Archive for December, 2007

A big thank you to everyone who participated! The winner of the Bliss giveaway is Julie, who said “Yea Bliss! I love this stuff!! Thank you TDO!” Please send us an email with your name and address within the next 72 hours. Didn’t win? Check out the goods at BlissWorld.com and stay tuned…because we have another giveaway coming up in a week or two! xo, The TDO Team

For the holiday season, I am ALL about the pairing of a slim pant and knockout tunic top as an alternative to the dress. Super comfy and chic, right? In fact, I’ve had my eye on this golden Loeffler Randall tunic ($225) since its debut, but waited until the holiday season to write about it – because it’s absolutely perfect for this time of year. It’s a semi-sheer gold lamé silk top with a simple scoop neck and cap sleeves. A short line of ruching under the bustline adds shape. It’s so floaty, light and body-conscious, yet ultra-forgiving (so you CAN eat that 2nd sinful slice of cake without worrying about showing a tummy bulge). I imagine throwing this over black straight-legged pants with the Carine over-the-knee boots and the Katia satin clutch, along with 5 other outfits. Seriously, we’re all obsessed with this piece!

If you have a friend or family member who is obsessed with entertaining, cooking or anything domestic…this is the guide for you. We’ve carefully selected fabulous gifts that will please any domestic goddess – and that she’ll use year-round:

ONE. Honey is a staple in every kitchen because you can use it for so many things – from adding sweetness to a cup of tea to drizzling over artisan bread. Take it to the next level with the American Honey Flight ($72), available at Violet.com. Nine distinct regional honeys are housed in glass vials, hand-corked and sealed with bees wax. A oak display block and gift box complete the set. Just think of how much sweeter your life could be (since your domestic diva can whip up delish dishes with this!).

TWO. Any true hostess will tell you she can never have enough glasses, and she can never have enough platters. Glasses can be tough to gift, but this stunning porcelain platter ($163) by Dibbern will be the perfect accent to just about any domestic diva’s lineup, whether she’s ultra-modern or classic chic. Add a gift set of self-blooming tea and we guarantee you’ll be on her permanent guest list. (more…)

Wow, wow, wow! Everything from Cake & Milk Paperie is obsession-worthy – and after seeing their goods in person, we truly can’t stop gushing about them.

Founder and designer, Angeline Tsao, combined her fashion and tech background to launch her stationery line. Her vintage-inspired line takes “a fresh spin on a trio of old-fashioned arts: clothes-making, printing, and friendship through paper.” All items are made-to-order with acid-free buttercream paper (smooth 80lb cover, 30% recycled total recovered fibers). “I love the constant creativity, cognitive challenges, handcrafting delightful goods one order at a time. Our genre of custom stationery allows me to focus on each individual, since each order spins a wonderful story about them,” notes Angeline.

When our samples arrived, the goods were wrapped gently in colored tissue paper and offset by a contrasting metallic sticker that spells out their tagline: “fresh papergoods made for you.” And that’s only the beginning! (more…)

Need to shop? Check out sales (including online) from Balenciaga, Gorjana, Anya Hindmarch, Geren Ford, Botkier, Ella Moss, Ralph Lauren and much, much (more…)

(click image to enlarge)

As we mentioned earlier last month, we’re part of the Total Beauty Blog Community – and we’re very happy to announce that Total Beauty officially launches today. Go check the site out; make a beauty profile, get product recommendations for your skin type, try out holiday makeup tips…there’s a lot of beauty fun to be had. (Don’t forget to click on “The Daily Obsession” under the Blogs We Love section – because you do love us, right?) If you want more info about Total Beauty, read yesterday’s article in WWD or the article above, which is in the December issue of Allure.

And speaking of Allure…their fabulous web editor, Fiona Gibb, alerted us about their December giveaway, which includes products from Frédéric Malle, Henri Bendel and more! Actually, the items are from their holiday gift guide, which is totally worth checking out (esp. if you’re going to win that Allure prize). We’re signing up right now.

Just in our email inbox…we heard that one of our fave blogs, WhoWhatWearDaily, launched videos! Who What Wear TV, hosted by WWWD founders Katherine Power and Hillary Kerr (both are super gorgeous!), is basically a viewer’s guide to breaking celebrity and runway trends. Each episode explains a specific trend topic or style situation and shows viewers how to get the look. Check out the first episode here!

I’m trying to be better about getting manicures lately – even if that means taking 30 minutes out of my week to give myself one. So, what were my beauty weapons of choice during my last manicure?

After the routine buffing and filing, I turned to the Harmonizing Soak Tonic by Spa Ritual. I just added a 1/2 capful to the warm water soak, which helps smooth and condition nails. It also contains Italian Mandarin essential oil – totally delectable for the senses. My fingers felt super moisturized after the soak, so I assume the same effect would apply to my nails. I also should note that there wasn’t any soapy residue left on my skin after towelling off.

The last manicure also involved a bottle of Dashing Diva’s Champagne Nude. I found the color to be incredibly lovely, especially since I have a fondness for neutral-hued polishes. Champagne Nude ($7.99) is a soft iridescent beige color mixed with a touch of peachy pink. This polish provided semi-sheer coverage with two coats, which was easy to apply and dried fairly quickly. This color is neutral enough to blend in for even the most conservative work environments, yet gives a subtle pop of color and shine. I have a feeling that I will be wearing a lot of this color in the next few months.

Editors’ Note: This year, we put together 7 holiday gift guides that’ll make you want to shop ’til you drop. We spent hours carefully editing through hundreds of products to bring you the best of the best. Over the next few weeks, the guides will reveal themselves…starting today!

We’ve all been there – it’s holiday season and for some reason or another, you need to pinch those pennies this year. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t buy a divine gift for your loved ones! We came up with 6 fabulous ideas under $25 that are so chic that the recipient will think it is worth 10x more. Let’s get started, shall we?

ONE. Who doesn’t love a pair of earrings? These crystal studs by Viv & Ingrid are the perfect stocking stuffer for any fashionista friend. Each pair is made of sterling silver posts with tiny 2mm CZ crystals. These must-have earrings are incorporated onto a holiday card and is perfectly packaged with a festive gift box. You can choose from a variety of cards (wreaths, snowflakes, etc.) and colors (ruby, sapphire, yellow topaz, etc.). At only $12, we think they are a complete steal!

TWO. For the insomniac on your list, we love these gorgeous sleep masks by Cris Notti ($20). The patterns are really gorgeous, and the silk backing makes them every bit as luxurious as your friend deserves. Our picks are the Moroccan Tangerine and Wonderland patterns, but the beauty of this gift is you can pick the pattern that would sing to your recipient (even if that means buying the faux leopard version). For a really perfect bedtime gift, we’d suggest pairing this with a box of chamomile tea or maybe this lavender pillow mist. She’s sure to thank you for many sleep-full nights to come. (more…)

We’ll take any chance to bliss out on beauty products – and what better brand to choose than Bliss? Known for their amazingly fabulous spa treatments, “tongue-in-chic” attitude and winning beauty products, the Bliss gal is savvy, fun and energetic. Well, they’ve put together a delightful goody bag for one fortunate TDO reader, which includes the following products:

• Lemon + Sage Body Butter ($35)
• Big Blue Bar ($18)
• Under Army ($18)
• Hot Salt Scrub ($36)
• Fabulous Foaming Face Wash ($22)

The total value of this obsession-worthy package is $129. We’re huge fans of everything Bliss, but if we had a pick a favorite from the bunch…the Big Blue Bar or Fabulous Foaming Face Wash might win out. But what are you waiting for? Enter the giveaway now for your chance to have them all!

TO ENTER:

• Simply make any comment on this post
• Make sure to include your name & email
• Anonymous posts will not be counted since we won’t be able to identify you
• One entry per person
• Must have a U.S. shipping address
• The winners will be chosen at random
• You have until Friday, December 7 at midnight (PST) to enter
• Come back on Saturday, December 8 to find out if you’re the winner!

Wishing you lots of luck!
The TDO Team

A special thanks to the fabulous Bliss team! We very much appreciate your generosity and kindness.