Category Archives: Shopping

Royal flush

Posted on February 17, 2012 | 3 Comments

There’s Team Edward and Team Jacob. But in the doll making game…

It’s Team William all the way.

Mattel has released a Barbie and Ken version of William and Kate to commemorate their upcoming one-year wedding anniversary.

As you can see, they have given William a full head of hair — something he doesn’t possess in real life — and strengthened his jawline. And although Kate looks a bit like every Barbie I’ve seen, she’s pretty and her gown is spot-on.

No doll marker would risk offending the royal family.

That clearly wasn’t a concern for the Mattel designer selected to create the dolls that recreate the wedding of Bella and Edward in Twilight Breaking Dawn.

I’m guessing he isn’t a fan of the saga.  And Edward in particular.

His doll’s face is flat and fat, and his hair looks like an old lady’s wig.  I know the white makeup isn’t flatteringly on anyone in the movies, but it eliminates all detail here.

In the words of my friend Tina…

Barf.

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Posted in Humor, Movies, Entertainment, Comedy, Life, News, Shopping, Commentary, Design, Toys, Children

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Lady luck

Posted on January 28, 2012 | Leave a comment

When it comes to bugs, I earned my wimp card years ago.

I’m not a fan.

But the ladybug?  That’s one very different beetle.  It’s cute, it eats a lot of harmful insects and it’s lucky.  (That’s a scientific fact.)

If you like ladybugs too, you might consider this Ladybug Nightlight that my friend Stephanie sells at Stoopher & Boots on the Upper West Side.

Look at that face.

And you might stop reading right now.  Because the rest of this post on ladybugs will freak you out.  It did me.

Hungarian Artist Gabor Fulop also likes ladybugs.  A lot. So much so that he created 20,000 and hand-painted them.

He then applied his ladybug creations to a  sculpture of the human form, forcing viewers to imagine what it would feel like to have ladybugs crawling over every inch of their bodies.

Me?  I wouldn’t feel lucky at all.

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Posted in Animals, Art, Commentary, Design, Humor, Life, Museums, Shopping

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Like the Dickens

Posted on January 26, 2012 | Leave a comment

While I was on a business trip in London a few years ago, a surprise snow blanketed the city.  A colleague, looking out the window of our hotel room at the falling snow, quipped:

“It’s so Dickensian!”

And we had our catchphrase.

It did feel like we had stepped back in time, into one of the classic novels we had all read in school.  The snow didn’t last, but the memory of that brief interlude has to this day.

Stateside in 2012, ‘Dickensian’ has an entirely different vibe.

StrangeBeautiful just launched their Dickensian Edition of nail colors, which is roughly 10 different shades…of black.

(Only true New Yorkers can discern the difference.)

Creator Jane Schub said her interpretation of Dickens for the collection was inspired by photography, literature, art, coal and broken shale.

Geez, Jane — did you even read the novels?

They have happy endings.

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Posted in Humor, Travel, Beauty, Life, Books, Shopping, Commentary

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Meow

Posted on January 10, 2012 | 6 Comments

Pet owners.  We love our animals.

And companies know they can sell us just about anything.

Huffpost.com recently put together a collection of some of the stupidest pet products on the market.  I can’t disagree with the editors on most of ‘em.  They are ridiculous.

BUT…

I have to stand up for one of them…mainly because the product in question is less ridiculous for pets than it is for its original human intent.

Kitty Croc Bed

The croc shoe has been super-sized and turned into a bed for cats.  HuffPost argues it is far stupider looking in this iteration.

I disagree.

Croc shoes are ugly.  They may be the most comfortable shoe on the planet — but there’s not a foot in the world that doesn’t look stupid in them.

Sorry, Mario.

I think making the croc huge and putting a kitten inside is the best thing that ever happened to the shoe.  Dare I say…

Purrrfect?

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Posted in Animals, Commentary, Design, Fashion, Humor, Internet, Shopping

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A doll’s life

Posted on January 4, 2012 | 1 Comment

Barbie…a hoarder???


That’s no dream kitchen, sister…

It’s a nightmare.

It kept Carrie M. Becker up at night.  So the St. Louis native, photographer and sculptor created “Barbie Trashes Her Dreamhouse,” a photographic exhibition at the Riney Museum of Fine Art at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas.

I love the idea of Barbie as a hoarder.

The girl is so perfect in every other way; you just know she has to act out somehow.  What better way than trashing that powder puff pink nightmare of a townhouse?

Which begs the question…

What is Ken’s secret?

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Posted in Art, Humor, Life, Shopping, Toys

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Blocked

Posted on January 3, 2012 | Leave a comment

There have been a lot of reruns on TV during the holidays.  Now 2012 has arrived.

Is this year going to be a rerun, too?

I was reading a ‘style preview’ and was fascinated to discover that color blocking is going to be all the rage in 2012.

Color blocking?  Wow.  How innovative.  I think this has been the third or fourth time that color blocking has been ‘new and red hot’ in my lifetime alone.

I remember buying a Mondrian-style blazer for my very first job out of college when color blocking was big.

I know fashion is cyclical, but I wish we had a few more original ‘episodes’ thrown in between the reruns.

I gotta admit, though — these new color blocked tights are kinda out there.   So maybe color blocking in 2012 is less of a rerun…

…and more of sequel with 3D effects.

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Posted in Commentary, Design, Fashion, Humor, Life, New Years, Shopping

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White Christmas

Posted on December 23, 2011 | Leave a comment

I attended a way fun holiday party last night with an unusual twist:

The hosts used only napkins, cups and plates that could be placed directly into the compost –  very smart, very green.

Unfortunately, paper products of that ilk aren’t green…or any color, for that matter.  Composting means they can’t contain dyes.  So the party ware was of the decidedly winter white variety.

It was worth it.

But if you prefer color in your paper products, get a load of these! Toilet paper, paper towels, napkins and tissues by Renova in the brightest of the brights!

I love these vibrant, saturated tones.  The toilet paper pictured here is made of 100% virgin pulp, is very soft and absorbent, and is tested under “dermatological and gynaecological control.”

Ya gotta admit, it looks pretty cool.  And it’s also available in black, green, orange, and purple.

White Christmas?  Not necessarily.  (Can’t wait to see Nana’s face…)

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Posted in Commentary, Cooking, Crafts, Design, Food, Holiday, Home, Humor, Life, Shopping

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A robot’s tale

Posted on December 14, 2011 | Leave a comment

I met a robot in my neighborhood.

image He’s a nightlight for sale at my friend Stephanie’s shop, Stoopher & Boots.

Every time I have seen him, I couldn’t look away. (We don’t get a lot of his kind on the Upper West Side.)

Then I started hearing a sound when I was near him…a soft chant. “Milo. Milo.” (He’s a friend of mine — the baby boy variety – who has a particular interest in the ‘bots.)

He needed that robot nightlight.  So after a quick consultation with his parental units, it was soon on its way to Milo’s robot-themed bedroom in sunny Los Angeles.

image

Look at it — sitting in his room, like it was made for the place.

It’s almost an exact match to the robot in the print on the wall!

How a’bot that?

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Posted in Design, Family, Home, Humor, Life, Shopping

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The gift

Posted on December 10, 2011 | Leave a comment

My good friend Caroline visited this past week, a gift from her husband for her birthday.

Nice one, Shaun.

During her four days in Manhattan, we saw two Broadway shows, a taping of Anderson, a movie on a rainy day, shopping, holiday lights, more shopping, and lots and lots of food, drink and wonderful conversation.

She was also able to reconnect with three other friends who call New York City home.

And while I know the chance to see Hugh Jackman perform live on stage was the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that spurred the last-minute trip, having so much time together to simply talk and catch up was an incredible luxury.

Would we have traded some of that time to meet Hugh in person?

Duh — of course.

We’re good friends.  We know what we really like!

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Posted in Broadway, Commentary, Entertainment, Friends, Humor, Life, Shopping, Travel

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Moon landing

Posted on December 4, 2011 | Leave a comment

I finished my Christmas shopping this morning.  Bought the final gift online, picked a shipping date and sent it on its merry way.

It’s a great feeling.

But wouldn’t you know it?  As soon as I crossed everyone’s name off my list, I discovered the perfect present for any hard-to-buy-for person.  It’s another exciting Google search find:

Lunar Land

That’s right.  You or someone you love can join the over 5,000,000 people from 176 countries who own personal property on Earth’s sexiest satellite.

According to the website, Lunar Embassy is the only company to possess the ‘legal basis and copyright’ for Lunar Land.  It is available in a variety of packages, all which include one lunar acre of land.  (The amount of documentation included drives the price.)

Our family draws names at Christmas, and as soon as the pairings are announced, the emails start flying, requesting gift ideas.

If only I had discovered Lunar Land even an hour sooner!

To the moon, Alice! — Ralph Kramden, The Honeymooners

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Posted in Astrology, Commentary, dreams, Entertainment, Holiday, Humor, Internet, Shopping

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