Posted at 08:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
A sampling of TV appearances and interviews:
Kansas City LIVE on NBC, 3-29-08
NBC Action News Feature Spot, Saves Hundreds with Shopping Secret, 11-15-08
Posted at 01:16 PM | Permalink
Here are the past columns I have written for SPACES magazine, a publication featuring upscale and creative lifestyle profiles featuring people and places that capture the essence of good living. Subscriptions available at www.spaceskc.com
Posted at 08:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
As Valentine’s Day approaches, the urge is to work yourself into a frenzy for the perfect gift that says it all. Or to get caught up in a pity party if love is not in your air. Either way, I have just the thing for you, Bitch. No, I don’t mean that personally. This “Bitch” is a Grenache wine from South Australia and is not only great marketing, it truly is a fantastic wine and when they find out you paid around $9 a bottle, they will call you a bitch.
From www.klwines.com,
“Grenache is a bitch to grow. And, it's a bitch to make. 90 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
‘Bitch Grenache is sourced from 40 to 60-year-old vines from the Ebenezer
sub-region of the Barossa. Medium ruby-colored, it presents an alluring bouquet
of earth, smoke, rhubarb, cherry, and strawberry. Supple, sweet, and tasty,
this wine totally over-delivers for its humble price and is an exceptional
value.’”
So start your bitchin’. If you are feeling frisky, have a great gay friend or just want to bypass the Hallmark induced pressure, pull a 180 and give, serve and enjoy a Bitch. Taking romance with a grain of salt is good for all. And with this around, you’ll uncork a bitchin’ good time.
Available in Kansas City at Gomer’s North, contact Tom Stacy, 816-746-0400.
Posted at 04:43 PM in Food and Drink | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
I am attempting not to cry as I write this. I am suffering the consequences of violating the first rule of style change. Never do anything in haste. Or because you are emotionally stressed, or antsy or just want a change – without careful and thoughtful planning and reflection.
Case in point here is my hair. I have always changed it with highlights, some overall color adjustments, hairpieces and loads of styling tools, products and techniques. I like variety but the evident pattern is recoverable and not permanent. As I walked into my hair appointment I knew, A. My ends were a mess and called for 3-4” in trimming and, B. I needed to handle some of the emerging gray better. I even took photos in from another version of myself that I loved – which my stylist had engineered.
But what do I do? I get caught up in my own enthusiasm to change and talked myself into an all-over dark, red color. “It’ll be great!,” I cheerily enthused.
An hour of processing later, I resembled an old Italian lady trying to keep the all-over dark hair of her youth. The impact of now having shorter hair, no dimension and a stark contrast between my hair and skin-tone and I was forcing myself to look for a brightside. After my sons shrieked in horror, my husband danced around his comments ever so gingerly and my daughter did the right thing by telling me she “liked it,” I faced the cold hard reality that I had made a mistake.
I violated several of my personal hair covenants – Thou shalt not:
- Be looking for haircut ideas in magazines while color is processing.
- Ask for something different that you haven’t discussed for the past two appointments.
- Ever do a color change with any more staying power than semi-permanent.
- Come without photos in hand of the desired effect.
- Make a change close to a birthday or event.
And let me be sure that my stylist is exonerated here. We have been together for 8 years and had she not helped me explore new territory, I would have lambasted her for not doing what I want. And even though she did, she told me in her e-mail response to my “I don’t think this is going to work and when can I get back in” plea that she used demi-permanent color, which isn’t damaging and fades dramatically over time. She had a “hunch” this wouldn’t be a permanent change and saved my shafts by making the commitment last only as long as some boyfriends or diets – a few weeks at best.
So I am optimistic that soon I will have something more flattering and presentable going on–until then, my hat collection is alive and well and I have learned from my impulsive mistake. Hair’s to hoping you do too.
Posted at 03:27 PM in Locks Talks | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Originally submitted at 80sTees.com

This officially licensed Top Gun shirt features the call name of Anthony Edwards' character and Maverick's partner, Goose.
Top T from Top Gun
Fit: Feels true to size
Pros: Soft, Cute, Comfortable
Best Uses: Casual Wear, Going Out
Describe Yourself: Trendy, Sexy, Eclectic
A true black T with quality image. My son loves this shirt - I am Maverick an he's my wingman, Goose.
(legalese)
Posted at 09:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Originally submitted at 80sTees.com

This Ferris Bueller black babydoll style shirt is composed of 100% cotton and has the "Save Ferris" slogan printed across the front.
Awesome. Great T from a great flick.
Fit: Feels true to size
Pros: Stylish, Flattering, High Quality, Comfortable
Best Uses: Casual Wear, Going Out
Describe Yourself: Eclectic, Trendy, Sexy
Perfect statement tee for going out with high-end pieces like blazer, blouse and great shoes. Love it.
(legalese)
Posted at 09:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Patricia Fields, stylist to SJP, et al, in SATC offers her thoughts in a well-made webisode on the subject of shoes. Grab a latte', take 5 and watch on http://lstudio.lexus.com/#vid847
Posted at 09:25 PM in Fashion Observations | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
The Kansas City Star
reported today that Hall's
in Kansas City is furthering its fashion credentials as a source for the movie "Last Will" being filmed here in KC with Missouri native Brent Huff directing. No doubt the draw was in part to it's new leader Kelly Cole, who entered the local scene last Spring from the Beverly Hill's Neiman Marcus store, and brings with him some real expertise in dressing and clothing stars (whose careers can rise and fall in the wardrobe department) and supplying
movie studios with great apparel. Can't wait to say, "that's a wrap!"
Posted at 03:04 PM in KC Style Notes | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
I read an article from the NY Times about a new category of shopper called the "reccessionista." While I love linguistics and new words for Scrabble, I am not always fond of ironic twists in them. No one likes to say the word recession outloud. No one. Least of which, someone who would buy $500 shoes without blinking. It's painful to consider. Painful to embrace. But a few months of frugality never hurt anyone and actually, may help reign in those impulse purchases that so often hang aimlessly in the closet.
The woman who coined the phrase, and is now getting her cyber 15-minutes of fame, has also started a blog to direct readers to thrifty choices http://therecessionista.blogspot.com. It isn't a pretty blog but is practical (rather fitting don't you think?) and her enthusiasm for her self-coined label and habit, clearly usurps any desire for a designer label right now. And that is admirable and worth the look.
I have certainly appreciated Target's "Design for All" alliance with designers that do amazing things with pleather and other chemistry lab based-materials, but what I really want to see is the high-end retailers get real. I cannot believe how few are really promoting mark-downs and sales right now.
My taste for the best has not waned but my gut check is that I ever spent that much on a pair of shoes in the first place. I still would probably spend 30-40% less than what most items are retailed for though and hope that designers ego's are checked a bit during this "adjustment" as fashion houses usually leverage themselves silly and can't absorb long dry spells easily.
If they don't adjust, or at least offer some deals and steals in the interim, they risk losing brand loyalty as it may become displaced to other lines during this period. One-time sources for casual additions may become a pipeline for wardrobe staples. I have to believe that stockrooms will soon be overflowing with merchandise that is above that budget threshold, and the floodgates will open, but until then, you might hear me say "rescessionista" above a whisper and in public .
Posted at 02:48 PM in Frugal Fashion | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)