Online Shopping Brokers

Heated Mouse on CBS News - The Early Show & YouTube

2011-01-17T23:45:00.000-08:00

Heated Mouse on CBS News - The Early Show & YouTube

Tech Gadgets to Keep You Warm on CBS News The Early Show

2011-01-11T18:08:00.001-08:00

Discount Coupon Heated Mouse

2010-12-27T18:30:00.000-08:00

HostGator - For all your wesite server needs!

2010-10-28T16:27:00.000-07:00

HostGator

Shop ValueRays at Amazon.com

2010-10-27T20:52:00.000-07:00

Shop Amazon

Shopping for a Warm Mouse - ValueRays Infrared Heat Computer Mouse, Mouse Pad & Heated Computer Keyboard

2009-03-16T14:17:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought you had it all, something new and better comes along. ValueRays infrared heat heated computer mouse, heated mouse pad, heated computer keyboard pad and heated mouse hand warmer blanket will keep you toasty warm by providing an energy-efficient and cost-effective source of heat when you are using the computer.

Don't wait until your fingers are frozen stiff to place an order. Contact ValueRays today and get the warm mouse and mouse pad computer accessories delivered to your door with free shipping and no sales tax.

Infrared heat heals. It provides deep penetrating heat to sore muscles, aching joints and relieves cold hand pain. Just 20-30 minutes of infrared heat daily produces positive results. For more information, visit http://igmproducts.com and http://valuerays.com.

Vote Online: IGMproducts at Start Up Nation

2009-03-08T16:42:00.000-07:00

Click the link below and cast your vote for IGMproducts and Shopping Brokers at Start Up Nation. It's just a click away!

Please click the above picture and vote for our start up company on Start Up Nation. Voting deadline is March 31, 2009. Thank you!

http://www.igmproducts.com/

We specialize in Ergonomic Heated Computer Aids.

Made in USA Forever keeps your mouse hand warm

2009-02-07T15:25:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for Made in USA products to keep your hands warm, look no further. The Mouse Hand Warmer is American Made and can be found on Made in USA Forever!

Do you sit and work for long hours sitting in front of a computer? Does your mouse hand ache with pain from the cold? If you answered yes, then you should click here to read more about the Mouse Hand Warmer at Made in USA Forever!

Amazon helps keep your cold mouse hand warm this winter

2008-11-06T11:59:00.000-08:00

There's a lot of chat online these days about COLD MOUSE HAND. And, Amazon.com may just have the solution. The Mouse Hand Warmer uses NO Electricity to keep your mouse hand covered by a warm, fleece blanket as your mouse your way to Nerdom or Geeksville!

Available online at Amazon.com.

FREE SHIPPING

Etsy.com for cool computer gadgets for cold mouse hand

2008-10-23T00:23:00.000-07:00

The Mouse Hand Warmer is featured on Etsy.com. Shop Etsy for handmade, unique and novel products. The Mouse Hand Warmer is constructed of a warm, fleece fabric. It's hand washable and has a non-slip surface. It can be used alone or with a standard sized mouse pad. Any size mouse fits inside the mouse hand warmer with plenty of room for movement. Click Here for more details.

Mouse hand warmer mouse pad blanket on eBay!

2008-10-18T23:42:00.000-07:00

Shop eBay and save money this holiday season. If you are looking for the perfect gift for the difficult-to-buy-for computer geek in your life, look no further. The Mouse Hand Warmer is available at eBay.

The Mouse Hand Warmer is a mouse pad blanket for your exposed mouse hand. It keeps your mouse hand warm.

Yes, people who use the computer suffer from the cold mouse hand syndrome. And, the folks at IGM have solved that problem!

Click here for more details & FREE SHIPPING!

Mouse Hand Warmer solves the cold mouse hand problem

2008-10-01T12:41:00.000-07:00

Dear Oprah & Doctor Oz.... help us solve the cold mouse hand problem!

Searching for an answer to define the "cold mouse hand" syndrome, Oprah and Doctor Oz were sent an online letter. We haven't heard back from them, and if/when we do, you'll read about it here.

Here's what we wrote:

Many people may not be aware of a condition called "Cold Mouse Hand." It affects computer users who work using a computer mouse. It's not carpal tunnel and shouldn't be confused with other mouse hand medical conditions. I believe the "cold mouse hand" problem is a fairly new discovery.

I started using a computer in the early 90's, and I owned and operated an ecommerce site for over 12 years. My work required me to sit in front of a computer using the mouse. A/C offices, fans, drafts and chilly weather would cause my mouse hand to get so cold my finger tips would become numb. The only relief to the cold mouse hand was to stop working, and that was not an option. I tried pulling a sweater over my mouse hand and wear fingerless gloves to keep it warm and that didn't work. I bought computer gadgets that promised to keep the mouse hand warm, and they were either non-ergonomic, caused pain, or were too small.

In February 2007, after suffering from a cold mouse hand for many years, I decided to obtain a provisional patent for a "Mouse House Hand Warmer" to address and fix the problem. But, I was still too busy operating my business to do anything with the patent.

In May 2008, I sold my ecommerce site and decided to research the cold mouse hand problem to focus on a solution. I was surprised to discover the problem was experienced by many people.

In June 2008, I made a Mouse Hand Warmer using blanket fabric, tested the prototype, and it worked. The Mouse Hand Warmer was born! I don't suffer anymore from a cold mouse hand.

If Doctor Oz finds the mouse hand syndrome, not carpal tunnel, but the "cold mouse hand" problem, an interesting, new topic, please ask him to shed some light on this mysterious computer geeks' situation. If you look for little inventions to address new problems, I will participate by sharing the problem and the solution with your audience. I hope you find this story and it's solution unique and worthy of a discussion topic.

Mouse Hand Warmer at Amazon, Etsy & IGMproducts.com

2008-09-14T15:11:00.000-07:00

If you are one of the many computer users who suffer from a cold mouse hand all winter, a solution has arrived. The Mouse Hand Warmer is a new product being introduced this year by i-GlobalMall.com, Inc. The price is $19.95 and it includes free shipping. If you buy directly from the manufacturer, there's no sales tax, too.

The Mouse Hand Warmer is available online at this locations:

Amazon.com

Etsy.com

IGMproducts.com

It's a perfect gift for any computer user. If you sit for long hours at the computer with an exposed mouse hand, you'll agree, a cozy blanket is the solution to a cold mouse hand.

Online Shopping - IGMproducts.com

2008-08-31T15:54:00.000-07:00

New Merchant added to ShoppingBrokers.com! IGMproducts.com is now offering ShoppingBrokers.com's shoppers FREE shipping and NO sales tax on orders placed online.

Click here for more details: IGMproducts.com

Click here for Mouse Hand Warmer! A new product just in time for winter computing and gift giving. A great gift idea for all the computer geeks in your life! A warm fleece blanket to keep your mouse hand warm.

Mouse Hand Warmer - Geek gadget shop online

2008-08-09T19:11:00.000-07:00

IGMproducts.com is launching a new site and a new product just in time for a shift in the weather and holiday shopping worldwide. We'll post photos and purchase opportunities here as soon as they are received. We're looking forward to being one of the only online resources for the new Mouse Hand Warmer.

The Mouse Hand Warmer is new, and there's nothing like it on the market. Here's details directly from the manufacturer:

$19.95 price includes Free USA Domestic Ground Shipping & Sales Tax!

The perfect gift idea for computer users.

Keeps your mouse hand covered by a warm blanket. Constructed of a warm polyester fleece blanket material with a non-slip surface. Fits standard mouse pads. Hand wash and air dry.

Instructions: Slip a standard sized mouse pad inside the Mouse Hand Warmer. If using a wireless mouse, the net front provides a clear optical connection. When using an USB connected mouse, slip the cord through a small slit opening made in the center front net. Easy to keep clean by hand washing with a mild detergent and air drying.

Made in the USA.

The Mouse Hand Warmer is an inexpensive way to keep your mouse hand warm during chilly weather or whenever you feel your mouse hand getting cold. A drafty air-conditioned office makes for an uncomfortable exposed hand if you sit and work all day at the computer. During the winter, a draft or drop in temperature makes your mouse hand cold, too. Sometimes fingers get numb due to the cold air. Keep your mouse hand warm inside a cozy blanket.

The idea for a Mouse Hand Warmer came about after spending many years working long, late hours sitting at a computer. When your mouse hand gets cold there's really nothing you can do to warm it except stop working or cover it with a warm blanket. That's why the Mouse Hand Warmer was created.

No wires or cords to get tangled on your desk top. The Mouse Hand Warmer is a contemporary, modern, techie-looking desk accessory in neutral colors of gray fleece with black and white trim. The pouch measures about 12" x 12" with a wide front opening to get your hand into and out of the Mouse Hand Warmer with ease. Fits most mouse sizes, from a standard small mouse to a large ergonomically shaped mouse.

Mouse Hand Warmer is a registered trademark and patented product made in the USA by i-GlobalMall.com, Inc. For more information, for distribution or wholesale orders, please write by clicking on the Contact Us located at the top of each page at IGMproducts.com.

FREE SHIPPING & NO SALES TAX

Dangerous curves ahead

2008-08-02T12:32:00.000-07:00

ShopBop

TOO much flesh can be an issue for swimwear designers focused on less than reality, writes Sharon Krum.

ON Miami Beach there are two kinds of coveted oceanfront real estate. The first involves luxury hotels with spectacular views, while the second can be acquired via a day with a plastic surgeon: think C or D cup. Hollywood might have pioneered the surgically enhanced starlet but Miami stands out as the land of implants. (And it feels like no one is exempt: even the surf and the palm trees seem bigger on top.)

A model in Luli Fama
So seeing them on many models during Fashion Week's 2009 swim fair, held last week at South Beach's Raleigh Hotel, shouldn't have been a surprise. But for an industry that favours ironing board-shaped runway models, it was.

It was also a slight dilemma for designer Nicky Zimmermann, who with sister Simone was in Miami to show their Cruise 2009 collection, the only Australian label on the 15-designer schedule.

"We look for more editorial girls (and found them), somebody who can walk and wear fashion and not look catalogue," Nicky says of casting the show, later seen by buyers from Barneys, Saks and ShopBop, and editors from Vogue, Elle and InStyle.

"It's important to us that we don't cater to that. We don't want to show ourselves as a commercial brand, but as a fashion swim brand. It's more fashion than swim, and that gives us a really good point of difference here." It was Zimmermann's second appearance on the Miami runway. "Last year ... it cemented our credibility both editorially and with buyers," says Simone.

Styled by Tamila Purvis, the collection showcased vivid prints (diamond, feather, florals, Russian scarf), sharply cut swimwear and contrasting silhouettes: a babushka print triangle bikini paired with an oversized babushka shirt dress; a black bandeau spider bikini under a periwinkle maxi dress. While bikinis boasted frill or stud detail, resort wear included a drawstring playsuit, jumpsuits and harem pants.

"It was very cohesive, the colours worked very well together," says Andrea Tocco, an associate buyer for Barneys Co-op. "It's what a lot of girls want: feminine, colour, design. What worked was there were pieces you could wear out and to the beach."

Judging by the size of the trade fair taking place simultaneously with Fashion Week -- 350 exhibitors, 2000 lines and buyers from 39 countries -- swimwear and resort wear is booming. Buyers cite an increasingly fashion-conscious consumer, even possibly global warming, for this.

"A lot of people have started doing swim brands," says Nicky Zimmermann. "But (the demands are) extremely specific. It has to be cut well, it has to have beautiful colours, function and aesthetic have to be equal."

For Zimmermann, sales in the US have doubled in the past 12 months, while stockists Barneys, Bloomingdales and Saks are about to roll them out into more stores. "Australia is still our biggest market, but in the next two years we are thinking America and Australia will be even," Nicky says.

Miami is the perfect place for a fashion week dedicated to swimwear. Despite the small celebrity quotient at the shows -- Anna Kournikova, Dennis Rodman, Carson Kressley, Billy Zane -- it's a city that crackles with sexual energy, people who love to show skin (typically tanned, plumped, nipped and tucked), love to party, and has weather so hot you can't think of anything but the beach. (You could spot the out-of-town, maxi dress and gladiator sandal-clad editors by their sunburn. They misjudged the severity of the heat.)

Directions from the runway for 2009 revealed that while floral prints were present they were not ubiquitous; geometric, striped and tribal prints were popular, and in terms of colour a ripple of Pucci pink and purple was in the air.

"There was a trend towards Ikat prints and less of the typical Hawaiian florals and obvious aqua blue," says WGSN's senior editor Catherine Bell. "The silhouette was more Brazilian (small) and with a low-back one-piece. With cover-ups there was a lot of volume, whether shorter to the hips or long."

Bell cites Tibi's collection of floral and tribal print swimwear for "great cutting and placement of prints on the suits" and Zimmermann because "the styling was great, it was definitely a show that stood out", while also giving high marks to the Brazilians.

"In Brazil, swimwear for us is fashion," says Benny Rosset, designer of Cia.Maritima, who showed bikinis, one-pieces and cover-ups in art deco, tie-dye or animal prints in bronze, magenta, orange and lime.

"In the US, if a woman has a black bikini this year she might have it for the next five years," he explains. "In Brazil, the women have to have a different bikini every season, like clothes and shoes. This is what I am trying to change."

While fellow Brazilians Poko Pano showed polka dots and stripes, and ANK favoured animal prints and stripes, Spain's Custo Barcelona did bikinis in ethnic motifs, metallics and devore velvet, while Christian Audigier for Ed Hardy added embellishment to their signature tattoo print.

Asked why he thinks beachgoers might want some bling on their four triangles, Audigier says simply, "they want to be seen". For theatrics on the runway there was Red Carter with a tuxedo vest one-piece and British label Pistol Panties with a Swarovski crystal-encrusted monokini. Leave it to Diesel to ditch the (blissfully airconditioned) tents and show their collegiate-inspired collection on a runway built over the hotel pool.

With the heat and humidity testing every hair-smoothing product known to woman (and failing, frankly) the after parties proved the best place in town for some cooling cocktails. Just a few blocks away from the tents at the swim show, Australia was also waving the flag, with Anna & Boy, Zimmermann, Jets, Seventh Wonderland, Rochford Australia, Seafolly, Moontide, Bond-Eye and Billabong Girls all present.

"Every hour is booked," says Simone Zimmermann of their appointment schedule. "We made a decision about two years ago we wanted to be strategic about where we were selling," she says.

"We didn't have control for a while and we took it back. In making that change, we selected buyers who understand our brand and therefore customers who understood our brand." (There is also talk of a Zimmermann store in the US, probably New York first.) For Anna & Boy it was their first time at the tradeshow.

"We felt we should commit," says co-designer Anna Hewett. "We have had some pretty positive feedback from Barneys and a few biggies. The fact we design all our own prints has had a great response from buyers."

Six-month-old Sydney brand Seventh Wonderland decided to make the swim show its launching pad for its deco-inspired swimwear. "We needed people to understand the direction. Zimmermann and Anna & Boy do directional swimwear; we want to have our thing," says co-owner Carlos Aviles.

One notable sighting in Miami was Simon Lock, IMG Fashion Asia-Pacific managing director, there to see how the event might be replicated in the Asia-Pacific. "There's been a huge growth of the resort business in Asia-Pacific," he says. "Not a lot of buyers from Asia-Pacific come to Miami, so there is an opportunity to establish an event to service and support designers in the region.

"The key to its success in Asia-Pacific would be basing it in a resort environment," he explains. "Combining the glamour and sexiness of the shows in a resort location."

And where might that be? "You have to look at where people will travel to. We do have a Miami in Australia: it's the Gold Coast. Certainly Phuket, Thailand and China have amazing resort properties. Australian swimwear has a real point of difference, it's really fashionable, and this could be an opportunity for Australian designers."

ShopBop

August Is the Season For Travel Bargains

2008-07-31T19:28:00.000-07:00

Expedia USA

by Arthur Frommer

It's late July, the very peak of the peak season, when every bed, seat and berth is supposed to be full.

Thanks to the heat, all of Las Vegas, including Caesar's Palace, is cheap in August.But travel falls off sharply toward the end of August (when many school years have already commenced, and children have returned to their homes from camp or vacationing). And even on some earlier dates in August, softness is found in travel bookings, and bargains begin to emerge.

Last-Minute Cruises
I find many top opportunities listed on VacationsToGo.com and the other big cruise discounters, even to such places as Alaska (www.frommers.com/destinations/alaska). Here are five last-minute openings:

Aug. 18 and Aug. 25 aboard the Island Princess, seven nights in Alaska, $535.

Aug. 10 aboard Holland America's Vaandam, seven nights in Alaska, $605.

Aug. 29 aboard the Carnival Spirit, seven nights in Alaska, $599.

Aug. 14 aboard the Carnival Victory, four nights from New York City to Canada, $449.

Aug. 30 aboard the Carnival Liberty, seven nights to the Caribbean, $479.

Last-Minute Vegas
Travel to Las Vegas (www.frommers.com/destinations/lasvegas) always slumps in late August and early September because it's beastly hot there, convention activity hasn't resumed after the summer hiatus and no large groups are coming to this city of big meetings.

Late-summer bargains announced on the newsletter LasVegasAdvisor.com start with rooms for as little as $19.99 at the off-Strip-but-quite-serviceable Palace Station Hotel. And right on the Strip in late August and early September, you can enjoy weekday stays at the Tropicana for as little as $39 per room per night, the Excalibur for $50 per room per night and at the cushy Luxor for $65 per room per night. You'll get the best rates if you register with various hotels directly on their Web sites and invite them to e-mail their best offers to you.

Last-Minute Barbados
The extraordinary Best of Barbados (www.frommers.com/destinations/barbados) program, flagrantly subsidized by the Barbadian government, offers its very lowest prices in September, when one-week air-and-land packages start at $326 per person from Miami, using Bayfield House Hotel.

Remember that prices shoot upward by $100 to $200 the moment October arrives. All the major tour operators - Liberty Travel, Vacation Travel Mart and Cheap Caribbean - offer these rates and feature them on their Web sites.

Gas Rebates
And finally, keep in mind that most accommodations search engines - such as Hotels.com, BookIt.com and BedandBreakfast.com - are giving valuable gas rebates to people who book a weeklong, late-summer stay using their services.

By late August, the cost of vacationing declines all over the U.S.

Macy's Featured Products

2008-07-29T19:13:00.000-07:00

Macy's

DKNY Women's White-StrapChronograph Watch

Price $165.00

__________

Lucky Brand Silvertone Peace Sign Earrings

Price $25.00

__________

Macy's employees raise money for Martha's Village

from The Desert Sun

Employees of Macy's at Westfield Palm Desert held a fundraiser and food drive benefiting Martha's Kitchen and Village and raised enough funds to pay for more than 19,000 pounds of food, officials said Friday. The funds were raised as part of the company's “Bag Hunger” campaign, according to Donna Paul, group sales manager Cosmetics/Fragrances.

Paul, who chaired the campaign, said that as a result of the fundraiser's success Macy's donated an additional $2,200 to the local food bank, which helps the Coachella Valley's needy.

Store officials presented representatives of Martha's Kitchen with a check, as well as the donated food items, during an employee rally on Friday, officials said, adding that every $4 equals a pound of food.

Macy's makes its way to Pearland

2008-07-29T18:48:00.000-07:00

Shop Macy's
HUGE Savings & FREE SHIPPING!

Macy's - Macy's - Macy's

July 31, 2008 through August 12, 2008
Hurry and take advantage of this fantastic opportunity while it lasts!
Receive Free Shipping on Jewelry or Watch Purchases of $125 or More!

August 7, 2008 through August 10, 2008

Enjoy extra savings of 20-65% off
plus FREE SHIPPING on jewelry or watches at Macys.com!
This sale is valid for three days only!

_____________

Retailer sees fast-growing town as a smart place to plant a store
By DAVID KAPLAN, Houston Chronicle

Macy's
• Stores: More than 810, with 50 in Texas

• Houston-area Macy's stores: 17, including Pearland

• New Macy's store: Pearland Town Center, Texas 288 and FM 518

• Grand opening: Wednesday

• Employees: 140

• Size: 140,000 square feet

Like other major retailers faced with a weakening national economy and slumping sales, Macy's has been forced to close its underperforming stores.Most recently it announced its store in Sharpstown Center was closing.But when the chain sees a plum opportunity to open a new store, it's not going to pass it up.

The Pearland Macy's which opens Wednesday, is one such opportunity.The town's population has exploded over the past several years, and the retail market generally is considered to be underserved. The store's opening in Pearland Town Center marks a further coming of age for Pearland. Residents in the area will be getting significantly more retail Wednesday when, in addition to Macy's, other stores will open in Pearland Town Center. Dillard's will debut this fall.

Catering to locals
At Texas 288 and FM 518, Pearland Town Center is an ambitious mixed-use lifestyle center that combines fashion retail, restaurants, office space, apartments, a Courtyard by Marriott hotel and a 22-acre lake. "We couldn't be happier," said Carol Artz, president and CEO of the Pearland Chamber of Commerce. "Now we'll have selections for all walks of life, and it's exciting.""It will stop some of the economic bleeding which took place in the community in the past," Artz added.The Town Center makes Pearland even more of a retail draw for area residents south of the city, including those in Lake Jackson and Angleton, she noted.

Closer location
Until now, a Pearland resident who lived near the Pearland Town Center and who wanted to shop at a Macy's had to drive about 20 miles to the Galleria, First Colony Mall or Baybrook Mall, noted Gary Hudgins, Macy's regional vice president.

The new Macy's won't be in a mall, a departure for the Houston area. The only other Houston-area Macy's not in a mall is the former Foley's downtown. Department stores increasingly are choosing big town centers and mixed-use developments for their new locations. The mall is less of an option.

"We're not seeing any enclosed malls being built, except for the rare instance," said Michael Beyard, senior retail fellow at the Urban Land Institute."Big department stores still need to grow and by necessity are looking at town centers which, when large enough, are the 21st century version of the mall," Beyard said.

The entire department store sector has been struggling in recent years, however, and now even high-end department stores like Nordstrom are having a tougher go of it, noted Dan Skoda, managing partner of D & R Consultants and former president of Marshall Field's.

Trying to stand out
Skoda is impressed with some of Macy's recent moves, including its plan to install FAO Schwarz toy store departments inside a few Macy's initially and possibly at many more of its locations in the future.

"It's more like what department stores used to offer before the discount big boxes came along — big children's departments and big toy departments," Skoda said. "Anything Macy's can do to differentiate themselves and bring newness and excitement is a plus," he said.

In a recent report, JPMorgan analyst Charles Grom noted that Macy's is facing "tough macro conditions" and that even the luxury segment of department stores is having to get more promotional. In 2007, the company had net sales of $26.3 billion, down 2.4 percent from a year earlier.

The positive side
On the positive side, Grom wrote, Macy's remains "a solid, free-cash flow generator, and potential increases in input costs down the road could be more than offset from higher private-label penetration in new Macy doors" and "better-than-expected synergies realized from consolidation efforts."

The Pearland Macy's aims to meet the needs of Pearland families by devoting significant space to young men, juniors, children and infants departments, said Melissa Steiner, the store's general manager.

All the essentials
The store will carry all the essentials, as well as "a focus on what's fashionable, colorful and fun," Steiner said.The 140,0000-square-foot Macy's store has a clean look and is designed to be easy to navigate.

Pearland Macy's will have a home accessories section with brands such as Martha Stewart, Ralph Lauren and Hotel Collection; a bridal department and an e-Spot, a consumer-electronics vending machine that offers iPods, Cannon digital cameras, Samsung camcorders, Bang & Olufsen headphones and more. The Pearland store will not carry furniture.

Relatively new brands at Macy's include Ed Hardy, Kensie and Sweet Pea. Beginning this fall, Tommy Hilfiger will become a Macy's exclusive.With corporate offices in Cincinnati and New York City, Macy's operates more than 810 department stores under the Macy's brand and 40 under the Bloomingdale's name.

There are 17 Macy's in the Houston area.

Chosen for appeal
The developer of Pearland Town Center is Chattanooga-based CBL & Associates Properties. The more than 700,000 square feet of retail space in the town center is 85 percent leased, and 70 percent of it will be open Wednesday.Other soft goods retailers in Pearland Town Center include Barnes & Noble, Gymboree, Aeropostale, Ann Taylor Loft, Forever 21, Hot Topic, Zumiez, Brooks Brothers Country Club and Eddie Bauer.The Town Center will also contain office space, 300 luxury apartments, a 110-room hotel, a big lake and a walking trail. Pearland was an appealing spot for such a project, said Michael Lebovitz, CBL's senior vice president, chief development officer, because it is "a fast-growing city with excellent demographics in an underserved market."

10 ways to travel for less

2008-07-27T14:17:00.000-07:00

Expedia USA

Loyalty programs,
vacation home rentals and price shopping among ways to save!

By LYNN SELDON For the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Erik Torkells, former editor-in-chief at Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, offers these 10 tips to save money on travel:

1. Consider buying a package deal.
hotel), can be major bargains. Torkells says that, to fill rooms and seats, hotels and airlines will resort to rock-bottom prices. For obvious reasons, they don't like to publicize these rates, so they sell a certain number of rooms or seats to companies that bundle them in packages. He naturally recommends www.budgetravel.com. Find other good package deals at ajc.com/travel.

2. Rent a house or apartment, particularly for a family or group.
An easy one-stop Web site for home and apartment rentals is www.homeaway.com. If you're intrigued by house-swapping, here are three Web sites: www.homeexchange.com, www.homelink.org and www.intervac.com.

3. Negotiate!
Few price quotes are non-negotiable anymore. Ask if there are unadvertised specials or if the hotel can do better. Play up whatever you bring to the table — you're with a group, for example, or you visit often. Instead of a lower rate, you may end up with free parking or an upgrade. While www.priceline.com is now a full-fledged booking engine, it's most valuable for its bidding system. Another site, www.biddingfortravel.com, has examples of successful bids. Torkells says those looking for a cruise should check out www.cruisecompete.com.

4. Keep shopping, even after you've made a reservation.
Prices for car rentals and hotels fluctuate, so never give up sniffing out a better deal. When you locate one, snap it up and cancel the old reservation.

5. Make your weak dollar go farther.
Visit countries where the dollar still goes relatively far, such as Argentina and less-touristed parts of Mexico.

6. Whenever possible, book directly.
If you see a low rate elsewhere, ask the hotel to match it. Torkells has found that, wrong as it is, hotels are nicer to guests who seek them out than to those who come via a third-party booking engine.

7. Use the meta search engines (and other smart Web sites).
There's no one simple way to track the best fare or rate down. Torkells recommends starting with www.kayak.com and www.sidestep.com, which scour multiple Web sites for flights, hotels, cruises and car rentals. Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia are good for getting a feel for what's out there, though Torkells notes they often don't search all airlines and they may tack on service fees.

8. Sign up for loyalty programs, especially those for hotels.
Hotels will often treat you better simply for being a member, even if you only stay one night. Also, members can choose to receive e-mail newsletters that will always have the best deals. Hotel loyalty programs can quickly lead to free nights.

9. Travel at the last minute, if possible, for the best deals.
Torkells says the best places to find last-minute deals are at the airlines' Web sites and at Expedia.

10. Don't get nickel-and-dimed at hotels.
Some add charges like checked bags, Internet service, phone calls, breakfast and fitness centers. Torkells likes mid-range hotel chains like Hampton Inn (www.hamptoninn.com) that don't charge for parking, Internet, breakfast, and other "extras" that more expensive chains often add to the bill.

Zappos vs. Piperlime: A head-to-head

2008-06-28T14:46:00.000-07:00

Posted by Molly Wood
CNet Reviews

I am a big and vocal fan of zappos for all things shoe. Huge selection, decent (if not bargain) prices, and free shipping. Returns are dead simple, and my love for zappos has, at times, bordered on actual zealotry.

So, when the Gap Empire introduced Piperlime, I wasn't buying. It seemed like a zappos rip-off with a more yuppie-friendly design scheme, and even though I'm a Banana Republic card holder and Gap Empire devotee, something about Piperlime just didn't work for me. Plus, they gave me the Web site hard sell--a constant barrage of coupons and insinuations that my BR outfit just wouldn't be complete without some Piperlime pumps. Feh.

But this weekend, I had a little bit of a Piperlime revelation, thanks to, well, my child. See, he won't wear shoes. In fact, if you put anything but Robeez on his delicate little tootsies, he shrieks and growls and moonwalks until you remove them and set his soles free. So, a friend told me about See Kai Run shoes, which have a more flexible sole than the standard Old Navy fare, and might be more palatable to Mr. Picky Toes. When I googled them, Piperlime had them for less than Zappos, with the same free shipping. Plus, checkout was super easy, since I could use my Gap Empire log-in and get all my saved info, just like I do at Zappos. I got to wondering...could Piperlime be better!? I decided a super-scientific evaluation was the only way to go. Let's begin.

Price
I found the See Kai Run shoes at Piperlime on sale for $25, down from $38. zappos had a much bigger collection of See Kai Run shoes, but they were all $42, with nothing on sale at all. These Naturalizer Memento wedges are $59 at zappos and $55 at Piperlime. A quick scan seems to suggest higher prices at zappos across the board, and Piperlime has a much more price-conscious presentation--"great finds under $75," or "Fantastic finds under $100" under handbags.

Plus, according to recent reports, zappos no longer matches prices from other retailers and has stopped offering free overnight shipping. Now, both Piperlime and Zappos offer the same free four- to five-day shipping, although Zappos will often "upgrade" you to two-day shipping. However, the price discussion leads directly to...

Selection
zappos may be more expensive, but it's also the source for all kinds of designer brands that Piperlime simply can't match. Piperlime doesn't carry Badgley Mischka, Cole Haan, Marc by Marc Jacobs, or Marc Jacobs, for that matter. There's no Baby Phat, no Michael Kors, no Stuart Weitzman, and absolutely no D&G Junior. Then again, that keeps Piperlime's ratio of $500 shoes versus $50 shoes on a much more realistic plane than Zappos.

Even where there is brand crossover, though, Zappos has many more options. There were 27 choices in the aforementioned See Kai Run brand at Zappos and just 8 at Piperlime. And while Piperlime also offers handbags, Zappos has taken its shoes-and-bags formula and branched out into accessories, electronics, sunglasses, kids' clothing, and even watches. Mission creep? Maybe, but amazon hasn't gone wrong with its one-stop shopping approach.

Ease of use
zappos has been on a bit of a marketing spree lately, announcing its rollout of the new categories mentioned above, along with plans for a redesign that will make the site substantially easier to use. They haven't given a date for that redesign, though, so for now: my GOD is Zappos a pain to navigate. They know it, so I don't want to go on too much, but it's just a weird, kludgy, crowded little site that feels a bit like a tiny little boutique crammed with an entire Macy's worth of goods. You strongly sense that you might stumble upon something fabulous, but you've got to be willing to spend a whole Saturday there.

Piperlime, on the other hand, has the clean design of all Gap Empire sites, and once you get past its standard useless splash screen, makes excellent use of the left-hand nav to promote within appealing categories. Choose from "The weekend shoe," "Fabulous flats," "Designer favorites," "Fantastic finds under $75," or by category or brand. Here, the lack of selection feels more like something you can wrap your head around, and you have the sense that you'll find what you're looking for.

But design alone isn't enough, and Zappos has a killer feature that Piperlime can't touch: the user reviews. At Piperlime, I can sort by Featured, Price (low to high or high to low), or What's New. At Zappos, I can start out by determining shoe type, heel height, size, width, and color, or just hit "Sandals," where I can then drill down by all the previous categories, plus "new," "name," "low price," "high price," and the Holy Grail: "popularity." That one click gives me the most highly rated shoes in the category, and they're rated by the people who actually bought and wore the shoes. BOOM.

I can't tell you how valuable this one thing has proven to be, over and over, when it comes to ordering shoes online. I've ordered shoes half a size too big, thanks to Zappos, and had them fit perfectly. I've rejected adorable flats when five people in a row said they were miserably uncomfortable. Anyone who orders shoes or clothes online knows that fit is the ultimate crapshoot, and zappos user reviews take so much guesswork out of the ordering that I'd bet it contributes to a much lower instance of returns overall.

Customer service
Piperlime has matched Zappos on free shipping and free returns, but zappos has bought the love of women everywhere with the free overnight shipping...that it no longer offers. It's definitely a blow to the brand to discover that some of its most customer-friendly features, like free overnight shipping and price matching, are gone. Still, I ordered running shoes from Zappos last week, and they were here within two days. I can't say much about Piperlime in that respect, as I just placed my first order today. I did, however, get an e-mail that said the shoes should arrive within seven business days. I'll tell you one thing: if it really takes seven days for those shoes to get here, Piperlime won't be beating out Zappos anytime soon.

But as I said, zappos best feature is not just its customer service. It's its actual customers--the ones who take the time to review shoes and offer tips as to sizing, fit, and comfort so you can actually buy with confidence. It'd take a lot of mistakes and mishandling of orders to undue the value of that community.

The verdict
So, winner? Well, I only have four categories in my little head-to-head, and I seem to have ended in a tie. From a purely emotional standpoint, I'm still a zappos fan, because I think the idea of customer reviews for shoes is sheer, unparalleled genius. But check back with me in a week or so to see how it goes with the kid-shoe adventure. Piperlime is coming up fast from behind.

Target moving into high-end women's cosmetics?

2008-06-23T11:17:00.000-07:00

by Brian White
Filed under: Products and services, Target Corp. (TGT)

Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) is a retailer that's been known to find and feed customer niches better than any other discount retailer. From its bright store colors to trendy and chic items in several departments, the retailer has shown WalMart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) that it can indeed compete. And, very well.

One of the more interesting product niches that's been explored recently has been higher-end women's cosmetics. When six beauty products rack up a retail bill of more than $200, you know there's something to be celebrated. No longer are Dillard's Inc. (NYSE: DDS) and Macy's Inc. (NYSE: M) the exclusive way many women buy those extremely lucrative cosmetic products with the hefty profit margins. Nope, Target's moving into the arena aggressively from all appearances.

Target is now stocking upper-end cosmetic brands like Clarins, Kiehl's, Origins, Bare Escentuals and Bumble and Bumble. Although the retailer's move was studied this past Tuesday, it certainly was no April Fool's joke. But do these brands care that the positioning Target will provide will undermine the premium brand luxury awareness and hefty prices at department store partners?

Many of these brands say they have no relationship with Target ; therefore, Target's source may be the gray market. They are free to do that, but perhaps Target is just testing the waters of luxury cosmetics before making an official plunge in most of its national stores. Not so strangely, the experiment could easily work with Target's unique position in the market.

Online Shopping - Graduation Gifts Most Likely to Succeed

2008-05-28T20:31:00.000-07:00

Whether she's into Yoga or an obvious Fashionista, decide the award your girly grad deserves and say "congrats" with an authentic designer handbag for the Class of 2008. You know she really wants a designer purse this year! And, she's all grown up and wants something special.

Shopping Online SAVES YOU MONEY! No travel time or gas to buy! Shop from the comfort of home 24/7!

All the girls are carrying a new purse to their new job. Your little graduate dreams about a new designer handbag. There are many styles and designs to select in price ranges from under $100 to more than $500. It's up to you. Whatever you pick will be a hit. Some of our favorites are Tano bags, Melie Bianco handbags, Elaine Turner handbags, Pietro Alessandro handbags, Gucci Bags, Prada bags, Fendi bags and many more. And, they are all on Sale! See the coupon codes below and start saving on your graduation gifts for that special gal in your life.

Shop the Sale Section. Take an extra 10% off!

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Shop Final Clearance. Deep discounts. Plus get an extra 20% off!

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Graduation is here! She wants a REAL Designer Handbag! Have fun shopping! Here's a series of Graduation Tid-Bits we found amusing and thought you might, too!

Bad Graduation Gift Ideas
by Andy

A Briefcase: Oh, thanks Uncle Frank. You getting me this briefcase ensures that I’m supposed to work the same 9-5 office job that you've worked for that last 25 years while complaining about it and cheating on my wife with my secretary. (Sorry Aunt Jane)

“Planet Earth” on DVD: Am I that hard to shop for? How long did it take you to pick this out at Wal-Mart? Do you think that all I do is get high and watch the Discovery Channel? Well guess what, I DO!

“Planet Earth” on VHS: What? There’s like 20 tapes. Get out of my sight Grandma.

Money: What am I supposed to do with this? It's only four dollars.

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All Sorts of Graduation Ideas
from My Expression

Graduation Party Ideas
The Traditions of Graduation Party -Traditions are the lifeblood of every college. Traditions connect the students to the past of the college while at the same time preparing them for the future. From the historic to the contemporary, traditions can express a spirit of unity and create a sense of community while providing for loads of fun.

Graduation Planning Checklist - Its Graduation time! You’re planning on hosting a graduation party and you want it to be unique and exciting. Planning any party can be overwhelming and many things can go wrong. So, to be on the safer side, you need to come up with a graduation planning checklist to keep things from bouncing out of control.

The Do’s and Don’ts in the Graduation Party - So, you’re graduating from high school or college and what better excuse to throw a party! Spring is that time of the year for graduation invitations, announcements and gifts. Etiquettes and manners form a very important part of our being social animals.

What To Wear on Your Graduation Day - For 12 (in some cases more) seemingly never-ending years, you obediently went through the schoolyard quarrels, your first boy-girl party, your first date, the Prom, and now finally what you’ve always been waiting for – your Graduation day! This time you’re going to be wearing an outfit that your parents will finally approve of – a gown and a cap ...

Decorating your Graduation Party - So, its graduation day and you’re all set to host a special theme party. Yes, theme parties are fun and a whole lot easier to decorate! Half the fun of hosting a graduation party is decorating the party. You can decorate your room, your lawn, you table, and even your guests! You can turn graduation caps upside down and fill them with balloons or flowers ...

Graduation Speeches Etiquette - The graduation ceremony confirms each student’s quest for knowledge. Traditionally, the ceremony will include a graduation speech that seeks to put each and every students hard work (in some cases, not so hard work) into the perspective of their future. Yes, most of us have heard one or more graduation speeches either as spectators or as graduates ourselves ...

Graduation Gift Ideas - The date is fixed, and the invitations and announcements have already been given out. So, the day has finally come for you students to cry and to cheer and to leave your school or college halls forever. Yes, graduation day is indeed one of the biggest days in everyone’s life. After years and years of hard work, your efforts have finally paid off. You’re happy but ...

Chance to Promote Your Business with Graduation Open House Invitations - Do you plan to host a graduation open house for yourself or one of your children? It may not seem like it could work, but you can actually promote your business when you have an open house. You can start the promotion with something as simple as mention that the open house is being hosted by your business. This will definitely ...

Graduation Announcement Tips, Wording, and Special Poems
Graduation Announcement Wording Tips - Graduation is an important time in life, and should be announced properly. Stationary with crayons and graduation caps on it is an appropriate means of announcing a child graduating from kindergarten. A photo announcement is a nice keepsake for loved ones who are being invited to the graduation ...

Graduation Announcements Wording Ideas - So, you’re graduating from high school or college and you’re busier than ever! Your last year of college is filled with thousands of events and activities that you have never even tried to attempt during your college years. From sending out resumes and applications to asking for letter of recommendation, you have loads ...

Do it yourself Graduation Announcements - A great substitute to printed graduation announcements are announcements that you print by yourself on your personal computer. Not only are these ‘Do-it-yourself’ graduation announcements a lot more economical, but they can also be equally colorful and creative. Start of by using plain white card stock or even plain white paper ...

Sending Graduation Announcements - So, its graduation day and its time to let everyone know that you are a proud graduate. Now that all those seemingly endless years of toil and hard work have finally paid off, it’s finally time to celebrate. First things first, start by sending out graduation invitations and announcements to all your near and dear ones. Most colleges and high schools ...

Graduation Invitations in General and the Etiquette
Graduation Party Invitations - Planning the Party - Everyone who has played a role in the life of the graduate should be sent an invitation to the graduation party. It is understood by most that tickets to commencement are limited, however an open house allows for everyone to congratulate the graduate. - Invitations - You can choose informal themes, such as a backyard ...

Graduation Invitations Etiquette - There is a very good reason why people call graduation ceremonies ‘commencement ceremonies’. This is because graduation does not mark the end; it marks the beginning. Graduation is the achievement of all goals, and rewarding the graduate for his or her hard work is a must. Graduation time is the time to invite friends and family together for an exclusive ...

Choosing Graduation Invitations Theme - Whether for you or a friend, Graduation day is one of the most joyous and welcomed occasions in any student’s life. It marks the end of your educational journey that can sometimes seem to be an endless and intolerable journey. Graduation is a once in a lifetime event, so give this event the honor and prestige that it truly deserves. The very first ...

The Traditions of Graduation Cap & Black Color in Your Invitations - When it comes to graduation invitations or stationary there are some traditions that are still observed by most people. In the majority of samples that you look at while shopping you will find that there are graduation caps in the majority of them. This is simply an obvious choice of décor since it is an invitation for a graduation ...

Graduation Invitations Theme
Casual Graduation Party Ideas - If you want to throw a wonderful party for that special high school or college graduate in your life, don’t assume you have to spend a fortune and put together some very elegant get together. After all, your graduate has already worked very hard to achieve this accomplishment and now just needs some time to relax and unwind. That’s why sometimes a more casual ...

Throwing a Cocktail Theme Graduation Party - Graduating from college is a major accomplishment and is definitely one of the best reasons to have a celebration. However, too many graduation parties are all the same. If you want to throw an amazing party, then you’ll want to take a creative approach with your graduation celebration. One idea is to celebrate with a cocktail theme ...

Throwing a Party for Valedictorians and Summa Cum Laude Graduates - Graduating from high school or college is a huge achievement, but if your student is graduating with honors then that achievement is even more deserving of a special celebration. No ordinary graduation is going to be sufficient. Background on Graduation Honors - If you’re not familiar with all of the “honors” terminology, then ...

Black, Red, and Green for Graduation Invitations - Graduations are one of those major milestones in life that deserve not only to be recognized but also to be celebrated. Whether the student in your life has just earned a high school diploma, a bachelor’s degree, or an even higher degree, you’ll want to find a way to show him or her just how proud you are of their hard work ...
Ideas for a Formal Graduation Party - When we think of graduation parties, sometimes we have the impression that all of them are just full of young people drinking too much and playing loud music. And sure some graduation parties would fit that description pretty well, but that isn’t your only option if you’re planning a celebration for a special student in your life ...

Feng Shui Graduation Party Ideas - Celebrating a graduation is a big deal. The family wants to show their pride at how well their student has succeeded. The student wants to know that he or she has done a good job by achieving this important life goal. When you’re planning something this special, then it only makes sense that you should take into consideration every possible way of ...

Creating Tassel as Embellishments For Your Invitations - If you want to create a graduation invitation that is sure to get the attention of those you invite you can do a lot of it yourself. It can be fun to add your own personal touch to it, even if you order the actual stationary and then create a tassel as an embellishment. Everyone associates a tassel with graduation, so this can be a fun addition! If you ...

Clip-Arts for Graduation Invitations - Do you want to add some fun and uniqueness to your graduation invitation but you aren’t sure what may or may not be appropriate? If so, you aren’t alone. The fact of the matter is that there are a lot of fun or original things that you can do; you simply need to infuse your own style into it and get creative. Anything that you can imagine can generally be created ...

Personalize Your Graduation Invitations with Special Inspirations - A graduation invitation can be just a graduation invite, but there are some great things that you can do to add your personal touch and make it interesting and even inspirational to those that you send them to. There is nothing better than sending out invites that have been infused with your own personal style, whatever that may be ...

Differentiating Masculine & Feminine Invitations Theme - Because both men and women graduate from high school as well as college there needs to be a way to differentiate between invitations that are more appropriate for men and those that are more appropriate for women. This is not to say that there aren’t invitations that are appropriate for both genders, but if you want something that ...

Seasonal Graduation Invitations
Show Your Patriotism with Patriotic Graduation Invitations Theme - Over the last couple years the patriotism in our country seems to have been renewed and this includes the young, the old, and everyone in between. If you are graduating from high school or college why not share your patriotism with others with a patriotic invitation theme? Why go drab when you can serve to inspire those that ...

Graduation Photo Christmas Cards - Are you graduating early? Many students that graduate early, graduate in the winter months, which is a great opportunity to do something different with your graduation invitation. You can not only send an invite to all those that you would like to attend your graduation ceremonies; you can send a Christmas greeting at the same time by enclosing a Christmas card with a photo ...

After The Graduation
Sending Graduation Thank You Cards - So, your graduation day has come and gone, the ceremonies were amazing, the graduation party was brilliant, and above all, the graduation gifts were super cool! The graduate is happy, the graduate’s guests are happy, everyone is happy. But, after the ceremony, party and gifts comes the most daunting part – sending out ...

Graduation Photo and your Scrapbooking Project - Honoring the graduate is one of the most important parts of the graduation ceremony. If you’ve organized your photo albums over the years, then everything should be up to date. But, if you are like most of us, then you’re family photos are probably piled up in boxes in the attic. Since you are going to be graduating pretty soon, now ...

Career Guide After Graduation - Transitioning out of college can be both, an exciting as well as a scary experience. There are newer and tougher challenges to face, unwritten laws to be followed, unexplored opportunities for progress – and humiliation – in every nook and cranny. While recent graduates and most other college students are preparing themselves to become experts ...

Reunion Graduate Party Planning - Once you graduate, you only get to see you friends every ten years at each reunion! So you want to have a fun reunion party this time and not a boring formal one? Planning for your reunion would mean coming up with a special plan or an idea for the party. From the decorations to the food and particularly the entertainment, your graduate reunion party ...

Online Shopping: Celebrate Memorial Day with American Fashion Designers

2008-05-16T16:21:00.000-07:00

Use coupon code MDS08 for an extra 20% off. Click Here!

Celebrate Memorial Day in style and take an extra 20% off all the American Designers at eFashionHouse.com. We owe a lot to the European influence when it comes to fashion. Yet, the American Designers produce an image we call, "Home." People like Ralph Lauren, Liz Claiborne, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Tommy Hilfiger, Marc Jacobs, Melie Bianco and Elaine Turner pave the way for upcoming American fashion influence.

Designers like Tano Bags, BCBG, Coach, Dooney & Bourke and Brighton bring a sense of American style and unique image to their collections. We honor all the American Designers this season and celebrate with them for Memorial Day 2008.

Whether you are looking for a new handbag, wallet, tote or leather shoulder bag, you can find a perfect American Designer Handbag for an unbeatable price. But don't lose sight of the true meaning of Memorial Day. We celebrate in honor of many people who have died in military service protecting our country. It's really about honoring our heros.

Yes, we are addicted to fashion, and we admire the creative design process. We are always seeking a bargain, and we shop online for the best deals we can find. So, get ready for Memorial Day with a celebration of American Designers at an additional 20% off, and remember our heros who lived their lives to make America our home.

MORE ABOUT Memorial Day
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday that is observed on the last Monday of May (observed in 2008 on May 26). It was formerly known as Decoration Day. This holiday commemorates U.S. men and women who have died in military service to their country. It began first to honor Union soldiers who died during the American Civil War. After World War I, it was expanded to include those who died in any war or military action. One of the longest standing traditions is the running of the Indianapolis 500, which has been held in conjunction with Memorial Day since 1911. It is also traditionally viewed as the beginning of summer by many, for many schools are dismissed around Memorial Day.

Many people observe this holiday by visiting cemeteries and memorials. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3 p.m. US Eastern time. Another tradition is to fly the U.S. flag at half-staff from dawn until noon local time. Volunteers place a U.S. flag upon each gravesite located in a National Cemetery.

Many politicians and community leaders give speeches at community gatherings on Memorial Day.In addition to remembrance, Memorial Day is also a time for picnics, family gatherings, and sporting events. Some Americans also view Memorial Day as the unofficial beginning of summer and Labor Day as the unofficial end of the season. The national Click it or ticket campaign ramps up beginning Memorial Day weekend, noting the beginning of the most dangerous season for auto accidents and other safety related incidents. The USAF "101 Critical days of summer" begin on this day as well. Some Americans use Memorial Day to also honor any family members who have died, not just servicemen.

Flags flying at Fort Logan National Cemetery during Memorial Day 2006.Memorial Day formerly occurred on May 30, and some, such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW), advocate returning to this fixed date, although the significance of the date is tenuous. The VFW stated in a 2002 Memorial Day Address, "Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed a lot to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day."

Following the end of the Civil War, many communities set aside a day to mark the end of the war or as a memorial to those who had died. Some of the places creating an early memorial day include Charleston, South Carolina; Boalsburg, Pennsylvania; Richmond, Virginia; Carbondale, Illinois; Columbus, Mississippi; many communities in Vermont; and some two dozen other cities and towns. These observances eventually coalesced around Decoration Day, honoring the Union dead, and the several Confederate Memorial Days.

Decoration Day, c. 1900. "You bet I'm goin' to be a soldier, too, like my Uncle David, when I grow up."According to Professor David Blight of the Yale University History Department, the first memorial day was observed in 1865 by liberated slaves at the historic race track in Charleston. The site was a former Confederate prison camp as well as a mass grave for Union soldiers who had died while captive. A parade with thousands of freed blacks and Union soldiers was followed by patriotic singing and a picnic.

The official birthplace of Memorial Day is Waterloo, New York. The village was credited with being the birthplace because it observed the day on May 5, 1866, and each year thereafter, and because it is likely that the friendship of General John Murray, a distinguished citizen of Waterloo, and General John A. Logan, who led the call for the day to be observed each year and helped spread the event nationwide, was a key factor in its growth.

General Logan had been impressed by the way the South honored their dead with a special day and decided the Union needed a similar day. Reportedly, Logan said that it was most fitting; that the ancients, especially the Greeks, had honored their dead, particularly their heroes, by chaplets of laurel and flowers, and that he intended to issue an order designating a day for decorating the grave of every soldier in the land, and if he could he would have made it a holiday.

Logan had been the principal speaker in a citywide memorial observation on April 29, 1866, at a cemetery in Carbondale, Illinois, an event that likely gave him the idea to make it a national holiday. On May 5, 1868, in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, a veterans' organization, Logan issued a proclamation that "Decoration Day" be observed nationwide. It was observed for the first time on May 30 of the same year; the date was chosen because it was not the anniversary of a battle. The tombs of fallen Union soldiers were decorated in remembrance of this day.

Many of the states of the U.S. South refused to celebrate Decoration Day, due to lingering hostility towards the Union Army and also because there were very few veterans of the Union Army who lived in the South. A notable exception was Columbus, Mississippi, which on April 25, 1866 at its Decoration Day commemorated both the Union and Confederate casualties buried in its cemetery.

The alternative name of "Memorial Day" was first used in 1882, but did not become more common until after World War II, and was not declared the official name by Federal law until 1967 . On June 28, 1968, the United States Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill, which moved three holidays from their traditional dates to a specified Monday in order to create a convenient three-day weekend and for the first time recognized Columbus Day as a federal holiday. The holidays included Washington's Birthday (which evolved into Presidents' Day), Veterans Day, and Memorial Day. The change moved Memorial Day from its traditional May 30 date to the last Monday in May. The law took effect at the federal level in 1971 . After some initial confusion and unwillingness to comply at the state level, all fifty states adopted the measure within a few years, although Veterans Day was eventually changed back to its traditional date. Ironically, most corporate businesses no longer close on Columbus Day or Veterans Day, and an increasing number are staying open on President's Day as well. The holiday has endured as one where most businesses stay closed because it marks the beginning of the "summer vacation season" (similar to neighboring Canada's Victoria Day, which occurs on the prior Monday).

Online Shopping - HUGE designer fashion sale!

2008-05-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

Online Shopping - HUGE designer fashion sale! Biggest Tano Bag Sale "Only" Online! Addicted to handbags? Here's a sale you don't want to miss! Purses to Blog for at big online price cuts - Budgets that work for you! Budget Shopping Online - Huge Designer Handbag Sale at eFashionHouse! In today's tight budgets, there's always hope for online bargain hunters. Click here to enjoy a huge Sale on all your favorite Designers like Fendi, Marc Jacobs, Gucci, Coach, Tano bags, Murval, Melie Bianco, Elaine Turner handbags, Pietro Alessandro and many, many more! For more information. Whether you love leather or just want a new purse to tote around town, you must see the sale currently in progress. The Sale Section is marked down plus use coupon code OFF10 for an extra 10% off. The Clearance Section is as low as possible plus use coupon code OFF20 for an extra 20% off.Enjoy designer handbags and accessories at unbeatable prices. Plus, guaranteed lowest prices for Tano, Elaine Turner, Murval and Melie Bianco. Click here for details.

"Hello, Summer! - Isabella Fiore Puff Enough Celine Satchel"

2008-05-10T19:40:00.000-07:00

"Hello, Summer! - Isabella Fiore Puff Enough Celine Satchel"

The picture does not do this bag justice. It's absolutely gorgeous and that's why we posted it here for you to see. Click here for more details.

Online Shopping - BeautiControl

2008-05-06T17:22:00.000-07:00

How To Get The Most From Your Beauty Supplies
from One Stop Treatment

When it comes to taking care of your hair, you only want the best. That’s why it’s important to buy the right hair care products for your hair type. Too often we are tempted to buy only the most expensive products only to find out that they aren’t the right ones for our specific situation. And with so many products on the market these days, who knows which ones will work best for you? That’s why it’s so important to talk with a professional stylist and get their thoughts about the best products for your head of hair. These stylists are trained by the product manufacturers and can recommend the best solution given your situation. Too often people go and purchase expensives solutions online and expect them to work wonders, when all they really do is worsen the situation. And that can turn into damaged hair and money down the drain!

In talking with your stylist, you’ll likely find there are a few things they will recommend for your situation. The first is most likely a good hair shampoo or conditioner. This is the foundation of good hair care and it’s important to get the best one for your specific type. We’re fortunate that there are so many great companies on the market today that we can get access to unreal products at great prices.

Another good product to have is a good flat iron. If you have curly hair, you know how important it is to not skimp on this luxury. I would recommend that you purchase the ones that are recommended by your hair stylist. A cheap one can do nothing more than damage your hair and create unnecessary stress for yourself. And most of the time, you are way better off buying one that’s a little more expensive. In my experience, the majority of the cheaper ones on the market will last probably 1/4 the time of a quality one, like CHI flat irons. Having a good straigtener is an expense that you definitely can justify!

Finally, for those who want to curl up your hair, a good investment would be a curling irons. Again, since it’s one of the primary tools in your arsenal, you want to buy one that will last awhile and have some longevity. Look at the name brands and choose one that will fit your goals and your price range. And if you can’t decide, you can try your local salon for their suggestion and solution. LIke I mentioned earlier, your stylist is the one that’s best equipped to suggest a tool for you, so don’t hesitate to ask him or her.

Those are the tips and the basics of hair care products. Hopefully you can use these to keep that great hair looking fantastic!

BeautiControl Blog: Spa Your Ma For Mother's Day

2008-05-01T21:39:00.000-07:00

BeautiControl Blog: Spa Your Ma For Mother's Day

Second- hand style - Online Shopping

2008-04-26T09:37:00.000-07:00

Shop Vintage Online at LuxuryVintage Online Store

Smart shoppers can find everything from boutique children's clothes to designer handbags at area thrift stores and consignment shops

By CASANDRA ANDREWS
Staff Reporter

Long before talk of a looming recession and belt-tightening became the norm, those looking to save a few bucks, or a few hundred, shopped in second-hand stores. These days, businesses that sell used goods aren't just for folks stocking up on work shirts or college students looking to furnish a first apartment.

Even a few stylishly dressed ladies who lunch have been seen browsing the racks of local thrift stores and consignment shops. That's likely because they know there are some excellent deals to be had on brand-name apparel if you're willing to shop often and early. On a recent trip to a Goodwill in West Mobile, the children's section was stocked with several barely worn smocked outfits, Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren sleepers, sweaters and shorts, plus separates from Gymboree -- all priced at 99 cents each.

Spotted on another rack was a men's cashmere sweater for less than $4. Formal gowns were priced at $17.99. Besides saving money, people have another reason for shopping at second-hand stores. It's also good for the environment, since you're recycling when you purchase clothes that have already been worn. Besides, where else can you get a wedding dress for $19.99 or less? And spending money in stores that benefit charitable institutions helps the community and the agency you do business with.

From Fairhope to Tillman's Corner, there are dozens of thrift stores and consignment shops in the area, selling everything from boutique children's clothes and barely touched toys to designer shoes, handbags and suits. Carol Shoemaker, 45, of Mobile, has made a hobby of scouring area thrift stores with her husband. He looks for collectibles and clocks. She's picked up a fully-beaded wedding dress for $1, plus many pairs of trendy shoes her children love.

"My teenagers freak out when I bring home Timberlands for 50 cents," she said of the nearly new footwear she's purchased for pennies. Standing inside the back room at Penelope's Closet last week, Shoemaker said she's been hunting for great deals at second-hand stores for at least eight years. "It makes your money go further," she said, "And it's a good way to furnish your home." Shoemaker said Penelope's Closet is one of her favorite places to hunt for bargains because it supports a worthy cause. Money raised in the midtown store supports Penelope House, a home for battered women and their children in Mobile. "It's fun and you meet people," Shoemaker said of her shopping experiences. "There's something new every time."

While most second-hand stores stay open year-round, other businesses confine their sales to particular seasons. Several groups in Mobile and Baldwin counties present children's consignment sales twice a year, in the spring and fall. At those events, hundreds of sellers bring in their children's gently used clothing and then share the proceeds with the group or individuals hosting the sale.

There are also more than half a dozen consignment shops in Mobile and Baldwin counties that strictly sell clothes and other merchandise (toys, bedding, books, shoes, nursery accessories) for children. Lori Fuller owns Pass It On, a children's and maternity boutique in Daphne. She opened the business almost four years ago and has more than 600 clients who sell merchandise in the store.

"Kids just outgrow stuff so quick, so they don't wear it out," she said of clothes for youngsters. "And you don't want to pay full price for something." Another benefit to buying clothes that have already been laundered, Fuller said, is that you know the item probably won't get smaller: "They've shrunk to whatever size they're going to shrink to so you know it's going to fit your kids." Rebecca Teel, a frequent customer at Pass It On, said she couldn't believe how much items for children cost when she began preparing for the birth of her son, Zane.

"I had sticker shock," she said, placing a used Bob the Builder book on the counter as she began to check out. "It was overwhelming." Teel said what surprised her most was that children's clothes cost just as much as outfits for adults. These days, she and 19-month-old Zane are frequent customers at the consignment shop, searching through mounds of toys, and racks of shoes and clothes at least once a month. "I come in here regularly," Teel said. "I buy a little bit of everything."

Meet the newest designer to go green for Target

2008-04-25T20:24:00.000-07:00

Rogan Gregory

Target Target Target Target Target Target Target

Rogan Gregory's GO clothes mix high fashion with eco-friendly material

from MSN BC
By Maya Singer

When Target announced in January that Rogan Gregory would be designing a collection under its GO International banner, the response from the green community was a resounding: huh? After all, Gregory has, especially under the auspices of his 100 percent organic Loomstate brand, emerged as one of the fashion industry's model citizens of sustainability. Retailers such as Target, meanwhile, boast reputations a little less sterling — to put it mildly.

Cheap duds designed to be worn a few times and tossed aside may delight the trend-obsessed, but for those in the eco-know, so-called "fast fashion" is an affront to all the less-is-more values held dear by proponents of conscious consumerism. Those folks cheer initiatives like Loomstate's T-shirt recycling extravaganza, which kicks off next week in cooperation with Barneys New York and the Sundance Channel show "The Green," but Rogan for Target had them scratching their heads. "It's complicated," says Gregory, in effect summing up the oxymoronic conundrum of shopping green. "In order to make any real impact, you have to reach the mass market. Sustainability can't be a cult taste; it can't be a luxury. And Target has been a great partner, in fact, because they pull this whole organic thing into the mainstream."

In other words: Cool your jets, greeniacs. Rogan's GO clothes incorporate healthy percentages of organic cotton, linen, hemp, and bamboo, making the collection something of a landmark in the drive to convert fast fashionistas to the eco cause, whether they realize they're being converted or not. Here, Gregory talks Target and drops a few clues to the environments obsessing him most at the moment.

Q: Given your commitment to the green movement, were you at all wary about collaborating with Target?

Gregory: I knew that I'd only do a collection like this one if I had guarantees that it could be done in an ethical way. I'm against the idea of just, you know, adding more stuff to the world. But Target is smart, and the way this project has worked out, they've initiated one of the largest, if not the largest, runs of certified organic cotton ever. That, to me, is a real achievement—not only does it mean Target now has a system in place for perpetuating its commitment to organic clothes, but because of their clout, it also shows other mainstream retailers that sustainability is a realizable ideal.

Q: Has the experience with Target encouraged you to introduce a lower-priced version of Rogan?

Gregory: I've always wanted to do a lower-priced line. The way I've justified my prices on Rogan is that I only make a few of each thing, I make them from the best materials and with the best people, and if you wear a pair of jeans for four months straight, like I do, then the cost averages out. But not everyone approaches their wardrobe that way, and not everyone can afford a pair of $100 or $200 jeans. My sister's an academic, and over the years that I've been designing, she's asked me, "What are you doing? Who is this for? Is this an art project?" Maybe the most gratifying thing about having the collection out at Target in May is that I know my sister will be able to go into the store, and for $100, walk out with a bunch of stuff.

Q: It seems as though you've been hitting on all cylinders since snagging the CFDA Award last year. There's the Target collection, and this Loomstate project with Barneys and "The Green," plus the everyday workload that goes along with designing Rogan, Loomstate, and A Litl Betr. I'm assuming you aren't getting on the surfboard much these days.

Gregory: I'm probably going surfing tomorrow, actually. But, yeah, I'm busy. There are a couple jewelry collaborations I'm not quite ready to talk about yet, some plans in the works for a fashion week something or other, and then the big project right now is that I'm opening my new store in May.

Q: What should shoppers expect?

Well, the space is automatically spectacular — the building itself is kind of a landmark. It's got character, and inside, there's 20-foot ceilings. I'm doing the whole thing in black, reflective surfaces, very clean and cool. I like that mix of the old and the new — soulful modernism, I guess I'd call it. I think I love designing spaces more than I love designing clothes, to be honest. So I've got a lot of projects, but the store, that one's kind of my baby.

Forget the flowers! Mom wants a new designer handbag for Mother’s Day

2008-04-25T15:25:00.000-07:00

What mom really wants for Mother’s Day is a new designer handbag so eFashionHouse.com is making shopping for mom easy with free shipping.

Sky Valley, CA (PRWEB), April 24, 2008: Gone are the days where shopping for mom meant a pretty floral arrangement or a box of her favorite chocolate. Today’s moms are more interested in trendy or classic designer handbags, so eFashionHouse.com is making shopping for mom a little easier with free shipping for Mother’s Day (May 11).

Named Best of the Web by People StyleWatch for below retail priced designer handbags and recognized by About.com as the top of three online retailers of off-priced Chanel, eFashionHouse.com has all the designers and styles moms want. From handbag darling Elaine Turner, to couture legend Chanel, to American staple Coach, eFashionHouse.com offers the latest in designer handbags for all budgets.

"It’s not only fashionistas that want the latest designer handbag all the time, today’s mom is very hip and wants to carry a nice leather handbag as well" said Anna Miller, eFashionHouse Owner. "To meet the needs of our clients, we now carry handbags that are age-friendly…meaning most of the designers we carry cater to women of all ages who simply love fashion."

Not only does eFashionHouse.com, and its five fashion ecommerce stores (BrandsBoutique, LuxuryVintage, DesignersLA, ItalysOutlet and ValueBags), offer a wide variety of authentic designer handbags but they guarantee the lowest prices online for Tano, Melie Bianco, Murval, Elaine Turner and Pietro Alessandro. Plus the site offers a layaway plan that allows its clients to pay over time and still get the bag of their dreams.

If you still don’t know what to get mom, here’s a couple of hot selling bags that are sure to make her smile (and maybe even giggle with glee):

• COACH Hamptons Cream Large Tote – 26% off
• ELAINE TURNER Andie Platinum Distressed Leather Satchel – 24% off
• Tano Bauhaus Leather Tote – 21% off
• Gucci Brit Medium Tote in Brown – 26% off
• Yves Saint Laurent Downtown Tote in Cream – 21% off
• Vintage Chanel Quilted Lambskin Shoulder Bag – only $499

In addition to huge savings on brand new, 100% authentic designer handbags, shoppers will receive free ground shipping from April 24th thru May 2nd on purchase over $100 with coupon code MD08. Plus there is no sales tax on all purchases worldwide.

About eFashionHouse.com
Anna Miller is the President of i-GlobalMall.com, Inc. She operates the website http://www.efashionhouse.com/ and sells high-end authentic designer handbags and accessories at off-retail prices. EFashionHouse.com was named Best of the Web by People Magazine StyleWatch for Discount Designer Handbags and Purses. eFashionHouse.com should not be confused with any other website selling a similar product or using a similar name. EfashionHouse.com is the home of five fashion ecommerce stores: BrandsBoutique, LuxuryVintage, DesignersLA, ItalysOutlet, and ValueBags. Anna is considered an Internet Pioneer & Ecommerce Entrepreneur. She’s been reselling Designer Merchandise online since the early 90s. eFashionHouse.com has an extensive Press Page and a Fashion Blog Network. Visit the site for more details.

Shopping Online for a Designer Handbag

2008-04-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

Melie Bianco & Murval very affordable designer handbags.

by The Bag Lady

Fashionistas are constantly keeping up with the up-to-the-minute trends, especially having "owning" their own designer handbags, one, two, three, -- actually hundreds! If you’re a fashion admirer on a budget, it might be somewhat challenging to find handbags that you can afford. Here are some sites and stores you’ll want to investigate, as well as some tips for shopping if you are hoping to find the best deals.

The internet destination eFashionHouse has an excellent selection for you to select from if you’re looking for any type of designer handbag brands, prices, sizes and styles. You’ll find designs from Versace, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci and Dior, as well as an excellent pre-owned store called LuxuryVintage. The site has everything you require in order to stand out in a crowd and produce your own personal fashion statement.

Online Handbag Blog Resources
If you’re looking for a large designer handbag selection, you’ll also want to check out these Google Blogs: ValueBags.com, LuxuryVintage.com, TanoBag.net, MelieBiancoHandbags.com, MurvalHandbags.net, PietroAlessandro.net, ElaineTurnerHandbags.com, and DesuignersLA.com. Brands like Marc Jacobs, Burberry, Prada, and Fendi are featured, and you will probably save money by shopping through the blogs because the prices are more affordable than in most department stores with additional discount codes posted daily.

You will find Prada messenger bags to use for work or school, and the designer book bags from Prada are fashionable and convenient as well.

Pricing and Style
When you’re trying to locate a designer handbag, it’s best to buy one that will go with just about everything in your closet. Elaine Turner handbags, Murval handbags and Melie Bianco handbags come in a variety of low to moderate prices in black or brown neutral seasonless colors and you can wear them with anything from a business suit, to a t-shirt and jeans. In addition, you want to make sure that you buy a bag that is large enough to fit all the items in it that you will need for the day. Small bags are generally used to carry inside a large day bag or for evening wear, so you want to make sure that it will work for you and your lifestyle.

We don't like using or suggesting online shoppers to use eBay auctions anymore. We've heard too many horror stories about fakes, defective and horrible merchandise being shipped through the auction sites. Some of the stores have handbags and make sure you purchase from a reputable seller. Brands like Isabella Fiore and Chanel are featured at some online stores, and the prices are high. You would probably be better off shopping at a reputable site like eFashionHouse.com where everything is reduced to sell. Write to the site and ask for an additional discount. They will usually send you an extra percent off your purchase when you are ready to place the order. For example, if you send them an email, you may be able to get an extra 5% off Chanel, Chloe, Hermes and other high end items excluded from their Sale sections. Otherwise, if you browse their Sale and Final Clearance sections you can find a huge amount of designer handbags and accessories at an additonal 10% to 20% off using coupon codes OFF 10 and OFF20.

Let's face it. Women love a new purse, and even in economic times where the budgets are tighter, they can afford an Elaine Turner bag, a Murval bag or a Melie Bianco bag. They are all priced just right and very high end fashion designed. Happy online shopping!

Fashion on a Budget - Designer handbags, clothing and shoes

2008-04-14T21:09:00.001-07:00

By Woody Lee

There has been a lot of talk about the economy lately and the forecast isn't looking too good which means it's time to start looking at ways to tighten the budget and cut back on the things you don't absolutely need. Though the thought about going without might seem grim at first, there is a silver lining when it comes to shopping. Just because you have less to spend on fashion doesn't mean you have to stop trying completely, following is a list of tips that help the budget fashionista in all of us keep looking fabulous.

Clothing
I thought starting off with the most obvious wardrobe item was a good way to kick off the list especially since a lot of us have already started thinking of spring wear, plus shopping for clothing on a budget is often the easiest. Although no one likes to worry about the economy, one positive result is retailers know that consumers are holding onto their money tighter than before, so they are more willing to hold sales and make higher decreases to entice consumers to spend. Here's a great way to take advantage of dropping prices but still come out with the stuff you want:

Be a savvy sale shopper: I already mentioned how you might notice more sales and promotions from retailers in an effort to boast slow profits, so as a savvy shopper it pays off to know when your favorite store is holding a 'secret sale' (join a mailing list or befriend the sales staff to become a VIP), end-of-season sales (household names like Banana Republic and Macys hold seasonal sales where items are 40% off), watch for the buy-one-get-one-half off type of coupon sales because you can buy the non-sale item you've been eyeing and get another item half off.

Shop online: Even the most experienced shopper can find it daunting to keep up with the sale schedule at their favorite stores which is why shopping online has become so popular. Gone were the days where you weren't sure of your size or if something looked good, most online shops allow for easy returns. But it's better to know the types of clothes you look good so you won't have to mail back a bunch of returns. The best part about shopping online is that often times you can find the same brands at cheaper prices because an online retailer doesn't have to pay for retail space. If you don't believe me, I found Rachel Pally dresses at 50% off at DesignersLA.com or check out ShopBop and click on the 70% off sale section (you'll be amazed at what you see). Plus if you sign up for your favorite e-tailers email list, you'll get even more savings with sale announcements and coupon codes sent right to your inbox. What's easier than that?

Invest in classics: Though sale shopping can result in a ton of savings, to really save money try not to buy something you won't end up wearing just because it is on sale. Sure a designer label pink suede skirt at 80% off is a great deal but if it's hot outside or pink suede isn't in style when the weather cools, you've wasted money that could have been used toward something you'll wear again and again. Trends are always fun but invest in a couple of classics that can take you through an entire season. I'm thinking white wide-leg pants and a yellow dress but you can pick your favorite spring staples.

Vintage: If the thought of secondhand shops scares you than you haven't been shopping at the right vintage store. Vintage can be ultra-hip and you'll be surprised to see what you find in the right vintage store. Make sure to find one that offers items in good condition and reasonable prices (some are actually expensive) and go hunting for shift dresses, capris and 50's style blouses that have been seen in all the fashion magazines. Plus there are even some great online vintage shops (JillsConsignment and LuxuryVintage) that carry amazing stuff in awesome condition.

Handbags and Accessories
It doesn't matter if there are tough times or not, fashionistas are constantly on the lookout for bargains on designer handbags. The good thing is that a good designer handbag has a much longer run than designer clothing because if you invest in the right designer purse or designer jewelry you can wear it for many months as opposed to changing up your clothes due to trends and weather conditions. And even though designer "it" bags cost more than ever, the average designer label handbag costs $2k, I've done my homework and found ways to score a hot designer bag, designer jewelry or accessory from Prada, Gucci, Tod's, Chloe, Anya Hindmarch, Marc Jacobs, Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, Burberry, and even Chanel at up to 70% off retail. Don't believe me, see for yourself:

Shop online: As with shopping for clothing, shopping online for designer accessories can really pay off. Unlike clothes, you don't have to worry about how an item will fit because most reputable sites will list the exact measurements and provides photos from all angles so you can see exactly what you're getting. Since online retailers don't have as much overhead as say a big department store (it's hard to find a designer handbag in a small boutique), they are able to offer substantially more savings for the exact same purse. I recently picked up an authentic Chanel handbag at for 50% off retail at eFashionHouse.com and the selection is endless. Based on my budget (and a little bit of principal) I would never pay full price for a designer handbag because I know if I wait for the "it" bag craze to die down, I'll visit my favorite site and get the bag 40% off. You can also shop for brand new designer jewelry from Chanel, Gucci and others at more than 60% off.

Wait for end-of-season sales: All of the major department stores mark designer handbags off toward the end of the season an although it's nice to carry a bag as soon as the season starts, if you can hold out, you can find what you're looking for. But if you plan to wait for these sales, make sure you are the first to know because inventory goes fast and is usually sold out the day a sale starts (if you miss the boat, visit the discount designer handbag web sites who sell authentic bags at a discounts year round).

Out with the old, in with the new: If you are as much of a handbag lover as I am than you probably have a couple of designer handbags lying around that you haven't used in a while which means you can afford to get rid of them. If you sell these unused accessories on eBay or to a consignment shop, you can have some extra money to spend on the designer handbag you really want. Try it out, it won't hurt as much as you think.

Vintage: More than even clothes, vintage designer handbags, jewelry and accessories (wallets, scarves, etc.) can not only save you money but even outlast many of the trendier bags. Sites like LuxuryVintage sell authentic Chanel handbags in amazing condition (little to no wear) for as low as $400 and since Chanel handbags are timeless, this is a small price to pay for a bag you can wear for years to come.

Don't be a snob: In addition to the luxury leaders like Marc Jacobs and Prada, the handbag heyday has allowed for smaller labels like Elaine Turner, Tano and Pietro Alessandro to make a name for themselves. Often made from the same high end materials as couture fashion houses, it's easier than ever to score an ultra-soft trendy handbag, like the Elaine Turner Paige Python Frame Bag or the Alex Tote, for a fraction of the cost of an expensive designer label.

Cheap Chic: We usually don't like any handbags that fall into the $15-$40 range but we have to say that lines like Melie Bianco and Murval are quickly making us change our mind. We wouldn't recommend spending your money on a bunch of cheap, poorly made handbags but if you want the look of the moment handbag, than Melie Bianco will probably have it. Visit DesignersLA.com and be amazed at how Melie Bianco manages to make such stylish and gorgeous handbags at such unbelievable prices.

Shoes
There is not a lot of advice we have on shoes because we think that most savvy shoppers (who are women at least) have this category covered but we'll include a couple of pointers just in case you need a refresher:

Invest in a good pair: Shoes are quickly becoming like designer handbags in the fact that they are wildly expensive and there are now a ton of "must-have" styles. Christian Louboutin is the leader of the pack, followed closely by Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blanik but finding a pair of these beauties at a discount can be pretty tricky but not unheard of. If must have another pair of shoes (to add to the 30 you already have), than try to invest in as much shoe as you can afford. Maybe we walk a lot but we've found that investing in a good pair of shoes (leather upper and leather sole) can take us a long way.

Online: There are a ton of online sites selling only footwear and it's sometimes hard to go through them all but the one good thing about so many choices is that there is more competition which means that price points will be lower. We haven't found a ton of online sites that we like to shop at for shoes because we tend to shop for more high end brands (goes back to that investment thinking) and there aren't a lot of sites that sell expensive shoes but one place I have found luck at saving money is eBay (yes, eBay). I would never purchase a designer handbag from eBay because there is no way to guarantee that you are actually getting an authentic designer handbag but shoes are less likely to be knocked off. But be prepared to search often because the selection is limited however you can find some amazing deals (brand new Lanvin flats for $200 or Prada heels for $100). So brush up on your bidding war skills because wining a pair of Manola Blanik Mary Janes is harder than actually walking in them.

Sales: Like clothes and designer accessories, the best and easiest way to save money is to know when your favorite shoe store is having a sale, but the early bird gets the worm in shoes sales because if there is one thing women have in common its shoes.

So although a slow economy can be a huge drain on your wallet, just remember that looking good doesn't have to suffer a recession as well. Become an experienced (and smart) shopper and you'll ride out tough times with the shirt on your back.

Woody Lee is a free lance writer, blogger and fashion addict living in New York City. She loves fashion, she loves high quality designer handbags, and she absolutely dislikes paying full price.

Online Shopping: Elaine Turner Handbags

2008-04-12T15:02:00.000-07:00

Elaine Turner Handbags - Guaranteed Best Price Online. Click here.

from Shopblessed Labels We Love

We first spotted Elaine Turner’s line of handbags and personal accessories in the pages of our beloved Lucky Magazine, and it was love at first sight! The label’s designs manage to be fun, yet chic through an ingenious hybrid of timeless shapes and exotic fabrics. Just imagine the body of your fave Coach satchel, but in unexpected materials like metallic embossed croc and candy-colored distressed leathers, and with charming hardware accents such as tortoise shell link handles. Elaineturner.com features all the newest styles in addition to offering favorites from seasons past at reduced prices. Our picks are the Alex Tote in Mustard Distressed Leather ($575), Hillary Shoulder Bag in Red Vintage Leather ($425), Alice Oversized Clutch in Zebra Haircalf ($450), and Clutch Wallet in Silver Croc ($198). All designs are available in an array of colors and fabrics, and the newly added line of small leather goods (think pocketbooks, wallets, and keyfobs in the same wonderful textiles) means what we toss inside our lovely Josie Tote can be just as delicious as the tote itself. Elaine Turner has managed to stay largely under the radar, however with their new collection being ever more titillating than the last, we can’t imagine they’ll remain undiscovered for long.

Online Shopping Brokers: lavalife

2008-04-11T19:49:00.001-07:00

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Online Shopping - Bally Leather Handbags

2008-04-10T17:24:00.000-07:00

Bally Pebble Grain Leather Tote Bag

Bally of Switzerland started making leather goods in 1847. The Company continues to be a premier designer of luxury handbags and accessories. Here's a list of Bally designer accessories online shopping at unbeatable prices. For more details click here.

BALLY designer handbags & accessories New PRODUCT Information

BALLY designer accessories brown fabric with black leather trim pouch case. Signature Bally logo on brown fabric trimmed with black leather. Zip top closure with Bally embossed polished silver metal pull tab. Fully lined interior. The leather Bally ID tag is attached inside. Measures approximately 6 W x 4 H with a 2 inch depth. Made in Italy. Guaranteed authentic. Comes with sleeper bag.

BALLY designer accessories bemont multi colored fabric with black leather trim cosmetic case. B logo on both sides of bag with black leather trim. Colors are black white grey and raisin. Zip top closure with Bally embossed leather pull tab. Fully lined interior. The leather Bally ID tag is attached inside. Measures approximately 7.5 W x 4 H with a 1 inch depth. Made in Switzerland. Guaranteed authentic. Comes with sleeper bag.

BALLY designer accessories rite blue jean coin and key case designer accessories. Blue leather with polished brass hardware. Bally is embossed on the side of the key ring and on the top of both clasps. Fully lined interior. The leather Bally ID tag is attached inside. Measures approximately 3.5 W x 3 H with a 1.25 inch depth. Made in Italy. Guaranteed authentic. Comes with sleeper bag.

BALLY designer accessories bemont black and white jacquard fabric cosmetic case designer accessories. Trimmed in black leather. Zip top closure with Bally embossed pull tab. Fully lined interior. The leather Bally ID tag is attached inside. Measures approximately 7.5 W x 4 H with a 1.25 inch depth. Made in Switzerland. Guaranteed authentic. Comes with sleeper bag.

BALLY designer accessories cobalt blue leather travel cosmetic case designer accessories. Patent leather blue leather with gold accent stitching. Bally embossed polished silver pull tabs. Cosmetic case has two compartments with separate zippers. One side has an expandable slit pocket and three security bands. The other side has four security bands. Lined in a light tan leather. Measures approximately 7 W x 4 H with a 3 inch depth. Guaranteed authentic. Comes in Bally box with sleeper wrap.

BALLY designer accessories white leather travel cosmetic case designer accessories. Patent leather white leather with black accent stitching. Bally embossed polished silver pull tabs. Cosmetic case has two compartments with separate zippers. One side has an expandable slit pocket and three security bands. The other side has four security bands. Lined in a light tan leather. Measures approximately 7 W x 4 H with a 3 inch depth. Guaranteed authentic. Comes in Bally box with sleeper wrap.

BALLY designer wallets black leather calf grained designer coin and wallet. Separate coin section with snap closure. Center section has 6 credit card slits. Full length bill section. Snap closure with polished silver Bally medallion. Measures approximately 3.5 W x 4.5 H with a 1.25 inch depth. Made in Italy. Guaranteed authentic. Comes in Bally box with sleeper wrap.

BALLY designer accessories smooth black leather credit card holder designer accessories. Bally is embossed in the polished silver clasp closure. White accent stitching. The interior under the cover is smooth red leather. Measures approximately 4.5 W x 3 H with a 1 inch depth. Made in Italy. Comes in Bally box with sleeper wrap.

BALLY designer accessories brown calf leather credit card holder designer accessories. Bally is embossed in the polished silver clasp closure. Accent stitching. Measures approximately 4.5 W x 3 H with a 1 inch depth. Two slit pockets besides main section. Made in Italy. Comes in Bally box with sleeper wrap.

Online Shopping Brokers: Birkenstock Shoes

2008-04-08T16:26:00.000-07:00

20% off Birkenstock Sandals at BirkenstockCentral.com
Offer available on select items. Offer valid until supplies last.

Take Care of Your Birkenstocks...... Here's how.....

While no shoes lasts a lifetime, with proper care and periodic repair, Birkenstocks can provide you with years of comfort. Here are some tips to keep your footwear looking good for years to come.

Avoid Extreme Heat
If your Birkenstocks have cork footbeds, both the cork and the soles of Birkenstock footwear can be damaged by exposure to concentrated heat. Do Not leave your shoes in a closed car on warm days and keep them away from radiators and fireplaces. If your shoes become wet, allow them to dry slowly, away from heat.

Apply Cork Sealant
Birkenstocks with cork footbeds come with a light covering of cork sealant which prevents them from drying out. When the cork no longer looks shiny, apply a thin coat of Birkenstock Cork Life.

Renew or Replace Worn Soles
Prolong the life of your cork Birkenstocks with heel and toe taps. They can be applied when the soles have worn down to about 1/4 inch. When the soles are worn more than this, the soles can be replaced. If your soles tend to wear unevenly, repair them promptly to ensure that your feet will remain correctly balanced. Be sure to use genuine Birkenstock materials.

Online Shopping Brokers: WINE

2008-04-07T17:01:00.000-07:00

Click Here for our New Spring Gift Baskets from Wine.com. Shop Now!

Save $5 on your order of $75 or more at Wine.com. Enter coupon code SPRING5 at checkout. Offer expires 4.30.08

Save $15 on your order of $200 or more at Wine.com. Enter coupon code SPRING15 at checkout. Offer expires 4.30.08

Save 10% off any gift basket at Wine.com. Enter coupon code SPRINGGIFT at checkout. Offer expires 4.30.08

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Godiva Spring Basket

Wild Rose & Bubbly Spa Gift - Gourmet Gift Basket

Recession proof online shopping designer handbags

2008-04-06T19:58:00.001-07:00

Elaine Turner Handbags

by Anna Miller

With all the talk about recession issues there’s one thing you can depend upon no matter what shape the economy. Online shopping saves you time, money and stress. At close to $4 a gallon, gasoline is not worth buying to drive around town. It is easier to sit at your computer and get everything you need. Save that gas money and use it to buy yourself something.

One of the great things about shopping online is 24 hour 7 days a week availability. And, with the help of search engines like Google, a person can get anything they want at prices much lower than what they would pay at the store.

Considering fuel charges alone, one trip to the local shopping mall could be as much as you would pay for a new designer handbag by Melie Bianco or MURVAL. These designers create the high end look without the high end price tag. They also provide roomy versatile purses made of eco friendly materials. If there is one thing a woman can not live without it is an occasional new purse.

If leather is your choice of handbag, Elaine Turner makes a complete line of affordable, moderately priced women’s bags and accessories. Elaine is fairly new to the designer handbag scene. She started her handbag business in Dallas, Texas around 2000. Her designs are made exceptionally well, and the handbags have classic appeal among women.

All-in-all, to recession proof shopping habits, you must start thinking smart about using your budget wisely. An average trip to the mall or department store costs about $12 in gasoline, plus lunch about $16 (minimum), and parking in major cities anywhere from $6 - $15. That’s a hefty price to spend an afternoon browsing stores. The irony of the situation is most of the stores you browse are available online, too.

You may feel the day out is deserved after a long work week -- agreed. Treating yourself with a reward is motivating. That’s not the point, here. If the economy dictates our spending, then maybe we need to re-examine how we spend and where our money goes.

McDonalds just announced the introduction of a new flavored ice-coffee on tap in their fast food restaurants. I bet many of the Starbuck addicts at $5 a pop will try switching to the $1.89 McDonald coffee. It is a smart choice and an alternative without depriving yourself of something you enjoy. And, the savings is huge if you drive through or stop for coffee once per day.

Same is true with designer fashion accessories like handbags, purses, scarves, hats, jewelry, and tote bags. Why deprive yourself of something you want if there is a way to obtain the items at affordable prices. A fashion keepsake is something you will have forever. So, it only makes sense to find something affordable and adorable. Online shopping provides resources to get these special things at great discount prices.

It appears as though the designer industry is out of control. From handbags to watches to foot wear, shoes, boots, and just about anything with a designer label has gotten to an unreachable, unattainable price level. Some people advocate the rental of these high end designer items to give the appearance of affluence. It is somewhat discouraging to know people feel the need to put on a fake front by renting fashion. And, it doesn’t fit into the smart shopper attitude. Why rent and pay high fees when you can buy something of your own.

Actually, with all the transmitted diseases and germs spreading like viruses, who would want to use a purse an unknown person carried previously. Scary thought seeing as an average trip to the doctor is about $150, and if medication or a shot is needed, add another couple hundred dollars. Not worth the risk nowadays. Designer rental companies are a lot of hype and advertising without ROI (return of investment) for the customer – very high cost, extremely low value.

Well, it is time to go surfing -- nope, not to the ocean, directly to Google. You want a new designer handbag -- easily, type into the search box, Designer Handbag. A list of resources appears before your eyes. Browse the online stores, compare prices and choose wisely. Contact the website with questions. A good online store will respond to your questions promptly. Find those special places online to get the things you want without any overhead expenses. You can shop anytime day or night, save time, save money and do it all in the privacy of your own home.

Happy bargain hunting online is a great way to shop smart using your budget wisely.

About the Author
Anna Miller is the President of i-GlobalMall.com, Inc. She owns and operates a website called eFashionHouse.com. Selling online for over twelve years, Anna is considered an Internet Pioneer and Ecommerce Entrepreneur. eFashionHouse.com was named Best of the Web by People StyleWatch Magazine for Discount Designer Handbags & Accessories. About.com named eFashionHouse.com the top online retailer of discount Chanel. For more information, visit http://www.efashionhouse/

Shop Online - The Sharper Image & EastBay

2008-04-04T14:49:00.000-07:00

FREE SHIPPING On $75 Orders!

With this, you give what everyone wants – FREE SHIPPING! It applies to any order of $75 or more (actually $74.95 qualifies). Think about it – home delivery for nothing. Amazing!

50% OFF a 2nd Air Purifier + FREE SHIPPING!

Get the benefits of cleaner indoor air and get as much as $250 off! Here's the deal: When you buy one Sharper Image® Air Purifier – either an Ionic Breeze or the Hybrid GP – at regular price you can get a 2nd air cleaner (of equal or lesser value) at half price. And this month you'll save even more because the whole order enjoys FREE SHIPPING!

FREE SHIPPING on 12-pc FresherLonger + FREE 4-pc Set!

FresherLonger Containers are the most amazing advance in food storage since the refrigerator because food stays fresher so much longer. Prove it to yourself with FREE SHIPPING on the12-pc set – with a bonus 4-pc set as a gift!

50% OFF Contour-Foam Pillows!

Space-age Contour-Foam supports your body without the pressure points that lead to morning aches and pains. Our exclusive neck-support pillows are a great value at their everyday price but they are an unbelievable deal at 50% off with any other purchase this month. For example, you can get the popular Queen size for less than $40!

Monthly Special: 50% off Contour-Foam Neck-Support Pillows with any purchase: expires 4.30.08

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During the month of April, Eastbay.com will be offering 15% off all orders of $75 or more. They will also have an ongoing Adidas Sale with items marked up to 50% off.

Get 15% off your order of $75 or more at Eastbay.com. Use Code: LKS18APR

Adidas Sale up to 50% off at Eastbay.com

Pick Your Price at Eastbay.com. Starting as low as $9.99

Online Shopping: Cheap chic

2008-04-03T20:17:00.000-07:00

Shop Online: Cheap Chic - Melie Bianco, Elaine Turner, Murval, Tano, BeautiControl

from Gainesville.com
The Wal-Mart Metro7 line of clothing.
By VANESSA GARCIA
Sun staff writer

In her most exaggerated faux french, 24-year-old University of Florida student Lauren Parigi dropped the name of her favorite local clothing store. Continue to 2nd paragraph "Tar-zhay," she laughed. That's what Parigi and her friends call discount retail giant Target when they're combing the clothing department for trendy dresses and tops. When they're in the market for, say, a toaster or economy-sized pack of toilet paper, the store retains its common name.

Parigi and her friends didn't coin the nickname. Fans of the retailer - best known for launching the "cheap chic" design concept - have associated Target's bull's-eye with affordable style since 2003 when Isaac Mizrahi raised industry eyebrows with an exclusive line of affordable apparel. Since then, Target has teamed up with dozens of high-end designers who offer everything from throw pillows and candles to bikinis and maternity tunics at budget-friendly prices. Now, every other discount retailer on the block is rolling out star-studded competition.

See our cheap chic shopping guide for local examples. Why are A-list designers so eager to swap their Manhattan boutiques and well-heeled clientele for racks next to Slushy machines and soccer mom customers? The appeal is three-fold, said Barton Weitz, executive director of UF's Miller Center for Retailing Education and Research. For up-and-coming designers, these high-traffic chains offer the rare opportunity to upgrade from relatively unknown to household name overnight. For "over the hill" designers, it's a chance to reinvent their brand and market it to a group of consumers who may not have had access before.

At the heart of the cheap chic phenomenon is social conscience, the desire to make quality design affordable and accessible, Weitz said. Several established designers and celebrities (think Vera Wang for Kohl's and Shaquille O'Neal for Payless) deliberately use these partnerships to challenge the notion that sophisticated style requires gobs of money.

From a retail perspective, it's about keeping up with smarter, more fashion-savvy consumers. With more magazines, blogs, Web sites and how-to television shows dedicated to design and celebrity style, Americans of all budgets know more, want more and expect more, he said. Ready to usher in the warmer weather seasons with a snazzy new wardrobe? Use this local guide to discount designer shopping to keep your budget intact as you upgrade.

Target
GO International: Every few months Target teams up with a Vogue-worthy designer to create a fresh line of clothing and accessories that reflect current runway trends. The products, which range from denim jeans to party dresses, sell for a fraction of the designer's usual triple (and even quadruple-digit) department store price. Just look for the racks marked GO.

More good news: Every garment is offered in "real women" plus and petite sizes (0-16). Shop online at target.com if you can't find your size in store.

Designer spotlight: Jovovich-Hawk; At Saks Fifth Avenue a sun dress from this ultra-chic design duo runs for about $495. At Target, snatch a spring ensemble by Jovovich-Hawk for about $30.

For real steals: Comb the clearance racks (usually located in the back corners of the women's clothing department) for past GO designers. Rumor has it, you can score marked down designer duds for as little as $10.

Design For All campaign: Target brings designer accessories, cosmetics, furniture and home decorations to the masses. The store currently works with about a dozen designers who create everything from funky throw pillows (Victoria Hagan) to fine jewelry (Justin Giunta) and - beginning April 6 - luxury handbags (Joy Gryson).

Save vs. splurge: At Bergdorf Goodman, Gryson's trendy bags (often toted by actress Jessica Biel) sell for about $800. Her limited-edition Target line, which will hit shelves Sunday, will offer faux-leather bags beginning at $19.99.

Urban Outfitters
Find unused catalog returns from top clothing and home decor designers. Prices are marked down 50 to 70 percent depending on overstock. A second location (13th Street at NW 16th Street) opened in February. The University Avenue store exclusively offers clothing from J.Crew and Anthropology. The 13th Street store offers discounted items from Free People, Crewcuts (J.Crew's children's line), Anthropologie Home and Urban Outfitters (clothing and home decor).

Guaranteed fresh: A vast majority of the store's offerings come from the current design season, which means you won't miss a single style step.

Something for everyone: Shop for discounted business suits and work-appropriate separates, special occasion dresses (including J.Crew bridal wear), clothing for kids and gift-worthy home decorations in the same store.

In Gainesville: Shop at 1117 W. University Ave. or NW 13th Street (at the intersection of NW 16th Street).

Simply Vera Wang: Wedding gown guru, Vera Wang, adds her signature design touches (subtle pleats, feminine fabrics, sophisticated details) to affordable home decor and a casual apparel line for Kohl's.

Dress like Avril Lavigne: This Grammy award winner will soon share her pop punk style with the masses. Her junior clothing line, Abbey Dawn, will hit Kohl's stores in July. Items will range for $24 to $48.

Coming soon: No need to worry. A Kohl's is on its way to Gainesville. The department store will replace the vacant Winn-Dixie shopping center on Archer Road. If you can't wait, visit the retailer in Orlando or Jacksonville.

wal-mart
Norma Kamali: Hot off the pages of Vogue and Elle, Norma Kamali, a Manhattan-based clothing designer known for her mod take on sportswear and swimwear, is planning a line exclusively for Wal-Mart shoppers. Items will hit shelves Fall 2008.

J.C. PENNEY
Chris Madden for Home Collection: Find Moroccan-inspired area rugs, embroidered bedding and embossed dinnerware from this host of HGTV's Interiors by Design.

American Living: Style icon Ralph Lauren launched this apparel and home decor line in February. Get quality, sophisticated clothes, accessories and footwear for men, women and kids.

PAYLESS SHOESOURCE
Dunk like Shaq: Basketball star Shaquille O'Neal developed Dunkman, a line of athletic shoes, that sells for as little as $15.

Abaete: While Laura Poretzky's dresses run for about $500 at Saks, all of her sunglasses, shoes and handbags for Payless sell for less than $30.

Lela Rose: This Texas native's whimsical collection of pumps and flats is now available.

Shop online: Designer items are only sent to select stores. If local Payless locations don't carry what you want, check out payless.com.

Online Shopping - Lands End

2008-04-02T15:53:00.000-07:00

Lands' End Overstock Women's Tops Special - Top off your wardrobe with great values.

Lands' End Overstock Intimates Special - Savings of $19.99 and under.

Save $9 on our Lands' End tip-proof Canvas Totes when you buy any 3.

Lands' End Polo Sale - Buy any 3 Men's or Women's Polos, save $7.50

About Lands End

Lands' End is a direct merchant of traditionally styled clothing for the family, soft luggage, and products for the home. We offer products through our catalogs, on the Internet and in our Inlet stores. Our goal is to please our customers with the highest levels of quality and service in the industry, along with an unequivocal ironclad guarantee.

For more detailed information about our company, click one of the links above and read about business:

What's a direct merchant? Our principles of doing business
About our catalogs Our business standards
About our stores Our supplier connection
About landsend.com Lands' End history
Our dedication to quality Our Corporate giving policies
Our commitment to service Employment opportunities
Our guarantee Remembering Gary Comer

What's a Direct Merchant
As a direct merchant, we work directly with mills and manufacturers, eliminating the markups of middlemen. We pass the savings on to our customers, who shop directly with us — from home or office, by phone, mail, fax or Web. We ship directly to our customers, virtually anywhere in the world. In addition to lower prices, our direct merchant method of doing business makes shopping simpler, faster and more convenient.

Our Catalogs
Titles include:
The Lands' End Catalog — Our primary catalog featuring a full line of classically styled casual clothing for men and women, including outerwear, swimwear and footwear.

Lands' End Women's Plus Size Collection — Clothing perfectly proportioned to fit women 16W–26W. Along with style and reassuring quality, this collection features rich, natural fibers, beautiful colors and unsurpassed value.

Lands' End Men — A complete line of finely tailored clothing for men, from suits, ties and dress shirts to more casual office attire.

Lands' End Kids — Quality clothing, freshly styled, to dress kids from head to toe. These fun, colorful classics fit newborns to pre-teens.

Lands' End School Uniforms — Uniforms and school-appropriate clothing, designed to meet dress-code requirements, in sizes for kids and adults, including Spiritwear, embroidered with your logo for sports, clubs and organizations.

Lands' End Home — High-quality, classically styled products for the home, with a focus on honest value instead of promotional "white sales."

Lands' End Business Outfitters (Corporate Sales) — Specially selected Lands' End clothing expertly embroidered with the logo of your company or organization, plus unique gifts and service awards. LEBO dresses everyone from the smallest groups to the world's largest businesses – and everything in between.

Our Inlet and NQP Stores
Lands' End operates 15 Inlet® and NQP™ stores in 4 states: Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota and New York; plus 3 outlet stores in the United Kingdom and 1 in Germany.

landsend.com
Lands' End was an "early adopter" of the Internet, launching its Web site (http://www.landsend.com) in 1995. Initially, the site featured 100 products as well as stories, essays and travelogues. Today, the U.S. site offers every Lands' End product from all of our different catalogs, including an extensive Overstocks section, where excess merchandise can be purchased at steep discounts. In addition, we offer separate Web sites for the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany. A separate Business Outfitters Web site (http://www.landsend.com/businessoutfitters) offers company incentives, rewards, gifts and group apparel.

Lands' End has been a leader in developing new tools and capabilities to enhance the online shopping experience and to foster one-on-one relationships with its customers. Some of these innovations include:

My Virtual Model™ — Lands' End was the first apparel company to offer this innovative shopping tool. You can create a 3-D model of yourself by providing critical measurements, which are then applied to your personal Virtual Model. Once a virtual model is created, you can use it to "try on" items and outfits, to see how they will look on your body. Outfits can be stored and recalled for later reference. Once created, your model can also be used at other apparel Web sites in the My Virtual Model network, and can be e-mailed to family and friends.

Lands' End Live™ — A nifty feature that allows you to talk or "chat" online directly with our famously helpful customer service representatives while shopping at landsend.com.

Lands' End Custom™ — Custom-crafted clothing made just for you! Get all the comfort and quality you expect from Lands' End, in styles made to fit only you. Simply answer a few questions about fit preferences and body type, and the garment will be individually tailored and delivered to your door in approximately 2-4 weeks.

Swim Headquarters, featuring Swim Finder — Looking for the perfect swimsuit? We have hundreds of options to suit every shape and style preference. No time to browse? Swim Finder instantly sorts through all of our styles to pinpoint the ones best suited for you. Search by suit style, height of leg opening, bra type, body shape, or even "anxiety zones" — body areas you'd like to accentuate or camouflage. Many of our suits also work with My Virtual Model™, so you can see how they'll look on you.

Outerwear Headquarters™ and Outerwear Find & Compare — This seasonal, easy-to-use guide to all Lands' End outerwear helps you locate the perfect jacket, coat or parka for any weather conditions. You can also select as few or as many items as you wish for an apples-to-apples comparison of prices and features.

Affiliate Network — Like to earn extra revenue on your Web site? You may wish to join the Lands' End Affiliate Network and help direct traffic to the Internet's #1 retail apparel site. Earn a percentage of every sale that results from a click-through from your site. Just click for more information or to sign up.

About Lands' End quality
Lands' End has built its reputation on the dependable high quality of its merchandise. Customers have come to expect a level of quality, durability and value that's truly superior in the marketplace.

Lands' End products are produced to our own, internally developed high standards — more stringent than the more general standards used by most of the apparel and home industries. Fabric and material quality, construction details, style, and sizing are constantly being reviewed and improved.

The company employs more than 150 quality assurance personnel, each one a specialist in a specific product catagory or categories. They rigourously and continually inspect our products – onsite, at the manufacturers' facilities, and again when products arrive in our warehouse – to ensure that all standards are being met, all the time.

Lands' End tests its clothing for a comfortable and consistent fit by trying garments on real people, not just models. For example, more than 100 local children fit-test and wear-test all types of kids' products, offering their advice on fit, style and comfort.

In addition to outside, independent testing, we also test fabrics in our own lab, using the most sophisticated processes in the industry.

About Lands' End Service
Lands' End operates on the principle that what is best for the customer is also best for the company. As a result, customers have learned to expect a high level of service at all times — from initiating the order, to receiving help and advice, to speedy shipping, and further follow-up when necessary. Here are some of the ways that Lands' End and its employees "go the extra mile":

Lands' End offers one of the simplest guarantees in the industry — GUARANTEED. PERIOD.® — which allows customers to return items at any time, for any reason, for a full refund of the purchase price or a replacement.

Toll-free phone lines for ordering and customer service are open 24 hours a day, 364 days a year.

We also receive in excess of 200,000 e-mails every year. Each e-mail receives a personal response, most within 3 hours.

Gift Cards and E-Gift Cards are available anytime at landsend.com, with a beautiful design to suit any occasion.

Our phone representatives receive 70-80 hours of product, customer service and computer training when hired, and 24 hours each year thereafter.

To help you with sizing questions, gift suggestions and wardrobe coordination, our Specialty Shoppers are available 16-1/2 hours a day (7:30 a.m.— midnight, Central Time).

We hem and cuff men's and women's trousers free of charge, and it adds only a day or two to your delivery.

We supply swatches of fabrics free of charge. Just ask!

Lose a button? We have replacement buttons available for most products, free of charge.

We offer expert monogramming and gift boxing services at a nominal cost.

The company's Lost Mitten Club will replace any child's mitten lost in the same season as purchase at half the price of a pair, with free shipping.

Most in-stock orders leave the Lands' End distribution center the next business day after they're ordered.

Our Standard Shipping takes 2-3 business days (plus 1-2 business days for processing) to the 48 contiguous states and 2-4 business days (plus 1-2 business days for processing) to Hawaii and Alaska.

Online Shopping - Elaine Turner handbags

2008-04-01T21:09:00.000-07:00

Shop online for Elaine Turner handbags. Save up to 50% off. eFashionHouse.com is an authorized retailer of Elaine Turner handbags and accessories. New arrivals. Click to use coupon code OFF10 for an extra 10% off all Elaine Turner handbags.

People StyleWatch Magazine named eFashionHouse BEST OF THE WEB for authentic discount designer handbags & accessories. About.com named eFashionHouse the top online retailer of Chanel. Shop 5 Stores: BrandsBoutique, ValueBags, ItalysOutlet, DesignersLA & LuxuryVintage. eFashionHouse.com has had online presence since 1996.

Online Shopping Brokers: Want it, see it here!

2008-03-31T23:23:00.000-07:00

Take An Extra 15% Off Costumes $20 or More at Costume SuperCenter.com!

20% off all luau items at Costume SuperCenter! Code: LUAU20.

Costume SuperCenter: Super Costume Selections at Super Low Prices!

______________________

Coupon Code: MomDad60 - Extra $60 OFF (min $300 purchase) on gifts for Mom and Dad.

______________________

______________________

Fortune on Target

2008-03-29T18:55:00.000-07:00

By Jennifer Hopfinger

On the heels of the March 17th cover story, "What Makes Apple Golden," and the March 3rd cover story, "The Pepsi Challenge," Fortune magazine turns it sights on another corporate giant in its March 31st cover story, "How Target Does It." Writer Jennifer Reingold profiles the retailer, which has had a great run but is now facing new challenges: a tough economic climate, a strengthening competitive threat from walmart and a new CEO.

Oddly, according to the article, neither the outgoing CEO Robert Ulrich, who has been at Target's helm for 14 years, nor the company itself has ever been featured on the cover of a major magazine. This, despite the fact that Target ranks 33rd on the Fortune 500 list, which means it's bigger than Microsoft and PepsiCo and more than twice the size of Cisco Systems.

In fact, unlike other CEOs of companies of similar size, few people have ever even heard of Ulrich. Despite the fact that he's worked at Target for 23 years, he isn't often recognized by his own employees. According to Reingold, Ulrich's No. 2, Gregg Steinhafel, who will take over as CEO in May, is just as low-profile. During the interview for the article, Reingold writes, Steinhafel was reluctant to talk about himself, saying the conversation should be about the brand.

"Thanks to the efforts of this mysterious Minneapolis-based crew, it has been," she writes. "Target has been around since 1962, but in the past decade its red-and-white circles have become as instantly recognizable as the swoosh or the bitten apple. A recent survey showed that an amazing 97 percent of Americans recognize Target's target."

But while the company has experienced impressive growth in recent years, Target is about to change leadership in an uncertain economy. "It might look bleak," she writes, "until you understand that Target's real competitive advantage isn't a logo or a line of designer purses or a catchy slogan. It's the team that created them." The article delves into the little-known people behind the well-known brand.

Online Shopping Brokers: Davids Cookies

2008-03-26T13:54:00.000-07:00

Save 15% on all cookies and desserts at David's Cookies, plus get free shipping now through Mother's Day (Sunday, May 11, 2008). Order before 10am Wednesday, May 7th for guaranteed delivery before Mother's Day. Use coupon code MOM15B at checkout. Click Here!

These are the BEST cookies available online and mail order. We buy them for all our friends' birthdays and all the Special Events and Holidays throughout the year. David's Cookies are delivered in large reusable red tins with secure lids. These items are really perfect and the contents are to-die-for bakery items... cookies, brownies, cakes, rolls and more! You can't go wrong with anything you buy from David's Cookies. Give 'em a try like we did. You'll be very pleased with your purchase. Click the above.

Online Shopping Brokers: Personal Creations

2008-03-26T10:52:00.000-07:00

Personal Creations is a perfect place to browse and plan a special gift for that special person in your life. There are a number of unique items available for everyone. You may even find something for yourself at Personal Creations. When was the last time you gave a special gift to yourself? Use names to personalize all sorts of wonderful items. Click the image above and browse Personal Creations today.

About Personal Creations:

What makes a Personal Creations Gift Special?

Personalization - There's nothing like a gift that says, "You're one of a kind!" Every item in our catalog is custom-made, especially for you, using the latest in computer technology. And personalized gifts bring the brightest smiles! It will seem as if you went to a lot of trouble, but only you need to know how easy it is! We take care of every detail for you!

Exclusivity - We know you're looking for a gift that stands out among all others. That's why we offer hundreds of unique items designed exclusively for our customers. You won't find these products anywhere else, which is what makes them so special to give and receive. We hope you enjoy presenting these gifts, as much as we enjoyed creating them for you! We guarantee that our products are 100% free of defects in quality and workmanship.

Gracious Gift Service - Many of our items are ready for gift giving! For just $4.50, we can wrap your gift in our elegant white presentation gift box and gold ribbon. And every order can also include your very own, personalized gift message. Most items ship in just seven to 10 days, and we offer rush delivery on most products for those last-minute gifts! We can even ship to international addresses. Our fast delivery, outstanding customer service and quality gift-boxing service help to simplify your shopping experience.

Online Shopping Brokers: eFashionHouse

2008-03-25T15:53:00.000-07:00

Spring Savings are in the Air at eFashionHouse.com,
Plus Site Welcomes Melie Bianco, Murval and Elaine Turner

eFashionHouse.com ushers in spring with new arrivals, savings up to 50% and adds three new handbag designers - Melie Bianco, Murval and Elaine Turner.

Sky Valley, CA (PRWEB) March 26, 2008 -- After months of winter fashion accessories, spring is finally on its way and eFashionHouse.com celebrates with savings of 25-70% on the latest trends in designer handbags. Committed to offering shoppers the best online prices for purses, eFashionHouse.com, named Best of the Web by People StyleWatch for below retail priced designer handbags and recognized by About.com as the top of three online retailers of off-priced Chanel, just added hundreds of new designer handbags from Marc Jacobs, Prada, Chanel, Gucci, Anya Hindmarch, Isabelle Fiore, Coach, Tano and many more top designers, just in time for spring. The site also added three new designer fashion brands - Melie Bianco, Murval and Elaine Turner - to its huge selection of designer handbags for even more savings.

"We are excited to add Melie Bianco, Murval and Elaine Turner handbags because the handbag demand has changed from including not only the big designer names to now welcoming other chic designers with more affordable prices," said Anna Miller, eFashionHouse Owner. "Regardless of the Economy, women still want to buy themselves a new purse, and making affordable prices available online is the purpose of eFashionHouse where you do not have to spend a fortune to carry a new quality designer handbag."

With all purses priced under $100, both Melie Bianco and Murval are known for their trendy styles and amazing prices. A favorite among fashion editors, Melie Bianco has been featured in an array of magazines, like Marie Claire, People, Cosmopolitan and Self, because it is "chic and affordable" line (prices range from $30-$75) features funky and wearable styles perfect for the trendy fashionista. Another brand that is known for offering the look of couture without the high price, French company MURVAL was created by two sisters, Muriel and Valerie, who recognized the need for fashionable accessories at accessible prices. With its bags costing less than $50, MURVAL comes out with two collections a year and despite the low price points scores high among the fashion crowd.

Though not in the under $100 category, Dallas-based fashion designer Elaine Turner is still considered a bargain since her line features the finest embossed exotic leathers and signature painted grass cloth bags. Elaine Turner quickly rose to the ranks of the fashion It Bag and the brands popularity continues to grow because of its distinct and creative approach to classic looks in handbags and accessories.

Shoppers who crave the more luxurious designer handbag names can still look forward to savings and shop for the latest trends because eFashionHouse.com has it all. Some of the featured handbag styles available at a discount are:

In addition to the discounted prices, shoppers can receive an additional 10 percent discount using coupon code OFF10 when making a purchase from the eFashionHouse Sale Section. Plus, budget conscious fashionistas can always take advantage of the eFashionHouse.com layaway plan which allows shoppers to pay over time.

About eFashionHouse.com
Anna Miller is the President of i-GlobalMall.com, Inc. She operates the website http://www.efashionhouse.com/ and sells high-end authentic designer handbags and accessories at off-retail prices. eFashionHouse.com was named Best of the Web by People Magazine StyleWatch for Discount Designer Handbags and Purses. eFashionHouse.com should not be confused with any other website selling a similar product or using a similar name. EfashionHouse.com is the home of five fashion ecommerce stores: BrandsBoutique, LuxuryVintage, DesignersLA, ItalysOutlet, and ValueBags. Anna is considered an Internet Pioneer and Ecommerce Entrepreneur. She has been reselling Designer Merchandise online since the early 90's. eFashionHouse.com has an extensive Press Page and a Fashion Blog Network. Visit the site for more details.

eFashionHouse - PRWeb Press Release Group

Interested in an EFH Layaway Plan? You can put anything on layaway.
Read about the EFH Layaway here: eFashionHouse.com Layaway Program

The Perfect Pair - Black & White Designer Handbags

2008-03-20T19:54:00.000-07:00

There's nothing more constant than black and white fashion accessories. No matter what you wear or how you feel, something in black or white fits the look and the mood. Just like peanut butter and jelly, black and white prevail when it comes to fashion. No matter what't happening in the fashion scene, you can always depend upon black and white. Your little black dress is complimented by a black and white bag. Your white summer frock is easily accented with a black or white accessory. We believe in versatility, color and style. But, when it comes to the bare necessities we recommend black and white anytime of the year and anywhere you go. Black and white designer handbags make a statement and the right impression.

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Online Shopping Brokers: TARGET

2008-03-19T13:12:00.001-07:00

Target's inner circle

By Jennifer Reingold, senior writer FORTUNE

They're brilliantly creative. They're enviably down-to-earth. They're universally imitated. And they're entering one of the most challenging periods the company has faced in 46 years.

Steinhafel (left) officially takes over Target from Ulrich in May;
Bullseye has been Target's mascot since 1999.

Activist investor Ackman took a big stake in Target the company last July.
He's pushing for change but has thus far been friendly.

(Fortune Magazine) -- You'd think Robert Ulrich would be warming up for his victory lap right about now. The soon-to-retire CEO of Target Corp. should be easing into a lavish farewell tour filled with teary thank-yous, champagne-soaked sendoffs, and a book of leadership secrets. After all, in his 23 years at Target (almost 14 of them as CEO), Ulrich has transformed a Midwestern discounter into one of the most admired and imitated companies in the world. Target now ranks 33rd on the Fortune 500 - making it bigger than Microsoft, Pfizer, and PepsiCo, and more than double the size of Cisco Systems.

There's just one thing: Though everyone knows Target (TGT, Fortune 500), hardly anyone's even heard of Ulrich. In fact, those who think his name rings a bell are most likely picturing Robert Urich, the deceased actor from television's Vega$ and Spencer for Hire. Even Ulrich's own employees often don't recognize him during his twice-monthly store walks, when he strolls the aisles dressed in Target's standard red shirt and khakis. Neither he nor his company has ever before graced the cover of a major magazine - highly unusual for a corporation its size. In fact, Ulrich has deliberately stayed so far under the radar that Bob Thacker, a former Target marketing executive now at OfficeMax, dubbed him the "silent Sam Walton." Says Thacker: "He has no public persona."

Ulrich's longtime No. 2, Gregg Steinhafel, is equally reticent.

During a recent interview in his tidy, light-filled office at Target's Minneapolis headquarters, Steinhafel's Midwestern reserve fluctuates between polite and downright uncomfortable. But then I cross the line. The offense: asking how Steinhafel, 53, who will take over as CEO from Ulrich on May 1, differs from his longtime mentor. The room grows silent. His mouth gets thin. Arms cross. "This isn't about me," he says. Long, awkward pause. "We're all a little bit nervous when we are talking too much about [ourselves]," he allows, finally. "It should all be about the brand."

Thanks to the efforts of this mysterious Minneapolis-based crew, it has been. Target has been around since 1962, but in the past decade its red-and-white circles have become as instantly recognizable as the swoosh or the bitten apple. A recent survey showed that an amazing 97% of Americans recognize Target's target, which they see everywhere from the web to New York's Museum of Modern Art to the company's 1,613 stores dotted across the U.S., thanks to the $1.2 billion Target spent on ads in 2007. Facebook is filled with groups declaring their love for the chain (and their hope that it will build a store in Seminole, Fla., or Davis, Calif.). Even Bullseye, Target's beloved bull terrier, is so popular that it is the only animal besides Lassie to be enshrined in Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. By tweaking the discount model, "they found a niche in what was supposed to be a niche-less world," says Richard Tedlow, the Harvard Business School professor and author of "New and Improved: The Story of Mass Marketing in America."

That niche has certainly been an enviable one: Over the past decade, revenues have increased at an annual rate of 12%, to $63 billion. Since 1994, when Ulrich became CEO of what was then the parent company, Dayton Hudson, Target stores' operating margins have jumped from 5.4% to 8.6%, while walmart (WMT, Fortune 500) stores' have flattened, from 8.1% to 7.3%. The stock has returned 795%, compared with 284% for the S&P retail index and 354% for Wal-Mart.

Behind Target rise, however, is a series of intriguing inconsistencies, such as an allergy to public attention at a company for which image is the be all (and where the longtime leader minored in journalism) is just one. Target is a company that is remarkably open to outside inspiration while at the same time so top-down that the CEO personally interviews candidates for the top 600 positions and can identify a misplaced screw on a gazebo. It markets itself to the Lexus set as a designer haven, while at its core it makes money selling commodities such as bleach and cereal. It is a big-box retailer that causes gasps of collective ecstasy when it announces a new location as competitors are vilified. Even the company's vision statement - "Expect more, pay less" - is somewhat contradictory.

Now those contradictions are coming to the fore as Target enters what promises to be one of the most tumultuous periods in its 46-year history, starting with a leadership change as critical as Sam Walton's retirement was to walmart in 1988 or Jack Welch's departure was to General Electric in 2001. According to company bylaws, Ulrich must step down after he turns 65 in April. (He will stay on as chairman until January 2009.)

Such transitions are difficult in the best of times. "Sam Waltons and Bobs are not replaceable at the same level of intensity," notes Luis Padilla, a former Target and Sears executive who now runs retail trade-show operator ENK International. Target's changeover, however, is happening against the backdrop of a weakening economy - which favors walmart low-price strategy. During the past two recessions walmart U.S. stores bested Target's in same-store sales by an average of 2.5 percentage points, according to estimates from Goldman Sachs's Adrianne Shapira. In 2007's fourth quarter, Target same-store sales slipped below Wal-Mart's for the first time in more than four years. (To be fair, Target's prior year comparisons were tougher to beat.) Last July prominent activist investor William Ackman, who is best known for taking down the bond insurers, took a nearly 10% stake in the company and is pushing management for changes. The stock has dropped 27% since then, vs. a 2% rise for walmart . Says CFO Douglas Scovanner: "It is as difficult to grow as it has been in my [14-year] history here."

It might look bleak - until you understand that Target real competitive advantage isn't a logo or a line of designer purses or a catchy slogan. It's the team that created them.

***

The secret missives arrive via spontaneous e-mails and thoughtful reports, wending their way to Target marketing guru Michael Francis's desk from all over the globe. Like a CIA agent's field documents, they provide on-the-ground intel -dissecting, for example, anime culture in Tokyo or heralding the return of a more vintage look for Christmas in London.

The dispatches come from Target's unique "creative cabinet," an elite, secret team composed of a dozen people of all ages, interests, and nationalities. Selected on a rotating basis by Francis, the members are paid annual retainers and either file reports or are on call when needed to discuss a strategic plan. "We identify them, and we cultivate the relationship," says Francis, a stylish former Marshall Field's buyer with bright eyes, a shock of dark hair, and such brimming enthusiasm that he looks as though he might eject out of his seat at any moment. Cabinet members were recently asked to weigh in on such initiatives as Go International, a series of clothing lines by high-end designers sold for up to 90-day stints, and a new, slimmed-down cereal box with a self-locking top.

One cabinet member who agreed to be named is 80-year-old Liener Temerlin, founder of agency Temerlin McClain. Temerlin's qualification for membership: Francis was struck by "the way his brain worked." Temerlin suggested that Target become the founding sponsor of the AFI Dallas International Film Festival. The company signed on, and the festival, now in its second year, features a Target filmmaker award, a Target documentary prize, and - natch - the Target Festival Lounge. Target's bull's-eye will be on prominent display for the expected 45,000 film watchers and stars like Charlize Theron, and the festival's 700 volunteers will be wearing red jackets with Target logos. "Michael likes ideas that have legs," says Temerlin.

Even Temerlin doesn't know what other group members are up to, though, because unlike almost every other "cabinet" on the globe, Target's never actually meets. "There's no power in bringing them together as a body," Francis says. "The power is in their working independently. We're the cross-pollinator. We're the integrator."

That structure perfectly illustrates the Target approach to innovation: highly creative yet tightly controlled. Far more than other discounters - and most companies of any kind - Target uses an enormous web of outside contacts to help it figure out what belongs on store shelves. It is Target ultimate goal to walk that razor-thin line between the possible and the practical - a dichotomy you see all over its sleek, modern-art-filled downtown Minneapolis headquarters. Welcoming you to the product design and development department is a whimsical display of metallic tote bags fashioned into shimmering daisy petals. But hanging from the ceiling there's a huge bank of red neon screens showing the company's real-time in-stock levels (the amount of product in stores relative to plan). The message is clear: There is a free spirit expressed in Target's hopeful slogan, "Expect more, pay less," but it is always tethered to reality.

Francis's job is to make sure everything the public sees lives up to that motto. As such, the 1,400-person-strong "marketing" division he oversees actually encompasses everything from the Target Foundation to publicity, strategy, Target.com, and "guest" (i.e., customer) insights. Every single thing that Target's logo appears on - from the donation of $1,000 to an elementary school to the look of its private-label garbage bags - goes through Francis. His team, naturally, put together the manual of approved looks for Bullseye, the Target mascot (using a Jack Russell terrier rather than a bull terrier is forbidden; black eye circles rather than red are unthinkable!).

Like many people at Target , Francis, 46, has never worked anywhere but at Target and its former parent, Dayton Hudson, which also owned Marshall Field's and Mervyn's until 2004. And although marketing executives are famously transient, not one of his top reports has left for a competitor in more than 16 years. "The energy that flows through here is just amazing, and it's fun," says Karen Gershman, senior vice president of marketing and a 35-year veteran, who started as a proofreader when there were just 42 stores. Another key member of the group: Minda Gralnek, a voluble, stripy-haired 17-year veteran who has headed up many of the company's best-known campaigns, including "Design for All" and the current "Hello Goodbuy." Working closely with them, though he reports to Sternhafel, is Michael Alexin, a relative newbie from Eddie Bauer, who in six years has built an internal product design group of 300. "They never know when they walk in if they are going to be working on branded beef or the newest designer from Bergdorf," says Francis.

Each of Francis's reports - and, in fact, everyone at Target - is expected to constantly grow his or her own web of networks. To spot emerging young designers, for instance, Target has for years contributed to design education projects sponsored by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). When bag and shoe designer Jessie Randall of Loeffler Randall became a finalist for the CFDA's Swarovski Award for Accessory Design in 2005, a marketing executive named Sally Mueller invited her to Target to talk about a collaboration. Randall was particularly surprised that the company was willing to accommodate her designs, even giving in to her preference for woven material that was actually - shocking for a discounter - woven. "Everyone said it would have to be embossed, and I said, 'Please just try,'" she recalls. "They always said, 'We don't want you to think about what we might like. We came to you because we want your aesthetic'" Randall's collection just ended a 90-day run in Target's stores.

To encourage, or rather ensure, a steady stream of bold new ideas, even managers with a proven record of hits must duke it out for portions of their budgets every year. So although the events team won a big chunk of the 2007 pie with its idea for a holographic fashion show - featuring virtual, not real, models - it had to come up with something equally compelling if it wanted funding this year. "We hold a huge percent of our dollars back," says Francis. That helped generate such out-there ideas as a temporary store floating in the Hudson River and a vertical fashion show, where acrobats '"walked" down the side of a building. That element of surprise, it turns out, has been part of Target's DNA for some time.

***

On a summer afternoon in 1921, farmers attending the Minnesota State Fair were hit by a freak storm of blue, red, and yellow feathers - one million in all, dropped from a biplane. Once they fluttered to the ground, fair-goers could see that each feather was marked "Dayton's" after the Minneapolis department store. The stunt was just one of many dreamed up by banker and real estate developer George Draper Dayton, who happened into retailing after he leased space in a downtown building to department store R.S. Goodfellow's in 1902. The next year he bought the outfit and renamed it the Dayton Dry Goods Co., creating a store known for high quality and great salesmanship. There were cooking classes and concerts, and Dayton even once cleared out an entire floor to exhibit a famous biplane called the Curtiss Airship. In 1909 he opened a discount section in the basement.

Dayton, who died in 1938, was not a native Minnesotan but quickly took to the straightforward, ultra-polite, and nonshowy "Minnesota nice" culture that still permeates Target today. "Buy and sell only merchandise of dependable quality and honest value at its level," he preached. He was succeeded by his son and grandsons, who, in addition to creating the first enclosed shopping mall, established a company mandate to give away 5% of pretax profits every year (a policy that continues today, with a focus on community, arts, and education). Impressed by the success of the basement store, grandson Douglas Dayton decided to open a discount arm. The first Target , whose name was chosen because it suggested value and also had visual impact, opened in Roseville, Minn., in 1962 - amazingly, the same year both Kmart and walmart began.

It was just five years later, in 1967, that Robert Ulrich signed on as a merchandising trainee at Dayton's, fresh out of the University of Minnesota. A Minneapolis native and the son of a 3M executive who is equally conversant in African art, musical instruments, and Indy car racing, Ulrich rose quickly, becoming president of the 215-unit Target Stores division in 1984. Ulrich was not - and has never been - the typical backslapping corporate leader. So lean as to resemble a scarecrow, with a slightly red face and a predilection for cowboy boots, he abhors small talk, isn't big on golf, and is quick to make a decision - hence the handle "Bullet Bob." Ulrich's words, when they come, aren't always in order, partly because his brain seems to be firing faster than his tongue - which is pretty darn fast. "He's just impatient," says Thacker, the former Target marketing exec. "He doesn't suffer fools. If somebody's doing stupid things, he doesn't tolerate it." Nor does he like to lose. "He is the most competitive individual I have ever met - ever," says George Jones, CEO and president of Borders Books and a Target executive in the 1980s, remembering casual Ping-Pong games at Ulrich's house that became bloody battles. "He would dive for a ball and literally run into the wall."

That competitive streak heated up in the mid-1980s, when Wal-Mart first made inroads into Target country. With its everyday-low-price strategy, walmart began eating into Target's sales while spending far less on marketing than Target, which produced colorful - and costly - Sunday advertising sections. Alarmed, Ulrich approved a test in 1985, converting 50 Target stores in Albuquerque and Knoxville, Tenn., to emphasize low prices. Quickly, Target found that it did okay in new stores but abysmally in places where people were trained to expect that circular. "We realized that we wouldn't ever be able to convert the entire chain," says Jones. "And we couldn't really run a bifurcated strategy."

Target faced a choice - one that easily might have put it in the same spot as doomed chains like Caldor or Bradlees. "Some people tried to do the dance on both sides," says Ulrich. "As walmart got bigger and bigger, [other rivals] started emulating them more, but they were still trying to appeal to an upscale guest. They'd pile shit in the middle of their aisle and then throw in some merchandise that wasn't the right quality for the store level. It's the classic mistake."

Instead, Ulrich's team saw an opening: If walmart was striving to be the king of logistics, with enough muscle to force vendors to deliver on price, Target could deliver on a great store experience and a product that was exciting and unique. "Wal-Mart's strategy is in many ways more simple than ours," says Ulrich. "It's more about price and more about mass quantities. It's a hell of a competition, but ours is more dependent on innovation, on design, and on quality."

What Target did have, thanks to its department store sisters, was access to people who anticipated desires. So Ulrich started a trend department, bringing over fashion scouts from Dayton Hudson, who started by expanding the color palette for T-shirts. "I can remember all the skepticism," says Jones. "No one in mass had anything like this." In 1987, Ulrich became CEO of Target Stores, and the chain's efforts grew bolder, thanks in part to John Pellegrene, a onetime theater major who arrived in 1988. He set about creating a marketing message that dared to suggest that shoppers could get joy from buying a broom or a toothbrush. Pellegrene's imagery, in effect, helped Target spearhead a giant self-esteem program for the middle class. No longer did people with limited budgets have to buy clothing that looked cheap or dish towels that didn't match. They deserved - and now could afford - more. In 1994, Ulrich's creative team turned that idea into a company motto that is, even today, the strategic filter through which everything must pass: "Expect more, pay less."

Target now had an increasingly public image to keep up - both inside and outside its stores. In 1998 the company agreed to give money to support the renovation of the Washington Monument. But during an early visit to the site Thacker, then vice president of marketing, was horrified: The sacred Target logo was plastered next to rotting scaffolding and ripped plastic. After much brainstorming, Target decided to sponsor an architectural competition to build scaffolding. The winner was a well-known architect named Michael Graves, who proposed an elegant, lighted structure made of flexible PVC foam. During one meeting, Thacker says Graves pulled out a stack of product designs "the size of a phone book." "Do you think Target would have any interest?" he asked.

Thacker, thunderstruck, took the idea to his boss, Ron Johnson. Johnson, who left Target in 2000 and has since rolled out Apple's wildly successful retail store strategy, immediately saw the potential. Later that year Graves' iconic, affordable tea kettles and kitchen gadgets hit shelves. "People have within themselves a paradox," says Robyn Waters, a former Target executive who now runs consultancy RW Trend. "Fit in and belong, and also stand out and be unique." With Target's designer wares, shoppers could do both. The company followed up with "mass/class" collections by the likes of Philippe Starck and Todd Oldham, and started to market Target as a destination for design.

These collaborations boosted Target's brand, but its bottom line ultimately depended on people buying their basics there. So in 1995 the company followed Wal-Mart's Supercenter lead and opened its first SuperTarget. The new format featured more consumable items such as food and toilet paper, to persuade customers - 80% of whom are women - to do most of their basic shopping there. Early results were disappointing; most experts thought Target would never be competitive with Wal-Mart in food. But Target persevered. The hope was that this would smooth out economic cycles, but it was also a move into a lower-margin, more commoditized business.

***

I am watching from behind a two-way mirror as two people struggle to assemble a $299 Grill King gas grill. Next to me is a camera crew filming the event, along with Target's buyer for lawn and patio, Paul Bein, who is scribbling notes. Already Bein has noticed that the screws are falling off the screwdriver and will ask the vendor to magnetize them, and he wants to have the customer service number listed more clearly on the instructions.

We're in Target's user-experience research center (ULab, in Targetese). And it's here, in this windowless warren at headquarters, that Target works on the practical side of its strategy. At the ULab, Target enlists real "guests" to test anything they interact with in the store, from free sanitizing hand wipes or gel (wipes won), to the company's latest shopping cart (now being tested in Minneapolis and Tulsa, it has handlebars that let you push it from any side), to new product prototypes like ITSO, Target's affordable storage system that hits stores in June (the name stands for "It's so fabulous!").

The ULab is just one of the ways Target has tried to make sure that the creativity gets results. "It certainly is possible to overemphasize innovation," says Ulrich. A few years back, he says, "it was almost as though everyone in every store was like, 'Oh, I have an idea and I'll try that.' We had to go back and say, 'Wait a minute, we're operators.'"

That's where Steinhafel comes in. A Kellogg MBA who spent two decades at Target merchandising everything from toys to stationery, Ulrich promoted him to president in 1999. By his own admission Steinhafel is a bit of a wonk. "I talk a lot about gross margin rate and the key drivers to improve our metrics and performance," he says. While it's easy to cast him as a B-school suit, that's not totally fair: He literally grew up in retail, working at the family store, Steinhafel's Furniture, in Milwaukee. By all accounts, Steinhafel is well liked both inside and outside the company, and he seems to consider Target a second home. In fact, he met his wife of 25 years there. I'd love to tell you I'm a swashbuckling entrepreneur like Richard Branson or Larry Ellison and have this exciting life beyond Target and my family," he says. But it wouldn't be true.

Steinhafel is also lauded for his deep understanding of vendors and store layouts. Says Deutsche Bank Securities senior retail analyst Bill Dreher, who recently visited a store with him: "He was speaking like a real dyed-in-the-wool garmento, not just some manager." Having a feel for how the products are presented is essential: Top management reviews initiatives before they launch, a process that takes place in the Status Room, a special area at headquarters that is home to a constantly rotating display of goods.

Ulrich, Steinhafel, and Troy Risch, EVP of stores, each walk with Francis through the room every ten days, checking out everything from table tents for Target's café to Cherokee's new underwear line and giving feedback. Recently Ulrich energized a print ad featuring wine. "Can we make this more interactive?" he asked, suggesting the bottle pour wine rather than just sit there. Once the trio has signed off, Francis brings in his 150 marketing managers, along with company lawyers, PR representatives, and even the training folks, to talk them through the marketing strategy behind every item. "We microman-age and we think and sweat about every little aspect of the guest experience," explains Steinhafel. "We take the time to communicate to our broad organization what they do, why they're doing it, how it fits the whole."

***

Yet communication alone is not going to solve the problems Target is facing now. Last fall Target , MTV, and Go International designer of the moment Erin Fetherston put out a two-minute-long "film" called "Morning, Till Night," which showed a bevy of beautiful girls who lived in brownstones and attended parties in sleek white spaces wearing flirty, ruffly clothes. It was aspirational, of course, and that was the point. But on the floors, under fluorescent lighting and hanging close to busy checkout lines, Fetherston's clothes seemed to promise a bit less. That's the reality of shopping at any discounter - but at image-obsessed Target, that disconnect can be jarring. "They've had inconsistent merchandising, and sometimes [it] doesn't live up to the marketing," says one former Target senior executive who walks the stores regularly.

In February, Citigroup managing director and analyst Deborah Weinswig polled shoppers and found that though Target consistently underprices supermarkets on groceries by about 10% to 15%, shoppers perceived the opposite: that Target's prices were a full 20% higher. Moreover, though prices at Target average out to within 1% to 3% of those of Wal-Mart, 87% of respondents said they shopped at Wal-Mart because it was the cheapest. "The problem could be that some of these stores are so clean that you just assume you're paying more," says Weinswig.

Another issue may be that Target's pioneering efforts, like its partnership with high-end fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi, which recently ended after five years, have become commonplace. To wit: Stella McCartney for H&M, Vera Wang for Kohl's, Norma Kamali for Wal-Mart, and countless others.

Steinhafel says Target is making adjustments in the current environment, but radical changes are not in the works. "A strategy is a strategy," he insists. "Sometimes we focus a little bit more on the 'pay less,' sometimes on the 'expect more,' but the guardrails are here." Target has revised its internal model to assume 2008 same-store sales growth of 2% to 3% per month rather than the 5% of recent years. Target also has changed the "messaging" in those famous circulars to emphasize price, particularly in food and commodities, and they've also adjusted worker hours to reflect lower traffic. Steinhafel has high hopes for the company's Converse One Star partnership, which he says is "above plan." Every five years Target rolls out a new store prototype, and in October it will start testing the larger 2009 iteration, which further emphasizes food, electronics, and pharmacies. (Consumables and commodities make up 34% of sales, up from 30% in 2005.)

Target continues to open about 100 stores a year, a feat made easier by the fact that it has thus far managed to avoid the barrage of bad press Wal-Mart has suffered. In part, that's because of Target's very public philanthropy (no good deed goes unpublicized here), but it's mostly because Target will never be the biggest target - Wal-Mart is six times its size. "Bentonville is a behemoth," Ulrich says, with a wink. "We're just a nice, modest, little, average [company] trying to get to a reasonable scale so that we can take care of things for our guests and give them good value." Yet some have noticed that both Target and walmart average pay in Minnesota, for example, falls below the $12.24-per-hour that advocacy group Jobs Now calls a living wage. "We feel they are worse than Wal-Mart because they are masquerading as this benign employer," says Bernie Hesse, director of special projects for Local 789 of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union in St. Paul, which has unsuccessfully tried to unionize local Target employees (no Target employees are unionized). "They have gotten this pass because they have set up this foundation and have this chic look, and that's more cruel than walmart. Walmart doesn't pretend."

The labor issues have thus far remained behind the scenes, but a more pressing issue is the emergence of William Ackman, founder of Pershing Square Capital Management. Ackman, a very public activist investor, took a nearly 10% stake in the company last July. Even though his cash investment (most of the stake is in options) is down 15%, he says he considers Target "the best-managed retailer" around. Thus far he's met with Ulrich, Steinhafel, and Scovanner to urge them to spin off part of the credit card business and boost stock buybacks. (Target upped its buyback and on March 12 announced it is in negotiations to sell half its credit card receivables for about $4 billion.)

Taken all together, it's a tough situation for any new CEO to walk into. Certainly it's fair to say that if successors typically fall into two categories - those representing continuity, like Steve Ballmer at Microsoft, and those representing change, like Jack Welch or even Ulrich, Steinhafel is poised to be the former. "There are always choices for succession," says Anne Mulcahy, CEO of Xerox and a longtime Target board member, "and I think one of the [deciding factors] was Gregg's ability to carry on the collaboration. Their ambition is about the company; it is not about themselves as individuals."

And that, in fact, has always been the point. "Ulrich has done his successor a service," notes business historian Tedlow. "Sam Walton was an icon at walmart , and it's much easier to succeed somebody who isn't." Says Ulrich: "I know there are some people who have sort of this twisted concept that they can't do it without me, but that would obviously be the worst legacy that one could possibly leave." Instead he has built an organization designed to outlive him - and his successor. "We're going to be here for 40, 50,60 years," says Steinhafel. There's a decent chance Target will still be a household name then. But there's an even better chance its CEO won't be.

RESEARCH ASSOCIATE Susan M. Kaufman contributed to this article.

Online Shopping Brokers: Diamonds International

2008-03-19T13:02:00.000-07:00

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Dear friend(s),
Remember that time we went to the movie theaters and I had to stuff your bag of chips, your can of root beer and your gummy worms into my purse because you do not carry a bag? Well, I have news for you - a handbag is a necessity in every woman's life outside of the Bates bubble. A simple wristlet will not suffice as a purse to bring offcampus, and not only that, a bag is an accessory that can make an outfit even more fabulous than it hopefully already is.

The only advice I can lend you is to start your collection out with the basics. You should have a purse that is not too small, but large enough to fit the essentials and then some. A black shoulder bag is a must. There is no need to get a bag that is flashy with sparkles or one that has purse charms. Go for something that can be paired with anything.

After black, it is essential that you own a brown bag. Now, I own more purses than any normal person should, but as you are a beginner in this whole purse-world, I must not assume that you understand why brown is the perfect starter color. Brown is a good shade to pair with anything that is not black. It is perfect for warmer colors: yellow, orange, and red. If you are wearing brown shoes, you must not carry a black purse. I know, I know - you have heard that you can pull off wearing brown and black together, and you can, but accessories must always match. Black shoes and a brown bag are an absolute no. The next color you should add to your basic collection is white. A white purse for spring and summer can be paired with anything and always adds to a warm weather look.

An absolute yes is pairing black shoes with a great colored purse that goes with your outfit. Color can be fun and should definitely be the next step after your black, brown and white basics. A red purse is one you should keep your eyes out for. I am always searching for a great red bag while I'm out shopping. A bag that is unique and fun can make a world of difference on a day when you want to look exceptionally fabulous.

Now you do not need to spend a fortune on purses. One of my greatest purse finds has been this great bag from "Le Targé"â€¦ (i.e. Target). It is a slightly oversized bag that can double as a throw all as well as a cute "oh my god where did you get that purse" bag. It is so much fun to carry around and have people ask me if it is an Yves Saint Laurent or some other designer's bag and watch their face when I tell them I bought it at Target.

Do something different and find a purse that you think is really great. Match an outfit to the purse instead of making the bag go with the outfit. Reversing this dressing method really changes your outfit perspective.

Friend(s), do all of us movie-going purse-carriers a favor and buy yourself a purse or two. Or in my case, about 40.

Sincerely, Olivia

Online Shopping Brokers: CompUSA

2008-03-14T11:31:00.000-07:00

CompUSA

Welcome to the new and improved CompUSA - a division of Systemax, Inc. If you've been a CompUSA customer, you'll immediately notice some dramatic changes that you're going to love. Lower prices. A much wider selection of products and accessories. And faster shipping. You buy it today - it ships today! Plus, we're totally committed to customer service. We're here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And we won't be satisfied until you're satisfied with every purchase!

If you're new to CompUSA, you've just discovered the number one online destination for computers, high-def TVs, and electronics. We've created a new site that offers a huge selection of name brand products at the lowest prices anywhere. Whether you're looking for the latest and most advanced notebook or desktop computers, high-definition televisions with the most brilliant life-like images, GPS devices, printers, projectors, digital cameras, MP3 players, media, computer hardware & software - you name it - we've got it right here. Plus, we provide up-to-the-minute product information, detailed photographs taken in our own state-of-the-art studio, and hundreds of engaging videos that offer in-depth, up-close info to help you make your purchasing decision. In fact, we're the most complete online shopping experience in the industry!

Remember, the new CompUSA.com is the web's ultimate destination for computers, high-definition televisions, and electronics. We have everything you need at the best value. You'll choose from our vast inventory of tens of thousands of high-quality products. Because we've been a leader in this industry for more than 20 years, we know how to provide the merchandise that meets your needs, and how to deliver the kind of prompt, personalized service that exceeds your expectations. We're here for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week to bring you the best deals, the fastest shipping, and the best customer service. Welcome to the new and improved CompUSA.com. We look forward to serving you!

Why Shop With CompUSA ?
When you shop with CompUSA.com, you'll choose from brand name computers—the industry's top names—at prices simply not possible anywhere else. But that's just the beginning. We also carry a vast inventory of components: motherboards, processors, hard drives, optical drives, cases and more. You'll find emerging technologies as well, because at the end of the day, we love what we sell.

Here are just a few of the reasons why you should shop with us:
· We treat every customer with respect. We consider every transaction of critical importance.
· We offer the industry's highest-quality products at the lowest-possible prices.
· We back every product with a rock-solid satisfaction guarantee.
· We offer the most complete product information and photo galleries available.
· We ship most orders placed before 7pm ET anywhere the same day.
· We carry the world's largest selection of computer components, making us the reseller of choice for the "Build-It-Yourselfer."
· We offer our own brand of premium computer systems, under the Systemax brand. With over 50 years in business, Systemax is one of the industry's TOP TEN PC manufacturers.
· We provide our customers with information---on the phone, in our catalog, or on our web site—to make informed choices. Each of our telephone representatives is continually trained by the manufacturers of the products we sell. They can answer your questions instantly.
· We have established BUYING POWER, which means we can buy products at prices far below our competition---and pass the savings along to you.
· We offer our customers frequent updates on new products arriving hourly at our warehouse.
· We contact opt-in e-mail customers with the opportunity to purchase great deals on limited-quantity products.
Click here to find out how you can join our mailing list!
· We offer corporate and government customers instant bids, competitive prices and quick delivery.
· We produce a timely, information-packed color catalog mailed to your home or office that many consider to be the "ultimate" shopping guide.

Website Security Guarantee All orders and transactions involving release of personal information is encrypted using the latest 128-bit SSL encryption technology. Encryption is a process by which we use software to scramble your credit card number and personal information so that they're unreadable by anyone but CompUSA.com, Inc. We are so confident in our security systems that we can provide our Website Security Guarantee will provide coverage against unauthorized charges on your credit card.

About The CompUSA Company
CompUSA.com was established to serve the needs of computer users, and today we are one of the industry's top computer and computer-product retailers. Our web site has been ranked among the New York Times' "Top 25 Online Retailers" and our catalog has become a textbook for computer users. But our success has been built on a simple principle: take care of every customer like they were a member of our family. From the beginning, our top priority was to provide unmatched customer care and to help our customers understand how technology could help them. We've always invited intelligent, courteous men and women to staff our call center; to answer your questions, make recommendations and deliver solutions. We stock our web site with the latest products, the best deals---and plenty of information to help you decide for yourself. We are proud of each and every member of our staff, because they make the difference.

Just because we offer the industry's lowest prices doesn't mean we skimp on service. In fact, it is because we take care of our customers—and you continue to support us with your business—that we're able to use our buying power to get you the best deals. So when you call us or log onto our web site, you're doing business with a company that is enthusiastic about computers, and about matching our customers with the items that they need. And we intend to continue serving you. Every day.

There are a lot of reasons to come to CompUSA.com for your PC-product needs. We've got the largest selection-over 50,000 items in stock and ready to ship from our state-of-the-art warehouse facility. We've also created one the industry's most popular brands of personal computers, built with premium components and backed by our award-winning technical support staff. That means keeping up with the winds of change that swirl through the business world today. It means having the resources to invest in our customers as a Fortune 1000 company (we are a subsidiary of Systemax Inc.), we have those resources. And we have the vision. While our competitors were selling high-priced machines with their vision of what the business world needed, we gave our customers alternatives-by offering "Build-To-Order" and fully customized systems. While our competitors cut corners by skimping on the details, we used only premium-quality components. In fact, that's the cornerstone of our concept.

Our people are, and have always been our greatest asset. If I had to make the choice between the absolute best in technology and mediocre people or great people and mediocre technology, I'd choose great people every time. Hands down. Fortunately, I don't have to make that choice. We've combined great people with great technology and that means a satisfying and pleasant experience for you. It starts with a professional, courteous, patient and knowledgeable person on the phone. We can help you whether you're buying your first PC, adding memory, adding a peripheral or purchasing hundreds of PCs for a large corporation. Our people are ready to help you, they are the best in the industry-and I'm proud of each and every one of them. In fact, until they are certified and trained by our customer service and sales leaders, they won't even have the opportunity to take your call.

There are a lot of reasons to make CompUSA.com your source for computer-related products-the industry's best selection of in-stock products, outstanding PCs built with premium components, exceptional leasing options, the best technical support and customer service in the business and the best prices on everything we sell. But the one you'll like the most is the service you receive. CompUSA.com is a subsidiary of Systemax Inc. - a $1.5 billion public corporation listed on the New York Stock Exchange. We have the resources to get you what you need, when you need it - along with the culture of customer care that will make it an enjoyable, hassle-free experience. We guarantee it.

CompUSA Business-To-Business Excellence
Business customers have very specific requirements for doing business. The demands of business must be handled by a group of professionals who know the ropes-who have been there, and who can meet deadlines that, well, seem impossible. CompUSA.com's Business-To-Business sales team has years of hands-on experience serving the needs of business customers. Our Business Group has grown because of our service and pricing industry. We understand that business customers are concerned with price during these times when you must maximize your investment, but we also realize that service is the most important component of the relationship. For business customers, CompUSA.com is ready to serve. I invite you to contact our team (of dedicated account managers) when your business needs attention to detail and the right products at the lowest prices in the industry. Business customers have unique needs. It takes a well-trained, well-connected group to serve those needs with efficiency and professionalism. CompUSA.com's Business-To-Business group has been carefully selected and trained to work with businesses of all sizes and shapes. They can handle special billing, pricing, shipping, a number of other corporate issues and they offer a Net 30 day open account. The average tenure of our AM's is more than 4 years of service. You can not put a price tag on knowledge, and our agents have put through hundreds or hours of product training, so that you can relay on our expertise. I invite you to contact one of our Account Managers and see for yourself that quality service and pricing is what we are all about.

We Know Our CompUSA Products!
We're proud to have the most knowledgeable telephone sales staff in the industry. Training is the key. The bottom line is that when you call, you'll talk to people who can help you get through what can sometimes be a maze of technology. They make it seem easy. "Knowing what you sell is just the beginning. Sure, we can answer any question you may have about any item in our catalog but our goal is to make every customer feel at home. To be helpful and courteous. I've been working at CompUSA.com for six years and I love it. I've met some great people. I have customers who call just me to say hello." Charles Valle, Sr. Sales Agent.

Knowledgeable CompUSA Sales Professionals
There's a lot to know about today's technology-and how to get the most from it for your productivity and enjoyment. At CompUSA.com we select the best and the brightest to answer your calls. Then we put them through rigorous training sessions. When you call and have a question, we have a helpful answer. Whether you want to know how to network your small office, which printer is best for your needs-or how the Internet works. We know, and we're happy to take the time to help.

Ultra-Quality Computer Systems at CompUSA
ISO 9001 Certified Facility are built in our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. Before we ship your system, we put it through a multilevel testing process, so when it arrives at your door, it's ready to plug in and run. Systemax Systems are guaranteed to work, right out of the box.

CompUSA Web Site Makes Shopping Convenient
Our Web team sees to it that CompUSA.com's inventory of 50,000 in-stock products are on-line and available with just a couple of clicks. Most team members have come up through the ranks at CompUSA.com, gaining invaluable experience and unique insight into our customers and how they want to be treated-whether on the phone, or on the Internet. CompUSA.com has the "most knowledgeable site on the Web!"

Online Shopping Brokers: Fingerhut

2008-03-13T10:35:00.001-07:00

Save $20 on the Hamilton Beach MealMaker Express Grill from Fingerhut

Save $30 on the Margarator/Smoothie Maker from Fingerhut

Save $40 on the Canon 7MP Digital Camera from Fingerhut

Save $50 on 2 Drawer Accent Chest from Fingerhut

Save $50 on Sage Oval Accent Table from Fingerhut

Save $50 on Console+Mirror with Floral from Fingerhut

About Fingerhut...

Fingerhut Advantage... Many web shoppers are looking for alternatives when it comes to payment. Fingerhut provides a convenient, easy-to-obtain credit option with low monthly payments on approved Fingerhut Credit accounts. Shoppers can get the things they want with the payments they need! While we do not REPLACE your existing selection of online retailers, we ENHANCE your program by providing the potential for incremental earnings from shoppers who find it difficult to purchase elsewhere and appreciate the credit and low monthly payment options Fingerhut provides.Fingerhut carries over 18,000 products including X-box, Sony, Game Boy, Barbie, Scooby, SpongeBob, Leap Frog, KitchenAid, Canon and an extensive line of As Seen on TV products.

Since 1948, Fingerhut has grown from a small entrepreneurial business into a nation-wide direct retailer, delivering shop-at-home convenience and a wide selection of products both online and through regular mailings to our customers. Fingerhut makes buying easily affordable by providing credit options and low monthly payments with a Fingerhut Credit Account (issued by CIT Bank). In fact, we say yes when others say no!

Our customers’ satisfaction is always our first priority. We make the best products and the best name brands readily available. We also offer many product exclusives that you just won’t find elsewhere. Fingerhut’s commitment to quality and service is evident every time you shop, with valuable benefits like:

Convenient Credit
30-Day Home trial
Low Monthly Payments (with a Fingerhut Credit Account)
Doorstep Delivery

Thank you for your interest in Fingerhut! We hope we can serve you often.

Online Shopping Brokers: Relax The Back

2008-03-11T20:57:00.000-07:00

Spring is right around the corner and we want to welcome it by highlighting 5 great selling products from Relax The Back!

Get the books and Videos that support your back health only at Relax The Back.

Online Shopping Brokers: Melie Bianco

2008-03-10T22:10:00.000-07:00

Melie Bianco handbags. Best prices online.
Free Shipping. No Sales Tax. Shop Melie Bianco Handbags Online!

People are talking about the best kept secret and the best priced designer handbags! It's Melie Bianco from Los Angeles. Her handbags are a big hit. Open any fashion magazine and see them in living color. Photos don't do these bags justice. Prices range from $50 - $70 each. Styles are adorable. Synthetic leather is easy to maintain, eco friendly!

What People are Saying about Melie Bianco:

"The Melie Bianco bags I ordered arrived -- they are gorgeous.
I think even more gorgeous than their pics!
Thanks very much! Elizabeth"

Online Shopping Brokers: Foot Locker

2008-03-07T20:44:00.002-08:00

Take 15% off no minimum at Footlocker.com. Use Code LKS18M55. Valid 3.2-4.5.

Get your NCAA team's favorite gear at Footlocker.com

Gear Up for Spring Sports at Footlocker.com!

Footlocker will be offering 1 coupon for the month of March 15% off no minimum [Use Code LKS18M55, Valid 3/2-4/5].

Couture handbags & accessories sale

2008-03-03T22:03:00.000-08:00

We're Crazy for Couture! Are you? Click here to see what's waiting for you. Designer handbags and accessories below retail from all the top Designers. Receive free ground shipping $200 orders and pay no sales tax worldwide. Visit the Sale and Final Clearance sections and get deeper discounts. eFashionHouse.com was named Best of the Web by People StyleWatch and named the top online Chanel retailer by About.com. Check it out. We know you are crazy for couture or you would not have read this far! See the eFashionHouse Press Page. Interested in an EFH Layaway Plan? You can put anything on layaway. Read about the EFH Layaway here: eFashionHouse.com Layaway Program.

Online Shopping Brokers: ProActiv

2008-02-29T17:47:00.000-08:00

Look your best in 2008 with Sheer Cover makeup!

Proactiv Solution is a revolutionary, dermatologist-developed Combination Therapy® system that helps the skin heal the blemishes you have now - and helps stop new ones from forming - in three quick, easy steps.

1 Renewing Cleanser
This unique oil-free formula contains smooth, tiny grains to gently exfoliate dead skin cells and other impurities, plus prescription-grade benzoyl peroxide to penetrate pores, attack bacteria and heal blemishes fast.

2 Revitalizing Toner
This refreshing, alcohol-free toner removes dead skin cells, unplugs pores and helps remove excess oil so your skin looks and feels refreshed. Soothing botanical agents gently balance your skin tone.

3 Repairing Lotion
Our light, oil-free lotion contains finely milled prescription-grade benzoyl peroxide to heal blackheads and blemishes and helps prevent future breakouts. The advanced delivery system in Repairing Lotion is soothing and safe for your entire face.

In addition to ProActive, Guthy-Renker carries the following products:

Winsor Pilates®
The Midnight Special®
Principal Secret®
Meaningful Beauty®
Winsor Pilates®
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
Youthful Essence®
Core Secrets™

Established in 1988, Guthy-Renker is today one of the world's largest direct response television companies with sales of more than $1.5 Billion per year and an average annual growth rate of 25% over the last 10 years. Originally launched as a television direct marketer by Co-CEOs Bill Guthy and Greg Renker, the independently-owned, vertically-integrated company has since broadened its focus into every area of electronic retailing, making quality products available to U.S. and international consumers through broadcast television, cable and satellite, as well as internet, telemarketing, direct mail and retail channels.

10 commandments of management at Guthy-Renker

1. Thou shalt take risks.
Risk is a prerequisite for success. So feel the fear and do it anyway, and know that every entrepreneur before you has felt the pang of panic at one time or another. The trick is to fight the fear with four simple rules. Research your ideas extensively. Keep your goals clear. Invest and re-invest, and never be afraid to try new things. Soon your fear will be replaced by financial fortitude.

2. Thou shalt make nice with your competitors.
The old law of "you wash my back, I'll wash yours" is just as applicable in our modern age. Asking competitors for help will reap unparalleled rewards, from getting invaluable advice (especially on new ventures) to combining your forces for mutual benefit. When it comes time to return a favor, brokering a deal for a competitor will allow you to cut in on their profits. It's a win-win situation.

3. Thou shalt pick the right people.
The people you surround yourself with will often make the difference between profit and perish. Choose partners who offer varying perspectives to cover all your bases. Surround yourself with people who are talented, forward thinking, conscientious and loyal, and you'll create an unbeatable team. Finally, take your time to find the right people - it will be time well spent.

4. Thou shalt have a Rolodex® that is fruitful and multiplies.
Go out of the way to forge relationships with agents, vendors, competitors and colleagues because you never know where your next opportunity will come from. Networking works so keep your Rolodex® updated and don't let it gather dust. Seemingly unnecessary meetings and contacts today can turn into valuable contracts tomorrow.

5. Thou shalt welcome change.
Even the subtlest tweak to your pitch, packaging or ad campaign can have a dramatic impact on results. A new headline here and a bumped-up offer there can turn a ho-hum seller into a hit. Be objective and ruthless in your analysis and discard whatever doesn't work. Finally, when re-introducing a tried and true product, change its look but leave the goods alone.

6. Thou shalt master the multimedia marketplace.
Don't stop at television. TV creates interest in a product but a broader multimedia approach ensures maximum profits. Bolster infomercials with traditional commercials, home shopping appeals, print ads in key publications, catalogs, direct mail, Internet sales, and other efforts. Consider new products in light of their full multimedia potential and always be on the look out for new media to tap into.

7. Thou shalt join and lead thy trade association.
A leader leads, so be on the frontlines especially in the heat of battle. In 1990, Congress and the Federal Trade Commission were about to impose a legislative straightjacket on the infomercial industry in response to incidents of fraud and abuse. Asked to testify before a Congressional subcommittee, Guthy-Renker took the initiative to form a trade group that would voluntarily police the industry. Today that group, known as the Electronic Retailing Association, serves as the ethical compass for the direct response television industry and Greg Renker remains its Chairman Emeritus. Because Guthy-Renker was unafraid to lead, we garnered greater respect and prestige among our colleagues, government and the world.

8. Thou shalt build on thy company's brand name at all times.
Get your name out there, but cultivate the right image from the get-go because once the public has a perception about you it is nearly impossible to change it. Inspire consumer recognition and trust by associating the name of your company with each product and program, in effect selling your company as aggressively as your products. Be willing to be visible, even if it means taking a hit for your industry. The result will be that competitors and customers will think you are bigger, better and more powerful than you might actually be.

9. Thou shalt not limit thy upside.
Don't bet the farm on fads. Look for products that sell indefinitely to the largest and most reliable audience possible. Do your homework and go the extra mile to find products with the greatest multimedia potential. Be on the lookout for new capital sources but remember that not every opportunity is your opportunity, so don't be afraid to pass.

10. Thou shalt be prepared to toss out these commandments and start over!
Adapt, adapt, adapt. The direct marketing industry changes on a daily basis. The only eternal rule is to keep your ear to the ground and your antennae up at all times. Stay ahead of and capitalize on changing trends. As your company evolves, so must your corporate strategy. Don't fall in love with a business plan because it will only break your heart.

Online Shopping Brokers: BLINDS

2008-02-29T17:17:00.000-08:00

Introductory Sale Extended! 15% off Beautiful Wood Cornices

Bali Sale - Get FREE Cordless on Cellular Shades!

Levolor Buy More & Save More - Get 10-15% Off (Exp. 3-31)

Save 15% On This Shutter - This Month Only!

10% off beautiful Blinds.com Roman Shades

Get $10 off $150 order with code 10200509

Surprise Someone with a Blinds.com Gift Certificate!

Introductory Sale Extended! Save 15% on Brand New Wood Cornices!
Bali Sale - FREE Cordless on Cellular Shades Get 15% off
THIS Shutter! 10% off beautiful Blinds.com Roman Shades
Levolor - "Buy More... Save More" Sale! Save 10-15%
$10-off-$150 & $20-off-$350 Coupons Extended till February 31, 2008!

Blinds.com is America's favorite blinds store. Get huge savings on high quality custom window coverings including window blinds, shades, draperies, and plantation shutters. At Blinds.com, you'll simply find great prices, a great selection, and most the outstanding service, all with our 30-Day Money Back Guarantee! You'll save money on major name brands such as Hunter Douglas, Graber, Levolor, and Bali, and you'll save even more on our private label products made especially for Blinds.com by these same manufacturers. Either way, you'll save a LOT of money and find a great selection at Blinds.com. Your satisfaction is assured because each member of our knowledgeable, fully trained staff has been selling window coverings for an average of 12 years. We never sell blinds that have been altered or modified. We do NOT sell used, refurbished, or replica blinds; you can buy with confidence knowing that we guarantee your blinds will function perfectly and be in mint condition.

Online Shopping Brokers: Office Depot

2008-02-29T16:34:00.000-08:00

10% Off Your Purchase! No Minimum! Don't Miss This Chance to Save on any order, large or small, when you order today! Offer valid 3.1.08 - 4.8.08. (excludes technology)

10% Off Your Purchase! No Minimum! Don't Miss This Chance to Save on any order, large or small, when you order today! Offer valid 3.1.08 - 4.8.08. (excludes technology)

Great Deals on our Best Paper! Shop Office Depot today!

Great Deals on our Best Paper! Shop Office Depot today!

Office Depot, Inc. is a global supplier of office products and services. The company was incorporated in 1986 with the opening of our first retail store in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In fiscal year 2007, we sold $15.5 billion of products and services to consumers and businesses of all sizes through our three business segments: North American Retail Division, North American Business Solutions Division and International Division. Sales are processed through multiple channels, consisting of office supply stores, a contract sales force, an outbound telephone account management sales force, internet sites, direct marketing catalogs and call centers, all supported by our network of crossdocks, warehouses and delivery operations.

Tips for Buying Furniture on eBay

2008-02-29T11:03:00.001-08:00

From Aron Hsiao, About.com

Things to keep in mind before and as you shop for major pieces. Whether you’re outfitting a home or a business, it can often be tempting to buy furniture on eBay! because of the cost savings and broad selection involved. There are, however, a number of things that you should keep in mind both before you make the decision to buy and as you shop.

Before You Decide to Buy on eBay!

Before you decide to buy on eBay! , you should carefully consider the pros and cons of buying furnture-type items on eBay! since buying furniture on eBay is not at all like buying consumer electronics, clothing, or other types of common household or business goods on eBay.

Shipping will be expensive. Furniture items can be amongst the most expensive items to ship on eBay! , and at the same time furniture items—particularly used or handcrafted items—often fare very badly during shipment, gaining new creaks and craks, scratches and dents.

Photos can be misleading. Photos on eBay! , in part due to their often very small size, can often make very large items appear to be in nicer condition than they actually are. Surrounding environments, too, can have a major impact on the way a furniture item looks—something that looks great in the environment shown in the photo may look completely different in the area you’ve selected for it.

Returns are extremely difficult. For returns on many furniture items, you will be spending a great deal of money on shipping back to the seller and perhaps even having to cope with the headaches of return freight shipment.

With these things said, it’s also true that there are items and prices to be had on eBay that can be had nowhere else, meaning that sometimes in the final analysis its worth the headaches, extra expense, and potential risk to buy furniture on eBay! .

Choosing and Buying Tips

Though buying furniture on eBay! is in most cases going to be a more involved transaction than most other types of eBay transactions, there are nonetheless things that you can do to make the sale proceed more smoothly and to ensure that you are satisfied in the end.

Know all of the relevant dimensions and numbers on your end. It’s important not only to know the length, width, and height of the space you’re trying to fill but also the amount of weight that can be sustained by the spot where a given furniture item will go and the size of the largest doorway available to you, since the furniture item will have to enter somehow or other.

Bid only with all information in hand. Whether this comes from the listing itself or from the communication with the seller, be sure not only that you have multiple photos of the piece from multiple angles in hand, but that you also have information on condition, materials, workmanship, origin, dimensions and weight, and history. If you can’t get each and every one of these, think twice about placing a bid, since you are likely either to run into trouble or to be disappointed.

Consider buying local-only. If you’re unsure about whether or not you want to have to deal with the difficulties and costs that arise as a result of shipping furniture items, consider using eBay’s advanced search tool (or the narrow your search tool on the left-hand side of any search results page) to find items that are near you, so that you can pick them up in person, rather than having to ship them over long distances through third party carreirs.

Be prepared for the shipping cost.

Make careful note of the shipping costs involved and if none are stated, be sure to communicate with your seller beforehand so that you’re aware of what they are. Costs for shipping furniture can quickly run into hundreds or even thousands of dollars, particularly with insurance, which is generally essential, since furniture is easily damaged in shipment.

Think about using escrow for payment. If the item is very expensive and/or will take a long time to ship or arrive because of the shipment method(s) involved, consider using escrow to ensure that everyone is satisfied with the transaction.

Make arrangements and be ready for the item’s arrival. Because of the sizable nature of most furniture items, shipment and delivery are likely to be somewhat involved. Prepare your area beforehand to minimize the number of obstacles present as the item is wheeled in and make arrangements in advance to be there as this occurs so that you can direct the action.

Make immediate and careful inspection in the presence of the shipper. Don’t let the deliveryperson leave until you have carefully inspected the item and compared any damage or flaws that you found against the list provided by your seller. If damage has occurred in shipment as the result of handling by the shipper, your ability to make a claim depends on your notifying the deliveryperson at the time of delivery that damage has occured—usually accompanied by one or several forms that you will need to fill out in order to make a claim.

Though these tips don’t guarantee that you’ll have a good experience buying furniture on eBay! , ignoring one or many of them is likely to ensure that you’ll have a bad experience. The most important thing for you to keep in mind as you buy furniture on eBay! is that it is up to you in a complex transaction of this sort to be diligent and to ensure that you are satisfied and protected at every step along the way.

Blog Editor's Note: I personally purchased a modern two-piece sectional sofa from eBay! The transaction went smoothly, I received the item directly from the manufacturer and saved money, and I love the sofa. It's exactly what I wanted for the space. Happy ending! eBay!

Online auctions may sell tainted health and beauty products

2008-02-29T10:57:00.000-08:00

from Roanoke.com

I can’t recall purchasing many health and beauty items from online eBay! , but if you have, heed a recent warning from the National Retail Federation. The industry group says that some common household items sold on online auction sites have been stolen and tainted. Retail crime rings often steal these items to resell for a profit. But they may not keep them in temperature-controlled environments, so the merchandise is in danger of spoiling. This warning comes after a bust of an organized retail crime ring in Florida. The ring stole more than $100 million in health and beauty supplies over five years. To keep from encountering these products, buy health and beauty items from legitimate retailers, inside stores or on a company’s Website, the NRF says. Read on to see a list of some of the top health and beauty products stolen and resold by criminals.

Abreva
Advil
Aleve
Benadryl
Braun toothbrushes and replacement heads
Claritin
Cover Girl cosmetics
Crest Whitestrips
Diabetic testing strips
e.p.t. pregnancy tests
Gillette MACH3, Venus and Sensor razors and refill cartridges
Lotrimin
Nicorette
Oil of Olay
Oral B replacement heads
Pepcid AC
Prilosec
Primatene
RoC
Rogaine
Similac
Sudafed
Schick Quattro razors and all Schick refill cartridges
Sonicare replacements heads
Tylenol Extra Strength
Visine
Zantac