Acqua Di Parma 'Blu Mediterraneo'

Based in Italy, Acqua di Parma is almost 100 years old. It began in a small perfume factory in Parma, 'a city of culture and tradition'. Around 1916, all of the most popular men’s fragrances were from Germany. When Acqua di Parma introduced a new scent it became wildly popular because it was less heavy. Around the 30’s and 50’s it became associated with glamour because Hollywood idols like Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn were known to wear it. Today, Acqua di Parma has had a resurgence and is still associated with being a classic, luxurious scent. Some of my favorites are from the Blu Mediterraneo line. I have the Capri Orange, which smells so clean and springy. I swear some of these scents can be worn by a guy or a girl! Pick one up for your sweetie…and dream about that Mediterranean vacation that is on all of our horizons.

Where to find it: nordstroms.com

So Cleopatra

So serpentine. So glam. So luxe. This trend hasn't gotten in your face yet (like fedora hats), but it is starting to creep up in all of the magazines and boutiques. There are a few pieces out there that are enamel and gold and retail for about $350-$600. Not sold on it just yet? Well for $24.99 you can get this cute solid stretchy bracelet and wear it with all of your other gold bangles to add some spice. So cute...and so affordable.

Where to find it: www.emitations.com

Team Lauren

You've seen her on The Hills, now own the clothes off her back. Lauren Conrad, reality TV show star and fashionista, has come out with her own clothing line of California casual chic clothing. All of her pieces come in different colors and are named after her friends. Most can be worn day or night and the solid colors lend well to accessorizing. Now you can don her machine washable pieces and say "I forgive you and now I would like to forget you".

Where to find: www.ShopLaurenConrad.com

Paper or Plastic? How 'bout neither

Ok, let's get green for a second. Paper and plastic bags are so wasteful! We need to start remembering to bring reusable bags to the grocery store. According to the EPA, over 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps are consumed in the U.S. each year. Plastic bags don't biodegrade, they photodegrade breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil and waterways and entering the food web when animals accidentally ingest. Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales and other marine mammals die every year from eating discarded plastic bags mistaken for food. Here is a cute one I found. Comes in a set of 5 reusable bags with cute patterns. $33.

Get it here: Envirosax Monochromatic Black &White Reusable Bags - Set of 5 in Pouch

Yves Saint Laurent Limited Edition Bag Accessory

The term ‘limited edition’ makes some people go crazy and I can see why with this fun little piece of bag jewelry! Yves Saint Laurent has come out with a limited edition handbag accessory with elle solid perfume and lip gloss. And when you run out of lip gloss and perfume, you will still have this jewelry left. Retails for about $65. And talk about hard to find! Supposedly Neiman Marcus has it but I could not find it on their website. I did find it on a site called www.twenga.co.uk and of course eBay would never let us down either. Now I want one just because it seems so exclusive! UPDATE: Now at Sephora

Where to find it: Yves St. Laurent Bag Accessory

Keeping it Together

Frequent flier miles got you confused? Most weary travelers cannot even remember their balances on the many different airline and hotel programs. How do you remember your different PIN's, passwords, user names, account numbers? It's just too confusing and air travel is too darn expensive to not get rewarded for your travels! The folks at points.com have found a way to make it simple. Sign up for a free account and you can track your airline and hotel miles all in one place. You can trade your points and miles with others across programs (the GPX program), swap your miles and points between programs, buy miles and also share miles or points with your family and friends. Great idea. Wish I had thought of it first!

Check it out: www.points.com

Travel In Style

Watch your favorite movies any time with your personal, portable iPod/DVD Player. Time really does fly when you're having fun, so make the most of airport delays and long flights with this compact unit that lets you watch movies from an iPod or DVD. It has an 8.5" LCD widescreen display for a clear, sharp picture, touch-sensitive keypad controls and a built-in rechargeable battery. You can even charge your iPod using the integrated dock. At just 6½ x 11¼ x 2¼" and weighing a mere 2 lb, 10 oz, it's easy to carry and provides instant entertainment anywhere. Includes an AC adaptor, car adaptor, remote control and AV cable.And with a product name like 'iLuv', it might just make a perfect Valentine's Day gift...to yourself or your sweetie. $269

Where to find: www.magellans.com

Hot Product!

Yay! A cordless, ceramic flatiron! IonFX introduces the first truly professional cordless/corded ionic ceramic straightening iron. Now you can straighten, flip, curl and eliminate frizz on the go with this incredible cordless flat iron. No cord means you can have shiny, silky hair anywhere any time! This iron has a rechargeable lithium battery, can heat to 300, 350 or 400 degrees in 20 seconds, is portable, battery lasts 30 to 50 minutes and comes with a travel case. The ceramic plates won't fry your locks either. Now getting ready will happen much faster. $179 plus shipping.

Where to find it: www.folica.com

Get Moo

CupcakeLife loves anything that promotes your creative side! I came across this great website: http://www.moo.com/, where you can personalize lots of items with your own photos or text. I love the $19.99 mini cards. Use up to 100 full color photos or designs on your mini calling-cards. You can also use multiple photos in one order. Add up to 6 lines of text on the reverse of the card. Great for publicizing your website, for gift tags, ice breakers, party favours, save-the-dates... anything!

Find them here: http://www.moo.com/

To Coin a Phrase...

I have always loved the jewelry at Banana Republic because it is unique and pretty reasonable in price. On a recent visit I saw this bracelet and had to share it with you. More and more there are some cool gold pieces out there. I love the interlocking gold coin mesh design, very gypsy.

Coin mesh gold bracelet, 14 k gold plated and totally fabulous, $42.

Where to find it: www.bananarepublic.com

Paint and Go Nail Sticks

Long-wearing, fast-drying..these paint and go nail lacquer sticks are perfect for people who have a hard time painting their own nails or someone who needs to touch them up while stuck in traffic. This is the latest product by OPI's Nicole line. As always, OPI has cute names for their polishes: Call My Cell, Do You Deliver?, Carpool Mama, Baby Go Bye-Bye! So cute. This line is free of formaldehyde and does not do any animal testing either. I think I might try the "Text Me" color just for giggles. Best part? They are available at Target or Wal*Mart.

Don't have one of those in your area? You can order any one of the full line of colors here for $7:

Nicole by OPI Nic's Sticks

Dog Gone It

Always classic, always cutting edge without tacky. That's JCrew. Chances are you have a few basics from JCrew and you have had them forever. I love that JCrew is now making jewelry and wedding dresses. There has been a need for classic, inexpensive wedding dresses as most people would rather put there money elsewhere when thinking about nuptials. JCrew has now made the move to start selling fashionable doggy wear. The 'Crew Mutts' line. I am not a fan of dog shirts by any means, but the collars and especially the models themselves are worth showing to you. Is this precious or what? I love JCrew just for putting these cute little guys on their site! Here is their madras leash.

Where to find: jcrew.com

Get Personal (ized)

Yes, more lather time! Question: What do you get the person who has everything? Answer: Anything monogrammed. CupcakeLife loves personalized gifts, and searches the unique ones out for you to make your life easier. I found monogrammed soaps on a few various websites. I had a hard time finding scented ones, though. I think that should be part of the soapy goodness. These come in a set of 4 and are vegetable based. They are offered in green tea, lavender mist, vanilla almond or freesia as a matching set or an assortment, one of each. Each soap is embossed with up to 10 characters or a three-initial monogram. $36

Find it here: www.redenvelope.com

Don't Trip through Your Wires

Gadget cords getting out of control? There are a few charging stations out there on the market and Cupcake Life has been reading the reviews (too big, too much counter space, can't be wall mounted, not very chic, cords cannot be concealed) and has determined this one to be a good option for a few reasons. It can be wall mounted (most can not), has a hidden door in the back for cords, holds 3 cell phones, PDA’s or iPods and it just looks sleek. There are a lot of them out there that are bulky and look dated with the clunky wood. This one is black and retails for $40. I also found a another cute one that comes in red and holds 2 devices for $23

Where to find:

The Charging Station for PDA iPod Mobile Phones - (Black)

or

2 Pod Electronics Charging Station - Faux Leather

Smell Great with Molton Brown Hand Washes and Lotions

Started in the 70's, this London- based company is known for their all-natural, yummy smelling bath and body products. Most of the scents are fine for a man or woman. Their best sellers are hand wash and lotion pairs in the Thai-Vert scent (lime leaves), Naran Ji (orange and grapefruit), Warming Eucalyptus, and pictured here is the White Mulberry. More caring than soap, hands are treated to the natural anti-ageing benefits of white mulberry, while oils of Provencal mimosa and green tea 'surround the skin with a luxuriously crisp aroma'. This company also has it's own separate line of Men's Grooming products that you should check out. And the scents are faint, which most guys will like.

Where to find them: Molton Brown White Mulberry Hand Wash - 300 ml

Alloy Red Funnel Neck Wool Coat

Since the retailers did not do so well over the holidays, needless to say things are deeply discounted. Good news for us, huh? I found this jacket on a teen website and I think it is a pretty good steal for a trendy item. Love the funnel neck too. Again, sites like Alloy.com and Delias.com have great items for low prices. Check it out and brighten up your winter without breaking the bank. Only $56 for a wool coat! Also, now through February 6th, customers can get free shipping on orders over $25 with code AHAAFF.

Where to find: FUNNEL NECK WOOL COAT

Love, Love Me Do

Bring out the secret hippy or British pop wannabe with this charm bracelet from Lucky Jeans. Who even knew they made cute jewelry? It even has a little bobby helmet! (Thats a British police officer). I have a friend who went to Abby Road in London that I can definitely see rocking this bauble. Charm bracelets are so fun too because they tell a story. This one says 'I am a music lover, Ringo'.

Where to find it: Lucky Beatles Charm Bracelet

Ahhhh, Life in a Fish Bowl

Step up your amateur photographer game for the new year with a bona-fide 35 mm Fisheye camera from the folks over at Lomography. This company has brought to the masses many retro cameras with cool functions at low prices. A true fisheye lens is quite pricey, sometimes $700 ish just for the lens without the camera body. You can test out your skills with this $40 retro looking model first and see how it goes. "Good-humored, ironic, rock 'n' roll, and very, very wide, the Lomography Fisheye 35mm Camera--the world's only 35mm camera with a built-in fisheye lens". And if you don't see yourself as the creative type, look at it this way: real estate agents, investors and landlords will love the 'space enhancing' capabilities that a fisheye can deliver. Just scan it and go.

Where to find it: Lomography Fisheye 35mm Camera

Scarf Down Takeout without the Guilt???

Everyone has seen a Chinese takeout box before...but have you made a scarf out of what was inside before? These are called 'Szechuan Scarf Kits' and they come with yarn in place of the noodles, knitting needles in place of chopsticks; everything you need to start scarfing it up in no time. Available in Lychee (blue), Green Pepper (green), Black Bean (black), and Sweet & Sour (purple) 'these kits make a wonderful gift that will have the uninitiated knitting and the hardcore knitter chuckling'. Complete knitting instructions included. So cute and only $20! At that price you could buy a few and have them on hand for gifting.

Find it here: Szechuan Scarf Kit

Get Stars in Your Eyes

I have seen Heather Graham in this necklace a few times and always found it to be so delicate yet powerful because it was unique and different. Little did I know the name of the piece is “Goddess” and it is engraved on the side of the necklace! That explains it! And who says fine jewelry can’t be a little different and more designer? This piece is solid 14-karat yellow gold and has a tiny diamond in the center. How can you not feel special and ethereal while wearing this? This is designed by Mary Margrill and retails for about $1,000.

Find it here:
M2 Design by Mary Margrill Gold & Diamond Goddess Necklace

Kick It!

Cute flats are essential nowadays, aren't they? Winter's answer to the flip flop, these are perfect with skinny jeans and not so skinny jeans. These are also essential for any Europen traveling. Come on, y'all, Europeans hate to see us Americans in sweat pants, shorts and sneakers! Class it up for us..and save some suitcase space and foot pain in the meantime. These cute ones to the left are by Hollywould and are now deeply disounted on eLUXURY. From $335 to $199 ain't bad for shoes you will get a lot of wear out of!

Where to find: Hollywould Jaynie Metallic Python Flat

I also found these cute little ones online for about $40-$79 on multiple websites. Comes in red and some other cool colors. Our friends over at Amazon compile all the different websites for you. These will also go great with some dresses. A 'flat out' deal!

Where to find:

Steve Madden Women's Kizmit Ballet Flat

Get Personal (ized)

Send in a picture of your parents, your sweetie, your friends, or even your poochie and this company will take it and place it into personalized notepads. Pads come in sets of 4 with 40 sheets per pad. Available in color or black & white. Available with or without lines. You can also pick a saying to place across the top such as "Susan's List" or "Ava's Godmother" or even "I have ADD and this is my To-Do List". The black and white ones are $27.95 and the color ones are $59.95. Great for gifts. So cute!

Where to find: http://www.picpads.com/

Want a Bag Like Vanessa Hudgens?

But don't have $2100 to spend on a Balenciaga bag? No worries, not many do...let alone do most teenagers! Again, I am singing the praises of ShopSueyBoutique and their Jocelyn bag. Doesn't $52 sound a little bit easier on the wallet? And here is another tip for 2008 kiddies: If you don't want racy pictures of yourself leaking out to everyone, THEN DON'T TAKE THEM! Anyways, love me some ShopSuey. Check them out online.

Find the less pricey bag here: ShopSueyBoutique

Need Some Color in Your Life?

Tired of the old black laptop case? Want to break the "Winter Doldrums"? These neoprene cases (yes, wetsuit material) are essential for toting around your laptop and a welcome change from the stodgy ones we are all used to. There are a few out there with built-in handles, which makes carrying them around much easier. Say, you go to the Mac store often and that is usually at the mall...and you would love to stop in some shops later...but you are lugging around that laptop case in your arms??? This will make it way easier to tote that sucker around, stop for some shopping, and not leave it next to the cappucino machine at Starbuck's while you are placing it down on a counter to pay!! I love these colorful guys. I found them for $30 cheaper on Amazon (!!!) than they are at certain stores we won't mention.

Where to find it: Portfolio Case Dot Pattern

Here is another cutie patootie laptop sleeve (no handles). This one is $35.

Where to find it:
GYMSPacific MacBook Poppy Sleeve - 13"

Fresh Sugar Lychee Eau de Parfum

If you are one of those people that still makes New Year's Resolutions and yours is to diet, this might be just the thing for you. You may diet in 2008, but this fragrance can still give you the sugar fix you crave!! The folks over at the Fresh bath and body line put out a few products infused with sugar. This is one of their more heavenly scents. Not sickeningly sweet. Also comes in a scented candle or soap. This fragrance sounds like a trendy martini, but you should be able to drive after a few mists of this. Enjoy it guilt-free.

Where to find it:
Fresh Sugar Lychee, Eau de Parfum 3.4 fl oz (100 ml)

Semi Rose-Colored Glasses

Some people have a hard time holding onto a wine glass (we won’t mention names) and they sometimes get a bad case of ‘the drops’. All clumsiness aside, these glasses are perfect for wine, inexpensive…and very unique looking to boot. Ikea always seems to carry some good deals, I must say. The designer for these Komedi glasses is Johanna Jelinek. Each piece is mouth blown and a tad different than it's mate. They are only $9.99 for a package of 2. These are definitely on my hot list.