THANKS to all 1446 of  you who turned out for The Insane Insidewalk Sale this weekend in Old Saybrook.  Amazing bargains were snatched up from the likes of Southern Exposure, Silkworm, Stonewear and many more. It was a delight to meet and gab with The E List readers face-to-face and I snagged a few steals myself: perfect wineglasses at Mix, de rigeur stretchy fleece leggings from Grace and a hilarious but too-cozy-for-words hat/scarf/mitten combo (with ears) from Ciao Bella!  It was the best one yet, and I’ll chalk it up to the enthusiastic crowds and happy vibe. It WAS a joyful place: vendors were thrilled to clean out their excess stock, shoppers were excited to score extreme bargains. The real fun was in the communal dressing room. Women of all ages, shapes and sizes stripped down to their skivvies and swapped clothes, opinions and advice. Unlike most solitary dressing room experiences (Oh, no! Whose thighs are those?), if you needed a boost to your self esteem, you got it there. It left me nostalgic for the days when we shopped en masse versus all alone with a computer screen. Online shopping is handy but will never deliver instant gratification and community like the Insane Insidewalk Sale did this weekend. Thanks to all who came.

p.s. a BIG shout out to our friends at Ashlawn Farm Coffee (now in Old Saybrook AND Lyme) who fueled us and fed us for the duration. We love you guys.