Let's buy an island

This private island in Nicaragua looks great, and it can be ours for only $75,000. Anyone want to split it with me?
We could probably make it our own country and proclaim ourselves royalty and design money.
Just saying.

This is our new island. It's called Arana Island, but I think Rebecca Island sounds so much better, don't you?
It's not that big, but it has a shelter and some trees and a dried up swimming pool. What else do you need?

Custom made lipstick at Bite Beauty pop up in NYC

I want this!

Bite Beauty is an all natural company from Toronto.

Here is the post about it from Racked:

Image via Bite Beauty
Finding the right lipstick can be tough: color, texture, wearability... it's kind of a headache, really. Because we live in the age of neo-bespoke, you can now make your own custom lipstick. All-natural lip care brand Bite Beauty has launched a Lip Lab in Soho, replete with a lipstick laboratory. Previously, the brand has been exclusive to Sephora since their March 2011 launch.
At the new pop up, staff will help you build a custom lipstick creation. You'll start by blending a personalized pigment, then select a matte or sheer finish. You can even drop in a flavor, if you so choose (cherry, mint, or berry, for the record). With their lipstick machine—woah, science—you'll mix, pour, paint, and mold your custom 'stick in just ten minutes. No appointment necessary, just stop by the 174 Prince Street storefront anytime from Tuesday through Sunday, 11am to 7pm. In fall, the pop up will be converted to a permanent store, which means custom lipsticks forever.

I WANT A CUSTOM LIPSTICK! I WANT TO USE THE LIPSTICK MACHINE!

Here is the post about their first store

It looks like the lipsticks at Sephora are $24 each.



I wonder how much the custom ones will be at the pop up!

Word to the Wise: RK Bridal sample sale

RK Bridal is a store in midtown that sells discount bridal gowns.
They have a ton!
I went there to look for mine and while I didn't end up getting it there, I did see a lot that I liked.
They really have many dresses in any style you can think of.

 
Here is a nice Maggie Sottero dress, Style 11503 Lavonne

Now they are having a sample sale if you like discounts on your discounts:
 

Sunday, May 19^th we invite all brides to RK Bridal’s largest sample sale in 35 years!  We have over 800 dresses to sell—
Come in and visit and bring your friends.
Visit our website for more info.
See you there!

RK Bridal

318 West 39th Street

New York NY 10018

Phone: 212-947-1155

Fax: 212-947-1130

3 good weekend bags

For short trips away, it's nice to have a shoulder bag that you can haul your stuff in instead of a suitcase or backpack.

Here are 3 that I like, that seem to have a bunch of room:

 
 $31.99 Baggallini Expandable tote bag 

16" x 18.5" x 5"

I like this Olive color, but you can get it in brown, black, or red.
The olive would not show dirt and I wouldn't be worried about putting it on the ground.
The material is crinkle nylon which is a lightweight durable fabric, and it fully zips on top unlike open totes that spill all your crap on the subway floor when you put them down :(
The 10" straps are long enough so you can wear it as a shoulder bag or hook it over your knee when you are sitting so it doesn't touch the subway floor.


$180 Kate Spade weekender 
16" x 19" x 8"
This is the Sampler pattern, which is a mosaic of tons of colors.
It's like the same idea as that ubiquitous green and blue mottled school carpet but done up in a nicer way; the pattern doesn't show dirt. I just wish the handles weren't white because then it would be easier to keep it looking clean.
It's a coated canvas bag in a doctor bag or bowling ball bag shape, and has a zipper along the top and a separate zippered compartment on the bottom for shoes.
So your stinky feet and gross gum don't mess up your clothes. Smart!


$149.50 Duluth Trading Company Postmaster's Tote
14¾"W x 8¾"D x 17¾"H
The postmaster's tote would be good for men or women and has a classic and timeless shape and color.
The main material of the bag is strong firehose cotton canvas, and the trim is leather.
There are tons of pockets and different places to put things. It has a long shoulder strap and also a little hand carry handle.

Emerald: Color of the year shoes

It's official! The 2013 color is Emerald.
Remember Tangerine Tango? Screw that! It's emerald now.

Prepare to see it hitting the shelves near you, in clothing, shoes, bags, and makeup.

I like the color, it reminds me of teal more than emerald, which I think of as a little more yellow. Teal was one of my Bat Mitzvah colors, so I'm happy to see it come around again.
We've been generally in a jewel tone mode these past few years, huh?
With the notable exception of greige (gray/beige) of course.

I think that shoes and accessories are a great place to start with a new bold color like emerald. You don't have to commit to a whole head to toe look or worry about how the color sits next to your face when you do a shoe.

Here are my picks:


$29.99 (was 99.99) Betsey Johnson Sagga shoe
Hearts! The lighter green stitching on these quilted ballet flats is very nice and breaks up the color.


$49.99 (was $110) Seychelles Edge of Your Seat shoe
These sandals have high platforms so the overall tilt of the heel is not huge, making them easier to walk in than heels. I like the simple design of the straps.


$89.99 (was $198) Pour La Victoire Faine shoe
These flat strappy sandals are a little lighter, more what I consider emerald. They look comfortable and versatile and you could wear them with shorts or a skirt.


$66.99 (was $150) Aldo Solian
These high heels have white piping around the toe and a multicolored ankle strap. Just the thing for a brunch date.



$39.99 (was $80) Onitsuka tiger by Asics
Crisp white stripes on the green shoe, with matching green laces.

Gray sectional sofas for my new apartment

One of the things I most want when we move is a new couch.
I wanted one when we moved into this current place together, but it was so much cheaper to recover E's Ikea couch, especially since the cats were going to destroy it anyway.

The slipcover is fine, but the couch isn't super comfortable and the cushions move around all the time. We are constantly kicking them back into place with our knees.

Also, I we eat on the couch all the time and I will admit, I spill pretty often.
So the white covers, while washable, don't look the cleanest.

I really would like a slate gray couch. And maybe even a sectional.
I don't like super modern flat boxy designs. I like clean lines but I like comfortable plush pillows instead of minimalist couches.

Here are some I like:


$3,699 PB Comfort roll arm left sectional
Twill in metal gray, knife edge pillows with down blend cover
118" w x 87.5" d x 42" d x 39" h
MMMmmm down

$2,799 Crate and Barrel Klyne 3 piece sectional in Slate

Left Arm Apartment Sofa, Corner, Right Arm Apartment Sofa

107"Wx107"Dx27"H

I like the dark color of this one and the little leggies

  $2,996 CB2 Cielo Shadow sectional

This one might be a little too modern for me. The legs look too small for the bulky seats.

$1,847 West Elm Walton 3 piece sectional

96"w x 72"d x 27"h. 

If you special order this in another fabric (it usually comes in velvet) like the basket weave which I prefer, cotton weave, or pebble weave, then it is $2,047.

$2,997 West Elm Dunham Down-filled sectional

106"w x 73"d x 37"h. 

This is the tossback fabrication which means the short L part of the sectional has a low back.  The other kind is the box cushion.

Not sure what I prefer. But I do like down!

$2,850 Room&Board Metro Sofa with angled chair

Metro 140" Sofa with Right-Arm Angled Chaise in Charcoal

The angled part reminds me of the chair and a half concept which I like, and takes up less room than a full L.

$3,297 Room&Board Orson Sectional

Orson 111x111" Three-Piece Sectional in Cement

This looks sturdy and comfortable.

$8,500 Design Within Reach Reid Corner Sectional

H 29" W 117" Seat H 16"

Why so expensive? I don't know. Not sure it is worth 2-4x the others.

$6,075 Dwell Studio Wright sectional

99W x 105L

Another super pricey one but it sounds like the cushions are made of angel wings "the latest “ultra-lux” technology— highest quality foam layered over inner springs and wrapped in down—for luscious cushions that will hold a pristine shape for years to come"

Word to the Wise: Limited Sample Sale Thursday in NYC

This sale is always such a good spot to pick up work clothes and casual tops and dresses. There are usually a lot of sizes, not just 4 or 6, so it's good for almost everyone.

The one drawback to this sale is that there is usually a long line and there are always a huge number of Asian women who have hoarded 3/4 of the merch before I get there. But there is enough left over to still make it worth going.

T H E   L I M I T E D

SAMPLE SALE

Thursday May 16^th

9AM – 4PM

400 LAFAYETTE STREET (AT EAST 4TH STREET) ~ 3rd FLOOR

$5 a piece for everything!

CHECKS OR CASH ONLY

MUST SHOW PICTURE I.D. TO ENTER

NO CHILDREN UNDER 12 ALLOWED

NO BATHROOMS AVAILABLE

www.thelimited.com

 

Great Online Store: Brika.com

Brika.com is a site where you can shop for handmade crafts that are a little more polished than the average Etsy fare.

They organize their products by "Makers" or by occasion so it's easy to follow a particular craftsman if you want.

I've also been seeing a lot of mass produced stuff being sold on Etsy recently and passed off as handmade, which annoys me. The items on Brika.com are for real.

The categories that Brika features are jewelry, home, art, paper goods, accessories, and children's products.

My picks:



$38 Large tribal cutting board by Richwood creations
This pretty patterned cutting board is laser engraved and comes in either cherry or walnut.
I wonder how deep the engraving is and if it would be hard to clean. It would be such a nice cheese board.



$38 Gray bunnies scarf by Foxy &Winston
Made of organic cotton. This scarf also comes with purple bunnies.
The print is also used on aprons and a cushion cover. I like the scarf and cushion cover the best. Feel free to buy me a few.


$150 Bone medium landscape clutch by Arc of LA
This clutch is made of leather with a block print stamped on it.



$28 Mate for Life print
A poster of animals that mate for life like the barn owl and the coyote, and I think it would make a great wedding gift.
There are other great prints, like animals of the alphabet and some simple drawings of cars and buses, which would be good for kids' rooms.



$130 mismatched star cutout earrings
These are fun! I like things that almost match, like the designs on Camper shoes.


$56 Carved Australian Aboriginal II necklace
 The colors and shape of this necklace are unusual. When I first looked at it I thought it looked childish, but my eye kept coming back to it and I think it is really interesting.



$84 Gold dipped leaf necklace
The combination of the geometric shapes and the organic branching is very nice.



$15 Flying orcas journal
The interior pages have drawings of orcas on them too.


$30 Chevron diaper clutch and 2 burp cloths
These look more mature than a lot of the baby stuff out there.

Tips for men's pants and suits

Ok after the jacket tips, it's good to know what to look for in pants too right?

This post focuses on what length to look for.
The ideal length looks like this, with one fold at the ankle:


This post discusses fit and recommends a straight or slightly tapered leg.

And this post says to watch out for bagginess in the crotch because it can make you look shorter.

Here is a good guide to dressing a man for his wedding, from top to toes.

The Black Tie Guide is another good resource.

You can get a suit custom-made for $450 at Indochino by selecting your styles and adding your measurements. Seems like a good deal but I wish they let you pick your suit fabric weight.

The real key to making any jacket or pants look good is the fit and the tailoring. You can always take something in that is a little too long or roomy, but letting something out is harder.

Tips on how men's jackets should fit

E has to buy a suit for our wedding soon, and wants to make the initial selections himself and then have me help narrow it down.
Other than just vague ideas of "that looks good" or "no you can't wear 5 plaids to our wedding," it is nice to have some real information on what to look for and what to pass on.

This post advises you to be on the alert for shoulder divots, straining sleeves, creases when buttoned, collar gaps, and shoulder rumpling.

Adventures in Glycerin: Making soap and hand lotion

I've been seeing a lot of recipes online recently about how to make your own soap, nail polish remover, and lotion and they all seem to have one ingredient in common: glycerin.

Glycerin (spelled with or without an e at the end) can also be called glycol, and it is a thick clear liquid. It's a great moisturizer and also can be used as a sweetener.
I tried tasting some while I was making stuff today and it was like a strong slightly bitter sweet taste. I don't think I would eat it by itself again, but it is nice to know that it isn't toxic.

Anyway, I went on Amazon and bought some glycerin, and since I thought it would be a good thing to have around in my cabinet for later, I got a GINORMOUS bottle.
I've since learned that this is not necessary and was probably a mistake.
Most recipes call for teaspoons of the stuff, and this is the bottle I got:



$13.97 Quart of Kosher Vegetable Glycerin
That's a lot of liquid!

Here is what I should have probably gotten instead:

$7.19 NOW vegetable glycerine 16oz

Or maybe:

$3.49 Dr. Adorable Glycerin 5oz

Anyway, I bought too much and now I will have glycerin forever and am doomed to making my own lotions and soaps.

SOAP

The first project I tried was making a bar of soap into liquid soap.
I am not a bar soap person, but E's mom got me a nice lavender bar, so I thought it would be great if I could make it into bodywash or hand soap instead.
It worked ok but not great.
Grating the soap was really annoying.
Once it was mixed, I kept having to reheat the mixture and add more water to thin it out. It was REALLY thick. And now I have a million bottles of liquid soap, and now it is a little too thin. Anyone want any?

The recipe I used was this one, but I don't recommend it, as I said. The ratios weren't right and I got way too much.
While the foamy soap mixture was cooking it smelled pretty good, and the soap came out of the pot just fine with washing.
I might try this experiment again in 87 years when I finally run out of liquid soap.

LOTION

I just made lotion as well and am really happy with the results.
I had a bunch of little mini hotel lotions under the sink, some marula and argan oil, and a bar of beeswax moisturizer that I never use since it is so thick and sticky. I thought that I could combine all of these and consolidate.
I used a combination of 2 recipes here, and also just my own mad science.
The recipe I used to make the base of the lotion and melt down my beeswax was this one.
It calls for coconut oil and olive oil too, both of which I had in the kitchen.
BTW this whole recipe is edible so that is nice.
I chose that recipe since it didn't have any water in it, which I hear keeps better.

The stuff I got from melting all those oils down and adding glycerin after is pretty viscous. It smells awesome from the beeswax and coconut!

In an old lotion container, I combined all the little bottles of lotion, and put some argan and marula and jojoba oil in. Then I put the cap back on and shook it up to combine. Next, I added a bunch of orange water (also from the kitchen) because I wanted to thin it out since the waxy stuff was so thick. I got that idea from this recipe. I shook that, then needed to add the waxy lotion.
Now, I had to pour the waxy stuff from the big wide mouth jar into the small opening of the lotion bottle. I didn't want to use a spouted measuring cup or other vessel because I didn't want to get things oily and have to clean them.
So I came up with what I think is a stroke of genius.
I got a clear plastic lid from takeout food out of the recycling and cut off the rim so I had a flat circle. Then I rolled that circle into a funnel shape and taped it all around with a long piece of masking tape to keep it together. That way I could focus on pouring and not holding the funnel together.

I poured the waxy mix while it was still warm, and left about 2 inches of air at the top of the lotion bottle. Then I shook shook shook with the cap on, to mix it all together.
It was still a little thicker than I wanted, and I was worried about the lotion being able to come out of the spout at the top, so I added more orange water and shook again.

One fun part of making lotion is that you invariably need to clean up the mouths of the jars and lids and stuff, and you can just wipe the extra on yourself.
I am the most moisturized person in the world right now.

Anyway, I ended up with a good large bottle of lotion and a quarter of a jar of the waxy mix which I will save for later. I could use the mix in the jar as lotion too, but I will probably thin it out because I like it better that way.

Yay projects!

Realistic ruby berry brooch

Blackberry pin and earring set

Isn't this brooch and matching earring set awesome?
It was made by the Italian Buccellati jewelry house around 1965 and features blackberries made of onyx and rubies.
They look pretty realistic to me, and not too cutesy.

It is up for auction now at Bonhams, with an estimated price of $7,600-$11,000.

Very pretty.

Word to the Wise: NYC sample sales now and this weekend

Lauren Merkin 
Deal: Up to 70% off handbags, clutches, and accessories. Bargain boxes start at $20.
When/Where: Tuesday, April 16 through Thursday, April 18. Daily 11am—7pm. 231 W. 29th St between Seventh and Eighth Aves, suite 201 (212-239-2459)
 I've gone to this sale before and found a really cute clutch for my sister. If you need a Spring bag, head on over.

Jil Sander  Deal: Up to 85% off women's and men's clothing, shoes, and accessories. When/Where: Tuesday, April 16 through Friday, April 19. Daily 10am—6pm. 8 Crosby St between Howard and Grand Sts, fourth floor (no phone) I'm not a huge Jil Sander fan, but if you like her style and need some basics, 85% is not shabby. Plus on the last day they usually go down to 90% off. Which I love because the math is easy. You just move the decimal one place over and something that was $255 is now $25.50 because you are only paying 10%. MiH Jeans Deal: Discounts on women's clothing. Jeans start at $40, shirts start at $35, and jersey pieces start at $15. When/Where: Wednesday, April 17 through Friday, April 19. Wed 10am—7pm, Thurs 10am—8pm, Fri 10am—7pm. 584 Broadway between Houston and Prince Sts, Suite 609 (no phone) $15 Summer tops sound like a great deal. Bettye Muller, Linda Richards Deal: Markdowns on Bettye Muller shoes, as well as Linda Richards accessories and outerwear. The shoes will start at $35 (originally $195 to $625). When/Where: Wednesday, April 3 through Saturday, April 20. Mon—Fri 8:30am—5:30pm (closed weekends). 209 W. 38th St between Seventh and Eighth Aves, suite 505 (212-382-2257)  Whee, $35 shoes! Yumi Kim Deal: Up to 80% off silk dresses, tops, skirts and more. When/Where: Thursday, April 11 through Sunday, April 21. Daily 11am—7pm. 44 Prince Street at Mulberry St (no phone) The silky tops have fun patterns and colors. James Perse Deal: 40% to 90% off men's and women's clothing, as well as athletic wear from the Yosemite line. When/Where: Tuesday, April 16 through Sunday, April 21. Tues 10am—8pm, Wed—Fri 10am—7pm, Sat 11am—7pm, Sun 11am—5pm. 260 Fifth Ave between W. 28th and W. 29th Sts (no phone) Get some really comfortable jersey shirts that will last a while, on sale.

Etsy Finds of the Day: Penguin Print Shoes by Olive Thomas

Olive Thomas Shoes is a Maya Levi, a shoe designer in Israel who makes leather shoes with fun prints on them.

Here are my favorites:


$210 Skimmer with Penguin print
AWESOME!
These flats have pointed almond shaped toes and matching vamp. They are black in back and fade to white in front, where they are printed where adorable penguins.
They are leather with leather insoles and manmade outsoles.

Comes with a cute matching tee with penguins on the bottom. I like the shape of the tee and the wide neck.



$210 Slipper with Wild Horse print
Similar to the penguin shoes, these are flat slippers with a photo digital design of horses running in a field on the toes.


BTW this one comes with a matching tee that has the horse print in a band on the bottom


$210 Juliette pumps with Flamingo print
Shaped like the skimmers but with a heel.

These are mostly black with a flamingo digital print on the toes. The heels are not that high, so walkable. Looks about 2-2.5" to me, but I could be wrong.
This also comes with a tee but I don't like the design of it.