LunaBoston.com: 2 Very Lovely Bags On Sale

I found two very lovely bags on sale at LunaBoston.com.  One is perfect for summer evenings when the sun sets late, and the other is perfect for work for summer Fridays when you don't want to carry the same old black bag.

• Stephanie Bracelet Clutch ($290) by DVF in silver metallic:  I'm really liking the woven leather texture; it's different than all the other clutches out there and it adds a touch of flirt to the bag that's great for the summer.  Plus, I'm pretty sure I would appreciate the bracelet strap towards the end of the night, if you KWIM...

• Mini Matinee ($425) by Rebecca Minkoff in vintage dark gray:  Yes, you have a MAB Mini in black.  But do you have a Mini Matinee in this vintage dark gray?  This is a great shade of deep gray that will work for almost any work outfit (pun intended, ha ha)!!  This gray paired with silver hardware really does it for me!!  (I know that you're thinking...you're thinking that I would have liked it even better with gunmetal hardware and you'd be right!)

[Images Courtesy of LunaBoston]

Trapeze School New York: Have You Tried It Yet?

You know summer is around the corner when Trapeze School New York (TSNY) moves its classes outdoors to Pier 40 (you used to be able to see the school while driving along the West Side Highway when it was located at the Hudson River Park). And yes, it's the same trapeze school showcased in an episode of Sex In The City.

I tried it a few years backand had a blast (though, as you can see, the weather could have been better).  A very good friend of mine does it every year.  If you like zip lining, you'll really like flying trapeze.  Have you tried it yet?  If you're looking for something different to do this summer, check out TSNY.  Classes are booked online and the weekend ones book up quickly, so don't wait.

I'm like a bear.  I like to hibernate during the winter.  However, I tend to come out of hibernation a little later...in the summer rather than the spring.  So I'm alway thinking on new activities to do!  Any suggestions?

L'Occitane F&F Sale: 25% Off Your Entire Purchase!!

Take advantage of L'Occitane's F&F Sale and get 25% off your entire purchase!  This sale ends on 06/06/10 (sun).  I'm a big fan of anything from L'Occitane's shea butter collection (particularly the soaps) and the Rose 4 Reines Solid Perfume (it's a light rose scent).

To purchase on-line at usa.loccitane.com, use code "FNF25".

To purchase in-store, save and print this coupon:  

UMIL: Sunshine and The Gym Instructor

A few years ago, I decided that Sunshine needed to jump start his gym routine.  I dragged him to Cardio Sculpt, a non-stop cardio/strength training class.  Looking back, maybe it wasn't the smartest idea...
99% of the class attendees were women; and these women were in shape.  I'm happy with my 3 lb dumbbells.  I'm ecstatic when I'm fit enough for 5 lb dumbbells.  These women used 7.5 lb dumbbells on their off days.  On a regular day, they used 10 lb dumbbells.  But I would go to this class anyways because I really liked the instructor Violet.  She was fun, entertaining and engaging - unlike many other instructors who seemed to be just going through the motions.

Since Violet always makes class fun and entertaining (we'll get to the engaging part later), I thought that this would be the perfect class to motivate Sunshine.  I was wrong, Wrong, WRONG!!  Did I mention that this is a non-stop class?  Towards the end of Cardio Sculpt, we're always required to do 3 sets of push-ups.  This is an hour-long class, so this means it's usually 45-minutes into the workout.  Let's just say that by that point, Sunshine could barely breathe.

Unfortunately, since Sunshine was the only male in the class that day, he stuck out like a sore thumb.  I wasn't paying attention to him because I was too busy trying to catch my own breath while struggling to do push-ups.  (And by the way - just in case you're wondering- yes, I do girly push-ups with my knees on the mat.)

This is where the "engaging" part comes in.  Violet will actually walk around during class to make sure that everybody is in correct form and that no one is slacking off.  She's not exactly subtle about her "encouragements" but I've never seen her single someone out for not doing/finishing an exercise/movement.

So after the 3rd set of push-ups, I was quite surprised to hear the following from Violet, "Sir!  Sir!  You didn't do the last set of push-ups!"  I didn't need to look at her to know whom she was speaking to because there was only one "Sir" in the class...and the would be Sunshine.

My first thought was, "No!  She is not calling him out!"

My second thought was, "OMG...he's going to be so mad at me for this."

My third thought was...well, I didn't have one because I was too busy trying not to laugh.

What did my poor Sunshine do?  He pushed through and finished his last set of push-ups.  Everyone in the class clapped for him afterwards.

And what did Violet do?  She poured salt on the wound!  She told the class, "Why are you clapping for him?  Don't clap.  He just did what you all already did."

I couldn't stop laughing.  Bad of me, I know, but really, I never imagined that something like that could happen.  It was most definitely an UMIL for Sunshine.

To workout at home with Violet, check out her DVDs:

Tobi.com: Sale Rompers & Spanx!!

While sifting through the sale section of Tobi.com, I came across two great rompers: one for day and one for night.   And then...I came across lots and lots of Spanx on sale!!  And every girl needs at least one or two pairs of Spanx.

• Zip Front Romper ($206) by under.ligne by doo.ri in blue: 

• Silk Crepe De Chine Belted Romper ($297) by Mason by Michelle Mason in vintage blue:

• High Power Panty Spanx ($27) in bare/black (sized vary by color):

• Power Panties Spanx ($22) in bare/black (sized vary by color):

• Slim Cognito Mid-Thigh Shaper Spanx ($48) in bare/black (sized vary by color):  I have this one and it comes in real handy for those not-so-slim days!!

[Images Courtesy of Tobi]

WinkNYC.com: Additional 15% Off Sale Items

WinkNYC.com is currently offering an additional 15% of sale items with code "S2X8F" (expires 06/07/10).  I took a look at the sale section and saw these three tempting finds: (Note:  Prices reflect 15% discount.)

• Geren Ford Rivet Back Tank ($37.40) in black:  This tank will ensure that you're cool (wink, wink) in the summer months to come.

• Pavonine Layer Cake Skirt ($61.88) in ivory:  All he'll be thinking about is the zipper on this flirty skirt...or rather the unzipping of it.

• Dolce Vita Wiley Boot ($98.26) in black:  This is a fantastic planned purchase for the Fall because tall black boots never go out of style!  (As of this posting, available in sizes 8.5, 9 and 10.)

 [Images Courtesy of WinkNYC]

Random Thought: Unplugged

When's the last time you were completely unplugged (no cell, no Internet, and no laptop)? And no, flying doesn't count.

Drugstore Body Wash: Suave Naturals Ocean Breezes

I'm currently obsessed with the following drugstore body wash:  Suave Naturals Ocean Breeze.  It's super foamy (I've always loved bubble baths as a child so anything foamy is good in my books) and the scent is light and refreshing!  It actually does remind of the beach/ocean.

Food Therapy: Lady M's Green Tea Mille-Crepes Cake

Sunshine hit it out of the ballpark when he brought Lady M's Green Tea Mille-Crepes Cake as dessert for my parents' 40th anniversary celebration this weekend.  I've mentioned this cake before (read here:  Food Therapy: Two Very Scrumptious Cakes), and the green tea custard version is even better than the plain custard version!  If you like green tea ice cream, you will absolutely ADORE this green tea cake (it's layers of super thin crepes and green tea custard)!!  (Note: You have to special-order the green tea version of the mille-crepes cake.)

I first tried this deliciousness at Megu several years ago.  I pestered the waiter until he admitted that they outsourced this dessert from Lady M Cake Boutique (41 E 78th St (b/w Madison and Park Ave), NY, NY).  Of course I had to call Lady M the next day to see if I could purchase a slice (or three) of the green tea mille-crepes cake.  Going to Megu just for cake is idiotic...even for me.  I was nicely but firmly told that you could only purchase slices through various restaurants.  The other option was to special-order the cake.  I've only ordered this cake once before (I just can't seem to haul myself to UES and I'd rather not pay the $30 or so delivery fee).  So I was very HAPPILY surprised when Sunshine mentioned his surprise dessert for this weekend's celebration.  It was a win-win (or rather gift-gift) for everyone.

I couldn't resist and took lots of sexy cake shots for you:

• The entire green tea mille-crepes cake...a bird's eye view:

• A side view (pre-cutting of the cake):

• A close-up of the layered crepes:

• Layers and layers of yumminess (post-cutting of the cake):

• Yup...that's my slice; it was gone in 1 minute:

Video Review: Katherine Kwei's Amber Switch

This is one of my favorite video reviews to date:  Katherine Kwei's Amber Switch in black.  This is from her Fall 2010 line.  It's such a clever bag (calfskin with silver hardware)!!  If you're looking for a uber-cool Fall bag, this may be the one for you.



I just had to know more about the bag so I asked Katherine Kwei if she could provide a little background on it.  And wouldn't you know it?  Kathy has a great story behind it:

"We thought of the Amber by accident.  When we received one set of our mock up samples[,] we wanted to change the knot weave so we cut it off the body of the bag.  We realized that the weave was completely intact and not falling apart when detached from the bag.  Since we always back our leathers with another leather, sometime it's tonal but often it's with a metallic, we decided to see if we could make a bag that someone could switch colours around depending on their mood or desire...So the Amber Switch was born -  where someone can change the whole look and feel of the bag with just a quick unzip and zip while you're in a cab from the office to cocktails."

The greatest things always occur by accident, right?

Here's a pix of me using the Amber Switch as a cross-body bag:

I'm not sure why I didn't lengthen the shoulder strap more (there's plenty more to lengthen) since I wouldn't mind having it sit lower, but at least you get a feel for the size of the Amber Switch.  BTW, I'm petite.  It can fit all your personal items easily (in my case, personal junk), but it won't (and shouldn't) double as your gym bag.