fashion disaster - where is waldo?

Ok, another one where you decide...

A cold February day in New York.

Can you spot the fashion disaster???

oscar winner fashion... what happened?

I am a little upset, as I usually am when one of my strongest convictions is proved wrong by undeniable facts.

Like when, after having loved him from 1984, I finally got to go to a Duran Duran concert in 2003 and see Simon Le Bon. And realized how gay he really was!

This time it's the Oscars that destroyed another one of my secret convictions: "Fashion designers know who's going to win the Best Actress' Oscar. And they make sure she will outshine everyone else that year!"

Case in point:

Pretty in Pink, Gwyneth Paltrow wins in 1999.

Gorgeous Julia Roberts, wins in 2001.

Stunning Halle Berry, wins in 2002.

Kate Winslet, wins in 2009, but...???

fashion disaster - yellow fur

For as hard as I try, I can't think of any animal that comes with bright yellow and green fur...

and fire red hair...

Hmm... anybody?

barbie on the runway

New York is in Fashion Week mode once again. For some reason, I always get more excited about fashion week during summertime, while when February rolls around, I'm too cold to get out there and run around, from show to show. I'm ok with looking at the pictures taken by someone else.

The one show that got me interested this season was the Barbie 50th Anniversary fashion show. Barbie is always been an inspiration to me, ever since I was a little girl, and she has even been featured on NY Spender in the past.

This year, to celebrate her, 50 fashion designers have created one-of-a-kind adult size creations inspired by her, and presented them at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week on February 14th.

I have mixed feelings about the results, because while some outfits really hit the mark, other ones were really bad. Take a look for yourself:

Very Barbie

My Barbie never had such a slutty bathing suit!

Hit.

This is what Barbie's grandmother wears.

Hit!!!

Totally Barbie!
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Pictures courtesy of Couturture.

last minute valentine's day presents for her

Happy Valentine's Day! :)

Yeah, yeah, I know lots of people don't like this day because they say it takes spontaneity out of romance. And because it has the power of driving up the price of a dozen roses to the roof...

So this year is not going to be about buying and spending on Valentine's Day, but quite the opposite: being thoughtful and romantic without breaking the bank.

And considering this post is going up on Valentine's Day, there is no time to go out and buy something, there is no time to order something online and have it delivered... so what can you do and still be romantic?

For starters, why not print her an online love coupon? All you need is a printer. Or you could even make one yourself.

Do something crazy. If there is something that she always wanted to do (say go out dancing) and you were never into dancing, this one time surprise her! Show her that you love her so much that you are willing to put on your dancing shoes and make a fool out of yourself! ;)

Spend the day paying extra attention to her, and shower her with cuddles and kisses.

If you still want to spend some money, you could pick an online gift certificate from one of her favorite stores. Just find one that lets you print the coupon immediately, instead of waiting for it in the mail (Amazon, Macy's, Bliss Spa, iTunes, are some of the stores that let you print their certificates on the spot). But make sure to couple the certificate with other romantic gestures; the gift certificate alone doesn't scream "romantic", more like "convenient".

For more tips, check out these great frugal ideas from Lazy Man and Money.
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here we go again!

I was reading the paper and saw this Coach advertisement.

The pink bag is just too adorable!

Even the white one is not too shabby.

But I do prefer the pink one.

There is a lot of pink in the air these days here at the Spender's quarters (but that's another post, coming soon)...

I was thinking this bag is perfect for spring and could double as a pretty (expensive) diaper bag as well... (as already mentioned, post about that coming soon...)

So I looked online, but I couldn't find this Madison bag in pink. The closest color they had was a much darker magenta.

I called their 800 number and asked which store in NY had it.

No store in NY had it!

What? Why not?

Then the lady informed me that I could buy it through her on the phone.

I don't understand why this bag is prominently advertised in a NY newspaper, and then it's impossible to buy online or in a store?

What a mystery...

Since I wasn't ready to buy the bag just yet, I didn't.

I mean where is the fun?

If I bought it right away, I would miss going through my usual few weeks of agony wondering if I should spend $450 on a bag, especially now, when the economy makes me feel like I shouldn't even be looking at bags and I should be grateful that I own the ones that I own...

As usual, I'll keep you posted.
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finally a real natural brand: cargo plantlove

I'm sure you've noticed how many beauty brands have been going green lately, with labels like "eco-friendly" and "recycled packaging" plastered all over the products.

The thing I've always found crazy is the fact that these products go out of their way to be good to the planet, yet, they are still packed with toxic ingredients for us, the users.

They say ignorance is bliss, and sometimes it's true, because once you learn about ingredients like parabens and phthalates, your love for cosmetics and creams and perfumes gets a little tainted.

Some people will tell you that this is all alarmism for nothing, but I say that since I've learned about these ingredients, anytime I can find a safer alternative I always prefer it over the "poisoned" product.

Now, I'm not going to sit here and point fingers at this brand or at that brand, I'll leave that up to you: just go through your makeup and creams and read the ingredients, and try to find one product that is both phthalates and parabens free.

What I will do is tell you about one brand that is trying to do the right thing, both for the planet and for us, makeup users: Cargo.

Their new eco-chic makeup line, PlantLove is 100% natural.

Not only are the cases eco-friendly, made from a polymer derived entirely from corn and the boxes made from 100% post-consumer waste, what's great is that these products are free of all those toxic ingredients mentioned above: no parabens, no phthalates, no petrochemicals, no synthetic dyes, no fragrances.

I own a few plantLove eye shadows and they have replaced all my other "non-natural" eye shadows.

For as much as I love my older shadows, I just can't get myself to use them anymore. And that also thanks to the fact that these Cargo eye shadows have great staying power and beautiful color selection.

They won't feel any different from any other shadow you've used before, and in the long run, your body will thank you for the reduction in toxicity you will expose it to.

I'm planning on trying more products from PlantLove, and I will definitely keep you updated when I do. In the meantime, take a look at how cute the whole line is: Cargo PlantLove.
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twisted silver romance bracelet giveaway

It's not Valentine's Day without hearts! ;)

And NY Spender is happy to partner once again with Twisted Silver to send a lucky reader this gorgeous Romance bracelet:

A brass bangle with a jimgly cluster of heart charms!

Rules to enter the contest are easy:

Visit Twisted Silver and pick a design that you would email to your Mr. Man as a not-so-subtle Valentine's Day hint.

Then come back here to NY Spender and post it in the comments.

Contest ends Monday, February 9th at 3PM EST. Winner will be randomly picked and announced at 4PM.

Good luck!!! :)

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And the WINNER is... ERIN C!!! Congratulations! :)

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fashion disaster: out with the old

I understand this bad economy can be scary.

And I understand that you want to save as much money as possible, and not spend it unnecessarily.

But people, there comes a time when you have to give in and buy new clothes!

This woman on the left had a nice coat with TWO BIG WHITE HOLES in it. Not one hole. Two holes.

And not even small, tiny holes, nope, it looked like a small feline had taken hold of her coat, and bitten off the missing parts.

This lady on the right, instead, needs new boots.

It's not too clear in the picture, but the tip of her boot is almost white compared to the rest of the originally brown colored boot.

And no, these were not homeless women.

Just careless... and disastrous! ;)