birdie butter's blog

FASHION: PRE FALL PICKS

2008-05-19T19:15:00.000-07:00

I JUST FINISHED BROWSING NEIMANMARCUS.COM & I RAN ACROSS TWO ITEMS THAT I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE. THE PRE-FALL MERCHANDISE IS ARRIVING & AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER. HERE'S WHAT I WANT TO HAVE IN MY WARDROBE THIS FALL: 3.1 PHILLIP LIM GRECIAN DRESS $450, IT'S SO SIMPLE BUT IT SAYS SO MUCH, & A PAIR OF THESE TORY BURCH FRANNIE SUEDE PATENT LEATHER PUMPS $350. I MUST ADMIT I'M NOT A FAN OF THE TORY BURCH BALLET FLATS BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY KNOCK-OFFS, BUT THIS PAIR JUST SPEAKS TO ME!

TRAVEL: WELCOME

2008-05-19T15:02:00.000-07:00

HELLO KITTY WAS NAMED THE GOODWILL TOURISM AMBASSADOR FOR JAPAN. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME A FICTIONAL CHARACTER HAS EVER BEEN APPOINTED TO THIS POSITION. THERE IS A HUGE FOLLOWING IN CHINA AND JAPAN SO I'M SURE EVERYONE WILL BE THRILLED WITH THE CHOICE. HELLO KITTY HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 1974 & I THINK SHE WILL BE AROUND FOR MANY YEARS TO COME. HELLO KITTY IS A GREAT CHOICE & WILL DO A PHENOMENAL JOB! I HEART HELLO KITTY... TO READ THE ARTICLE CLICK ON THE LINK: http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2008-05-19-hello-kitty_N.htm TO PURCHASE HELLO KITTY PRODUCTS VISIT: http://www.sanrio.com/ (image from usatoday.com)

TRAVEL/FASHION: GO TO DRESS

2008-05-15T16:55:00.000-07:00

SUMMER IS ALMOST HERE & SOME OF US ARE PLANNING TRIPS. HERE'S 1 KEY PIECE TO PACK FOR YOUR TRIP: CAP-SLEEVE T-SHIRT DRESS. IT CAN BE WORN CASUALLY WITH GLADIATOR SANDALS OR CUTE BALLET FLATS. DRESS IT UP WITH A CHUNKY NECKLACE & STRAPPY SANDALS. THROW A LIGHT GRANDPA CARDIGAN (LONGER LENGTH) OVER IT WITH YOUR OWN BELT FOR A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT LOOK. THIS DRESS WILL LOOK GREAT ON ANY BODY TYPE & IT HAS A BIT OF SPANDEX FOR A LITTLE EXTRA GIVE. GRAB ONE FROM BANANAREPUBLIC.COM FOR $58.

SAMPLE THIS

2008-05-14T19:41:00.000-07:00

HERE'S ANOTHER REASON TO VISIT NYC THIS WEEKEND...AFTER CHECKING OUT THE MURAKAMI EXHIBIT AT THE BROOKLYN MUSEUM, MAKE YOUR WAY OVER TO THE REBECCA MINKOFF SAMPLE SALE & PICK UP A FABULOUS LEATHER HANDBAG (MAYBE THE MORNING AFTER BAG...IT'S HOT!!!)

NEW ONLINE FIND

2008-05-14T19:25:00.000-07:00

PIXIEMARKET.COM IS A ONLINE STORE THAT I RAN ACROSS WHILE READING RANDOM BLOGS. THEY HAVE REALLY UNIQUE MERCHANDISE BY VARIOUS "INDIE" DESIGNERS. CHECK THEM OUT FOR YOURSELF @ http://WWW.PIXIEMARKET.COM IMAGE FROM PIXIE MARKET.

CULTURE: I HEART MURAKAMI

2008-05-13T15:00:00.001-07:00

IF YOU'RE PLANNING A TRIP TO THE "CITY" MAKE A STOP IN BROOKLYN & CHECK OUT THIS EXHIBIT. VISIT HTTP://BROOKLYNMUSEUM.ORG TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION!

DECOR: WASH UP

2008-05-12T14:56:00.000-07:00

I LOVE THIS SHOWER CURTAIN! I FOUND IT URBN.COM FOR $40. I LOVE THE BROWN & WHITE COMBINATION...YELLOW, ORANGE, BLUE, OR GREEN ACCENTS WOULD GO PERFECTLY WITH THIS SHOWER CURTAIN.

TRAVEL: FILL ME UP

2008-05-09T14:59:00.001-07:00

JCREW HAS A LUGGAGE COLLECTION THAT IS ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS! ALL THE PIECES ARE HANDCRAFTED IN ITALY BY DELL'GA. THE LUGANO LEATHER SUITCASE IS MY PERSONAL FAVORITE ($1800). THIS BAG WOULD DEFINITELY STAND OUT AMONG THE MILLIONS OF BLACK SUITCASES GOING AROUND THE CAROUSEL, EVEN THOUGH I WOULDN'T CHECK THIS ONE. IT'S A DEFINITE CARRY ON PIECE, WOULDN'T WANT IT TO BE LOST, STOLEN, OR DAMAGED!

FASHION: JOE WHO? JOE WHAT?

2008-05-07T17:00:00.000-07:00

JOE'S HANDBAGS AS IN JOE'S JEANS? YES, THEY ARE DESIGNING HANDBAGS. I FOUND THE PERFECT GREEN HANDBAG ON KARMALOOP $395 BY JOE'S...TAKE A PEEK! VISIT http://KARMALOOP.COM FOR ALL KINDS OF FRESHNESS!

LIFESTYLE: SELF-PUBLISHING

2008-05-07T14:20:00.000-07:00

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN WRITING YOUR OWN BOOK & ACTUALLY PUBLISHING IT? WAIT NO MORE...MY WONDERFUL HUSBAND TURNED ME ON TO THIS HOT SITE CALLED BLURB.COM...YOU CAN CREATE YOUR BOOK FROM START TO FINISH @ BLURB.COM PRICES START AT $12.95 & YOU CAN EVEN SELL YOUR BOOK ON THE WEBSITE. TURN YOUR DREAM INTO A REALITY INSTANTLY BY VISITING http://www.blurb.com/! HERE ARE A FEW OF THE BOOKS THEY OFFER FOR SALE:

FASHION: NOOKA

2008-05-06T14:39:00.000-07:00

IT'S TIME TO DISCOVER NOOKA WATCHES. THE NOOKA BRAND HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 1997 & WAS ORIGINALLY LICENSED TO SEIKO. THEY ARE NO LONGER ASSOCIATED WITH SEIKO. THE DESIGNER, MATTHEW WALDMAN, IS ABLE TO CREATE THE DESIGNS HE TRULY DESIRES. WHAT'S SO NEAT ABOUT NOOKA WATCHES IS THE WAY THE TIME IS DISPLAYED, IT'S LINEAR & GRAPHIC, A TRULY UNIQUE CONCEPT. NOOKA = SLEEK IN HAWAIIAN. NOT ONLY IS WALDMAN A DESIGNER, HE'S ALSO AN ARTIST & EDUCATOR AT THE PARSONS SCHOOL OF DESIGN & THE NEW YORK SCHOOL UNIVERSITY. DISCOVER NOOKA BY VISITING http://www.nooka.com/, CHECK OUT THE BLOG, & SEE ALL THE AMAZING DESIGNS & COLORS!

CULTURE: CINCO de MAYO

2008-05-05T14:48:00.000-07:00

Cinco de Mayo (5th day of May) is a regional holiday in Mexico. It is not a obligatory federal holiday. The holiday commemorates a victory of Mexican forces over French forces in the Battle of Puebla (May 5, 1862). Cinco de Mayo is observed in the U.S. and in other countries as a celebration of heritage and pride. Cinco de Mayo IS NOT Mexico's independence day as most believe...Mexico's independence day is September 16th....the most important national patriotic day in Mexico. Join in the celebration by clicking on link below for some fabulous Mexican dishes.

http://www.ajc.com/eveningedge/content/eveningedge/stories/cinco_de_mayo_recipes.html

FASHION: OLD IS NEW

2008-05-04T11:57:00.000-07:00

AMERICAN APPAREL HAS A NEW WAY FOR YOU TO ACQUIRE VINTAGE FINDS. CALIFORNIA SELECT IS UNIQUE CONCEPT CREATED BY AMERICAN APPAREL. THEY CURRENTLY HAVE STORES OPEN IN LA, NYC, BERLIN, CALGARY, & MEXICO CITY WITH MORE STORES TO COME. IF YOU WANT TO BID ON OR VIEW SOME OF THE VINTAGE PIECES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD VISIT THEIR EBAY STORE @ http://stores.ebay.com/California-Select & BID ON YOUR FAVORITE PIECE OR PIECES. HAPPY BIDDING. (image from california select ebay store website)

FASHION: HIGH & LOW

2008-05-03T10:53:00.000-07:00

TARGET IS AT IT AGAIN...ROGAN IS THE NEXT FEATURED DESIGNER. TAKE A LOOK AT AN INTERVIEW DONE BY BARNEYS SIMON DOONAN... http://www.barneys.com/b/browse/category.s?categoryId=485824&CMP=EMC-WS1600780658

CULTURE: MOTHER'S DAY

2008-05-03T10:23:00.000-07:00

MOTHER'S DAY IS MAY 11TH, UNSURE WHAT TO GET MOM? I SNAPPED SOME SHOTS OF THE PERFECT MOTHER'S DAY GIFTS. FOR THE FASHIONISTA SELECT; THE GAP COVERED SNAP BUTTON CARDIGAN $59.50, CAPARICA PRINT J CREW T-SHIRT $36.50, YELLOW THICK BRAIDED BELT $34.99 BANANA REPUBLIC OUTLET, BEADED FLAT SANDALS $19.50 OLDNAVY, WOODEN HANDLE CLUTCH $19.50 OLDNAVY, OR THE BEADED DROP EARRINGS $18.00 ANTROPOLOGIE. DO YOU HAVE AN ACTIVE MOM? THEN PICK UP A IPOD SHUFFLE $48, IN HER FAVORITE COLOR. FOR THE MOM WHO WOULD LOVE ANYTHING YOU GIVE HER OPT FOR THE; BIRD STATIONARY $10 ANTHROPOLOGIE, LETTER SET $10 BORDERS, JOURNAL $3 MARSHALLS, CAN OF TEA $5 TJMAXX, MUG W/NOTEPAD & PEN $8 TJMAXX, SOY CANISTER CANDLE $6 URBAN OUTFITTERS, OR THE BEAUTIFUL DAMASK FRAME $26 ANTHROPOLGIE. ALL OF THESE ITEMS ARE AVAILABLE IN STORES NOW, SO HURRY BEFORE THEY'RE GONE! (CLICK ON THE PICTURE FOR A CLOSER & BIGGER IMAGE)

LIFESTYLE: MONEY WOES

2008-05-01T16:16:00.000-07:00

THE SLOWING ECONOMY, HIGH FOOD & GAS PRICES, FORECLOSURES, THERE'S NO WONDER THAT CONSUMER SPENDING IS AT AN ALL TIME LOW. I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE RECEIVED OR WILL RECEIVE A STIMULUS CHECK SOON BUT YOU MAY WANT TO THINK ABOUT SAVING/INVESTING SOME IT FOR A REALLY RAINY DAY INSTEAD OF SPLURGING ON THE HOTTEST MUST HAVE ITEM! CHECK OUT THIS ARTICLE FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES: "http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/01/business/01econ-web.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin"

DECOR: ART FOR LESS

2008-04-30T17:26:00.001-07:00

CUTE & QUIRKY ART FROM UP & COMING DESIGNERS, XENIA TALER (TOP PIECES L-R $14 - $20), AND MATTE STEPHENS (BOTTOM PIECES L-R $20/EACH) AVAILABLE AT URBANOUTFITTERS.COM.

TRAVEL: GUIDE ME

2008-04-29T14:41:00.000-07:00

IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE BIRDIE BUTTER LEFT THE NEST. I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO TELL YOU ALL THE COOL PLACES TO EAT, SHOP, & STAY, BUT DOMINOMAG.COM HAS AN AWESOME CITY GUIDES SECTION FOR TRAVEL WITHIN THE 50 STATES & ABROAD. TAKE A LOOK AT http://www.dominomag.com/resources/guide/city_guides & FIND OUT EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT EACH CITY LIKE; PORTLAND, HOUSTON, THE HAMPTON'S, SAVANNAH, ETC. ENJOY (PIC IS FROM DOMINOMAG.COM)

FASHION: ALONG THE SHORE

2008-04-28T14:51:00.000-07:00

AS YOU CAN PROBABLY TELL, I'M VERY IMPRESSED WITH JCREW. NOT ONLY IS THE APPAREL GREAT BUT THE JEWELRY IS PHENOMENAL! I STUMBLED ACROSS AN ARTICLE IN THE MAY ISSUE OF INSTYLE MAGAZINE FEATURING THE HEAD DESIGNER, JENNA LYONS, & I ALSO DISCOVERED THE JEWELRY DESIGNER FOR JCREW, LISA FINKELSTEIN. TAKE A PEEK AT HER LATEST "BY THE SEA" CREATIONS! (NECKLACES & CUFF $150...COCKTAIL RING $85)

FASHION: SUMMER LOOKS

2008-04-23T15:29:00.001-07:00

JCREW HAS A GREAT SUMMER COLLECTION. THE COLOR COMBINATION OF CITRUS LIME WITH SILVER, GOLD, & WHITE IS FABULOUS...PAIRED WITH PAISLEY, POLKA DOT, & FIJI INSPIRED PRINTS/PATTERNS SCREAMS SUMMER! TAKE A LOOK AT A FEW OF MY FAVORITE LOOKS & VISIT JCREW.COM.

HAPPY EARTH DAY 2008

2008-04-22T15:23:00.000-07:00

SAVE SOME "GREEN" ON EARTH DAY WHEN YOU PURCHASE ORGANIC PRODUCTS FROM AMERICANAPPAREL.NET & WHILE YOU'RE SURFING THE WEB CHECK OUT THE "GREEN" PRODUCTS SHOPBOP.COM HAS TO OFFER.

FASHION: GREAT FIND

2008-04-21T12:49:00.000-07:00

HOT FIND FROM BANANA REPUBLIC, LINEN ABSTRACT-PRINT FULL SKIRT ($89), FULLY LINED WITH HIDDEN ON SEAM POCKETS. GREAT PIECE THAT FALLS UNDER THE GLOBAL/SAFARI TREND; HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THIS PIECE WILL LAST MORE THAN ONE SEASON!

FASHION: FRIENDLY WEARS

2008-04-18T14:52:00.000-07:00

ECO FRIENDLY FASHIONS ARE FAST BECOMING THE NORM! YOU CAN FIND JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING IN AN ECO FRIENDLY FABRIC; T-SHIRTS, HANDBAGS, JEANS, JEWELRY, SHOES, DRESSES, ETC. ECO FRIENDLY CLOTHING IS VERY FASHION FORWARD. NOT ONLY WILL YOU LOOK STYLISH BUT YOU'RE HELPING PRESERVE OUR MOTHER EARTH. CHECK OUT THE "GREEN" DESIGNS ABOVE: L-R LARSEN GRAY SHOULDER SASH DRESS 100% ORGANIC COTTON ($216), MURPHY ORGANIC CARDIGAN W/ BRAIDED BELT 100% BAMBOO ($268), EDUN ETHOS DANDELION DRESS 100% ORGANIC COTTON ($125). available @ shopbop.com

*OTHER ECO-FRIENDLY FASHION WEBSITES: http://www.gominyc.com, http://www.shopmodify.com, if you're in richmond, virginia visit alchemy(carytown) visit their myspace page @ http://www.myspace.com/alchemyrva, if you're in cincinnati, ohio visit park+vine "a green general store" check out their webpage @ http://www.parkandvine.com

LIFESTYLE/TRAVEL: GREEN SPACE

2008-04-17T15:13:00.000-07:00

EARTH DAY IS APPROACHING & SCHOOL IS ABOUT TO LET OUT FOR THE SUMMER...WHY NOT TAKE YOUR FAMILY ON A ECO-FRIENDLY VACATION. FIND OUT WHAT'S OFFERED BY READING, "TEN AMAZING ADVENTURE LODGES WITH A GREEN CONSCIENCE," ON USATODAY.COM. CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK:
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/deals/inside/2008-04-17-eco-lodges_N.htm

TIPS ON HOW TO LIVE A GREENER LIFE:

TURN OFF THE WATER WHILE YOU'RE BRUSHING YOUR TEETH
DON'T USE PAPER CUPS FOR YOUR COFFEE BUY A PLASTIC THERMOS
TURN OFF LIGHTS WHEN YOU'RE NOT IN THE ROOM
REUSE THE PLASTIC BAGS YOU GET FROM STORES AS TRASH BAGS OR TAKE THEM BACK TO THE STORES WHEN YOU GO SHOPPING AGAIN
TAKE ALL YOUR PLASTIC, PAPER, & GLASS TO THE NEAREST RECYCLE BIN

FASHION: CARRY ALL

2008-04-16T16:57:00.000-07:00

URBAN OUTFITTERS HAS A WONDERFUL COLLECTION (SABINA) OF LEATHER BAGS IN AN ASSORTMENT OF COLORS THAT CAN BE WORN NOW & INTO THE FALL 08/09 SEASON. L-R SABINA CONVERTIBLE BAG $245, 70'S BAG $178, SATCHEL $225, AVAILABLE @ http://www.urbn.com