Wednesday, April 30, 2008

All About Celebrities Blog Carnival: Volume 2



Hello. Welcome to the Second edition of the All about Celebrities Blog Carnival. The first edition was great and we got a lot of fun an interesting submissions. We made some cuts for the last one to only bring out the best of the best. With that said, I give you the Second Edition of the All About Celebritites Blog Carnival.


D Robinson presents Olivia Newton-John to lead celebrities in a walk to benefit cancer patients | Australian Women Online posted at Australian Women Online.


ShopTravelGosip.com presents Naomi STRIKES Again- Arrested at Airport! posted at shop travel gossip.


BeThisWay presents I Just Figured Out Who Priscilla Presley Now Resembles ? Are You Going To Be This Way The Rest of The Time I Know You? posted at Are You Going To Be This Way The Rest of The Time I Know You?.


Silveral presents Celebrity Hairstyles - Tricks of the Trade | Celebrity News, and Gossip posted at Celebrity News, and Gossip.


Jeff Sullivan presents Rankin Brothers - Branson's Newest Show posted at Branson Travel Attractions.


Sagar Satapathy presents Top 10 Most Ridiculous, Obnoxious, and Just Plain Ugly Celebrity Houses posted at International Listings Blog.


sarah presents Totally gratuitous Peter Sarsgaard hot photo post, Part 1 of 3 posted at SARAHSPY.


Thanks again to everyone who submitted to the second volume of the “All About Celebrities Blog Carnival” Keep submitting and we'll keep publishing. Its a lot of fun to see all of the submissions that we get each time and this one did not disappoint either. See you next time.



Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Miu Miu Raso Sandal for the Monday



Miu Miu Raso Sandal    Manolo Likes!  Click!


Manolo says, after seeing so many super high shoes, this three inch heel Raso slingback sandal from Miu Miu seems somewhat restrained, this despite the refined exuberance of the bling-bling ornamentation. Simply put, it is gorgeous.



Monday, April 28, 2008

busy boots



Hei lovely readers,

Thanks for your comments and emails. No worries, I'm not dead- just dashing around like a madwoman in miu miu heels.

A lot of exciting things have been happening over the past two months, most of which I hope to blog about soon. In the meantime, enjoy the last day of London Fashion Week and don't forget to check out the new Fly DVD... Givenchy hasn't looked this glamourous since Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Two days of hard labor



We had some nice weather this week, so I headed over to Strathmere to work on the garden. My Dad put down new borders and a load of mulch a few weeks ago. So we went to Lowes and bought some perennials. Of course there were a few hydrangeas, some phlox and other complicated names. One was some kind of blue Columbine, a sweet Victorian-looking flower.
Here's out back at the cottage. The daffodils were there already. I trimmed the edge with the seashells that I had in there previously.





Inside the cottage, a new-Vintage wicker furniture remains unpainted. I'll get some time to work on them eventually. Plus I have to get some new cushions. I got the couch, chair and a rocker for $85, which I think is a bargain.




Here's the left and right side of the garden in front of the house. We put two holly shrubs in there too. What was so hard about the job was that my dad put about 6-8 inches of mulch in there, even deeper in some spots. So just digging through the mulch to get to the dirt was a chore in itself. My dad worked on putting up the new door while I did the garden. My Dad put new siding and new porch on the house during the last 6 months. He was going to wait until next year to get a new door. But I want everything to be all nice and matching now, so that the house is all finished. So I ordered the door and bought new furniture for the porch because our old stuff is mish-moshy. I love this house. This week was the 26th anniversary of my parent's buying it.





The next day I went over and cleaned, because we have friends coming down to stay next week. Scrubbed the kitchen and bathroom (with barely lukewarm water because the hot water heater was just lit that morning) vacuumed everything including the stairs, which I hate to do. Now it looks all nice. We already did our yearly work there during the winter (paint and new carpeting in the attic and new carpet in the lvingroom) There's always work to be done in a 100 year old house, especially when you rent it out for the summer. There's natural wear and tear and people on vacation sometimes seem to lose regard for other people's things.



Sunday, April 27, 2008

Shopping Review - The Lakeline Mall Near Austin,Texas



When I knew I'd be going to Austin, I began to do all of the research I could regarding where to stay, shop, eat, and play. My shopping research revealed that there are many malls and shopping centers in the Austin area. While visiting a mall may not be a top priority for many travelers, I knew I wanted to shop at a dELiA*s store, as it's just something I've always wanted to do since I missed the opportunity to do so during a trip to Washinton, D.C. five years ago. My catalog shopping experiences with dELiA*s have always been pleasant, although the quality of their goods can be disappointing at times. So on my second day in Austin, after taking a van tour of the city, I decided to head out to the Lakeline Mall, which is about 19 miles northwest of Austin in Cedar Park.

It was certainly worth the drive, as I bought some flat black boots from Wet Seal on sale for $14.99, some teal pumps for the same price, and a floppy sun hat which will serve me well this summer. At Charlotte Russe, I bought two tops, as they were buy one, get one half price.


Pictured above is the colorful food court at the Lakeline Mall.

When I went into the dELiA*s store, I had high expectations based upon what I've seen in the catalogs. What I saw, however, was very simple merchandising, and a small accessories section near the cash wrap area in the middle of the store. There were no shoes, except for some ankle boots on a display in the front. No swimwear or jewelry either. Most of the store consisted of denim, graphic print T-shirts, and a few knit dresses. I ended up buying a printed tank top on sale for $6.99, some neon striped, leopard print, and neon checkered ankle socks (to wear with sandals this season), some lavender Wayfarer knockoff sunglasses, and a blue knit dress, pictured below.

Then I moved on to Dillard's, as I've never shopped there either. Luckily, the stores were not crowded for a Friday afternoon, and I had a pleasant shopping experience. The ground floor at Dillard's had a dizzying selection of designer handbags which I'm sure my handbag-loving friend S.R. would have appreciated. In the Petites' Department, I stumbled upon this beautifully embroidered peasant top (pictured below) that I could not pass up. Then in the Juniors' Department, I found a Lucky Brand-esque floral graphic hoodie for only $20 (which I haven't photographed yet) that looks like it would cost much more.
Overall, I would characterize the Lakeline Mall as a typical American mall. Based upon the selection of stores, it did not cater to high-end shoppers. At the Dollar Tree, I was amazed when two decent sized bottles of water only cost one dollar! It may seem silly to get excited about, but sometimes bottled water can be ridiculously overpriced when it's purchased elsewhere. The Lakeline Mall had just the right mix of affordable retailers that I was looking for, as I can shop the high end in Los Angeles or Santa Barbara and find similar items. My shopping strategy was definitely quantity over quality at the mall, and I was pleased with the selection of merchandise at Charlotte Russe and Wet Seal. I will be posting more photos and reviews of my shopping adventures in Austin's funky SoCo (South Congress) shopping area very soon.



Saturday, April 26, 2008

Beauty By Numbers



April%20Cover%20%282%29.jpg
My husband says my head is full of useless info because I can rattle off statistics of more random things than I care to admit, but hey, at least I always win at Trivia Pursuit! According to the latest issue of Women's health, Japanese and French women are perfectionists and American women are stressed. Italian women, however, have the diva attitude and feel they look young regardless of their age, bravo to that!

Jump to the list of beauty numbers from this month's Women's Health that I find fascinating.

Beauty By Numbers

$39 The amount per month the average American woman spends on beauty treatments

$71 The amount the average Italian woman spends on beauty treatments

92 The % of British women that rarely or never visit a dermatologist

80 The % of women in South Africa that wear fragrance every day; 80% of Chinese women don’t

38 The % of Indian women that say they own zero skin-care products

73 The % of Australians would choose to shell out for body massages if money were no object

52 The % of Koreans that would spend their cash on skin-lightening treatments

45 The % of women in China that say they can’t live without lipstick

53 The % of Italian women feel they look younger then they are.

38 The % of people in China that use teeth-whitening treatment (including toothpaste) daily.

Source: womenshealthmag.com

Additional Beauty Facts:

- American and British women are most likely to feel they look stressed and tired

- Women in Germany and Italy say mascara is their most essential beauty product

- Argentine and Canadian women are the most satisfied with their looks.

- Japanese and French women are least satisfied with their looks.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Renewed Appeal of Size Appeal



So I've known about Size Appeal for a long time, and even purchased from it sporadically. But recently at Lee Lee's Valise (which I wrote about in my last blog) I had a chance to try out some of their newest stuff and I have to say I really like it!! It reminds me of a plus size H&M - affordable, disposable fashion in fun, funky colors and designs. These are not high quality long wear garments, they are seasonal pieces - but a cute top for twentysomething dollars, I don't mind! Lisa D (the owner of Lee Lee's) told me she is selling out of the Size Appeal stuff in her store and has had to order more! If you can't get into Lee Lee's to try it on, check out Size Appeal's website:



Left: Acacia Top in Mustard, $29
Middle: Elaine Top in Teal, $29
Right: Joanna Top in Blue, $29



Left: Captivate Dress, Black & Red, $68
Middle: Harriet Dress in Red, $52
Right: Serenity Dress in Black, $49

All available at SizeAppeal.com!

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Some Martin for Your Monday?




Wow. Finally, a purse that combines my three favorite things: sequins, fish scales, and dead birds.

And it's priced to move at $7,000! By that I mean, it actually might move. I don't trust those feather things for a second.

XOXO,
Martin

Fendi bag at netaporter.com, and yes, it's really seven grand (although it's on sale right now for a cool $5,000--total steal! By that I mean, steal this bag, please, don't pay money for it*).

*Daddy Likey would never really endorse stealing. The only time she ever stole was by accident in seventh grade when she wore a $2 belt out of Goodwill and, upon realizing her mistake, cried herself to sleep while waiting for the FBI to burst through her bedroom window.


Wednesday, April 23, 2008

YAS (yet another shirtdress)




Advance 8524


I just bought another shirtdress pattern. If this goes on I will soon have every button-front dress with a collar EVER MADE. This one came from Out of the Ashes; I guess that means I can stop my eBay search for it. Possibly not. I could try to corner the vintage-shirtdress-pattern market ... [insert evil laugh here]

I bought this for the yellow version, but I have a sneaking suspicion the red might get made, too. Aren't those neckline pleats lovely? Not so sure about the one in the middle; it looks a bit fussy to me ...

There's a back view, too, and I think -- I'm not sure, but it's entirely possible -- that the collar is constructed with a diagonal seam at the point. I love collars like that. Of course, I could be totally wrong -- it has happened, oh, once or twice before -- but even if I am it's a lovely, lovely dress. (Even if it is virtually indistinguishable from the last five shirtdress patterns I've bought.)

Of course, I still have to figure out where the pockets will go. I think that I will have to recut the skirt so that the front piece doesn't have a center front seam, but instead two offset front side seams, and put the pockets there. (This also has the advantage of not having to make sure that center front seam is both physically and optically in line with the bodice buttons!)

Linktastic Friday will be back next week, by the way. Possibly on Wednesday or maybe even on Monday. As all the psychologists know, intermittent reinforcement is the best way to keep people's interest up ...

LiLo has Peter Pan Legs & Man Feet



Scrolldown!

..

..


Lindsay Lohan huge sneakers


These pants go way far too beyond skinny jeans. I barely recognize them as being denim (don't they kind of resemble a blue heather fleece?) And then we get to those sneakers. Lindsay looks like her feet belong on a teenaged boy. That ensemble is an insult to her fantastic patchwork handbag.


By the way, I was out of the fashion game for a while, and now cannot find this bag anywhere after a day's research - can you name it or the designer?



Tuesday, April 22, 2008

GoJane Foot Candy



One of my favorite online stores to browse for foot candy is GoJane. All of their styles, including boots, are under $50. While the prices may be easy on the wallet, the shoes may not be so easy on the feet. Although I like many of the styles, I can't help but cringe as I imagine the discomfort that some of the 4" heels may cause me. Being the shoe-aholic that I am, I just couldn't say no to the Balenciaga inspired boot/sandals at the amazing price of $41.99 (#2 in the photo above). Sometimes, when it comes to footwear, I'm willing to suffer a little in the name of fashion. I remember my first pair of heels - some perforated pastel pink ankle boots that I absolutely adored as a tween. Fast forward to yesterday, when someone remarked at the dentist's office that I'm always wearing a new pair of boots on each visit. I guess I've always been a boot girl! Thanks to some after dinner browsing on GoJane, I will soon be the proud new owner of some very stylish (but probably poorly made) open-toed boots.

Pictured above:
1. Orange gladiators, gojane.com, $21.99
2. Boots in camel (they also come in black), gojane.com. $41.99
3. Patent slingbacks, gojane.com $22.99

Monday, April 21, 2008

Vosges Green Truffle Collection



Vosges Green Truffle CollectionCelebrate the spices, teas, fruits, and flowers of Asia with this limited edition collection of truffles. We're especially digging the Kayoko truffles, which feature a blend of white chocolate, Japanese matcha tea, and cherry blossom petals.

$42 ; for a box of 16 at Vosges Chocolate.




Maui Divers Jewelry



Maui Divers of Hawaii was founded in 1958 in Lahaina, Maui, once a bustling whaler's port. The company began by escorting adventurous visitors on underwater excursions to view the island's exotic ocean environment.



A fishing expedition led Maui Divers to the discovery of one of the ocean's finest treasures, Hawaiian black coral, considered to be the most lustrous coral in the world. A year later, utilizing controlled harvesting to ensure the future of the resource, the company began designing, manufacturing, and selling Hawaiian black coral jewelry.



jewelry gemstones pendant

14k Gold Hawaiian Black Coral Pendant

A 14k yellow-gold set with a Black Coral raised S-shaped stone, 18x5mm, and three faceted round Diamonds totaling 0.15 carats, total weight, in the Paradise design.



On the Maui Divers website, I also found this adorable jewelry, the Plumeria Collection:



jewelry designer pendant

14k Gold and Diamond Plumeria Pendant

A 14k yellow-gold charm or pendant in the triple extra large Plumeria design with a satin and polished finish set with one faceted round Diamond totaling approximately 0.30 carats. Approximate size: 1 1/8"



jewelry techniques necklace

Slipper Pendant with Plumeria Accents

A 14K yellow and white-gold large slipper pendant with faceted round diamonds totaling 0.10 carats total weight. Gold Plumeria design. Approximately L: 1" W: 3/8"



designer jewelry ring

Chocolate Pearl Plumeria Ring

A 14k rose-gold ring set with one round "Chocolate" Tahitian Pearl ring, 8-9mm and bronze in color, in an extra-large 18mm Plumeria setting.



Company Statement

Located in Honolulu, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu, Maui Divers Jewelry is the largest jewelry manufacturer in Hawaii. Founded in 1959, we're credited with the discovery of Hawaiian Black Coral as well as the rare Hawaiian Gold Coral.



We're renowned for our unique, high-quality handcrafted designs not only in precious coral jewelry, but also gold Hawaiian jewelry, and exquisite styles featuring diamonds and other popular gemstones, including pearl jewelry, which showcases each unique variety of pearls found in the Pacific. Our extensive collection of pearl jewelry can also be found in our exclusive Island Pearls stores, as well as at www.mauidiverspearls.com.



The majority of our jewelry is handcrafted from design sketch, to casting and final pearl and stone setting in our world-famous Jewelry Design Center in Honolulu....and all of our jewelry comes with a lifetime guarantee against defects in materials and workmanship to ensure lasting memories of paradise.


See full article
.





Related Entries:


Jewelry Career Resources - 08 August 2006


Couture Jewelry Awards - 04 March 2007


Jewelry Designer for Princesses - 08 March 2007


Hawaiian Dive Shop Turned Jewelry Store - 23 August 2007













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Sunday, April 20, 2008

Spring Stripes and Florals



With spring flowers blossoming everywhere, I always get inspired to buy and wear brighter, bolder prints. Take, for example, the three printed tops pictured below. All of them were purchased during my brief trip to Austin and will make great layering pieces while the nights are still cool here in southern California.


Austin tourist T-shirt from a gift shop and floral printed hoodie from Dillard's.

Red & white striped jersey top from Charlotte Russe.

Floral printed tank top, $6.99 at dELiA*s.


Dress A Day Says: Two Thumbs Up!




Joan Bennett in Vogues of 1938


So. Yes. I'm not sure where yesterday went, either -- if anyone sees a missing Wednesday (with or without a note pinned to it that says "return to Erin: reward"), would you send it along to me? I'm afraid it's out there somewhere lost and lonely.

But, Lost Wednesday (so much less desperate, thankfully, than a Lost Weekend) aside -- I did manage to see this wonderful movie, Vogues of 1938, on the kind recommendation of friend-of-the-blog Deborah.

Vogues of 1938 -- and don't let the title fool you, it was made in 1937 -- is, as far as I can tell, a movie made solely to put on a fashion show (or two, or three). The plot is as slim as the lead, Joan Bennett (and that's saying something) but there's wonderful repartee -- as when Joan, thwarted in her desire for The Guy, hands off her fashion show trophy (fashion show trophy!) to a maid, saying "My hands are full carrying a torch!" Sigh. Why can't you get away with lines like that in real life?

The clothes are sumptuous in that movie-glamour way, and the title card of the designers involved takes up a whole screen, not that I recognized any of their names. The movie also includes significant close-up shots of a lucky thimble, a Russian prince and a petulant titan of industry, truly shocking quantities (to modern eyes) of furs and cigarettes, as well as unintentional humor (at least, I think it was unintentional), when a crooner dedicates a whole song to "Lady of the evening ... lady of the night" which is not, in fact, about a prostitute. (Or, if it was, she was way beyond even Spitzer's budget.) And a horse-drawn milk wagon. And a fairly random Cotton Club interlude. And a kind of cut-rate Marx Brothers-ish trio. This movie is PACKED.

Oh -- and did I mention? -- there's a several-minute interlude of TRICK ROLLER-SKATING. On a raised platform, in evening dress, if you please. (In the movie, the impresario of the failed musical for which the skaters are auditioning tells his would-be ingénue that, in the show, "they'll be dressed as bunnies.")

I recommend watching this movie while doing something else undemanding and just coming to full attention when either Joan Bennett or the roller-skating couple is on the screen, or when you hear the fashion-show music.

So: in short: Dress A Day says "Two Thumbs Up!" Add it to your Netflix queue today!

(The picture of Joan Bennett above is from a total eye-candy wonderland, Evening Gowns Vintage and New, uploaded to some site I've never heard of -- does "Webshots" ring a bell for anyone? -- but well worth checking out.)

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Dear Purveyors of Vintage Clothing,



Next time a present-day size 10 woman (or, god forbid, 14! 16! plus size!) walks into your store, if you could refrain from sighing dramatically and giving her a cautionary lecture about how "clothes were SO much smaller back in the day, and even ten years ago women did not look like, well, that, and maybe you'd better just leave because we don't serve your kind here*," that would be great. I think a lot of self-worth could be preserved. And you might even sell her something.

Love,
Winona

*So I may be exaggerating a little, but seriously, just a little.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Want to snag a man? Then shut up.



With the possible exception of impressionable young children, most everyone knows that Disney's The Little Mermaid is pretty messed up (give up your voice for a man, literally! woohoo!). My friend Katelyn and I seem to spend most of our time together alternating between angrily discussing this fact and breaking into passionate renditions of "Part Of Your World" (What can I say? Old habits die hard).

In an attempt to branch out at our coffee date today, we were trying to remember the words to Ursula's classic aria, "Poor, Unfortunate Souls". We failed miserably, so I looked up the lyrics online when I got home, and GOOD GOD if you haven't re-watched the movie as an adult, you've gotta read this:

[Ursula:] I'm not asking much. Just a token, really, a
trifle. What I want from you is . . . your voice.
[Ariel:] But without my voice, how can I -
[Ursula:] You'll have your looks! Your pretty face! And don't
underestimate the importance of body language! Ha!

The men up there don't like a lot of blabber
They think a girl who gossips is a bore
Yes, on land it's much preferred
For ladies not to say a word
And after all, dear, what is idle prattle for?

Come on, they're not all that impressed with conversation
True gentlemen avoid it when they can
But they dote and swoon and fawn
On a lady who's withdrawn
It's she who holds her tongue who gets her man

Kind of makes you wonder why the Ariel dress from the Disney Princess bridal collection doesn't come with a jewel-encrusted gag, huh?

Swarovski for the Holidays and a Happy Birthday!!!



First, I want to wish a Happy Birthday to my younger sisters (twins) who turn 50 today! If you don't have a least one sister, you don't know what you are missing. Sisters are the touchstones for who we are; they are our past, and good sisters are our encouragement for our future. So a big Happy Birthday - and a cliche, but it's true nonetheless - you're not getting older, you're getting better!

I've been working on Custom Jewelry this week, but some new Swarovski caught my eye (I made the mistake of opening the package) and I just had to do a little with it. I've been know to get Swarovski shipments and leave them untouched until I had the time to work with the crystals, since when I open any Swarovski crystals I am immediately entrapped by its sparkle.
The first Swarovski that really caught my eye in this package were the Galactic pendants (shown at the top). But, I thought, why use them as pendants when they would be so much more striking and beautiful as earrings? So that is what they ended up being (also a picture of the pair at the bottom of this post). The Galactics have wonderful movement and of course, their sparkle is gorgeous. Perfect for these oddly shaped crystals are these modern looking earwires from the Karen Hill Tribes, so that the result is a very modern earring. I put them in the Holiday Gift Ideas section.
Below the Galactics are earrings made with Swarovski's new green opal crystals. It is a great Christmas green.

Alexandrite Swarovski crystals in their changeable colour are featured in these Swarovski crystal earrings. These earrings have earring posts made of sterling silver; these domed posts are great if, like many of us, you have unsightly holes from years of wearing dangling earrings.
The earrings below are created from huge 12mm bicones, then hung from sterling silver earwires with a flat diamond shape on the front. They are wonderful for a holiday party.
Below those is another picture of the Galactic earrings from the first picture in this post. Most of our other Swarovski crystal earrings can be found on the website in the Austrian Crystal Earrings page or on our Swarovski Bridal Jewelry page.

I hope that everyone is getting on with his/her Christmas shopping. I'm trying to order a few things online, trying to get a head start this year! I adore shopping online, avoiding the crowds, aching feet, and that long drive from this small Arkansas town to Memphis (where most of the Christmas shopping in this area is). While I like people, it's sometimes much easier to keep the Christmas spirit intact when you don't have to circle mall parking lots 3 times to find a parking space scrunched next to someone who is probably going to dent your car or wait for a salesperson who decided to go to lunch just when you were ready to pay for 15 items that you've painstakingly shopped 4 hours to gather together.