YUMMY…
Am I the only who waits every year to see what Oprah has picked for her Holiday Favorites list? Or maybe I’m the only one who will actually admit it… Well anyway, she finally revealed her list last week and she surprised her loyal audience in Macon, GA (where The Oprah Show has had the highest ratings since it’s debut in 1986) with the Holiday Show Extravaganza. Seriously, it’s like winning the lottery. I think my New Year’s Resolution this year will be to figure out how the *#@** to get tickets for that show next year. If anyone has any ideas please let me know, we can go together. :-)

Super Hot TOYWATCH!

This year Oprah certainly outdid herself. Elated audience members scored thousands of dollars in electronics, home appliances, clothing, makeup and much more. The highlight was the million-dollar HDTV Refrigerator with Weather and Info Center from LG Electronics Model LSC27991…it’s not really a million dollars, just a mere $3800. Other faves included the Samsung Progressive HD Camcorder ($800), TOYWATCH Crystal and Colored Crystal Watch ($150-$1500) and the Perfect Endings Cupcakes from Williams-Sonoma ($59 set of 9). It was unbelievable...the buffet of gifts just kept on coming.

Next-Gen Home Appliance

Congratulations to all the Oprah Lottery winners, I'm not bitter...really, I just hope to be there next year.

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These are the cutest fashion accessories I’ve seen in a while. Pooch inspired purses that come in eight different breeds, brought to you by Fuzzy Nation Couture. I’m guessing that most of us don’t have one of these…not yet anyway. These unique handbags come in metallic leather or faux alligator and your choice of Chihuahua, Dachshund, Pug, Boston Terrier, Bulldog and more.

Alligator Dachshund...Adorable!

These perfect little pooch purses are cheaper and easier than their real life counterparts but will garner you just as much attention. Available at Macy’s or fuzzynation.com. These are a must have for sure!

Cute Metallic leather Chihuahua!

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Hot Hot! Hot!

Giorgio Armani will be bringing underwear to America in early 2008. Available only in Europe for years, the famed fashion house has decided to let Americans in on the Armani underwear experience. But wait, the best part of this event isn’t really the underwear…it’s who will be in them that has generated the most buzz (*note: Armani marketing execs get a little extra $$ in their Christmas stockings this year). David Beckham will be the new “face” of the Emporio Armani underwear line.

So, what does this mean for all of us? Simple: we get to see David Beckham baring his considerable “assets” in Armani underwear all across print and television starting in January. I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to it.

Becks is Hot and makes money!! Armani is smart and makes even more money!! We get to see David more than half naked and we spend money…and capitalism lives on. I always wonder why paying big name celebs big bucks to be the “face” of a product line actually works? It’s not as if David comes with the underwear. Yet I have no doubt that Becks' butt in Armani will ensure that by February 2008, tens of millions of American male butts will be outfitted in Armani too!

I guess it’s simple really: Women want him & Men want to be him. With that equation Armani can’t lose!

Go Team Beckham!!

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The Winter Season has arrived, ushering in HOT new trends in style & fashion and this year the “IT” shoes are off the charts. In fact, I’m tempted to stop writing and run out to the nearest Nordstrom, Steve Madden, Aldo or Neiman Marcus right now to exercise my credit card muscle. But…I wouldn’t do that to you, not without letting you in on the secret first.

Carrie & Mary Jane!

Ladies, I think most of us would agree; shoes are like chips…you can’t just stop at one pair. Carrie Bradshaw had it right all those years on Sex & the City…when in doubt, crisis, or celebration simply buy yourself a pair of shoes and all will be right in the world.

So, what’s “en vogue” for winter? I’m glad you asked. Here are some of the trends that will keep both you and your little tootsies hot all season long.

SIX "IT" SHOES FOR WINTER!

1.BLACK MARY JANE’S ARE MAKING A COMEBACK!!
2.TAN BOOTS
3.NUDE PEEP TOE PUMPS
4.COWBOY BOOTS
5.BARE LEGS & BOOTIES
6.RED PUMPS

~ Happy Hunting Girls!

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How much do we love Jennifer Garner? No sass and ALL class, she just exudes a quiet self-confidence that all women should aspire to. Her beauty truly shines from the inside out. Makeup, no makeup, jeans or all glammed up in a patterned Oscar De La Renta gown, Jen always looks fantastic. She is one of the few celebrities young girls can, and should look up to…unlike some others who shall remain nameless…at least for today.

In fact, Jennifer was just honored with the Icon Next Door Award at Glamour Magazine’s Woman of the Year Awards.

Congrats Jen!

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GUERLAIN or TWAIN? You decide!

Is it just me, or does this never-ending parade of new Celebrity and Cele-butante fragrances being paraded out for the holiday season smell a little bit like Eau De Self-Promotion? It just feels like celebrity overload…how much more money do these people need?

I long for the days of classy, couture fragrances that evoke the glamour of major fashion houses and icons: Dior, Chanel, Givenchy, Ralph Lauren and Versace. Granted these perfumes and colognes were, and still are, pricier than their Celeb counterparts but that was part of the fun.

These days it seems like anyone who ends up on tmz.com gets his or her very own “scent.” Yup nothing says glamour or indulgence like that perfume for $14.99 at Wal-Mart. Today we are SOOO fortunate to have scents (not actual sense) brought to us by literally EVERY-CELEB: Britney Spears, Shania Twain, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilerra, Gwen Stefani, J Lo, Paris Hilton, David Beckham, P. Diddy, Usher & the Dalai Lama…kidding, just making sure you’re still paying attention! And rumor has it that the Grand Dame herself, Madonna, will be cashing in too. It’s not surprising that everyone in LA LA land wants to cash in…isn’t that what they do? Seriously, does anyone honestly believe that Mariah Carey is wearing “M” by Mariah Carey? Or is it more likely that she’s wearing a Guerlain classic? My money is on Guerlain.

So, if you’d like to support this shameless grab for even more cash, visit your local pharmacy and get that special someone in your life, that special nauseating vanilla or musk scented Eau De fill-in-the-blank (celerity name here). I’m sure they’ll love it! Besides, isn’t it the thought that counts?

~ Cheers

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Hard to believe that it’s that time of year again, I think I hear the sleigh bells ring, ring ringing right now. Oh, nope, my mistake, that’s actually the sound of cash registers ringing across this great land. Yes that’s right, the joyful holiday season has sprung. A time of family, friends, food and fun…Oh who are we kidding here, we’re in it for the presents, even if we have to give them to ourselves, after all we deserve it! So, despite the hassle and expense, here are a few Holiday “must haves!” Ladies get ready, set, shop!

Anya Hindmarch’s, I’m Not a Plastic Bag, is for all you environmentalists out there plus it’s HOT…so hot that you might have to find one on ebay but this tote is so adorable it’s worth a try. Price starts at $49.99 but good luck finding one at all…let alone at this price, if you do, let me know.

Another hot item this season...again, are the updated UGGS. You’d think these would be so five years ago already, but surprisingly they keep coming up with fresh, contemporary versions of the original. Not cheap but sooo cute! The Classic Crocheted Tall start at $120 and they are flying off the shelves, so don't delay!

If you miss the boots do not despair, for the comfy flat will still be there…well, these are flying off the shelves too. Flats are all the rage this season. They offer comfort and style. Look for super chic styles from both Tory Burch and Bernardo at Neiman Marcus, Saks or Shopbop.

Tory Burch Flat

HAPPY HUNTING!

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Paris has decided to save the world...one tree at a time! She and her sidekick Tinkerbell, with help from her new BFF "Entourage" star Adrian Grenier, have decided to "go green." Apparently, Adrian is a vehement defender of the planet and believes that Paris can really help the cause. He's teaching her about all things "green" in the hopes that the bizarre media fascination with the heiress and....well that's about it actually, just heiress - will bring more attention to environmental causes . After all, Paris did promise Larry King that she was a changed woman after her stint in the clink...maybe this is her calling. Just not sure if green is really Tinkerbells' color!

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Real women everywhere rejoice…well maybe! CBSnews.com interactive's The Showbuzz reported this week in, Are Curvier Women Smarter? Study Of Body Fat Levels Suggests They Are that there is now empirical evidence proving that women who have hourglass figures, not only look hotter, they’re smarter than their rail thin counterparts. Bonus findings…the same research, just published in the journal of “Evolution and Human Behavior,” found that curvy women also tend to have smarter children!

She's destined to have brillliant offspring!

Team Healthy Bodies: 200 points
Team Unhealthy Bodies: 0 points

But wait…just when it seemed like health was winning and that the media driven definition of beauty…stick figures with large “upper assets” might be KO’d for good, now we’re facing yet another definition of perfection. According to this report, we should all divide our waist circumference by our hip circumference to determine our intelligence and chances of longevity. Apparently the lower your ratio the smarter you are and the smarter your offspring will be. Great! So just to recap…pretty much any woman who is ultra-skinny, healthfully slender, muscular/athletic, pear shaped, has broad shoulders, a small chest, a thicker middle, a flat butt etc…is just swimming at the bottom of the genetic pool? Puhleeze!!!

When will the world just let women be who they are? Society, and clearly the scientific community, needs to “get a collective life.” Aren’t there more important issues for behavioral science to be focused on? Oh, I don’t know…say the cycle of addiction for instance.

It’s time we all start to support each other and to encourage all women to be healthy…not skinny…healthy (whatever that is for each individual), fit, confident and proud. Let’s salute celebrities and trendsetters who embrace these ideals, women like Salma Hayek, Jennifer Lopez, Kate Winslet, Mary J Blige, Jamie Lee Curtis, Drew Barrymore, America Ferrera, Scarlett Johansson, Queen Latifah and many more.

Live, Laugh, Love!

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It’s time to face it…the ’80 are makin’ a comeback! For better or worse, the unforgettable decade of decadence, the “ME” decade and it’s fashion legacy of big hair, leg warmers, shoulder pads, acid wash jeans and neon leggings, has remarkably become “retro-cool.” Trend-setting Celebrities across the globe, most of whom missed the majority of the 1980’s on account of not having actually been born yet… have grabbed the fashion torch. From waist high jeans (possibly the most cruel and unflattering trend ever to be perpetrated upon womankind) to ballet slipper shoes, we can’t stop it…we can only hope to contain it.

Most recently, Celebs like Kanye West and Heroes’ Hayden Panettiere, have been sporting an oldie but a goodie. Seriously, this one is actually worth another “look” (pardon the pun)…Oakley FROGSKIN® Sunglasses.

The reborn FROGSKIN® have been so popular that Oakley will be offering them as part of a limited “Collectors Edition” series, unveiling a new color combination each month starting in January 2008, with the red frames and gray lense combo. Retail prices start at $100… but buyer be warned, demand is high and supplies are limited, so just like the world’s oil markets of late…prices will likely continue to rise. Just something to think about!

Hey, maybe once you pick up your FROGSKIN® you can go for a “cruise” in your Miada, jammin’ to the tunes of Corey Hart’s ‘80’s classic “I Wear My Sunglasses At Night!” Or perhaps not… At least the FROGSKIN® reminds us that the ‘80’s weren’t all bad!?

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