"Girls" Take Over This Weekend in Ocean City

By Maddy Vitale Cathy Randazzo held up a tan jacket outside of the Tah-Dah boutique, 952 Asbury Ave. in Ocean City Saturday afternoon seeking her gal pals’ opinions as she tossed a blue and gold scarf over the garment. “We like the jacket. The scarf has too much gold,” Randazzo’s friend Lacye Ciccarelli chimed in. So that was the answer. The spring jacket was going to be one of Randazzo’s purchases – minus the scarf - during a bustling Girls Weekend in the downtown. Cathy Randazzo, of Pennsylvania, asks her best gal pals what they think of this jacket. Randazzo and Ciccarelli, both from Pennsylvania, joined their friends Joanne Kowall, of Ocean City, and Ines Casado, for a day of fun, boutique shopping and at the end of their extravaganza – food. It is the third year of the event that brings women who love a girls’ getaway and upscale shopping at a discount.   “We are very good friends. This is our yearly thing. We just love it,” Kowall said. “It is festive and fun, and we can do everything we like together. The husbands know this is our big weekend,” Ciccarelli said. The friends meandered in and out of shops and ended up with bags of clothes, some baubles and other “necessities.” Joanne Kowall, of Ocean City, adds some glitz to her wardrobe at Ta-Dah. In addition to purchases, there were classes, demonstrations and workshops scheduled throughout the downtown. Guests could participate in everything from wellness activities, to crafts, to tastings. Michele Gillian, Executive Director of the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce commented at the end of a busy Saturday, “It was a great day in Ocean City’s downtown. We saw lots of women, girlfriends, young girls, as well and men shopping, enjoying all the classes, demos and Girls Weekend specials.” And there is more to come. Tonight, Broadway star Kelli Rabke will perform her show "Defying Gravity" at the Music Pier. Tomorrow Miss America 2018 Cara Mund, who co-hosted the Girls Weekend fashion show Friday night at Glazed Over Studios, will be at Jon & Patty’s Coffee Bar & Bistro at 637 Asbury Ave. from noon to 2 p.m. for a meet and greet. “What a wonderful weekend in Ocean City,” Gillian said. Cousins Sheila Mancini and Janet Cappelletti, of Norristown, Pa., enjoy checking out clothes at Bohemian Mama, 741 Asbury Ave. make Girls Weekend a tradition. “Every year we come down and it gets better and better,” Sheila Mancini said, as the two of them checked out some apparel at Bohemian Mama, 741 Asbury Ave. The duo wasn’t looking for anything specific. But as they perused the store, where floral and flowy wear caught the eye of several shoppers who filled the shop, Mancini picked up a blouse and asked her cousin if she liked it. Mancini got the nod of approval for what would likely be another purchase. Gina Ozhuthual, owner of the Bohemian Mama said Girls Weekend was proving to be very good for the boutique, which offered 15 percent off merchandise. Kim Patrizio an employee at Bohemian Mama and owner Gina Ozhuthual say Saturday was shaping up to be a good day for business on Girls Weekend. “We have had a ton of people today,” she said. When it comes to cool stuff 7^th Street Surf Shop seems to have a lot of it. That is what friends Veronika Buettner, of New York, Erin Campbell of Philadelphia and Ocean City, and Madison Richards of Shamong, New Jersey said, as they checked out tops and shorts. Kim DeMarco, a longtime employee at 7^th Street Surf Shop said Girls Weekend is always good. “We have had some nice spurts of business all through the day.” Madison Richards, Erin Campbell and Veronika Buettner, college roommates found some cool things at 7th Street Surf Shop Saturday. But women weren’t just shopping for themselves, evidenced by the many shoppers who checked out clothing and accessories at Bowfish Kids, 956 Asbury Ave. Kathy Stump brought her daughters Samantha DeColli and Ashley Morgalis and Morgalis’ son Bennett, all from the Philadelphia area, for a day of family time and baby clothes. Kathy Stump, in the middle, with daughters Samantha DeColli and Ashley Morgalis and her son Bennett, all of Pennsylvania, enjoy a day of shopping. DeColli is due in November, Stump said, so baby clothes were at the top of their list of buys. “We always come down to Ocean City when the weather is nice, but this is our first Girls Weekend,” Stump said. “We will make it a tradition every year with Bennett and maybe a new baby girl.” Cheyenne Coady, of Egg Harbor Township, adds a little glitter to her routine thanks to Bowfish Kids employee Kylie Comer. Catherine Reisig, an employee at Bowfish, said the shop was busy all day with a steady stream of customers. Amanda Coady, of Egg Harbor Township and friend Brooke Tolson, of Ocean City, brought their children to Bowfish for some special treatment. Employees added a little glitter and braided the kids’ hair for a fairytale kind of kid makeover. Ta-Dah employee Nancy Corrigan watches over the store as customers stream in Saturday afternoon.