FNO tomorrow!

Originally created a few years ago to help attract consumers back into the stores during the gloom of the recession, Fashions Night Out has become bigger and better than ever! It truly has expanded to nearly every big retail store in the NYC area. There are so many different events happening it really is a difficult decision but I am excited that my office is only blocks from the 59th street flagship Bloomingdales so what will be in store for me? (no pun intended)



Rachel Zoe will be there around 6:30pm and she just launched a new line so that will be interesting. I also love love love MILLY (designer Michelle Smith) partnering with Clinique debuting Fall beauty must-haves. A few blocks away - I heart NY: Barneys will be donating 10% of proceeds to the National September 11th Memorial & Museum. Wow, cannot believe that is just around the corner too.

Haven't decided what to do, check out the website and get excited!

Fashions Night Out

Business Cards: old fashioned or highly effective?

I recently got business cards printed at work and I must admit I still love them. To me, a business card is more than just a little card with contact info on it. I think a business card is a powerful way to provide communication between people who may be good to network with, keep in touch with and/or help you professionally.

In Asian countries, the exchange of business cards is almost a sacred act. One must look at the card, read the details and treat it with the utmost respect (basically you wouldn't want to be caught dead writing on it or putting it in your pocket).

However, with technology becoming such an important part of the business world I can't help but think that business cards are becoming more and more obsolete. When I send an e-mail, all the information on my business card is attached in my signature. When I read the Little Red Book of Selling the book suggested that each time you hand out your card, you should have a wow factor - whether it be a bright color, an embossed logo or some sort of unique symbol that stands out. In the future business cards may change form but I will still cherish them for now.

Shopping Spree Alert!

Just enter your e-mail address and zip to view private sample sale!


Kate Spade

Nail polish sites that rock

Have you ever wondered where to find pictures of what nail polish colors actually look like on actual nails? Have you ever wanted to know what the "hottest" new color is? Have you ever felt like you need some creative inspiration when doing your nails? Well, I recently discovered 2 awesome new websites that will rock your world.



1) All Lacquered Up - Founded by Michelle in 2007 it started as a creative escape but has managed to rake in over 3.5M unique readers. You go girl!

All Lacquered Up


2) The Daily Nail - It was started as a concept to literally do 365 different manicures in 365 days back in 2010. Once you visit this site, it will put your local "nail art" at a nail saloon to shame. This girl is a true artist and some of the nail creations are literally works of art. I don't think I could get away with half of them in the office but they really are fun!

The Daily Nail

Seriously, can Uncle Sam repay its loans?

With so much going on in the news over the past few weeks, I've decided that I wanted to make sure I understood what exactly was going on when I heard that the U.S. credit rating was downgraded. Luckily I got this really great e-mail from DailyWorth that happened to explain it and answer questions. Here are some of the tidbits:

What is a “downgrade” exactly? It’s similar to when your credit score takes a hit; lenders question whether you’re going to repay your debts.

Similarly, the credit rating of the U.S. was knocked down from AAA to AA+ by Standard & Poor’s, a credit rating agency. That downgrade sends a signal that maybe the U.S. will be less reliable in paying back its debts.

What U.S. debt are you talking about? Mortgage debt? No, consumer debt and government debt work differently. You might take out a car loan, and agree to pay it back at, say, 7%.

U.S. debt is considered an investment. Investors (e.g. you, your mom, China) loan money to Uncle Sam in the form of government bonds (including U.S savings bonds, Treasury bills, notes and bonds)—and Uncle Sam agrees to pay back that debt, depending on its maturity, at a certain interest rate.

Now the downgrade is raising a question, for the first time in financial history: Can Uncle Sam repay its loans?

This is a historic event and will have a huge impact on the future of America. It will be very interesting to see how the stock market reacts. Overall, it might just be a good time to take advantage of low prices and good interest rates!

Shopping Spree Alert!

Barney's warehouse sale starts August 25th!

Robots are coming to a home near you

Today I read an article in National Geographic that talks about how robots are in the future and how even though they have come a long way there's still more room for evolution. In parts of Asia, there are robots that are designed to help out in the house and perhaps one day they may even be incorporated in every day life (babysitting children, caring for elders or doing household chores).



In the picture, the robots are made to complete tasks such as delivering toast to a human. Yet, the army already uses robots to fire bullets or hurl grenades. I am very open to new technology but it is strange to think of a world where we may not be able to distinguish the true differences. Movies like iRobot sort of remind me that we have already began to invent machines that are interactive and able to mimic human thoughts, movements and feelings etc. How much longer until that line will be blurred between human and bot?

The article mentions the Roomba vacuum which is basically a robotic vacuum that memorizes where doors are corners are and automatically cleans your house or apartment based on the mapping of the space. So, is Rosie from the Jetsons a reality?