Happy Etsy Mail Today

Happy Etsy Mail Today, originally uploaded by KT Flicker.

Etsy shippers can be so fast. Here's what I got today: black tags, which are 3 dimensional, are from Jenny O Designs, and I hope she adds more, because they are SO cute, and I am so jealous in the best way, that she makes them.

In the red bow(note cute packaging!), is the Reindeer Guest Soap from SoapyLove, and as promised, it smells like candy!

On the far right, is actually pressed vegitables from Paris...one of the gifts I bought myself...

Stocking Stuffers! For Girls.

Here we go - the beginning of a stocking stuffer list for Christmas. Or really, for any day. Because we should have stockings every day, I think. Shoot. I might have to buy all of what I post! Resist. Resist. But you - you should buy.

SoapyLove - reindeer soap - $6.00
I have bought SoapyLove soap, and it is awesome. So pretty. It's amazing how pretty it is. And affordable


Jack and Jane Boutique
elephant magnets - $5.50



MyRockArt
square glass coffee mug magnets - $7.99


Katie James
cotton and french terrycloth burp cloths - $36/set (who is this lovely designer? oh, it's me ;)


Danskin
quality, cashmere, legwarmer - $125 (ok, that's a pricey stocking stuffer, but check out their other striped sweat pant legwarmer)


...more to come as I collect it...or send me some tips! Make a comment and I'll check it out.

Gross-esed Butterball Turkey Story Ever.

Warning: this Butterball turkey story is gross. I only tell it becuase I am a blogger, and no one else has written about it yet, not even Butterball. Apparently we need to spread good food awareness. Basically, no one should eat anything from Butterball.

So I was talking to Space Style about our Thanksgivings, and she told me about her friend's Butterball turkey. The turkey finished cooking, and her dad took it out and cut into it. When he cut into it, it fell in half. And deflated. It did not have any turkey breasts. They had people over, so served the turkey.

The next day, the dad called Butterball to complain. Butterball asked if there were any bugs in the turkey. The dad said no. Butterball asked if everyone had eaten the turkey. They had. Butterball said that they knew of a problem with (sigh) maggots. They asked the dad if he could bring over the turkey so that they could autopsy it. Autopsy it.

So. No more Butterball for anyone. Anyone.

Our turkey came from Bob's Turkey Farm in Boston, and it was blessed and killed hours before we picked it up. It had a good life. The farm may have a virtual tour or something so that you can see the environment.

Alek Wek for MAC Cosmetics STYLISTICS line

The cultivated new cool of 21st century hepcats. When it comes to style, design and hip, they're in the know...Culture's rarest and richest pearls. Smooth. Diamond-sharp. Supercool. There's glamour in the je ne sais quoi. Limited edition.

Hell gorgeous. I'm going to have to check out this holiday collection next time I go downtown. As flawless as she looks in this photo, I kind of wish it wasn't in black and white so that I could see the colors they used on her face. In addition to the usual shadows, brushes, lipcolor and powders, the collection also includes a perfume in a beautifully designed glass vial. Prices range from $20 (lipglass) to $75 (beaded clutch.) Ca-ching!

Purple Patterned Tool Box for Girls

It's at Brocade.com, and is quite girly. Of all the frilly girly tools I've seen, this screw driver at least looks like it would work for something. The hammer still looks too delicate.

KLS vs Macy's

NEW YORK, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Macy's is suing Big Phat founder Kimora Lee Simmons for allegedly overcharging the department store for her line of beauty products.

Simmons declined to comment on accusations she spiked the price of her products and then refused to reimburse Macy's for the extra cost, the New York Post reported Sunday.

Simmons signed an agreement in September 2006 to provide Macy's with her beauty line, said the lawsuit filed last week in Manhattan Supreme Court.

Clearly Kimora was acting under the principals of Laws #1 and #8 from the "Work & Power" section of her lifestyle book Fabulosity:

Law #4: "Throw Away the Manual (or in this case the contract) and Find Your Own Way into Business"

Law #8: "Don't Let Other People Cash in on Your Game"

Bored wealthy housewives, unskilled children of famous people and mediocre pop stars create overpriced product lines all the time, why shouldn't Kimora get in on that action? After all times are tough right now and the tens of millions she probably got in her divorce settlement is not going to last forever people! I mean Macy's carries Coach bags and if that isn't some overpriced ish right there then I don't know what is. If Kimora wants Baby Phat to be an aspiration line then why shouldn't she aspire for more profits?

Now that The Man wants his money back Kimora should probably focus on this selection (taken from Law #6 section) to get out of this mess:

Law #6: "Activate your incredible female power to deal with adversity"

And if that doesn't work, maybe she could throw a couple dozen cases of Golden Goddess their way and call it even.

Blast from the Past: Beverly Johnson, Louise Vyent & Iman (1989) for Revlon

Source: Soulstyle/Omifan

What About Bob?

I swore off the hair relaxers when I graduated from college almost 15 years ago and never looked back but I am seriously loving the bob cut. Although I can't really see myself diving head first back into a vat o' creamy crack but I might have to invest in a good wig so I can rock this look when the mood hits me.

2007 Make Fetch Happen "Best Dressed" List

I love year end roundups of just about everything so I thought I make one here to celebrate the Best Dressed Women of 2007. The highly scientific method I used for tabulating the list is proprietary but I must say the competition was tough this year with so many beautiful ladies working it on the red carpet. Pics and categories to follow:

Best Dressed List

Overall - Thandie Newton - The British lovely rarely missteps on the red carpet
Designer - Rachel Roy - Her clothing line might still be in the red but Roy always looks flawless
CEO - Mellody Hobson of Ariel Capital Management
Glamazon - Kimora Lee Simmons- No other woman does over-the-top fabulosity like KLS
On the Campaign Trail - Michelle Obama - Smart and stylish
Best Dress While Doing Community Service - Naomi Campbell - Love her
Best Dressed Pregnant Woman - Halle Berry - It's like she doesn't know what sweatpants are
Best Dress Post-Baby - Katie Holmes - She may be married to a lunatic but her look is always classic
Best Dressed Celebrity Wife - Keisha Whitaker- Brings new meaning to the term "Better Half"
Best Dressed TV Actress - Rashida Jones - Glamorous girl next door
IT Girl - (tie) Kerry Washington and Paula Patton
Singer - Kelis - Might just be the coolest woman in the world
Biggest Improvement - Serena Williams - All of our prayers answered at last
Socialite - Genevieve Jones - Knows how to make an entrance
Brick House - Jill Scott - Always dresses to flatter her great figure
Casual Chic - Joy Bryant - Proves that one doesn't always need to be glam to make an impact
20something - Jurnee Smollett - All grown up and lovely as ever
30something - Jada Pinkett Smith
40something - Vanessa L Williams

Amazing Gift Tags at Etsy

I've never thought to look for gift tags, or any kind of tags, but I accidentally keep finding them, and there are so many out there! Here are a few on Etsy.com, that I hived in Stylehive, to be brought to you in this easy widget:

Products from fashionmista
tag gift tag

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My favorite of the moment:
Jenny O Designs
Amy Elise Designs
Elle's Studio

Andre J. aka "Gaymonn"

"Most people are conditioned to think of a black man looking a certain way. They only think of the ethnic man in XXX jeans and Timberlands, and here Andre J. comes along with a pair of hot shorts and a caftan or maybe flip-flops or cowboy boots or a high, high heel.”

The New York Times shed some light recently on just how the mysterious Andre J. wound up on the cover of French Vogue alongside Carolyn Murphy. Apparently, a routine sandwich run lead to an impromtu meeting with celebrated stylist Joe McKenna who was so taken with Andre's "amazing" ensemble (a green caftan and golden gladiator sandals topped with a Nina Simonesque white turban) that Mr. McKenna told famed photographer Bruce Webber that he simply must shoot the diva. Webber agreed resulting in November 2007 cover which turned quite a few heads.

It's safe to say that readers of French Vogue aren't accustom to seeing non-white models on the cover of their fashion tome so the inclusion of a lanky black man in ankle boots and a cocktail ring probably caused many a frenzied clutching of pearls.

I was torn in my own personal reaction. One the one hand, I was a little peeved. It is a well documented fact that the fashion industry is extremely biased against models of color, preferring to feature the same white faces month after month over choosing models as diverse as the collections they celebrate every season. My gut told me that featuring Andre J. with Carolyn amounted to presenting him as a mascot or accessory to the blond supermodel. Nothing completes a look like a gay black BFF, right? Not only will he pull your outfit together but the fashion mammy won't challenge your reign as the top rung on the beauty standard ladder.

Now the angel on my right shoulder had a different take. You see, I have a confession to make. I not-so-secretly love Andre. Up until the NYT article, I didn't know much about him but over the past few year I've seen dozen of photos of him dressed to kill and enjoying the NY party scene.

With that megawatt smile, full beard and those dimples, I just can't hate on him. He makes me happy because I know that it is not always easy being a black person and being gay in our community adds to that stress. The fact that he's out there doing his own thing looking the way he does just impresses me. According to the article he doesn't consider himself a cross-dresser, he's just being himself and I respect that. He's like the gay blaxploitation version of Genevieve Jones and I can dig it.

After all Andre didn't land on French Vogue magazine, it landed on him...and he worked it.

Laser Hair Removal : 8th Appointment

The 8th appointment has come and gone. I waited a good 20 days since the appointment to post, to give everything time to admit defeat. As you know, my thighs are very, very stubborn. Here are the stats so far:

thighs: 65% hair loss (but it's a large area)
bikini: 75% hair loss
love trail: 75%

I see that you might be searching for when the hair will "shed" or "fall out." I have never noticed my hair falling out, or shedding. I see that it does not grow back in places. So if it actually falls out, I don't see the pieces. As instructed, I don't pull at it, because that would re-activate the hair follicle somehow. I am only to shave.

That said, my thighs are on the retreat, but the hair is still there, but only grows to about 2 millimeters. Compared with my unshaven calves, my calves can be, you know, woolly, as they would be if you went a few days without shaving in the winter. The thighs, on the other hand, are very noticeably short, like constant soft stubble, but not as prickly.

My one tip for you this time is for the stray pieces of hair in the area that you want zapped. If you shave everything before the appointment, as I'm instructed to do, the technician might not know that there are some stragglers in far left field of your upper thigh. So, I suggest that you do not shave those, and point them out to your technician before she begins. I know they are in a hurry and have other clients. But, patiently take her through all of the areas you want zapped, and you both will be happy.

Laser Progress Reports

Laser Hair Removal :: Appointment #7 for pictures of nice technicians
Laser Hair Removal :: Appointment #6
Laser Hair Removal :: Appointment #5.5 for Bikini
Laser Hair Removal :: Appointment #5
Laser Hair Removal :: Appointment #4
Laser Hair Removal :: Appointment #3.5
Laser Hair Removal :: The Second Zap
Laser Hair Removal :: The First Followup
Laser Hair Removal :: The First Zap
Laser Hair Removal :: War of My Legs Part 1


Disclaimer: FashionMista, nor its author, are qualified to give medical advice and cannot be held responsible for anything that may occur. Should you have a medical concern, please consult your physician.

Starbucks Snow :: New Katie James Desktop Art

Inspired by my last latte in a red Starbucks holiday cup, here is a new desktop art for your computing pleasure.


Download now (free) >

I thought turkeys were born with stuffing...

I'm on a 3-way merged iPhone call, with my sister and my mother, discussing stuffing. Is it served in the turkey? Do you scoop stuffing from the turkey? I remember my grampa scooping it from the bird, and my younger sister does not remember this, henced the merged call with mom. And I was right. Of course. :)

I have to to some reading to see if I can stuff the turkey mid-way through it cooking, or if that disrupts it.

Oprah's Favorite Things 2007

Yes, it is that time of year again. The time where everyone in the blogosphere bitches about how consumerist Oprah's "Favorite Things" show is while secretly wishing that s/he was one of the lucky audience members who get to go home with all that loot.

The list is up on Oprah.com and I must say that there really isn't much there to covet in my opionion. Sure, I'd take the stuff if it was free but I wouldn't be happy about paying taxes on some of those gift bag items. For example:

Rachel Pally Swing Turtleneck and Sailor Pants. Retail value $335 ( tax $29.48*)

My G-d this is hideous. The woman who wears these two pieces together has clearly given up on life. This is the kind of outfit that my drunk auntie would buy at two in the morning from QVC.

Ugg Tall Crochet Boots. Retail value $120 (tax $10.56)

Didn't the people at Uggs make enough money on those awful sheepskin boots? What the hell is this and why would anyone pay over a hundred dollars for something that anyone's granny could make in one sitting?


LG HDTV Refrigerator. Retail value $3,799 (tax $334.13)

Okay. It is cool but remind me, why do I need a TV set on my fridge?

Josh Groban CD. Retail value $16 (tax $1.41)

I'm not a fan but I suppose it could be worse, Oprah could have stuck a copy of The Secret in the gift bag instead. My mother-in-law would probably be thrilled to get this disk.

*Figure based on Seattle retail sales tax

Thanksgiving in New York Plans

After driving through two straight years of snow storms and traffic jams and overturned tractor-trailors, one of which was full of Rice Krispy treats, I decided to take the year off and not leave. I think I have gone out of town at least once every month since May. This decision was made pre-engagement, possibly in the summer, so even in post-engagement, I'm sticking to my guns. David's family is going down to South Carolina, and I knew that with his film job, he would not know if he really could take off. That could mean for a very expensive plane ticket that I do not believe in, so I did not jump into the plan. Also, my pet sitters have been paid nicely by us this year, so I need to not pay that anymore for the moment.

That means Thanksgiving in New York! My sister, Kim, and her boyfriend, Michael, are coming from Boston. Here are our plans:

Kim has already given rigid instructions on how we can only buy things from the grocery store when we know what we are making. She has ordered sticky buns from WholeFoods, but was out of time on the pies at her local bakery. We will find or make a pie. Kim has pointed out that we must cook the stuffing the day before.

Katie has yet to buy the turkey thing that you cook the turkey in. She needs to go online and search for how to cook a turkey. She also needs a baster and a gravy boat. Luckily, she just picked up some pottery that she made over the summer at Mugi Pottery, and one of her strange looking pots could double for a gravy boat. That's the nice thing about beginner pottery. It could be anything.

Katie listened to the radio today about all of the flight delays that were starting because of rain, and felt smug.

Katie, Kim, Michael and David will head to Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night to watch OSU basketball in a tournament. We will drink beer in $15 seats and have fun. It is the first time for all but David to be at MSG.

David flies to SC on Thursday morning, and will take a shuttle to his Thanksgiving dinner, which is at 3:30pm. Katie thinks he is cutting it close.

On Thursday, Katie, Kim and Michael will perhaps wonder down the upper west side to see if we can see any balloons being blown up for the Macy's Day Parade. However, we will most likely be cooking. Dinner is at 4pm. We will then buy, or will do this on Wednesday, movie tickets to Enchanted, which David's friend Evan location managed. It's a fairy tale come to life in New York, by accident. Looks funny.

On Friday, Kim and Michael head back, and Katie will miss them. Aunt Janie and Win come to town to take out Amanda and Jeremy, and Katie will join them for dinner if Kim and Michael truly leave.

On Saturday, Katie will perhaps show everyone her Paris pictures, properly titled and tagged, and if she's lucky, will take pictures of her shopping purchases there. eee!

There's Nothing Like a Dame

This info was first posted @ Gawker and is a few weeks old but I thought it was kind of interesting.

Black Models In Advertisements, October 2007:
Marie Claire: 10, 1 of whom is a celebrity: Walgreens (3), Olay (1), Johnson's Soft Lotion (1), Diesel (1), CoverGirl (1), Puma (2), JCPenney (1).
W: 3, 1 of whom is a celebrity: Target (1), L'Oreal (1), Turks & Caicos tourism board (1).
Vogue: 6, 4 of whom are celebrities: Revlon (1), American Express (1), Diesel (1), JCPenney (1), Vaseline (1), Avon (1).
Harper's Bazaar: 2, 1 of whom is a celebrity: Make-A-Wish Foundation (1), CoverGirl (1).
Glamour: 3, none of whom are celebrities : Aquafresh White Trays (1), Liz Clairborne (1), Lee Jeans (1).
Cosmopolitan: 0.
Allure: 8, 4 of whom are celebrities: Diesel (1), Revlon (1), Sephora (1), L'Oreal (1), Revlon (1), Aquafresh White Trays (1), CoverGirl (1), Olay (1),
Lucky: 9, 4 of whom are celebrities: CoverGirl (1), Target (1), American Express (1), MAC Cosmetics (1), Dillard's (1), Puma (2), Sephora (1), Avon (1)
Elle: 13, 3 of whom are celebrities: Target (1), MAC Cosmetics (1), Diesel (1), Puma (2), Benetton (1), Avon Foundation (1), House of Dereon (4), Secret (1), Botox* (1).

Black Models In Fashion Editorial, October 2007:
Marie Claire: 1, starring solo in a 6-page fashion editorial
W: 1, appearing on 1 page of a 20-page fashion editorial
Vogue: 0
Harper's Bazaar: 0
Glamour: 0
Cosmopolitan: 0
Allure: 0
Lucky: 0
Elle: 0

Models Of Color In Advertisements, November 2007:
Lucky: 15, 3 of whom are celebrities: L'Oréal (1) American Express (1), Olay (1), Dillard's (1) Lucky Jeans (3, including an Asian baby and a black kid), Macy's (1), Liz Claiborne (1), Lord & Taylor (1), M By Mariah Carey (1), Lucky subscription ad (1), Bluefly.com (3).
Elle: 12, 2 of whom are celebrities, 1 of whom is Asian: Liz Claiborne (1), CoverGirl (1), Emporio Armani (1), Puma (1), Lucky Jeans (3), Bluefly.com (2), Johnson's (1), Secret (1), Natrelle (1).
Allure: 3, 1 of whom is a celebrity: Revlon (1), Olay (1), Johnson's.
Harper's Bazaar: 7, 2 of whom are celebrities, 2 of whom are Asian: Diesel (1), Gucci (1), Dior (2), CoverGirl (1), M By Mariah Carey (1), Gottex (1).
Glamour: 10, 2 of whom are celebrities, 1 of whom is Asian: Ann Taylor (1), Redken (1), Dillard's (1), Olay (1), M By Mariah Carey (1), Revlon (1), Liz Claiborne (1), Aquafresh (1), Alli (1), Lee Jeans (1).
Marie Claire: 9, one of whom is a celebrity: CoverGirl (1), Liz Clairborne (1), Lucky Jeans (3), Aquafresh (1), Grand Marnier (1), Levi's (1), Johnson's (1).
Vogue: 14, 5 of whom are celebrities, 2 of whom are Asian: Tommy Hilfiger (1), Movado (1), Dillard's (1), Jaguar (1), Redken (1), Liz Claiborne (1), Grey Goose (2), Revlon (1), Lexus (1), Citi (1), Avon (1), M By Mariah Carey (1), Natrelle (1), L'Oréal (1).

Models Of Color In Fashion Editorial, November 2007:
Lucky: 0 (But an Asian "real woman" and 2 black "real women" are used as models.)
Elle: 1 (One black model in an 18 page fashion feature.)
Allure: 1 (Jennifer Lopez is the cover story and feature shoot.)
Harper's Bazaar: 4 (Chanel Iman posed with children dressed as designers; Asian model in accessories shoot; 1 of 10 models in Ralph Lauren story is black; Naomi Campbell has an 8 page solo fashion editorial. As this is the issue celebrating the history of Bazaar, there are several small shots sprinkled throughout mag of Naomi, Diana Ross, Oprah, Maggie Cheung and Rachel Roy which we noted but did not count.)
Glamour: 2 (Mariah Carey, cover model and feature shoot; 1 Sudanese model in "New sweaters, New faces." {There are also 2 black "real people" models, one of whom is plus-sized.})
Marie Claire: 1, Puerto Rican model Kat Fonseca.
Vogue: 0. (In the 20 page CFDA designers story, one small backstage snapshot features a black model. In the Index section, Chanel Iman says she likes Tory Burch flats, but we do not consider either of these to be proof of employing black models for a fashion editorial.)

I am surprised and encouraged that the story is still getting coverage long after the last model from NY Fashion Week walked off the runway. I also find it encouraging that more bold faced names are lending their opinions to the controversy. Even Dame Vivienne Westwood, the grande-dame of British fashion spoke out, describing the industry as racists and calling for quotas in fashion magazine editorials to change the culture of racial discrimination against Black and Asian models. She also added that she planned to use Ajuma Nasenyana in an upcoming campaign, not because she's Black, but because she's beautiful.

Now before anyone chimes in with "now that's progressive!" just think about it, why is it progressive to use a model of color in 2007? Shouldn't that be commonplace by now?

I just don't buy the time honored excuse linking low sales to dark faces on magazine covers. It's untrue and has remained unchallenged for years. Besides, it certainly isn't true for men's magazines. Men's Vogue has featured at least four non-white men on it's cover since it debuted in September and the lowest selling issue featured Tony Blair on the cover.

Why then, is it assumed that white women are so inherently racist that they would pass on buying their favorite fashion magazine because a non-white woman is on it? And if that is true, then why is that kind of ignorance treated with kid gloves?

So I've Been MIA.

I'm not going to lie. I've been hiding. Hiding in work, glued to my chair, which is getting harder and harder by the day, which means I have a bruised butt and need a massage more than ever. But most importantly, you ask, is: How is the bride. How is the wedding planning. And I've been dodging those answers. Even now, as Dental Mista calls me from Chicago, I am dodging her call because I am finally on the blog, typing something.

The truth: When one goes to Paris, and one is in the throws of launching her new pixelated extension of her design company, one finds that she has a #$*&-load of work to do, and fast. Design work, strategy work, invoicing to maybe collect some payments for all of this work. Work work work. So, when one goes to Paris, yet gets engaged shortly before, one has 1 zillion emails to answer either about plans in Paris, packing for Paris, and the ever-increasing wedding planning emails from mom. This equals an abandonment of gmail (I'm hiding in Facebook, so email me there).

When a newly engaged girl gets back from Paris, she is spun into the throws of wedding planning, for a destination wedding in Maine, a state that is only open in the summer and until Peak Season in the fall. Hotels do not even take reservations before March of that year. This means that one needs to high-tail it to Maine to physically scout locations, knock on doors of priests, meet up with the local and very well connected caterer who will come to double as wedding coordinator, etc., etc.

Meanwhile, pictures of Paris and of the Maine scouting trip will remain lodged tightly in the computer, never to see the light of the internet, let alone the juicy ink from a printer. If one is smart, one will focus on finding a Location Manager for a finance, because Location Managers manage locations for big movies for Steven Speilburg, right? So a wedding is like a no-brainer. Right? Wrong. That is the next post. :)

Bloomingdales at Night

Bloomingdakes at Night, originally uploaded by KT Flicker.

Sent from my iPhone. Sent from my iPhone!! I just Flickred my picture to this blog automatically! Such accomplishments. Note: I had to send it to myself first, then forwarded from my gmail account to the special blog email Flickr provided me with. Flickr would not receive it when I emailed it from my iPhone.

Bloomingdale's at night in Midtown after David
and I went to the Burger Joint and ate burgers and I slurpped a strawberry
milkshake.

Black Panthers?

Photographers : René Habermacher & Ioannis Tspoulanis

Sigh.

What would happen if all the Black models got together and decided to never again appear in ads wearing animal prints?

These women are all drop dead gorgeous and I'm not going to lie, the images are striking but haven't we all seen this before a hundred times?

Surely this scenario isn't the only thing that stylist Franck Benhamou could come up with. I've seen his work before, I know that he is very creative.

The final eyeroll came when I read that the of the series is Pantheres Noires.

Source: Livejournal/blackstatuesque

Naomi for Michel Klein

I spotted this ad over at The Fashion Spot. It was shot by Sonia Sieff and might be the most arresting image of Naomi that I've seen in a very long time. "Tic Tac" is name of the black steel watch designed by Klein for Seiko and for now is available at Colette for just under 600 Euros/$858 USD. It reminds me of the black ceramic Chanel watch that I've been lusting over for about a year. At any rate, Naomi sure makes that watch look good.

Stitch Fashion Show and Indie Craft Bazaar

Stay tuned to the Stitch Austin blog for results of their fashion show and indie craft bazaar! If I were in Austin, I'd travel down to this event.

Here's event info if you're in the neighborhood:
WHAT: Stitch Fashion Show and Indie Craft Bazaar
WHEN: Saturday Nov 10, 2007
TIME: Doors open 4pm, runway show at 9:30pm
WHERE: Austin Convention Center (500 E. Caesar Chavez) Hall 1
HOW MUCH: $10
www.stitchaustin.com

WHY: Please join us tomorrow for the 5 year anniversary show of Stitch,
Austin’s largest and best-est Indie craft bazaar and fashion show.
Over 100 amazing vendors with handmade jewelry, T-shirts, art,
clothing, purses and more from all over the country, not to mention
Austin’s finest. The runway show features designers like Tina
Sparkles, Hot Pink Pistol, Chia, Boudoir Queen and other forces to be
reckoned with in the fashion world. Auditory entertainment provided by
DJ Bigface, Prince Klassen, Ian Orth of Learning Secrets and DJ
Jennifer.

MAKE STUFF: Not only is there shopping and fashion there are
interactive booths by Duncan Crafts, Carlo Rossi, Tom’s Shoes, Birds
Barbershop and Rae Cosmetics.

FREE STUFF: The first 600 people in the door receive free goodie bags
from Blue Q, Alisa Burke, Lollibomb Beauty, Anne Marie – Style for the
Individual, Loyalty and Blood, Blue Velvet and more. Inside the bags
look for free Simplicity patterns, appliqués by Wrights, coupons,
jewelry and information on great companies like Burda, as well as
magazines like: Bust, Jewell, Adorn, Rare and Make It Mine. The raffle
will be going all night with prizes like Dremel Drills, Baby Lock
Sewing Machines, and an outfit provided by our special guest Bradley
Baumkirchner from Project Runway Season 3.

AFTER PARTY: Save your strength. Immediately following Stitch at 11pm
walk over to the Mohawk (912 Red River ) for the official Stitch after
party with drink specials and more. Free with your Stitch wristband.

NYC by Perlina @ Target

Target shows no signs of stopping its quest to bring designer goods to the people. Although the resulting collections aren't always stellar (*cough*Hollywould*cough*) I must admit that I am always curious to see what will be hitting the stores.

Perlina is a brand that I always associate with stores like Nordstrom Rack. It seems like there is an unlimited supply of Perlina wallets and handbags at discount retailers. I mean, they make nice quality leather goods but it's not exactly a name that I've seen people shelling out big buck for.

Anyway, Perlina is the latest brand to take on Target's designer challenge and have unveiled a line called NYC that is only available online. I'm not a fan of PVC but some of these are cute enough to warrant closer inspection. Prices range from about $25 to $60.

Moon Boots!

It's not like moon boots were the best looking boot, but I did love mine, as metallic-white-with-a-skier as they were. I wore them to my first day of kindergarten as a new kid from Syracuse, NY to Cleveland, OH. I don't remember wearing them on that particular day, but a friend who just loved giving me a hard time for some reason did have the vision of me walking into that classroom wearing them. Hey. They were soft and comfortable. Maybe a little clunky to walk in, but I think I'd do it again. But mothers - take note - the other kids are paying attention and your child could be mocked for life.

I was checking out the eclat blog, and saw that she listed the Free People blog on her blog, so I visited, and saw their 'jogging boots' that look an awful lot like moon boots. Coincidence? There are no coincidences in fashion. Here is the website for the real Moon Boot. But they don't look as fun or forgiving as the ones I had in kindergarten.

Ok, for the record, Moon Boot is in Wikipedia, and Jon Heder did wear them in Napolian Dynomite, as did Aubree Miller in Ewoks. I should really be paying my bills and not Googling Moon Boot. Here are a whole bunch of moon boots on ebay.


Oh, and here are some now vintage moon boots like my mom used to have, and I coveted them. Coveted. But I think her heel was higher. Or at least it was to me.

New Websites from Katie James Pixelated!

I almost forgot to announce them! Designs have been percolating in the Katie James Pixelated studio, and here are the latest: Mugi Pottery's new website, and the blog of My Beauty Beat.

Mugi Pottery

Mugi wanted a fun and contemporary design for their website. They offer classes in the studio for kids and adults, which are wonderful (I've taken them), so they wanted to give off a fun atmosphere for the kids, as well as a relaxed atmosphere for adults. They also love pictures of their pots, so in addition to bordering the website with pictures of the studio and of the pots, we created a slide show of How to Make a Pot. Once you watch it, you are that much closer to knowing how to "throw" pottery on the wheel! If you live in New York, and want to take some pottery classes, do check out this upper west side pottery studio. And if you stop in, do check out their $5 and $20 bins. I lucked out and found a beautiful tall vase that had cracked on the bottom. I just put dried flowers in it.

My Beauty Beat Blog

My Beauty Beat couldn't say enough about skin care products. Katie James Pixelated designed her website and enewsletter, and now the My Beauty Beat Blog. My Beauty Beat wanted the blog to offer the same environment and experience, while maintaining that "bloggy" look with the side columns, comments, a full page of many blog posts, and an easy way to get back to the website. A streaming list of recent blog posts is available from the website, so it's easy to get from one to the other. My Beauty Beat offers free and trusted advice on skin care, and goes into why each product may or may not be worth your money. The blog goes into to detail on how to care for oily skin, best 10 products under $10, why soap is dirty, and much, much more. The woman behind it all formerly worked in "Wall Street" in the biotechnology sector, and while nurturing her passion for skin care, tested combinations of ingredients in her kitchen to know which were effective and why, in addition to talking to industry experts for her research. So she knows her stuff. Do consult with her before you make your next skin care product purchase! And she does take your questions and suggestions, so contact her to review your favorite product!