Nothing like an afternoon cocktail served up from a streamlined iron bar.

Imagine leaning up against this tufted headboard as you read your latest issue of InStyle…or watch this season’s Mad Men.

 Rene Furterer Spray Gloss is what Barbosa primed freshly dried hair with before he used the curling iron. The B5 vitamin formula smoothes and seals the cuticle, so hair looks oh-so-shiny and sleek.  

He then combed through the waves with his fingers, and spritzed a bit of Rene Furterer Fioravanti No-Rinse Detangling Spray  on them. The vitamin C rich formula conditions,  making hair look and feel naturally soft with a light, flexible hold.   

Will you be seeing SATC2 this weekend? You know I will.

JLO and Scott Barnes in an About Face moment.

Wednesday night I had the pleasure of attending the star-studded launch of celebrity makeup artist Scott Barnes’ new book, “About Face“.

Even if you’ve never heard of Scott Barnes, you’ve seen his work; he’s a whiz at making up the faces of Jennifer Lopez, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mariska Hargitay, and Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland for red carpet events and magazine spreads. He’s most famous for giving JLO her signature glow: a monochromatic look of bronzed skin and pale lips. That “lit from within” look spawned a makeup line and signature product, Body Bling, a tinted moisturizer that transforms pale skin into sun-kissed gorgeousness.

I made my way down to NYC’s Meatpacking District to Provocateur, a new club in the Hotel Gansevoort, and immediately was greeted by red carpet excitement. Countess LuAnn de Lesseps from NYC Real Housewives fame stepped out first, and then throughout the next hour, Judith Light from Ugly Betty,  Cheyenne Jackson from Third Rock, Kelly Rowland, Kat DeLuna, and finally Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony. What a scene inside–the club has a permanent catwalk installed in the center of the room with banquettes facing it along the perimeters. Outrageous made up models dress in black catsuits danced to mixes of Jennifer Lopez’s new single, “Louboutins” and Lady Gaga tunes, with images from Scott’s work projected on a big screen in the background.

Once past everyone’s entourage–there were a ton of security guards, handlers and scary looking bodyguards–I slinkered into a banquette, sipped on  Bombay cocktail called NY Easy (made with simple syrup, lemon juice, Bombay Sapphire and Club Soda), and took in the crowd. Fashionistas, magazine editors, photographers and NY’s glamazons,  roamed and from across the room, I spotted the dimiutive Christian Sirianno, past winner of Project Runway. While I didn’t get too close to JLO (her entourage was especially good at keeping her in a bubble) I could see that she looked gorgeous and glowing, of course, in a black strapless dress and four-inch Louboutins.

On the way out, I grabbed a goody bag (ok, my most favorite part of the evening. Who doesn’t love free stuff?) filled with Scott’s book, a full size tube of Body Bling,  makeup and spa gift certificates. As I went through the loot at the sushi bar next door–I was starving, and they didn’t serve one morsel of food, just heavy-duty cocktails– I determind one thing is for certain: Scott Barnes is a makeup artist in the the truest sense. His genius book gives you all his best tips and techniques, so that even if you’re makeup shy, you can look like a Hollywood star. I may not be stepping out on a red carpet anytime soon, but right now, I’m ready for my transformation.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would have been 81 years old tomorrow were he still alive. While many of us may have a holiday on Monday to celebrate his life, few people know what to do to actually get in the spirit of the holiday to honor this great leader. Check online or your local paper for some great ways to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  If  you don’t see any in your area, you can certainly make up your own! And don’t forget to check out the National Day of Service website at mlkday.gov.

Here are some ideas for celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday this year:

1. Watch a great documentary on Martin Luther King, Jr., the Civil Rights movement, or Black History. Personally, I like the A&E documentaries, and you can usually rent those from your local public library.

2. Say “no” to bad daytime TV with a Day of Service! Don’t stay home and vegetate — volunteer! The National Day of Service initiative has a great website dedicated to helping you find great activities to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and help your community. Go to mlkday.gov for more info!

3. Listen to his ingenious speeches. Few people have the power to move people with words the way Martin Luther King did. Listen to his famous speeches and feel the history captured in his words: The Great March to Freedom, The Great March on Washington, Free at Last, and others are great lessons in the power of eloquence to change history.

4. Throw a Southern style party! Rumor has it that Dr. King was a huge fan of pecan pie and Southern food in general. Get a great southern food cookbook like The All-New Southern Living Cookbook – it’s got virtually every Southern recipe you could ever dream of making!

Got any great ideas to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day? Please share!

If you were anywhere around a movie theater last night or today, you probably saw an interminable line of teenage girls (and some boys and adult women too) for the new Twilight: New Moon movie premiere. It’s the second movie in the entire Twilight trilogy based on the book by Stephenie Meyer and it is probably one of 2009′s biggest movies, sweeping the nation by storm a la Harry Potter. Ok, that’s hyperbole, but you know what I mean. The kids are going crazy for it — so crazy that brands are starting to align themselves with the movie, creating Twilight-themed clothing, jewelry, beauty products, and more.

This, of course, makes it very simple for you to find the perfect gift for that Twilight fan in your life.  Nordstrom, for example launched an entire Twilight: New Moon line of clothing, cosmetics, and jewelry that’s…well, to die for. Check out this chunky charm bracelet from Nordstrom’s Brass Plum line:

Twilight Charm Bracelet

And for those fans that want to slumber soundly at the thought of a dreamy Edward Cullen, check out this Twilight Trio Pack — it includes a fleece blanket, a tote, and a throw pillow. Plus you get a free New Moon bracelet with any purchase of $30 or more!

Twilight Trio Pack ,$29.99

Plus check out these other Twilight movie gift ideas:

Twilight Wallet,$19.99

Twilight Lip Venom, $16.99

Twilight New Moon Movie Poster, sale $9.95

Shop Twilight books
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Shop Twilight board games, collectors dolls, and other Twilight toys

Based on the Book by Soledad O'Brien

One of the most highly anticipated documentaries of the year is CNN’s Latino in America series set to air tomorrow night at 9pm ET. The series is based on a recent book with the same title by CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien and co-written with Rose Marie Arce. It delves into the dynamics of Latino culture in America, chronicling personal events from O’Brien’s life as well as discussing broader events in Latino history that are often unknown or overlooked by mainstream media and the public.

O’Brien was the anchor behind the groundbreaking series “Black in America” that was critically acclaimed last year, so many are eager to see how a series based on a topic that is even closer to home for the journalist might be.

While the television series will closely follow the the book, there are more stories, photos, essays, and more detail that you may not see. A great addition to any book collection!

Buy the Latino in America book now

Nordstrom recently launched a dedicated area on its site featuring fashion, quizzes, and makeup inspired by the Twilight movie series. The launch precedes the November 20 release of the next movie in the Twilight series, Twilight: New Moon, starring actors Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. You can watch videos, pre-order the new Luna Twilight cosmetics, even take a quiz and see which Twilight character’s fashion sense you come closest to!

Check out the new cosmetics line — with names like “Just Bitten Staining Balm“, DuWop Lip Venom, and Mortal Glow Blushing Creme, you’ll definitely look drop-dead gorgeous!

Shop Luna Twilight Makeup

What’s Twilight? Check out my other post about the Twilight movie here.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs Video Game

I think it’s practically impossible to beat a children’s book about a town where it rains everything from hamburgers to pizza to ice cream. Then I actually saw a movie about it and realized that I was, indeed, wrong. And that is why I am highly recommending that everyone go see the new Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs movie that comes out today.

Before I continue raving about how wonderful this movie is, full disclosure: my significant other worked on the animation for it. But really, aside from that, I have to say it’s one of the best movies I’ve seen this year, if not THE best. Based on the well-loved children’s book by Judi Barrett, the movie’s characters include the voices of Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Andy Samberg, and even Mr. T!!

I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s a great movie for kids and adults alike — the humor is somewhat edgy and sophisticated, the artwork and graphics are amazing — even the closing credits are unique!

Check it out today — and definitely add the children’s book to your collection! There’s even a video game too!

Chic Papoose Baby Sling $68

The Chic Papoose sling, featured in the “Celeste” pattern, makes a brief appearance in a scene where Heather Graham’s character, Jade, is reunited with her baby.

Created by a work-at-home-mom, Chic Papoose was designed in response to the decidedly un-chic baby slings that women would buy to carry their baby. Instead of gender-neutral colors and cutesy baby prints, Chic Papoose features reversible slings made of coordinated, of-the-moment designer fabrics. The stylish sashes let you keep your hands free while keeping your baby up close and comfortable near you. They are easy to care for, too; just machine wash and dry. The fabrics are prewashed to help avoid shrinkage. What’s not to like?

Flip! for Decorating

Are you dreaming of a home makeover but don’t think you have the expertise or wherewithall to make it a reality?

Well,  design consultant and Today show lifestyle expert Elizabeth Mayhew recently published a book chock full of tips and tricks to make your abode stylish in a snap–and on a budget, too! Flip! for Decorating is a must-read for anyone who has flipped through the pages of a decorating magazine, lusted over the pretty pictures and said, “How do I DO that?”

Elizabeth, who also writes a regular column for House Beautiful, offers readers step-by-step instructions on how to decorate the four most-used rooms in your home: bedroom, family room, dining room and living room.

She describes how to use what you already own and freshen it up with new fabrics and paint.  You’ll also read about how to put together a professional looking color palette, how to dress a window and choose the right furnishings and accessories for your spaces.

Overwhelmed with the design options?  Elizabeth also has a section on how to prioritize your decorating decisions and make the right choices so you won’t waste a dime. Valuable advice this year, don’t you think?

Star Wars Yoda Backpack

If you didn’t know, today is Star Wars Day. Why is today Star Wars Day, you ask? Because it’s May 4th. Why is Stars Wars Day on May 4th, you ask? Drumroll please…

Because May the 4th Be With You.

It’s such a terrible yet absolutely wonderful pun — pure genius and reason enough to celebrate. I for one plan on indulging in a little Star Wars Monopoly with my significant other. How else can you celebrate?

1. Throw a Star Wars party and give all your friends Star Wars party favors.
2. Get Twit-It and Follow Star Wars on Twitter.
3. Dress up in a sexy Princess Leia costume (This is SHOP.COM’s most popular costume at Halloween time and you can get 5% back right now btw)
4. Spoil your child (or yourself) with some fun Star Wars Lego Sets
5. Watch the Clone Wars online — NOW IN SPANISH!!
6. Mix up your own Star Wars Cocktail, just like the one they’re drinking in the Cantina.

Or, if all of the above is simply too geeky for you to even consider, you can always just rent the trilogy and call it a day…

Shop Star Wars movies
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If you watched Bravo’s A-list Awards a couple nights ago, you know that Tori Spelling won the A-List Celebrity Autobiography award for her book sTORI Telling and gave a, well, quite an illustrious speech. You can read it here.

But that wasn’t her only success.  Tori Spelling just wrote her second book, entitled Mommywood — all about the joys of raising children,  in — you guessed it — Hollywood. Whatever you may think of Tori Spelling, I’ve gotta say,  she’s got quite a following. Her first book sTORI Telling (gosh I love that name, it’s so clever) hit the  New York Times Bestseller list and was lauded for its down-to-earth, humorous style by many.

I for one remember Tori Spelling fondly from my days obsessing over the tv show Beverly Hills, 90210 as a pre-teen — she was the good one, the one who never did anything wrong. The only real drama she’s ever gotten entangled in is her real-life drama with her estranged mother Candy Spelling, who has also written a cleverly entitled book Stories from Candyland. Ah, Hollywood.

Who’s watching American Idol tonight? If you’re an American Idol regular, then you’ve probably seen judge Paula Abdul and perhaps have even noticed that sometimes, well, she’s sparkling from SO MUCH BLING! Coincidentally, she has her very own jewelry line as well and has even flashed it every now and then during the show. (OK, once, last month, when a contestant was wearing a piece from her line.)

Paul Abdul’s line of jewelry is called “Forever Your Girl”,  just like the song we all know and love, and can be almost exclusively found on the Home Shopping Network. Paula Abdul on the Home Shopping Network? Yes, it’s true. She’s even appeared on the channel to showcase her jewelry — who knew? I didn’t!

Anyhow, her jewelry is super-affordable and very empowering — she’s got a “Reach for the Stars”, “Take Your Breath Away”, and “Her” lines which are really inspiring. Let’s hope that her pieces are always as sparkling as her personality! Straight up now tell me — do you love her jewelry or don’t ya?

Shop Paula Abdul’s FYG jewelry line

Twilight Directors Notebook

Unless you were hiding under a rock last November, you probably know about the swarms of girls that stood in line for the opening of the vampire movie called Twilight, written by Stephenie Meyer and starring Robert Pattinson (of Harry Potter fame) and Kristen Stewart (I have no idea what she was in).

And in case you can’t wait for the next movie in the Twilight sequel, New Moon, to release in November, here’s something that will tide you over for a bit: Twilight: Director’s Notebook: The Story of How We Made the Movie Based on the Novel is set to release tomorrow. (OK is it just me or is that the longest and most literal name ever for a book?)

You can pre-order your book today here.
Shop all the books in the Twilight series
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This cover scares me. The scariest is part is that for a split second, I didn’t even realize these were mannequins.

Old Navy just launched an ad campaign that features these 9 “Supermodelquins” that, by day, lead a quiet suburban life of modeling Old Navy clothing, but by night, lead riveting lives. You can see the promo video about these 9 plastic marvels yourself on their “The Story of the Supermodelquins” video.

After viewing, you must then tell me: Fun or Freaky?

The only way to shave

Let’s face it, men are the hardest to buy for. I’m always at a loss of what to get my husband, my dad and my brother-in-laws. The usuals–a tie, shirt or sweater–are getting old, and not to mention, kind of useless. Those gifts seem to get pushed into dark corners of a drawer or closet, waiting to make an appearance only when the other stuff starts to look seedy (which could be years from now).

So in a quest to get something useful, I turned to grooming. I’ve always thought the old-fashioned, brush-on shave seems more fitting for the Mad Men generation than today. But I’m determined to find something unusual this season, so I’m hoping I can convince my husband (who embraces shaving with as much enthusiasm as taking out the garbage) to be as dapper as Don Draper. Enter the Art of Shaving Starter Set. It’s basically a two week trial period, complete with a pre-shave oil, shaving cream, brush and after shave balm, that will hopefully transform my sick-of-shaving husband into a grooming guru. Plus, I love the scents–sandalwood, lemon or lavender–though, my guy would probably be more into the unscented set. For $25, it’s a worth a try, and beats the “Oh another tie!” expression. Art of Shaving “The Four Elements of the Perfect Shave”, $25.

Stress-Free Skincare, $42.50

Turkey has now given way to shopping madness and I’m already way too tense about what I’m getting everyone for the holidays. Budget may be the buzzword of 2008, but sticking it to it? That’s got stress written all over it. Sure I can take advantage of pre-holiday sales, (which seem a lot like post-holiday ones, in fact Saks is having an unheard of 70% off designer goods) so that may help ease my shopping woes. But this year is shaping up to be a lot like last year. I’ve got 23 more shopping days, but I’m a procrastinator. The final gift will probably be purchased on the 23rd day, all building to a celebratory-yes-it’s-over-evening downing too many glasses of eggnog and red wine (don’t ask). It’s one way to give stress the boot.

The worst part? All this holiday hubbub is bound to take a toll on my skin. It’s not just a pesky pimple popping up, but now I found out that stress can cause premature aging too. According to the Clinique scientists, when your stress level soars, the hormones prevent your skin from naturally defending and repairing itself. Because your skin is fragile, wrinkles and fine lines will show up sooner rather than later. It’s the same as if you’re constantly exposing your unprotected face to irritants like sun and pollution.

So naturally, I need the kind of help eggnog isn’t going to solve. Luckily, Clinique’s new Superdefense  SPF 25 Age Defense Moisturizer  has come in the nick of time. It’s got extract of red microalgae, which has been shown to protect skin cells from the effects of emotional stress. I’ve been using it religously every morning now, and while no dramatic results to report, I will tell you this: My skin looks firm, supple and healthy. Which in my book means it’s working, because I can’t imagine what it would look like if I wasn’t using it. So while the pressure’s on, I can rest easy about one thing; that my skin will still be as good as it looks now, even down to the last drop of eggnog. Clinique Superdefense SPF 25 Age Defense Moisturizer, 42.50.

A few days ago I went to see a late showing of the movie Role Models and saw a melange of gothically dressed and pajama-clad teenage girls sitting in a long line right outside of the theater. It was quite a site. They were waiting for the midnight screening of the vampire movie Twilight, which is based on the popular young adult vampire series by Stephenie Meyer.

Basically the story is about a young girl named Bella that moves to Washington and falls in love with vampire named Edward Cullen. Hmm…sounds like several other vampire movies/TV shows (ahem…True Blood) that are out there, but hey, this one’s targeted specifically to teenagers, so that’s new.

And why are teenage girls so crazy about it? Two words: Robert Pattinson. I had no idea who he was either, but apparently the girls are going bonkers over him.

So of course there are already tons of Twilight products, posters, a special Twilight Cullen Family Bracelet, and other memorabilia out there…so if you have teenage girls, or are one yourself, (or you’re just a fan of the movie, no need to be shy) then check out the latest Twilight stuff now.

I’m still debating whether or not to see the movie. You know, for research.

Shop Twilight Bracelets and Charms
Shop Twilight posters now
Shop Twilight books now
Shop Twilight trading cards

Nostalgic for 1996? Relive it through Celebrate, by Cody

Over the weekend, Good Morning America did a really interesting segment about people who love purchasing discontinued & hard-to-find products. Other than the interest factor, we’re happy to say SHOP.COM, the shopping website that sponsors The Shopping Vine, was mentioned briefly in this piece.

While the segment focuses less on the discontinued products themselves and more on the quirky personalities that love to collect them (ex., guy who loves collecting Pepsi Blue, a woman who wants a Mrs. Beasley doll, etc.), as well as a cute country store in Vermont called Vermont Country Store, it was a nice little plug for SHOP and made me wonder…why the heck do businesses discontinue perfectly good and popular items?

Especially beauty companies. It seems they discontinue lipstick shades and perfumes all the time. I’m guessing it’s to keep you on your toes — and coming back. But no worries…here is a website that will help recreate that shade you wore at the high school prom.

What discontinued item are you still mourning? Share it here…

Shop discontinued items

by: ss_shopgirl:
It’s finally here! Sex and the City — The Movie was released today for those of you that need your Carrie, Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte fix!

Click here to compare Sex and the City — The Movie prices now.

No matter what side of the brambled, jagged, thorny, splintered political fence you may sit on, there’s one thing that’s hard to deny — Tina Fey bears an UNCANNY resemblance to VP wannabe Sarah Palin.

Click here to watch Tina Fey as Sarah Palin.

If you haven’t yet caught last weekend’s performance by Tina Fey on Saturday Night Live, you MUST see it now. It’s like Ben Kingsley-Gandhi, Denzel Washington-Malcolm X, J. Lo-Selena uncanny. (Ok well maybe not the last one.) Anyhow, my theory is that the resemblance comes mostly from the glasses.

Sarah Palin prefers the glasses of Japanese designer Kazuo Kawasaki, who has already seen sales of his MP-704 glasses reach 9,000, mostly from the United States. The glasses are feather-light, made of titanium, and get this: they don’t need screws, instead they use a thin metal strip similar to a paper clip to attach the lens to the frame. Pretty sweet, right? The glasses retail for about $400 in the US.

Sold on the rimless glasses but not sold on the price? Here are a few cheaper versions that I love:

Prada Rimless Sunglasses White $199	Prada Rimless Sunglasses Beige/Camel $199
Gucci Rimless Sunglasses $315	Kate Spade Rimless Sunglasses $175
Ed Hardy Three Old School Roses sale $205	Kenneth Cole Reaction $59

If you’re a child of the 90s, or know of one, then you’ve probably heard of the TV show Beverly Hills, 90210. It was a hit show about a bunch of (mostly rich & spoiled) high school kids living in, you guessed it, Beverly Hills, CA. Their plethora of problems ranged from teen pregnancy to alcoholism to religious bigotry, and more.

Anyhow, the 90210, a spinoff, debuts tonight on the CW Network with a brand new cast and names I’ve never heard of: Shenae Grimes, Tristan Wilds, Jessica Stroup and more. But don’t worry, former cast members Jennie Garth (Kelly Taylor) and Shannen Doherty (Brenda Walsh) will reprise their roles for your nostalgic enjoyment.

Oh, and the Republican National Convention will be continuing tonight too…

Beverly Hills 90210 I Slept with Dylan T-Shirt	Beverly Hills 90210 Seasons 1-3
Beverly Hills 90210 Women’s Eau de Toilette Parfum	Beverly Hills 90210 Men’s Perfume

And for your listening pleasure, don’t forget about the Limited Edition Beverly Hills iPod too!

If you were one of the lucky ones to catch a midnight showing last night of the latest Batman movie, The Dark Knight, then you know that this will probably be the most talked-about movie of the summer. I, for one, certainly can’t wait to catch the movie (although I might have to buy a ticket from a scalper to see a show anytime soon). Needless to say, in anticipation of this movie release, there have been countless Dark Knight toys, costumes, even watches created to honor the introspective winged hero and his sinister makeup-splattered foe.

Mattel created quite a few toys to honor the Dark Knight characters, from role-playing items like the Dark Knight Wayne Tech Mega Cape accessory and the Dark Knight Rapid Fire Utility Belt (which actually sprays foam projectiles) to designer jewelry like a limited-edition Dark Knight watch created by Fossil.

Dark Knight Wayne Tech Mega Cape	Dark Knight Shift Attach Sports Coupe
Dark Knight Utility Belt with Cape – transforms into a rapid fire motorized blaster!	Dark Knight Hot Wheels Playset
Limited-edition (only 2,000!) Dark Knight Watch from Fossil	Dark Knight Kid’s Costume (never too late to plan for Halloween!)

If you didn’t know, tonight is the premiere of Project Runway, Season Five, on Bravo. I for one will be either a.) watching it or b.) Tivoing it. If you’re interested in catching up on any of the first three seasons (Season 4 isn’t out yet), SHOP.COM’s got all of them, from several different stores. I also found this nifty Limited Edition Project Runway sewing machine that’s on a massive sale!

Bluefly, just like last season, is sponsoring Project Runway and will be including recaps and other fun promotions on their site.

And if you were a fan of “fierce,” last season’s Project Runway winner Christian Syriano will be debuting his new Bluefly collection on the site July 23.

Project Runway Season 1	Project Runway Season 2
Project Runway Season 3	Limited Edition Project Runway Sewing Machine sale: $583.94

I’m very sad today. If you haven’t heard, comedian George Carlin died in Los Angeles at the age of 71 due to heart failure last night. He was known for edgy, provocative, and very controversial comedy that usually poked fun at consumerism, religion, and more.

I can’t link to his routines here because they aren’t particularly family-friendly, but if you go to YouTube, just do a search on George Carlin and check out some of his stuff — it’s definitely worth watching, even just to participate in the makings of a comedy legend.

And if you’re interested in purchasing his comedy, here are some of my favorite collections below:

George Carlin – All My Stuff	George Carlin Collection
George Carlin Complaints & Grievances	George Carlin Personal Favorites

I was really happy to find out that a slew of this year’s best movies are finally coming out on DVD! My personal favorite was No Country for Old Men, which was March’s popular new release. But April is proving to top March with these new fabulous DVD releases — Juno, There Will be Blood, Lars and the Real Girl, Laurence of Arabia, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem Special Edition, and Sweeney Todd.

Juno	There Will be Blood
Lars and the Real Girl	Lawrence of Arabia: Collectors Edition
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem Special Edition	Sweeney Todd

If you watched the Oscars last night you probably spent the majority of the night ogling the outfits to see which celebrity looked the best. Oh and yeah, who won for best whatever. Red made a surprising appearance this year, with actresses Katharine Heigl, Heidi Klum, Miley Cyrus, Anne Hathaway, and Helen Mirren decked out in shades from scarlet to tomato.

I for one was a HUGE fan of Jessica Alba’s eggplant-colored Marchesa maternity gown and Keri Russell’s classic Nina Ricci gown (I’ve been a devoted Keri Russell fan ever since her Felicity days.) And after thinking about it, I was even a fan of Tilda Swinton’s avant-garde washed silk Lanvin gown and stark red hair/pale face look — at least it’s something different, right?

But what about the rest of us? You know, those that can’t afford to drop $20,000 on a custom designer dress? Oh holiest of fashion designers, why hast thou forsaken us?

Guess what? You can. Check out some of the designer styles below to get your own Oscar look…for less.

Off the shoulder and in the red
Katharine Heigl in silk georgette Escada gown	Alex Evenings One Shoulder Gown $118
Satin and the blues…
Cate Blanchett in Dries Van Noten Blue Satin	A.B.S. Teal Satin Cowlneck Dress sale $152.99
Go Tomato
Miley Cyrus in Valentino Chiffon Gown	Democracy Matte Jersey Ruched Bubble Dress $134
Basic Black
Nicole Kidman in custom Balenciaga gown	A.B.S. Black Sateen Evening Dress sale $248.40
For the Baby Bump
Jessica Alba in deep purple Marchesa gown	Chiffon party dress in wine sale $19.99

by: ss_shopgirl 

How psyched are you about the Super Bowl?

I can’t hear you.

If you’re more concerned with a touch-up than a touch down, you’ll be happy to know that there’s a new game designed just for you for this Sunday – Fantasy Fashion League – The Beauty Edition.

Modeled after Fantasy Football, it’s a game that allows you to “draft” a fantasy team – of celebrities and trends – instead of football players.

So instead of adding players to your line-up card just for the Super Bowl, you’ll be adding celebrities and trends to your line-up card for events like the Grammys and the Golden Globes and magazine covers like Lucky and Vogue. You can also earn points for the Super Bowl’s Red Carpet Preview show.

Isn’t that more fun than watching a bunch of sweaty men run around in the grass?

I think so. (But I’ll still have some buffalo wings.)

Kid Nation contestants pulling a supply wagon

There’s something a little unsettling about a group of children performing extreme manual labor, being expected to function on their own as prominent players within a capitalist system, and making a living by roughing it and relying on their immediate resources for food.

What’s most disturbing is that in many cases, the kids on the new hit reality TV show Kid Nation do a better job at it than some of the adults I know.

Possibly the most controversial show in this fall’s new TV lineup, the CBS show Kid Nation is yet another Lord of the Flies-inspired reality show to grapple with the already existing question we all ponder on a daily basis:

What would I do if I was stuck on a deserted island?

Except now it’s:

What would I do if I was stuck on a deserted island…if I was ten years old?

The show features 40 children aged 8-15 on a ranch in New Mexico, challenged with the task of creating and sustaining their own society (read: Survivor, Lost, Big Brother, blah, blah, etc.) And it’s received quite a bit of flack for being what some might call…unethical (yet strangely intriguing).

The kids are adorable, (although Greg really could use a haircut), and some of their “discussions” are scarier than the worst board room meetings I’ve been in. Ah, there’s nothing like getting the little ones started off early on their way to becoming power-hungry demagogues.

Personally, I think Lord of the Flies is much, much better. There’s no Piggy in this one!

Tell us what you think about the new fall TV lineup. Are you a Kid Nation, Heroes, Bionic Woman, or The Office follower? Help! I need to streamline my TV watching!

Ken Burns posing next to The War poster

If you’re like me and feel the need to balance your time between frivolous (yet necessary) online shopping with hard-hitting, substantive entertainment like attending art shows and watching documentaries, you’re in luck!

Ken Burns, the documentarian who churned out many a popular PBS mini-series like The Civil War, Baseball, and Jazz, just released a brand new documentary about World War II simply titled, The War.

The series premiered last night on PBS and drew an estimated 18.7 million viewers during the 8-10:30 pm time slot and will air for a total of 7 episodes, on various days until October.

What’s great about this version is that The Ken (which I believe he now deserves to adopt as a moniker) focuses on the actual veterans – not academics or generals in The War.

Perfect for refreshing your history knowledge and becoming an overall more upright individual – or having something worthwhile to talk about at the next dinner party you attend!

Check your local PBS station listings for dates and times, then write and let us know what you think!