Handmade Gifts

The holidays are quickly approaching. If you are looking or Christmas or Hanukkah gift that is unique visit one of my favorite sites for handmade gifts--Things Theological. The Calico Critters pins make great gifts for tween girls or adults who like fun fashion.

The Remembrance Ribbons are the best deal in town. A custom made gift for $3, including shipping! When I've needed something custom made for a friend with breast cancer I spoke with the artist, Jane Davis, and she worked with me to create something unique. Her St. Agatha icon was perfect. My son loved his Hercules icon that he received a few years ago.

I cannot recommend her highly enough.

Real Friends Tame The Animals

Real friends don't let you go out in head to toe animal print. This can be hard with the Safari look showing up on multiple runways. Animal prints were especially seen at the 2010 collections of Tory Burch, Valentino, and Chloé. How do you balance this fashion statement with real life and without looking like a joke?

Take a good friend shopping with you. The friend that will stop you from buying the cheetah print leggings. The friend that will whisper in your ear, "Less is more." Because with animal print it's about using bits and pieces as highlights. Add a pair of BCBG MAXAZRIA Stella flats to your outfit for a step into the wild side. You won't have to worry about becoming a trophy on the fashion wall of shame. One of my favorite items is a leopard print cardigan. I keep my tank and slacks in the same color palette so that print adds pop without making my patrons' eyes bug out.

Try a pair of earrings, a bracelet, or a scarf. With handbags you may want to think about a band of print rather than an all over design. Snake skin texture is marvelous. It can be done in fun colors. The Helena de Natalio Snake-Print Clutch adds exotic excitement to any outfit.

Animal prints can be our fashion friends if we play nice, don't over do it, and have a trusted friend that will pull us back from the shiny, sparkly, python dress.

ChicBuds For Audiophiles

I love to listen to audio books. Fortunately my library has a subscription to to NetLibrary that allows me to feed my habit for free. I download audiobooks to my IPod and listen to them everywhere. I listen to John Sandford while cooking dinner. I listen to Undead and Unwed while doing laundry. I listen to a Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery while at work. I listen to....well, you get the point.

The biggest problem that I had while wearing my ear buds was the cord getting caught in drawers or on door knobs. Then I discovered Chicbuds (Watermelon on White seen here). The retractable cords shorten so the cord doesn't get caught and pull out of my IPod. I have problems with other ear buds popping out of my ears, but these stay because they are designed for the smaller ears of women. They aren't merely functional, but also attractive. ChicBuds are detailed with Swarovski Crystals. You aren't just sporting ear buds, but "ear candie."

They are popular with ladies of all ages. My son gave a pair of ChicBuds to a friend as a high school graduation present. She loved them. It wasn't just a polite, "Oh, thank-you." I ran into her at the store where she was sporting her ChicBuds. If you have a niece or daughter that is dying to get her ears pierced, but isn't allowed to take that step this is good option. She can add style and color to ears while having ear buds that are with adjustable cords.

Chic Scarves For Fall And Winter

If you want to add a splash of instant style to any outfit wrap a stylish scarf around your neck! My preference is for silk scarves with bright colors and bold patterns. Silk doesn't have the bulk of wool and don't look out of place indoors. They can also be worn with jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt or a classic black dress.

I have a huge collection of scarves that I've purchase around the world. My favorite source for silk scarves is SERRV International. SERRV is dedicated to eradicating poverty by providing opportunity and support to artisans around the world. One of my favorites is the Sukhi Scarf with its Bangla-inspired design. The bold colors add a punch of color. If you like the neon trend but aren't comfortable wearing large amounts of hot color this scarf is just right.

Marilyn Monroe Sighted In Milan

This fall Marilyn Monroe was sighted on the runways of Milan. Monroes face was imprinted on t-shirts and paired with skinny black pants. It was part of the Seduzioni Diamonds line by actress/designer Valeria Marini. Her Spring/Summer 2010 fashion collection, presented in Milan, September 23, 2009.

This was not the first time during the year that Marilyn appeared on the runway. In March her images were the center of the Dolce & Gabbana Fall/Winter collection. A few of the dresses have been seen on the red carpet. A few dresses featured Monroe's face on both the bodice and skirt. It's a lot of look for most people to pull off. The Dolce & Gabbana collection also has a Marilyn t-shirt.

This is not Marilyn Monroe's first appearance in Milan. Her image was part of Dolce & Gabbana's Spring/Summer 2007 collection. In 2006 in Los Angeles Valeria Marini featured a white "Marilyn Monroe" gown in silk satin. While it didn't feature images of Monroe you could easily see Monroe in the dress.

While Marilyn Monroe left this world over 40 years ago she still reigns as the icon of glamour and sex appeal. While you may not opt to have Marilyn on your clothes, let her inspire you to take full advantage of your spotlight moments.

I'd Like To Buy The World A Bra

Well, perhaps not the world, but a few million women. I wrote about the politics of bras in an earlier post. This post is a shallower reflection.

Where I work I deal with the public every day. I often wonder why so many women bother to wear a bra at all. They do nothing that a bra is supposed to do. That's not surprising. It is speculated by the lingerie industry that 70-85% of women wear the wrong size bra. Why would women over look this major foundational garment? Women spend hundreds of dollars on a handbag every season, but won't bother to buy a good bra.

Many get hung up on sizing. Women are in denial about their cup size. Women would rather think of themselves as a B or C rather than admit that they are an A or a D. Even though they have gained weight, lost weight, or had children, changing the size of the band is an emotional event. The question to ask yourself is, "Is the number more important than looking good?"

Women need to be sized and buy new bras every year. You don't have to buy a $200 La Perla bra. The best bra for you may be inexpensive. To find the best bra you need to try on different styles and brands.

I had given up on wearing underwire bras because they were so uncomfortable. I hate having the wires poke into my armpits. After I saw myself on TV for the first of my monthly PR appearances I decided that I had to find a better bra. I searched and searched. I bought a few bras that felt okay in the store, but were horrible after an hour. On a trip to to New York I went to the Town Shop for a fitting. Amazingly I knew what size I should be wearing. The trick was finding the proper bra for my shape. I explained my problem to the fitter. Within 2 minutes she had brought me an underwire bra that was comfortable and pretty. Within 10 minutes I walked out with two bras that were just right.

I began searching on my own and found that for work I really like the Bali Concealers Underwire Bra. It is comfortable and supportive.

Once you find the right bra you will start noticing the problems around you. You'll want to be a good friend and take all the women in your life for a bra fitting.

Gucci's New Perfume Ad

Most perfume ads are irritating. With the plethora of celebrity frangrances we are bombarded with images of Brittany, Jay-Z, Gwen, and others living a fabulous lifestyle. Even the late Luciano Pavarotti had Pavarotti Donna and fragrances for men. This leaves those of us looking for our own frangrance statement on the wrong side of the velvet rope.

I was struck by the beauty of the new Gucci commercial for its frangrance Flora. It is beautiful. Tha commercial captures the rapturous feel of being in a field of flowers, breathing in the scent until you become one with the flowers. Chris Cunningham has created not just a commercial, but a work of art.