I love cool beach towels, so here's a great find that doesn't cost a fortune. These Missoni 40 x 70" beach towels are 100% cotton and made in Italy.
They're at Neiman Marcus. $134 - $188. There are also some other designs at Pioneer Linens. $149 - $168.
Prada is featuring this fairy print on handbags and clothes in their 2008 Spring Collection.
It's supposedly been a big hit - is sold out, and has been called by some the "bag of the season". 
Well, I'm afraid that it's just plain ugly and hideous. I've never been into fairies anyway, but even if I was, I woudn't want them on my $2000+ handbag.
Marc Jacobs (I mean "collection", not Marc by Marc Jacobs) makes some seriously AMAZING bags like of course the classic Stam bag, but it seems that many of his great bags are only made one season and then you can't get it anymore. BOO HOO.
Like these two bags, that I just love. The Capra Bag:
And the Karen Bag: 
I love how he uses metal link shoulder straps and the quality of the leather.... and the rather giant snap buttons at the top of the framed bags...
I'm dying to smell these Guerlain Aqua Allegoria scents: Mandarine-Basilic, Tutti Kiwi and Herba Fresca. I tend to like light, citrus and green scents all year round but they're really perfect for Spring and Summer.
They always explain fragrances so beautifully, but then when you go and smell them sometimes they are disappointing. Here's what they say about these three:
Mandarine-Basilic - Aptly named, this citrus concoction is as bright as a mandarin. And when the namesake fruit is paired with the crispness of basil, you get one sparkling, radiant, and lusciously luminous eau de toilette.
Tutti Kiwi - The lively and mischievous Tutti Kiwi imparts its crisp and tangy hue upon your skin for a quick energy fix. Frosty lemon and mandarin join the elegant blend of kiwi, geranium, and sweet mock orange to create a surprising mélange.
Herba Fresca - As fresh as the morning dew and as green as sap-filled stems, Herba Fresca is redolent of a luscious green garden early in the morning. Clover, spearmint, and the crisp aroma of crinkled leaves are enhanced by a tangy zest, the delicate scent of lily of the valley, and cyclamen petals.
I seriously want to run out to Sephora RIGHT NOW and smell these. They sound so yummy. I love the bottles too, the way the top looks like a honeycomb and that it's a spray. And they're reasonable at $52 for 2.5 fl oz.
I already have the Pamplelune Aqua Allegoria (based around the tangy effervescence and delicate bitterness of grapefruit's golden zest, the composition tingles with fruity, orange notes and the silky caress of vanilla and patchouli. Consider it a kick-start to vitality--and an antidote to gloominess) which I don't love as much as I thought I would because of the patchouli (too strong).
J. Crew released their new items for May today. Among them I particularly like the enamel lobster bracelet. Maybe it's because I'm from New England, but I just love lobster and crab designs. I think I love them just as much as I like to eat them, weird, ha?
Enamel jewelry has made a come back over the last year or so. I really like this bracelet because it's not a bangle, but a hinged style with a snap closure and safety hook and chain. It's $88 at jcrew.com. This is a great piece because it's quirky. Not everyone is going to like this (or have it) so it's really something that's unique. Wearing this with say, a casual all black beach dress for a splash of color would be great!
As the weather gets warmer I find that there's nothing better than a sleeveless jersey knit cotton long dress. In the summer they're casual and cool and in the spring you can wear with a sweater.
The LA brand Gypsy05 makes one in 100% organic cotton, available in 10 solid colors for $100 and with an ombre effect available in 5 colors for $119. Kate Hudson has the gray one. The cut has a deep V neck and twisted straps.
The deep V neck is a great style, but not the best for everyone (those who need a little support up top), so the same style dress with a halter top is better. Victoria's Secret has some like this. I don't really like Victoria's Secret clothes in general, but for a casual beach dress I think it's okay. This one (below) comes in 4 colors and is only $59.
This one looks great too... it's $98 and comes in 2 colors the great teal color shown below and black. It's a cotton/modal/spandex blend, so the modal will give it really nice drape. And that's (the modal content) probably why it's more expensive. 
Harper Collins is sponsoring a sweepstakes for a Hermes Birkin bag in conjuction with the April 22 release of the new book, "Bringing Home the Birkin" by Michael Tonello. You can enter here.
Woo hoo! Who wouldn't kill for a free Birkin bag!? The book sounds pretty good too. It's a true story about this man and how came to do what he does: track down Birkin bags for people who don't want to wait forever for one on the Hermes waiting list. Just the sort of light entertainment that's good for a "beach read".
LV has released a new bag design: the Galliera city bag.
It comes in 2 sizes, the GM ($1360) and the PM ($1180). I like the shape and the big size. You can buy them at eluxury. 
If you're like me, then you might be having trouble cramming all of your clothes into your closets. (yes, even with seasonal removal of stuff that never gets worn!) So, a little while ago I replaced all of my wooden hangers with these super thin hangers I found at Bed, Bath and Beyond.
They have a velvety-like texture so even slippery clothes don't fall off. They're black and silver so they look somewhat sleek. They are pretty inexpensive, $9.99 for 10 or $39.99 for 50, and you can also buy a 3 pack of pant hangers for $9.99. You can hang 4 pairs of pants on each one.
I guess these Bed, Bath & Beyond hangers are knock-offs of the Joy Mangano Huggable Hangers, Home Shopping Network has sold over 175 million of them! Crazy, ha? On HSN, you can choose from many different colors and you can pick gold or silver tone for the hook at the top. They sell for $44.95 for 36. 
I have to admit that I prefer the look of all-matched wood hangers, but they just take up way too much space! Someday when I get a huge walk-in closet then I can switch back...
The Michael label by Michael Kors makes some very reasonably priced and cute shoes. Check out this one, the "Molly" Platform. $133 at zappos.com
I like that it's got the slingback so it doesn't fall off your foot. I have a similar Anne Klein pair (without the slingback) that are just so hard to keep on my feet. I also like that they are leather (upper and footbed) but have a rubber sole. I'm not a stickler for comfort, but rubber soles are so much easier to walk in when it's a platform shoe and also are more durable. And in a shoe this price, it's not like you're going to keep them forever anyway, so having a leather sole that you can replace is not that important. It says the heel is 3 3/4", that's great. I just love how it's so easy to find proper high heels these days (I mean 3 3/4 and 4"), it used to be a lot more difficult.
Does anyone else love owls? Well, I do and I've discovered this super cute pattern by the Scandinavian design company, iittala.
Isn't he the cutest! The pattern "Taika" features the owl and mythical animal hybrids in an ornate forest. You can find the line at allmodern.com. iittala actually makes a ton of really cool stuff.
Alvar votive holders - come in a bunch of different colors!
Kartio glasses come in 2 sizes and also in different colors. I think it would be fun to mix and match different colors.
The company dates back to 1881! Their motto is "Everyday design against throwawayism". I love that! They further explain, "the proof of good design is to stand the test of everyday use. iittala products are expected to withstand daily wear and tear as well as survive changes in tastes and trends, to remain relevant and cherished."
As I mentioned before, I've been on a quest for a new (hair) conditioner ever since John Frieda discontinued my favorite one. It's most difficult with fine hair to find the perfect one, it has to be very light but also really has to detangle. Ever since I read an article about silicone and the build-up it causes, I've also been interested in finding a natural silicone free product.
Korres is a Greek brand that makes all natural products of herbal origin. I picked their Acacia Milk conditioner. It was billed to "untangle the hair without any build-up effect" and is free of: mineral oil, silicone, propylene glycol and ethanolamine. I'm not sure what all of those are, but I guess they must be bad. And it's also enriched with active plant extracts. So, the results - - very good! It seemed to wash out clean in the shower, not leaving my wet hair waxy feeling like most cheap drug store brands do. Often times when a conditioner washes out well, then I can't comb through my hair - - but with this one I could! Now that my hair is dry it feels great, not weighted down and has a light scent that is unusual, but not bad unusual. (is that what acacia smells like?) So it was a great experiment. I'm glad, because it sucks to buy a $17.50 conditioner and hate it! I'd like to try their shampoo now too. I think I'll alternate between my Fresh shampoo and conditioner and Korres now.
They also make skin care products. You can find their products at Sephora and Beauty.com.
Yesterday I mentioned the Hermes Beach Towel as the ultimate beach towel... well start saving now, they've gone up to $510! A few years ago (ok maybe more than a few - around yr. 2000) they were $400. I had a beautiful penguin one, but it got left at an old boyfriend's beach house. Woe is me. :-(
Their online selection isn't that good, but here are a few that they sell online. They have many more at the stores, especially the Madison Ave boutique.
Louis Vuitton's Spring 2008 collections are out. They're featuring some spring-y colors and designs.
Freesia Platform Sandal $740. I love the wood heel and platform! I love walking on shoes like this, I even like the "clomp, clomp, clomp" noise they make when you walk on a hard floor, and how you feel sort of like a geisha. (does anyone else know what I mean?)
Monogram Inclusion Ring $215. I don't usually like pink at all, but this would be fun to wear and would be okay to add a little color to an outfit.
Cadenas Key Holder $325. I just love this keychain... a bit pricey, but it's so cute with the lock and key and convenient with a clasp and a key ring.
Last, the Monogram Tisse Beach Towel. $425 Other than Hermes, this has got to be the ultimate beach towel! An homage to the classic LV trunk.
I am sorry to say that I have to retract my "favorite things" status of the Old Navy tank top. They were such a great value, for a long time; but I find that the cotton quality has gone down severely. I guess this isn't too surprising considering that they cost only $6 (on sale) each. I have tons of them, and I guess they'll have to be worn to the gym only.
The good news is that I've found a replacement that's only slightly more expensive. The Gap "favorite ribbed tank" is $14.50 or $10.00 on sale. It's got a finer rib and the cotton feels softer. Overall, it's thinner so better for layering and a bit longer which is good for wearing with low waisted pants. I think they run a bit big though, so size down. 
Another good option is the J Crew "solid washed favorite tank" for $16.50. I think it's a little thinner than the Gap one so the white would be somewhat see-through. Maybe it's a bit too long, but since it's thin material it scrunches up without being too bulky.
For the non-budget constrained, James Perse! He now does his long tank top in a cotton/modal blend $45 at Bloomingdale's, Saks, etc. etc. I love modal, it's softer than cotton and more drapey.
I think the Gap option is the best value and the one I'm going to stock up on. I buy a bunch of these every season, so cheap is good. I can't stand white tanks that don't look pefectly white anymore, so I end up getting rid of a lot of them. And no, I don't like to use bleach because it's too harmful to the cotton fibers.
Hideous or fabulous? Just kidding, it's just hideous! No question about it. I mentioned before that I pretty much hate everything she wears, so I had to put this up. I couldn't resist. Is that mean?
Anyway, a picture is worth a thousand words...
Chanel has released their colors for Summer 2008. 
The collection is described as "The season's most alluring getaway looks with a beautifully edited makeup collection of heat-baked sands, golden browns, sunset bronzes and an array of khakis." Sounds compelling! I think Chanel has the best packaging in the business, it's just so elegant. And their brushes are the absolute best. I'm in love with their "Pinceau Poudre" #6 powder brush... $49 but worth every penny. Here are my Summer color picks.
Vanity Fair has this rather nifty shopping tool on their website now (http://www.vfinsider.com/interests.asp). 
You drag your "interests" into the box and it picks out a "personalized" shopping list for you. For example, if you choose "for her" and "classic" one result is this cute trench from BCBG. $278
Or "indulgent" and "of the moment" you get this Diane Von Furstenberg "Lipari" gown. $750
It's fun, but you may find that it doesn't work that well if you really want to buy something. The link to the BCBG site does not link right to the coat, you have to look for it, and it's not available in khaki - only navy, and it's not $278 - it's really $298.
As long as I'm harping on Vogue, check this out from their on-line feature "10 Best Dressed - Week of 03.29.08"... #4 is Carla Bruni-Sarkozy in Christian Dior arriving in London to meet the royal family. PLEASE, that is the most ridiculous and dowdy get up I've ever seen, I don't care if it's Dior. Yuck, not good, in any way.
The April issue of Vogue, the "Shape Issue", 
features an article about Laura and Kate Mulleavy of Rodarte. Apparently Vogue asked them last Fall to go on a 4 month program of personal training and healthy meal delivery, to be featured in this issue. I found the article that accompanied their (the sisters') journal about the experience so smug and distasteful. It's truly cringe-worthy. Here are a few quotes from Sally Singer's article. "Our hope was that these two talented sisters could learn to spend a little time on themselves and not devote every hour of every day to making magical, ineffably gorgeous dresses." [nothing like a good old veiled insult] "We wanted these two young women to learn good habits now, so that they would have the peace of mind and the energy to prosper..." [WTF, how insulting!] "They were (and are) perfectly happy with themselves, regardless of what the scale or the jeans label says. Both are completely without vanity where their own looks are concerned. (How rare to find women with such values. If only we could clone their parents!)" [yeah, right we almost believe that you appreciate their values]
Uggh. When did we all forget that vanity is a vice not a virtue? I'm not saying that I'm against vanity or advocate lack of personal care I just think it's gross that Vogue would publish this when they clearly do not appreciate these two women at all, to Vogue they may be great designers but they just don't fit in unless they conform to the fashion world ideal better.
