A couple of things that Maria didn't cover as she ran all over the Austrian hills...tote bags and Eley Kishimoto...I'm sure it was an oversight, a girl can't cover all the good things in life as she dashes through a meadow. My love of totes and E.K. however is well documented (although I don't think I've ever sung about them), which makes it incredibly galling that this incredibly cute Eley Kishimoto bag can be bought for a mere £2.99 at Cancer Research UK and Wishes shops...but not online. Proceeds from the sale of the bag go towards research into beating cancer (another one of my favorite things).

"You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain
Too much love drives a man insane
You broke my will, But what a thrill
Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire
I laughed at love 'cause I thought it was funny
You came along and moved me honey
I've changed my mind, this Girl is fine
Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire" - Jerry Lee Lewis

My mother was a woman who, at one time, could Twist like no other...for those of you unfamiliar with 60's dance steps, The Twist was described by an instruction booklet that came with Chubby Checker's record "Let's Twist Again" as "Imagine you are stubbing out a cigarette with both feet whilst drying your back with a towel". Though, of course, by my formative years she wasn't twisting in public (at least not without severe provocation and a cocktail) our living room was often filled with the sounds of Jerry and Chubby, twisting the night away.

All of which has no real connection...except in the my mind...to J Crew's wood bead and "fireball" (get it?) bracelet...which, in itself, bears a striking resemblance (in looks but not price point...$35 versus $960) to Sydney Evan's Buddha head bracelet...thus, everything is connected...six degrees of separation...with a twist.

Sunday is my "gunk day"...the day when it makes most sense to use the various face masks, potions, and lotions that I seem to collect like a hyperactive squirrel going after nuts. And I will, I admit, take a free sample of anything that is offered. "Strychnine modom?" "Well..." "It's a free sample..." "Oh, well in that case..." A recent visit to Kiehl's having yielded some samples of their Ultra Facial Cleanser I decided to give it a try. First of all, the positives...it does, as their marketing materials suggest, cleanse the skin "without over-drying or stripping skin of its natural oils". The downside is that it does so while smelling like a swimming pool. So much so that I checked the ingredient list to see if chlorine was on it. Is it overly picky to want a product that works and smells nice?

People's High School memories tend to veer between two extremes...the golden period of the popular kid, the high point of their lives...to the "thank God that's over", running for the gates, there has to be more to life than this sensation...and, of course, all possible permutations in between. In my case, it was more of a "the place is fine, the classes are fine, but the people are killing me" scenario. Which makes it all the more confusing to find that I have a soft spot for Fallon's rose gold High School Ridicule Cuff. All the popular taunts are there...basketcase, classclown, hipster, prep, ditz, weirdo, punk...perhaps that's why I like it, it's therapy in jewelry form.

Somewhat belatedly, the "great closet categorization of summer '08" has moved on from shoes to...shirts*...which makes me feel like a character on Sesame Street..."today's letter is the letter S". Adding to the feeling that I should be hanging out with Grover and the Cookie Monster...the realization that I really like Peter Pan collars. A third of my shirts are variations on that theme...from such diverse sources as H&M, APC, Jessica Ogden for Fred Perry, and Vivienne Westwood. For the rest, a relatively good mix of patterns and solids...though, I have to say, a lot of blue...which, considering the less emphatic presence of blue in the rest of my closet makes me wonder where my love of the blue shirt comes from...

My other realization...apart from the fact that I need to buy an iron (why do clothes look more wrinkled in photographs than they do in real life?)...is a sense of relative satisfaction, shirt-wise. I wouldn't say no to another shirt in a darker (non-blue) shade but, overall, I have a rare sense of contentment.

* For the purposes of this analysis, "shirts" are tops with collars that are can be worn by themselves (and not hidden under a sweater or jacket because they don't fit correctly or have a pattern that is objectionable when viewed in its entirety)...I can't be the only one with a selection of shirts that I only wear under sweaters...can I?

As I seem to have been on a dual quest recently for a) color and b) dresses it's probably fitting that I came across this colorblocked number. Unfortunately though, as the weather today isn't exactly balmy, I'm having a hard time conjuring up a mental picture that includes the kind of warmth and sunshine required by this dress. Perhaps a viewing of His Kind of Woman is in order for this afternoon...Jane Russell...a deluxe resort in Mexico...and plenty of film-noir, anti-hero goodness. Yes, that sounds like it might help...

In reference to the above quote, I'm probably a parachute girl, one of the "be prepared" squad...and it looks like I'm not alone...at least if the current glut of voluminous parachute silk and satin bags is anything to go by. While I love the idea of a large, jewel-toned bag that I could lug all of my summer essentials around in, I'm finding the price tags (up to $745) a little hard to swallow for something that looks so easy to make. I know...looks can be deceptive...but I have an overwhelming urge to try a little DIY.

If it goes well, I have a new bag. If things go wrong, I have the world's smallest parachute. So sayeth the optimist and pessimist inside me.

Grey, red, and gold

Even though I'm 90% sure that a pair of Opening Ceremony's simple, yet surprisingly complex, cut-out flats are in my future I'm still on the lookout for other options...like, say, these hidden wedge flats from Pour La Victoire...enticing, both from a design perspective and a financial one (as they're about half as expensive as the OC shoes)...decisions, decisions...

As I've been airing my grievances lately in regard to the havoc that summer reeks on my sense of well-being (closet-wise) I'm happy to be able to report that I've been able to cross something off my wishlist. Yes, item #327 (at least that's how it seems at the moment, an endless list of "summer would be manageable with this" items)...a relaxed top that works within a business-casual office environment...has been found.

I'm trying to be pickier this year and, instead of simply thinking "that's cute...I'm sure I'll get some wear out of it", I'm attempting to look for pieces that will work with my existing wardrobe...things that I feel will be staples as opposed to one-trick ponies. Like United Bamboo's ribbon top...a sort of deluxe t-shirt with a native American inspired grosgrain ribbon detail...gorgeous on its own and a nice piece of interesting detail under a jacket.

Okay, so...that's one down...three hundred and twenty-six to go...

As I was browsing around Barney's website this sailor hat from Chloe Sevigny's collection for Opening Ceremony caught my eye...not because I'm in the market for a Captain's hat, I actually have a rather jaunty one from James Lock & Co...no, what interested me about the hat was that it's made from "recycled cassette tape fabric". Now, having once cut black garbage bags into strips so that I could knit them into a cap (what can I say...it was the eighties...), I was curious. And, after a little Googling, I discovered Sonic Fabric...a textile woven from (you guessed it) recycled audio cassette tapes. Even more intriguing that the fabric itself is the fact that it can be "played"...because it retains its magnetic quality it emits a sound if a tape head is pulled across it.

The other day I came across one of those school pencil cases wittily shaped like a large pencil...which of course made me all sentimental as my head filled with memories of me (back when I was a little Heb) feeling cool-ish because I had one of the aforementioned pencil cases in my backpack when I headed out to school.

Fast forward to now (and a decidedly bigger Heb) who, while loving nostalgia, needs something with a little more oomph. Like, for instance, this engraved cherry wood clutch from Stella McCartney. I understand why it’s so expensive...visions of childhood are replaced by rows of people whittling away to create the perfect wooden bag...but it’s out of my price range for a clutch...though maybe not if you also think of it as a piece of "art". Which is probably how it would need to be viewed as there’s the additional consideration that wood is...unforgiving...no smooshing in a few extra "necessities" when you go out...your belongings will either fit, or they won’t...not good news for an inveterate hoarder like me.

“Things fall apart; the center cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity” - William Butler Yeats

After my shoe inventory I felt that I was lacking simplicity...not, I hasten to add, that I yearn for bland footwear...merely something in a neutral color...that relies more upon shape that fabric or embellishment. A non-basic, basic if you will. Something which is plentiful in Opening Ceremony's shoe collection. While the cut-out Oxford and ballet flat with a clip-on bow are tempting, I feel myself drawn to the cut-out ballet flats...like Cinderella...or a modern-day Holly Golightly (somehow I think it would be easier to get over the "mean reds" with these on my feet).

There was something so deliciously madcap about this picture of Clémence Poésy from the April issue of Nylon that I had to post it. My initial contemplation (which, I admit, took a while to tear myself away from) was how toned her legs must be...crouching in that pose, wearing striped tights, would cause most people’s limbs to look...well, larger than life, shall we say. But, once I managed to get past that, I was left to think about how great she looks...the mix of patterns in black and white...with the colored shoes...and the sex kitten hair to balance everything out...just looks so perfect. I think, once the weather gets a little warmer, some experimentation is needed with the pair of black and grey striped tights which have been hiding in my tight bag...as long as I remain in a non-crouching position, that is.

I continue to receive a surprising number of visits to a post that I wrote quite a while ago regarding an Hermes tutorial for tying silk scarves...entitled "Playtime with you scarf"...I still wonder if the title was a bad translation from something or Hermes was really going for such a double entendre laden sentence...either way, as someone with a couple of drawers full of the little blighters...and a woman who can while away hefty chunks of time draping and folding a scarf like some demented devotee of the art of origami...I’m thrilled that there are so many fellow addicts out there...all knotting and folding away like crazy.

For the scarf-challenged, or those of us addicts having a "lazy day", Isabel Marant has created this beautiful top with built-in shawl...all of the insouciant scarf vibe...none of the effort...brilliant.

From a "sheer beauty of the spectacle" perspective, Phillip Lim’s Cupcake dress is absolute perfection...fluttery, dove grey, silk organza...some detailing to add a bit of weight (so that you don’t look like you’re about to blow away)...if I was getting married, I would be all over this dress... But, I’m not...so back to more practical considerations...

I mentioned my diabolical master plan a couple of days ago...to take a tally of my existing summer wardrobe...and based on that, to try and identify the holes...and, additionally, the pieces I should stop buying before I'm certified as insane. At the time, it seemed like a good idea, but it turned into one of those things that became more and more daunting as I tried to decide which part of my closet to start with...finally I settled on footwear, thinking that as a "non-shoe girl" it would be easy place to begin...the idiocy of that statement only became apparent when I realized that I do, in fact, appear to be a shoe girl and, despite my initial concerns to the contrary, I have most shoe categories covered. But before I go any further...what was the criteria for taking mug-shots of these particular shoes? Well, I went under the assumption that the summer will be filled with blue skies and sunshine...so no shoes for rain, sleet, or snow...other than that, anything goes.

The outcome? As I mentioned, somewhat disturbing...if you'd asked me I would have said that I didn't have a lot of footwear options...as you can see, I was wrong...three pairs of moccasins in varying shades of brown...white floral flats from Gucci (probably not the most sensible selection as pale fabric is like a dirt magnet)...and more "humorous" shoes (from Marc Jacobs' mouse flats to Topshop's Japanese flag embellished numbers) than should really be gathered together at one time.

I came out of this excercise, however, with the realization that I need to stop buying shoes that are "quirky"...I can safely say that I have quirky covered...practical or minimalist styles, on the other hand, are thin on the ground (if you'll pardon the pun).

Last year (egad, is it really that long ago?) I had my heart set on Les Bijoux de Sophie's tiger pendant. As so often happens, to me at least, I spotted it in a French magazine but was unable to track it down in real-life. Fast forward 12 months, to this tiger's head pendant which I just stumbled across. Is this fate? A second chance? An upsurge in the popularity of tigers? I'm not sure and, while I can't say that I love it in the same way as I did the Les BdS version, it certainly is tempting...

A little drum and bass...and a shot of color...to start off Sunday morning. And an alternative to the pussy-bow blouse (that I have a slight addiction to)...this pussy-bow sweater from Sonia Rykiel. Considering how most offices turn up their air-conditioning systems during the summer...so that going to work resembles spending a day in a walk-in-freezer...I rather like the idea of a lightweight sweater with a built-in-scarf.

Someone was obviously very bored over at The Wall Street Journal...I say this because they took the time to record one of their fashion reporters pronouncing fashion designer's names, Berlitz style, for the elucidation of shoppers everywhere.

I am obviously more bored because I clicked through and listened to "zhan paul GO-tee-AY", "NEE-ko-la guess-KYAIR", and my personal favorite "al-BEAR el-BAHZ for lon-VAN". If I could figure out how to do it I'd download a couple and add them to the roster of sounds on my laptop...imagine new mail alerts being accompanied by "BOOL-ga-ree"!

I probably don't need to do my bi-annual transition of seasonal clothing from closet A (day-to-day) to closet B (storage) for a little while yet...we were hit by 7 inches of snow yesterday so there's obviously still a requirement for cold weather clothing...BUT...I'm getting fed-up with facing the usual suspects every time I open my closet door and I'm having a hard time getting enthused about summer dressing...or figuring out what I actually need to add to my existing wardrobe to make the warmer months manageable...so a preemptive strike seems like a good idea.

As I find that my thinking is (marginally) clearer when I put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard as the case may be) my plan this year is to photograph segments of my wardrobe and then mull them over in a post or two, and hopefully identify the areas that are woefully inadequate or (more likely) the items that I have three or four of and really need to stop buying. I'm thinking of this as anti-retail therapy...but we'll see...I may find that I end up with a huge list of things that I quote/un-quote need.

The weeks Splendid best!

Beauty Match finds Free Beauty Samples of Biolustre Hair Repair System for damaged hair

Aging Fabulous discovers a powerful new serum, CHANEL Sublimage Serum.

NY Spender gets a haircut and shares some tips learned from a master stylist.

Shopaliciousis giving away two Rossella Carrara necklaces, compliments of FashionRome boutique!

Beauty Bento Box talks about a great tanning oil spray to take on your next trip to the beach.

With a recent purchase from the Mens Accessory department, Style Manila discovers style and function fit for women in the Canvas Shoulder Bag from Benetton.

For some styling ideas, let Tops 2 Bottoms show you Old Navy in Yellow!

Canadian Beauty tells you what she loved at L'Oreal Fashion Week.

Style...a work in progress muses on Kate Moss' latest collection for Topshop and asks whether you're interested in High Priced...High Street?

Viva Woman offers tips on how to select and optimize your sunscreen.

Shoe Blitz features wonderful metallic evening shoes on sale.

Savvy Skin finds a new way to prevent wrinkles - by tinting your car windows!

Beauty and Fashion Tech tells you how to get the blue nail trend for cheap.

Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog gives you swatches of Chanel's new summer makeup collection,woot!

Laya's EYE spots some very chic eco-friendly reusable shopping bags.

Indie Style File finds beauty and humor in a owl jumper

Don't know what to spend or splurge on? All That & a makes a list of things to invest in

ShopDiary posts photos of different styles from 3.1 Phillip Lim's chic footwear line for Tatami.

Her Accessories has teamed up with Island Cowgirl Jewelry to host a contest to win one of their gorgeous sterling silver necklaces.

I feel somewhat geeky getting enthused over the clasp on a handbag...and yet, here we are...and my inner handbag nerd (a small sub-category of purse lovers) is snorting in a dark corner of my mind over the hardware on Anya Hindmarch's caramel leather Clint bag.

The combination of the leather and the clasp makes me think of vintage sports cars...at one moment it's utilitarian, yet decorative...60's, yet modern...tough, yet ladylike...I think I'm in love...

Apparently the Easter rabbit is a rabbit (and not a chicken, elk, or pig) because the rabbit was known as being incredibly fertile and was therefore the best candidate to symbolize Spring's new life. Which in interesting, but makes me slightly uncomfortable when I realize the implications of all the chocolate bunnies I have consumed in the past. Much safer, and tastier too, is Ladurée's alternative Easter basket...currently on offer at Harrods...and featuring a bottle of Moët & Chandon Rosé and a box of limited edition macaroons. Up until this point I would have said that there was nothing better than a macaroon from Ladurée, but I was wrong...a bottle of fizz and some 'roons is a great improvement...in fact, I'd welcome the Easter elk with open arms if he showed up at my door with these.

On this week's installment of "Why am I here when I could be there?"...why am I not in New York...NOW? What's causing this sudden angst, you wonder...three words...Hermès...Sample...Sale.

I'm trying to tell myself (as you do) that even though the sale has clothing, shoes, bags, scarves, and home products there probably wouldn't be anything for me...if I say it often enough I just may be able to convince myself.

If you are in New York over the next few days head over to the Metropolitan Pavilion, at 123 W. 18 Street (4th floor) and pick up some cut-priced luxury...I'll only be jealous for a relatively short period, I swear.

Just to repeat myself...I...do...not...need...another...trench. So the little swines need to stop bombarding me with their functional-yet-whimsical lusciousness. I have more outerwear than a coat-check girl at a theater for goodness sake...I need to focus on other areas of my wardrobe (yes, I am repeating this for my own benefit). First it was Topshop's "springtime fantasy" trench, and now it's Philip Lim's "chic, yet not overly done" cardinal red trench. But a quick tally shows that (in addition to more utilitarian rainwear) I currently own a Built by Wendy traditional-ish trench...a Burberry trenchlet (i.e. a trench and a mini-cape combined, cute but completely useless in the rain)...and a Philip Lim bright yellow rain-slicker. I need to come to terms with the fact that I am a fashion Noah (of "who built the ark?" fame)...if it rains, I'm all set.

When faced with a sinkful of dishes, what's the one thing you need to be told? Okay, after "no paddling" and "hello...my name is Sven...I am your new houseboy...go and relax while I wash these pots and pans"...a mantra of tranquility is useful. Like the one offered by this Louise Bourgois tea towel. Be Calm...relax...the boring, sudsy drudgery will soon be gone...

Well, I think it's official...the "Great Summer Dress Hunt of 2008" is not going to be easy. As I was clicking around New York Magazine's website I came across this...

Yes, that's 117 dresses...none of which raised even a glimmer of interest...it almost makes me glad that it's still snowing and I can keep my winter wardrobe in rotation a few weeks longer...okay, maybe that's a little extreme but you get the gist.

Kate Moss’ most recent collection for Topshop hit stores today. I know this, among other reasons, because Topshop sent me an e-mail with some (rather insipid) styling suggestions from Ms. Moss herself. The advice ranges from the so stunningly obvious this probably doesn’t need to be written down variety...“I love this [blazer], as it reminds me of jackets I borrow from my boyfriend to wear and looks great just thrown on with jeans, with a skinny leather belt slung around it”...to the fine if you happen to have Kate Moss’ body-type but not a universal gem of wisdom...“This 1950’s dress style is a real figure fixer, slimming the waist while enhancing the boob area - genius!”. I’m not trying to be catty (I swear), I just wonder if Topshop isn’t underestimating the intelligence of their customers with this kind of marketing...jeans and a blazer not exactly being a revolutionary concept...especially because when you actually look at the collection online it’s really not that interesting. There are a couple of nice pieces, it’s true, but there are an awful lot of tank tops, odd-looking dresses, and hotpants. I’ll admit, I was drooling over the broderie anglaise dress on the right...until I converted the price from pounds to dollars and realized it came to $120 plus shipping...and that’s one of the mid-range pieces...there are plenty of items hitting the $300 mark. Maybe I’m being overly frugal. I just feel that for these prices I could get something less...disposable.

The images from The Row's fall/winter lookbook are...odd...masks, dismembered baby dolls, and mother/nanny wearing a somewhat disturbing leather skirt ensemble during some home-schooling. And yet...they work...in as much as they manufacture a world which, despite your mis-givings, you wouldn't mind living in for a while. Not as much perhaps as the video for their holiday collection (for me, at least)...because, for all their whimsicality, these pictures do have an innate sense of sobriety...fetishistic pilgrims in an expensive Soho loft...and, quite honestly, I can never manage to look that "grown up".

Which is a little depressing...especially as the child is managing it...

'One side will make you grow taller, and the other side will make you grow shorter.'

'One side of WHAT? The other side of WHAT?' thought Alice to herself.

'Of the mushroom,' said the Caterpillar, just as if she had asked it aloud; and in another moment it was out of sight.

There are times, as a tall girl, that you wish for a slight decrease in your stature. These moments are relatively rare...and generally fashion related...though I admit that airline seating does run a close second in creating a momentary wish for a chunk of Alice's mushroom... My angst on this occasion was caused by this very cute (yet very short) dress from Forever 21. It would have been a perfect everyday dress for the summer but having compared the length to that of my shortest dress I realized that it falls into the "unable to bend over, or actually move too quickly" category...not exactly what you look for in a dress for running errands in. And so, the summer dress search continues...

I'm not in the market for a trench coat at the moment...which is a shame because this frilly, belted, puff-sleeved number from TopShop screams 'spring trench'. It makes you want to skip through a meadow liberally strewn with daffodils...lambs...and Cadbury's Creme eggs...oh, wait, it's just me that is affected that way? Ah...okay...well, nevermind then...but it is a gorgeous coat, isn't it?

Looking into my crystal ball I see a lazy Sunday in my future...thanks to a new issue of Lula that I picked up yesterday afternoon...and a vintage Sherlock Holmes movie scheduled for this afternoon. Add a nice little lunch in there and I may be in heaven. Even a cursory glance at Lula has shown that it's chock-a-block with inspiration...from the smokey-eyed ingenue on the cover...to the art of Jessica Williams and Susan Cianciolo...to an interview with Christopher Kane. The long floral dresses shown below make me think that a stroll through eBay is in my future...and that the Diane Fres dress I picked up a few months ago will be getting a lot of wear once the weather heats up...accessorized with a long wooden rosary which belonged to my grandmother and which can be looped in a manner similar to the Paul Smith necklace below.

And...if I can remember where I stashed some remnants of Liberty fabric...floral cheerleader-esque hair bunches will also be in my future... Actually, with all this inspiration whizzing around it may not be quite such a soporific Sunday after all...

I know that I've professed my love of rubber shoes before, but with the whole "Spring showers" period around the corner (which will make a welcome relief from the "Spring snowstorms" period I'm currently in) I couldn't resist these beauties from J Crew.

The only dark cloud (sorry) is that I find myself passing up the opportunity to add a splash of color to my footwear and am, instead, looking longingly at the black pair. Ah well, at least my feet will be dry...albeit slightly funereal.

Having been on the lookout for something chunky in the ring line for some time now I was rather taken by these Periodic Table rings from Brooklyn-based husband and wife design team ITSNONAME. There's something so irresistible about the geeky-chic-luxe combination. Though sadly, with the current price of gold, I would have to be an Ag (silver) girl.

I thought I was alone in the freakish way that I carry heavy grocery bags...with the handles on my forearms to evenly distribute the weight (and lessen the side-effects of having the upper body strength of an amoeba)...and then I came across Givenchy's two-tone shopper, which seems to have been designed for just that carrying method. I now have a mixed feeling of a) relief that I'm not a freak, b) wishing that the rationalization Gods would work their magic, "just think how many plastic bags you'd save...thus being environmentally conscious...but with a great bag", and c) wondering why Givenchy made this in white? Did no one stop to think what the detrimental effect of just one over-ripe tomato would be?

I think I need to avoid YouTube for a while...I keep stumbling across videos which cause hazy childhood memories to re-appear...which causes some of the references in my posts even more random than they were before.

Having said that, I couldn't resist Ronnie Hilton's little mouse with clogs on...especially as I'd just finished ogling Marc Jacobs' mouse brooch on Colette's website...sadly much too expensive for something so whimsical but lovely to fantasize over.

For its April issue, US Vogue has finally decided that putting a model on the cover of a fashion magazine may not actually be a bad idea BUT (and didn’t you know there would be a but?)...this is what they came up with...for the "Shape" issue of a woman’s magazine. Now for me to attain LeBron James’ physique is even more unlikely, and definitely more unwelcome, than morphing my body-type into that of Giselle...so the "Secrets of the Best Bodies" advertised on the cover is probably not going to be much help...to me at least...but maybe this is an attempt to lure the sports-minded man away from Sports Illustrated? Of course, will the s-m man care about "87 Swimsuits to Flatter Every Figure" or "Debunking Diet Myths"? I’m so confused...

Two, two, the lily-white boys, Clothèd all in green, O One is one and all alone And evermore shall be so. - Green Grow The Rushes, O

The technology Gods have finally decided to play nice...so I thought I'd start back up with a celebratory, seasonal, cautionary tale...

Way back in the mists of time, but when I was old enough to know better, I decided to dye my hair a nice shade of green. I'd tried other colors before that but felt a sudden urge to "go green". Numerous lessons were learned from this adventure...

1) Always wear rubber gloves when dying your hair...otherwise you may have to walk around with green hands for a few weeks.

2) For similar reasons, dying your hair green in a white bathroom is a very bad idea.

3) Of all the times to dye your hair in this shade, the run up to St. Patrick's Day is the worst possible choice.

4) If you have been dating a man for a relatively short amount of time...and you suddenly come out of the bathroom with hair the color of Astroturf...and he says, "that looks nice"...he's a keeper (yes, I'm talking about Mr. Heb).

On a much more upbeat note...isn't this antique malachite clover brooch beautiful?

As you have probably noticed by now my posting schedule has been a little erratic recently. This is due to some technical issues which I'm hoping to have resolved in the next few days. In the meantime, thanks for your patience...

Even though You Must Create's hi-tops (or "Foxing Boots" as they appear...for some unknown reason...to be called) are for the gentlemen I find myself strangely attracted. Probably because I've been a Converse girl for quite a few years now and am used to looking at the men's sizing on the box...or maybe because YMC's version are just too cool to be "boys only"...

The weeks Splendid best!

Beautiful Makeup Search tells us why she wants to covet the new CHANEL eyeshadow quad.

Temptalia tells you what ingredients may be causing you acne or irritating your face!

Her Accessories is holding a contest to win a wee little rhinestone charm from Twisted Silver!

Beauty and Fashion Tech looks at new items and a great mineral makeup from Neutrogena Cosmetics.

SugarShock has a brush with greatness as she discovers the beauty editor fave product, YSL Touche Eclat .

Viva Woman finds out why some mineral makeup may pose strong health risks.

Style Manila spots a lady wearing a gorgeous Zara Maxi Dress.

Beauty Bento Box discovers an invigorating facial cleanser that's perfect for traveling to warm and humid countries.

Tops 2 Bottoms came across a great shop find for shoes and bags!

The conversation over at The Space Between My Peers is all about Sweat Suit Alternatives.

Canadian Beauty has a new favourite foundation: it's Estee Lauder Double Wear Light!

Shopalicious has found the perfect overnight bag for a getaway with the girls...

Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog visits Shu Uemura's Lash Bar and finds false eyelash nirvana, where the lashes are affordable and the appointment booking process couldn't be easier.

Beauty Match reflects on how Lindsay Lohan is 21 and looks like she's going on 41!

Indie Style File puts the spotlight on t-shirt designer Sam Trout.

All That & A tries to see if her hair is shinier after using Herbal Essences' clear shine booster.

Style...a work in progress asks, "would you buy J Crew 's $3,000 jacket?"

Shoe Blitz discovers some jeweled sandals and striped pumps that are perfect for spring.

Savvy Skin writes about the never-ending obsession to find a miracle wrinkle cream.

Laya's EYE loves Sage Machado Candles.

Petite Fashionista searches for the petite with the best style, vote today!

ShopDiary thinks the YSL Y-Mail collection is pretty cool.

NY Spender plays pairs with Gwen Stefani and her L.A.M.B shoes.