Poppy Shops

Today Only: Tarte offering 30 percent discount for Earth Day

2010-04-22T07:31:00.000-07:00

Tarte.com is running a one-day-only discount of 30 percent with the coupon code EARTHDAY.

Well, as Joan Rivers was wont to say: Can we talk? What's the point of running a sale in celebration of Earth Day? What good does it do the earth to ramp up the average American woman's lust for consumer goods?

Let's face it; if you take advantage of this generous discount, you'll add to the Earth's problems. Trucks and airplanes and factories will create more pollution. You'll get a package in the mail that will create more solid waste. For all I know, you'll endanger the polar bears and make the baby seals cry.

In other words, I smell a sales gimmick, OK? Well, OK then.

Say you're in the market for new makeup, anyway. And say you're looking for an eyebrow product that will combine brow color, brow gel, a brow brush, a teeny tiny tweezer, and a mirror, all wrapped up in a compact that's perfect for travel. You couldn't do better than to buy yourself Tarte's the toolbox.

See how it's claiming to be a $32 value for $18? They're not making that up; I believe I actually did pay $32 for it.

But with the EARTHDAY code, you can get it for $12.60. Shipping is $5.00, although is you spend $50, you'll get free shipping.

(Just be aware that you'd have to kill a lot of baby seals to take advantage of the free shipping offer.)

Hans Solo trapped in Carbonite soap FTW!

2010-04-15T10:43:00.001-07:00

The good news is that this is an actual bar of soap. Yes, it's Han Solo that time he got trapped in whatchamacallit in -- was it The Empire Strikes Back? Anyway. If you have a Star Wars geek in your life--and who among us can say she does not--then you need to buy him or her a cake of Luxury Lane's awesome, olive-oil-infused vegan soap. For only $6.50, this could be the Greatest Father's Day Present Of All Time.

The bad news is that the soapmaker is completely backordered, and it will take 4-6 weeks for your order to arrive.

Oh well. As they say in another famous movie: nobody's perfect.

Preppy according to Poppy

2010-04-13T17:55:00.000-07:00

Being able to laugh at The Official Preppy Handbook was my reward for

a. having to spend six years at an all-girl school;
b. having to play field hockey;
c. having to learn Latin;
d. being Episcopalian;
e. all of the above.

If you think I picked e., you're absolutely right. However, not everyone agrees:

It's coming out in September, 2010. And you know I'll buy it. And I'll read it.

But I'll be thinking "Tsk, tsk, tsk, buying clothes from the J. Crew catalog doesn't make you a prep. You have to have suffered."

"I have nothing to declare ... except genius."

2010-04-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

by PoppyBuxom featuring TopShop

What not to do with a TopShop haul:

Buy a bunch of great stuff from TopShop, like those wooden platform sandals
excellent "Oscar" cuban-heeled baby blue nubuck lace-up sandals
a squashy-soft luggage brown cross-body bag
a cream-and-taupe window-pane check scarf
and then overlook the part where they'll charge me DUTY on these these items because duh, they're imported from England
and have to shell out $50 for Customs duty when the mailman drops off the package.

Where's a harbor so I can throw some tea into it?

(Luckily I really love my new loot.)

Items in this set:
OSCAR Lace Up Mid Sandals, $100
OLLIE 2 Part Wooden Clogs, $80
Washed Two Buckle Satchel, $65
Washed Check Scarf, $32
Oscar Wilde Quotes

Urban Decay Friends and Family Sale, April 6th-19th

2010-04-06T14:05:00.000-07:00

Visit Urban Decay to access the site, and use 1SFNSF to get the discount.

Thanks to Beauty Blogging Junkie for the head's up!

My Dior Spring 2010 picks

2010-03-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

The past couple weeks I've gone just a wee bit crazy with the on-line shopping. First of all, Nordstrom was having a "secret" beauty event. (I wouldn't call it all that secret, but I didn't see any print advertising. I guess it's secret if you only hear about it on line.)

So I popped for some Dior makeup from the Spring 2010 collection. And you can hardly blame me. First of all, how seductive is this graphic?

And then, most of the makeup in this collection has that lovely lace-y pattern pressed into it.

Anyway, I bought two items from the Dior spring collection, the Dentelles eye shadow quint

Dior 'Dentelle' Iridescent Eyeshadow Palette Pearl Glow 059

and the silver nailpolish

Dior Vernis Nail Enamel, Silver Pearl 604

which is really gorgeous. I thought a fun metallic twist on a gray would be an interesting change from the vampy purples I've been wearing lately.

Verdict? Well, the eye shadow palette was an absolute revelation. I've been reading rave reviews of Dior eyeshadow for years, and finally see what all the noise is about. The shades are gorgeous and the finish is incredibly soft. They blend so beautifully.

That being said, the shades are lighter in person than they looked on the computer screen. Lovely for spring summer, but they probably wouldn't show up as anything more than a pearly shimmer on darker complexions.

I haven't tried the polish, but I will this afternoon. I'm really looking forward to having gorgeous superstar toenails. And I need to have them before sandal season starts, or people will wonder whether I have delusions of glamor.

EQUMEN shapewear, for when your husband needs a girdle

2010-02-10T14:09:00.000-08:00

Nothing says I love you more than lingerie, right? So how about buying something to boost your man's spirits? Not to mention his butt. And just in time for Valentine's Day.

EQUMEN is offering various undershirts and underpants, all purported to improve posture, reduce back pain and provide core support (i.e., make your keg look more like a six-pack). The guy modeling them is pretty eye-popping, isn't he?

Unfortunately, so are the prices.

The Equmen Core Precision Undershirt retails for $89.00 (for the wife-beater), $99.00 (for the v-neck), $109.00 (for the long-sleeved shirt), while the Equmen Precision Underwear retails for $59.00 - $65.00 (for long trunks), $52.00 - $59.00 (for trunks), and $49.00 - $55.00 (Speedo).

Thank your lucky stars if your husband doesn't require upper thigh control, because it'll save you ten bucks.

For more information about EQUMEN's "core-compression" technology and information on where to buy a mirdle, click here.

It's like they have little signs hanging off them that say "BUY ME."

2010-01-27T20:24:00.000-08:00

Urban Decay and OPI--two of my favorite cosmetics companies--have brought out new products to celebrate Tim Burton's new Alice in Wonderland movie.

OPI has four new polishes: Off with her Red! (coral-ly red), Mad as a Hatter (clear with multi-colored glitter,) Absolutely Alice (teal/blue glitter suspended in a clear base,) and Thanks so Muchness (cool red metalic with a bit of red micro-glitter). Retail is $8.50.

Urban Decay's Alice in Wonderland shadow box has 16 shades.

None is new except Mushroom, a soft taupe. The rest of the shades are UD regulars like Polyester Bride, Chopper, and Oil Slick. They've been renamed to go with the movie.

The set contains 16 eyeshadows (left to right, top to bottom):
-Underland (Flash)
-Alice (Painkiller)
-Oraculum (Baked)
-Queen (Last Call)
-Cheshire (Chopper)
-White Rabbit (Polyester Bride)
-Wonderland (Maui Wowie)
-Curiouser (Grifter)
-Muchness (X)
-Mushroom (Mushroom)
-Midnight Tea Party (Midnight Cowboy Rides Again)
-Vorpal (S&M)
-Absolem (Homegrown)
-Drink Me Eat Me (Sin)
-Mad Hatter (Twice Baked)
-Jabberwocky (Oil Slick)

There are also two travel-size 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils in Zero (black) and Flipside (teal), and a trial-size Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Sin (champagne shimmer). Retail is $52, and they're flying out of the store.

You see my dilemma. I just bought a bottle of Primer Potion in Sin. I also just bought UD's Book of Shadows II. And really, the amount of glittery eye shadow I need or would be likely to wear would fit on the head of a pin.

It's just that ... I love the Alice books. So of course I love this stuff. Last summer I visited the Alice shop in Oxford and pored over everything in the store. I mean, I covet the OPI display, let alone the polishes. And what about that adorable pop-up packaging on the eye shadow box? Is that cute or what?

And you just know that if I don't pounce, they'll sell out and then the collection will only be available on eBay. For $200.

Luckily, I have a 13-year-old daughter, so I can buy these items and pretend I'm doing it for her.

(You'll never guess what her name is.)

Now I know what to wear to the Blissdom pajama party

2010-01-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

Poppy print pajamas from Neiman Marcus:

With pajamas like this, who needs business cards?

You know things have gotten weird when the GWP is a ball gag ...

2010-01-10T21:08:00.000-08:00

Has anyone else noticed how bondage-y the average store's shoe department is looking? No? Well, check out these images from the Neiman Marcus website.

Bettie

Page

is

alive

and

well

and

shopping

for

shoes

at

Neiman

Marcus.

Or if she isn't, she could be.

It's snowing Christmas tree ornaments

2010-01-09T10:48:00.000-08:00

I know a few of you out there put up more than one Christmas tree. You have one for the main living area, and a less glamorous tree for the family room/dining room/kitchen. Some of you even put up trees in your bathrooms.

I'm not here to judge. (Except bathroom trees? ::cough::getalife::cough::) No, I'm here to confess that I'm a lazy lump who can barely manage to get one (admittedly eight-foot) artificial, already-light-bedecked Christmas tree up and decorated every year. I love Christmas trees, but it's become an enormous ordeal.

This year I decided to cut back. I would only use the ornaments I actually liked. As it turns out, I actually only really like about a third of the ornaments I own.

I cut out all the child-oriented ornaments that I used to put all over the place. No Ninja Turtles, no Babar, no Cookie Monsters. I cut out all the commercial stuff: no M&M guys on skis, no Hersey elves, no Disney or Hallmark. No seven-year-old lovingly-produced kindergarten ornaments with missing parts.

This is what was left:

1. Things that are the right color--red, green, white, gold and silver.

2. Things with religious/seasonal significance--angels, stars, Father Christmas/Santa Claus.

3. Things that are natural--snowflakes, icicles, pine cones, acorns, birds, fruit.

I thought I was putting up a minimalist Christmas tree. When you bring up three boxes of ornaments and bring two of them back downstairs, still filled with ornaments, it certainly feels minimalist.

But the tree turned out prettier than ever. In fact, I liked it a lot, and I decided to head further in this direction. I would only buy new ornaments if they fit into those three categories.

Enter an email from the Metropolitan Museum. Ten dollars off a purchase of $50.

Well, their clearance section and sale sections brought me a veritable blizzard of new snowflake ornaments! Some of them are obviously chi-chi-poo-poo collectibles, way out of my price range. But others are way marked down, and with code K697, I saved an extra $10.

The truly pathetic, I'm a lazy lump part of this? My tree is still up. Which means that if the package shows up quickly, I might be hanging January clearance ornaments on the December tree.

Why you should put this blog down right now and go buy something at Sephora

2009-12-23T22:58:00.000-08:00

(cross-posted from my main blog.)

Hey everybody! Jen Lancaster sent me a Sephora gift card for my birthday! That is so amazing and cool that you're imploding with sheer envy, right? I got a gift card from Jen, and YOU did not. Probably. Unless she likes you, too.

So anyway, what with one thing and another, Christmas and condo fires and such, I didn't get around to actually spending it until today. I already knew what I wanted: the Sephora-only Philosophy Winter Escape gift set, consisting of a bottle of Peppermint Hot Cocoa bath gel, Melting Marshmallow body cream, and a tube of Marshmallow lip gloss.

That would be $25, and with the rest, I could get a bottle of Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion.

I don't know whether you're any kind of makeup maven, but if you check even one Youtube makeup guru, you'll find they all use this stuff before applying their eye shadow. So I wanted some. Even though I can't usually be bothered to wear eye shadow. I just wanted it, OK?

OK. So I head to Sephora.com, and discover that my Philosophy Gift Sets are marked down from $25 to $19. So I ordered two of them. And then I put the Urban Decay potion into my shopping basket. Oh, and since it was my birthday month, I got my choice of some cute freebies, so I picked out a trio of lip glosses. As well as the usual samples they like to add. Sephora was also offering free shipping. That's pretty cool, right? Two of my items were marked down, free birthday gift, free samples, free shipping.

I was all ready to check out when I remembered to google "Sephora coupon code." Sure enough, retailmenot.com had a code for an extra 20 percent off any sale item. Which knocked down the price of the Philosophy gift sets yet again.

You know how when you use a gift card, you always go over because of sales taxes or shipping? And you think, "hey, this gift card is costing me a lot of money." Well, when it was time to check out, I needed to put a total of thirty-six cents on my credit card. Score!

So then I went to twitter to brag to the internet about my super-fun Sephora shopping spree. And discovered that in a repeat of Maytaggate, dooce might be about to take on Sephora for some unspecified-but-cryptically-alluded-to crime. And I trembled, because I had just publicly sided with dooce's enemy, Sephora. The Goliath to dooce's David.

But then I realized that Sephora is the puny little weakling here. Because I checked their twitter pages, and dooce has 1,558,511 twitter followers, whereas Sephora only has 39,522. Which makes dooce the Goliath, and Sephora the David.

Well, I'm always glad to root for the underdog. After all, I'm a Red Sox fan. I'm glad I tweeted about today's sale (which is good until December 31.) I'm glad I'm providing Sephora with free PR in this blog post. If dooce is going after them, Sephora needs all the help it can get.

But I'd like to take this further. I'm going to make this my new cause. You can't be a serious blogger until you have a cause. You write an impassioned post (i.e., this one.) Then one of your blogging buddies designs a widget, and your other blogging buddies put your widget in their sidebars, and you feel that you've made the world a better place, oh lord, kumbaya.

But your cause has to be something specific. You can't just be green or recycle or against poverty. I mean, I am, I do, and hey, who isn't?

No, a blogging cause needs to be something you feel passionate about. And I do. I am extremely passionate about makeup. And so, I want--no, I need lots of people to shop at Sephora. Please, if you have any spare money at all, spend it at Sephora. Do it for the children, and if you don't like children or can't see what they have to do with a luxury makeup chain store, do it for me. I need Sephora to stay in business so I can continue to put my uncanny internet shopping skills to work during their sales. I need to continue to take advantage of their special offers. I need to keep on raking in free birthday lip glosses.

So remember. Do the right thing. Shop at Sephora.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless America.

In which I become the Dominotrix

2009-07-14T16:38:00.000-07:00

Internet, you'll never guess what foolishness I'm indulging in at the moment. It's insane.

Remember Domino magazine? Of course you do. It was Lucky for interior decorating.

I was never in love with Domino the way some of you were. Like Lucky, it frequently went off the deep end of quirky. And sometimes an entire issue would leave me cold.

But, as with Lucky, one magazine gave me instant access to super-cool secret insider sources. All of a sudden it was easy to find out how to get my mitts on great stuff. I didn't have to climb into a time machine, become 23 years old, move to New York, and get a magazine internship to do it. I could make all those underpaid 23 year old interns do it for me.

So when Domino stopped publishing, I mourned a little bit. And bought the Domino decorating book. But that just frustrated me. After all, a book can't provide the same kind of source information that a magazine can.

So I did what I always do in these cases; I went mental. I bought the entire run of Domino, from the Spring/Summer 2005 to March, 2009.

Right now, I plan to read through every issue and bask in the quirkiness. I'm also going to go through it methodically, and when I see something that looks great, I'll check out the website.

And then ... well, I haven't figured out what comes next. I plan to do something about what I find out, like post the link, or write up a separate entry for each source--I haven't figured it out yet. But for the time being, I'd like this blog to become one-stop shopping for Domino-flavored interiors ... as filtered through my admittedly preppy, traditional aesthetic.

Review: that Olay Professional Prox Pro-X crappe

2009-04-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

I posted a review of the sunscreen pictured above on BlogHer's Beauty Hacks, so this will be the stripped down, factory-settings version.

Olay's Professionals (or ProX or Pro-X) (and it does seem pretty stupid to me to come up with a whole new line of products and give them such a lame name) is by far the most expensive drugstore line. I mean, the starter kit sells for $67. So whatever you call them ("the Olay stuff in the red containers" works for me) the point is, are they actually worth that much money?

Now, I'm assuming you aren't the kind of skin-care fanatic who haunts makeupalley.com's skin care board, haunts Ulta and Sephora, and drops $250 a month on the latest, greatest dermatologist-developed/organic/imported products, because if you are, you have no business reading me. I have a passing acquaintance with all of that, but I have a life. And pretty good skin. And I don't expect miracles. Or need them.

That being said, if you're over 40, have dry skin, or can't tolerate titanium dioxide, I think you might like these products. They have niacinamide, (a vitamin B3 derivative) to shore up your stratum corneum, pro-retinol to aid in exfoliation and cellular turnover, glucosamine, and a cocktail of chemical sunscreens, all wrapped up in a light-reflective, unscented lotion that doesn't make me break out, leaves me with a matte finish, and a very slightly opalescent glow. There's a slight sunscreen reek when I first apply it, but it dissipates almost immediately.

I also got the Wrinkle Smoothing Cream ($47) and love it because it's rich, sinks right in, and has no fragrance. Maybe there's a masking fragrance, but I don't detect it. Thank goodness, because the last night cream I bought had ylang-ylang in it, and it drove me crazy.

No break-outs, no milia, no stink, and right now, Olay is offering a $25 rebate off any $50 purchase from the line, which makes the three-piece starter kit a real bargain.

I feel like Mikey in the Life cereal ad--I like it!

An open letter to the PR flaks out there

2009-04-03T10:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Idiot:

You recently sent me an email suggesting I might want to post about the Easter dresses available on a website you're representing. It's a slow news day, so I checked out the pictures.

Now, I don't know what universe you live in, but the last time I checked, Easter is the only major celebration that takes place during the day. Sure, Halloween, New Year's Eve, and Fourth of July celebrations take place at night, but Easter celebrations are pretty much limited to church services, Easter egg hunts, and Easter brunches. As a result, Easter celebrations tend to be over by the middle of the afternoon.

Now, there are times where looking frisky and sexy is perfectly appropriate--for example, when offering strange gentlemen sexual favors in exchange for money. Or at a summer cocktail party.

Or at the Ascot races, where you can be as much of an exhibitionist as you like, as long as you're also wearing a huge, preposterous hat. But--just so you know--very tight, low-cut strapless mini-dresses are not usually worn to church at any time. Even if you're going to brunch afterward.

So let me give you a hint about daytime events that include religious services, like weddings, Christenings, and Bar Mitzvahs. The idea is to look "ladylike." Please acquaint yourself with the concept before sending me another email.

To sum up: the Easter bunny should never be confused with the Playboy bunny.

You're welcome,

Poppy

Can you celebrate St. Patrick's Day with style?

2009-03-04T12:16:00.001-08:00

My latest post at BlogHer Beauty Hacks--featuring sale items from Cut + Paste, J. Crew, Old Navy, and unique crafty items from Etsy and Bondi Forest says yes, yes, yes!

Erin go braless!

This just in: Martha Stewart is on Twitter

2009-02-20T12:31:00.000-08:00

Honestly, there's no place to hide from that woman.

Follow her @marthastewart. If you must.

My moment of glory, frugally speaking

2009-01-08T08:33:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned before how I was trying to get up to speed with the (amazingly complicated) CVS ExtraCare Bucks program.

Well, I've been working at it pretty assiduously over the past couple of months, and I've gotten pretty good with it.

And over the Christmas holiday, I had the opportunity to show off for my entire family. We went to one of those Japanese restaurants where they cook on the table right in front of you ... a crowd-pleaser if there ever was one, especially when you have kids with you.

Dear Lord, please keep those chopsticks out of her nose ...

Also they had silly rum drinks, which pleased me.

Want to feel no pain? Have a Suffering Bastard!

But these places are not so big on dessert (which, duh, they should offer Bananas Foster, or some other flaming dessert. But nobody asks me.)

So we decided to leave and buy dessert and take it home. And there was a CVS in the same strip mall.

So we went in and picked out dessert. Edy's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream. It was $6.99.

I said I'd pay. First I had the cashier swipe my ExtraCare card.

Then I used $5.00 in ExtraCare bucks to pay for the ice cream. So it was $1.99.

Then my ExtraCare bucks for my fall spending printed up. So I got $8.50 in ExtraCare bucks.

So basically, CVS paid me to buy ice cream! And my whole family witnessed it! Woot!

(Next time I'll make sure to have a coupon, too.)

Green gift wrapping for the fashion-forward set

2008-12-09T21:26:00.000-08:00

Guess what you find if you do an eBay search for "ugly"?

A cornucopia of holiday themed sweaters, all being pitched as a cool 80s retro look.

Gosh, I'm feeling nostaligic. I can just imagine Princess Di wearing one of these beauties. But dowdy? Definitely. Unless you have any Gen Y friends who are throwing one of those ironic holiday-sweater-themed cocktail parties, in which case, head to your local thrift shop and pick one up.

Otherwise, enjoy these for what they are: a walk through the not-so-distant past when people celebrated Christmas by dressing up as a roll of wrapping paper.

Wait a minute. The Christmas light just went on over my head! These sweaters really do look like wrapping paper. And if you have a large, irregularly-sized gift to wrap, what could be more environmentally-friendly than to wrap it in one of them? And just think--this would be the gift that keeps on giving. You could use them year after year after year--how green is that? Just think about how many holiday sweaters you'd be keeping out of the landfills.

Martha Stewart is green with envy right this minute. And she's into recycling, so watch for this idea next year in Martha Stewart Living magazine.

Really, I am brilliant. Just think--in a pinch, in case of a power outage, you could actually wear them to keep warm.

While the electricity is out, of course. Promise me that you'll put them back in the gift-wrap supplies closet as soon as the lights come back on.

Review: L'Oreal Age Perfect Pro-Calcium tinted moisturizer

2008-11-18T14:19:00.000-08:00

In my attempts to get up to speed with the CVS frequent-buyer program, I tried some new products. The one the CVS shopping experts (now dubbed CVSavvies) seemed to be the most excited about was the

L'Oreal Age Perfect Pro-Calcium Radiance Perfector Sheer Tint Moisturizer.

OK, I admit it. I cut and pasted the above from drugstore.com. And when I saw how huge it turned out, I decided to keep it that way. It illustrates so perfectly that, just as they pack their products with age-fighting, skin-brightening, mega-beautifying ingredients, cosmetics companies pack the names of their products with the kind of high-flown rhetoric that I expect to hear coming out of the mouths of First Lord and Second Lord at the beginning of a Shakespeare play. You know what I mean: "My lord, the king our liege blah blah blah blah'd."

You know? But soft, for the review begins:

It was on sale for $15.99, down from its regular retail price of $20.00, (and 18.99 at drugstore.com) and it came with $15.99 in ExtraBucks rebates, meaning that after you bought it, you'd get a register coupon for $15.99. Which means it wasn't going to cost me anything to try it.

So this morning after my shower, I was all excited about the chance to try my new L'Oreal moisturizer.

From what the box said, I expected a tinted moisturizer--something like my Estee Lauder DayWear Plus, which I love and use daily--but with more of the stuff that middle-aged ladies like. You know the drill. Five or six extra-speshul exotic-sounding ingredients that promised to make me look as young as I was when I started reading the fine print on the back of the package. I expected light diffusers, lots of hydration, humectants, anti-oxidants, SPF, eye of newt, throat of turkey, and a soft, dewy finish.

The reality?

FAIL.

It's not moisturizing enough for the "mature, dull" it's supposedly aimed at. With an SPF of only 12, it doesn't have nearly enough sunscreen. Even though it comes in "Light" and "Medium" and promises to transform itself, a la Tangee lipstick (or a mood ring) to match your complexion, the Light shade that I tried wasn't light enough to lesson my under-eye circles or lighten the pinkish-mauve shade my eyelids have developed.

Also, the self-blending color?

Flash back to your first-generation Q-T self-tanning nightmares.

I'm ORANGE.

OK, maybe there's some Vitamin C or other wondrous ingredients lurking around in there ... but if I'm going to end up looking like an Oompah-Loompah? Forget it.

Cheap thrills at CVS

2008-11-17T22:08:00.000-08:00

If you come by here from time to time to check on my shopping expertise, it may have occurred to you that if I ever had any (which is doubtful) I appear to have lost it.

This is in part because I'm not doing a lot of shopping. I mean, I am kind of a goofball, and that is certainly a factor, but right now, for me and my fellow Americans, it's the dawning of the Age of Austerity. Right?

Well, pardon me for going all I was there first on you, but I stopped shopping long before real estate values started their steep dive and the stock market ended up in the toilet. And you know what? I take a perverse pride in that.

And now, as a grizzled veteran of the Compact, FlyLady, and voluntary simplicity--as a person who recognized Real Simplicity for the marketing scam it is--when I look around at the mountains of crap I already own, I'm surprised I ever step into a store. So mostly, I don't.

But you know, a girl needs to buy toothpaste. And toilet paper. And batteries.

So my latest hobby is shopping at CVS and using my ExtraCare Rewards Card.

Now, I don't have the time or energy to explain what Extra Bucks are. I'll just say that every week there are items on sale that give you Extra Bucks back, which you can then spend like money. I learned about it from Crystal at Money Saving Mom. Her post "CVS 101" has the best explanation of how to use ExtraCare Bucks I've ever seen. Her follow-up post is equally good.

For example, this week Duracell batteries were on sale, and if you bought $20 worth of them, you'd get a coupon for $15 in ExtraCare Bucks.

Today I spent $100 at CVS. I got back $45 in Extra Bucks. This is pretty good start, although the hard core people, the real CVSavvies, come out of the store with bags of stuff that was free. Still, I saved a bunch of money on stuff like batteries, toilet paper, and Honey Nut Cheeries.

Of course, I'm probably going to have to build an addition onto my house to store all the buy one, get one free Colgate toothpaste I bought. But it gives me such a warm, housewifely feeling to have a few tubes squirreled away.

OK. Ten tubes. WHATEVER.

How to score a free Waterford crystal decanter

2008-10-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

I like my wedding presents boring and traditional. How boring and traditional? Extremely.

In my opinion, a wedding present isn't any good unless the bride leaves it in its original box for a minimum of 5 years after her wedding. Sure, she'll get a kick out of the inflatable Munch's The Scream punching bag or the hilariously retro Conestoga Wagon lamp, but someday she'll have a real dinner party, and matching place settings will start to seem like a good idea. This is when I shine.

At my age, you'd think I'd be done buying wedding presents until a niece or nephew gets married, but I'm not. And recently I needed to come up with something nice for my brother and his fiancée.

They registered for gifts at Crate and Barrel, William Sonoma, and Bloomingdales. Their Crate and Barrel and William Sonoma lists were OK, but not exciting, because they revolved way too much around cooking appliances. And the problem with cooking appliances is that is that this year's panini maker is next year's yogurt maker. Or bread machine. Or electric wok. With a teflon lining.

And that's why my default present is something like china, crystal, or silver.

In this case, the bride had selected Waterford's Lismore crystal pattern, and I had to wade through a couple of screens full of highball glasses and port glasses and such before I hit pay dirt. Behold the crystal ship's decanter:

Which retails at Bloomingdale's for a cool $375.

So here's how to get one for free. First, sign up for the Amazon.com Visa card.

With every 2,500 reward points you accumulate, you receive a $25 Amazon.com Reward Certificate. So start accumulating points.

How do you get points? Well:

You get 3 points for purchases made on Amazon or through Amazon.
You get 2 points for purchases of gasoline, drugstores, and some restaurants.
You get 1 point for purchases made anyplace else.

How many points have we accumulated? I'm not exactly sure, but in the past year and a half, I shaved about $300 off a Nikon camera, $400 off the price of my MacBook, and snagged the Waterford crystal decanter for free.

Before this, we used the Citibank American Airlines card. But that only gets us free travel on American Airlines, and sometimes I'm not in the mood for travel. I also have a Brooks Brothers platinum card, which yields me a $20 gift card once in a while--but that's only useful at Brooks Brothers.

The beauty of the Amazon.com card is that it gives us substantial discounts on anything you can buy through Amazon, whether it's Me & Ro jewelry, Gwen Stefani dolls, iPods, or PG Tips tea.
And this means that you can use your Amazon.com Visa card for boring stuff like groceries and gas and dry cleaning and little Tommy's cello lessons--basic, utilitarian stuff--and build up a little stack of discounts on much more fun stuff like Waterford crystal decanters.

Or you can use your discount to buy the Clearisil Ultra Acne Solution System for $21.95. It's your call.

ShopSmart's guide to buying cosmetics on-line

2008-09-22T21:02:00.000-07:00

with the addition of clickable links and my own takes:

Best Overall Selection: Beauty.com
Shipping Free if you spend $49 or more.
Return policy 30 days on unopened products or, for certain items, if you don’t like the color. Returns cost $4.99 unless a product is damaged or incorrect or the color is wrong.
Best selection? As if! This is like an Ulta store--Smashbox, Lorac, Urban Decay--with no sampling. Plus the model on the site is wearing the worst makeup I've ever seen. Honestly, my 11 year old daughter could do better. And she tends to color in her eyebrows with blue eye crayon.

Great for Hard-to-Find Products: Beautyhabit.com
Shipping Free on orders of $100 or more; otherwise $5.95.
Return policy 14 days on most items. No returns on opened or used products.
The products all the cool kids like--Tocca candles, Kai and Child fragrances, Paul and Joe makeup, goose down powder puffs from France. You like it? You can get it here. Me? Meh.

Great for Trendy Brands: Beautyofasite.com
Shipping Free on orders over $75; otherwise $5.95 to $8.95.
Return policy 30 days. You pay for return shipping unless the product was damaged. All returns are for exchange or store credit only. There are no refunds or returns on color cosmetics.
It's like Bravco, but on line instead of on Oak Street--a few niche makeup lines, but lots of hair, skincare, and nails. Probably the best nail products assortment I've seen on line.

Best Prices: Buymebeauty.com
Shipping Free on orders of $35 or more; $4.95 on orders of less than $35.
Return policy 30 days. Products must be unused and unopened, unless they are defective. You have to call or e-mail before returning products; you will also have to pay the costs of return shipping.
This is a random selection of what looks like discounted, sometimes discontinued products. Worth a look if you're looking for a bargain or for something hard to find.

Great Return Policy: Cosmeticmall.com
Shipping $5.95 plus 93 cents per pound. Return policy 30 days. You can return most products for any reason, even after they’re opened.
NB: This place has a fantastic selection of perfumes, and the Chanel ones, at least, come in every known form, from EDT to pure perfume to scented bath powder, shower gel, deodorant--from the looks of it, you could wash and wax your car with Allure or Chanel #5. And they have Helena Rubenstein skincare and makeup!

Great Drugstore Makeup Section: Drugstore.com
Shipping Free on your first nonprescription order of $25 or more; free on orders of $49 or more after that.
Return policy 30 days. Returns are free if a product is damaged, defective, or incorrect. Returns are free on certain products if you don’t like the color. Otherwise, products must be unopened and unused.
NB: And of course, this is really Amazon, with all that implies: fast reliable shipping, good prices, reviews from your fellow shoppers, gift certificates and rebates, and no sales tax.

Great for Freebies: Sephora.com
Shipping Free on orders over $50; otherwise $5.95. Return policy 60 days. Free return shipping. Store credit after 60 days.
N.B. Always check for coupon codes before ordering from Sephora; they usually have several. And join their frequent buyer's club, while you're at it. You'll get a birthday present!

Great for Organic Products: Skinbotanica.com
Shipping Free on orders over $49; otherwise $5.95.
Return policy 60 days.
Meh. I don't do organic. If I wanted to smell like hemp, I'd smoke pot.

Best Shipping Deal: Skin-One.com
Shipping Free.
Return policy 30 days. Product must be at least 75 percent full. You have to pay return shipping fees, and no returns are allowed of an opened product if you received a sample of it with your order.
N.B. Did my Chicago readers know that this boutique skin-care store is local? There's a store not far from me at 680 Lake Shore Drive. It's a tiny shoebox of a place with tons of fabulous, hard-to-find skincare. I don't do internet ordering from them, though ... and I do pay sales tax.

Best Online Version of a Walk-In Store: Walgreens.com
Shipping Many items qualify for free shipping of purchases of $50 or more; otherwise $5.49 for 10 pounds or less.
Return policy 30 days.
N.B. CVS.com is also worth checking out, especially if you're interested in the frequent buyer ExtraCare card program. This is so complicated that I still haven't figured it out myself, but smart people swear by it, so I keep trying.

Sad Site: BeautyDepot.com This site didn’t have a wide selection of products. You have to buy $99 worth of stuff to get free shipping; otherwise you could end up paying $7.95 or more for UPS ground. Cosmetics (and many other products) were not returnable, and there’s no toll-free customer-service number.

Worst clothes at New York Fashion Week, part 1

2008-09-11T14:43:00.000-07:00

From Betsy Johnson, who apparently hasn't gotten the memo that maternity dresses are no longer in style, this combination of Gwen Stefani's new perfume bottles with out-takes from Little House on the Prairie:

From Marc Jacobs, who is apparently trying to resurrect the glory days of Lady Di in the early 1980s, proof that sometimes even an Earl's daughter gets dressed by digging through the dirty clothes hamper and throwing stuff on in the dark:

And from Philip Lim, a sad-faced Fashion Criminal realizes that the guards probably won't let her accessorize her prison jumpsuit with her kicky polka-dot handbag.

Duh-rool, duh-rool

2008-08-29T10:46:00.000-07:00

OK, I go to the Neiman Marcus website to check out the latest Beauty Event in order to reinforce my knowledge that I have quite enough makeup and skincare, thankyouverymuch.

And the first thing I see is this amazing Bobbi Brown Limited Edition Artist's lip palette:

Which I so totally don't need at all. But want, anyway. Even though I already have two or three--OK four--Bobbi Brown palettes with lipsticks and glosses in them.

(Which I always buy at the Cosmetics Company outlet store for way less than the $200 this little beauty would cost.)

I know what's going to happen. I'm going to find myself buying something else equally unnecessary but will cost less. Like the Bobbi Brown Limited Edition Shimmering Nudes palette. This could be mine for a comparatively cheap (yet still extravagant) $50. Even though if I lined up all the beige and brown eyeshadows I already own, they would fill the Grand Canyon. And even though I just blogged about how great the Bonne Bell shimmering beige quad is, which I bought two weeks ago for the low, low price of $3.99.

I can has common sense?

HALP!

Darn these credit card limits!

2008-08-25T12:43:00.000-07:00

Let me get you up the speed. I'm on record for totally loving Karl Lagerfeld.

So now I'm incredibly upset. I don't even know what my limit is, or how much room I have on the card, but I'll bet I don't have enough purchasing power to buy an official Steiff Karl Lagerfeld bear. At $1,500, it's zehr chère, as they say in Germany and France--which you have to admit, is kind of a lot of money to spend on what is--if I may be frank for a minute--a toy.

And I'm really upset about it. I mean, what could be cuter? Does anyone else out there think it looks like Michael Jackson going to court to hear the jury's verdict? It does! Right down to the super pale plush.

Ah, but I can dream, can't I? Right now I'm imagining it taking pride of place in my boudoir, lovingly propped up between my Marie Osmond dolls and my Limited Edition Neiman Marcus Elton John "English Rose" anti-AIDs Princess Diana candles.

Jen Lancaster has won the (Barnes and) Noble prize for literature

2008-08-22T16:02:00.000-07:00

For proof, guess what I spotted at the local Barnes & Noble. A rack of Lancaster. Not Jen's rack. A rack of Jen!

Don't her three books look adorable together? They do, don't they? So (because for the moment this is blog where I tell you what not to buy) if you're in a bookstore and you find yourself picking up Skinny Bitch, put it down.

Trust me. Unless you want to go completely vegan and caffeine-free and wake yourself up in the morning by giving yourself a hot grapefruit juice enemas (or some such New-Age-y, real-life-unfriendly nonsense) Skinny Bitch is useless. I know this because I already wasted my money.

Don't waste yours. Head for the Jen display. Buy her books.

In conclusion, excellent display-age, Barnes and Noble--and way to go, Jen!

Lilly Pulitzer is making stationery!

2008-08-13T08:31:00.000-07:00

Talk about two great tastes that taste great together--the only thing I love more than Lilly Pulitzer is cute stationery, and now Lilly will be selling stationery (and gifts) beginning in January, 2009.

Head over here and give them your email and you'll be in the know faster than you can say "please ignore the Walgreen's display of fold-over cards with "Thank you" printed on them."

I want you to do me a favor.

2008-08-12T15:52:00.000-07:00

If you are at all interested in drug store makeup, please head over to my latest BlogHer BeautyHacks post and leave a comment.

I know it's a lot to ask, but I slaved over that damned thing--finding the pictures and uploading them was a big fat pain--but it's been up since last night, and no one has commented yet.

And now I feel like Stella Dallas's daughter that time when she was supposed to be having a birthday party and none of the kids she invited showed up.

Poppy tries to comfort her little BlogHer post

This illustration is designed to make you feel really bad for even contemplating blowing this off. Also, I'm cross-posting this entry at The Opiate of the Masses.

Right now you're reading the current incarnation of my moribund shopping blog, which bestirs itself every six months or so and tries to grab some attention, only to continue to be ignored. Kind of like John Kerry.

In fact, I think this shopping blog (which believe it or not, used to get more clicks than my "main" blog) is ready to have an affair to take some attention away from my "main" blog. Which in case you didn't realize it, is the John Edwards of blogs.

See how utterly lacking in integrity I'm being? Shamelessly whoring myself out, expecting to get away with my self-promoting sleaziness because of my good hair and boyish grin? Well, I'm doing the same thing over there. Expecting the tens of dozens of readers who check in every day to fall for my charm. Exactly like John Edwards.

So anyway, please head over to BlogHer, and if it isn't too much of a pain, leave a comment explaining why mine is the single most insightful post on how to make the transition from late summer to fall makeup for $30 tops, including tax.

(Of course, this is assuming you already have foundation, mascara, an eyelash curler, a my-lips-but-better shade of lipstick or gloss and a second gloss in a darker shade. If you don't already have that, you are way behind, and you need to get cracking.)

Disney iconoclasts will love this one

2008-05-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

A long time ago I visited a part of Spain that had been colonized by the Romans. There were still Roman statues to be seen here and there, but they were all headless. Someone told me that when everyone converted to Christianity, they knocked the heads off the old statues of gods and goddesses. Or maybe they were statues of Christian saints and the Muslims knocked them off. My informant wasn't quite sure which it was.

But just think, kids. Now you can knock blocks off in the safety of your own home!

All you need to do is buy this life-sized status of Donald Duck. Yes, that's right, I said life-sized. And yes, I realize that Donald Duck doesn't actually exist and is, in fact, a drawing. In this case life-sized means: larger than a regular duck, and smaller than a second-grader. For the record, this work of art measures a stately 39 inches high--roughly the height of the average chair back. So no worries about "where would I put it?" Because if you have room for a chair, you have room for this statue of Donald Duck.

And just see how he blends with every kind of decor! Behind him you see a mid-century armless slipper chair accessorized with a tufted satin pillow. It's sleek, but glamorous. And yet see to the right? The sort of Tuscan looking dark wood commode with the glass bowl of flowers? It's old-world and romantic.

And Donald looks great with both.

To add to Donald's versatility? He comes with two heads. Just think how handy! Now you don't need to use words, body language, or weapons to get your point across. Whether you're happy or sad, Donald does the talking for you.

Now I can just imagine you saying "But Poppy, where will I keep the extra head?" Come on--don't tell me you haven't had one of those elaborate California Closets installed. If you haven't, what are you waiting for? Get the doohickey that's designed to hold basketballs. It would be perfect for Donald's extra head.

And of course, you have the option of knocking one or both of the heads off, in case you're a godless heathen who hates Disney.

It's breathtaking, isn't it. For $399 plus tax plus shipping plus an extra $55 handling, this limited edition statue can be yours.

Would you buy a pair of shoes from this woman?

2008-02-04T19:28:00.001-08:00

She looks like she's going to a masquerade party as Tweetie Bird, except her feet decided that Looney Tunes characters weren't chic enough. The left foot wanted to go out as Disney Princesses, but the right foot said the whole Disney Princess thing had been done to death, so they decided to go out as two of the puppies from 101 Dalmatians.

Except Paris's feet were so big they had to go out as the puppies' parents, Pongo and Perdita.

Seriously, I swear, if you listen carefully, that front foot? Is speaking with Rod Taylor's voice.

At any rate, Paris is going to be designing shoes. And we're all excited about that, aren't we?

Aren't we?

The internet picks my pocket. Again.

2008-02-01T08:04:00.000-08:00

My excuse is that it's a snow day, so I'm stuck inside, listening to my children play video games--a sound I thought I'd be spared until 4:00 this afternoon--thinking about how much fun I'm going to have shoveling the foot of snow that has accumulated out there--and visiting an unusually large number of blogs.

I mean, an unusually large number of blogs even for me, the Baroness of Bloghopping.

Which explains how I was seduced by my friend Wendy's craft blog.

Should I just mention here that I can't knit, crochet, sew, or embroider? And my last crafting efforts--a needlepoint canvas of poppies (get it?--so you'd think I'd be motivated) is lurking in the back of my closet? And has been for about five years?

So what was I doing clicking over to A Dress a Day and clicking on her advertisers? I mean, hello, I don't do that stuff. I CAN'T SEW.

So why did I buy this from the Antique Doll House of Patterns?

I DON'T KNOW. I do actually own a sewing machine--a 1940 Singer that a friend of my mother's passed along to her. And it works. I happen to know that it sews both forwards and backwards, because about 14 years ago I actually sat down and sewed Barbie clothes for my sister's Barbie--from a 1960's pattern--as a funny Christmas present.

One little sundress took me ALL. DAMNED. DAY.

So I'm crazy. But not crazy enough to buy this:

Even though it's adorable and wonderfully retro, and at 38 Canadian dollars, quite cheap. But I know it wouldn't fit me. I have a giant noggin, and women's hats never fit me. I love hats, so this is a cruel prank played on me by my ancestors. I console myself by telling myself that my noggin is giant because it's filled to overflowing with brains.

But then I remember the APRON PATTERNS I just bought. And I realize that I'm just kidding myself.

Bloggy Giveaways

2008-01-31T14:37:00.001-08:00

In case you don't read my main blog, I thought I'd give you the head's up. I'm participating in Shannon's Bloggy Giveaway, and if you enter before 5:00 Friday, February 1, you can win:

1. a bunch of chick-lit books
2. three NIB limited edition Barbie dolls
3. various bottles of EDT
4. an Hermes scarf

Tomorrow I'm going to put up a NIB American Girl Doll.

Come enter!

Whole Latte Love

2008-01-31T09:49:00.001-08:00

See this? It's the very first latte I've made with this:

Which I bought from Whole Latte Love as an anniversary present for my huzbin. That was back in September, and believe it or not, this was the first day I flew solo. I was intimated by its sleek Italian design and counter-intuitive buttons. But it was so easy!

This is the Saeco Italia--one of those all-in-one machines that grinds the beans, makes the espresso, and lets you heat and froth milk for capuccinos and lattes. You can also use pre-ground coffee.

Please note the BonJour Primo Latte whisk to the left of the machine. I like to use that to supplement or supplant the steaming foaming nozzle. Note that I did the lazy-or-cheap woman's version of a Vanilla latte--no sugary syrup, just a little bit of vanilla extract and a couple of packets of Splenda.

Just so you know, Whole Latte Love is running a Valentine's Day special--5 percent off with coupon code savein08. And if the price of these machines makes you wince, may I remind you what a latte costs at Starbucks? And how nice it is to make them at home ... watching the snow fall down and cover all the Saeco-deprived suckers who have to head out to Starbucks for their lattes?

Also? I bought a refurbished Saeco Italia. Now, it looks like our particular model is sold out, but they have other refurbished models for less than $400, or the price of 29 Venti Soy Hazelnut Vanilla Cinnamon White Mocha with extra White Mocha and caramel—plus 13 espresso shots. Making it a bargain, if you're thinking long term. And remember, there will be 5 percent off, no sales tax, and free shipping.

The Empress speaks

2008-01-29T19:28:00.000-08:00

I get a lot of compliments on my skin, and I'd like to keep it that way. Therefore, as I age, I find that to my usual routine of SPF-five-zillion moisturizers and careful cleansing, I need to add two thing: serums and exfoliation.

It's reached the point where I consider myself to be the self-declared Empress of Exfoliation. And ladies, we need to talk.

Exfoliaton is key. KEY. If you are over 35, you need to exfoliate on a regular basis. Exfoliation gets rid of flaky skin, keeps your skin smooth and glowing, makes your skin more receptive to those expensive potions you're using, and increases cellular turnover, which like so many other things, diminishes with age.

Anyway, I've tried lots of exfoliation tools, from the lowly Buf-Puf to some Yves Saint Laurent je ne sais quoi sans gommage stuff I bought at Neimans. I now have a new favorite, and I've been using it for a few months with no desire to switch--which for me, is saying something.

Now, ordinarily, I don't go around handing out random beauty secrets to all and sundry, because who knows which of you hussies wants to become the next Mrs. Buxom? All I need is one of you young lovelies moving in on That Stud Muffin I Married. For all I know, you look just like me, except younger and prettier. I mean, it could be a John Derek situation, where all the wives look the same, just increasingly younger.

But anyway. I love this product so much that I have to spill the beans.

My new boyfriend is named RoC Daily Microdermabraision Cleansing Disks. Drugstore.com even has them on sale.

Go. Buy a tub of them. Start off slow--maybe twice a week. I've now worked up to every other day, first thing in the morning in the shower. They are fabulous--easy, quick, perfect for travel (no messy tubes.)

Let the Online Shopping Begin, or, checking out coupon codes, and the trouble that ensued

2007-12-01T09:18:00.000-08:00

Just because I love you, Internet, I went over to Sephora to see whether I really could get the Friends and Family discount I mentioned in my last post. But it had expired. Bah, humbug, and all that.

But I don't let little things like missing 20 percent discounts get in the way of a good shopping excurision. Because something caught my eye.

My makeup-obsessed internet pals have been raving for years about Nars' Orgasm Blush. It's a pinky-peachy shade that gives everyone a wonderful just-shagged look. But I don't really like powder blush all that much. I have dry skin, and it just sort of sits there on top of my face, making me look--well, powdery. But! I saw that Nars' wonderful Multiple sticks (cream/gel sticks for use all over the face) now include the Orgasm shade. And of course, this meant that I would be getting a Multiple Orgasm. So of course I popped for Nars Multiple in Orgasm.

I also ordered two oh-dear-I'm-not-getting-any-younger-am-I? skincare items: Bliss Sleeping Peel Resurfacing Gel ($30)

and a Cosmedicine Starter Kit ($48).

Because the FF code had expired, I used a code from currentcodes.com. There were codes for things I didn't want or was already getting, like free shipping, so I went with the one that would get me a free fugly cocktail ring, which Santa will put in my daughter's Christmas stocking.

However, I did get:

free ground shipping (free with orders of $75 and up)
three free samples (also standard operating procedure)
a free bottle of Sephora Mandarin Grapefruit shower gel (because I signed up for Sephora's Beauty Insider program)
a free tube of Bliss body butter (because my birthday is within two weeks of placing my order)*

I really try to act my age. Especially when my birthday is right around the corner. But I'm very excited about my package. Oooh, samples! Freebies! Squeeeee!

*While the actual day is December 12, birthday greetings will be accepted with pleasure any time between now and Christmas.

Shopping Discount Links UPDATED

2007-12-01T07:41:00.000-08:00

There's an email floating around with a metric ton of clickable links for discounts on lots of on-line stores, as well as links to coupons you can print and bring to brick and mortar stores.

No one has seen fit to forward to me, but Charming & Delightful has posted it on her blog, so head over there and check it out.

Naturally, neither I nor Charming & Delightful can vouch for these deals, but they're definitely worth a look.

---UPDATED---

The first code I checked out, the Friends and Family code for Sephora, didn't work. Bugger!

Even the Manolo can't talk me into these.

2007-11-27T15:42:00.000-08:00

Although these shoes remind me forcibly of my beloved Marimekko poppy print gym bag with its matching shower kit ... somehow, huge poppies are not something I envision wearing on my feet.

However, it's a free country, and if you're willing to spend $498 to enjoy the sight, then head over to Zappos and buy them. (Personally, I think these shoes would be improved with a black platform and a black band across the vamp, instead of all that white.)

Simply Vera at Kohl's

2007-09-15T10:05:00.001-07:00

In case you missed her on Oprah, another major fashion star has gone mass market--Vera Wang for Kohl's.

Primarily known for gorgeous, simple wedding dresses, Wang branched out into lingerie, china, crystal, and, of all things, mattresses:

I guess she's interested in All Things Bridal. Even the wedding night. (Just so you know, that little beauty is available exclusively at NM for $2,999.)

To me, Vera Wang's design have always been simple, clean, architectural, ladylike--sort of like Balenciaga, if Balenciaga had been a girl.

Like this:

or this:
(Both on the NM website.)

How does Vera do as a mass market designer? If you head over to the Kohl's website, you can click on a slide show of head-to-toe Simply Vera looks.

Frankly, with Simply Vera, head-to-toe is not working for me. A few of the pieces are interesting--for me, the skirts are standouts--but a whole outfit doesn't work. Better to slot in something here and there with stuff you bought elsewhere, because an entire outfit has a kind of ragamuffin appearance.

The standouts for me are the sleepwear

This little robe is marked down from $40 to $27.99!

and lingerie.

This bra is marked down to $25.99

A lot of it's on sale, so check it out.

Neiman Marcus is Dead; Long Live Neiman Marcus

2007-09-13T09:40:00.000-07:00

Remember how I was just saying that Neiman Marcus can be kind of tacky? And then whined about how much I lusted after their exclusive 100th anniversary Salvatore Ferragamo shoes?

Well, the Ferragamo shoes are on back-order. I can whine as much as I want; they're not showing up in my mailbox any time soon.

So I ordered these Kate Spade beauties.

The Katarina pump. Named, I have no doubt, for the Empress of Russia.

I'm adding my own pictures so you can see the skyscraper heels, which came as something of a surprise.

As you can see from the NM picture, they're not really in evidence on the web site.

I wore my Catherine-the-Greats to a very arty benefit on Saturday night. The kind of arty benefit where the men are little and skinny and have creative facial hair and wear architect glasses and either gel their hair or shave it all off and carry man bags, and the women wear something Arty, which on the young ones is usually short and many layered and sticky-outy so they look kind of like a frill at the end of a lamb chop bone--and on the older ones is longer and many layered and monk-like with a big artistic necklace.

And I showed up looking like the back end of the bourgeoisie in a little black dress and some nice jewelry.

But I had on some truly fierce shoes.

And they were comfortable! OK, they weren't all bad, considering the amount of time I spent standing around staring at art.

I attribute this to the extreme Minnie Mouse roundness of the toes:

Sadly enough, these shoes are shaped like my feet. No, I'm not Cinderella's ugly stepsister who went to extreme lengths to make the shoes fit. My toes really are that short.

Oh, and how do you like my leopard print carpet? Somebody cut off my toes, but damn! I'm still sex-ay.

Neiman Marcus's 100th anniversary

2007-09-03T08:17:00.001-07:00

OK, let's face it. When it comes to Neiman Marcus--brick-and-mortar or catalog/on-line, it's not all gold in them thar hills.

There's a lot that is way too trendy. Gaudy. Tasteless. Even--dare I say it? Tacky.

For the prim receptionist who moonlights as a hooker, this D&G checked jacket and shimmer skinny jeans.

This is what you come up with when Britney Spears is your muse.

While Juicy Couture continues to be inspired by Paris Hilton. Note the faux fur trim on a dog coat--how delightfully ironic and self-referential!

In short, all too often, Neiman Marcus illustrates the adage that money can't buy taste.

But I logged on the other day and discovered that Neiman's is celebrating its 100th anniversary with some exclusive merchandise.

Like these Ferragamo shoes.

These are so gorgeous, so old-skool Ferragamo, that I immediately fell in lust. That is, if bookmarking the page and obsessively checking them several times a day qualifies as lust.

The whole thing leaves me wondering whether, if I ask my husband to buy them for me for our anniversary, would it be the equivalent of asking him to bankroll a gigolo.

B Designs Inc.: Correspondence cards for the rest of us

2007-08-25T12:55:00.000-07:00

Sure, Crane's paper is nice. And engraving is nice.

But it's so predictable.

I just bought a couple of boxes of letter press correspondence cards from B Designs Inc. The designs are simple and elegant, but not stuffy. And they're guilt-free, because they're printed on recycled paper.

A box of ten cards is $14.00 on line; maybe more if you ~~are fool enough to buy them in some overpriced tourist trap~~ pay retail.

Dominique Cohen at Target

2007-08-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

Just as we're all doing back-to-school shopping for the kids and hauling the 10-pound September Vogue off the doorstep (sorry about the hernia, Mr. Mailman!) comes the news that jewelry designer Dominique Cohen has produced a new line for Target.

Now, piled on in careless profusion, as in the picture on their website, it's all a bit much.

However, individual pieces could be a lot of fun. Especially since it looks like this fall, at long last, black is finally the new black.

This necklace could work with just about anything.

The cameo is a bit tricker to work with, but as long as you don't look like you're taking it seriously, it could punch up a lot of casual clothes. Or black and white outfits. Or OK, a Lucy dress you thrifted.

I saved the best for last. LOVE the combination of crystal with black.

My black purse. Yes, AGAIN.

2007-07-15T11:29:00.001-07:00

I bought a used Marc Jacobs Stella bag on eBay.

This is why you should be glad:

1. It is used, therefore Compact-friendly and 100 percent guilt-free.
2. It is excellent quality leather, and therefore better than my old Target knock-off, which I had loved almost to death (little chunks of the plastic were falling off and revealing its faux-ness to the discerning eye.)
3. Whoever was selling it will be OK, I hope, with the price I paid--$199.
4. I am pretty happy with the price I paid. (The Marc by Marc Jacobs bag I returned was quite a bit more.)
5. By buying a new (used) bag, I did not have to ask any more favors of the friend who already went to a lot of time and trouble to recover my wallet, sunglasses, license, etc., from the Parisian police. Have I mentioned what a swell guy he is?

Now, let's hope I like this bag. Because I feel the need to become interesting again.

Yet another post about the black purse.

2007-07-11T18:42:00.001-07:00

I know. Sigh.

But this is important, people! Because you know how my cheap-o Marc Jacobs Stella bag knock off from Target purse got stolen in Paris? And how I was so depressed, not to mention incredibly busy cancelling credit cards and bank accounts and shit like that?

And how I decided the only way to make myself feel better was to buy a replacement bag?

And how the replacement bag showed up and was not good enough?

Well, yesterday I returned it to Neiman Marcus.

And today, well, today I (very fairly and reasonably) gave the friend who went to the Lost Handbags depository of the Parisian police and claimed my purse for me (how nice is this guy? I ask you) permission to chuck the old one away. Because he couldn't fit it in his suitcase, and he did me a huge favor and shouldn't have to listen to a lot of whining.

So you see, now I really have to find a replacement. And then I will fill it with the wallet, prescription sunglasses, digital camera, passport, and other stuff that he got back for me.

I'm not obsessed. No, really.

2007-07-06T18:48:00.001-07:00

But it's lucky that I got a letter from the police in Paris, telling me that they have my purse. Because the search for a replacement of my knock-off Marc Jacobs bag is just so ... time consuming. Because I'm finding myself being insanely picky.

(For those of you coming in late, my $25 Target Marc Jacobs knock-off bag was stolen last month in Paris, and I'm feeling bereft. That bag is like a phantom limb. I want another one--badly. I never thought I'd hear from the Paris police, and now that I have, I still don't believe I'll be able to get the Parisian police to mail my purse back to me. So I keep looking for the perfect replacement.)

So. Let's start at the top, shall we? Here's a Tod's version. It's nice, but it's made of patent leather, which I don't like. Also, it does sort of look like it should have a little dog inside it. And, of course, because it's my favorite candidate, it's the most expensive. It costs $1,450, which puts it squarely into "as if!" territory.

Then, a lightweight Prada nylon version. But it's too lightweight, Prada, and nylon. And it's $600 at Saks:

Here's a Coach version. It's ... OK. It's $425, though. And that belt thing ... will that end up pissing me off? I think so.
Click this to see another Coach candidate. OK, it has possibilities. But $658?

Then the Marc by Marc Jacobs one I actually bought. And hate.

Here's a previous season's Marc Jacobs Stella, the bag Target was knocking off in the first place. And it's on sale! I found at various sites on the web at a deeply discounted price. But that topstitching. I don't like topstitching.

OK, let's get back to earth. Nordstrom's has this one. It's patent, and the outside pockets aren't great. But it was the cheapest one so far.

Nordstrom's has this one, too. It's OK. But now I'm all depressed that I found two possibilities at Nordstrom's. Nordstrom's is so middle of the road. It doesn't matter that I bought two of my favorite suits at Nordstrom's. In my pathetic desire to remain somewhat cutting edge, I reject Nordstrom and all its merchandise, except maybe exclusive Bobbi Brown or MAC products.

The search continues.

Update on the non-knock-off Marc Jacobs bag

2007-06-30T15:02:00.000-07:00

It's a loser.

The bag is too squashy (hey, I like soft, touchable leather as much as the next girl, but this thing feels like an elephant's foreskin) the strap is too short, the outside pockets are too big, and the lining is too loud. It's black fabric with "MARC JACOBS" in giant white letters.

Oh, and the top does not close with a zipper, but a magnetic clasp, which is a deal-breaker, So the search for a

black
tote bag
with a zipper top
and outside pockets for my cell phone and iPod

continues.

Pink and Green Libertines

2007-06-28T09:04:00.001-07:00

Here's a first peek at the new line Libertine is producing for Target. It will hit the stores in July.

I don't know about you, but I'm not crazy about argyle. It has such a broadening effect, don't you know. Also ... skulls? On my chest? To provide conclusive evidence that my hooters actually are as big as my head?

I don't think so.

But some of the pieces look cute, and you young, lithe girls might like them.

More pictures here. Scroll down--there's a cute LBD; an adorable black tiered skirt ... the collection is worth a look. Just say no to the argyle skulls, OK?

Review: Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Serum, Intensive

2007-06-27T17:23:00.000-07:00

OK, inspired by my pal Badger, I've decided to become a reviewer.

Today's review is for Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Serum, Intensive. Yes, that's "Intensive," which I guess means this product was designed to be used by an aging Shar-Pei like me. (So if you're under 37 years old, don't bother. Go off and battle acne or something--come back and talk to me in a few years.)

Brief digression: I can't believe how great drugstore skincare has gotten in the past few years. I mean, when I was a kid it was all 1006 Lotion and Pacquin Hand Cream and Jergen's Lotion, but now companies like Neutrogena, ROC, L'Oreal, and Oil of Olay are constantly coming out with truly ground-breaking products.

So anyway, this serum. I tried it because a serum I've used for a couple of years seems to have disappeared from the stores. So I figured I needed to try something new. Even though I don't have a lot of skin problems and have always been basically pretty happy with mine, aside from that whole aging thing. Also, a friend of mine said she was using a Retinol-containing product from Neutrogena, and her skin really looked brighter and better when she used it.

So when I saw this serum, I went for it. Like Oil of Olay's Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum, a dimethicone-based product that pretty much started the whole thick, oil-free-yet-creamy serum fad, the Neutrogena product pumps out a pea-sized blob of something thicker than water and thinner than cream. You put it all over your face ... and if you read the fine print, you do it once a day, under moisturizer. Not twice a day. Because that might make you peel.

Which it did.

But that's good! Peeling means a retinol product is working. And it wasn't full-on Renova-style peeling; just a touch of flakiness near my mouth.

As for other results, I can't say that I look better. On the other hand, I don't look worse. I'm not breaking out; it's great under makeup; and that peeling thing convinces me that it's gently nudging my tired old epidermis along.

So buy it. And use it once a day, so you don't peel.

The knock off of a knock off, and other adventures

2007-06-25T14:55:00.000-07:00

Hello, internet!

OK, yeah, I signed on to the compact, where I agree not to buy anything for a year. And I have managed pretty well, for a recovering shopoholic. Which leaves me with not much to blog about over here. Hence my lack of posts.

But then my purse was stolen. Containing everything important in my life, except, thank goodness, my cell phone and filofax. So the good news is if you were already a friend of mine and I had your number, I can still call you.

The bad news is that I am now missing the following: a big black tote bag, a combination checkbook/wallet, my prescription sunglasses, various credit cards, cash, my driver's license, and my passport, which I stupidly had with me.

So while my first order of business was to notify banks, credit agencies, and the government about my loss, my second order of business was to stop living with a phantom limb--that bag that I kept reaching for--which wasn't there.

Now the original bag was this:
a $25 dollar cheapie from Target. Except in black. It was a knock-off of a Marc Jacobs design. I liked the outside pockets for my keys and cell phone, and was big enough to carry music folders or hold my laptop. It also zipped shut, so I could stow it under the seat in front of me when I was on an airplane without worrying that my wallet or a crucially important lipstick would fall out and roll away.

The replacement, ironically enough, is this:

a real Marc by Marc Jacobs bag from Neiman Marcus.

Now, why would someone who was cheap enough to buy the fake bag pop for the real thing? Because inexpensive trend-driven stores like Target aren't selling black bags right now. They're selling summery stuff. But I want my black bag back, and I want it right now.

Also, if I buy another cheap bag, I'm letting the thieves win.

So I got the original instead of the faux.

Why Americans are rich, surrounded by crap, friendless, and miserable

2007-03-31T18:06:00.000-07:00

This is not what Adam Smith had in mind.

Another argument against shopping

2007-02-28T19:50:00.000-08:00

In case you find this convincing,

check this out.

A progress report, with a rant on gift-giving as a sort of gift-with-purchase.

2007-02-10T21:11:00.000-08:00

OK, so recently I went on about how I had signed on with The Compact, a group of people who range from recovering Shopaholics like me to Doom 'n' Gloom-spouting Survivalists who--even as you're reading this--are generating their own electricity using some kind of bicycle-powered doohickey, just like the people on Gilligan's Island. If you're old enough to remember that, and you probably aren't.

Anyway. I swore off buying anything new. For a year. Until January 7, 2008.

Well, ~~the serpent tempted me, so I ate~~ I broke the agreement last week.

Yes, I fell from grace. I bought something new. But don't get excited. I didn't hit the cosmetics counters at Barneys. Or the shoe department at Brooks Brothers. Or the fur department at Neiman Marcus, for that matter.

I went to a men's clothiers in the pastoral village of Newtopia, Illinois, and bought my son a pair of black cotton pants, because he needed to wear them in a concert.

So. I spent $35 at the local men's clothing store.

On the other hand ... these are my other recent purchases:

1. A Universal Geneve Tiffany 18K gold watch for That Stud Muffin I Married, to mark the 21st anniversary of our first date. I bought it from an eBay seller last December. It was going to be a Christmas present, but what with one thing and another, I didn't manage to get it until after Christmas. So it became a gift for February, instead of December.

Now, according to the rules of the Compact, this purchase is OK, because the watch wasn't new. And anyway, I bought it before I signed up. And I had it cleaned and the engraving removed at our local jeweler's, so I bought used and used a local business. I even wrapped it in the box my own extremely nice gift watch came in. Which I still had lo, these 10 or so years later, because I'm ~~anal~~ organized that way.

So, all in all, I'm feeling pretty damned smug about that watch.

[And here's the rant I promised you about gift-giving: in my version of The Compact, I get to buy people presents. I feel very strongly about this, because having spent my life being given hideously ugly or otherwise "not me" hand-crafted crap--the counted cross stitch sampler, the lavender and celadon green quilted hanging that clashes so wonderfully with everything I own (and what the hell is the point of a quilt that's too small to put on a bed?????) and the ugly-ass spatter-painted shallow ceramic bowl ... or was it a rather tall plate? Whatever ... I've decided that the most heart-felt gift is not the one that gives the giver the warm squishies ... but the one that gives the giftee the warm squishies.

In other words, no matter how earth-friendly, organic, and vegetable-dyed your craft is ... if the person you give it to doesn't like it, it is just so much dead lumber cluttering up his or her life. And it might very well end up in a landfill.

And therefore, I will buy people things I think they will like, even if I have to buy them something new. And I will not craft them a tie-dyed tea-cozy out of my children's old diapers.]

2. While dropping off a few bags of stuff at the local thrift shop (including some new-in-the-box shoes from Brooks Brothers that didn't fit and were still sitting around waiting to be returned) I browsed their extremely tiny stash of children's clothes and found a pair of black slacks for my daughter to wear for her concert performance. Her size, perfect fit, $4. Yay!

3. From eBay: the following used Lilly Pulitzer items for my daughter:

4. Some books for my daughter for her birthday. All brand new and shiny, but remember: in my Compact, gifts don't count. Also, I bought them at Newtopia's only independent bookstore, instead of getting them much cheaper at Amazon.com. Thus supporting local businesses, paying local taxes, and providing myself with yet another reason to feel smug.

5. A used book for my husband for Valentine's Day. The sixth volume of Akira, to be exact. Coming to me from an Amazon used book seller.

That's it. That's all the new-to-me stuff that has made it into my house in the past month.

I can't tell you how much more peaceful it feels around here.

And the recycling bin has never been this empty.

For some reason, my credit cards aren't jumping out of my wallet.

2007-02-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

So I stopped buying stuff as of January 7th, and guess what? It hasn't been a problem yet. It helps that I have so. damned. much. stuff. that literally, I could go for a year without even buying toiletries, except for toothpaste and dental floss.

Mind you, the health and beauty section of Whole Foods looks like a garden of earthly delights. Lotions! Essential Oils! Hair bands! Stuff!

It's all really lovely. But I don't need it ... and I don't even want it.

I want to get back to actually wanting stuff. I want to feel pleasure when someone gives me a present, instead of wondering where I'm going to put it. I want to actually enjoy material goods, instead of sorting through them, losing them, misplacing them, taking care of them, and cramming them into overstuffed closets and bulging drawers. Because I'm no ascetic. I do like stuff. I just want to pare down enough to enjoy what I already have ... and maybe actually want to acquire something new.

But this sort of thing isn't going to do it for me:

A life-size resin status of Jessica Rabbit. That's 5' 9" of cartoon womanhood, people. For only $1,500.00! And with free shipping!

What's wrong with me that I don't want it?

Why I've stopped posting here.

2007-01-27T12:46:00.000-08:00

It's because I've stopped shopping.

I stopped shopping a while ago, except for Christmas presents.

I was tired to death of the lack of organization in my house. I had clothes double-hung in my closet. I had shoe boxes stacked up behind a chair in a corner of my bedroom. I had scarf boxes stored in one of those hanging shelf doohickeys made of canvas in my second closet, shelves full of purses in their keeper bags, and jewelry bursting out of my jewelry box. The only way I could get my clothes into my drawers was to spend a Japanese-tea-ceremony amount of time folding and stacking my clothes.

I couldn't find anything.

I couldn't remember whether I'd bought something. I'd find things I didn't remember having bought.

I was going nuts.

Then I read a story on Yahoo! news about The Compact: a group of people in San Francisco who swore off buying anything new for a year. I decided to sign up. So on January 7th, I did. And so did my husband.

So I managed to go all non-consumer just in the nick of time. I'm still a trend setter, and not a trend-follower. Because since I signed on with the Compact, I've read the article about how affluenza is going to destroy the world. And how the environmental cost of stores like H&M is far too high.

Join me as I reform my ways. Or not ... it's OK. But I promise I won't turn all whole-wheat and joyless. I mean, I can still write about stuff; it's just that I can now write about all that stuff that I wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. Like, say ...

a white fringed Versace bag on sale for $3,462

or a tiger-striped cocktail dress for $1,573

Guiseppe Zanotti sandals for $450

Look at the money I've saved already! Not to mention the favor I'm doing everyone by not buying this Godawful crap and parading around in it.

Washington Post publishes articles on scary-skinny models

2007-01-20T12:02:00.000-08:00

Is the fashion industry going to start policing itself? Apparently so. Yet according to the Washington Post, it's a needlessly bureaucratic move:

The industry also needs to stop hand-wringing, caucusing and shifting responsibility. If a young woman walks into a casting call who is 5-10 and a size 0, if she looks gaunt and emaciated, if her kneecaps are wider that her thighs, she shouldn't be hired. Designers regularly tell models they are too short, fat, exotic, ethnic, all-American. Surely they can manage to tell a few models they're simply too thin.

Thank you, Washington Post. The big kneecaps have been freaking me out for a while now. For the rest of the story click here (you might have to register.) Oh, and some exhibitors have been telling models they're too thin; it has happened at least once before.

Woot! Great Shoes on Clearance at Brooks Brothers!

2006-12-06T12:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I moseyed over to brooksbrothers.com to see whether they had any merino turtlenecks. I didn't find any, but I did happen upon a major, major shoe sale. If you're a size five or six, you're really in luck, but even my size 9s found plenty to choose from!

Because purple is the new black, I loved the purple tweed frame handbag with a matchy-matchy pair of purple tweed slingbacks.

They're kind of Miss Marple-ish, but in a good way.

There was a pair of lovely chocolate brown woven leather pumps, marked down from $198 to $59.00. You'll have to click to see it, because Blogger is acting up.

These brown Monk Strap pumps would look great with pants:
These brown tweed Donegal pumps with the brown leather cap toe are too cute ... I had to have them:
A pair of pink and green slides for next spring:
I also got some Christmas presents. And some weren't even for me.

Doing it up Bobbi Brown

2006-10-28T14:50:00.001-07:00

I had a four-hour rehearsal today on Wabash and Huron in Chicago, which is way too conveniently located near the North Michigan Avenue shopping area.

That Stud Muffin I Married and I are going to a black-tie event for his job. They call it "The Prom." Ew. At least it's at the Field Museum, so I'll get to see the King Tut exhibit.

Anyway, I stopped in to Neiman Marcus to buy a new Spanx stomach-flattening instrument of torture, also a new bra, because I feel I owe it to my public to bind myself in uncomfortable latex-y fetishwear. Either that or I enjoy pain--I'm not sure which.

In Neiman Marcus I was waylaid by the Bobbi Brown exhibit. I usually don't find much
that appeals to me in the BB line, but a lipgloss palette called to me with its siren song. The shades are Bellini, Papaya, Berry, Posey, Orchid, and Grape and they are all BEAUTIFUL.

So then I let the BB artist put makeup on me and naturally that meant I had to buy something. So I walked out with:

Eye shadows in Bone and Bronze

Gel Eyeliners in Bronze Shimmer and Hunter Ink

Natural Brow Shaper (and Hair Touch Up) in Mahogany

And three of the super-soft, densely packed Bobbi brushes:

Ultra Fine eyeliner brush
Eye Shadow brush
Eye Shader brush

Then I finally managed to get to the Lingerie department where I bought the rubbery spandex underclothes, also two pairs of Argyle cashmere ankle socks, in black and brown.

That's it. I'm done! (And done in.)

Your daughter wouldn't be caught dead in these shoes.

2006-09-25T08:42:00.000-07:00

But that doesn't keep me from wanting them. They're in my shopping cart at Arthur Beren's.

I love Arthur Beren. LOVE IT. They stock shoes in hard-to-find sizes. If you wear a tiny size or a narrow size or a size 11, you will love this place. My friends who wear narrow widths are always whining about not being able to find shoes that fit. Well, I wear a C-width, when I can get it, which isn't often. And mostly, wide-width shoes are sold at places like PayLess. And they're made of pleather. Which, I guess, befits my lumpen proletariat feet. But three words: No, no, no!

So ... Arthur Beren. With a very, very nice selection of shoes. Some of which are even fashionable (check out the boots!)

But that's not what I'm about today. Today I need replacements for beloved shoes that are getting worn out. And I need shoes for when I'm singing, which unfortunately, means low, sturdy heels that I can stand in for long, long periods of time. And wear with pants or skirts. And in black, with black hose or black pants, to go with my choir robe. Not exciting.

These, My Girl by Stuart Weizmann fit the bill:

Or these, which are so classic and old-ladyish that my gorge rises a bit: Salvatore Ferragamo's Lillaz in black. Perfect with a choir robe. (Or to wear when I'm robbing a bank. My God, they look respectable! Maybe I'd better skip them.)

And then these, for knocking around in when I'm wearing jeans but want something a little sleeker than old skool Pumas or my beloved clogs, Ferragamo's Trim in brown calf:

And then, because I'm not always wearing flats or low-heeled shoes, I also need something a little dressy, but not ridiculously glamorous. For those occasions, Stuart Weizmann's Stretch Limo.

And these. I really need these. The ultimate ladylike dress shoe, the classic slim-heeled slingback with a slim heel and a closed toe. Nothing is more irreproachable, yet--dare I say it--sexier. For those occasions, Calligarius' Balux in black/black.

OK, I need to get this off my chest. I'm not crazy about the beige/black combination. In fact, I kind of hate it. I don't care if Chanel popularized it long ago, or that Rene Mancini, my favorite shoe designer of all time, originated it. I don't like the combination of beige and black. Beige and brown, yes. Gray and black, yes. But warm colors combined with cold colors do not look good to my eye. In fact, they look like ass. (Like a black thong on a beige ass, to be exact.)

Finally, Stuart Weizmann's sumptuous and elegant Clara in black peau de soie with a three-inch heel--lovely, lovely, lovely, even if the more tasteful and discerning fetishists will love it, too:

I think I need to decide between the two low-heeled choir lady shoes. Because I don't want to waste perfectly good purple suede platform peep-toed ankle-strap money on two pairs of choir lady shoes. I may be a middle-aged choir lady with a wardrobe full of clothes from the Talbot's, but I have my limits.

Elvis Costello was right.

2006-09-23T10:36:00.000-07:00

It's a black and white world. At least, as regards men's formal wear.

Check out my hot new idea for men's fashion: bracelets that will say WWFW? Meaning, of course, "What would Fred wear?" I see it in platinum or white gold. Maybe yellow gold. OK, if we must, rubber. Black and white rubber.

None of which would Fred Astaire have been caught dead wearing. But he did look natty, especially in white tie:

You know, as in the song: "Top Hat, White Tie, and Tails." You know what I'm talking about, right? Well, just try to get the proper equipment for your husband when you're heading out to opening night at the opera, followed by the opera ball, and it's white tie.

First we needed to buy a suit. Pal Joke sent me the url to an eBay auction. It was from a rental place that was liquidating inventory. The suit was a buy-it-now auction for $139, with another $15 for shipping. Quel bargain! The fellow who owned the store emailed asking for measurements, height, weight, etc., etc., and I have to say, the thing fits beautifully. Now, I don't know the suit's fabric is, nor do I want to. It might be bad news. I'm pretty sure it's wool ... but it's not lovely, soft, drapey wool. It doesn't have the drape of the Brooks Brothers suits ... but they cost $1,200.

So the suit was taken care of. But then there was the whole question of the accessories. Now, you'd think with Brooks Brothers, Ralph Lauren, and Paul Stuart all within a short walk of my apartment, I'd be sitting pretty, but unfortunately, getting my hands on the right accessories was a lot harder than it should have been. I've decided to write it all up so that that you, too, (or your spouse) can look snazzy in white tie.

The short version is that you will do a lot better at chain stores that have branches in the Deep South. Brooks Brothers has branches in New Orleans and Charleston, South Carolina, both cities where full-dress balls occur with some frequency. Therefore, Brooks Brothers is in a position to special-order stuff from stores that stock it. Ralph Lauren and Paul Stuart are not in the same position.

We are located in Chicago, so we had to deal with a north-of-the-Mason-Dixon-line lack of civilization. What follows is the story of where we got what we needed.

1. The white cotton pique shirt, preferably with a stiffly-starched detachable collar. Brooks Brothers is the only store that carries one. And the Chicago store had it out back, not out front where you could see it. They also don't sell it on their website. My salesman, Terry Higgins, special-ordered one for me. $225.

2. A white cotton pique bow tie. Brooks Brothers had one for $45, but it was one of those pre-tied monstrosities. (Excuse me, but What The Fornicate? Does this make any sense at all? Wouldn't somebody who was popping for full-on white tie want a tie that ... well ... ties?) I found the right kind of tie at Ralph Lauren's Chicago flagship. Pure and simple, no hooks to size the thing; you have to make it work by knotting it well. And it costs $95. (BTW, Ben Silver has a nice page of instructions for tying bow ties.)

3. A white cotton pique waistcoat/weskit/vest. This is worn instead of a cummerbund, to cover the top of the pants. My salesman at Ralph Lauren told me that they get these things in in December. The salesman at Paul Stuart didn't know what I was talking about, and tried to sell me one of those brightly patterned Four Weddings and a Funeral numbers. No, no, no! Once again, Brooks Brothers is the only store that carries it. It was special-ordered for me for $175.

4. Studs. You can't wear your yellow gold and onyx studs with white tie. You must wear mother-of-pearl or silver; otherwise you break up the lovely expanse of whiteness. I bought my husband a set of sterling studs and cufflinks from the vintagey looking jewelry case at Ralph Lauren. They were $560 marked down to $160. Otherwise, I'd have ordered these convertible studs for $275 from Brooks Brothers:

5. Shoes. OK, you might, like my husband, have made do with normal black (polished, please) dress lace-ups for black tie events, but honestly, if you're going out looking like Stokowski, and you've popped for the shirt, studs, tie, and the non-Four Weddings waistcoat, you need the right shoes. Do not worry that you will look fey. Anyone who finds your shoes funny isn't going to a white-tie occasion, anyway, so his or her opinion doesn't matter.

These shoes are correct:

These are (surprise, surprise) from Brooks Brothers. You can get the same shoe, but in black kid (which in my opinon is preferable) at Ralph Lauren, but, once again, only during the holiday season.

Brooks Brothers also sells those patent leather lace-ups that make you look as if you--at best-- play bass fiddle player with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and at worst, like someone who rents his shoes. Go ahead and buy them if you must, but they are, to my way of thinking, a hideous compromise.

I sent my husband out to buy his own shoes--aren't I nice?--and Brooks Brothers didn't have any in his size. So he came home with a pair from Salvatore Ferragamo. They are patent leather slip ons with grosgrain trim, but no bows. Another compromise, I suppose, but they don't look rented. In fact, they look nice. Neither pimpy nor fey. And he said the important thing for him was that the shoes be something he'd only wear at night, with dress clothes. (By George, I think he's got it!)

6. It doesn't stop there. There is the matter of your socks. Dress shoes like those pictured above are cut rather low in the vamp, so you need to be wearing the right socks, which are black and don't have ribs. These are the right socks, courtesy of Brooks Brothers.

7. It goes on and on. You really need a black silk top hat, and you can get a silk opera hat at Ascot Top Hats. For a stick, I suggest you try an antiques store, or Ascot Top Hats. For gloves, which really are necessary with white tie, you're on your own. I bought the last pair available at the Fell Company in Winnetka. Thank goodness the Opera Ball is in September, so we didn't need to get a cloak, as I have no idea where to find one that wouldn't make my husband look like Mandrake the Magician. Or the Phantom of the Opera. Or an escapee from a Renaissance Faire. You can get linen handkerchiefs, three for $40, at Brooks Brothers, and Ascot Top Hats has nice instructions on how to fold them nicely for an ultra-natty finishing touch.

A Shout-out to my Shorties: Smirnoff's Prepsta Guide

2006-09-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

You may have seen the video, but you really need to read the handbook, too.

And remember to leave a comment. In cursive!

Linda Anderson in black and white

2006-09-08T07:31:00.000-07:00

Today we'll all experience Poppy's new-found lust for black and white damask in the guise of a catalog review. Yay!

It's not often I see something new in the catalogs that piling up this time of year. What with targeting marketing and customer lists being swapped around all the time, every catalog I get reminds me of another one.

So at first the Linda Anderson catalog struck me as just another gift/decorative accessories/ladies' casual clothing and jewelry emporium. Along the lines of the Sundance catalog, except not as western. Or like Charles Keith ... but not as Southern. Then it sort of reminded me of Ballard Designs.

The truth is, Linda Anderson carries a lot of unique merchandise that is vaguely reminiscent of other things I like. That sounds like faint praise, but it isn't. For example, these bookends remind me of Ballard Designs. They look sort of 1920s, and sort of Frenchily-ooh-la-la, if you know what I mean.

Adorable bathing beauty bookends that would be perfect for my black-and-white kitchen--so handy for holding up my cookbooks--plus they would remind me not to eat any of the goodies I cooked for fear of POPPING OUT OF MY BATHING SUIT--except the website told me they were out of stock. And maybe they're a little kitchsy, anyway.

And it isn't often that I see a double page spread that makes me think "ooh, I want those. And that. And that." But this did it:

Black and white damask-patterned plates and mugs

"Parisian Table Lamp"

There were some other lovely black and white damask home accents in the catalog, but I couldn't find them on-line. Which means I can't show them to you. Which is annoying.

It's bad when things are out of stock. And it's worse when the catalog and the website appear to exist in parallel universes. Note to retailers: If you have a print catalog and a website, we expect to find more merchandise on the website, not less.

I rate the Linda Anderson catalog "F" for frustrating.

Waverly's Metro Line at Target

2006-09-02T07:52:00.002-07:00

I'm in love.

So stylish! So chic! So Audrey Hepburn-in-Breakfast at Tiffany's!

But it's too late. I'm already married. I'm committed to a different color scheme.

(Anyway, I was looking for kitchen curtains in the same stripe as that neckroll. And they didn't have any.)

But oh, that black and white bedding! Swoon!

Check it out here.

LeSpoiledbrat?

2006-07-25T15:50:00.003-07:00

Somebody somewhere had me clicking around the internet, and before I knew it I was perusing the new offerings on the LeSportsac website. And I came across a few designs that tickled my fancy.

First of all, there is a rush of Hermes--well, I won't tar them with the epitaph "knock-offs," and no one would mistake them for Hermes, but they are definitely horsey:

Which also comes in light beige. And then there's

Which, again, wouldn't fool anyone for a second. But this one

is really a bit too close to Hermes's iconic "Bolduc" print ... so if I were an in-house attorney at Hermes, I'd sit up and notice.

So that was fun. But then ... I found it. The perfect print. The print that was so perfect that I actually went and found my daughter and shoved my laptop under her nose, practically squealing "Look at this!" and hoping that she'd like it so I could spend $78 on a new backpack for her.

And she did, so I did.

So ... the moral of the story is ... if you like to shop, name your daughter ~~Cinderella~~ ~~Snow White~~ ~~Sleeping Beauty~~ "Barbie."

p.s. The LeSportsac website is awesome. And if you're interested in a particular pattern for ~~Barbie~~ your daughter, you can search for every style available in it.

p.p.s. Free shipping and no sales tax, too.

Still In the Pink!

2006-07-22T09:55:00.000-07:00

It just goes to show you. Here I provide In the Pink with great, free publicity. I mean, all six of the people who read this blog probably went off and ordered something from their Spring 2006 clearance sale.

But me? I ordered on Thursday. My package showed up Friday. Fast shipping, right? But I ordered four Shrunken Polos and only received three, and of the three, one is the wrong color.

But do I stamp my foot, pout, and flounce off? No I don't. I checked my confirmation email and found the store's telephone number, so I called In the Pink and talked to customer service representative. She told me the missing Phipps Pink polo was shipped yesterday, and she issued me a call order for free UPS shipping so I can exchange the incorrect shirt.

I love internet shopping, but sometimes it's great to deal with a real live human being.

Spring Clearance at In the Pink

2006-07-18T10:10:00.001-07:00

In the Pink is my favorite Lilly Pulitzer Signature Shop. I love to shop at the Newbury Street store, and they also have an excellent website. So imagine my delight when I opened my email today:

This is it...the sale you've been waiting for! For a limited time only, we are offering you 50% off our entire ladies spring and resort collections! Shop now to get the first look and shop the best selections. From skirts to dresses, we've got it all. But hurry...this offer expires Sunday, July 23, 2006.

How to Use Your Special Discount:
Select all of the items from the ladies spring collection that you would like to purchase.

Go to your Shopping Bag.

Enter your discount code and click the Apply button.

Click on Proceed to Checkout to complete your order.
Discount Code: 5158

All sale items are final sale. This offer cannot be applied to previously purchased merchandise. Offer expires Sunday, July 23, 2006.

www.inthepinkonline.com
Call Toll Free: 1.888.695.4559

And this is what I got: a pair of white cropped jeans with ribbon trim,
and four Shrunken Polos, in Phipps Pink, Pink Grapefruit, white with pink logo, and white with green logo.

(If I weren't always spilling food right smack onto my boobages, or forgetting what's in the laundry and forcing my shrunken polos to endure long periods in super-hot dryers, I wouldn't need to buy so many shirts, but last year's supply is pretty much history.)

If you like Lilly, it's worth it to register at several Lilly on-line shops--that way you can maximize your chances of scoring exactly what you want. I also shop at Village Palm and Tickled Pink, but to my mind, In the Pink has the easiest web interface. Click here for a list of Lilly on-line shops from the Lilly Pulitzer web site.

Why you should ignore everything I say.

2006-07-11T15:06:00.000-07:00

Apparently, I'm a man.

And everyone knows men don't know anything about shopping.

Your Brain is 33% Female, 67% Male

You have a total boy brain
Logical and detailed, you tend to look at the facts
And while your emotions do sway you sometimes...
You never like to get feelings too involved

What Gender Is Your Brain?

I love Target as much as anyone else ...

2006-06-26T06:05:00.000-07:00

... but not. that. way.

Canvas tote bag for $50?

Swarovski crystal evening bag for $875?

14k gold and diamond necklace for $3,175?

I don't think so.

(Thanks to Mir for being the first to discover this--this heinousness.)

Poppy's black tie bonanza-rama.

2006-06-18T10:00:00.001-07:00

I finally had a chance to do some North Michigan Avenue shopping. So I went a little crazy.

This is what I needed: whatever underwear it would take for the dress I was wearing to a black tie event Saturday evening to fit nicely and look smooth and bulge-free.

I also needed a pair of summery evening shoes. Because the day was supposed to reach 94 degrees. Ninety-four degrees! And me in a long dress, yards of spandex, and pantyhose. At least my toes could be feeling a breeze.

I headed out to go to Nordstrom's, figuring they have a ton of shoes, and the lingerie selection is good; they sell the almighty Wacoal bra. So Nordstrom's it was.

Except it was so hot outside that I ducked into the first department store I hit that sells shoes and underwear. Which was Neiman Marcus. Where my choices were pretty much limited to big name designer stuff. And I actually tried on a pair of Manolos. But then I tried on these and was instantly sold because even with 3-1/4 inch heels, they were amazingly comfortable. They are now on sale at the Cole Haan website, so if you wear a size 9.5, you're in luck. I, unfortunately, did not get them on sale, and thus paid the full retail price of $325.

Then I hit lingerie where I tried on 5,000 bras and one shaper: the Spanx Slim Cognito Seamless Mid-Thigh Bodysuit ($68). I also got a new Chantelle ($65) bra. (Who knew French babes could develop impressive racks? I had no idea Chantelle bras were available in my size.)

The irony of all this? Is that I spent over $400 to underpin/accessorize a dress I got on ebay, brand-new with tags, for $29.99.

The double irony is that I got a ton of compliments on the dress. And while I wasn't expecting anyone to compliment me on my new underpinnings, no one had anything to say about my new shoes, which are, as you can see, gorgeous.

The adventure continued. On my way out of Neiman's, I went through accessories and bought a pink straw hat and two Hermes scarves. Also some loot for my husband for Father's Day. But you deserve pictures, so the details will wait until I have my camera. Stay tuned.

Another reason to love eBay--Enid Collins bags

2006-05-30T09:41:00.001-07:00

If you've never heard of Enid Collins, your handbag education is sorely lacking. Enid Collins was a Texan who designed a range of bags during the 1960s. She started off with a wooden box bag, later branching out into a more standard canvas tote bag. They were produced until her company was bought out in 1970.

I first encountered masses of Enid Collins merchandise a few years ago on eBay. At that time, the prices were pretty high, so I slaked my thirst for whimsical beaded bags by buying stuff from Lulu Guinness and Isabella Fiore. At $125-$300 a pop, the Lulu and Isabella stuff was actually competitively priced; plus I could check out the condition for myself.

(The Lulu Guinness picnic-themed bag on the right is a sample of the kind of thing I was buying.)

However, a recent scan of eBay offerings shows that Enid Collins bags are worth another look. Prices appear to have dropped considerably; I suppose the hard-core early-adapters have already stuffed their closets with EC treasures and moved on. Either that, or fashion has moved on, (as it always does) and whimsical bags look way too 2003, now that everyone is carrying great big, slouchy, bohemian-inspired, luggage brown oversized bags with lots of little outside pockets.

But if you're in the mood for whimsical ... something to carry when you're on your way to a girls-night-out Margarita fest wearing your Miss Trish of Capri sandals with the gold seahorses, you could spend $425 at Neiman Marcus on the bag at the left,

or pick up an Enid Collins, or even a knock-off, pictured on the right--for less than a tenth of that. And what could be better than that?

For more on Enid Collins, CoolOldStuff has a ton of information, plus good, clear pictures.

Karl, Karl, Karl.

2006-05-30T07:15:00.001-07:00

When you get to a certain age, you develop a tendency to stick your fingers into your hears and go "la la la I can't heeeeeeear you!" when the fashion magazines start trying to convince you some loathesome trend is worth having.

Such a trend is the Extremely Enormous Bag. I can remember a time when I was obsessed with carrying wee, teensy little bags, so I remember the horror of having to chose my cosmetics by their size. As in "Who cares that this powder is too light and makes me break out--it fits into my bag!"

But this! Imagine trying to find your car keys in this. It's like someone took a black hole from outer space, turned it inside out, and sewed on a handle. Not to mention that it looks like a Hefty Trash Bag.

Not that a Hefty Trash Bag isn't called for here. I'm sure the model would love to crawl into one and hide her shame, which, for the record, is comprised of: a jailbait/schoolgirl/Pr0n-style little black jumper, a pair of white fingerless elbow-length gloves, a pair of black pleather over-the-knee whore boots, and a bad hair day.

Frankly, Karl, it's time you sent yourself--or more likely, your assistant--back to the drawing board. I give this monstrosity two fingerless-gloved thumbs down.

Welcome to my Netflix Queue

2006-05-28T08:22:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad to hear that I'm not the only person who watches movies and television programs for the clothes.

I mean, right now, I'm bingeing on the Ian Carmichael Lord Peter Wimsey series, enjoying the stories, of course, but freaking out over the tailoring. Joke would love it.

But now I hear that That Girl is out on DVD.

Does anyone else out there remember swooning over the opening credits? Especially the dress with the parasol?

I've got to see this. And get my daughter to watch it with me. (I'll let my husband watch, too. Even though he has told me that as a boy, his love was pretty much equally divided between Ann Marie in That Girl, Jeannie in I Dream of Jeannie, and Samantha from Bewitched.)

Why I Love eBay (With a Cautionary Note)

2006-05-27T07:37:00.002-07:00

How do love eBay? Let me count the ways. I use eBay to:

1. Complete my mother's and grandmother's china patterns, both of which were discontinued at the dawn of time. I like to avoid purchasing things at Replacements. I can get stuff from eBay at a tenth of the cost.

2. Continue forcing my daughter to dress in a mother/daughter style. If I buy a Lilly Pulitzer skirt for me and matching dress for my daughter, and she has the nerve to outgrow hers when mine still fits fine--I pick up the same dress for her in a larger size on eBay.

3. Pick up rare, hard-to-find, or otherwise interesting Hermes scarves. eBay is a great source, and some of the sellers there are incredibly knowledgable. (N.B.: Don't buy anything from China. Or that says "Made in Italy." Or that claims to be made of "seta." Hermes scarves are manufactured in France and are made of "soie." Or "silk." Not "seta." Oh--and if you see a bunch of listings for, say, the popular "Rocking Horse" pattern? Or the "Bubbles" pattern? Stay far away from that seller.)

4. Discontinued cosmetics. Because Badger keeps turning me on to products that get discontinued. Like this cleanser.

5. Idiotic tschotkes for my house.

6. Jewelry. Which, admittedly, I don't buy often. But I love to look.

But ... this is how not to sell a piece of jewelry on eBay: get your mother to model it:

Something tells me this thing is going to go for a song.

The Little Box of Beauty

2006-05-07T20:33:00.000-07:00

Chicago's Oak Street is a short stretch of ground that caps off the madness that is shopping on Michigan Avenue.

One way of thinking about it is as a beret on a giraffe. Say Michigan Avenue is the giraffe's neck. You're walking north on Michigan Avenue. After you encounter a branch of every department store you've ever heard of: Nordstrom, Saks, Lord and Taylor, Marshall Fields, and Bloomingdales, plus every specialty store: Gap, Victoria's Secret, Talbot's, Disney, American Girl, plus every flagship store: Apple, Nike, Ralph Lauren, plus every designer: Burberry, Salvatore Ferragamo, Cartier, Van Cleef and Arpels, Armani, Chanel, Max Mara ... you hit Oak Street, the little beret at the top of all that long, long neck. The stores are smaller (but still off -the-charts expensive): Tod's, Hermes, Prada, Yves St. Laurent, Barney's.

And then, as a shining oasis of affordability, there's Bravco.

Bravco is one of those stores that cosmetic fanatics know about. Even if they're not from Chicago, they'll have heard of it. It's that good. If it's a super-expensive French hair care line, or a weird brand of cake mascara, or a makeup artist line, you can find it at Bravco and the upstairs store, B-too.

I ran in there today between two church services (what better way to spend my off time than at a veritable temple of makeup?)

I bought my zillionth bottle of Simple Solutions Ultra Copper Firming Serum (which may or may not be doing my skin some good--but I'm not willing to find out by using it on half my face to see whether it works. I don't want to end up like Two-Face from the Dick Tracy comics.)

I also got a bottle of Kerastase ultra-gentle, ultra-expensive Bain Miroir color-protecting shampoo. I had vowed to go back to Pantene. But the Pantene color-protecting stuff leaves my hair very weighed down. And honey, my hair can take a LOT of product. I've got semi-permanent color all over my head, with highlights and lowlights and a glaze on top of that--my hair is so chemically treated, it's a cross between Whitney Houston and Courtney Love. On any given day I've got Kiehl's silk groom, and Bedhead styling gel and Frizz-Ease in it, just to keep it looking healthy. Three products? No problem. But the Pantene stuff drove me crazy. It made my hair feel yucky and dirty.

Oh, and I bought two tubes of the Single Greatest Mascara in the world. Thickens my all-but-non-existent lashes and really is waterproof. I figure I should stock up; it's too good, and that means it's going to get discontinued any second now.

That's all, folks!

What I Bought on my Spring Vacation: Part Duh

2006-04-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

Lately I've become obsessed with jade.

I know something about jewelry--I know about the 4 C's of diamond quality, and that Italian jewelers can't be bothered to make anything out of 14K gold, and that the first thing you look for in colored gem stones is the color--shade and saturation--and then you worry about the inclusions.

But for some reason, I got interested in jade, even though I knew nothing about it. And couldn't tell the expensive stuff from the cheap crap.

Actually, I think that's why I got interested. There is so much to learn. I mean, there's nothing we geeks like better than having to master an entirely new world of arcane knowledge with its own aesthetic. Like, say, the blogosphere. Or computers in general. Or jade.

Anyway, I'm in good company. Apparently the Chinese have been obsessed with jade for millennia (think Queen Elizabeth I and pearls, or Louis XIV and diamonds, only worse.) They started off using it for tools, because it can be honed to a sharp edge. It also lends itself to carving. It's called "the stone of heaven," and traditional Chinese lore attributes all kinds of mystical powers to it. (Not that I'm some chai tea drinking, incense-burning, crystal-wearing hippy. Harrumph! My interest is much more intellectual than that.) (Even though jade is supposed to be good for the kidneys. And come to think of it, I do drink too many cocktails, and my kidneys could probably use the help.)

I really had to read up on the stuff, because honestly, prices are all over the map. There's a bangle currently listed on eBay with a starting bid of $8,000:

And here's one with a starting bid of $1,900:

And this one has a buy-it-now price of $58:

Now, I ask you. Can you make sense out of these prices? Because I can't. So, is this a recipe for getting ripped off or what? Yay!

I decided that my first jade-purchasing experience should occur in the China pavilion at Epcot. I reasoned that the Walt Disney Corporation would probably not want to get into deep doodoo for selling jade that is dyed, or treated with polymers, or even vastly overpriced. I mean, a little overpriced, sure. This is Disney, after all. I'd be paying a premium for their expertise, but I wouldn't walk out of there with a piece of junk.

So while That Stud Muffin I Married was checking out the hand-rolled Jasmine Pearl tea, I checked out the options in the jewelry department. After much deliberation (as much as five whole minutes, people) I bought a jade cabochon ring set in yellow gold, with little tiny diamonds on either side. I believed the saleswoman when she told me it was very good jade ... I really did. But I felt better when a jewelry store owner in Boston's Chinatown told me it was excellent quality. I guess that time I didn't rip myself off. Because I spent $400 on that ring.

Since then I've purchased one more piece--a carved pendant on eBay. Just so you know, the purchase price was way less than $400. In fact, the purchase price was less than the shipping from Hong Kong. So you see, I'm not absolutely opposed to ripping myself off--and buying cheap crap--if that's what I did. And I think it is. Let's put it this way; I don't think I'll be wearing my pendant into any jewelry stores in Chinatown. Unless I'm also wearing a t-shirt that says, in Chinese characters: "Rip me off; I'm a stupid American."

So--want to see what I ~~wasted my money on~~ bought? I'm no jewelry photographer, and this is the best I can do:

You can't tell from the picture, but the pendant has a dragon carved in it.

p.s. If you're interested in jade, this website is the best source of information I've found on-line (scroll down to see amazing pictures of jewelry) this website has a lot of information as well as pieces for sale, and Gump's has no information, but a lot of jade for sale.

What I Bought on my Spring Vacation: The first in a series of posts.

2006-04-10T17:32:00.000-07:00

You might as well know at once that even though I have my moments of exquisite taste, and the Hermes store just sent me the latest scarf catalog, and one time a friend of mine asked me whether I'd help her decorate her house (that was probably ass-kissing, though) I have an unbelievable urge to buy things that are tacky. Or funny. Or offensive. Better yet--all three.

For example, I'm highly amused by the t-shirt that says ""If you fuck them, they will come."

I can't help it. I'm much too ~~repressed~~ ladylike to wear a shirt that says "fuck," but that shirt cracks me up. And I haven't even seen Field of Dreams.

So anyway, all this is to let you know that while I lay down the law about current fashions or hand out unsolicited advice the way DHC hands out samples, I also realize that I have a weak spot for The Truly Tacky.

So in my posts about what I bought on Spring Break, the first thing I'm going to talk about is these beauties:

You won't even know what this is about unless you've driven through Tennessee or Georgia. There used to be about 700 barns with SEE ROCK CITY painted on them. At last count there were only 90 left, but the billboards, which are ALL OVER THE PLACE, help to make up for the loss of actual barns.

Have I seen Rock City? No, I have not. Do I want to? Sort of. Is buying a souvenir of a place you haven't been to sort of stupid? Yes, it is. Especially when the item is a bird house that's trying to look like a barn. With a big-ass advertisement painted on it.

At first, I meant merely to buy one of these for my sister, as a joke, because she loves birds and bird houses and has all kinds of silly things all over her house and garden. But then, being me, I couldn't resist getting one for myself, too. Although I think I'm going to hang it from the kitchen ceiling, because the birds around here expect something a lot more tasteful, even from free housing.

Poppy's Change of Heart--on sale at 40% off!

2006-03-15T08:31:00.000-08:00

So the husband and I have been talking about the income and the outgo of this household, and it looks like some budgeting is in order. And of course, he's all depressed.

Notice I said "he."

Because there's nothing I like better than a shopping challenge. As in "how low can I go before I would say my standard of living has changed significantly?" I have a feeling that's pretty low.

For one thing, I've already done some shopping for spring, what with a new bag, a pretty pink Razr phone, and a spree I went on recently at the Barry Bricken store in Winnetka.

I didn't tell you about that because I'm a perfectionist, and I don't like to talk about stuff without posting pictures. But I'm a perfectionist who apparently a) can't manage to keep her digital camera charged, b) or keep it in a sensible location, or c) find the cord that connects it to my laptop, so what with one thing and another, I haven't managed to take any pictures of my new loot.

But it's scrumptious. A week or two ago I went into the Barry Bricken store for some of their perfect jeans, and bought two pairs. But! I also went over the sale tables and scored five cashmere sweaters: three long-sleeved cable-knitted beauties in periwinkle blue, pink, and cream, one navy blue tissue-weight short-sleeved cashmere t-shirt in navy blue, and a fun argyle-front long sleeved crewneck in hot pink, orange, and brown--sounds hideous, but looks great with two-year's-ago brown Lilly Pulitzer stuff. These sweaters are perfect for easing me through the last of the chicago winter, because they're warm, yet the colors are springy.

Pictures soon, I promise.

As for future shopping, I've got to go through my spring inventory. Mine, but more especially, my children's. They continue to shoot up like giraffes and we're heading to Florida for spring break. I'm assuming nothing they own will fit.

On the cosmetics front, I got the Clairol Source magazine, and it has a coupon for Pantene's new Pro-V Expressions shampoos and conditioners. I am totally planning to try those, because the Kerastase Reflection shampoo and Chroma Reflect conditioner are heinously expensive, even on sale, which, by the way, they were so not when I popped for them at my mega-buck$ $alon ... if and when I buy refills, I'm heading straight to the internet!

Reason to get out of bed in the morning, #1

2006-03-03T11:51:00.000-08:00

Here in Chicago, we have about two more months of crappy winter weather left before spring finally arrives. We have therefore reached the time of year where my primary urge upon awakening in the morning is to keep the shades drawn and stay in bed, preferably curled up in the fetal position.

Unfortunately, duty usually calls, and I have to get out of bed.

Therefore, my goal when purchasing health and beauty products is to find things that make the process of getting up and dressed somewhat less painful.

Olay Regenerist Thermal Skin Polisher is one such product. It's supposed to gently exfoliate the face with a combination of fruit acids and microbeads.

According to the blather on the drugstore.com website:

Olay Regenerist™ Thermal Skin Polisher regenerates skin's appearance for a beautifully polished texture and renewed vibrancy... achieve professional mini-peel results after 10 days. The key to this breakthrough experience is a water activated self-heating formula that deeply warms skin to relax pores. The gentle micro-crystal formula then polishes away dry skin cells, revealing new skin after rinsing. The formula also contains glycolic acid, a key ingredient used in professional mini-peel treatments.

Sounds impressive, doesn't it? And the reviews on drugstore.com make this stuff sound like a miracle worker.

But actually, my skin is pretty good, and it's generally reliable enough so that I don't notice all that much difference between product and another. So I like this stuff because it heats up when you rub it on your face, and it smells like apple pie. In my usual state of winter morning brain fog, it's easy to convince myself that I'm in an apple orchard lying in the hot sun getting a hot applesauce facial from Antonio Banderas.

And if that isn't a reason to get out of bed in the morning, I don't know what is.

It's currently marked down five percent (save 70 cents, people!) at drugstore.com, with free shipping for orders over $25.

Poppy does Chicago

2006-02-26T15:11:00.000-08:00

What a weekend--a real culture-vulture marathon, and just generally busy.
Thank goodness I lost my cellphone.

This meant, of course, that I needed a new one. I wanted a new one, anyway. The old one was kind of clunky and didn't do anything but make calls. No camera, no games, no video, no internet.

By buying a new phone at the Cingular store, I could keep the old number, but everything else was new and (to me, at least) ooh-la-la fancy. I got the Motorola Razr. In pink, of course. With the bluetooth ear thingie. If you never hear from me again, it's because I'm playing Tetris on my cellphone.

Back to Saturday. Walking east to Michigan Avenue, the first store I saw was Coach. So of course I had to go in and check out the Coach Lilly-esque patchwork bags. I thought about it for all of ... 20 seconds, and then I bought the medium-sized Hamptons patchwork tote bag. (I blame Elizabeth of The Preppy Cafe for corrupting me!)

Then I headed up to the Gap because we're heading to Florida next month and I need to bump up my t-shirt supply. The Gap was so crowded I couldn't stand it. Never again. I keep forgetting that for some tourists, the high point of their visit to Chicago is heading to North Michigan Avenue to shop at ... the Gap. They did have some very cute striped canvas tote bags and espadrilles, but I couldn't take the crowds. I'll check out the local store during the week when the kids are in school.

I then headed to Sephora because with a new pink cell phone and a new spring bag, what would be better than a new palette?

I checked out Hard Candy, Urban Decay, and Stila, but the palette that really caught my attention was Pop Cosmetic's "Beaming Popette." The palette is turquoise-colored metal (not cardboard) and has a mirrored lid. Four eyeshadows (one pearl, and three in beautiful shades of green) a shimmery peach highlighter, and three glosses.

While I was there I decided to pick up Tarte's "The Toolbox" eyebrow kit. I've used the way-cheap (and unfortunately discontinued) Revlon eyebrow kit, which consisted of a pan of brow color, a pan of brow wax, and a stiff brush. It worked great, but as I said, it's discontinued, and everyone who makes something like it charges $30 and up. Then there's the high end Chanel product: $60 will get you the eyebrow color, tweezers, a mirror, and a brow brush. Or the Anastasia product, which I believe goes for $120.

The Tarte eyebrow kit has: brow color, brow wax, a set of little tweezers, three brow stencils, a brow pencil, a tube of clear mascara, and a brush for applying the color. Pretty much everything you need in a box the size of two lipsticks. The eyebrow color comes in three shades; I opted for light.

Let me tell you--you haven't lived until you've played around with brow stencils. I had eyebrows like a movie star, man.

I also picked up the Tarte doubled-ended lipglosses in Ferris and Sloane. (They're pretty in the tube, but don't really show up all that much on the lips.)

My last stop was at Talbot's. I really try not to be so boring, but I just wanted to pick up a couple of t-shirts. And the pima cotton short sleeved t-shirts are lovely--not at all see-through, with a gorgeous hand, and a nice fit--not the boxiness I have come to expect from Talbot's. I got pink and turquoise. I'll probably pick up a few more colors to finish filling the t-shirt drawer, and then I'm done.

Spring 2006--bring it on! I'm ready!

Do you suppose it smells as preppy as it looks?

2006-02-22T13:54:00.000-08:00

This is Oscar de la Renta's new limited-edition fragrance, "Bamboo." It's available at Marshall Field's. Two ounces of EDT for $39.50.

I'm guessing that it smells fresh and green.

But look at it!

Don't you think it should smell like a gin & tonic? With extra lime?

I think I might buy it just for the fun of displaying it on my bureau ... even if it reeks.

Snapshirts Update

2006-02-16T07:20:00.000-08:00

Well, today I received an email from SnapShirts letting me know that my t-shirt design was ready. (This t-shirt uses words from my other blog.) I clicked on the link and checked it out. It looks good!

I'm not much of a fan of t-shirts with writing on them for everyday wear, since frankly, that part of my anatomy doesn't need any more attention. But I get a kick out of wearing them when I'm working out, doing housework, or hanging around the house blogging, i.e., right now. And these shirts look perfect for that. They are 100 percent cotton, not terribly fitted, but shaped like a woman. In this respect this shirt will totally outclass many of my other t-shirts, such as my collection of Red Sox t-shirts, which I heart dearly but which were designed for men and look horribly boxy.

And then there is the little matter of the placement of the silkscreening. The SnapShirts people seemed to have figured that out--the placement of this design looks good. It looks like the word cloud will appear over one's clavicle, which is a good thing when one doesn't exactly feel like standing there on display while other people read War and Peace off one's breasts. At times one finds oneself wondering whether one should offer one's reader a bookmark.

(Sorry about the "one"s. I've been listening to the Narnia books on CD, and it's catching. I'm beginning to sound like Lynn Redgrave. Or worse yet, Michael York.)

Anyway, I selected my size and filled out the rest of the necessary information. The website is well designed, and the whole thing took about two minutes.

I think I need a t-shirt for this blog, too. And another one for my other other blog--I could always use a nice word cloud t-shirt to cook in.

When pajamas aren't enough: what to wear to blog

2006-02-09T08:21:00.000-08:00

In my blogging perusals (well, I have to do something to keep me busy while I wait for my package to arrive from Gloss) I came upon a site that makes word cloud t-shirts.

You know what a word cloud is, right? The software goes through a document and picks the most popular words, then arranges them alphabetically. The font size reflects how often each word appears. (In the example I've included, you can see that I talk about myself a lot.)

You can just visit the site to come up with a word cloud, or you can go ahead and order a t-shirt. The t-shirts cost $18, not including shipping. They have men's and women's t-shirt styles in different colors, and a choice of 13 ink colors and 3 fonts.

Naturally, I couldn't resist. I made one with the words it found in my other blog, and I liked it so much I ordered a t-shirt.

I picked pink lettering in the classic Times Roman font. Apparently they'll email me to let me know when the shirt is ready. (I don't remember picking a size, though. Maybe I missed that part of the web page ... damn! Nothing worse than an ill-fitting custom t-shirt. My other blog deserves a better designer t-shirt.)

At any rate, I'll post when I receive an update from SnapShirts.

In the meantime, it's a fun site to fool around with (in the off-chance that you haven't been wasting enough time on the internet, that is.)

It's snowing. So I went shopping.

2006-02-08T09:14:00.000-08:00

I know I'm supposed to decry the Estee Lauder corporation's acquisition of super kewl boutique brands like Bobbi Brown and MAC ... but I'm a middle-aged, lazy housewife, it's cold and snowy outside, and frankly, I couldn't be more glad that I could just head over to the Gloss website and order what I needed without firing up the minivan and heading to the mall.

What I needed was my favorite day time moisturizer--Estee Lauder's Resilience Lift lotion. I love this stuff because it's light, moisturizes well, gives me a glow, contains SPF15, yet doesn't reek. In fact, it smells like cantaloupe. I'm on my last week's worth of the stuff, and I was beginning to panic, wondering when I could get to a Major Department Store and buy some.

While I was on the gloss website, I decided to pop for a couple of MAC eyeshadows. Usually, on those rare occasions when I can be bothered to mess around with eyeshadow in the first place, I stick to Jane Eye Zings, but MAC has some interesting shades you really can't get anywhere else. So I ordered MAC shadows in Juxt and Vex.

And now, a word about gifts with purchase. In true Estee Lauder style, Gloss has them. (Estee Lauder being the inventor of this excellent department store tradition.) But on Gloss, you get to pick your gift. This means that when I checked out, I could get a sample tube of Origin's A Perfect World moisturizer, as well as sample sizes of a Clinique lip gloss and eye shadow,
which I like much better than the idea of acquiring Yet Another Tube of Estee Lauder "Rosa Rosa" Lipstick in Yet Another Fugly Cosmetics bag. The GWPs and samples can come from any of the Estee Lauder companies, (or Gloss affiliates) which at present are:

Bobbi Brown
Chanel
Clarins
Clinique
Darphin
Estée Lauder
Jo Malone
La Mer
Lab Series
MAC
Origins
Prescriptives
Rodan + Fields
Stila

As I said, I'm pretty much over gifts with purchase--at least, GWPs of Estee Lauder products. Resilience Lift moisturizer is the only EL product I use. But the companies Estee has gobbled up? I'll totally take their stuff.

Oh, and there was free shipping, too--nice!

So that's the good news.

The bad news is that while Gloss works perfectly well for restocking items you've already used or color cosmetics you've already seen in real life, they have the WORST on-screen representation of makeup colors I've ever seen. They are way, way off. So watch out for that.

Blogger is the new Winona Ryder.

2006-02-05T20:30:00.000-08:00

And I can only hope that like Winona Ryder, Blogger experiences a long, slow slide into obscurity. Because Blogger has shoplifted two of my posts. Two very well-written, clever posts, too. Designer posts. With labels. One was even a Karl Lagerfeld.

To make matters worse, in one case Blogger has eaten a post, thrown it up, and then eaten it again. Which I guess also makes Blogger the what--Nicole Ritchie?--of blogging software.

I say this so that if by any chance you saw the post about Karl Lagerfeld, or the post where I made fun of Blogger for not letting me upload pictures--and you're wondering where they went--well, yeah. Me too.

Wait a minute--hear that? I think the security alarm just went off again.

In the pink at In the Pink

2006-02-02T12:08:00.000-08:00

One of the things that drives me crazy about on-line shopping is registering for a site only to be totally swamped with spam. I mean, I already feel like a loser for forgetting to send my mother a birthday card, but do I really need to be punished with daily emails from ftd.com? No, I don't.

It's enough to make me want to refuse to register at websites.

But one site well worth registering for is in the pink. I became a member a long time ago, and while I really don't need all that many reminders to shop for Lilly Pulitzer clothes, their email reminders tend to actually offer something in the way of information about upcoming collections, or better yet, ways to save money.

This morning an email from in the pink told me that they were offering members 40 percent off current-season sleepwear. I jumped at the chance to score two sets of Lilly "Dreamy" pajamas for $78 a pair instead of $130. I got Phipps Pink Mommy and Me and Bliss Blue Lazy Paisley--the print you see in the graphic I ruthlessly stole from the in the pink website.

For what it's worth, I've ordered from in the pink many times and I've always been satisfied with their service and shipping. Two pink and green thumbs up!

And now, a word about shawpin

2006-01-19T15:08:00.000-08:00

OK, enough about the Olsen Twins. Let's talk shopping!

At the moment, I'm going crazy looking at spring stuff because it's 48 degrees. In Chicago. In January. I'm craving cotton clothes and regular pedicures. I'm compulsively checking out the resort wear on style.com. And flipping through every catalog that comes in the mail.

1. Check out Thrifty Chick's directory of sales and special deals. Big fun! Be sure to scroll all the way down.

2. Those of you who have daughters should know that the Growing Up Garnet Hill catalog is selling Lilly Pulitzer dresses and such along with the usual organic cotton/natural fibers stuff. Also, the girls' shoes are mega-cute. Talk about one stop shopping! If only they carried this stuff in grown-up lady sizes. I mean, would anyone dress like an Olsen twin if she had the option of dressing like an eight year old? No. So Garnet Hill needs to make this cute stuff in grown-up sizes. The big meanies.

3. In the Pink sent me an email with the news that some vintage Lilly Pulitzer dress styles were being resurrected in vintage prints. I just love the fact that Lilly has brought back that great cotton lace. I'm totally jonesing for this one, to be accessorized with a retro attitude, some cute sandals, and a slushy rum drink.

My wallet needs a cold snap to come around, and soon.

--P.

Put another Lemur on the Barbie

2006-01-19T12:52:00.000-08:00

Did you know that the Olsen twins are going to premier their two new fashion lines in Australia? I can only assume that the Olsen twins think that their bizarre black-rimmed eyes, little fuzzy furry heads, and strangely tanned skin make them look like unusually attractive marsupials. Maybe they feel a strange kinship with the duck-billed platypus.

Mary-Kate and Ashley, I hate to burst your bubble, but actually, you look much more like lemurs. You see, lemurs tend to wear lots and lots and lots of black eye makeup:

Also, lemurs just can't get enough of each other. They are so totally touchy-feely, it borders on incestuous:

You're seeing the resemblance, right? I mean, I'm totally not making this up. But Mary-Kate? Ashley, honey? Lemurs belong in Madagascar. Not Australia. Where, you know, there are laws against the way you two behave.

First of all, there is the little matter of your private lives.

OK, in this picture, you're trying to make it look like you're Just Good Friends:

But in this picture, Mary-Kate is about to announce that she is carrying Ashley's baby. Or the other way around. Do you think the Australians are going to stand for this? I don't think so.

Then there are the fashion crimes, to which I have already alluded.

Fashion Cop: "OK, Mary-Kate (or Ashley--sorry, honey; I can't tell you girls apart) this time I'll let you off with a warning. Now put the blue curtains back on your mother's living room windows. And take a shower, missy!"

So here is a question for my readers: do the Olsen ~~Twats~~ Twins seriously think people in Oz want to look or act like them?

Maybe it would fly in Madagascar, where the other lemurs would probably dig it, but I'm sure the Australians won't stand for it. After all, everyone knows that kangaroos are famous for their exquisite taste in boomerangs.

--P.

What Came in the Mail Today

2006-01-11T22:59:00.000-08:00

Wow, a lot of packages showed up on my doorstep today. I was opening and putting things away for quite a while. And I haven't even finished opening all the boxes. To misquote Coleridge's Ancient Mariner: "Cardboard boxes everywhere / And not a drop to drink."

So here's what showed up:

1. From Delia's: the purple Puma Speedcats. I. Love. Them. They are incredibly comfortable. This is a YMMV thing, though, because they have zero arch support. But I have a high arch, and support isn't one of my issues. And they're wide enough. If you have a narrow foot, these might not work for you, but for me? They are fabulous. I can wiggle my little toes--or at least I would be able to, if I were able to (does that even make sense? I don't think so.)

All of the above can be said of the Reebok Motor Lace sneakers, too. I don't love them quite as much because they're not quite as fabulous. After all, they aren't purple suede. But they are very nice--light, sleek, and comfy.

I also received the three rocker t-shirts I bought my daughter, but they're for her birthday. And two lamps for her bedroom, also not opened yet.

Oh--and if you wear a size 8.5, like Top-Siders, and want them in the cute pastel blue, they're on sale.

2. From Garnet Hill: two sets of pajamas, both cotton knit with an Asian-inspired patterns, and a blue cotton bathrobe with white terry lining. I'd give these an A- because the colors weren't exactly what I was expecting, and let's face it, whereas the right shade of pink does wonders, the wrong shade can make a grown up girl look recently exhumed. These aren't that bad, but they don't do wonders for my make-upless, first-thing-in-the-morning face. On the other hand, they're generously cut, cute, and the cotton is of high quality. And the black kid gloves with the hot pink roses are just as pretty as they looked.

3. From PBTeen: a light blue yoga mat.

--P.

Some Thoughts on Spending and Saving

2006-01-09T20:35:00.000-08:00

OK, right away, my husband is cracking up. He would tell you my shopping philosophy is "why pay less?" And yet even I, a self-confessed extravagant wretch, realize that there are areas where I tend to spend, and areas where I tend to save. And they're not the ones you hear about in every magazine, so I thought I'd share.

Clothes

Here I put my money into the stuff I wear the most. Or stuff I'm obsessed with. Whatever qualifies as a basic deserves a large percentage of your clothes money. (Even if your idea of "basic" is Lilly Pulitzer skirts.) I spend on: coats, shoes, wool separates, cashmere, sweaters, gloves, scarves, bras, and hose (remember when pantyhose were out, out, out? Thank heavens they're coming back. I was really tired of seeing pasty white legs with road map veins all over them. Even if they did get me where I wanted to go.)

I save on: cotton t-shirts, anything made out of polyester, bags, anything ridiculously trendy, (remember satin cargo pants? Was there ever a question that buying them at Neiman Marcus might not be such a good idea, when they were also being sold at Target?) costume jewelry, evening bags, evening dresses, underpants, and socks.

Makeup

Spend on anything that gives you a glamorous thrill and anything that uses innovative packaging or application techniques (like YSL Touche Eclat, Guerlain's Les Meteorites, or Nars Multiples.)

Save on: lipstick (Revlon and Rimmel are my favorites) lip and eye pencils (I like Prestige) eye shadow (Jane shadows are dirt cheap and great) nail polish (I like Sally Hansen) and mascara--all of which you can get at the drugstore. Except stay away from Maybelline Great Lash. Sure, I have a picture of it here, but that's to see if you're paying attention. It's the only drugstore mascara I've ever truly hated. Totally smudged and gave me Tammy Faye spider lashes. Run away! But other L'Oreal/Maybelline/Max Factor mascaras have been fine.

Hair stuff

If you have normal, virgin, healthy, problem-free hair, you can probably get away with Suave shampoo and conditioner. (But if that's you, what are you doing reading this blog? Shouldn't you be letting down your hair so what's-his-name can climb that golden stair? And by the way? I hate you.)

But if you're normal, just spend money on your hair. Especially the machinery. I guarantee that if you plunk down the extra money for the Babyliss ionic hair dryer or the Mason Pearson brush, you will fall in love. Once Badger had turned me on to ionic dryers, I never looked back. My dryer and a cheap--but absolutely perfect--styling brush are two tools I can't live without.

Still, barring unusual problems, you can save on: de-frizzing serum, styling gel, hairspray, combs, and blow-dry brushes--the drugstore or a beauty supply store will have lots of cheap brushes, and it might take you three or four tries to find the brush that works perfectly, so go low-end here.

Skin care

Spend on: incredible serums, the exfoliator that polishes your skin to perfection without irritating it, eye cream that moisturizes without producing milia, sunscreen that doesn't break you out. Basically any Holy Grail product is worth the money.

Save on: eye makeup remover (I use some random blue stuff) cold cream (I like Pond's), cleanser (I'm using a Neutrogena product with salicylic acid and scrubby beads, and it's great) toner, masks (Queen Helene Masques are amazing and dirt cheap) sunscreen for your body, body lotion, hand cream, and lip balm.

As for anti-aging products, I've used high-end (Creme de la Mer and Cle de Peau) and low-end (Oil of Olay, Dove, Ponds) and guess what? No matter what I buy, I find that as the years pass, I continue to look older.

Fashionable Chaos Theory

2006-01-09T19:58:00.000-08:00

If you aren't reading Penny Press's fabulous and totally "in" blog, Fashionable Chaos, you are really missing out. I learn so much there.

Today I learned that it's time to take up arms against lurkers. Check out what she recently posted:

Before I get to the pictures, in case you haven't heard, Sheryl has proclaimed it--ta da!--National Delurking Week. Now I don't get all bent out of shape over lurkers because I am a huge one. So I wasn't going to say anything, until I saw this:

So, you heard it here first. (Or maybe 547th--who the hell knows how many people are reading Penny's fine, fine blog?)

But just so you know, comments are encouraged.
Around here, that is.
Look! a Haiku.

Target is now the Love Boat of department stores

2006-01-08T10:10:00.000-08:00

What's with the parade of has-beens?

First there was Mossimo. But I'd never heard of him because I was never a cool California kid.

Then there was Isaac Mizrahi, who even after Unzipped and The Adventures of Sandee the Supermodel couldn't manage to sell enough clothes at places like Neiman Marcus, and had to reinvent himself as a low-priced designer.

Oh, and I almost forgot--Stephen Sprouse.

And now it's Fiorucci.

What's next--Perry Ellis? Willi Smith? Halston? I mean, do you have to be a living designer, or can the name of a deceased fashion crash-and-burner be licensed?

There's nothing wrong with coming out with a lower-priced line. If it weren't for jeans, accessories, fragrances and bridge lines, I wouldn't have any designer crappe in my closet.

But I think my life is starting to pass before my eyes. And it's riding in a big red plastic cart.

There's gold in them thar malls.

2006-01-08T08:45:00.000-08:00

I might be the only person who is thoroughly sick of white gold this and platinum that. A couple of years ago it reached the point where the default metal color for everything--handbag hardware, shoe buckles, jewelry, and watches--was white gold. I've managed to accumulate a lot of yellow gold jewelry, and I was irritated that all of a sudden, I had to either mix metals (ew) or start from scratch with white gold.

The good news is that yellow gold appears to be roaring back into style.

Although Neiman Marcus is still only showing a sprinkling of yellow gold pieces, check out the jewelry on saks.com--it is definitely listing yellow gold-wards.

This makes all kinds of sense, as there are women out there in their 30s who have never, in their entire lives, worn a piece of yellow gold jewelry.

Of course, this also means that in five years time, I should be as sick of yellow gold as I am of white gold. After all, it happened before. Remember in the 70s and 80s it was all about yellow gold, even if you weren't Mr. T? Well, yellow gold neck chains are back, as seen in the Saks website and as pictured in this month's ~~Sucky~~ Lucky magazine. Big ones a la the "big bold gold" thing the magazines were forcing down our craws last year (or was it the year before?) but also the little dinky ones people wore in the 1970s to Studio 54. Oh my gosh ... disco wear ... I'm getting all nostalgic now. Danskin body suits and side wrap skirts ... Diane Von Furstenburg wrap dresses ... all accessorized with skinny gold chains and maybe, if you were rich, Elsa Peretti-style diamonds-by-the-yard.

I guess with the resurgence of the DVF brand, disco jewelry had to come back into style. This should bother me, I suppose. But for the moment, I'm happy.

It's official.

2006-01-07T22:51:00.000-08:00

Gold hardware is finally back in style.

After all, nobody would argue with Marc Jacobs.

And I say, about time. I've had it with the ubiquity of white gold jewelry and silver-colored hardware on bags, shoes, and belts.

Ideally we'd have both silvery and gold hardware, of course. But I'm guessing the pendulum will swing completely over to gold now that Marc Jacobs is producing it.

Isn't this a gorgeous bag? Usually I don't like Marc Jacobs bags very much. Let me rephrase that. Usually I think they're fugly. But this is a far more dressed up looking bag, what with the quilting and the gold hardware. This is not a bag that says "Anorexic starlet schlepping her personal stylist to a shoot for the cover of Lucky magazine." No, this is a real purse. Dare I say it? A pocketbook. Meant to be carried by real grown-up ladies who won't carry it while dressed in an outfit suitable for dumpster-diving.

It really is a beauty, isn't it. Well worth taking the $1,200 plunge and ditching all that silvery metal and starting over with yellow gold, isn't it?

--P.

My after-Christmas sale catalog binge

2006-01-07T15:17:00.000-08:00

I've only made it through three catalogs, and I couldn't be feeling more smug.

From Delia*s (I know. I'm too old for this stuff. I was looking for stuff for my daughter. OK?) I scored three silly "ooh, I'm such a rocker" t-shirts. Also two excellent lamps, both mid-century modern and feminine, for her room. $29.99 marked down to $9.99. And, uh ... two pairs of sneakers for me. Puma Speedcats in purple with orange trim, and Reebok Motor Laces, black with cream colored trim.

Wow, Reeboks make your feet look huge. I never noticed that before.

At Hanna Andersson things didn't go as smoothly. Hanna makes great, colorful, durable outerwear for fashion-conscious little girls, but while their website is very slick and easy to navigate, their emailing sucks. I placed an order and waited for the confirmation email to show up. And waited. And finally re-placed the order. And still didn't get an email confirmation.

Two days later, just as I was thinking "Gee, I'd better head over to Hanna Andersson and see what's up," I came home to two big-ass boxes from Hanna. With both orders. So now I have to return stuff.

And last but not least, Garnet Hill. I loves me some Garnet Hill. Not only do they make excellent sheets and pillows and such, they have super cute clothes, shoes, and OMG the accessories.

So today I ordered some shoes for my daughter, because her "new school" shoes from September are now a size too small. And some pajamas for me, because I'm getting tired of the big-oversized-Red Sox t-shirt look. Well, for one thing, you can't bend over in one, not with the other gender in the room, anyway. So two pairs of jammies, a bathrobe, and oh, dear, I discovered that these awesome gloves were on sale.

I'm a glove ho. You know, anyone can be a shoe ho, but frankly, I think that's been done to death. No, for me it's coats, bags, and gloves. When I spot something totally cute and/or retro, I'm helpless. So I saw these super gorgeous four button numbers (i.e., they go up well over the wrist and keep you warm--no drafts!) and saw that they were marked down from an extravagant $118 to $68 ... Well, I had to have them.

--P.

Stuff this.

2006-01-05T10:11:00.000-08:00

I'm just about finished putting away all the new Christmas crappe, which means I need to start thinking about buying all the stuff I wanted to get but didn't.

I've decided this kind of discussion really doesn't belong on my regular blog. Not even on a "Choosey Tuesday" regular kind of weekly post. You know, like Show and Tell Friday, Half Naked Tuesday, or Get to Know Me! Thursday. Although I debated that idea for a while. But I decided my blog is already too damned random and all over the place.

So what the hell--why not start another blog? Four blogs can't be considered excessive, not when I have five squillion pairs of shoes, four squillion handbags, two train cases stuffed with makeup, 80 some bottles of fragrance--not to mention the partridge in a pear tree some asshole regifted me with. Right?