What’s in a Name (When it Comes to Designer Shopping)?
Posted by Katie Gutierrez Painter Categories: Editorials, Fashion
In the last, oh, say five years, I’ve gone from swearing American Eagle was the only brand I’d ever love to seeking out designer clothing and accessories for their quality, workmanship, and lasting value. (Oh, and because they’re preeeeetty.) But one thing that hasn’t changed is that I still will not buy goods that have the designer’s name splashed all over them. Monogram purses, for example? So not my thing. Even if I admire the shape and quality of some Louis Vuitton bags (like the Speedy, above), I won’t buy them if they’re covered in the signature LV. And why would I want a belt stamped all over with the Coach logo and featuring a buckle spelling, what else, Coach? To me, these are gratuitous status symbols, and that’s not why I shop designer.
Granted, I know there’s a threshold—a line dividing classic from tacky. But that line is much thinner to me than it is to, I think, a lot of people. And don’t get me wrong: My little pet peeve can get pretty annoying. Because plenty of designers I really like, such as Marc Jacobs, sneak their name onto the most innocuous places, like the buttons on a blouse. Buttons! Or this otherwise perfect daytime Miss Sixty purse that I would totally buy if it didn’t have MISS SIXTY right in front. See it? Sure, it’s small, discreet, and perfectly tasteful, but it’s there. For things like this, I know my distaste is silly, but I can’t help it.
Am I alone in my abhorrence of designer name-flaunting? I’d actually love to hear from people who disagree with me—please share why!
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Daily Deal: Vintage Miriam Haskell Pearl and Boxchain Necklace
Posted by Katie Gutierrez Painter Categories: Fashion
Today’s deals come in the form of interesting multi-strand pearl necklaces, which I’ve been obsessed with lately. They’re a modern, young way to rock this classic gemstone—a far cry from Sandra D.! I’d wear them with a casual, soft, slightly loose white t-shirt, gray skinny jeans, and—of course—a great heel; I’m thinking black patent platform peep-toes. Add a metallic clutch and a little liquid liner, and you’re good to go! Enjoy!
Designer Deal
I’m loving this vintage Miriam Haskell baroque pearl, boxchain, and rhinestone necklace—a gorgeous piece that evokes the feeling of pulling a forgotten treasure from your stylish grandmother’s jewelry box. Haskell is known for stunning, hand-crafted jewelry, and is also the powerhouse behind department store jewelry lines O Oscar (by Oscar de la Renta) and Kenneth Cole. Similar designs are priced on her site for $700, but you can find this necklace at rubylane.com for $325.
Look-alike Steals:
We have two look-alike steals today! The first is this Betsey Johnson long, five-strand necklace with faux pearls, gold tone, and crystal accents. We all know Betsey Johnson for her bright, offbeat, always feminine and joyful clothing line that isn’t entirely wearable for a lot of women. This necklace, however, is very wearable—and adorable. Even better, it’s 20% off on Zappos for a total of $103.
Now, check out this Kenneth Jay Lane piece for
QVC. A couple of obvious differences: We’re working with a gunmetal finish here and a bit of a shorter length—the nine strands fall around 20”. I love Kenneth Jay Lane for his affordable but still high-end, feminine, and unique designs. This is no exception. Retailed at $95, the necklace is on sale at QVC for $69.50.
Happy shopping!
Daily Deal: Adorable Bottega Veneta Handbag and its Less Pricey Cousin
Posted by Katie Gutierrez Painter Categories: Fashion
This post launches the start of what I’ll call our Daily Deal. Inspired by my own feverish bargain-hunting for high-quality goods, I thought, Why not share the wealth? Or, rather, the savings. Which can lead to wealth. Or keep you wealthy. Whatever. Slightly convoluted, I’ll admit, but nonetheless well-intentioned. So come back often to check out a designer deal and its a look-alike steal. And share your own bargain-shopping spoils!
Designer Deal
With woven leather in a gorgeous sky blue, this Bottega Veneta handbag measures approximately 5"W by 3"H. In other words, it’s the perfect night-out size, but its color also makes it appropriate for day—think summery dresses and fabulous neutral heels, the perfect brunch date outfit (I want it soooo badly!). The bag also features brass chains measuring 38” long but which can be shortened to 22”; a flap closure; fully lined zippered back compartment; and two interior compartments. The designer name is stamped on in the inside. Despite its summery texture, I’d use this bag through fall and winter as a fresh contrast to richer (colored) clothing. Retailed at $602, this bag that I’m quite obviously lusting after is being sold on efashionhouse.com for $299. However, add the code OFF20 at checkout for 20% off the sale price. Then add the code OFF10 for an additional 10% off. You’re left with $215.28, and FedEx ground shipping is free. Oh, and the bag also comes in tan and red—take your pick.
Look-alike Steal
With vintage appeal, the deeper color on this vintage Walborg woven purse will make it more versatile than the Bottega Veneta clutch (for some) come winter. Its dimensions are about 8"W by 5.5"H, and it also features a brass chain shoulder strap. The one-compartment interior is lined in black vinyl, and the bag also has a small gold-lined open slip pocket. But the kicker? It’s being sold for only $35 at retrodesignerdeals.com. In lieu of the real thing, seems like a no-brainer to me!
I’d love to hear your thoughts on today’s deals—and take requests for future ones. I have to admit, all modesty aside: I’m a wizard at bargain-shopping. Enjoy!
The New “Vernacular”
Posted by Melissa Trebus Categories: Humor, Parenting
I try to pride myself in being a cool “hip” mom (wait, do they say “hip” anymore), however I am having a little bit of trouble with the new technology-age vernacular. I guess my background of being an English teacher runs deeper than I thought, because the new verbs are causing me a lot of trouble. Example number one - texting. Every time I hear a group of kids talk about “texting” my grammatically correct nose twitches. A text is a noun or an adjective. They should say, “I sent you a text message.” And what about “friending” on MySpace and Facebook? Really? To an unknowledgeable observer the comment, “She friended me,” sounds absolutely ridiculous!!! How about - She sent me a friend request? Oy! The ultimate in weird is “tweeting.” I don’t use Twitter, but the thought of telling someone that I just tweeted makes me laugh out loud - seriously!!! I suppose the gauntlet has now been thrown. Will I resist these crazy verbs or will I cave and join the crowd. Stay tuned!
Best Sale Sites on the Web
Posted by Katie Gutierrez Painter Categories: Advice, Fashion, How To
I have to say: If there’s one upside to this economy, it’s that department stores, boutiques, online shopping sites, and designers alike are so desperate to clothe us (a.k.a. sell stuff) that prices on everything from sunglasses to wedding gowns are slashed. Which is great for girls like me, who are, well, still desperate to be clothed by them! The bottom line is that, if you know where to look, you’ll never buy a full-priced handbag, pair of It jeans, or must-have dress again.
Shop it to Me
Shop it to Me markets itself as your own personal shopper, and it’s a pretty accurate tagline. Sign up on the website; tell it what types of sales you’d like to hear about (i.e. women’s clothing, bags, and shoes and girls’ clothing); input your various sizes; select your favorite brands/designers from dozens of options, including Marc by Marc Jacobs, BCBG, Theory, DKNY, Nanette Lepore, See by Chloe, and many more; let the site know how often you’d like to receive Sale Mail (I choose twice a week) and, of course, the minimum percent off you’d like to hear about. Voila! Every Tuesday and Friday at 9 a.m. I have a lengthy list of sales from Nordstrom, Shopbop.com, Zappos, Macy’s, and more. Plus, for every 10 friends you recommend who sign on to the site, you get a $10 gift card.
Gilt Groupe
Gilt Groupe is a dream find for designer-hounds. The equivalent of exclusive New York sample sales, the site offers access to women’s, men’s, and children’s luxury designer merchandise reduced by up to 70%. Home decor items are available as well. The way it works: Everyday, you’ll receive an email letting you know of that day’s sale, which will last only 36 hours and usually feature less than a dozen items hand-picked by the designer. It’s not unusual for items to sell out very early, but you can always put yourself on the waiting list. Today, I had my eye on a vivid tangerine silk ruffle dress by Miguelina, reduced from $495 to $198. Unfortunately, my size was already sold out—lesson learned!
Eluxury
Check out the sales section of Eluxury.com for reduced-priced goods from such coveted designers as Versace, Dolce and Gabbana, L.A.M.B., and Marc by Marc Jacobs. If you’ve got a spare $1,300 stashed in a sock drawer somewhere (ha..ha), do me a favor and splurge on this mink-fur stamped suede Fendi bag reduced from $2,450. 
For the rest of us, how about this edgy snake bracelet from Roberto Cavalli, down to $139 from $350? 
Edressme
Full disclosure: I own more than 50 dresses. Knowing it’s obscene won’t stop me from buying more, and when the compulsion hits, I turn to edressme.com. It is the site exclusively devoted to dresses, and you’ll find a ton of bargains on their “under $99” page. How about this adorable black and white tank and ruffle combination by edressme.com for only $61.20? 
Retail Me Not
Retail Me Not offers online coupons for more than 20,000 stores. So before the adrenaline rush makes you hit “Pay,” make sure you’re not missing out on a coupon for free shipping, an additional 20% off, or buy-one-get-one-half-off. I’ve saved up to an additional 30% on purchases through this baby!
And Don’t Neglect to Shop Local
Many local boutiques ask for your e-mail address when you check out. If you love the boutique, give it to ‘em. You’ll be the first to know about sales and events. Just this week, for example, I received an e-mail from one of my favorite local boutiques advertising its spring sale with 20% off new merchandise… and champagne during shopping! Sometimes, boutiques along the same street will put together a joint sales event or host trunk shows by some of their designers. Half the time, these events also offer nibbles by local restaurants and complimentary wine or champagne. If you’re worried that your reserve will fail if you get a little tipsy, just BYO non-influencing beverage.
Happy sale-ing! Let me know what you find. 
What’s Your Locker-Room Body Image?
Posted by Katie Gutierrez Painter Categories: Advice, Celebrities, Editorials, Entertainment, Health
Shortly before I got married last May, my amazing mom—who knew I’d been wanting to get back in shape—gifted me 20 half-hour sessions with a personal trainer. Fast forward five months. I received a call from 24 Hour Fitness; it seemed they checked their records and I still had 18 of my 20 sessions remaining. (Oops.) Did I want to come in and use them? Damn, I thought. But my summer of blissful post-wedding eating had taken a toll—ten pounds, to be exact—on my figure. I’ve always been pretty small, so that increase made a major difference in the way my clothes fit and the way I thought about my own body. So I said grudgingly, “Okay. I’ll go in tomorrow.”
Since then, several things have happened, all amazing in their own right. (1) I weigh the exact same as I did in September… but my body fat has dropped by 6%. I’ve gone from the “Acceptable” to the “Lean” range! (2) I’ve committed to participating in a triathlon in May… How did that happen? (3) I renewed my training sessions—twice—and am now in another class three days a week to prepare for the triathlon. All in all, I’m working out seven days per week—crazy! (4) I can do awesome man-pushups, and I feel strong and powerful. (5) My skin is clearer… a happy surprise, to be sure!
Of course, to be fair, half my pants still don’t fit, and I’ve been sore every day for, oh, five months.
Click to continue reading What’s Your Locker-Room Body Image?
Why Guys Can’t Ignore Valentine’s Day
Posted by Vicky Lane Categories: Advice, Editorials, Humor, Marriage, Relationships, Sex
No matter how silly and ultimately meaningless this “hallmark holiday” is, every girl hopes that someone will acknowledge her on Valentine’s Day. When I was a single girl, I dreaded Valentine’s Day (and most holidays for that matter). But like most single girls, I still hoped and prayed that some secret admirer would send me flowers, candy, or some cute stuffed bear wearing a red tee shirt with some cheesy phrase like “be mine” on it . Hey, I’d even settle for a card. I just wanted something that day. Just to feel loved, appreciated, alive. And sometimes I would get something. There are some sensitive gems out there that are willing to play along. I had a male boss who always brought a single pink rose to every woman in the office as a gesture of appreciation. And of course there’s Dad. Even a Garfield or Snoopy card from Dad could cheer me up on a day that depressed the hell out of me.
I think the majority of men think Valentine’s Day is just plain stupid. But the bottom line is no matter how cool the girl plays it, she is most likely desperate for some offering on this day. She’s actually waiting and waiting for that moment to happen. When the delivery man comes to her desk at work with a huge monstrosity of roses, instead of passing her by and delivering to her neighbor, she is completely elated. Having flowers delivered may seem overboard for some guys but if she works in an office environment with a ton of women, you best be sending flowers. And mind you they don’t have to be roses. If you ask a woman what her favorite flower is chances are it’s not a rose. Whatever the flower arrangement is though, the worst thing that can happen is being surrounded by bouquets that aren’t for you. Even if you have a night out planned, send the flowers! You’ll have a much better evening if you do. (In order to make this even easier for you, here’s a ProFlowers coupon for 20% off any order + free vase - or you can enter to win one of five $70 ProFlowers gift certificates we are giving away, just in time for Valentine’s Day.)
Click to continue reading Why Guys Can’t Ignore Valentine’s Day
How to Create Your Signature Style (Hint: You’re Already Halfway There)
Posted by Katie Gutierrez Painter Categories: Advice, Editorials, Entertainment, Fashion, How To
Go ahead; ask. I’ve heard the question so many times, by friends, relatives, and relative strangers—all with the same look of bewildered desperation: “But how do I find a style of my own?” Paradoxically, the conundrum makes sense. No two women have the same body, taste, or lifestyle, and with Do’s, Don’ts, Classics, Freshes, and Tragics morphing into each other every season, who’s to say what’s right? You. You’re to say what’s right. Here’s how use your home, office—even your favorite TV show—to tap into your signature style… and keep it until you say it’s time for a change.
Revisit your old Crayola box
I drive a red car, wear red-framed sunglasses, obsess over my red BlackBerry, heat water in a red tea kettle, and relax in a red-walled bedroom when I visit my parents. The funny thing is, when I was asked a couple of years ago what my favorite color was, I had to mull the question over! My gravitation toward red, in all its delicious hues, is instant and unconscious. But I know why I love it: It’s vibrant, powerful, alive, playful, and sexy. All things I’d like to epitomize. If you don’t have a 72-box of crayons lying around, visit your nearest home improvement store and check out the paint aisle. There, let yourself pull out the first three samples that move or inspire you. Hang onto them. See if these aren’t colors you’re drawn to in other areas of your life—like the flowers you bring home from the grocery store or the font color of your e-mails or the jewelry box on your bathroom counter. (Mine’s red.) Voila! You have a signature color—and it’s okay if it’s beige, as long as you love it.
Click to continue reading How to Create Your Signature Style (Hint: You’re Already Halfway There)
For Better or For Worse: Life After the Wedding
Posted by Vicky Lane Categories: Advice, How To, Marriage, Relationships, Sex
Some people have been asking me why I’m blogging so much about dating and ex-boyfriends now that I’m a married woman. Well, if you look at my life in segments, my dating life far exceeds my married life. I figure my first date happened at the age of 15 and I was married at 30. 15 years of dating versus just over one year of being married. I can no way claim to have knowledge about how to make a marriage work. But I can discuss what I’ve experienced so far, and steps I’ve taken to make my marriage successful.
So the wedding is over. It’s funny how the question that everyone asked went from “how’s the wedding planning?” to “how’s married life treating you?” or “so when are you having a baby?”. I find the one about married life the most interesting. I hear it the most from married people and am now starting to feel like maybe it’s a trick question. If I look closely, I can see them looking at me with a raised eyebrow and maybe thinking to themselves “ha ha sucker, so how is married life really”? It seemed innocent at first and I always answered “Great!” But I realized that they knew something that I didn’t, and were waiting for me to discover that being married is no walk in the park.
Click to continue reading For Better or For Worse: Life After the Wedding
15 Little Ways to Live Happier and Healther—Starting NOW!
Posted by Katie Gutierrez Painter Categories: Advice, Entertainment, Fashion, Health, How To, Humor, Relationships
It’s the tenth day of the new year, and how many of us have already strayed from our resolutions? That may be because those goals we make each December 31 often revolve around breaking bad habits or spontaneously forming new, better ones. Who among us hasn’t vowed, at least once, to eat healthier, to work out three times a week, to drink less, to read more, to be spontaneous, and so on? While these resolutions may be noble, they’re also decidedly vague. (After all, doesn’t eating only one bowl of ice cream after dinner count as “eating healthier”?) So why not give yourself a chance to actually achieve your goals by making them smaller and more realistic? Below, 15 little ways to live healthier and happier—starting now.
Click to continue reading 15 Little Ways to Live Happier and Healther—Starting NOW!
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