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Gossip Girl's Wild Party for Jenny/ Free Pantene / Rose Bryant Offer

Gossip Girl's focus on tonight's episode (8pm EST on the CW) will be Jenny Humphrey, who is turning 16. From the promo clips we gather that her party gets out of control. This episode also brings back the A-list friend of Serina, Poppy Lifton, who you may remember from the Fashion Week episode.

Chuck has finally decided he wants Blair. Blair wants Chuck, but she already tried too hard to get him to love her, and now she's moving on... to Nate? This does not look good for Vanessa, but she should be dating someone more intelligent, anyway. Nate is nice to look at, and I liked that Vanessa seemed to help bring out the best in him, but she was clearly upset when he chose a summer internship that his grandfather scored for him over the trip he had already planned with Vanessa.

What are Chuck and Vanessa to do? Both are jilted lovers.... leading to a perfect Gossip Girl plot (obviously, this must be Chuck's idea) to make their respective past lovers jealous. What's fun about watching Chuck and Vanessa together romantically on the show is that they probably aren't acting in their kissing scenes (I did read that they go a bit further than kissing...), as they have been dating since before Christmas in real life.

And I guess the Humphrey's are moving... in with Lily? Somewhere else on the upper-east side? The best moment in this clip is not Dan's lame recitation of the theme song to The Jeffersons, but rather Jenny lecturing him to stop watching so many old sit-coms on hulu...

What's the Latest with The Gossip Girl Spin-off? And When Can We Stop Calling It 'The Gossip Girl Spin-off?'

Brittany Snow and Andrew McCarthy on the set.

That's really all I've got. Well, that and a crazy rumor that once the spin-off (which will not be called Lily, Lily of the Valley, or The Valley - which is good, because I don't like any of those titles...) is up and running, the characters on that show may interact with the characters on the O.C. (Great! How many seasons of that show will I have to catch up on??) Here's one more promo for tonight's episode, but I find it annoying that the voiceover is being done by someone other than Kristen Bell...

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Free Full Size Pantene - Limited Time Offer

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*While supplies last. Samples from the Pantene Highlighting Expressions collection will be sent to additional registrants, while supplies last. Allow 6-8 weeks for delivery.

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Special April Offer: Purchase Any Rose Bryant Painting at Divine Cafe and Receive a Free Lunch

Rose Bryant and her friends at Divine Cafe are celebrating the beginning of spring. Stop in and have a fantastic, wholesome, dining experience at the Divine Cafe, plus enjoy Rose's color on their walls. Check out Rose's blog for more information.

While you are there say, "Rose Sent Me," and get a free "thank you" art card just for stopping in. If you see a painting you absolutely "must have," and then purchase it, your lunch for one is free that day or you can choose a $15 gift certificate to use for a later day. This offer is good only for the month of April. One art card per visitor. Happy dining!

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If you would like to have your store or products featured on Runway Ready, please email Mary Salmon or Deb Breneman about your business, sales, and events. Happy Shopping!

Posted by Mary Salmon at 07:00 AM | Comments (0)

Free Personal Shopper/ Elisabeth Hasselbeck Collection

Shop It To Me

I wanted to extend this exciting invitation to my readers. It’s a fabulous online personal shopping site that does the entire sale searching for you.

You can think of Shop It To Me as your free personal online shopper. Select your favorite apparel brands (such as Theory, Prada, Armani, Ella Moss, Juicy Couture, Seven Jeans, DKNY, or BCBG) and sizes.

Shop It To me scours the websites of leading retailers like Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales, Banana Republic, Gap, Zappos and Bluefly and send you a Salemail™ - a daily or weekly email summary of which new items go on sale in your size. Shop It To Me decided to create a different way to shop; they proactively send you clothing that matches your size and brand preferences as soon as it goes on sale.

The Washington Post described Shop It To Me as "a pick-me-up in the morning", "addictive" and "dangerous" with the caveat "boyfriends and husbands beware!" Who has time to look for all the sales? Sign up here!

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Elisabeth Hasselbeck Collection

Elisabeth Hasselbeck, current co-host of “The View”, is known for her outspokenness, never one to back down from a hot topic she is now adding another string to her bow. Debuting her collection for Dialogue available through QVC, she has designed a stylish and affordable line fit for any fashion minded woman.

Not only are the pieces budget friendly, priced between $40 - $80, but they are wearable and up to date with current trends. Fun prints, versatile pieces and her attention to detail made this collection almost sell out on the first day of showcasing. However, if you act fast you can still purchase a piece of Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s first Dialogue collection. Check it out on QVC!

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When Debbie Breneman isn’t shopping she’s reading your emails. You can contact her for sales, product info, reviews, interviews, events. You can spill it all at debreneman@gmail.com.

*** If you would like to have your store or products featured on Runway Ready, please email Mary Salmon or Deb Breneman about your business, sales, and events. Happy Shopping! ***

Posted by Mary Salmon at 12:57 AM | Comments (0)

Flush Fashion Show in Newburyport/ What is Lady Gaga Wearing??

Check out the Funk & Fashion at Mission Oak Room in Newburyport TOMORROW, 3/28

When: Saturday, March 28th, Doors @ 8PM / Show @ 9PM (ends at 11:30pm)
Location: Mission Oak Room, 26 Green St., Newburyport
Price: $10 in advance / $15 at the door
You can get your tickets at Mission Oak Room.

Models on the runway, Live music on the stage
Hot band, Hot fashions, Hot night. The FLUSH series hits Newburyport for the first time. THere wil be a full bar, DJ sets, dance floor, runway show & live performance from The Head, as well as clothing from area designers and boutiques. Drink specials featuring beer from Peak Organic and Hammer & Sickle Vodka !

Receive food specials the night of show with ticket. Also prize drawings and giveaways including $150 gift certificate to Mission Oak Grill. A portion of the proceeds to benefit the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Receive free ticket with purchase of FLUSH CD at Dyno Music in downtown Newburyport. The Wire calls it “Part Sly Stone and Parliament Funkadelic, part Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield, part R. Kelly and Gangstarr, the music on 'Flush' pays tribute to the genres of soul and hip-hop with contemporary takes on 1970s fare.....Each repeated listen enhances appreciation of its comic funk and soulful hip-hop musicology.”

Here's a video from the Feb. 4, 2009 Flush event at the Pearl in Portsmouth, NH:

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Lady's Gaga for Bubbles

Lady Gaga wears this bubble dress on her current Fame Ball tour. The New York Times' Moment blog noticed that it's almost identical to a Hussein Chalayan dress from his spring 2007 runway show. This upsets them:

Even if she admits that the Chalayan dress is what she’s “recreating,” that doesn’t negate my point. Why should she get away with “recreating” such a recent look? I love the fact that a mainstream artist is aware of these avant-garde designers, but it’s a disservice to both her and the designers to do a loving-hands-at-home version. That would be like Chalayan or Margiela “recreating” one of her songs, titling it “Jokerface” and scoring a hit single.

If that happened, it would be awesome. And yes, though designers copy each other all the time, it's perhaps slightly unfortunate that Chalayan is missing out on the publicity he might have received if Lady Gaga just wore the original. But we can't expect her to go for the original when it covers the crotch area, whereas hers does not. But still, why fixate on the negative? For once we're talking about what she is wearing (bubbles) instead of what she's not (bottoms). Her style is evolving (maybe), and blessed are we who witness it. Source: nymag.com/fashion

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Introducing Best Friends of Friendly's - Free Sundae Offer!!!

Friendly's is excited to announce BFF! As a BFF, you will receive a 'cool' offer, exclusive special event invites and more! Receive a sweet treat, just for signing up!

Once you're registered, you'll receive a Free 3-Scoop Sundae!

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If you would like to have your store or products featured on Runway Ready, please email Mary Salmon or Deb Breneman about your business, sales, and events. Happy Shopping!

Posted by Mary Salmon at 07:30 AM | Comments (0)

A-List Awards 2009/ Five Things You Can Do Today To Lose Weight

The A-List Awards 2009

Bravo is bringing A-List back with the second annual "The A-List Awards," which celebrates the best in food, fashion, beauty, design and pop culture. The awards honor those who have made an unforgettable mark in the arts and showcase some of the leading creative minds in today's society. Once again hosted by Emmy Award winner and "My Life on the D-List" star Kathy Griffin, "The A-List Awards" will film at The Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 5, with a special red carpet pre-show. Starting today, viewers can go to www.BravoTV.com/a-list-awards to vote for their favorite nominee and help determine the winner in a number of categories. Voting closes on March 31.

The nominees and categories for "The A-List Awards" include:

A-LIST TV SHOW - The freshest, most creative and innovative television program, be it comedy or drama, on-air in the past year.

The Cast of Gossip Girl, which you can read about weekly on Runway Ready...

"Gossip Girl"
"Mad Men"
"The Office"
"30 Rock"
"True Blood"

A-LIST ACTOR (Female) - Awarded to an actress in a scripted series whose character portrayal in the last year has moved, delighted, amused, enthralled and entertained us more than any other actress on television.

Chloë Sevigny

Christina Applegate, "Samantha Who"
Tina Fey, "30 Rock"
January Jones, "Mad Men"
Mary-Louise Parker, "Weeds"
Chloë Sevigny, "Big Love"

A-LIST ACTOR (Male) - Awarded to an actor in a scripted series whose character portrayal in the last year has moved, delighted, amused, enthralled and entertained us more than any other actress on television.

House (Hugh Laurie) Hopefully we'll get to hear his accent!

David Duchovny, "Californication"
Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"
Neil Patrick Harris, "How I Met Your Mother"
Julian McMahon, "Nip/Tuck"
Hugh Laurie, "House"

A-LIST STYLE (Male) - Awarded to the celebrity who is always on the best-dressed list.

What a great ad... Oh, yeah, that's Beckham

David Beckham
Anderson Cooper
Daniel Craig
Justin Timberlake
Kanye West

A-LIST STYLE (Female) - Awarded to the celebrity who is always on the best-dressed list.

Scar-Jo

Anne Hathaway
Scarlett Johansson
Michelle Obama
Rihanna
Gwen Stefani

A-LIST FUNNY - Awarded to the funniest of funny, the top of the heap, the cool of comedy.

Chelsea Handler - Watch her on E! at 11pm EST

Tina Fey
Ricky Gervais
Chelsea Handler
Conan O'Brien
Amy Poehler

A-LIST BREAK OUT - Presented to the celebrity who officially broke out this year.

Ms. Katy Perry - You may also want to check out these pics previously posted on Runway Ready

Rosemarie DeWitt - "Mad Men," "Rachel Getting Married"
Malia and Sasha Obama
Katy Perry
Mickey Rourke - "The Wrestler"
Robert Pattinson - "Twilight"

SEXIEST TV MOMENT - Presented to the couple that made our windows steamy and our TVS fog up.

The scene of Chuck & Blair in the limo on Gossip Girl

"Gossip Girl" - Chuck & Blair in the limo
"The L Word" - Elevator Scene
"Lost" - Sawyer & Kate on the chopper
"The Office" - Dwight & Angela
"True Blood" - Bill & Sookie's Love Scene

Beyonce is up for the next three awards

A-LIST ARTIST OF THE YEAR - Awarded to the artist that kept us coming back for more.
Beyonce
No Doubt
Katy Perry
Britney Spears
Kanye West

A-LIST ALBUM - Presented to the album that rocked our year.
Beyonce - I Am.Sasha Fierce
Coldplay - Viva La Vida
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Britney Spears - Circus
Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak

A-LIST DOWNLOAD - Given to the song that kept you dancing.
Beyonce - Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)
Britney Spears - Circus
Coldplay - Viva La Vida
Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake - 4 Minutes
Katy Perry - I Kissed a Girl

A-LIST DESIGNER - Presented to a fashion designer who has proven to be a tried and true trendsetter and taste maker.

Derek Lam

Derek Lam
Marchesa
Zac Posen
Nina Ricci
Jason Wu

A-LIST CELEBRITY DESIGNER - Presented to the celebrity whose designs we can't get enough of.

Gwen

Victoria Beckham - dVb Denim
Sean Combs - Sean John
Gwen Stefani - L.A.M.B.
Justin Timberlake - William Rast
Kanye West - Kanye Louis Vuitton Shoes

A-LIST KATE - Given to the Kate with the mostest.
(What a dumb category!)
Kate Beckinsale
Cate Blanchett
Kate Bosworth
Katie Holmes
Kate Hudson
Kate Jackson
Kate Moss
Katy Perry
Mary-Kate Olsen
Kate Winslet

A-LIST ABS - Awarded to the 6-pack that you can drink in without taking in a calorie.
Christian Bale
Tyson Beckford
David Beckham
Hugh Jackman
Matthew McConaughey

A-LIST CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY - Presented to the celebrity that most would like to read about.

Eminem - The Way I Am
Carrie Fisher - Wishful Drinking
Steve Martin - Born Standing Up
Maureen McCormack - Here's The Story: Surviving Marcia Brady
Tori Spelling - sToriTelling

REALITY'S GUILTIEST PLEASURE - Presented to the most popular and entertaining individual in a reality TV series.
The Girls Next Door -"The Girls Next Door"
Kim Kardashian - "Keeping Up with the Kardashians"
NeNe Leakes -"The Real Housewives Of Atlanta"
Bret Michaels - "Rock of Love"
Gretchen Rossi - "The Real Housewives Of Orange County"

A-LIST CELEBRITY RESTAURATEUR - Presented to the celebrity whose restaurant is more than just a fun place to hang out, it tastes good, too.
Ryan Gosling - Tagine, Beverly Hills
Ashton Kutcher - Geisha House, Dolce, Ketchup
Eva Longoria Parker - Beso, LA
Rose McGowan, Ben Harper, Laura Dern - Dominicks, LA
Sandra Bullock - Bess Bistro, Austin

A-LIST CHEF - Presented to a chef who has shown the greatest ingenuity and creativity with his or her culinary creations.
Grant Achatz - Alinea, Chicago, Ill.
David Chang-Ko - Momofuko, N.Y.
Todd English - Beso, Olives
Koren Grieveson - Avec, Chicago, Ill.
Gavin Kaysen - Caf Boulud, N.Y.

A-LIST RESTAURANT - Awarded to the restaurant that has put itself on the map as the most delectable eatery in the United States.
Anthos, N.Y.
Beso, Los Angeles, Calif.
Ko, N.Y.
The Publican, Chicago, Ill.
Scarpetta, N.Y.
Cochon, New Orleans, La.

A-LIST INNOVATION - Presented to the accessory we can't leave home without and would stand in line for.
Bugatti Veyron
4th Gen iPod Nano
New MacBook
Samsung Blu-Ray Player
Sony Vaio P series

A-LIST HOTEL - Awarded to the hotel that has put itself on the map for the place to visit.
101 Hotel, Reykjavik
Faena Hotel, Barcelona
The Gramercy Hotel, NYC
The Standard Highline, NYC
Haymarket Hotel, London

For a full list of nominees and categories, please visit www.BravoTV.com.

Check out the very funny Kathy Griffin’s opening song at last years “A-list Awards.”

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5 Things You Can Do Today To Lose Weight

Losing weight isn't always about the big changes. If you make a few small changes you might be surprised at what happens the next time you step on the scale.

1. Reconsider your sandwich toppings - Did you know mayo has twice the fat and calories of Miracle Whip? Try substituting it the next time you make a sandwich. Or, even better, skip it altogether and opt for mustard instead.

2. Don’t sacrifice flavor - You don't need to go completely fat-free to lose weight. Consider reducing your portion size by 1/2 on high fat or high carbohydrate items and instead, increase your fruit and vegetable servings. Your plate will still be full and you won't miss a thing.

3. Start taking the stairs- I know this one is a bit cliché, but seriously, if you start walking more and "riding" less your body will burn calories. And burnt calories result in weight loss.

4. Drink water - Not getting your 8 glasses a day? You're not alone. Try adding back some of the water you're missing. Yes, it may mean skipping some sodas or that third cup of coffee but the little effort will help fill you up and hydrate you. It may be a little known fact but dehydration is often mistaken for hunger. So before you grab that cookie, drink a glass of water and wait 15 minutes. You'll likely be surprised to find yourself not feeling so "hungry" anymore.

5. Stop mindless snacking - If you're going to snack, know what you're eating. Don't sit down with a bag of crackers. Measure out a portion then put the bag away. If you can resist sitting in front of the television with a snack, you can likely reduce a lot of calories each day by simply eating consciously.

For more weight-loss tips, visit www.weight-loss.families.com

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If you would like to have your store or products featured on Runway Ready, please email Mary Salmon or Deb Breneman about your business, sales, and events. Happy Shopping!

Posted by Mary Salmon at 12:02 AM | Comments (0)

What Your Handbag Says About You/ Jade Goody, Reality TV Star, Dies

What Does Your Handbag Say About You? Different Personalities are Revealed with Reversible Handbags

In a down economy, women are looking to spend wisely while gifting thoughtfully. Choosing a reversible handbag from 1154 LILL Studio – the Original Custom Handbag Company – means you can give (or treat yourself to!) two unique bags for the price of one!

A reversible handbag can reveal two different styles and personalities or accommodate completely different occasions. For instance, you could carry a bag for work, then flip it inside out and you’ve got an evening bag to carry out on the town.

A custom made, reversible handbag can reflect:

Personality- People are multifaceted and a reversible handbag from 1154 LILL lets you choose a bag to reflect your mood and personality on a daily basis. Wear your bold vibrant colors and patterns on days you are feeling sassy. Flip inside out to reveal a simple black and white pattern or solid color on days you are all about business. It’s up to you!

Occasion- Whether you’re going to work or having drinks with your friends, you can have one side with a bold pattern and other with a more conservative look. Because it’s two styles in one, it’s as easy as flipping it inside out.

Season- It’s the gift that keeps giving year round. Design a bag with one side in fall/winter colors and the other in fabric with spring/summer colors. You won’t have to worry about finding a bag for every season.

Wardrobe– Look in the closet of any woman and you’ll most likely find one black bag, and one brown bag. How about one bag to cover both bases? Or choose colors that you love – but that might not necessarily look great together – with a reversible bag from LILL you can choose a red pattern for one side and a pink pattern on the other!

With a variety of styles and fabrics, a handbag says more than you think and a reversible handbag from LILL makes the perfect gift. If you would like more information about the different styles of reversible bags or would like to opportunity to speak with Founder and President, Jen Velarde, please visit the web site.

1154 LILL Studio - In 1999, Jen Velarde founded 1154 LILL Studio as a concept that allows customers to interact creatively, express their individuality and create lasting memories of shared experiences - all around the collaborative design of handbags and accessories. Customers can shop online, at home parties and in LILL stores to mix and match from over 35 styles and between 150-250 ever-changing fabrics to create beautiful, personal products.

LILL Bags are individually tailored to your exact specifications in their Chicago-based production and administrative headquarters. In addition to local coverage, 1154 LILL Studio has been showcased nationally on The Today Show and in numerous magazines including O Magazine, People Magazine, Redbook and Brides Magazine.

For more information visit www.1154LILL.com.

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Jade Goody, Reality TV Star, Dies Following Battle with Cancer

Jade Goody, the British reality television star who at one time was the target of harsh criticism only to become one of the UK’s most admired personalities, has died following a battle with cervical cancer. Goody was 27-years-old.

Goody past away at her home early Sunday morning, surrounded by her family.

It was in 2002 that Goody shot to fame as a contestant in the reality show Big Brother and when she appeared in the 2007 version of Celebrity Big Brother it was her abrasive attitude towards Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty. Goody was attacked sharply by the media for her racist attitudes and she quickly became the face of the often overlooked problem of inherent racism.

Goody, who would later apologize for her behavior and express disgust for her comments, was reunited with Shetty in India’s version of Big Brother and it was during that run she learned of her illness.

After doctors told her that the cancer had spread to her liver, groin and bowel and that her disease was terminal she made it a point to raise awareness about cervical cancer as well as raise money to take care of her two sons when she past away.

Following news of her cancer Goody allowed the media to document her life on a daily basis, showing her trips to treatment, her interaction with her sons and her eventual marriage to Jack Tweed.

When Debbie Breneman isn’t shopping she’s reading your emails. You can contact her for sales, product info, reviews, interviews, events. You can spill it all at debreneman@gmail.com

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If you would like to have your store or products featured on Runway Ready, please email Mary Salmon or Deb Breneman about your business, sales, and events. Happy Shopping!

Posted by Mary Salmon at 12:11 AM | Comments (0)

Brown & Rihanna Sex Tape/ Budget Decorating/ H&M Spring Fashions

Chris Brown to Leak Rihanna Sex Tape...

Rihanna reportedly fears that boyfriend Chris Brown is set to leak a sex tape. Sources say the singer, who was allegedly beat by Brown during an argument last month, will be “mortified” if Brown leaks footage of them in bed.

“They’ve had tons of crazy nights in bed, and Chris has recorded many of them…They both have very kinky sides. Rihanna has no issues with her sexuality. But she’d be mortified if her friends and family found this out!” says a source.

Rihanna and Brown are “taking a break” from their relationship following their domestic violence case and reconciliation.

Brown, 19, was arrested in February for allegedly beating Rihanna. He has been charged with felony assault and making criminal threats. The pair spent three weeks apart following the incident but then reconciled. Sources say Rihanna and Brown are now taking a break while they get their lives back in order.

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Decorating Tips on a Budget

Take your apartment from bland to beautiful using hand-me-down furniture, flea-market finds, and a little creative thinking.

Just because you’re renting doesn’t mean you can't put your stamp on a space. To make her first apartment feel like a comfortable home, Caroline Barnhill gave her secondhand furniture new life by using a little artistic vision.

Create a Focal Point

The apartment's square white rooms presented a problem when it came to arranging furniture. To give the living room some direction, it needed a focal point. A vintage mantel -- a piece of architectural salvage purchased at a flea market -- helped dictate the furniture layout.

Because the mantel needed a bit more presence, Caroline stacked about 250 bricks behind it to create a faux hearth. A piece of plastic painting cloth underneath protects the carpet from being discolored by the bricks. All can be easily disassembled when she moves. Source: myhomeideas.com

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Brights and Whites at H&M Kids for Spring

Fashion is made easy for kids this season with a collection of all their favorite pieces to mix and match. There is everything from romantic pieces to sports inspired classics. A bright and happy color range complemented by soft pastels and fresh whites emphasize the optimistic feeling.

As in H&M's grown up collection, the look is kind of well-dressed and coordinated. For kids, you'll see a mix of romantic and classic styles with sports inspired pieces, denim, T-shirts and lots of fun accessories, according to H&M’s head of design Ann Sofie Johansson.

For girls the focus is on feminine blouses with pin tucks or crocheted details, little cardigans, skirts with embroidery, tank tops, frilly skirts and dresses, pointelle jersey tops and nostalgic Henley styles. White, bright colored or washed and worn denim jeans, chinos and T-shirts are there to mix and match. And accessories include bright socks, ballerina flats, jewelry, and sunglasses.

In the boys’ department, there are favorite basics like cotton shirts, polo shirts, plain, striped or front print T-shirts, to wear with washed and worn look jeans, white jeans, chinos or shorts. The jeans jacket is a classic, and the super cool fake leather lumber is combined with jeans and T-shirt. Accessories are caps, sunglasses, scarves, canvas- or studded belts, fun socks, sneakers. Visit H&M and check out these new styles!

When Debbie Breneman isn’t shopping she’s reading your emails. You can contact her for sales, product info, reviews, interviews, events. You can spill it all at debreneman@gmail.com

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If you would like to have your store or products featured on Runway Ready, please email Mary Salmon or Deb Breneman about your business, sales, and events. Happy Shopping!

Posted by Mary Salmon at 08:15 AM | Comments (0)

Gossip Girl TONIGHT! More Spin-off Scoop & Leighton Singing

New Gossip Girl TONIGHT! 8pm on the CW

This is the sneak peek we saw at the end of last week's episode. The episode airing tonight is entitled, 'The Grandfather':

I have decided not to post any spoilers. There's obviously going to be friction between Vanessa and Nate, now that his grandfather has entered the picture, he'll be sucked back into the world of wealth and power. Vanessa and Nate were never meant to be... Blair is with Carter at the end of last week's episode & it seems that she has decided to pursue Carter, just as Chuck finally comes to realize Blair is the one... Well, since the Blair/Chuck relationship is the best thing GG has going, they may as well drag it out ... for seasons! I also adore the black and white dress Blair is wearing in this episode & must find out who the designer is and how much it costs.

"Three DUIs now, is it?"


"I'm not going to play Where's Waldorf all night."

Gossip Girl Spin-Off Update

Gossip Girl head honcho Josh Schwartz spoke with E! Online this week about his man upcoming projects, including the Gossip Girl spinoff. Here's what he had to say:

Q: What's the skinny on the Gossip Girl spinoff?

A: We just finished shooting [the Gossip Girl episode that will serve as the spinoff pilot] and I'm really excited. I mean, you know obviously it's going to be out of my hands at a certain point in terms of whether it can move forward, but Brittany Snow is so good.

Q: She did kick ass on Nip/Tuck.

A: Funny. That's the footage that sealed the deal for me. When I saw her reel, and I saw the Nip/Tuck stuff and saw she could go to that bitch, badass side, I knew we had our Lily right then because eventually she's going to have to go there. She doesn't start off as that person, but she will become her.

Q: Will the show focus on Lily and Rufus and Allison at all? Or Serena's father?

A: No, it's Lily and her sister Carol. Brittany and Krysten Ritter have amazing chemistry as these mismatched sisters and Andrew McCarthy plays their father, which is incredible. We also got No Doubt to record a cover of Adam and the Ants' "Stand and Deliver" just for the show. They're going on tour and they don't have an album, so this is the only new song that they've done. They performed it on the show and everybody, Gwen [Stefani] and the band, were just super into it.

"Yeah, Bette Davis. I love her eyes ... her hair is Harlow gold." -S

Last week, in 'The Age of Dissonance,' Serena says, "Yeah, Bette Davis. I love her eyes ... her hair is Harlow gold." In context, probably the funniest line of the episode. I just found a video of Leighton Meester (Blair) singing Bette Davis Eyes:

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If you would like to have your store or products featured on Runway Ready, please email Mary Salmon or Deb Breneman about your business, sales, and events. Happy Shopping!

Posted by Mary Salmon at 09:55 AM | Comments (0)

Garage Dance to Benefit Feminist Health Center

Autoworks Hosts Annual Garage Dance to Benefit the Feminist Health Center

The stellar success of the 2008 ever popular Autoworks Garage Dance prompted, by popular demand, the return of the 2009 benefit dance for the Feminist Health Center of Portsmouth. The dance will be held Saturday, April 4, 2009 between 8pm and 12 pm at Autoworks in Kittery and will feature the music of a seacoast favorite, Ben Baldwin and the Big Note.

“We are thrilled about continuing this much-loved event for the community and enjoy transforming the garage into a party place where people can celebrate seeing each other and dancing in a unique setting. We are proud to support The Feminist Health Center by hosting this fundraiser,” stated Stephen Kosacz, President of Autoworks, and his wife, Tannye Wold, former member FHC Board of Directors.

“We are so excited about the upcoming Garage Dance. When we first opened in Portsmouth in 1980, the community welcomed and assisted us through locally organized fundraisers, including dances at the Masonic Temple in Portsmouth. The Garage Dance represents a return to that grass roots support that nonprofit organizations absolutely need in order to be responsive to the community. To have our old friends Ben Baldwin and the Big Note playing and to have Stephen Kosacz provide his facility and backing is absolutely fantastic,” said Pam Kirby, a founder of the Center and now a member of its Board of Directors.

“In addition to the support of Autoworks and The Big Note, we have several community members and groups and businesses who have signed on as sponsors including Donnajean Ahigian and Jeff Gordon, Karin Barndollar, Anne Catell and George Samuels, Founding Mothers of FHC-P, ggXTech, David Wold Piano Studio, Lyons Law Offices, and Pie in the Sky Bakery among others,” stated Holly Zurer, Board President. “It is an exciting, low-fuss, low cost, fun event. It is a great way to support a worthy organization and cause, and to have a great time. We are happy to have this event and are fortunate to have broad community support. We are expecting the event to sell-out again this year.”

The Feminist Health Center, located in Greenland, NH, was founded in 1980 in the heart of Portsmouth and moved to Greenland in 1987. Since 1980, the Center has provided quality health care and counseling services to men and women in the areas of sexually transmitted disease, gynecological care and first Trimester abortions. As a non profit organization, the health center also provides outreach education services throughout the seacoast communities. For more information about the dance and the organization, please go online.

This is a BYOB event that includes fabulous food donated by many seacoast businesses. Tickets are $30 and are on sale now and can be purchased at Autoworks at 107 Government St. in Kittery or online.

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If you would like to have your store or products featured on Runway Ready, please email Mary Salmon or Deb Breneman about your business, sales, and events. Happy Shopping!

Posted by Mary Salmon at 08:08 AM | Comments (0)

ECOBAGS - The Original Reusable Bag / Madonna - Get Stupid remix

I want to let you know about some great Spring/Summer products from ECOBAGS®, The Original Reusable Bag Company™. With winter almost over and the flowers about to start blooming – it’s time to add some more color into your life. There’s no better way to do that, than with Classic String Bags™ for your grocery shopping, gardening or toting around town!

These versatile Fair Wage/Fair Labor, sustainable, reusable bags are made from Natural and/or Organic Cotton and are sure to last and bring you joy for years and years.

Classic String Bags™ are available at ecobags.com. They are machine washable and can carry up to 40 pounds. You can take them to the grocery store, farmers' market, the mall, around town for errands, to the gym (your smelly gym clothes won’t contaminate this gem!), or to the beach (where you can leave the sand behind), carry around your gardening tools or tote home your new plants/flowers, you can use these bags for just about anything! No matter how you choose, you know you’ll be helping our environment and looking good too!

Color options aren’t a problem as they are available in a wide variety of choice selections: Earth Tones, Jewel Tones, Garden Collections, Pastel Assortments, Natural Cottons, Tropical, Fiesta and classic assortments too!
They also come with optional, useful functions like long handles (over the shoulder) or a Milano Style which has a thicker/wider handle (2”). You can purchase these Classic String Bags™ individually or in groups of five. Prices vary starting at $5.25 for individual bags and reach $34.99 for the sets.

The reason ECOBAGS® was created is simple: They exist to provide products, information and inspiration that help people reduce, re-use and recycle. Starting with the simple step of bringing your own reusable cloth bag to shop may seem trivial, but it creates a "mindset." Like anything, the more people who take this simple step, the more it becomes the natural and right thing to do.

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Madonna - Get Stupid remix

Concert video designed by Johan Soderberg for Madonna's Sticky & Sweet tour. This is the FULL VERSION.

Madonna footage : Steven Klein
Graphics: David Nord
Archive research : Jonas Goldmann

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If you would like to have your store or products featured on Runway Ready, please email Mary Salmon or Deb Breneman about your business, sales, and events. Happy Shopping!

Posted by Mary Salmon at 10:10 AM | Comments (0)

Robot Hits Catwalk/ Keeping Skin Young & Healthy/ Product Review

Japanese Fashion Robot to hit Tokyo Catwalks

Japanese researchers have unveiled a robot that will soon strut her stuff on a Tokyo catwalk. The girl-faced humanoid boasts 42 motion motors programmed to mimic the movements of flesh-and-blood fashion models. The fashion-bot had her first media outing on Monday.

From IT labs to photo grabs, a Japanese humanoid robot will soon be strutting her hard- and soft-ware stuff on the fashion catwalk.

The sleek HRP-4C runs on battery-powered motors located in her body and face, allowing the expressions, gait and poses of a supermodel, but on a stormtrooper-like silver and black frame.

The current 43 kg (95 lb), 158 cm (5 ft 2 inch) Cybernetic model has slimmed-down from an earlier 58 kg (128 lb) robot ahead of a Tokyo fashion show debut on March 23.

Its new shape is designed to match the average Japanese woman and has eyes, face and hair based on Japanese "anime" comics, said Masayoshi Kataoka of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, which developed the robotic model.

There are no immediate plans to bring the $2 million HRP-4C to market.

Japan, home to almost half of the world's 800,000 industrial robots, expects a $10 billion industry in the future, particularly as helpers for its growing elderly population.

But designers of the posing humanoid says she is wired just for entertaining, not housework. source: yahoo.com

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Tips for Keeping Skin Young and Healthy Looking

Nothing defines your age more than your skin. If you have a few gray hairs you can easily color them with hair dye, but once your skin has begun to show the signs of age it can be very difficult to make it look young again. Your skin is the largest organ in your body and it is very important to keep it as healthy as your heart, lungs and liver. Skin protects us from the extremes of our environment and from pollutants in the air around us. Fortunately the same things that will keep your skin healthy will also keep it younger looking.

The sun is your skin’s worst enemy. When you sunburn your skin you damage the cells. When skin cells are damaged, your skin must generate new cells to replace them and this process weakens your skin every time it is repeated. Your skin will suffer from premature aging if you don’t protect if from UV rays and repeated sunburns. Not only can UV rays cause your skin to look older than it is but they can also cause skin cancer. The only way to fully protect your skin is to use a sun block cream every single day. You can find daily moisturizers with UV protection as well as foundation makeup with SPF’s up to 15. Wear a hat or visor to protect your face from the sun. Clothing alone will not protect your skin from UV rays. The more exposure you have to ultraviolet rays the more wrinkles you will find on your skin in the coming years.

Besides causing lung cancer, yellowed teeth, and a terrible odor, smoking also causes your skin to age prematurely. Smoking depletes your skin of oxygen and nutrients and breaks down the skin’s stores of collagen and elastin. The skin of a smoker becomes dried out and wrinkled because it is dehydrated and has lost its resiliency. Smoking can also cause your skin to look pale or grayish in color. Quitting smoking will improve your health and the appearance of your skin greatly.

One way to keep your skin from wrinkling is to keep it hydrated from within. Drinking plenty of water really does help your skin become healthier and less susceptible to wrinkles. Eight to ten glasses of water per day might sound like quite a bit but our bodies really need that much water to stay healthy inside and out.

Skin needs plenty of oxygen to stay healthy and what better way to get extra oxygen than to exercise. Do regular aerobic exercises and fill your lungs up with as much oxygen as you can breathe in. Exercising keeps your skin toned and your body in good shape. When your body is in good shape it is better equipped to keep its organs healthy.

Exfoliated skin is healthy skin. It’s important to exfoliate the dead cells from your skin on a regular basis to keep your skin looking good. If you don’t exfoliate your skin it will be less able to benefit from the creams and moisturizers you apply to it. Rubbing sea salt on your skin with a bit of water is an excellent way to exfoliate. Loofah sponges and pumice stones are also good for revealing your healthy skin. When you wash your skin always use gentle cleansers that do not contain oil or alcohol. Regular soap can be very drying for your skin and leave a residue as well.

Using a moisturizer every day will help your skin stay elastic and healthy looking. A moisturizer should be used all over the body each time you bathe or shower. Body oil applied to slightly wet skin after a shower will help seal in moisture and keep your skin from drying out. Use a moisturizer on your face in the morning and at night. Vitamin C creams can provide excellent wrinkle control and they may also help brown spots to fade. A product that contains alpha hydroxy acids can be effective in keeping your skin younger looking as well. Expensive creams that claim to restore certain elements to your skin are not usually effective.

If you take good care of your skin from the inside out it will provide you with many years of protection without making you look older than your years. Make skin care a regular part of your routine.

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Making Faces - Product Review:

Start your skin program out with the microdelivery micro-massage exfoliating wash that can be found at Making Faces, located at 65 Bow Street in Portsmouth.

I think starting off your skin routine with a non-drying wash is important in keeping healthy skin. I recently started using the microdelivery micro-massage exfoliating treatment; it’s mild, exfoliating facial cleanser that is designed to effectively cleanse the skin while providing resurfacing benefits.

I found it to be gentle enough to use daily and the formula is sulfate-free and I read that its ingredients are designed to replenish and protect the skin with topical antioxidants as it helps condition the skin and retain its moisture level, which is what we women want out of a wash. I found it left my skin smooth.

Also check out the microdelivery peel micro-massage exfoliating wash that claims it resurfaces and replenishes the skin with vitamin C. I read it just won the prestigious CEW (Cosmetic Executive Women) award for best cleanser and scrub. in May '08.

When Debbie Breneman isn’t shopping she’s reading your emails. You can contact her for sales, product info, reviews, interviews, events. You can spill it all at debreneman@gmail.com

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If you would like to have your store or products featured on Runway Ready, please email Mary Salmon or Deb Breneman about your business, sales, and events. Happy Shopping!

Posted by Mary Salmon at 11:36 PM | Comments (0)

Local Sales/ The Hills (Season 5) Preview/ Coupon Clippers

Bella Intimates, the Seacoast Premier Bra Fit Specialist

Sensational Sleepwear Sale

Bella Intimates caters to women in a variety of sizes, carrying many of the basic foundations and the basic bottoms, mastectomy breast forms; swimwear is also available. Bella Intimates features the latest in sleepwear and loungewear, and offers a bridal registry, with a large selection of special pieces for the bride.

Check out this month’s sale with:

Buy 1 item Receive 20% off
Buy 2 items Receive 30% off
Buy 3 items Receive 40% off
Buy 4 items Receive 50% off

The sale ends March 28, 2009.

Shelly is also excited to announce the launch of Bellaintimatesnh.com, coming in the very near future. "As many of you know, the website was to have been completed back in 2005, before Shelly's dianognis of colon cancer. Ironically, the website will debut this month which happens to be colon cancer awareness month. Shelly thanks you for your patience and support.

Visit Bella Intimates 150 Lafayette Rd Rye NH or call 603-964-7775

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The Hills (Season 5 Trailer) - Spring 2009

When asked about another season (season five starts April 6 with nine episodes), executive producer Adam DiVello tells us exclusively, "I can’t even say if there is a next season. I have no information for you on The Hills beyond Lauren Conrad. We're focusing on this season, and this will likely be our highest-rated season yet. I think a lot of people are going to tune in to see Lauren wrap her storyline."

Especially after MTV's gripping season-five trailer, showing that Lauren and Heidi Montag will cry and makeup and become BFFs again, right?

Well, maybe not.

Adam admits that trailer is not what it seems...

"What you see in the trailer, with Lauren and Heidi is very deceiving," Adam tells us. "You'll see that in one of the first few episodes of the season, that when they wake up the next morning from that [reconciliation], things may not be as they had hoped. But it’s a rollercoaster ride for these two. They are at a point where they are ready to forgive each other, but there’s still this looming presence of Spencer Pratt in Heidi’s life, and that’s the thing Lauren is dealing with the most."

This season's focus is on Lauren tying up loose ends and figuring out how to move on with her life. (Duh!) "It's pretty surprising," Adam says. "A lot of the characters on the show come to the realization that we’re getting to a point now in life where we can put the past behind us and move on."

Meanwhile, Lo Bosworth takes a front seat this season with storylines around her new job (yes, she's working now) and her love life (finally!). "Lo steps up this season more so than last," says Adam. "She's a single girl, so you'll see her dating a lot more, and still palling around with Lauren."

Are you looking forward to the new season? Do you think The Hills should come back for a Lauren-less season six? Do you care if Lauren and Heidi truly kiss and make up or not? Source: E!

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All She Wears March Sale

Hampton Boutique, All She Wears, features everything a woman may need for office apparel and casual or sophisticated (and sexy!) evening wear. There’s a wide selection of beautiful hand-picked pieces of jewelry, Italian handbags and more

Head down and take advantage of 75 percent off selected items throughout the boutique spend $100 and get an extra 20 percent off, including some styles of ‘Not Your Daughters Jeans’. These fabulous jeans guaranteed to make you look absolutely amazing! An exclusive slimming design with a special hidden panel flattens your tummy while contouring your hips and lifting your behind. Each pair is cut to fit your curves comfortably without looking too tight or too boxy.

Sale ends March 31, 2009

Visit All She Wears at 461 Lafayette Rd, Hampton, NH or call 603-929-0055

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Coupon Clippers

At a time when many Americans are struggling financially, coupon clipping can be a survival skill.

Here’s five quick ways to find coupons without burning a bunch of time hunting for them:

1. Pick up a copy of the Sunday edition of a major newspaper (preferably, Portsmouth Herald). There are usually a few included sections of solid coupons. Clipping the useful ones takes just a couple of minutes.

2. Visit the website of your preferred grocery store chain before you visit. Many of them have coupon sections.

3. If there’s something you buy a lot of, Google for it and add the word “coupon.” You’ll usually find something in the first few links. For instance, if you buy a lot of Gerber baby food and Pampers diapers, Googling for “Pampers coupons” or “Gerber coupons” will usually point you to coupons or an easy method of getting them (like filling out a form or something).

4. Print multiple copies of any coupons that really wow you. We like to make frozen prepared meals about once a week, because we’re often stretched for time as it is and they are extremely easy to prepare. So when we found a $3 off coupon for Bertolli frozen dinners (which are quite good and very easy!), we printed a bunch of them and take one with us during each store visit.

5. Keep an eye out for double or triple coupon days at local grocery stores. There are a couple grocery stores nearby that have regular double coupon days; you can find out when they are by checking this list and then seeing if any of their chains (or subsidiary chains) are near you, then ringing the store to ask when they do them. I often get stuff for free (or very close to it) with double coupons - just yesterday, in fact, I got twelve containers of Yoplait yogurt (a popular item around my house) for four cents apiece. Source: thesimpledollar.com

Here's are some web sites and helpful tips from coupon clipper and good friend Sheri Burgoon

GroceryCouponsUSA.com
CoolSavings.com
Eversave.com
PG.com - Proctor & Gamble's site

These sites are all free, and/but registering on any site leaves you open to potential spam emails. It is strongly suggested that you use a WEB email address like Yahoo, Gmail, etc. to keep spam from an Outlook account... some folks set up a web-based email account just for coupon sites. The other thing to know about the printable coupon sites is that even as they're individual entities, the coupon offers are usually the same... that, and new ones don't come up as often as I'd like. Families with children arguably get the best savings from these sites, as they are clearly geared to that demographic.

It also makes sense to check the specific manufacturer's site. I'm not nearly an expert at using coupons optimally...! Some advice I've found online that make a lot of sense are things like never buying health & beauty products unless they're on sale. OR household needs like paper towels... and of course, at once have a coupon in tow when you buy said products on sale!

By far the best in-store and/or online rewards company is CVS... They send me coupons via email to save $5 off a $20 purchase or $25 purchase almost weekly. Also, make sure you have their ExtraCare card.

Eversave.com is a site where you can earn you actual $$ for reading 'paid emails', playing online games, doing online shopping... it's painless enough to click on a 'paid email'. And/but you're then asked to 'submit' or 'skip' any number of sponsor offers. You're not gonna get rich by any means using this site. But if you have spare time... I've got $15 in my account just from reading paid emails, and/but not having accepted any offers as I didn't want/need any of them, and I'm not personally interested in playing online games via this site.

MyPoints.com site allows you to gain 'points' for reading 'bonus emails.' You get 5 points for reading the email, that is a specific offer from a sponsor. You get varying extra points if you accept the offer. Offers range from getting an insurance quote, to signing up for other sites like Zoompanel.com. For those who do online shopping, this can be a good way to gain many points, that are redeemable for online purchases for things like electronics.

When Debbie Breneman isn’t shopping she’s reading your emails. You can contact her for sales, product info, reviews, interviews, events. You can spill it all at debreneman@gmail.com

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If you would like to have your store or products featured on Runway Ready, please email Mary Salmon or Deb Breneman about your business, sales, and events. Happy Shopping!

Posted by Mary Salmon at 06:22 AM | Comments (0)

Gossip Girl is Back! / Another Veronica Mars Alum Joins Spin-off

Gossip Girl is finally back! (On the CW, tomorrow night - Mar. 16 - at 8pm EST). The episode is entitled "The Age of Dissonance;" The Constance Billard and St. Jude seniors are putting on a school play together. Participation is mandatory and this year's selection is "The Age of Innocence."

Blair receives terrible news as soon as the episode begins. Nelly Yuki got into Yale instead of her. The head Mistress confirms that someone leaked Blair's hazing of Ms. Carr to the school and they rescinded her early acceptance as a result. Nelly pleads not guilty to this charge, so Blair is left to wonder who ratted her out. The suspicions intensify as everyone received a Gossip Girl blast that outlines Blair's former, shady relationship with Marcus. Now, Blair knows who the culprit must be: Vanessa.

Meanwhile, Serena has enlisted Vanessa's help: Serina has a crush on the self-involved play director and needs Vanessa to help her get his attention. The director, Julian, heads over to Serena's apartment prior to opening night of the play. As they read lines together, Vanessa is on a blue-tooth, whispering helpful pieces of information into Serena's ear, the sort of insight into old books and movies that a haughty, stuffy director would appreciate. Unfortunately, Nate overhears Vanessa speaking sweet nothings into the phone - for Serena to relay to Julian across town, and thinks she is speaking to Julian herself. He suspects that something is going on between these two.

Gossip Girls in the Magazines...

Jessica Szohr (Vanessa) is on the cover of the April issue of Lucky magazine.

Blake Lively (Serina) is on the cover of the April UK edition of Marie Claire

InStyle magazine features Leighton Meester (Blair) this month

Gossip Girl Spin-off Update

I am thrilled to report that Ryan Hansen has been cast on the Gossip Girl spin-off. He is the actor who played Dick Casablancas on Veronica Mars. Lost alum Cynthia Watros is close to a deal to play Lily's mom, CeCe. Andrew McCarthy is also joining the cast, as Lily's father.

Here is a photo of Brittany Snow in costume, as the young Lily van der Woodsen. It is going to be a lot of fun to revisit 80s fashion on the spin-off!

For more Gossip Girl promo clips, information on upcoming Season 2 episodes & the Spin-off, check out the Feb 28 entry of Runway Ready.

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If you would like to have your store or products featured on Runway Ready, please email Mary Salmon or Deb Breneman about your business, sales, and events. Happy Shopping!

Posted by Mary Salmon at 08:25 PM | Comments (0)

Twilight Catfight?/ Reactions to Rihanna/ Banana Republic & Camuto

Rihanna - Oprah's Advice & Roseanne's Criticism

If there is anything positive happening as a result of Chris Brown's vicious attack on Rihanna, and worse, her decision to stay with him after the incident, it would be that it has opened up discussions about domestic abuse all over the country. Oprah Winfrey warned Rihanna and women everywhere on her program that if a man hits you once, he'll hit you again. "I've said before love doesn't hurt, and if a man hits you once, he will hit you again," Winfrey said during a show about domestic violence with guest Tyra Banks, a month after the domestic incident between singers Rihanna and Chris Brown.

Although Brown has been charged with two felonies for allegedly attacking Rihanna, rumors continue to swirl that the duo are back together. Reports also indicate the two are recording a song together about love and that they may co-author a book about domestic violence. Maybe these are just rumors; time will tell.

"It's so sad that even when you grow up in an environment and you disdain that environment, you really cannot help yourself until someone helps you," Winfrey said.

Banks, who's interviewed both Brown and Rihanna separately on her show, said both singers have told her about their previous bouts with domestic abuse. "Rihanna told me that her parents used to argue so intensely and she used to get these headaches, almost migraines ... and it was almost living hell for her," Banks said. "The moment her parents separated, the headaches went away." Banks also said Brown witnessed domestic violence in home with a man his mother was with. That scared him so much she said that Brown used to pee in his bed.

"When you grew up in an environment where there is abuse, it's more acceptable to you," Winfrey said. "If you go back with a man who hits you it's because you don't think you're worthy of being with a man who won't."

Rihanna "thinks she has him right where she wants him."

Roseanne Barr expresses in her blog that she believes Rihanna is enjoying a sense of control over Chris Brown. Rihanna "thinks she has him right where she wants him now. His career is over, and he is working her to help him get it back. She thinks that since he needs her and has shown some contrition, that she can call the shots now. Violent people are control freaks, and she thinks she is in control right now. Violent couples also have passionate make up sex, and that keeps a lot of battered and beaten women hooked. Once she realizes that her fans and their parents are going to write her off completely and end her career as well as his if she stays with him, that might convince her not to do that."

"Her publicists and agents and lawyers and producers are all telling her not to risk she and brown's tandem endorsements (they don't care if she lives or dies, as long as they get their money). She is being played and used and isolated from her father. Her greed and her participation in violence, plus not wanting to cross Diddy, who wants her to put her life on the line, are powerful lures to stay in hell with a monster. I hope she lets go of her need to control other people. I hope she thinks about the horrifying message she is sending to young women and young men. She will never survive choosing brown over her dad."

That's just one woman's opinion, but some of the points Roseanne raises make sense. I hope Rihanna will realize she is not setting a good example for all the young women who admire her. She may not have asked to be a role model, but she is one, and right now, she is not setting an example I would want other young women to emulate.

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90210's AnnaLynne McCord Crashes Her Mini Cooper, Bows Out of Twilight Sequel

AnnaLynne McCord gets into a car accident on La Cienega in West LA on Tuesday, March 10. The 21-year-old actress wrecked her new silver e Mini Cooper as she rear-ended a new Range Rover. AnnaLynne left the scene unscathed, but her car had to be towed from the scene.

AnnaLynne returns with new 90210 episode “The Bad & the Trusted” on Tuesday, March 31.

Meow! (Hiss!)

Who has her claws out? Star reports, “Twilight star Kristen Stewart went crazy after finding out that 90210’s AnnaLynne McCord was in line for a part as a sexy seductress in the upcoming Twilight sequel!”

“Kristen was jealous and annoyed by the attention heaped on AnnaLynne,” dishes a source to the magazine, "but it looks like Kristen won the war as Stars says that AnnaLynne has bowed out of the production, citing scheduling conflicts. It is Star magazine, so take it with a grain of salt. As Chelsea Handler asked on her program the other night, "Where do they get their news? A Ouija board?!"

It is true, at the very least, that AnnaLynne had auditioned for a small role in New Moon, the upcoming sequel to Twilight. OK! reports that McCord tried out for the part of Heidi, a "fisher" for the vampire clan Volturi. In Twilight lingo, a fisher would be someone who lures humans into being vampire food for the undead. "It's not a big part. Heidi would be more like a cameo," a source says.

McCord already has a connection to the Twilight production. Her friend Kellan Lutz, 25, who played George Evans in five episodes of 90210, stars as Emmett Cullen in the film series. (The two are rumored to be more than friends.) It is also true that the actress revealed at the premiere of her new film, Fired Up, "I am so disappointed, but it doesn't look like it is going to happen with my schedule." The only thing that's unclear is if she was actually offered the role or if Kristen Stewart really had anything to do with her decision to turn it down.

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Banana Republic & Camuto Launch Footwear Partnership

Exquisite leathers. Expert craftsmanship. Geometric stacked heels. These are just a few elements that distinguish Banana Republic’s new signature shoe line for women.

Banana Republic recently introduced the new assortment in partnership with Camuto Group Inc., known for producing such high-profile brands as Tory Burch, BCBG Max Azria and Theory. The shoes are available in approximately 300 Banana Republic stores and online at bananarepublic.com.

Camuto will leverage the factories they work with in Brazil, China, and Asia to source and develop higher-quality product and shorter production time “We’re going to be more on trend,” said Jason Bennett, senior manager, Licensing for Banana Republic. “We can leverage Camuto’s production expertise to identify trends faster.”

The new styles are designed for comfort with exclusive hardware, colors, finishes and designs. Spring styles include versatile sculpted wedges, ballerina flats and soft, tumbled leather pumps with natural stacked heels - all at affordable prices.

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If you would like to have your store or products featured on Runway Ready, please email Mary Salmon or Deb Breneman about your business, sales, and events. Happy Shopping!

Posted by Mary Salmon at 12:45 PM | Comments (0)

The Handbag/ Steve-O On Dancing With The Stars/ Job Seekers Beware

The Handbag

Like the robin and forsythia, the handbag is the harbinger of spring; one of the first accessories we reach for to add some color to the darker palette of winter. Puttin' on the Glitz has invested in handbags of every size, shape and color for spring - and for you.

Large totes and hobos made from environmentally friendly materials in spring-grass green or baby-duck yellow, or bright retro prints make the perfect everyday bag. They also have the Classic Collection; smaller, chic, shaped handbags in a palette of soft spring colors that will do double-duty for both day and evening. These bags are priced from $29 - $79, offering an affordable lift for your wardrobe and your spirits.

If you're looking for something a little more luxurious, they also have overnight bags by Atenti. Atenti is Argentinean slang for ATTENTION, which is exactly what YOU will command when you carry one of their stunning bags. Made from innovative fabrics and embellishments, these are beautifully crafted bags that will see you through any overnight or weekend excursion in high-fashion style. New to the Atenti Collection are the Satchel and the Doctor Bag. Now you can complete a set with an overnighter, cosmetic bag, and handbag to match. You'll be Movin' in Style.

Puttin' on the Glitz's extensive collection of vintage hand-beaded handbags from 1920 – 1970 is to die for, and ever changing. Gorgeous and elegant, these bags are works of art in and of themselves; making them a memorable gift for someone special, or for you. They'll provide the perfect finishing touch to any outfit that demands a little glamour.
Puttin' on the Glitz will help you look your very best at every turn. They offer the best value at every price point, the most unique looks, and unrivaled customer service. In other words - EXTRAordinary luxuries, at affordable prices!
To help you welcome spring, Puttin' on the Gliz is offering you 15% off any of their new spring bags. But, that's not all – their entire collection of small leather goods is now 50% off!

Simply visit wwwputtinontheglitznh.com and sign up for newsletters and receive coupons to print out and visit the shop March 15 - 20 and save BIG!

There are many box and chain stores to go to for a good-value handbag, but Puttin' on the Glitz hopes you'll remember the critical need to shop locally and support your neighbors. Equally importantly, they have a collection that is both chic and totally on budget. Puttin on the Glitz invites you to look there FIRST! Stop by the shop and see the new collections; spring is just around the corner!

Puttin' on the Glitz is located at 150 State Street in downtown Portsmouth, NH.

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Steve-O on Dancing with the Stars

Steve-O, the professional daredevil (or idiot, if you prefer) made famous by Jackass, is on the new season of Dancing With The Stars, and watching his debut waltz last night only confirmed my suspicions that he very well may be able to win the entire contest this season. Steve-O is known for pulling stupid stunts such as stapling his ass cheeks together and waxing his eyebrows off, but he is also known for being an alcoholic and a drug addict. He finally entered rehab in 2008 and apparently has been taking his sobriety very seriously ever since. Steve-O is funny and charming and has a heart-warming story in that dancing is something that can help him maintain his sobriety, and if you watch the video of his waltz with partner Lacey Schwimmer, I think you’ll jump on the Steve-O bandwagon too.

PS: How cute is it that the rest of the Jackass is in the audience to support him!?

Source: holywire

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Job Seekers Beware Of Online Job Scams

In these tough economic times, many of us are looking for work to make ends meet. The Internet is great global marketplace for different types of work which can be done at home: freelance writing, editing, data entry, blogging, forum posting, home-based call center, and a lot more. Isn’t it great – to avoid office environment and wear your pajamas as a uniform?

The Internet is very convenient for job hunting because you can find vacancies in different parts of the country and even the world! You new employer can be from the USA, Canada, France or Hungary. However, the same feature makes the Internet a very effective tool for fraudulent activity. That’s why looking for decent project jobs online, you can become a victim of scammers.

Increasing unemployment makes job hunters more and more desperate. If you have been out of work for a long time, you can be ready for almost any work! It can make you lose the common sense. Scammers are capitalizing on job seekers’ desperation. Beware of online job scams in order to protect yourself and your money!

One of the most frustrating things for any job hunter is to take the time to apply for a job and then find out that it was just a scam. It can lower your self-confidence and lead to depressions. If you don’t want to waste a lot of your energy on an application for nothing, take into consideration the following popular online job scams.

The Payment-Forwarding or Payment-Transfer Scam

Payment-transfer scams, also called the payment-forwarding scams, involve a con artist who pretends to be an employer. He offers high wages for transferring, forwarding or wiring money from your personal bank account or PayPal account. The other account is often overseas. For example, a company in Eastern Europe can ask you to use your PayPal account for transferring money because this service is unavailable in their country.

Such con artists can be very convincing. They may steal company names and corporate logos to make victims believe that they are a legitimate business owner. The job hunter is instructed to keep a portion of the money he or she needs to transfer as a payment – it can be as high as several hundred or thousand dollars. Tempting bait, right?

The reality is not so nice. Typically, this money is stolen. That’s why people are committing theft and wire fraud. You can even be imprisoned for this crime! The con artist can also trick you into revealing your PayPal account and PINs. After that, as you understand, they can access your account and withdraw all your money.
If you want to avoid the payment-forwarding scam, keep in mind that there is no job sitting at home, receiving money and sending it to other accounts. People like to think it is possible, and that’s why this type of scam is so successful.

Identity Theft

Scammers often create phony job ads to make job seekers reveal their personal or financial information. Similar to the previous scam, they steal company names and logos to pretend that they are legitimate business owners hiring for a job.

During the job application process, the scammer says that it is necessary to attach a copy of your driver’s license or passport to e-mail to "verify" your identity. Or, the scammer can ask you to state your SSN for “future tax purposes”. Be careful: if somebody hasn’t hired you yet, he definitely doesn’t need your social security number. This information will be used to commit identity theft!

There is another way to trick you into revealing your personal information: online surveys which offer to earn money while working a couple of hours at home. Some of such websites are just scams. Typically, you need to enter a lot of your personal information in order to determine what surveys match your lifestyle and background. Try to avoid such survey sites if you are not 100% sure about their reliability.
Similarly, don't give away your credit card numbers. If you want to receive a direct deposit after you have done the work, that's up to you. However, it is better to use PayPal to receive money. This way, the scammers won’t be able to use your credit card numbers to make purchases online.

The Free Samples Scam

If you are an experienced freelance writer or a translator, you are likely to know how this scam works. A client asks several people for a free sample to determine the best employee to hire. However, they are not planning to hire anybody. This is a way to get articles or translations without paying a dime for work. There are several ways how scammers involve people in this fraud. For example, they can ask for a free sample in exchange for bulk work in the future. So be careful if you see such ads: “We need over 500 articles for our website. You need to send us one sample article (about 1000 words) for its validation. The sample article should pass copyscape. If we like your work, we will hire you for writing 500 articles.”

Don’t think that each employer asking for trial works is a scammer. It a common practice to evaluate your skills. However, most companies are usually content with your existing samples. In some cases you can be required to write about 500 words on some general topic relevant to the job or translate several paragraphs from different texts.

Be careful if a job ad or e-mail requests a very specific writing sample or a large volume of translation (3-5 pages). There is a good chance that your client wants you to do the work for free. When they receive it, they can say something like “There were too many mistakes” or just disappear.

What to do if someone asks you to provide sample work? You can offer to translate a couple of the first paragraphs. It is enough to evaluate your translation skills. Or you can write a sample article and post it on your blog. Even though you will not be hired, you have spent time to promote yourself!

The Urgent Work Scam

As the name suggests, a client asks to do some work as soon as possible and offers to pay later – in a couple of days. It can happen to anyone - freelance writers, translators, editors, bloggers, forum posters, etc. The ads can look innocent, for example “an overworked freelancer is looking for qualified writers to ease the workload.” However, when you complete the work, you won’t get paid.

It is worth mentioning that sometimes scammers do pay for work. Once, in the very beginning. For example, they can promise to send you the payment in installments, a set sum for every portion of the work. The first payment is made on time and you can feel that everything is ok and continue to work. The next few payments get delayed under various pretences. When the work is completed, you will get nothing.

How to avoid this type of scam? Always ask for a deposit! It is common practice to ask for at least one third of the payment in advance, especially if you haven't worked with a client before and you are required to do a large volume of work. If your client has problems with making a deposit, think twice before starting to work.

The “Wait For Better Rates” Scam

This type of a scam involves a client who tries to persuade you to make a lot of work for a very small payment. They can tell you something like ‘We have got plenty of work and you will get a better rate later’. For example, they can offer you to write 100 articles for $100 and promise a better-paid work after that. As you understand, it will never happen. Next time they will hire another employee for the same small amount.

If you are looking for work because you're short of money, it can be easy to believe promises that you read online. However, be careful and use your common sense. If you don’t like the amount of payment, then don’t start working. The current financial environment makes people lower their payment expectations, but it doesn’t mean that you need to work nearly for free. You are not a charity, right?

Earning With Spam Posts

Job hunters are often offered to post ads on online bulletin boards and forums. On the one hand, writing posts can seem to be viable work. It is not difficult, especially if you like browsing forums and opening new threads. On the other hand, this work is typically just a form of spam. You will need to use specific hyperlinks to create posts. It is possible to earn money (a very small amount of money) for writing spam posts, but you will need to spend a lot of time – moderators don’t sleep! And keep in mind that spamming is not the job you can write in your resume or portfolio.

Avoid Job Scams

Think twice if a job ad sounds too good to be true, you can be sure it is a scam! Avoid offers that guarantee you wealth and financial success in the nearest future – “Work from home part time and earn $10K a month”. Nobody will pay thousands of dollars per week for little work and no experience! Legitimate ads make an emphasis on the job, not on how much money you can earn quickly.

• Hang on to your money. Some companies may charge the upfront joining fees for online data entry and ad posting jobs. Or you will need to pay for the opportunity to get well-paid work. Never, never send your money for work! Legitimate businesses will not ask an employee to pay for training or information packets. They pay you, not the other way around!

• Find contact information. Carefully evaluate contact information in job ads or related e-mails. Are they real? For example, an e-mail address may not feature the company's name. Remember, companies can be very creative about how they advertise their opportunities because they want you to think that they are a legitimate business.
You can verify a prospective employer or recruiter through the Better Business Bureau or a phone book, and then contact them directly. A lack of a phone number, contact information, a written contract detailing payment, hours and job expectations are red flags. Are you sure that the job is not a scam?

• Do your own research. Use the Internet and searching engines to find out more information about your prospective employer. For example, you can google their e-mail or name and find out that they have posted dozens of similar ads on all job websites. Or you can find out that your new client hasn’t paid to several people and they don’t recommend working with him.

• Check References. If you are not sure about the company's legitimacy, you can also ask for references. Request a list of employees or contractors to find out necessary information. If the company doesn’t want to provide references (names, email addresses or phone numbers), then do not consider this job opportunity.

• Get everything in writing. Make sure that you have a written contract detailing payment and working hours. If you have the terms spelled out in a legally binding document, then you have fewer chances to work with someone who is not going to pay you for work. If you are signing a client's contract, check that it clearly spells out when you will be paid. If the terms state you will be "paid on publication" then you need to find out when your work will be published.

The Final Note

Don’t think that there’s a scammer around every corner! Luckily, it is not so. The publishers might have rejected your services just because they didn’t like your style, and not because they didn’t want to pay you for your trial article!
Yes, some part of employers is scammers. Dishonest people can be met everywhere, including the Internet. With a bit of care, you can avoid most of online job scams. Listen to your intuition and use some common sense!

Source: ecommerce-journal

When Debbie Breneman isn’t shopping she’s reading your emails. You can contact her for sales, product info, reviews, interviews, events. You can spill it all at debreneman@gmail.com

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If you would like to have your store or products featured on Runway Ready, please email Mary Salmon or Deb Breneman about your business, sales, and events. Happy Shopping!

Posted by Mary Salmon at 06:40 AM | Comments (0)

Brand New Photos of Katy Perry/ Twilight Sales Save Hot Topic

Katy Perry in the New Issue of Esquire Magazine

You're welcome...

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Hot Topic Sales Strong - Thanks, Twilight!

Thanks to the popularity of the Twilight books and movie, Hot Topic is raking in the profit, but how long can it last? Hot Topic's February same-store sales were up 10.8%, vs. the 2.3% drop this time last year. Their total sales have jumped 13.7% to $57.3 million. The mall-based retailer’s comparable-store sales were negative from the second quarter of 2005 until October 2008. They have risen each month since then, increasing 6.5 percent in November, 4.3 percent in December, 6 percent in January and 10.8 percent last month.

This is not a common story in this economy! Something to think about is that Hot Topic was in really bad shape before the hype for the Twilight movie started; it hadn't increased same-store sales in the month of February since 2005. For comparison, teen retailer Abercrombie & Fitch used to be totally hot in its snooty sort of way, but these days, it's a different story. Its February sales dipped 30%. The movie came out November 21, which means Hot Topic cashed in on the prerelease hype. Even though sales have been increasing month to month, Hot Topic is anticipating the day they start to wane as the popularity of Twilight merchandise fades. Chief executive officer Betsy McLaughlin says this is inevitable and she's "not sure there will be a next ‘Twilight.'"

I admit that over the years I've maybe been too enthusiastic about mocking Hot Topic, but it's hard for me to resist. I remember when kids who were into punk, goth, and so forth didn't have some mall-based retailer handy to help them buy their way into rebellion - it was all do-it-yourself.

This brings me back to my question regarding whether Hot Topic's recent success is sustainable. Not only is it facing easy comparisons, but speaking of trendiness, I wonder just how much the popularity of items related to the vampire franchise Twilight may be helping out, and I'm not convinced that's a trend that can keep on giving for too long. In fact, if you'd like a good laugh, South Park's recent "The Ungroundable" episode linked the proliferation of trendy teen wannabe vampires with Hot Topic.

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Pick Up the April GQ (Just For The Cover)

Hopefully, I'll have some details from the interview soon!
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Third 'Twilight' Film Finds Director

Summit Entertainment has tapped Spanish director Juan Antonio Bayona to direct "Eclipse," the third pic in the "Twilight" vampire series. Summit, which had no comment Wednesday, is expected to make the official announcement soon. The minimajor recently gave "Eclipse" a release date of June 30, 2010.

Bayona's a protege of Guillermo Del Toro. He directed the Spanish-language horror-thriller "The Orphanage," which was exec produced by Del Toro, and is attached to helm the Universal thriller "Hater," with Del Toro and Mark Johnson producing.

Summit's opted for a different director on each "Twilight" pic. Chris Weitz replaced "Twilight" director Catherine Hardwicke on "New Moon." Production's due to start shortly on "New Moon" with the key thesps -- Robert Pattinson as Edward, Kristen Stewart as Bella and Taylor Lautner as Jacob -- reprising their roles.

"New Moon" is set to open Nov. 20. Melissa Rosenberg, who penned the "Twilight" and "New Moon" scripts, is working on "Eclipse," in which Bella is forced to choose between Edward and Jacob. The four books in Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series have sold more than 17 million copies worldwide.

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If you would like to have your store or products featured on Runway Ready, please email Mary Salmon or Deb Breneman about your business, sales, and events. Happy Shopping!

Posted by Mary Salmon at 12:45 PM | Comments (0)

Spring Trends/ Product Review/ Victoria Beckham’s Line Dropped

Spring will come, really.

Soon the snow will melt, and spring will come. So there’s no time like the present to get shopping for spring garments to diversify your wardrobe and life – or to just feel good. Today’s style-conscious customers are searching for a simpler, effortless and budget-friendly look that is also versatile.

Thankfully, our friends over at Victoria’s Secret offer a lovely selection of boho chic spring/summer apparel that will fit your style and recession budget.

These long, flowing, summer dresses are just too cute for words, perfect for throwing on over a swimsuit, heading to a BBQ or whatever. You’ll look and feel free in this purple crochet maxi dress that makes a spring statement. Or check out this sweet, red smocked maxi dress in a long, flowing style to match your free spirit. Or this short new floral-print dress with flared flounce and puff sleeves that make it irresistibly flirty.

And, hey spring-break babes, check out these gorgeous two-piece swimsuits from the attractive 2009 Victoria’s Secret collection.

Jean shorts and mini skirts are making a comeback this summer and I love it. Here we have the slightly baggy boyfriend short or the low-five Bermuda short in a comfy stretch. Or how cool are these denim minis in a tie-dye style or light-weight denim that you can dress up or down with the right top, accessory and sandal for the beach or club.

You’ll see a new trend this summer with jeans – the fold-and-roll. This will look fabulous with a pair of these wide-contoured waistband jeans. And how adorable is this white boho chic crochet halter top? And, perfect for a night on the town, check out these cigarette jeans with their sleek silhouette that creates a slim, elongated look – throw on a great pair of heels and a super-cute blouse such as this purple ruffle-sleeve tee, and you’re sure to turn heads.

From skincare, sunglasses and sandals to dresses, suits and club clothes, let Victoria’s Secret set you up for spring.

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Philosophy Cinnamon Buns 3-in-1

We all want a shampoo for its main functions, to clean scalp, hair and make the hair smooth, soft, shiny and of course, manageability. That’s just a no-brainer. But what if you have all that and them some, such as a 3-in-1 shampoo, shower gel & bubble bath!

Today, I’m all about another product from the Philosophy line. This yummy 3-in-one cinnamon buns Philosophy shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath, that is simply heavily.

Like in last month's review of the Cinnamon buns lip gloss, I love the whole experience captured with the delicious aroma of freshly baked cinnamon buns in a 16 oz. shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath.

When you lather up, you will be reminded of the warm, decadent smell of cinnamon buns radiating from the kitchen. There’s nothing like the sweet smell of holiday goodies to warm your heart and make you feel right at home all year round!

I have a few more reasons to like it: it’s perfect for travel, your bathroom is not overtaken by products, and the room is left with a nice scent after bathing or showering with it. You can find this product and more at Making Faces, located at 65 Bow Street in downtown Portsmouth.

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Victoria Beckham’s dVb Line Dropped

Victoria Beckham second dress collection may be getting great reviews but her denim clothing line has just been dropped. Giving a jolt to Victoria Beckham’s fashion ambitions, American department store Saks Fifth Avenue has dropped her fembot denim line, dVb.

Henri Bendel and Kitson already dropped Posh earlier this year because of poor sales of her denim line. And now sources have revealed that Saks, which first carried her jeans, decided to give a miss to soccer stud David Beckham’s wife after she sold her upscale designer line exclusively to Bergdorf Goodman.

"Saks dropped Victoria Beckham's line and will not reorder more,” the New York Post quoted the source as saying. The insider further added: "They were offended when she sold her dress line to Bergdorf's and not to Saks, even though Saks launched her denim line in their New York store. Bergdorf never carried her jeans, but they got her designer line anyway.”

However, canceling Posh's denim line should not have a big impact on Saks. "Nobody wanted to buy 300 dollars jeans from someone who is not a trained designer," said the source. "At this time there is no Victoria Beckham product stocked at Saks, but we continue to work closely with several leading stores and many independent US fashion retailers,” said a rep for Beckham.

Meanwhile, Saks, Henri Bendel and Kitson all refused to comment on the issue

When Debbie Breneman isn’t shopping she’s reading your emails. You can contact her for sales, product info, reviews, interviews, events. You can spill it all at debreneman@gmail.com

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If you would like to have your store or products featured on Runway Ready, please email Mary Salmon or Deb Breneman about your business, sales, and events. Happy Shopping!

Posted by Mary Salmon at 07:02 AM | Comments (0)

The 6-Week 100 Push-up Challenge/ Britney's Wardrobe Malfunction

Push ups are one of the basic and most common exercises for the human body. Push ups are not only great for your chest, but do a tremendous job of defining your abs, triceps, shoulders and torso. Push ups can be performed no matter where you are, and best of all, they are completely free - no expensive equipment or annual gym fees required! If you're looking to develop a great chest and shoulders, you could do much worse than follow along with the hundred push ups plan. Your core strength will go through the roof, too!

To improve your strength, fitness and general health all you need to do is commit about 30 minutes of your time per week, and follow the push ups training program as closely as you can. I promise you will feel much better about yourself and much more confident after just a few short workouts.

hundredpushups.com is a website that launched in June 2008, and has already helped inspire hundreds of people to complete the challenge. Ideally, in six weeks, you will be able to do 100 push ups. I'll get back to you in six weeks, and let you know how I did... The first step is to take an initial test, to see how many consecutive push ups you can do with good form. I must admit that when I took my initial test, I anticipated being able to do more consecutive push ups than I actually could. It was a bit humbling, actually. And 100? Well, right about now, I can't even imagine it, but I am willing to give this training program a shot.

According to Wikipedia, a push-up is "a common strength training exercise performed in a prone position, lying horizontal and face down, raising and lowering the body using the arms." Push ups are a basic exercise used in civilian athletic training or physical education and, especially, in military physical training and will develop the pectoral muscles and triceps, with ancillary benefits to the deltoids, serratus anterior, coracobrachialis and the midsection as a whole.

Instructions for "Good-Form" Push ups

Lie prone on the ground with hands placed as wide as or slightly wider than shoulder width. Keeping the body straight, lower body to the ground by bending arms at the elbows. Raise body up off the ground by extending the arms. Repeat. Body weight should be lifted by the arms; don't be tempted to use your butt, stomach or the lower half of your body to pull yourself up. To maintain correct body alignment, imagine a straight line running from your head down to your ankles.

Push up animation courtesy Blaine Moore: RunToWin.com

Instructions for "Alternative" Push ups

If you have tried the "good-form" push ups, but can only manage one or two before exhaustion sets in, don't be despondent; several alternative options exist which will still enable you to follow the hundred push ups plan.

Push up animation courtesy Blaine Moore: RunToWin.com

"Knee" push ups - to reduce the lifting load by about 50% you can do the same exercise, but do it on your knees. Keeping a straight line from neck to torso is still important, so please pay attention to correct body alignment as you perform your workout.

"Knuckle" push ups - don't worry, these are not just for the hard-core push up folks. Some people experience wrist discomfort as they perform "good-form" push ups, but by closing your hands and making a fist, your body weight ends up on your knuckles instead of your palms, thus avoiding the wrist extension motion. Note: Please be sure to do this type of push up on a padded mat, plush carpet or even better a rolled up towel.

"Bench" push ups - you can also use a low bench or chair to support your arms while you perform either regular push ups or "knee" push ups. This type of push up allows you to really concentrate on the push up motion; all without the strain of the regular version. Note: Please be sure the bench or chair is stable and secure before you perform the push ups.

"Wall" push ups - if all the above options are still too challenging, one final variation exists. The "wall" push up dramatically reduces the pressure on the arms, upper back and abs. The closer you stand to the wall, the easier they are to perform, but remember, it's still important to be aware of your body alignment as you perform the "wall" push up. As you gain strength and confidence, move your feet slightly further away from the wall to make the workout more challenging. Feel free to consider moving to the "bench" or "knee" style push ups once your initial strength has increased.

Do you have one of the large exercise balls pictured above? If so, you may want to try adding a little decline to the push up. Adding decline is a great way to target your upper body (chest) muscles more than just a regular push up and the best part is that you use your own body weight for resistance. Start easy with your feet on a low step or small bosu. Work your way up to putting your feet on something higher like a stacked step, a bench or even an exercise ball to really challenge yourself. Just remember not to compromise your form; if you find that it is too challenging to put your feet on an incline and still keep good form, then work on building strength before trying this variation.

Remember, the main aim of the hundred push ups program is to improve your strength, fitness and general health. It really doesn't matter what style of push up you perform as long as you continue to make progress and keep challenging yourself. Give the 6-week program a chance and I know you'll be amazed at your new found strength. Good Luck!

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Oops! She Didn't! (Link working again)

Britney didn't reaize her mic was still on when she mentioned that part of her anatomy was "falling out." The crowd seemed to find this incredibly amusing, as have most of the 70,000+ people who have viewed this clip on youtube in the past seven hours! (The first video I had posted was removed, but as of 5:17pm on 3/10, the clip below is working.) (And then that clip was taken down, but at 9:40pm I found another... this is hard to keep up with!)

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE VIDEO BELOW MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR ALL RUNWAY READY READERS. PLEASE ONLY WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW IF YOU ARE NOT EASILY OFFENDED.

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If you would like to have your store or products featured on Runway Ready, please email Mary Salmon or Deb Breneman about your business, sales, and events. Happy Shopping!

Posted by Mary Salmon at 05:10 AM | Comments (0)

Erica Weiner Jewelry/ Open House at Empower Yoga Center

I recently decided to peruse the jewelry collection of Erica Weiner; I had seen a few of her pieces featured in women's magazines like Lucky and InStyle. Her jewelry is sort of vintage with a modern twist ; it's very unique and best of all, actually affordable.

In 2005, in her small tenement apartment on the Lower East Side of Manhattan (only a block from where her paternal grandmother was born in 1909), Erica made her first piece of jewelry. The pair of mis-matched earrings were a gift for a good friend's birthday, and they garnered so much attention that they sparked the birth of a mini-empire.

Erica graduated from Vassar College in 2001 with a degree in Art History. A largely self-taught craftswoman, the only formal visual art training she received was during a year abroad in the textiles department at the Glasgow School of Art in Scotland. After school she spent time as a costume designer for Broadway shows and as a seamstress and design assistant at various fashion houses in New York. While learning about design and production from these freelance jobs, she gathered a collection of curiosities and used them to develop a small line of jewelry with an emphasis on affordability and craftsmanship. By incorporating natural objects with mass-produced, vintage-style metal pieces, mixing in antique pieces and focusing on non-precious metals, Erica can produce inexpensive jewelry that doesn't look cheap.

These days, Erica works closely with her good friend, Lindsay Salmon, whose impeccable sense of style deeply influences the ever-evolving collection. They travel around the country searching out interesting materials and buying up peculiar jewelry closeout lots. Because they make use of limited and vintage materials, there are no seasonal, set "collections."

Erica wrote on her blog back on Jan. 18, 2009, "I spent this freezing NYC Sunday in the studio, listening to the "Slumdog Millionaire" soundtrack and making a mock-up of the new 2009 wholesale catalog. Even after a very expensive series of Photoshop classes I forced myself to sit through last year, I still prefer tape, glue, scissors, and a photocopier to do my graphic designing. Today was so much fun. Finally got inspired, in part by these pages from a late 1800's Sears catalog." I love this quirky admission.

One of her inspiration pages.

The Herkimer Diamond Solitaire Rings are one of the most popular items. Despite their diamond misnomer, herkimers are actually six-sided, double-terminated quartz crystals and are relatively valueless. Nevertheless, unscrupulous jewelers during the civil war often tried to pass off these stones as the more precious variety. I have always loved quartz crystals, as simple as they are. Some severly flawed, yet impressively sized stones masquerade as diamonds in Erica Weiner's version of the classic "solitaire" engagement ring setting. A hand cast sterling silver raised bezel grips the herkimer with four square wire prongs, and every stone is unique and set by hand.

Erica Weiner Jewelry has a responsible environmental policy: their packing materials are reused and mailers are 90% post-consumer paper and 100% recyclable. About half of their jewelry materials are vintage, dead stock and re-purposed. They offset 300% of our carbon output through www.carbonfund.org. Most importantly, all of their jewelry is handmade in NYC; "it always has been and always will be." 5% of all after-tax profits from Erica Weiner Jewelry are donated to charities.
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Open House at Empower Yoga Center

Read more about Empower Yoga Center in the February 4th entry of Runway Ready, and mark your calendar for Saturday, March 21st for the Open House with FREE CLASSES on that day at: 8am, 9:30am, 11am, and 12:30pm. Bring a friend!

Empower Yoga Center is located at 63 Market Street (formerly O2 Yoga Portsmouth) on the second floor above The Flower Kiosk in downtown Portsmouth.

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If you would like to have your store or products featured on Runway Ready, please email Mary Salmon or Deb Breneman about your business, sales, and events. Happy Shopping!

Posted by Mary Salmon at 12:30 AM | Comments (0)

Sienna Miller's New Line/ La Femme Intimates Sale/ Chris Brown Charged

Sienna Miller and Her Sister Savannah Make Their Runway Debut at London Fashion Week

Sienna Miller and her sister Savannah made their runway debut at London Fashion week. The designing duo behind Twenty8Twelve debuted their Fall 09 collection to a packed house which included Fashion Week staple Kanye West and fellow British designer Matthew Williamson.

The clothes seem a combination of the two sisters; leather jackets, skin-tight dresses with a boho flair for Sienna mixed with crystal-embellished cashmere, fine-tailoring and florals for Savannah.

"But put them together, and it says London cool," Sienna tells the The Telegraph backstage before the show. "These clothes are funky, and there's something for anyone." Or, as Savannah tells Style.com the collection is "Pirates of the road meets Grace Jones."

But even with the success of the two-year-old line, don't expect Sienna to give up her day-job any time soon. "I'm not giving up acting, I love acting," says Sienna. "But I also love working with my sister. We've always been two sisters playing dress-up, ever since we were kids and we're still doing it."

Twenty8Twelve, which now has two stores in London and sells to many others around the world. You can find this line at shopbop.com, neimanmarcus.com and shopstyle.com
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Don't miss the Date! Spring 2009 Collection by Doncaster

On March 7th, from 11am - 4pm, come and enjoy a part of the Fresh and Fabulous new Spring 2009 Collection by Doncaster and participate to a Special Raffle to win great prizes.

Whether you have special events - weddings, graduations, professional events, or just need to update your wardrobe with fresh options, whatever your size (2 to 24), or body shape, whatever your color predilections, Doncaster has something special for you.

La Femme Intimates is located on 59 Deer Street in Portsmouth

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Chris Brown Charged with Two Felonies

The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office announced Thursday that rapper Chris Brown is being charged with two felonies in the beating of his girlfriend Rihanna.

Brown, 19, has been charged with assault and making criminal threats in the February 8 altercation with Rihanna. If convicted, Brown could face probation or a maximum of four years and eight months in state prison.

Rihanna, 21, reportedly suffered “two huge contusions,” a bloody nose and split lip in the assault.

Rihanna and Brown spent nearly three weeks apart before meeting at rapper Sean Combs’ Miami home last week. Sources close to their pair say they are “definitely together” and working on their relationship.

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Arianna Dancing with Beyonce - Single Ladies

My newest favorite youtube video find which I had to share with readers. Arianna is absolutely adorable.

When Debbie Breneman isn’t shopping she’s reading your emails. You can contact her for sales, product info, reviews, interviews, events. You can spill it all at debreneman@gmail.com

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If you would like to have your store or products featured on Runway Ready, please email Mary Salmon or Deb Breneman about your business, sales, and events. Happy Shopping!

Posted by Mary Salmon at 10:00 PM | Comments (0)

Top 10 Requested Celebrity Hairstyles - A Beyoncé Bouffant Anyone?

Hair salons are being inundated with requests for Beyoncé's latest style. Blame it on her edgy alter ego Sasha Fierce, or the 45 million YouTube followers engrossed in her Single Ladies video, but Beyoncé's influence is spreading to a hair salon near you.

Watch the Single Ladies video at youtube.com

"The Beyoncé is basically a streamlined backcombed bouffant," says celebrity hairstylist Errol Douglas. "It's very contemporary, a more tailored version of the big, glam bouffant hair in the 80s. This style is easier to do but the transformation element is still there - you feel different instantly. It's a sassy look, popular on the catwalk, and it's very versatile - you can dress it up with makeup or leave it without."

"Beyoncé has become so big … everyone wants a piece of her, and this is an easy, accessible way to get that," he adds.

With its nod to the 80s, the Beyoncé confirms that it's not just stonewashed jeans and leotards that are coming back - hair is having a revival, too. The main appeal of the style is its convenience factor: it doesn't require you to cut or dye your hair; it works on African American and Caucasian hair; it suits most ages.

At most salons, the look will set you back between $100 and $350, depending on how much time is spent creating it. Stylists are currently doing half a dozen interpretations of the Beyoncé daily. However, it is also a style you can recreate on a smaller budget at home (see below).

Another benefit of this version of the look is its age-defying properties. "A tight ponytail actually softens the face," says Douglas. "Back in the 40s and 50s, before facelifts, they would pull the hair back, which automatically pulls the skin up, and then add a wig on top."

How To Recreate The Beyoncé At Home

If you don't have long hair and you're looking for a quick fix, you can buy ready-made ponytails from hair shops that attach simply with a hair band or clip. The other option is to buy the hair and attach it yourself. If you are doing this, wash and blow-dry your hair the night before (if you wash it on the day, you won't get longevity out of the style).

On the day, straighten your hair to smoothen the hairline - don't forget the hair at the back of your head. Then leave an inch of your hair at the front (this will cover over the backcombing) and start backcombing the rest of your hair, taking it a section at a time. Use a non-aerosol spray for afro hair, such as Matrix Air Trix Strong Hold Non-Aerosol spray. Use a lighter spray for Caucasian hair, such as Matrix Vavoom, which won't make the hair greasy. Hold the comb at a 45-degree angle - this will give you more height.

Tip your head forward and spray underneath lightly to brush up short bits of hair. Then brush the inch of hair at the front to slick over the backcomb effect, pulling the whole thing together into a tight ponytail. Create the ponytail just below the crown - it can look severe if it is too high up.

If using synthetic hair, take a section and use as many kirby grips as necessary to attach it to your own hair. Once one section is secure, continue to unravel the synthetic hair around the ponytail and secure it to your hair - be sure that the attachment is nice and tight. Ask a friend to help and check that the hair is symmetrical. Then take two inches of synthetic hair and wrap it around the join so it looks seamless, and pin this in place.

Finish by trimming the ends of the ponytail and adding shine wax to the front of your hair for a sleek look.

Top 10 Celebrity Hairstyles Women Want

1. Victoria Beckham

2. Rihanna

3. Jennifer Aniston

4. Kelly Clarkson

5. Hilary Duff

6. Shannyn Sossamon

7. Paula Abdul

8. Jessica Simpson

9. Jennifer Lopez

10. Jessica Alba

source: Carlene Thomas-Bailey, guardian.co.uk; imageandstylenews.com
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What Hair Style Complements Your Face?

Face type: To identify your face shape, pull all your hair back from your face with a hairband. Then, while standing in front of a mirror, use lipstick or a washable marker to trace your face shape onto the mirror. Then read on for personalized tips.

Round face. Cuts that have angles are your best bet. Angular cuts offset the roundness of your face. Chin-length or longer cuts are best, with longer layers in the back. Avoid straightening your hair against the sides of your face – a little height on the top and wave throughout will make your face look slimmer and prettiest.

Heart-shaped face. Since you have more width at the top of your head, it’s best to concentrate on keeping your hair flat on top, with more fullness around the jawline. Get a chin-length cut that has many layers at the ends or flip the ends out; this will give your hair more width. Or, if you prefer long hair, start long layers at your chin to give hair more body on the lower half. To make a prominent forehead look smaller, add long bangs that sweep across your face to the side, tapering towards the earlobe.

Square jaw. To balance a square jaw, rounded haircuts are best. Think the traditional Vidal Sassoon bob – straight across the bottom without any layers, allowing it to curve inwards toward the jaw, softening the square shape.

Long, narrow face. If your face is long and thin, steer clear of cuts with height – say no to the new Mohawk, updated Farrah Fawcett ’do or short, curly cuts. Instead, keep your hair mid-to-long, and add lots of layers in the sides to give it width volume. If you already have super- thick or curly hair, style it so it’s back from your face, and doesn’t cover any of your features.

Body and hair type: Your stature and hair structure can also affect the type of style that looks best on you.

Plus-size. If you’re a bit heavy, even if you show the weight in your face, your head will tend to look small in proportion to your body. Short haircuts can make your head appear even less distinct. To balance out your entire body, wear your hair at least shoulder-length with soft layers that are super-feminine. Plus-size model Mia Tyler makes long hair look fab.

Thin. If you’re on the thin side, short haircuts look best because they aren’t overpowering, yet your small bone structure keeps you looking feminine without a traditional feminine haircut. Think Halle Berry or Winona Ryder. If you prefer long hair, just make sure it’s not too long and don’t give it too much body, since it can overpower your face and frame.

Curly hair. Since curly hair is so dry, make sure to use a leave-in conditioner, which will add moisture to your hair throughout the day. Try not to touch your hair too much, even if you’re trying to enhance the curl with a diffuser. If your hair is super curly, you can wear it either very short or past your shoulders. If you’re enhancing natural wave, keep it mid-length to long for the most attractive effect.

Straight hair. Most people don’t have naturally straight hair. Most hair has a bit of wave. Either play up the wave by following the tips above, or blow-dry hair straight. Flip your hair upside down to dry it to give roots a bit of a lift. Then, use a large barrel curling iron or a ceramic flat iron to smooth out the cuticle. To eliminate weight, keep hair all one length and long, with tapered layers along the face. Or, to add volume, add very long layers – from the last three inches to the ends. If your hair is short, consider fine extensions – that go right down to your waist for a total Cinderella look.

Thick hair. Everyone envies thick hair, but if it’s too dense for your face, ask your stylist to use texturizing sheers or razors to take off some of the weight and help your haircut keep its shape. Avoid short cuts or bobs. Instead, wear hair at least shoulder length with layers.

Fine hair. Fine hair is great because it’s quick to style, but can often lose any body within hours, and look limp and lifeless. Use high-volume styling products and blow-dry your hair at the root, letting it dry naturally at the ends. With curls being so popular, don’t be afraid to try a body perm – it was made for your hair type. Or, use a large barrel curling iron, spritzing each strand before winding it around the barrel. Hold 5-10 seconds and release gently. Avoid oils or creams on your hair, which will just weight it down. Stick to lightweight gels and hairsprays.

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If you would like to have your store or products featured on Runway Ready, please email Mary Salmon or Deb Breneman about your business, sales, and events. Happy Shopping!

Posted by Mary Salmon at 10:25 PM | Comments (0)

NY Fashion Week Trends

It's almost time to dish about the London & Milan Fashion Week trends, but we never did discuss New York Fashion Week. So albeit fashionably late, here is the lowdown on the most prevalent trends we'll be seeing this fall and winter, as well as a sampling of looks from a number of top designers.

The lines in these new designs are very sharp and tailored. Marc Jacobs’ has taken his inspiration from the 1980s. (Can't we ever let go of those godforsaken wide-shoulders? Not all trends need be recycled!). Preen went with a modern psychedelic theme, of which I am a fan. (I'm a fan of most designers who remind me of Emilio Pucci in any way, shape, form, or pattern!)

Preen

It's fabulous to see some great suits on the runway. I admit, I own more suits than I need, but there is something about a suit that helps put me in the right frame of mind for work. (Side note - If you are looking to buy a suit on a more affordable scale - The Limited has a suit called "The Travel Suit" that can be put in the washer and the dryer & does not wrinkle. I think I have three of them - they are truly awesome.)

Donna Karan

Even the fashion industry is taking a cue from the economy; it's a time when we all need to buckle down and work hard if we're ever going to get out of this mess! Suits shown in flannel, wool, cashmere, jersey, tweed, and even lamé are quintessential, elegant professional garments. High-waist belts are in vogue again, mostly thin, leather, and many with embellishments. This fall and winter will also be a time to pass over your skirts for pants - wide or skinny, pleated or straight, even metallic. (In my humble opinion, there's a place for skirts in every season, but I'm reporting the trends as I see them. I'm still not going to leave my blue velvet skirt in the closet for all of 2009.)

Ralph Lauren

Many designers opted for a neutral color palette; I was surprised by the number of shows almost completely filled with black. Conversely, we also saw a lot of neons, especially in Michael Kors', Narciso Rodriguez's, and Oscar de la Renta's collections. An overwhelming amount of designers contrasted their neutrals with metallics. Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs, and Ralph Lauren really hit on this. For outerwear, it would appear that the tailored coat is out and the oversized cocoon is in. Most jackets had a round silhouette as opposed to being formfitting. (The look is not altogether unflattering; for proof check out the shows of DKNY, Proenza Schouler, and Derek Lam.)

Michael Kors

Welcome back, Asymmetry. The one-shouldered dress is back with a vengeance; it's everywhere! We saw variations of this trend with a little more length on one side, off-centered slits, or strange collars. Thank god we didn't see an abundance of 80s-inspired asymmetrical hairstyles!

Oscar de la Renta

There were also a number of designs with holes and cut-outs. We saw a bare shoulder appear, leggings with cuts-out throughout, or a felted wool dress with holes. There were some designers who allowed for a surprise of skin to show through, really mixing up collections that are traditionally more tailored and stuffy. I'm happy to report that colored tights were back in full force with some added details such as blocks of color, animal and psychedelic prints, and even rhinestones added to tights. (Bedazzle me!) If you hesitated on the colored tights trend last year, just take a look at Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl for inspiration. You can find this fun trend in shows from Zac Posen, Diane von Furstenberg, and Marc by Marc Jacobs.

Alexander Wang

If you have been holding your breath waiting for an opportunity to break out your leather pants - this fall is your lucky season! Leather was big on the catwalks and took the form of jackets, pants, skirts, and even shorts. I appreciated the use of leather in the collections of William Rast, Derek Lam, and Michael Kors.

Derek Lam

Many critics anticipated designers would tone it down for this Fashion Week, due to the economy. How wrong they were! The color palette is electric with neon colors. Fuchsia popped up at Oscar de la Renta and Michael Kors, while Narciso Rodriguez and Bensoni both used lime green earlier in the week. But Marc Jacobs took it one step further by continuing his Stephen Sprouse eighties inspiration with an entire neon collection that included hot-pink hooded jackets, lemon capes, and metallic cerulean minis. These colors seemed especially refreshing in a season otherwise filled with black, gray, and beige.

Marc Jacobs

I must pause here to give props to Jessica Stroup, an actress on the new 90210. Below on the left she is at the People's Choice Awards in a dress that was anticipating the asymmetrical trend to come. I also normally hate bows on dresses, a trend which is unfortunately back, but this dress actually makes that idea work. Even more impressive, her neon citron minidress on the right (with a cut-out!) that she was photographed wearing during Fashion Week; I adore the peek of hot pink on the cuffs of the structured gray jacket that complements her amazing heels.

Other looks we may being seeing a lot more of include the little white dress, belted fur (or fake-fur) vests, butterfly prints, op-art prints, bondage inspired dresses, laser cut patterns and broderie anglaise in lieu of lace, sheer and opaque fabric combinations, tiered ruffles creating a sea-like flowing effect, and bows adorning dresses.

Jason Wu

Jason Wu is the designer who created Michelle Obama’s gown for the Inaugural Party. (But if you are reading a fashion blog, you probably already knew that...) His career has only been going up since then and the popularity to being at his show was very high. His collection is one of the most wearable of the shows I have viewed. Each and every piece is incredible. The up-and-coming designer showed a youthful collection of mostly bright separates and gowns. The standout black-and-white tapestry prints are sure to be snatched up quickly by the Young Hollywood set, including Leighton Meester (aka Blair Waldorf, one of my personal style icons) who sat front row at Wu's show.

Narciso Rodriguez

Rodriguez’s designs have always been body-conscious and sensual, but not overtly sexual; he constructs curve-hugging silhouettes, but this season they take on a more futuristic vibe, which I am loving. He is another favorite of the first lady, and I will give credit where it is due... I will be the first to admit, I am not always a fan of Michelle Obama's style, but I have seen a marked improvement in her wardrobe recently. The White House has released the official portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama. It was taken in the Blue Room of the White House by photographer Joyce N. Boghosian. Obama opted to wear a black sleeveless dress by Michael Kors with pearls. Her choice is classy, simple yet elegant - thumbs up!

When Mary Salmon is not fantasizing about the day she can afford some of the clothing featured in this entry, she is looking at pretty pictures and video clips of said clothing. (Sigh)

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If you would like to have your store or products featured on Runway Ready, please email Mary Salmon or Deb Breneman about your business, sales, and events. Happy Shopping!

Posted by Mary Salmon at 12:22 PM | Comments (0)

Money Saving Tips/ NY Post Liz Smith Column Cut/ Bank to Return Bailout $

Money saving tips…

Unemployment is up, the stock markets are down. As the recession worsens, it becomes increasingly evident that it’s time for many of us, especially for us shopaholics, to rethink our shopping habits.

Preparing for that rainy day - or in this case, a prolonged storm - could make all the difference in staying above water. Below is a treasure trove of money-saving tips I gathered from the experts at Kiplinger.com, bargainist.com and doughroller.net.

1. Switch Supermarkets - Stock Up on Grocery Staples at a Discount: Six-word strategy for saving on food: Get in car. Drive to Costco (Sam's or BJ's). We compared prices on 37 staples at Costco, Safeway and Whole Foods, calculated the prices for equivalent sizes, multiplied the total for each list by 12 (representing monthly shopping expeditions) and added Costco's $50 annual membership to the cost. Result: Costco can supply a family of four with many of the basics for an annual tab of $1,708, followed by Safeway, at $2,417, and Whole Foods, at a pricey $3,498. Annual Savings: $1,790 (Costco versus Whole Foods)

-Look for specials. Every store has specials. Be sure to look for them in the newspaper, or when you get to the store (they often have unadvertised specials — look on the higher and lower shelves for deals). Don't buy them unless they're things you always use.

-Try the store brands. Brand names are often no better than generic, and you're paying for all the advertising they do to have a brand name. Give the store brand a try, and often you won't notice a difference. Especially if it's an ingredient in a dish where you can't taste the quality of that individual ingredient

-Have a budget. When you go to the store, know exactly how much you can spend. Then try your best to stick within that limit. If you don't know how much you can spend, you'll certainly spend too much. Keep a running tally as you shop to ensure that you're within your budget.

2. Caffeinate Cleverly - Lattes Don't Have to Break the Bank: We wouldn't dream of asking you to quit cold turkey, but weaning off Starbucks could save you money. A 20-ounce latte from Dunkin' Donuts runs $3.29; at Starbucks, the same-size drink sets you back $3.65. Plus, at Dunkin' Donuts you don't have to say "venti" when you want a large. Cheaper yet, make your own. You can buy 16 to-go cups at Wal-Mart for the cost one cup of coffee at Starbucks.

3. Bundle Up for Savings: Competition is a wonderful thing, and phone, wireless, cable and satellite-TV companies are competing like mad to get your business by bundling services at discount prices. Right now, the standard-issue package is $99 for TV, telephone and broadband Internet service. All those services can easily total more than $150 a month if billed separately, so a monthly savings of $20 is a minimum if you go the bundling route.

One caveat: That $99 deal usually lasts for only one year. Solution: If your contract price rises, you can either switch providers for a lower rate or threaten to switch providers to bargain your rate back down.

4. Dial Down Your Water Heater: If you have an electric water heater, turn the temperature gauge down to 120 degrees. (Make sure your dishwasher has a heater that boosts the temperature back to 140 degrees to ensure proper cleaning.) If the water heater is warm to the touch, wrap it in an insulating jacket (such as a Thermwell blanket; $20 at Amazon.com).

5. Insure for Less - Lower Your Home Premiums: Raising the deductible on your homeowners’ insurance policy from $250 to $1,000 or $2,500 can lower your premiums by 15% to 25% per year. For example, boosting the deductible from $250 to $1,000 on a house insured for $250,000 in northern California reduces the average annual premium at the 22 companies in InsWeb's database by $188; raising the deductible from $250 to $2,500 lowers the average premium by $319.

6. Save on Gas: The exhilarating drop in gas prices was a welcome relief after last summer's run-up, but even at current prices, you can save big by altering your driving behavior.

-Keep your cool. Easing up on aggressive driving can cut your fuel consumption by 35%. Speeding is the biggest culprit, but drag-race-inspired peal-outs and jerky lane changes also shave miles per gallon. SAVINGS: $400. It also helps if you map out your daily trips, know where you need to go, and keep your route efficient by not making unnecessary trips back and forth across town.

-Get rid of the junk in your trunk. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle costs you. SAVINGS: $30

-Maintain your vehicle by keeping your engine properly tuned and tires inflated, replacing air filters regularly and using the right grade of motor oil. SAVINGS: $348

7. Pay your life insurance annually. Insurance companies charge you more if you pay monthly, quarterly or semi-annually. Pay once a year and you’ll pay less.

8. Take your lunch to work one more day each week than you do now. Eating out at lunch is fun, so I wouldn’t eliminate it completely, but taking lunch just one more day a week will keep money in your pocket.

-Get a discount on dining out. There are lots of ways to find discount coupons for restaurants online. Try Restaurant.com: enter your zip code and see what restaurants offer coupons or discounted gift certificates.

9. Save On Clothing - When shopping for clothing, consider patronizing thrift or consignment stores, or buying from online auction sites. No one but you will know your clothes were once enjoyed by someone else. If you simply don’t like the idea of wearing someone else’s clothes, shop the clearance racks of your favorite stores. Buying at the end of a season for the following year is a wonderful way to save. If you have more than one child, try to take good care of the oldest child’s clothing to hand-down to younger siblings. If you have the time and desire, making your own clothes can be a huge money saver. Buy basic shoes in neutral colors that match everything and can be worn in any season. Purchase classic winter coats that never go out of style and can be worn from year to year.

10. Clip Coupons. There are many ways to find coupon through your Sunday paper or online. CouponHeaven.com consolidates thousands of online coupons and promotional discounts into an easy-to-use interface. Save Money - find coupon codes for free shipping, dollar-off discounts, percent off savings, free item with purchase, exclusive and private sales, and more!

CREDIT- Climb Out of Debt Faster

-Stick it to your lenders. First things first: Stop using your credit cards. You can't chip away at your debt effectively until you stop adding to it. Take the cards out of your wallet so you won't be tempted, or just keep one for emergencies -- beer doesn't count.

Next, call your creditors and ask for a lower rate. Often they'll say yes, especially if you've had a good credit history. If that doesn't work, try transferring the balance to a lower rate card or taking advantage of an introductory offer that will give you a break on the rate or even 0% interest on balance transfers. (Shop for the best credit card deal.)

Beware of two potential pitfalls, though: A balance transfer fee will usually apply (perhaps 3% of the balance), and the introductory rate has strict limitations. Know when the teaser rate expires, what the new rate will be and what situations, such as late payments, will result in a loss of the teaser rate. Don't close your account with your old company after you transfer a balance -- the unused credit can actually raise your credit score.

-Curtail costs on student loans. Even good debt can cost more than it should. The interest rate on outstanding student loans is 6.54% if you're in school, or 7.14% if you've already started repaying. If you have multiple loans, consolidate them to lower your monthly payments.

You can now shop around for the best terms, thanks to recent legislation. In years past you had to consolidate with the lender that held your loans. Many lenders offer rate reductions for 24 or 36 consecutive on-time payments, or for having your payments automatically debited from your checking or savings account. Compare deals at ConsolidationComparison.com.

-Spend smarter. Use the budget worksheet available online to see how much you are spending and how much you'll have left over at the end of each month to use toward paying down debt.

-Cut down on unnecessary spending to free up your cash flow. For example, forgoing a $20 happy hour after work once a week would save you $80 a month. On a $1,500 credit-card balance at 15%, adding that $80 to a regular $60 payment would save $189 in interest, and you'd completely pay off your debt in one year instead of almost three. Use the calculator online to see how much extra payments can save you in time and money.
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Liz Smith's Legendary Gossip Column Dropped From The NY Post

Writer Liz Smith's legendary column in the NY Post will no longer be published, according to reports from CNN and about.com/gossip. "The Post is grateful to have been able to publish Liz Smith's legendary column for so many years. We wish her the very best for the future," Editor Col Allan said in a statement Tuesday.

In an interview with WABC TV, Liz, 86, commented that Friday "will be the first time in 33 years that there hasn't been a Liz Smith column in a New York paper." She added, "That hurts my heart. I would hate to see another newspaper fail. When I came to New York, there were nine newspapers. I've worked for seven of them. They just disappear out from under you," she said.

For those of you looking to get your Liz Smith fix, as of next week, her work will still appear on wowOwow.com, an online community organized and run by women.

Source: about.com
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TMZ Story Forces Bank to Return $1.6 Billion!!!

How's this for action. Northern Trust -- the bank TMZ exposed this week for throwing a series of lavish parties and concerts in L.A, is giving back the $1.6 billion in federal bailout money!

TMZ had cameras out as the bank hosted fancy dinners for hundreds of clients and employees. They had video of the Sheryl Crow concert it threw after closing down the House of Blues. And then there were concerts by Chicago, as well as Earth, Wind & Fire ... and the Tiffany gift bags for the ladies.

Northern Trust, a Chicago-based bank, sponsored the Northern Trust Open at the Riviera Country Club in L.A. TMZ reported that they were told Northern Trust paid millions to sponsor the PGA event which ended Sunday, but what happened off the golf course is even more shocking.

Northern Trust flew hundreds of clients and employees to L.A. and put many of them up at some of the fanciest and priciest hotels in the city. More than a hundred people were put up at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, and another hundred stayed at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel. Still more stayed at the Ritz Carlton in Marina Del Rey and others at Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica.

On Wednesday, Northern Trust hosted a fancy dinner at the Ritz followed by a performance by the group Chicago. On Thursday, Northern Trust rented a private hangar at the Santa Monica Airport for dinner, followed by a performance by Earth, Wind & Fire. Then on Saturday, Northern Trust had the entire House of Blues in West Hollywood shut down for its private party. TMZ got the menu - guests dined on seared salmon and petite Angus filet. Dinner was followed by a performance by none other than Sheryl Crow. There was also a fabulous cocktail party at the Loews.

As for what all that costs: Well, the company isn't talking. TMZ spoke with a rep from the band Chicago who said Northern Trust paid them around $100,000. A House of Blues source told us it cost more than $50,000 to close the joint down last Saturday night. As for Sheryl Crow's fee, her rep didn't get back to us. Earth, Wind & Fire acknowledges payment but won't say how much.

As for the golf tournament, a rep from the PGA told TMZ Northern Trust wrote one big fat check in order to sponsor the event. That check covers part of the $6.3 million purse, the advertising costs for the spots on CBS (which broadcast the final two rounds of the tournament) and operating costs. The rep says the fee was negotiated and is confidential.

By the way, Northern Trust laid off 450 workers in December, or 4% of its workforce.

The story triggered a furor in D.C ... Congressman Barney Frank demanded that Northern Trust repay the money it blew.

Outrageously, the bank didn't even ask for the bailout money in the first place. But now, under pressure, Northern Trust CEO Frederick Waddell sent a letter to members of the House Financial Services Committee, saying his bank will repay the government funds "as quickly as prudently possible." Bravo, TMZ!

Debbie Breneman can be reached at debreneman@gmail.com

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If you would like to have your store or products featured on Runway Ready, please email Mary Salmon or Deb Breneman about your business, sales, and events. Happy Shopping!

Posted by Mary Salmon at 08:38 PM | Comments (0)

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