Shopping & Fashion Blog

What is it about fashion magazines that make most women want to be like the models they see in them? Other than appealing to the aesthetic senses, fashion magazines’ tips on almost everything about fashion, especially the hottest trends and styles, make them a big hit to the consumers. Mind you, fashion magazines are not only for women. Today’s metrosexual men turn to the pages of the latest men’s fashion magazines because they want to achieve the same impeccable look they see in models.The best thing about these types of magazines now is that they have evolved from showing only skinny models to voluptuous and plus size men and women that consumers appreciate. Gone is the belief that only reed-thin people have the right to look good and be fashionable.

Designers have recognized the larger market of plus-sized consumers that they have made designs specifically for this niche market.  Great Fashion Finds While some people believe that fashion magazines have the tendency to distort the readers’ self-image by presenting glamorous and beautiful models on their covers and pages, people have a big use for fashion magazines because, in them, you will find clothes that could actually look good on your body type. You will also learn how to mix and match whatever you have in your collection to achieve a whole new look. Sometimes, too, knockoffs of designer clothes are featured for the price-conscious consumer.
The more evolved fashion magazine, in fact, features outlet stores and retail shops where you can find great buys without costing more than you can afford. Others also feature the regular working class donning designer apparel to emphasize that everybody can and should wear whatever they feel comfortable in.

In fact, in one ad campaign, a certain designer almost always features her staff as models of her clothes to prove this point. This extends her reach to everyone, not just the runway models and Hollywood celebrities.

Building Awareness
As more and more people recognize the dangers of wanting to be thin in the belief that thinner people look better, fashion magazines also build awareness on eating disorders and other such diseases that may result from crash diets and starving yourself to achieve what you consider your ideal weight. Publishers have become more responsible in making their readers aware of being healthy no matter what your size is. This is one major factor why consumers no longer scoff at the thought of anyone consulting a fashion magazine for whatever reason. In some magazines, you will also find advice corners where readers can post their questions from achieving a great look for whatever occasion, to finding the best clothes within their budget to health concerns, even. Bottom line is that the evolution of fashion magazines have made them not only more enjoyable to read but, more importantly, more informative for the readers. While it is true that models may still look more perfect than you, bear in mind that the pictures have undergone enhancement via computer technology so, sometimes, what you see is already the improved version.

Wedding gift lists take a lot of thought, and we don’t mean just deciding which saucepans to go for! You also need to think about what type of list to go with.

The natural choice these days is an online wedding gift list.

It’s the accessibility and flexibility of online wedding gift lists that make them so popular with couples. Most people have access to the internet these days, so access to your wedding gift list shouldn’t be a problem. People can look at them anytime 24/7, they can see what is available at any point and it can be really easy to process the transaction. So what are the benefits of online wedding gift lists? And what should your wedding gift list do for you? It’s time to put none other than John Lewis to the test. We spoke to them to see what they can do.

The traditional online wedding gift list

The John Lewis wedding gift list gives users access to their huge range of items - list holders will be able to choose wedding gifts from nearly 350,000 lines. If it’s household items you’re after, much like Debenhams, a store like John Lewis has a lot to offer if you’re willing to pay that little extra.

We dug a little deeper and here are a few features of their wedding gift list service:

- Couples are able to register and compile their wedding gift list on-line

- The service is free of charge with no extra costs to list holders or guests

- When you set up your wedding gift list, brides and grooms will be given inserts to include in their invitations detailing information about the list

- Guests can purchase the wedding gift online, in-store or by phone

- List holders can receive regular updates and also view progress of their wedding gift list online

Lunch hour ‘Listers’

So what about the fun part - choosing your wedding gifts - what if you’re really busy?

Planning the wedding needs to be as straightforward as possible for the “Executive” bride-to-be. However, those who rely on their lunch hour to make key decisions about their big day and beyond can be reassured by research from John Lewis which shows that a dream wedding gift list can be compiled in as little as 45 minutes.

The average couple spends four hours compiling a wedding gift list with the hand-held scanner that is provided for brides and grooms who register with a John Lewis Gift List. However, advisors on the shop floor see many couples take less time because they have either lived together or own their own homes.

Kerry McCulloch, Head of Gift List at John Lewis, reckons: “Those who already have their basics can take less time assembling the kit they need for married life. This gives our “Executive” Brides a chance to go straight for the luxury and fun items they really want.

“Most of our ‘Lunch Hour Listers’ don’t get a chance to buy a sandwich on a normal working day let alone plan their wedding, however we have now made it convenient and easy to compile a wedding gift list in a lunch hour!”

Top tips for compiling your wedding gift list:

- Be prepared: Why not register your wedding gift list on-line, surf the website for ideas or make a wish list before you arrive in the shop - are you desperate to upgrade the scratched saucepans to top of the range cookware or your clapped out TV to a flat screen? Or perhaps you have always dreamed of that top of the range BBQ set for the summer?

- Bring your fiancé: If you are both in work mode and/ or on a deadline, you’ll both be set to make quick and effective decisions that would normally seem impossible on a weekend

- Grab a scanner: Zapping in codes to scan your kit for domestic bliss is quick and hugely satisfying. Many brides have used this device to keep grooms “busy” during the selection process!

- Ask for help: If you know what you want before you hit the shops ask staff to help you to navigate in the relevant department

- Enjoy yourself: Remember - it’s your wedding! A limited time frame will let you enjoy being impulsive. For you wedding gift list - snorkel sets, pogo sticks and champagne buckets are all within your reach as a ‘Lunch Hour Lister’, if you want!

It’s a day to celebrate love, the love for your spouse or your significant other. In short, Valentine’s Day is a day for romance. Candy hearts, love letters and paper mache are thrown around like crazy. Gifts are bought in abundance. Many speculate that Valentine’s Day is just simply one more marketing tool used by major corporations.

While there are many people who celebrate this colorful and expensive holiday, there are others who celebrate Valentine’s Day alone. I empathize with them. I too have not had the company with which to celebrate this very romantic holiday. But some even have been so bitter, they refuse to take part, they refuse to believe in love in any way, shape or form. I could easily be just as miserable, but I choose to keep my chin up.

“The first thing Adam purchased for Eve was a handbag,” bemoaned Anita Daniels, the New York fashion writer, in 1945. “It was his sweet revenge for the apple.” Hitting news-stands at the peak of war, this tirade over women’s most trusted accessory is a testament to the handbag’s oppressive reign, weighing heavily on both the shoulders and minds of women, even at a time of mortal peril.  Sixty years on, the liberated 21st-century woman lives in a material haven in which handbags spell unbridled luxury. Crafted out of the finest leathers — suede, croc-skin or even ostrich — encrusted with Swarovski crystals, jingling with silver accessories or perhaps a limited-edition designer piece with a two-year waiting list, the bag has replaced the shoe as the most coveted item in a woman’s wardrobe. Costing up to £15,000, the handbag has become a status symbol, a major investment and the ultimate fashion statement. It is far too important an item to be entrusted to men to buy for us.

Christian Dior humoured post-war fashionistas with delicate clutches at a time when anything practical smacked of darned stockings and ration books. But by the 1950s the determined housewife was enlarging her bag to extend her domestic efficiency, making room for cheque books, car keys, laundry-slips and diaries. When working women in the Eighties discovered that they couldn’t fit their bulging cosmetics cases into a flat briefcase, they incorporated office papers into their handbags. Now handbags are more like pieces of operative luggage. Strength, resilience, ample space and multiple pockets are all crucial. The average weight of handbags in the UK has reached a back-breaking 3½lbs (1.6kg). Beside the basics — diary, phone, cosmetics, sanitary products, haircare, “handbag-sized” magazines, book, road map, iPod, car stereo, nipple pads, Mace or rape alarm, packed lunch, flask of coffee, water — recent additions include Bibles, crystals, self-help books and embroidery or tapestry sets, which are making a comeback as working women look for something non-electronic to help them to pass time while in transit. Yet, despite the odd vibrator, set of lacy underwear or knife, it is not the individual items that attract attention, it is the sheer number of them.

“You would be amazed at how many women carry an entire change of clothes and an overnight kit, even though they’re not staying overnight anywhere,” explains one guard at an office in Central London. “Or they’ll have a full-size bottle of hairspray, hair straighteners and an electric toothbrush. A bottle opener and tin opener are also popular.” Most items crammed into bags in the UK are simply things to make the long days more bearable. Heels to change into for work, trainers and a sweater for the train; energy bars for women who have no time for a lunch break; cigarettes and even miniature bottles of spirits are panacea for an otherwise dull day at the office. Then there are the pills. At Burberry, the security guard’s eyes glaze over when I mention medication. “Pain-killers, antidepressants, back creams, bandages for knees, plasters for rubbing shoes,” he confides. No wonder it takes more than six days to replace the contents of a handbag if it is lost or stolen. Although the average worth of a handbag and its contents lies at £550, home insurance companies are advising that many exceed their claims limit, reaching a value of more than £1,000. Feeding off the terror of women all over Britain, Sheilas’ Wheels and Diamond car insurers both have policies specifically for handbag insurance, and NatWest has added handbag cover to its Advantage Premiere insurance benefits. “Just in case” seems to be a theme. It’s what has given rise to the oversized hobo handbag currently inspiring top designers — complemented by copper hardware, zips, chains and padlocks. Are Marc Jacobs’s Stam, Chloé’s Paddington and Fendi’s Spy bag answering our prayers or are they simply feeding off our neuroses? It is difficult to believe that the handbag was originally a sign of emancipation. In the 1920s, flappers deciding to go out without a chaperone first started carrying a small bag. Inside would be a few select, Art Decoinspired pieces; a pillbox, a mirror, a purse, a watch, a cigarette case. Margaret Thatcher managed to turn her handbag into an international symbol of authority. So is the handbag an icon of power and emancipation, or a fashion item gone too far? “It’s both,” laughs the feminist critic Lillian Robinson. “The handbag shows that our lives have moved on, that we have more opportunities. Yet our responsibilities have not been equally shared. It’s called the Wonder Woman complex. We need to do everything — have kids, a career, look after the parents, deal with finances and housekeeping. We need to be on call all the time.” And because of the handbag, we have to do it one-handed.Robinson, principal at the Simone de Beauvoir Institute in Montreal, Canada, challenges me to count the pockets on a professional male wearing a coat and a suit. There are up to 20, compared to six on the female equivalent — and even they don’t pass Robinson’ s test. “Serious pockets — the type that can actually contain anything — get in the way of tailoring,” she explains. “Women are expected to have clothes that show off their bodies. Because of this, we are lumbered with the handbag.” In the name of research, I approach a statuesque young man stepping out of Vogue House, wearing skin-tight jeans and a simple T-shirt seemingly free of any functional pockets. “Where, if you don’t mind me asking, do you keep your wallet and phone?” He points to a demure blonde in his shadows, straining under the weight of one familiar Fendi Spy. “My girlfriend has them in her handbag.”

Author : Tamara Kaminsky

..My love was the only gift she ever really wanted.

Yes, mother’s day comes and goes. But the memories linger and remain…

“The woman who creates and sustains a home and under whose hands children grow up to be strong and pure men and women, is a creator second only to God.” —Helen Hunt Jackson
    Mother’s Day has been difficult for me since my mother died of cancer in 1990. There are many things I miss about her, but what I miss the most is sharing my children with her.

    Sometimes I get a twinge of sadness because I was never able financially to give her even a tiny fraction of what she gave me. My Mother’s Day gifts to her were usually inexpensive, a pair of new pajamas, a new purse. Then I realize that my love was the only gift she ever really wanted.

I was reminded of that yesterday when my seven year old thanked me for his birthday presents. “Mom,” he said, ”do you know which gift I liked best?”

    I imagined it would be the super-soaker water gun, guaranteed to shoot up to fifty feet, the one he used to squirt his sister, the dog, and me. But that wasn’t what he said.

    “It’s the love you gave me Mom,” he stated, then ran off to play.

    I stood frozen with my mouth open and the tears sliding down my face, suddenly feeling very overwhelmed with how wonderful motherhood can be. How I longed to pick up the phone and call the person who was not only my mother, but also my best friend, to tell her that the love she gave me now lives on in her grandchildren. But I couldn’t.

    Her love for me lives on in other ways too. It visits me in the spring when the flowers she planted a few months before she died bloom. It comes to me from her former students when they write me letters, or take the time to tell me what a wonderful teacher she was.

    And so each Mother’s Day I have a host of bittersweet memories. I rejoice that in a world of abused and abandoned children, I had a mother who loved me, nurtured me, and taught me right from wrong. And I cry, because I miss her friendship, her strength, her humor, and her love for my children.

    There is a creed in Robert Fulghum’s wonderful book, All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten. It is called the “Storytellers Creed” and I asked the minister to read at Mama’s funeral. It says in part…

I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge.
That dreams are more powerful than facts.
That hope always triumphs over experience
That laughter is the only cure for grief.
And I believe that love is stronger than death.
      —Robert Fulghum
    Love really is stronger than death because it comes from God, and it is because of God and His sacrifice, that we have hope of life eternal. And then there will be no more goodbyes, because like the old hymn says there will be “no tears in heaven.”

Author: Teresa Kindred

Various Halloween Gift Basket Idea

Your groomsmen are your best friends. They have seen you fall on your face with girls when you were younger. You have played football with them or gone fishing before the sun came up. All of you nursed hangovers together. So you need to come up with some groovy groomsmen gifts to show how much you appreciate them. To thank your buddies for standing up for you on the biggest day of your life, you should choose groomsmen gifts that express your feelings for them. We all know how guys do not usually express themselves verbally. So, the best way may be to purchase individual groomsmen gifts. After all, each of your buddies is unique and should be thanked in an original way.  Keep personalities in mind for the groomsmen gifts. If one of your buddies is a teetotaler, do not buy groomsmen gifts that reflect alcohol related items like shot glasses or beer steins. Likewise, if one of your buddies loves music and cultural activities like museums, you would not want to buy groomsmen gifts that are sports related. You are shooting for a reaction like “Wow man, this is cool! I can use this!” when shopping for your groomsmen gifts.

One idea for groomsmen gifts is the Swiss army knife. At some point during your day, you are probably wishing you had a screwdriver handy or pocketknife to open a box or even a pair of tweezers to pull out a paper clip out of your computer keyboard. A Swiss army knife makes for great groomsmen gifts because first of all, they are cool. And secondly, there are useful and practical. This idea for groomsmen gifts also has a universal appeal and could be given to all of your groomsmen. Plus, you can make it extra special by having it personalized with some type of engraving.

If you do have some groomsmen that are social drinkers, the idea of shot glasses and beer steins are good for groomsmen gifts. Personalize them with the wedding date or a thank-you from the groom. Personal flasks are regaining popularity as well. If one of your buddies enjoys his beer, great groomsmen gifts for that interest include his own beer brewing kit or even a six pack of the month club where they get a unique beer to sample each month. Do your buddies enjoy guy nights out playing poker? Maybe some great groomsmen gifts could include game related items. How about personalized playing cards? Or special poker sets complete with the poker chips and cards in a handsome carrying case? Then there is the fun, useful novelty type of groomsmen gifts like shot glass checkers, where you have shot glasses instead of checker pieces.

Perhaps, instead of tangible groomsmen gifts, you can plan the ultimate guy trip. An offshore fishing trip or a camping trip might be fun and a great last “hurrah” for you, one last guy thing before getting hitched. Commemorate that last hurrah with a personalized engraved compass for each of your groomsmen.  Be sure to have a plan for your budget for the groomsmen gifts before heading to the store. They should convey the feeling of “Hey, you’re my best buddy and I appreciate you.” No matter what you decide for the groomsmen gifts, your friends will appreciate the thoughtfulness.

 Author:  Dave Poon

Are you the type of guy that is clueless when it comes to buying a gift for your girl? If so, you aren’t alone, there are many men who get cold sweats just thinking of trying to find the right gift. Here are a few helpful hints to make the experience a little easier for you. The problem that most men have is they don’t try to think about what she would want and instead buy things they would like to have, well, I can almost guarantee that unless your girl is Danica Patrick or another chick who is into cars she isn’t going to be pleased with a gift of tools.

Another big no-no in most cases is to buy your sweetheart something like a cooking set or vacuum cleaner. This is far from romantic and will make her think that the only thing she is good for in your eyes is to be the homemaker. If you do something like this don’t be surprised to find yourself sleeping on the couch or with the dog. If you want to make her happy you can’t go wrong with sleepwear or lingerie. Stay away from the frumpy grandma wear, which will only get you put back in the doghouse. If you decide to buy jewelry for your wife or girlfriend don’t go cheap. If you don’t have the budget for it you should buy something different. It is better not to buy a diamond at all than to buy a fake one. If your girl goes to show her friends that the diamond is real by attempting to cut glass and it doesn’t cut, you are in trouble. In addition, with the technology of diamond testers making them as cheap as they are today, many women have their own so you can forget about passing off one of those new Russian counterfeits or even Moissanite. If you are like the majority of men, packaging is not your forte. The best option here is to pay someone to do the job for you. The package that your gift is placed in can be as important as the gift. Women really appreciate it when you go the extra mile to present the gift in an attractive package.