Yellow/Gold: Anya Hindmarch loose pocket, Anya Hindmarch patent clutch

Royal Blue/Baby Blue: Anya Hindmarch loose pocket, Anya Hindmarch patent clutch, DV sandals, Marvis aquatic mint toothpaste, We Are Happy To Serve You ceramic deli cup, Flip and Tumble reusable bag

Purple: Marvis jasmin mint toothpaste, Rescue Beauty Lounge nail polish in Purple Haze, Seychelles sandals, Bond No. 9 Scent of Peace perfume, Kara by Kara Ross enamel ring

Orange: Bond No. 9 Little Italy perfume and candle, TDM tie-dye bamboo scarf (not shown)

In the three years I've lived in Omaha, I've yet to go to a CWS game. I think I need to experience at least one at Rosenblatt before it moves to TD Ameritrade Park Omaha next year. I'm not partial to any of the teams playing (go BU Terriers!), so I'll probably pick one based on their uniforms, which is what I did when I was a little girl. I do love purple and orange...

Unique Hostess Gifts

The holiday season is officially upon us, and that means it's time to prepare yourselves for the numerous sit-down dinner and cocktail parties you're sure to attend. A classy way to show your gratitude for being invited to the soiree is to present your hostess with a small gift. A typical gift is a bottle of wine or a bouquet of flowers. How boring! Stop by Trocadero to find unique gifts that are sure to impress your hostess (or host).

I like to stick to items meant for the home and not ones geared towards a specific person. Candles, books and vases are things everyone can enjoy. Red Flower candles come with a small heap of potpourri and are available in alluring scents like Italian Blood Orange, Indian Jasmine and Spanish Gardenia. Let her explore the homes of well-known Parisians in the book Paris Living Rooms, which is perfect for the coffee table in her living room. And Anne Black and Normann Copenhagen vases are simple enough to match any decor--and to hold the flowers that other guests bring.

Since your host or hostess has likely been slaving away in the kitchen, why not bring something he or she can use at the kitchen sink? Archipelago Pomegranate Hand Wash is one of our best-sellers. It smells absolutely delicious, but Malin + Goetz's Mojito Soap Set, a collection of three bar soaps in lime, rum and peppermint, is a great alternative. When the work is done, she can indulge in some MarieBelle. Trocadero carries three varieties of the dark chocolate bar: Mayan Chocolate, Aztec Hot Chocolate and Dark Hot Chocolate.

A John Derian paperweight would nicely contain that stack of bills and mail your hostess shoved in the corner. I particularly like the one that says "A Happy Home." Stationery is always something needed--and appreciated. These Cavallini Typewriter Thank You Notecards will come in handy when it's time for your hostess to thank people for their holiday gifts. Finally, who doesn't enjoy a fragrant home? A gift of Antica Farmacista home ambiance reed diffusers is sure to bring a smile to anyone's face.

So there you have it! Creative gifts you can bring with you the next time you're a guest at a party... and, lucky for you, they're all available at Trocadero!

Honeymoon in Italy

A year ago I was on my honeymoon in Italy. My husband and I visited Florence, Venice and Rome. Ah, memories...

Don't assume that the only international goods that Trocadero sells are French; the shop happens to sell many products that remind me of the two weeks we spent sightseeing in those historical cities, including classic children's travel books of Venice and Rome by M. Sasek and vintage Italian postcards by Cavallini. And Red Flower makes a shower gel, a body lotion and a candle that smell like blood orange, a fruit native to Italy that we enjoyed as juice every morning while abroad.

The Troc also carries a number of products that I wish I had with me on our trip like the beautifully constructed and extremely practical M.Z. Wallace nylon Jane bag. I could have used the Malin + Goetz "carry-on approved" travel kit, as well as a pocket-sized notebook to record all of our adventures--what we ate, where we stayed, what sites we saw.

To celebrate the one year anniversary my honeymoon, I may just have to buy myself a bottle of Bond No. 9's Little Italy perfume, which has top notes of mandarin and grapefruit. Delicious!

Trocadero Happy Home: candles

Candles are a small but totally necessary luxury. Trocadero has an amazing selection of scents, sizes and styles of candles. In this edition of Trocadero Happy Home, we'll give you more insight into what you can find - and take home - during your next visit to Omaha's Old Market.

Diptyque candles - made famous in the pages of Vogue, on the set of Sex and the City and countless other places - are worth the hype. Diptyque's first scented candles (Aubépine, Cannelle and Thé) were made by Jean-Claude Bullens in 1963. A graduate of the school of perfumery in Versailles, Bullens was known as one of the best craftsmen in his field; his candles were a huge hit. The luscious scents, beautiful packaging and storied history make these candles a best seller still today. Trocadero carries a number of scents, including Violet, Sweetpea, Baies (clear and black glass), Figuier, Pomander, Verveine, Essence of John Galliano, Lavender, Fennel, Feu de Bois, and Rose Geranium.

Red Flower candles are beautifully packaged. In a variety of exotic scents, each candle comes toped with a fetching pile of dried blossoms that the user removes before burning. Trocadero carries a number of scents, including Icelandic Moonflower, Indian Jasmine, Japanese Peony, Italian Blood Orange, and Spanish Gardenia.

Interior designer Jonathan Adler is known for his stylish hotels and keen sense of interior design, so when he grew his line to include home products, everyone knew they'd be great. His candles are no exception. Long lasting and sweetly scented, you can find his simple and classic candles at Trocadero in scents named after some of his favorite destinations: Palm Beach, Shelter Island, Capri, and Big Sur.

For the man of style who likes a less feminine candle, consider Malin + Goetz. These have the stylish man aesthetic written all over them, and in scents like Dark Rum, Mojito and Cannabis, they're sure to please even the most discerning gentleman.

Finally, if you want a candle that not only smells great but looks different than all the rest, consider D.L. & Company. The pretty candles come in eye-catching glass holders that can be re-used after the wax is gone. The scents inside the glass cups are just as lovely: Thorn Apple (small and large), Lady Rhubarb (small, medium and large), Absinthe (small and large), Seaweed (etched decorative glass), Tuberose (medium), and Orange Blossom (medium). Trocadero carries them in a variety of sizes and gift sets, too.