Men’s Jewelry

I usually focus on women’s fashion, beauty and jewelry, but I want to take a small census. Jewelry for men – hot or not? I went online to shop for the boy toy – his birthday is coming up, and for my last birthday he got me a GORGEOUS six hundred dollar bracelet – white gold with aquamarine links. So basically, I need to do as good or better. Yes – birthdays are a competition, and I need to win!!
The standard men’s jewelry type gift is cuff links. But fact – there is nothing – and I mean nothing – standard about the boy toy. I was thinking more along the lines of a ring. It seems more sentimental, sweet and meaningful than cuff links. It’s also rarer to find nice men’s rings than nice cuff links, so there’s the added value of him knowing that I put in some serious effort to try and find him a birthday gift.
I found some fantastic mens designer rings on the Stephen Einhorn website. They’re located in the UK -London, to be precise – although they offer international deliveries. (Incidentally, what is it about the UK that makes me want to use words like “precise” and “indeed”?? I feel horrendous – stereotyping Brits.)
Anyway, Stephen Einhorn – I found a number of different types of designer rings for men, in all different shapes, colors, and metals. There were a couple of rings that were a little too hard core for me (and thus, for the boy toy), like rings that had skull designs, fang designs, and snake designs. But there were a number of simple, elegant designs that are absolutely perfect. I didn’t want to get him something too simple or wedding ring-esque (no need to scare him half to death on his birthday), but there were some nice ones with lovely, multicolored stones. Check it out!

Need gift ideas?

I know it’s relatively early, but coming from someone who has picked out her boyfriend’s birthday presents six months in advance each and every year for the past four years, I’m runnin’ a bit behind here. The holidays are a-comin’! Gifts must be bought! And time is running out – it’s less than a month till Thanksgiving! Aaaah!!!
Thanks to my full-on panic mode, my brain is frozen. Seeing as how the most difficult part of acquiring gifts is knowing what to buy for each person, this is not helpful, to say the least. Personally, I would love to get gift certificates for everyone – money makes everyone happy. But then you look like the person who didn’t put any thought into her gifts. And I hate to be thought of as the person who didn’t put any thought into her gifts. Grr.
Thankfully, there are websites that not only offer gifts, but gift ideas as well. These sites offer options like age, gender, personality type, dad, grandfather, aunt, child…the list goes on. I mean, when it comes to gifts, it’s all about the personalization. Otherwise people just get insulted. My dad, for example, would be slightly offended if I handed him a beach ball, and I doubt my sister would be thrilled with me if I gave my little niece a bottle of fine wine. But switch ’em around and you’re golden!
Fine, a bit exaggerated, but you get the idea…

The best time of the day

Ok, I’ll admit it – best time of the day is jammy time. Hands down. I love me some yummy, comfy jammies. But aside from several select locations, women’s pajamas that are reasonably priced are surprisingly hard to find. I usually end up just using old t-shirts and exercise pants. Which, I don’t need to tell you, is a big bummer.

I’ve recently started to buy women’s pajamas online. Aside from having a larger selection of jammies, there’s also the anticipation of awaiting that package. Something about it just appeals to me.

And you know what? After a day of dressing up and looking “professional”, it feels damn good to just “shlump” it up. Go womens pajamas!

The geek within is emerging

Alright peeps. I have a confession to make. Despite my enthusiasm and (let’s face it) utter fascination with anything fashion-related, I have another, much darker side. The geek. The geek in me enjoys reading magazines like “Wired” and “Scientific American” and playing around with online metrics and whatnot. And…ok, this is really difficult, but I’m going to say it…playing multi player games.
Wow. I feel a lot better now. While I’m at it, I have another confession. I just bought an Aion account. Anyone can buy Aion accounts – just gotta get a verified seller. Likewise, you can also purchase World of Warcraft accounts – same criteria as above.
Wow, I feel so much better! (Please don’t laugh at me…)

A Cheap Seat for me!

Part of being a fashionista in these hard times of economic crisis is finding a good bargain. I love me some good bargains. I also love my fiancee, who loves sports. Which is why finding xl center tickets was so damn exciting. Especially considering that his birthday is coming up – happy bday, babe!
I’m actually giving him a double-whammy birthday gift this year – we’re going to the Mohegan Sun resort in Connecticut, AND I got him some unbelievable Mohegan Sun Arena tickets. Good thing he doesn’t know about this blog – it’s a surprise! (Sshhh…) He’s going to love it.
To make it even better, because these tickets are so cheap, I’m also getting Mellon Arena tickets. I figure I owe the guy – he just helped me move my entire apartment.
Anyway, onward to sports! (Clearly not my thing, but what you do for love, eh :D)

Back to the usual

Back to regular clothing – the kind you wear over your underwear. This one actually relates to my previous post on control top panty hose – let’s talk some plus size fashion.
Let’s be honest – most fashion designers are interested in what I have heard called “clothing hangers” – i.e. rail thin models upon whom the clothing simply hangs. In other words, designers are more interested in displaying the clothing than the person wearing it. Fair enough, since after all they are designing the clothing.
However, they seem to have forgotten that clothing is designed for people, and the average person is not six feet tall and ninety eight pounds. It’s a bit gross, actually.
And since, as I mentioned in my last post, I have gained a bit of weight, I’ve been taking more of an interest in the plus sized fashion arena. And surprisingly, considering the vast majority of the world is plus sized, the fashion industry has very little to offer. It’s a bit upsetting. And quite frankly, somewhat insulting as well.
Which is why I am such a fan of Elvi. I love their prices, their style, and their website. I am a big fan of their Shop By Outfit option – it reminds me a bit of Ann Taylor and Banana Republic. And Elvi does a great job of putting outfits together – I feel more posh just looking at the outfits on the site. I’m not afraid to admit that I have a bit of a lazy streak, and I would so much rather purchase an outfit than have to worry about matching clothing together. What a hassle. And once you get to their outfits page, they offer sections for both casual as well as evening wear. And the clothing is lovely – great quality cloth with gorgeous detailing.
This site gets and A+ in my book.

And now for something completely different

So I know that I generally stick to fashion that is actually visible (i.e. clothing as opposed to undies); however I found this to be quite impressive. And by “this” I mean Spanx underwear. It is apparently meant to combat VPL according to the website, which I can only take to mean Visible Panty Line, given the context. Now aside from the name (Hehe. Spanx. It’s funny – what can I say, I am a sixteen year old boy at heart.) there is another reason that I love these tights. And that is that quite frankly I have put on a few pounds. Unfortunately. Fortunately, however, I now have Spanx to take care of the trousers issue. Whereas before I could only wear skirts with control top hose. Also, these bad boys are hot, which is more than I can usually say for control top panty hose. I mean, I don’t know of any other control top panty hose other than Spanx that actually comes in fishnet. It is most impressive – power to the bigger girls! Spanx comes in many options both in terms of texture and color – beside for the fishnet style that I mentioned before, there is also Spanx Higher Power, Spanx Power Panties, Spanx Tight End Tights, Spanx Higher Power and more. (i’m noticing a “power” theme goin on here – didn’t know if you had picked up on it, dear reader.)
Spanx doesn’t just specialize in tights, although that seems to be their main focus – they also have slips and camis available. And all of the above mentioned items – slips, camis and panty hose – all come in many different sizes – from A through E – as well as many different colors. They come in nude, black, ivory, and more beside. So whether you need to “slim down” or just to feel in control and get those loose ends tucked in, I would thoroughly recommend Spanx.

Furniture

A couple of posts ago we talked about green houses and how they could be extensions of your home. I am also a huge fan of the patio and the deck for home extending. It is amazing what a nice deck will do for a home, especially for a smaller home. I also love accessorizing decks with outdoor patio furniture. There are many, many options available, all customizable with different shapes, colors, and sizes. All of the deck furniture should, of course, be suitable for the outdoors – weather proof and so on. It should also be relatively easy to maintain – especially chairs.
With patio tables there are almost as many options for the outdoors as there are for the interior. There are dining tables, coffee tables, trendier bar height tables, bistro tables, and more, each category with many options in terms of customization for your patio or deck. My personal favorite is the Blue Rhino Mosaic Ceramic Tile Table – it has an air of its own. It may not be the best in terms of maintenance, but nothing beats it for style. For more practical, durable, and more maintenance free styles you may want to go with the Beachfront Round Side Table or the Beachfront Two Shelf Side Table.
To top off your patio furniture set (or sets), you are definitely going to want a nice selection of patio dining sets to complete the outdoorsy yet civilized look. I find that aluminum patio dining sets are the most durable and most attractive at the same time. I love the Latour Collection – particularly the Latour Dining Arm Chair, with its tree branches snaking across the back. There is more of a selection in the wrought iron sets – and I really like the Easton Set, if I had to choose out of the wrought iron category. Very minimalist, very attractive, very elegant. With so many options, it’s almost impossible to choose!

Post holiday?

Well, Christmas has passed, as has New Year. I just have to bring up one item – Jennifer Lopez. What the hell?
In all seriousness, what on earth was she thinking? A sheer body suit? No offense, Jen, but you simply do not have the body to pull it off. No one does, actually, but especially not you. Sorry. You were not “showcasing your curves”. Maybe you were showcasing something else, but that was definitely not it.
It is actually really sad. The holidays. Some of the happiest moments of the year. And there are so many opportunities to make HUGE fashion errors! And I mean really really huge fashion errors. Of the Jennifer Lopez variety, or even worse. In addition to the over sequined issue that I have been ranting about over the past couple of blog posts, there is also the skin issue. Yeah, you have it. Leave a little to the imagination, for heaven’s sake. And let us remember that Christmas is in winter – mini skirts may not be the most appropos. Show a little cleavage, have a good time at your Christmas party, but do it tastefully. In the words of Butters, “Do you know what I am saying?” There is a massive difference between being sexy and skanky. It is all about the subtlety. I know that it is really really cliche, but you may want to go the little black dress route. And you know, there are variations on the little black dress. Nicole Miller definitely differs vastly from BCBG or the likes. A little black dress from Valentino is a completely different story from a little black dress from Badgeley Mischka Platinum Label. Or Robert Rodriguez Black Label, for that matter. Little black dresses do not have to be cliche. Or standard. Just give it a shot.

Greenhouses

There is nothing lovelier than a little bit of color and greenery in your home, and there is really nothing lovelier than an entire houseful of color and greenery. Hence the concept of the garden greenhouses. Lovely, transparent bowers of flowers, herbs, and shrubbery. A garden greenhouse is, for starters, a place in which you can garden all year round – no winter break in a greenhouse. But it is more than just that – it also serves as a place of sanctuary, a place where you can gather your thoughts.
There is, of course, more than one type of greenhouse. My personal favorite is the lean to greenhouse. The cost to set it up is minimal at most and its like having a little green extension of your home. There are many sizes and types of lean to greenhouses as well. You can go the really cheap route and get a small lean to greenhouse of about three feet in height, or you can get one that pretty much covers the entire back of your house. It is very similar to a deck in my mind – it is like an extension of your home. When we got a deck in our backyard, it made a world of difference. It was like having a nice outdoor living room with a playing area for the kids. Very relaxing for everyone.
Lastly, there are cold frame greenhouses. Cold frame greenhouses are an ideal choice for city gardeners who have to budget their space wisely. There is an adorable tent shaped little cold frame greenhouse that is my especial favorite. And of course there are your more standard box shaped ones.
I love all of the options available. To me, it is all about the customization, making your greenhouse your own, with your own unique tastes and characteristics.
Enjoy!