February 15, 2006 Editor's Note:  The Three Tomatoes' have jetted off to the winter Olympics .  No, not really, but we are taking a bit of a spring break (like today)so our feature column this week is a rerun.  But for those of you who missed it the first time,or who are new to our list, it will be "new".  And since it's about shopping, who cares about the rerun.  Please check out of new poll (see sidebar) and the latest updates on our weight loss efforts as well as those of other tomatoes at The Three Tomatoes blog. We promise to return next week with new and exciting info.  The Three Tomatoes’ idea of the perfect power lunch is not the Grill Room at the Four Seasons (boring!)  Who needs to see even more of Donald Trump!  Our idea of a power lunch is shopping, which this week involved shoes, bargains, and cookies!  So fasten your seat belts and come along for the ride. We left the office at noon, headed to Grand Central, hopped on the #5 train to Fulton Street, exiting the subway at Broadway and Dey. Turned right on Broadway and into the Century 21  recently expanded shoe store.  The last time we visited Century 21, which overlooks Ground Zero, was shortly after they re-opened post 9/11, so this was our first time experiencing the new shoe store.  Now for those of you who’ve been living under a rock somewhere and think Century 21 sells real estate, here’s the deal. This Century 21 is a family owned discount department store that’s been in New York City for 40 years.  In recent years, it’s expanded to Brooklyn, Westbury, Long Island, Morristown and Secaucus, New Jersey,  but the downtown store is still Mecca to millions of bargain hunters.  They sell designer clothes, cosmetics, home furnishings and household items at discounts ranging from 25 to 75%.   Warning:  if you go the downtown store, be prepared for aisles overflowing with merchandise, crowds of shoppers, and open dressing rooms that are not for the modest.  But, back to the shoes.  The new shoe store is an amazing and dazzling array of Joan and David, Ferragamo, Armani, Mystic, Ann Klein, Kenneth Cole, Chanel, Via Spiga, Tods and a host of other designer and well know brands.   We picked up an adorable pair of Lily Pulitzer sandals (with kitten heals) in this summer’s pink and green for $79 (about 50% off retail) and in the “Lucky Size” section we got a pair of Tommy Bahama flat thong sandals for $17.99! We then made a quick beeline to the designer children’s clothes department where we bought gifts for two new babies, but not before a quick impulse buy of two gauzy, peasant skirts (we knew we should have saved those 70ties duds!) Back out on Broadway, we were lured by the incredible scent of freshly baked cookies into a little shop called Cookie Island.  This is one of the first new stores near Ground Zero that opened after 9/11 and it’s the first retail store for this previously online only business.  The cookies, baked from scratch every day, are absolutely delicious -- and the friendly staff let you sample!!  Purchases in hand and tummies full, we headed to the subway and were back in the office at 1:45 PM.  Whew!  Total time:  1 hour 45 minutes.  Total expenditures: Slightly over $200. Shopping fulfillment quotient: Priceless!  Now that’s a tomato power lunch! Copyright 2005 © The Three Tomatoes.   All rights reserved.

You know you’re a tomato if…you ever wore penny loafers with plaid pleated skirts; white go-go boots with mini-skirts; earth shoes with your peasant skirt; platform shoes with hot pants; and suffered through the excruciating pain of wearing stilettos with your little black dress for some jerk whose name you can't remember.   And like all good tomatoes, you know there is no such thing as too many shoes, a concept men will never understand.   The Three Tomatoes have stored shoes everywhere including spare bathroom tubs and even ovens (might as well use them for something!) ********************* Help us grow our list.   Use the button at the top of the page to send to a friend, or email us at tomato@thethreetomatoes.com ************************ What’s on our iPods ? We admit it.   We’re totally addicted to our iPods and don’t know how we lived without them.   Great listening when you’re exercising, commuting, traveling, or just need to tune out the world.  Our most recent download is the soundtrack from Bridget Jones:  The Edge of Reason.  Even Hugh Grant couldn’t make this dumb plotted movie better, but the music is great.  Unfortunately, it’s not available at the iTunes store, but you can buy the CD online at Barnes and Noble. You can order them online at www.cookieisland.com - baked and shipped the same day.  And part of the cookie profits is donated to the Webb International Center for Dyslexia.