WhatTF?

I was thrilled earlier this year when I heard Tom Ford was releasing a private blend lipstick collection! But when I heard it was a limited release sold only at Bergdorf Goodman I was like WhatTF? (Ha, ha, a spin on Tom Ford). I frantically flipped thru my calendar to look for my next upcoming trip to NYC but realized Neiman Marcus now owns Bergdorf . Well it turns out they only carry a few colors and not the whole collection :-(

So a few months ago when I found a 30 min. break during a biz trip in the Big Apple, I hopped in a cab to head to the basement floor of Bergdorf, where all things makeup are so elegantly presented. Victory was had and I tried on 5 different colors, ended up loving "Pink Dusk" and "Blush Nude". Swooping up a total of 4 (some to use as gifts), I made it back to my conference in time. Talk about a shopping spree!! Now my "Pink Dusk" is an everyday fave and I can't express how smooth and luscious this lipstick feels. Not to mention the beautiful white/gold container it comes in. Coming to the West Coast sometime in Nov., these collections can finally be had in select Nordstrom stores too. Which color will you choose?

Standing Up

'Tis the season to start worrying about how to keep your boots "up" this winter as must-have 2010 selections line the retail shoe floor. You know you're bound to get that pair you've had your eyes on cuz it's what a girl's gotta do :-)

I found this clever boot stand online and I must have it! Available only in Asia so I'll have to get this on my future trip.

Halloween is around the corner!

I'm bummed I didn't grab this outfit earlier; it's 11 days till the 10/31 Spooktacular festivites and this outfit is sold out :-( So what's the plan now? Betty Draper of MadMen (ugh, don't have the figure) or focus on an awesome doggie outfit for my pup instead? Or maybe go as the Whitehouse party crasher D.C. Housewife? Check out Yandy.com for some crazy outfits.

The Ultimate Cooking Class!

New York is the focal point of all things "foodie"; at least that's how I feel after enjoying over 3 years of lavish wining and dining in the Big Apple when I lived there. And oooo, how I miss those days where the moment I found a hot new restaurant, I'd be dialing on my phone a month ahead to try to get dinner reservations at these highly coveted locales. How many times was I disappointed to hear the busy tone forever and ever? From Bouley to Per Se, to WD-50, persistence paid off and I was eventually able to get a table, although it was sometimes just at the bar or for lunch. And I've gotta say, every meal was worth the effort!

So what's a foodie's passion these days? I do own a load of cookbooks from various chef's that I've followed but it's sometimes hard to translate the recipes in print and you wish the chef could show you a demo. Well I just came across a fantastic event in October that will allow you to have a hands-on cooking experience with the "Who's Who" of the NY restaurant scene. No kidding, the chef's list has names like Jean-George, Bouley, Morimoto, Portale, etc. It's called the New York Culinary Experience and surely an experience indeed! A 2 day course will get you in the kitchen with fellow amateur chefs and you get to cook with the chef of your choice (total of 4 chefs as classes run in AM and PM with a panel session for lunch.) It does come with a hefty ticket price of $1395 plus tax, but that's probably a total of what I would pay for 4-5 pricey dinners at the restaurants these chefs operate so maybe it's worth it if you get to mingle and have direct access to their techniques. If I can think of a good occasion to "gift" myself, I think this is one item I'd like to sign up for. Check our their website for the 2009 details and to reserve a spot for 2010 if you're the "affluent" kind :-) http://nymag.com/nyce/about.html

Show It Off!

Are your family photos and kiddie artwork piled in a box somewhere? Well it's time to get them out and flaunt them on your walls! I recently came across Streck (http://kidsartdisplay.com/cart/index.php), a beautiful and unique bulletin board-style frame that you can order in 50 different fabrics. The ribbons that stretch will easily re-position along the board and hold your photos or artwork in place. It's soooo easy to use and you can even get personalized name or message cards made to match the frame. I had one created for my friend to match her blog and she just loved it! Sophistication at it's best.

Zazzle Dazzle

I remember the days my mom would take me to local merchants in the area to get our towels embroidered with initials, or have customized mug cups printed with our kiddie pics for granny to have. Well, fast forward 20 years and the online world is full of merchandise customization and I have friends printing their own stamps and ordering customized dolls that look like their kids (a bit scary!).

On a personal note, I recently decided to print some contact cards and used Zazzle.com. I chose them for the variety of reasons: design, cost and speed. I ordered on Sunday evening and had my cards in hand by Tuesday afternoon! But what really caught my eye were the custom shoes you can order http://www.zazzle.com/shoes. How fun would it be if I could get my nephews to wear the shoe of their dreams! They have slip-ons and sneaker-type shoes that allows you to print anything you like. Looks like I'm going to get two huge smiles on their birthdays this year!!

Just Stand Up!

What do I like about http://www.pandora.com (internet radio)? Aside from the fact that you can listen to a variety of music on multiple devices for free, I love their recommendation engine. You can create channels of artists that you like and Pandora will automatically deliver music that's close in style and taste to the artist that you're listening to like "Just Stand Up!", a collaboration by Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Sheryl Crow, and Fergie that just played on my station.

I had the opportunity to spend some time with their founder last year and his passion to shed light on unknown artists and give them a chance to shine is really at the core of their business model. There are literally more than 50 people in the room listening to CDs and analyzing the beat, tempo, tone, etc., slicing and dicing the music to make sure that they have a great recommendation engine. To combat the hefty unfair music licensing fees charged to them by music labels (it's ridiculously higher than regular radio station fees), they've successfully incorporated rich media ads that attract lots of brands that's helping bring great revenue. Great news as I sure don't want to see Pandora disappear! In addition to being able to purchase the music on Amazon, etc., you can also "gift" stations; just customize your fave artists or songs and package it up and send it by email for your friend. Such a clever way to acquire users.

If you aren't a Pandora user, what are you waiting for? Access and start jamming today!

Winter Luxury: The Ritz Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe

Happy 2010! How did you ring in your New Years? I was fortunate to have an opportunity to join my wonderful friends for a quick trip to Lake Tahoe and had lots of fun in winter wonderland. On our way in, we drove by a new Ritz Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe that just opened a few weeks ago. While our destination was a beautiful lakeside home a few miles ahead, who can resist checking out the Ritz?
This majestic Ritz is a gorgeous property that makes you feel like you've suddenly jetted to a European ski chalet. We checked everything out from the restaurants that were decked with New Years eve celebration ballons, to the ski shop and the spa. Everything is very pristine, with a warm and modern decor, truly fitting for the grandiose Ritz. The hotel is situated mid-mountain on the Northstar-at-Tahoe ski area, and features a ski-in, ski-out access with a great gondola that connects the property to the village area. If you can afford winter luxury in this economy, this is the way to go! It's only about 3 hours+ from San Francisco if you don't hit bad weather.