LEARN TO KNIT New York: Knit New York 10am-9pm Mon-Fri; 10am-8pm Weekends 307 East 14t St.(btw 1st and 2nd Ave.) New York, NY 10003 212.387.0707 info@knitnewyork.com knit new york is a coffee shop and knitting store all in one. so that means no more knitting at starbucks! Knit offers a full selection of coffee/espresso and tea beverages, baked goods, and of course loads and loads of beautiful yarns and knitting supplies. Directions via subway: Take the N/R/4/5/6 Train to Union Square(We are 2 Avenues East of Union Sq.) or L to 1st or 3rd Ave Classes: Sox & Lox $125 (supplies & brunch included) We don't call it "Sox & Lox" for nothing! This fun class starts with bagels, lox and juice before we get knitting on our cozy slipper socks. You will receive double pointed needles, enough yarn for two socks, and will finish the second on your own at home. Spend your next Sunday morning brunch with us here Knit New York! Prereq: Ability to knit and purl and rib. Experience knitting in the round helpful. 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Sunday Mornings I Want To Learn How to Knit 101* (One of a three-part series) - $75.00 supplies inc. You will learn to cast-on, knit, decrease for shaping and sew a seam. And you'll walk away with a super simple and super cool hat in one class. Prereq:none *You may sign up for each of these beginning level classes separately or sign up for all three for $200.00-a $25.00 savings 6:30-8:30pm One evening Tuesdays January 3 & January 10 Thursdays January 5 & January 12 I Am Ready To Purl 102* (Two of a three-part series) - $75.00 supplies inc. It's time to get busy purling, ribbing, and working fun pattern stitches. Plus yarn to make a scarf to go with the hat you made in I Want To Learn How to Knit 101.* Prereq: Cast -on and knit stitch *You may sign up for each if these beginning level classes seperately or sign up for all three for $200.00- a $25.00 savings. 6:30pm-8:30pm One evening Wednesday January 4 Three's a Charm 103* (Three of a three-part series) - $75.00 supplies inc.We incorpoate all the skills learned in classes 101 and 102. Plus we add in some more tricks to spice it up. We will continue to build your confidence by following a commercial pattern to make beautiful embellishments. 6:30pm-8:30pm One evening Wednesday January 11 Also check out Downtown Yarns for other classes and for knitting supplies. or call: (212-995-5991) Chicago: Knit 1 3823 North Lincoln Avenue (btw Grace Street and Berenice Avenue) 773-244-1646 http://www.knit1chgo.com Knit 1 classes: Beginning Knitting This 4 part class will teach you the basics of knitting to make your very own scarf. Materials included. $120 Group 1 begins Tues Dec 6th, 6:30 - 8:30pm Group 2 begins Tues Jan 3rd, 6:30 - 8:30pm Group 3 begins Sat Jan 7th, 10 - noon Group 4 begins Mon Jan 16th, 6:00 - 8:00pm Advanced Beginner Classes Every Wednesday 6:30 - 8:30pm This open ended class will teach you a different technique and work with you on your projects to get you beyond knitting scarves. $30 per 2hr session / 5 sessions $100 Open Crochet Study Every Thursday 6:30 - 8:30pm This open ended class will teach you the basics or get you started on a more advanced project. Please notify the store at least a day in advance to reserve space. Materials available at Knit 1. $30 per 2hr session / 5 sessions $100 other ny knitting stores: New York Gotta Knit 498 Sixth Ave, 2nd Floor 212-989-3030 New York Knitting 321321 East 75th St. 212-772-2020 New York The Point 37A Bedford St. 212-929-0800 New York Purl 137 Sullivan Street 212-420-8796 New York School Products Co., Inc. 212-679-3516 New York Seaport Yarn135 William Street 5th Floor 212-608-3100 New York String1015 Madison Avenue 212-288-9276 New York The Lion & The Lamb 212-876-4303 New York Wool Gatherings 212-734-4747 New York Yarn Company 212-787-7878 New York Yarn Connection 212-684-5099 Long Island: Port Jefferson Knitting Cove 218 East Main Street 516-473-2121

2005 A Year In Review at the end of each year and the beginning of the next it has become customary to list some highlights (& sometimes lowlights) of the year. to be honest, i really find this type of documentation is always interesting to look back on as it allows you to see the popular movies, the style trends, the bestselling music, political events, celebrity arrests, marriages, breakups, rehab stints, births etc., and technological innovations for any particular year. i always like to do this for myself in my journal: life events, the price of a postage stamp, a movie ticket, a can of soda, subway fare, a pair of jeans, type of camera/computer i currently use--these are things that evolve and change over time and could actually be interesting looking back on them in years to come. i usually include some news clippings or something to highlight the year. you always think you're going to remember but it is soo easy to forget these things. One of the most comprehensive resources on the web that i have found for the year 2005 in review is on the blog fimoculous, as the author has compiled links to the top movies, art articles, news links, the top quotes of the year, celebrity info. a lot of the material is incredibly funny and there are links to sources i would never have thought of checking! check it out: fimoculous year 2005 in review melanie's 2005 in review: this past february my boyfriend & I celebrated being together for 2 years (i can't believe he has put up with me after all this time! haha! 3 years feb. 2006! WHAT!?) bought my beagle sophie with my boyfriend (she was born in march) attended my five year hs reunion moved to new york from chicago with my boyfriend obtained position with manhattan law firm saw my little brother get married ( & to think i never in a million years would have guessed that he would get married before me!) went back to lfc for homecoming(the first time since graduating) endured the terrible and still painful (my poor feetsies) nyc transit strike sooo not that eventful but a lot of changes nonetheless!! price of postage stamp: $0.37 price of 1 can of soda: $0.85-$1.19 nyc i wrote a blog about this...sad sad sad world we live in price of subway fare: $1.75 chicago $2.00 nyc price of 1 pair of jeans: $150 + unless you can grab a pair at the gap for $60 yea and that is if you're lucky! price of 1 movie ticket: $10.00--um i don't actually pay this that is what the boy is for but i'm guessing it is this much! (i might edit this over the weekend!) computer: 12 inch ibook G3 800MHZ OSX4 512 MB memory-- 3 years old camera: Canon PowerShot3D 4 megapixels & Canon Sure Shot 115U

SAVE BARBIE!!! STOP THE TORTURE! a recent study found that barbie torture is extremely common among girls. gasp! who would do such a thing?! i can't even imagine! i adore barbie (she is only one of the original platinum blondes!) i've come to the conclusion that only an evil & vile child would do such a thing. Agnes Nairn, one of the University of Bath researchers had this to say: "The girls we spoke to see Barbie torture as a legitimate play activity, and see the torture as a 'cool' activity. The types of mutilation are varied and creative, and range from removing the hair to decapitation, burning, breaking and even microwaving." all of my barbies were in pristine conditions; their hair perfectly done, their accessories and outfits perfectly coordinated, her house, camper, pool, convertible, all well kept. sure boys blow up their gi joes with fire crackers and stuff but that is WAR (as my uncle pointed out to me) that is what gi joes do...they fight wars. something just isn't right in the world if barbie isn't safe. stop the violence! Here is the article that appeared in the London Times detailing the results of this so-called study! London Times article "Barbarism begins with Barbie, the doll children love to hate" Websites condoning such torture! (WARNING: VIOLENT PHOTOS LIE AHEAD)

my scarf that my aunt pam knitted for me for xmas is a big hit in the office today... all the girls want to know if i made it...(haha is it bad that i want to take credit for it?) haha but thankfully my aunt pam gave me all the yarn info (it is from Uruguay etc. etc. and all the ladies in the office want to try to make it....) haha i think i might start a fashion trend at the law firm! everyone rockin' the flower scarf... i have also worn it as a belt/sash and it looks really cool but today just as a scarf. (today is the first day i've worn it to work!) i'll post pics later if any of you knitting nancys want to try to replicate it!

my eyes hurt from all the rolling... is this guy serious!? k-fed, my girl britney's husband, has launched his very own website: kevinfederline.com what a joke! the opening flash is a montage of tabloid headlines with k-fed rappin' in the background "Keep messin' with my family and you're through," and then follows with this message: "now that i have your full attention: NEVER judge a book by it's cover." and by cover i'm sure he means: (his abandoned pregnant girlfriend Shar Jackson--he left to be with Brit), his other two children, his non-stop late night partying, his out-of-control spending habits (you would think he had money of his own), his "wife beater" tank, white socks with thong sandals look, his cornrows, his cigarette hanging out of his mouth at all times, his ponytail, etc. etc.) Kevin's first single, "PopoZao," (can i just say WTF?) will be released on music.yahoo.com at midnight PST on January 1st. and his album, "the truth" is expected to drop sometime in the new year! Something to look forward to I suppose...at least you know you're guaranteeed one good laugh in 2006! kevin's myspace: www.myspace.com/kevinfederlineforreal being a good wifey britney gave a shout out to her hubby on her own site: britneyspears.com "Hey, fans, Kevin's Website is now live! Make sure and check it out today!! Love, Britney." awww isn't that sweet? now can i please direct britney and everyone else to please visit: divorcekevin.com so we can put an end to this madness!!!...

thinking spring fling for 2006: most excited about the shoes...stacked heels and wedges especially! marc jacobs neutral wedge $225 jcrew gold lyla slides $88 (the ones i desparately wanted last year but they sold out!) woven platform slides BCBG Max Azria $185 the shoe i want in every color and i swear i would find a way to wear them each every day! YSL beige(neutral is so in) wedge $480 again in brown @ saks YSL orange velvet wedges $450 valentino flower thong miu miu denim pump $370 i love the bow!!! obsessed with these shoes! michael kors wedge the perfect addition to my personal 'resort wear' collection gucci mid heel slide gucci high heel from the cruise collection gucci gold platform sandal...pulling out all the stops! obsessed with this shoe! gucci flat thong sandal chloe stacked pump $600 jcrew blyth printed espadrilles $118 love the floral print carrie thong banana republic $68 (they look like the valentino ones right?! :() metallic gold flats jcrew...i will wear these into the ground just as i did my banana republic metallic flats...ooo and these are way way cuter...watch out! tiered dresses & tops: tiered chiffon dress in black $150 jcrew.com tiered chiffon cami @ jcrew tiered black polk-a-dot marc jacobs dress...a little juvenile and i'm not a huge fan of polk-a-dots so you would think i wouldn't like it but somehow i do...i can't explain it... black tiered dress with beading @ neiman marcus my neverending obsession; sunglasses: chanel sketch--my staple is chanel i will be purchasing the c501187 in black sometime in 2006! oliver peoples athena in black marc jacobs sunglasses grecian inspired looks: abaete moby top $296 letrainblue i love the rope detail and of course the use of white & gold. large bags: marc jacobs blue leather tote $398 marc jacobs bag andrea brueckner large saddle bag in black bulga studded bag $485 the best jeans: AG angel jeans $224 in the radiant wash... they will be the perfect replacement for my light light AG Angel jeans that are now a little too big and have a whole in the leg...upper thigh region that i'm afraid is going to tear around to the back so my rear is exposed (not a good look) the only thing that makes me hesitatant (well hello $224 can do it but the fact that they say to size up...ummm no, i don't do that... the verdict is still out on these ones!!! cool clutch: grace clutch golden blue $285 cool belts: claude belt motif $145 janna belt brown suede kudra amy dilamarra lola belt chocolate motif $145 cosmetic bag: burberry metallic cosmetics bag perfect addition to my new large carry all the accessories: gold double wrap watch $75 @ girlshop laura goulas red and pink coral bracelet...nothing screams warm weather like coral black cuff $225 bettina osmena bettina osmena bijux gold cuff tiffany rectangle bracelet wire bracelett tiffany oval stone cocktail ring banana republic $37 looks way more expensive than what it is cute hat waiching vaga bond hat $74 virgin threads undergarments: chantille lace aza leasnyc $90 kara janx map boy shorts $18 the every day basics: bolero 12th street cynthia vincent now $137 c&c california top a staple in my closet sparkle cardigans: sparkle daisy cardigan jcrew sailor capris: sailor capris from the gap sweetees holiday gift set $276 @ girlshop...i want this because it is my everyday spring style...i need it! ummm jan 10th is fast approaching!!! happy birthday to me! a common thread striped silk cami $174...adore it! available @ sunwalters banana republic chain halter $54...good every day basic the chain makes it less boring banana republic cotton godet skirt $58 alice + olivia halter & pants in love with this halter with the white pants.... i sooo need it rebecca taylor white blouse with capris i love the white blouse trend... burberry trench for the ugly rainy days. the dresses: night day every day... love love love zac posen lemon striped dress...note to self: see if ryan can't get one of these whipped up @ the house of z for you at a discount or something!!! prada dress missoni viscose & wool mini dress! love at first sight milly dress--i love the color, i love the print, and i love the long flowing style michael kors printed dress larok beaded tunic dress $219 @ girlshop larok beaded slip dress $259 @ girlshop.com banana republic black dress...i have been eyeing this for a while sweeteees $54 strapless dress for everyday wraps/scarfs: susana monaco wrap $178 pucci scarf @ bergdorf goodman--i adore the bright colors lily mcneal shawl $230 jcrew cashmere wrap in "snow" swimwear: burrberry classic bikini can't go wrong with this one! milly bikini @ bergdorf goodman

cocktail hour the search is ON for the best cocktail ring jane diaz moonstone ring $90 jane diaz carnelian ring $80 icrc026m by victoria marin $98 bijux cocktail ring nava zahavi amethyst ring $650 rachel leigh stone cluster ring $176 amethyst stone ring @ anthropologie adina class ring @ shopbop.com

how charming i adore the charm bracelet/necklace trend...especially when it includes the heart & key. the following are some of my favorites some are on the classic side and others are all out trendy. i would love some of these additions for my new jewelry box: made her think key charmed 16" necklace $275 @ shopjake.com jane diaz silver heart key charm necklace $62: estella charm necklace $228 @ anthropologie patchnyc $84 available @ twistonline me & ro gold lotus heart necklace $162 available @ twistonline made her think rosary 22" necklace $280 available @ Jake Chicago shopjake.com Jessica Elliot Antique Key Necklace $100 @ shopintuition.com: dogearred key to my heart necklace $52 @ twistonline.com not a charm necklace but i love it all the same! jane hollinger allison necklace $304 @ twistonline.com tiffany sea charm bracelet tiffany "hearts" necklace in platinum tiffany heart & key charm bracelet in platinum tiffany silver charm bracelet with colored charms (i love the colors!) tiffany yellow gold charm bracelet with colored charms tiffany classic charm bracelet $425 v. girly=love it! Lee Angel Flower and Bead Bracelet $194 @ twistonline.com more from twistonline: beth orduna wood charm bracelet $396: beth orduna pearl charm necklace $165: beth orduna $188 charm necklace: alexis bittar $188 bracelet: alexis bittar $242 pink tourmaltine bracelet: alexis bittar charm bracelet $188: jeanine payer ruby heart necklace $330: me & ro flower trinket necklace $84: me & ro trinket necklace $142: me & ro peace disc bracelet $344: more from anthropologie: gumball bracelet $128: the collector bracelet $198: the garden sprite bracelet $178: glass cameo bracelet $348: covered button bracelet $148: other non-charms that are equally charming: filigree flower necklace $108 by soixante neuf @ pinkmascara.com kristin laing necklace $74 @ virginthreads.com: dana roth definition necklace $70:

evaluation day @ work...du du duuuuu{scary music} you know this is the first time in a meeting with my boss where i wasn't afraid of getting canned trump style-- "ya fired" i wasn't expecting anything bad, just a two way convo. i was, however, surprised by a few things: i actually got a raise! (equivalent to one: marc jacobs bag i received numerous compliments on my performance, my favorite was that i was more capabilities than my current job requires haha gotta love that...promote me! oh and i was told i had a good idea (one of my answers to the how can "we" improve questions is actually going to be implemented! what me, have a good idea?! --now that is virtually unheard of! and most importantly i wasn't fired! time for celebration retail therapy style!!! photo: milton from office space, one of my christmas holiday gifts from the bf

i hope everyone had a merry christmas happy holiday... or better yet, a merry chrismukkah. my christmas holiday was a lot of fun. i took some great photos of my nephew baby j. i hope to get them posted on my homepage this evening. i think my boyfriend was impressed with my photography skills. i should take a class or something because i love it sooo much much much. sophie was staying @ our neighbors while i was back in the IA and my boyfriend was in boston. she came back just as tired as we were(i crashed at 8pm last night)...apparently it was a non-stop play date that involved constant love, attention, and lots and lots of fetch & tug of war...she looks skinnier too me for some reason but it might be because i was with my julie aka "bearo", chloe, and haylee aka "mini puppy" who are bigger than sophie mini puppy weighs less but it is because she has a "minor" eating disorder like ashlee simpson confesses she had back in the day in January 2006's Cosmo (I read it on the plane). anyway, sophie just cuddled up to me and we napped together and i just thought how lucky i was to have a snuggly pup...now let's see how long that lasts because i have a feeling she will be back to her devilish self tonight! highlights of my holiday: seeing my mommy/sissy/baby j/& rest of fam aren't they the cutest???!! (my nephew is on the left, my cousin's little boy on the right): seeing my friend from hs, ally, and her little boy, dylan who is by the way, the cutest thing ever...he is a ham...example: he took baby jesus from the nativity scene and replaced him with his own toys...don't be alarmed an amber alert has been issued for baby jesus. receiving the most beautiful pearl necklace from my boyfriend!!! i love it!--and YES it is a "whole strand"! WTF! one of my friend's asked me that very question, at first i was just confused, when i told my boyfriend he was OFFENDED, because he IS NOT AT ALL a "build-a-pearl" type of guy... they are mikimoto pearls thank you very much. receiving the coolest handknit scarf from my aunt that i want to wear every day receiving an ipod alarm clock, red speakers for my laptop, a silent eyelet setter from my madre, a new printer, and a handmade quilt from my grandma that is actually for my birthday (jan 10th!) giving my mom the drawing i slaved away on for hours to finish. i can't wait to see it framed!!! giving my dad the weather clock that was a big hit...he honestly should have been a meteorologist receiving madden '06 from my brother!! & tony hawk from my mom & chris i love it!!! i saw an old lady on the train playing gameboy and my boyfriend and i made fun of her...honestly if i had a handheld game system that would be me... i'm such a technology/video game dork it is embarrassing.

January '06 Vogue featuring Sienna Miller Here are the shots from the latest Vogue and Sienna Miller, who is currently shooting Factory Girl here in New York, is looking fabulous in each one. Every single one of these photos she is undeniably posing as Edie Sedgwick, her character in Factory girl. The transformation is intriguing, and Sienna Miller is gorgeous in every shot. I don't LOVE her new hair and I hope that she will go back to her old locks after this transformation into Edie Sedgwick is complete. I also find it disturbing that she finds it necessary to lose weight for this role. She describes Edie as "scary skinny" as most drug addicts usually are and says that to make the transformation complete she needs to "go there" dispite the director stating that she need not lose any weight. Overall she seems like any other 23 year old girl having the time of her life, she is beautiful and has an amazing sense of style. my favorite number 1: my favorite number 2: my favorite number 3: my favorite number 4: the photos of edie sedgwick that i'm sure influenced the Vogue photo shoot:

coffee shop recommendation from the boy: brown cup 334 8th Ave btw 25th & 26th street 212-675-7765 according to him they make a mean hazelnut latte that is just "ridiculous" & the food looks wicked good, although he didn't order anything. he said the ambiance was great-- the guy behind the counter knew his customers by name, and had their orders programmed in his mind so that upon seeing them walk in the door he could start making their drinks straight away. (always a nice perk when you come in every morning in a rush!) he also mentioned that the coffee shop is quote: "full of beautiful people...including me." awww he is so modest. **i'll have to check it out. again once the subways are up & running (which thank god it should be soon!). i don't wander far from 53rd street these days! :(

if the transit strike ever ends... i will stop by the new Mick Margo store that recently opened @ 19 Commerce St. near Seventh Ave 212-463-0515 & will pick up Alongside Fins Denim, Cacharel, Lauren Moffatt, Lulu Frost & vintage thirties jewelry...because with all this walking i've been doing i deserve a new outfit!? right?! & will take advantage of these upcoming sales: Butter 12/21–1/15 (Mon.–Sat. noon–7pm; Sun. noon–6pm) 389 Atlantic Ave., nr. Hoyt St., Boerum Hill, Brooklyn 718-260-9033 expect to find: items from the likes of Mayle, Marni, and Dries Van Noten marked down by 30 to 50%. L’Occitane 12/26–1/25 For store locations and hours, call 888-623-2880. expect to find: bath and body products marked down by 20 to 75% off; the green-tea-with-mint candle is now $11.20! Room & Board 12/26–1/8 (Mon.–Sat. 11am–7pm; Sun. 11am–6pm) 105 Wooster St., nr. Prince St. 212-334-4343 expect to find: discontinued furniture and floor samples for 20 to 50% off

my logic board, myself yay, my ibook is back in my hands!!! {(cheering in the background!)} (previous posts: computer update & my motherboard, myself) it turns out all the matrix cia-esque scramble on my screen was due to my logic board failing. luckily my warranty covered all repairs and all of my files on my computer were salvaged. had my computer not been under warranty the repairs would have cost well over $500, so I actually got my money's worth as far as my warranty goes (it is up January 3rd!). For more info on Apple's Logic Board Repair Program go here. This most likely only applies to you if you are using a computer that is 3 or more years old. maybe, i'll think about buying a new computer in 2006, but until then i'm back with my love who i mistakenly referred to as "sophie" last night. "sophie" is my dog's name who i am severely attached to. but, that just goes to show you how much i love that damned computer. i renamed the computer "sophie the second" but that didn't quite make sense given that i've had the computer longer than i have miss sophia. I threw out some other names...since sophie's full name is "Sophia Loren" i suggested some other names "marilyn monroe" "grace kelly" only for them to be met with laughter. So I named my computer "Hannah". My friend Tricia used to babysit for two little girls Hannah & Sophie and "Hannah" was the eldest of the two so I thought it was appropriate. yea, i know i'm ridiculous, but i don't care because i have my "computa" back.

transit strike wow, transit strikes really make you appreciate rat infested subways don't they?! because, there is nothing like walking 20+ blocks in the freezing cold just to get to work. i always say work is over rated, and it is today more than ever. nonetheless, i am here workin' hard or hardly workin' (take your pick) thinking, "how the HELL am i going to get home in this mess??!!!" my ode to the subway: oh subway, how i love & miss you today i long for your pungent smell, the crazies rappin', sellin', beggin' back & forth through each car oh how i long for your touch--the slimy & grimy poles/handrails carrying with them the remains from sweaty palms oh what am i to do today without your furry rat friends scampering about the tracks? oh how i miss and long for all your lovely features: your lovely orange decor, the lovely poetry scrawled along your walls, the screeching sound you make as you rumble along the rails, how you jerk and lunge going through the tunnels. today i feel only a wave of nostalgia when i think of you oh subway... crowding into your cars, squeezing through your doors at the last second, sprinting down your stairs in my stilettos, gum sticking on my shoes, seat, and coffee staining my pant cuffs smelly men treating me as eye candy, oh how those days will be missed! oh the good times we have had all the days, all the nights the late late nights everyday to & fro but not today, but not today **photos: subway @ 34th my subway stop @ work 5th ave & 53rd, nyc subway map, & people walking/biking/roller skating accross the brooklyn bridge this morning (nytimes photo)...

the demise of mr. snowman

some background: every year my grandfather (hereafter referred to as Keith) takes great pride in his snowmen. i recall him making a mini snowman and somehow having it last all through the snow melt...i'm pretty sure we have a picture of him sitting next to his mini snowman (he built it on something that would allow it to be transported (possibly into a freezer))and in the background there is not a drop of ice or snow, in fact i think i recall seeing green grass, but i couldn't say for sure since i don't have the picture in front of me. anyway, he loves the snow. growing up, all it took was a few snowflakes and a coveted snow-day and he would be calling us kiddies out of bed employing us to assist him with his elaborate snow creations. once we were finished making our snowmen, women, and angels we would head over to carefully selected sledding locations that had been already been surveyed and were now accompanied by intricate maps of the fastest paths down each of the hills. I don't remember any statistics (record times, most falls, record distance etc.) accompanying these maps, but I wouldn't put it past him. so, now you understand why i found the email below to be so terribly disturbing! the demise of mr. snowman, a disturbing email from my grandmother: "Keith, Pam, Alice and Dan created a great snowman last weekend, complete with a carrot nose, top hat and bright red bow sash. Mr. Snowman stood happily in our yard until Wednesday morning. His charcoal eyes had been replaced with large red bottle caps due to minor snow melt, photos were made and distributed, and children smiled at him when they passed by. An individual driving a pre-1989 black Ford pickup into the yard on Wednesday morning, got out and tried to push Mr. Snowman over, only succeeding in knocking off his head. This individual then drove his truck around the block, entered the alley from the north and aimed his vehicle at the snowman and rammed the snow statue, effectively rendering him unrecognizable and in snow chunks. This individual proceeded to drive his Ford truck over the sad remnants left behind, over the sidewalk, into the yard and through the ditch to escape the wrath so imminently deserved by vicious vandals. This act was not committed by mischievous children, but by an individual who obviously possessed a driver's license and a four wheel drive truck. One could only hope that more sense and restraint is exercised on the highway." Mr. Snowman: The Good Times: My email response to my grandparents: Dear Grandma & Grandpa- I am terribly sorry for your loss. Mr. Snowman was a "jolly happy soul" that will always be in our hearts and our minds. I can only hope that the culprits of such a vicious and senseless crime will be brought to justice! Maybe next snow "Frosty the Cop" and his partner from the "snow k-9 force" will deter any future snow hate crimes. My deepest condolences go out to you during this difficult time. Yours Truly, Melanie If you have any information regarding these occurrences (it occured at 10 AM in the morning, seriously, who does that!!!) or would like to send your condolences please email me: at platinumblondelife5 {at} mac {dot} com!

fyi: one of my favorite online boutiques, virgin threads, is changing it's name & its site in 2006 to stars and infinite darkness --i will update the links section accordingly

j'adore vintage: sale alert Psyche's Tears Through 12/24 (Tues.-Sat. 1pm-8pm; Sun. 1pm-6pm). 350 E. 9th St., between First and Second Aves. 212-924-3190 expect to find: vintage gear on sale for 20 percent off; men's ties from the 1940's through the 1970's are $12 to $36.

"Treat Yourself Tuesday" Tuesday, December 20 from 5-8 pm With Special Guest Host Dylan Lauren Shop for last minute holidays irresistible indulgences and enjoy hot cocoa and sweets,designer appearances and trunk shows, and holiday music. Plus special amenities including complimentary hand massages by Spa Chicks On-The-Go while you wait your last minute gifts to be wrapped! (now that is what I call service!) Henri Bendel gift experts will be on hand to help you choose the perfect gifts for everyone on your holiday list. other items worth mentioning: 30% off cold weather hats, scarves and gloves. Take An Additional 20% Off the already-reduced price of fall and holiday designer and ready-to-wear collections. Dylan's Candy Bar holiday boutique, now open in Bendel's Atrium Bendel's Holiday Sweater Sale, featuring savings of up to 50% on 100% Scottish cashmere and merino wool sweaters in a rainbow of collectible colors. The Beauty Floor is newly rennovated and features Bendel's Skincare Shop and the L'Artisan Parfumeur Fragrance Boutique. For more information or to shop by phone, call 800-HBENDEL. Henri Bendel 712 Fifth Avenue at 56th Street

loving monica byrne baby doll chiffon dress with lace underlay in jade $1320 my favorite dress from her collection. love that she is from the midwest, and i have been loving the shorter hem lengths. note to self: must hit the gym to make sure my legs are up to par! Available @ Jump New York, NY 212-532-3730

ooo la la le train bleulove love love wood cuff $40 tank cinch corset suzannah cashmere dress $315 i love this retro style sparkel ballet flats $58 adorable i love the ankle straps...just what i need & affordable! pelle melle ruffle belt $98 --unique & girly but casual. daisy duke would approve i'm sure! prudence long dalia coat on sale for $369 (also available in a shorter length & in white)i adore the red color, the ruffle, and the side buttons. it is unlike anything i've ever seen. worth the money because it makes you look instantly polished over land and over sea sweater $148i love the buttons and the aysemmetrical look. the perfect sweater with jeans. olive jaime heels now $68 so cute and such a good deal something mischa barton would wear nicholas k beaded dress $325 misha grommet boots $90 i'm not sure i could pull this off with a skirt but they are so cute it makes you want to show them off... and the price makes it nearly immpossible to pass up the perfect little black dress mint dress $362 i love the neckline and how the sleeves fall grey ant studded jacket $189--I adore the detail on this jacket I would love to pair this up with a metallic belt (the ruffle own pictured above would do!) erotokritos blue suede wedge boot on sale for $219 love the color, love the detail, and love the richness of this look chiffon petal flower dress $189 pretty chiffon dress...everyone needs one! abaete moby top $296- the goddess look is in right now and i love it. look no further than the 3.1. phillip lim cotton dress $425 worn on the cover of Lucky magazine by Mena Suvari. if i was on project runway last night designing i would make barbie wear shoes just like this! bow & hot pink with a bright green mini dress! ooo la la so barbie! i love these! 78 bow heels in PINK my fave color!

holiday christmas party tonight is my holiday christmas party for work. why oh why did they schedule it on a thursday night...i don't know but, sadly, i will be missing chrismakuh! (yet another reminder that i need tivo!) I was a bit stressed out over what to wear to this party largely because my boyfriend and I have procrastinated with our dry cleaning. With his dress shirts (he has a trillion of them) and all of my stuff (a substantial amount) our bill is well over $100. It will be done on SATURDAY so I had to find something CLEAN in my closet to wear TODAY...hmmm there is no doubt my closet, while a disaster area, is always full regardless of how large my laundry pile is. (it really does seem like a never ending selection) but i always struggle with the definition of "business casual" i can wear jeans and heels and look better (well i always look better--i mean more "pulled together") than some of these people in their beat up khakis & polo shirts. in my law firm most people stay true to the conservative style of dress. Women flock to Ann Taylor & Banana Republic and such and the Men flock to Brooks Brothers & BR, or in many cases the Gap and Polo or Lacoste. I like to mix it up a bit so my wardrobe isn't boring. I dress pretty conservatively the way it is so I'm definitely not the one wearing halter tops to the office, but I will try to press the envelope with unconventional skirts, sweaters, and if i'm really lazy i'll try to wear cords with heals (it is as close as i can get to wearing jeans and i always get away with it!) So the struggle today was to find something that was holiday appropriate but something that would also be suited well in the office. I decided that since black pants were definitely not an option (dry cleaning) i would try to wear one of the new items i purchased at urban. i chose to wear the black lace trimmed 3/4 sleeve cardigan over a long black stretch lace camisole underneath (so a bit of black lace peeks out underneath) and a light red velvet skirt I purchased last year during a sale at anthropologie. I have worn the skirt to work before...it is kind of hard to explain but it has four chiffon ruffle inserts on the "corners" of the skirt to give it a feminine flare. It is really pretty, so I'm not really sure if my description is doing it justice. so I'm wearing the cardigan with the red skirt with black calvin klein pumps: lux lace edged cardigan from urban outfitters $68 front detail: back detail: very similar in color & style to the skirt i am currently wearing darling skirt $138 @ anthropologie & shoes similar to these steve madden "annabelle" pumps $73.95 so despite missing the o.c. tonight i am getting kind of excited for our christmas party. it is going to be held at the providence on 57th between 8th & 9th and should be a good time. hopefully i'll get some good gossip while i'm there. my holiday doesn't quite feel complete without a "secret santa" but my office isn't having one. I was really hoping I would snatch up the video ipod like the one "Michael" (Steve Carell's character) from NBC's "The Office" gave as his "secret santa" gift. I found today's "daily candy" especially amusing since I had office holiday antics on the brain: "secret santa seeks professional help"-daily candy everywhere edition my boyfriend's law firm was having a secret santa gift exchange until things got out of control. one of the girls demanded that the gifts remain completely anonymous meaning that you were not to reveal the name of your person at all costs. if you've ever participated in such an exchange in the workplace or in college you'll know it is pretty easy to figure out who has who...i mean, on the elevator up to work you can easily make a mental note of how your coworker wraps their gift. From there it is all about a simple process of elimination. you know who gives the crappy gifts, you know who the cheap skate is, you know who tries to show everyone up with their gifts, and you know who puts the most thought into their gifts...that is what secret santa is all about, right? Well, because of this the people in my boy's office told the girl she was being a bit ridiculous, so she responded that she didn't want to do it at all. Everyone rushed to find out the real reason why she all of the sudden decided she didn't want to participate, and when someone asked her, "Is it because you don't like who you got?." She quickly and quietly answered in the affirmative! My boyfriend knew instantly that it was him, so being a good sport, he told the others, you know what, I know she has my name and the easiest way is to take my name out, I don't care, I didn't want to do this anyways, so there aren't any feelings hurt and everyone is happy. Of course everyone refused to do that because they thought he was being ridiculous. They approached the girl privately and found out that she indeed did have his name. Everyone was shocked and stunned so they canceled the "secret santa". They all felt bad for him, not realizing that he honestly didn't care and it was no surprise to him that this girl had something against him. The funny thing is that same girl had the audacity to ask why the others why they weren't doing the secret santa anymore after she had single handedly brought it down. The girl is clearly immature and unprofessional, but i think the story is probably not all that uncommon. I also find the story to be particularly amusing given the fact that my boyfriend is probably the nicest person ever! (i know that sounds biased but seriously it is true!) He brings coffee, chocolate, and apple cider to the people in his office all the time on a whim just to be a nice guy.(trust me sometimes i get jealous that he works downtown & i work in midtown. my theory is that this girl really just thinks there is an ulterior motive behind his gestures. I think her plan was to A)keep his name & B)not buy him a gift so he would be the only one without a gift and since it would be anonymous her thought process would be that it couldn't be traced back to her. Anyway, for the 3 years that I've known him, he has always been all about random acts of kindness so I really don't understand how you can't like a person like that. If you have other secret santa stories do share! It is office politics at its best.

adventures in urban on my lunch break i jetted over to urban on 59th & 3rd Ave (not the best selection but one that keeps me sane while i shop) i haven't physically been in the store for what feels like ages. i used to go to urban every single day because the urban outfitters in chicago was ridicously convienient for me just as the gap was. now i have to haul my ass cross town to the closest ones or endure a massive headache at the ones downtown. i love their stuff so i will be visiting more frequently as long as there is no mta transit strike, because if that happens there is no way i'm hoofing it in the freezing ass cold to urban outfitters. anyhoo... ...these are my purchases: sparkle & fade sequin inset cami $28 i purchased one in charcoal lux pieced chiffon yoke shirt $58 purchased one in black...this shirt (in another color) was featured in January 2006 Lucky magazine. lux lace mesh top on sale $29.99 i purchased one in violet (not sure if i actually got it on sale in the store, but it's FREEZING & i'm NOT going back) **no it wasn't on sale @ the store so I went back today (thursday) and returned it (my boy didn't like it anyway, he said quote, "yea, you're selling it, but i'm not buying it" as i tried to convince him it was cute by showing him all the ways i could wear it. i still love it, so i might buy it in BLACK (oh god i'm becoming such a new yorker with all this black) online @ the cheaper price) **I also purchased an embellished black sweater $68

'Tis the season of Giving When I saw this letter to santa that had been found on ljcfyi blog i laughed out loud. how can you not? i did some research on different letters to santa volunteer organizations and i came accross some other letters that had been published: there were tons of them some funny, some hysterical, and some that honestly made me want to cry. Here are two letters that were printed in "Real Simple" magazine this month: "Dear Santa Claus: I don't want to ask for you many things, but if you can please, aslo send us toys like Barbies, dolls, balls, cars, and color books to play with my mom and my friends, we will appreciate it." "Dear Santa Claus: I'm writing this letter to you because I need your help...My brother and I need clothes, sweater, shoes, and my mom need clothes and caots. We need a lot of things...we need sheets and towel." Every year the Manhattan general post office recieves hundreds of thousands of letters addressed to Santa Claus just like these. Many of these letters come from needy children. The majority of the letters originated in the New York area, but many of them come from all over the nation and in some instances world. There are many organizations (for example: operation letter to santa), and volunteers that work to answer the requests of these children, but Manhattan's Operation Santa Claus program is by far the largest in the nation. Additionally, the Manhattan Genral Post Office hosts an annual holiday party for underprivledged children. Photos are posted on the USPS website: usps operation santa claus Volunteers are welcome to pick up a letter in the lobby of the James A. Farley Post Office 421 8th Ave New York, NY and send a gift directly to the child or family in need. If you don't live in the new york area check with your local post office to see if they coordinate one of it's own "Operation Santa Claus". If they don't you can still respond to a child's letter by calling 877.840.0459 between December 1 & December 23 as volunteers will send you as many letters as you wish, although you won't be able to make specific requests. One tip if you physically go to the post office to select your own letters is too look for zip codes that you know are in underprivledged areas. The letters sometimes include illustrations, are funny, cute, heartwarming, and alot of times heart breaking. It is a great cause, and it brings with it a lot of satisfaction. If you would like to make a donation send checks (payable to Operation Santa) to: Customer Relations Office James A. Farley Building Room 3023 421 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10199-9998 "real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present." --albert camus, "the rebel"

craving jennifer ouellette jennifer ouellette has the right idea bringing vintage inspired headbands, hats, and other hair accessories. i love her sophisticated pieces! the instant you wear one of these headbands you look polished & pulled together just like that--now that is something all new york girls crave! i would love to get my grubby paws on the following headbands:

computer update (previous post: "my motherboard, myself") the good: the computer techies FINALLY called last night. (i was ready to kill them-- do they not realize that computer is like my child? they told me 2-3 days on Sunday and it was TUESDAY! before they called) the bad: they have no idea why my ibook is being a bastard and have to ship it out (probably to japan) the ugly: it will be aproximately 2 weeks (10 business days) before my precious ibook is back in my clutches. meaning i won't have it before xmas! so, i'm very depressed. i'm even more worried that my music, documents, photos, and remaining videos will disparaissez. if you ask me this is far worse than the carrie bradshaw computer debacle, because if i remember correctly, her computer was fixed by the end of the episode and she had way way better shoes. hmmm shoes make me very happy and i'm on the market (when am i not?) i might have to indulge in some retail therapy for the next 10 business days. the countdown begins!

nyc event alert! shop for a cause elie tahari monday, december 19, 2005 6:30-8:30pm Cocktails & hors d'oeuvres 417 West Broadway btw Spring St & Prince St RSVP to events@newyorkmag.com by Thursday, December 15 **all sales during the event will benefit New York Cares**

attention all wedding planners nyc event alert The Big To-Do Club Wedd Bridal Planning Event January 13 & 14, 2006 cipriani wall street Friday Evening, January 13 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. Saturday Morning, January 14 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Saturday Afternoon, January 14 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. RSVP here For questions about The Big To-Do or assistance regarding the RSVP process, please call 1-800-351-0232.

NYC Sales Alert Y-3 12/15 and 12/16 (11am–7pm); 12/17 and 12/18 (10am–6pm). 599 Broadway, at Houston St., second fl., 212-219-1603. clothes and accessories for men and women are 60 percent off. Balenciaga Through 1/5 (Mon.–Sat. 11am–7pm; Sun. noon–5pm). 542 W. 22nd St., nr. Tenth Ave., 212-206-0872. Selections from Balenciaga’s fall men’s and women’s lines are discounted by 40 percent. Stella McCartney, Through 1/1 (Mon.–Sat. 11am–7pm; Sun. 12:30pm–6pm). 429 W. 14th St., nr. Ninth Ave., 212-255-1556. select clothes and accessories are 40 percent off. Ports 1961 12/15 (noon–8pm) and 12/16 (10am–7pm). 601 W. 26th St., nr. Eleventh Ave., Ste. 875, 212-414-1050. $155 for a tulle ribbon dress to $370 for a crêpe wool crinoline dress Nanette Lepore Cash Only 12/14 and 12/15 (9am–6pm). 225 W. 35th St., nr. Seventh Ave., fourth fl., 212-594-0012. flirty sweaters, blouses, and pants are from $95 Betsey Johnson 12/15 and 12/16 (10am–9pm). 263 W. 38th St., nr. Seventh Ave., 212-391-6495. 80 percent off eveningwear (now $70), coats (now $75), sweaters (now $45), and more. Vivienne Tam 12/14 (10am–8pm); 12/15 (10am–7pm); 12/16 (10am–6pm). 550 Seventh Ave., nr. 39th St., twentieth fl., 212-840-6470. stock is up to 75 percent off; dragon-print dresses are $150. Fredflare.com’s sale 12/17 and 12/24 (noon–5pm). 175 N. 10th St., nr. Bedford Ave., Ste. 3, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, 718-599-9221. men’s and women’s clothes, accessories, and home items are 25 to 50 Diane Von Furstenberg 12/12 (1pm–6pm); 12/13 (9am–7pm); 12/14 (9am–6pm). 389 W. 12th St., nr. Ninth Ave. 212-741-6607. maternity clothes are 50 to 70 percent off; dresses are now $125. Catherine Malandrino’s 12/12–12/16 (9am–7pm). 589 Eighth Ave., at 39th St., second fl., 212-840-0106. fall collection is marked down by 60 percent ($99 to $599). Tory Burch’s 12/13 (8am–7pm); 12/14 and 12/16 (10am–6pm); 12/15 (10am–7pm). 261 W. 36th St., nr. Seventh Ave., second fl., 212-947-8748. shrunken cord blazers, cashmere tanks, and embroidered shearling vests are $80 to $325 at the sale. Home Kim Seybert’s 12/15 and 12/16 (9:30am–7pm). 37 W. 37th St., nr. Fifth Ave., eighth fl. 212-564-7850. beaded place mats, napkin rings, coasters, and more are 40 to 75 percent off. Dune Through 12/19 (Mon.-Thurs. 11am-7pm; Fri. 11am-5pm; Sat. 11am-6pm) 88 Franklin St., between Church St. and Broadway 212-925-6171 up to 70 percent off select floor samples and 20 percent off all new furniture and rug orders; the Tron chair was $2,500, but is now $750. Archipelago Cash only for under $200. 12/14–12/15 (10am–7pm); 12/16 (9am–6pm) 38 Walker St., nr. Church St. 212-334-9460 linens are from $55 Ann Gish 11/28-12/23 (Mon.-Fri. 9am-5pm) 599 Eleventh Ave., at 45th St., eighth fl., 212-969-9200 up to 75 percent off bedding and tabletop items ($5 to $500)

abercrombie hate mail or something like it (previous posts relating to abercrombie: abercrombie attitude tees stir things up ) because i have a love hate relationship with abercrombie i found this ny times article from last thursday's style section particularly amusing: Browsing Outloud addressing the abercrombie issue: I work near the Abercrombie store on 5th ave and often walk by it on my lunch break. As you approach it does sound very much like you are passing a club. The thumping music is 10 times worse than passing gyms. Another loud music playing violater is hands down Armani Exchange. While I can't speak to the service at the 5th Ave store I can't imagine that it is any better than anywhere else in the U.S. I will say that Abercrombie's service is usually better in the smaller markets. For example, the employees at the store in Watertower on Michigan Ave in Chicago flat out suck, but out east, back home in Des Moines & Coralville, and in the Chicago suburbs they are more attentive and less annoying than say a JCrew associate who nearly always come off as fake & too too too salesy. Nonetheless, I was shocked that the music was as loud as it was, but then again it isn't like I shop there on a frequent basis. I am more likely to check out their website than anything unless I am shopping with my highschool age sister. I always like how their jeans look, but I usually stay true and purchase my AGs that I am obsessed with because of their fit and comfort. I do however look for sweater cardigans (because they aren't bulky or baggy (naturally, it IS ABERCROMBIE we are talking about here) and cute embellished tanks and camisoles. Even if it is infrequent that I shop there the things I own from Abercrombie typically withstand wash and wear.

style icon: Scarlett Johansson a must read: "Scarlett" NYTimes Magazine 12/4/2005 Lynn Hirschberg she is young, smart, & fabulous not to mention extremely talented. this interview is interesting & seems to be very honest and not in the least bit contrived. i highly recommend it. another must read is Elle Magazine's January 2006 cover story: "The Smart Bomb" It is further evidence that Scarlett Johansson is indeed sophisticated, gorgeous, smart, & talented. I hate when actors and actresses respond to the question "what would you do if you weren't an actor" and they respond by saying the were going to be a lawyer before they were discovered by a modeling agency in their teens (ahem Molly Sims). I would totally be President or maybe an astronaut if I wasn't making 20 million a picture etc. etc. you get the point. So it was refreshing when Scarlett said in the article that she would have been an archeologist digging up fossils in 120 degree heat that she was joking and poking fun at the very thing i can't stand about other actors. Because lets be honest if they weren't yet a star they would be trying to be one and instead of seeing them on the big screen we would be seeing them in drug & deodorant commercials. Ok now I'm rambling! Anyway, she's 21, has a 12 year career that just won't stop, and timeless beauty, so you would think I would hate her but i think she makes it impossible. The Island comes out on DVD today Dec 13th 2005, I haven't seen it but I will probably rent it. "Match Point" opens Dec 25, 2005 (limited) "A Good Woman" opens on Feb 3, 2006 The Black Dahlia is in post production. She is currently filming "Scoop" in 2006 she will be filming the following: Prestige-January The Nanny Diaries- February Borgia - April Amazon - June Napoleon & Betsy for which the shooting has not been announced yet. Needless to say the girl has a full plate. On top of all of that she was recently nominated for a Golden Globe (her 4th nomination) in the "Best Supporting Actress" category. She will go up against Shirley MacLaine (In Her Shoes), Frances McDormand (North Country), Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener) and Michelle Williams (Brokeback Mountain). I really hope she wins this time around! **(Match Point was nominated for Best Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture/Drama)** <-photos from nytimes magazine-> scarlett johansson @ the match point premiere (the new woody allen movie): Scarlett Johansson on Elle's January 2006 cover: inside the cover: looking smashing (as always) in a Carolina Herrera dress: and again in a peach Botega Veneta number: Scarlett in black & white Jean Paul Gaultier linen blouse & vest: and one of my favorite photos of miss scarlett that was used in Sept 2005 Glamour:

"my motherboard, myself" remember when carrie bradshaw discovers that her computer has crashed and she can't access any of her files!? remember when she kicks herself for not backing up any of those vital files, and the tech guy tells her that her computer has major issues???!!! Yea, who doesn't right? well, i can remember every damn line of that episode!! especially now since i relived this episode virtually line for line this weekend when my precious ibook, my one true love failed me. in the time i've had that computer i have never once had a problem, glitch, hiccup, or even the slightest hint of an issue. i have poured money into it-- updating it with new memory, wireless cards, bluetooth compatibility, & the latest software & security updates. i have literally babied the computer, never once neglecting it. it was always in the best care and it has failed me for the first time ever. I've had it for almost three years (my warranty is up January 3, 2006!) the blame game (aka my specialty) I know I should feel lucky that this didn't happen a month from now right? Ok, I can see why you might think that, but what if I told you the only reason this happened is because my boyfriend JINXED me!!! Yep, it is true it is sooo all his fault! Okay, maybe that is a stretch, but he did Jinx me on Saturday. We were leaving the house and I had left my laptop on the kitchen table. He picked it up and was going to put it away. I told him to leave it there, and he responded by saying that it makes him nervous if it is just out in the open because if anything ever happened to it he knows I would probably go ballistic. While I acknowledged it was true I mentioned my warranty, and he said something about how it would be better if something happened to it now than later...and then we discussed what my warranty covered...obviously if it was stolen I would be out of luck. Still, we put the computer away and went about our "nice little Saturday." So, yes I believe that our discussion of the warranty jinxed me, so I'm sure he would argue that because I was admittedly the first person to mention the warranty that i in fact jinxed myself. While this is possible, since I don't recall knocking on wood or anything like that...but, I would argue that he introduced the topic of having some horrible computer crisis on the very day that it occurred and this, and NOT the mention of the warranty, is what jinxed me and my computer. If you dare ask me for further evidence I would point you to the facts as they lie: until that very day my ibook had no previous history or symptoms of problems. back that @ss up so what happens when you don't back up your files? please join me in laughing/crying hysterically at my blind faith in my invincible, unbreakable, & superpower wielding ibook. let's not even mention my "would never happen to me" attitude! i had last backed up my files in may when i did a clean install of Tiger OSX 4 on my computer. I moved those files back on my computer but I'm sure a lot of it remains. I obviously have a number of additional files (namely music & photos) on my computer since then. The majority of my pictures are safe because I luckily have a .mac homepage in which i frequently load and store photos on my idisk. THANK GOD I did something right! I knew I needed to try my best to get as many files off my computer as possible. This proved to be extremely difficult when my computer was only operable for 10 minute sessions before the screen began to go into a Matrix/CIA-esque frenzy and freeze up. I was able back up the majority of my videos. videos of my nephew baby j, and my puppy sophie. there were several short videos i wasn't able to back up because as I was burning a cd with those videos and a huge bulk of my photos my computer crashed during the transfer. It did this twice while i was transferring data, so I'm not sure how much of the data was successfully transferred. I did not back up my 2256 music files save for my purchased music and the cds I burned for my sister last week which I can assure you I have no qualms about indian giving those cds...she's my sister! sister's indian give all of the time! haha!! prognosis: ugly because i went with my boyfriend's fam to see Cathy Rigby in Peter Pan at Madison Square Garden yesterday, my boyfriend was forced to interrupt his Sunday football session and take my ibook to the intensive care unit and sign away the rights to strangle the techies if they erase your precious files. He is such a good sport for taking my computer in...but I still haven't heard from the computer tech guy about what is wrong with my baby!!!! I am bracing myself for the worst. I have never been without a computer ever! Even if they fix my computer and it comes back with a clean slate it just won't be the same. the good times just might be officially over. lesson learned backing up is time consuming and boring but just do it. even carrie winds up using the zip drive aidan buys for her! i know i'm not the poster girl of backing up my computer but i vow to back up every music file, every video, every document, and every photograph that i ever put on my computer from this day forward!! i know people who have religiously backed up their computers but have been faced with the dilemma of having their old files on an antiquated medium such as dozens upon dozens of floppy discs. Now the more likely is backing up on CDs...the best choice is backing up your files on DVDs if you have a DVD burner. They simply hold more files. If you own a mac I highly recommend utilizing the Application "Backup", the .mac accounts as you are given idisk storage (thankfully the bulk of my photos are there), and the most obvious your ipod. I enable my ipod as an external disk and store files on it. As long as they are stored in a place separate from your computer you are good to go. Having a backup strategy, proper labeling, backing up frequently & to multiple locations are all vital to a successful backup. You can avoid a dilemma like I just experienced. I will let you know if funeral arrangements for my ibook will be necessary (tear). in rememberance: the good times **Photos courtesy of HBO.com & my savior the .mac idisk

Weekend Sample Sales you can't miss!! Jimmy Choo Sample Sale Mon Dec 12th 1-8 pm Shoreham Hotel, 33 W. 55th St., btw Fifth & Sixth Aves expect to find a serious full blown catfight...maybe worse. it's on ladies! definitely a reason to call in sick! Earnest Sewen 71 Gansvoort St 3rd flr btw Greenwich & Washington Sts Thu & Fri 9am-7pm 212.675.0553 expect to find mens and womens jeans as low as $40!!! Hayden-Harnett 330 W 38th St ste 503 btw 8th & 9th Aves Thu-Fri 11am-8pm expect to find: bags as low as $20 Eugnia Kim 347 W 36th St ste 502 btw 8th & 9th Aves Thu-Fri 10am-8pm Sat 12-8pm 212.674.1345 expect to find: hats & shoes up to 70% off The Art of Shopping Designer Denim Sale 59 CROSBY STREET (between Spring & Broome St) FRI, DEC. 9 - SUN, DEC. 18 11 AM - 7PM , except SUN 12PM - 6PM Cash - Visa - Mastercard

Current Obsessions Part Deux replacing my beat up metallic banana republic flats: jcrew barcelona suede ballet flats with big bow in gold $148 (other colors available) marc by marc jacobs suede studded flat $303.95 @zappos tip toe buckle flats now $114.95@ anthropologie tree nymph flats now $94.95 @ anthropologie beaded velvet 'raina' flat $115 @ banana republic the coveted red cup at Starbucks--it is the must have celebrity accessory well it may even be more ubiquitious than a set of keys: i adore starbucks during the holiday season, but sadly most everything i cannot eat/drink. if i had my way i would drink the peppermint mocha and the pumpkin spice latte everyday for eternity. yummy. the red cup will be a part of my wardrobe all winter long... m.a.c. lipstick in ruby woo & m.a.c. lipglass in prr & oyster girl: i don't leave home without my lipglass & i wear the red lipstick when i want to have a platinum blonde moment! finding the perfect sweater coat: it has to be fitted & the perfect length because baggy, bulky, loose fitting, too long sweater coats can look sloppy, bummish, and can make you look bigger than what you actually are (and hello that is something i don't want or need) they always look best on super skinny, and super tall girls but i have had one (that i proceeded to ruin through pure negligence--allowing my boyfriend to do the laundry was going to come back and haunt me at some point) I really like the look of the sweater coat with a flirtatious skirt or dress. With the right pairings i think this could actually flatter me & my slimmer figure (please note i said "slimmER" not "slim") thanks to my trimmed down starbucks/jamba juice/coldstone cravings & my running... year of wishes sweater coat $128 @ anthropologie dreamy sweater coat now $74.95 @ anthropologie brookside sweater coat now $124.95 @ anthropologie platform shoes! they are back as far as i am concerned. i am 5'4 (on a good day) and i have been wearing flats everyday (at work) because they are ultra comfortable & cute but when i'm feeling blue i need to up the sex appeal and this is just what the doc ordered: siren song platforms $188 @ anthropologie --aren't they just dahling?

Current Obsessions cosmetic gift sets: smashbox gift set the dresden $57 marc jacobs perfume gift set with clutch $90 bliss "wishing for bliss" gift set $45 The Gingerbread Man Suitcase $38 from Philosophy Chanel brush set $150 the color red: i guess i'm just in the holiday spirit. my love of red always goes in phases but for me it is very "in" to wear red. i love these items above. earlier i posted a number of red shoes and clutches when searching for my holiday attire but after flipping through the December Vogue i was left yearning for more ruby colored shoes (think The Wizard of Oz--if you've read the new Vogue (which who hasn't!) you'll know what I mean) marc jacobs has the ruby slippers down! these ones I found on zappos but they are on sale and are the last pair so if you have big feet you're in luck, if you're me you're still searching! ella moss veronique cap sleeve top $92--has the perfect cut and is so me... i love the cap sleeves the elusive marc jacobs ruby slippers @ zappos ballets russes skirt $128 at anthropologie--versatile and pretty enough said marc jacobs red aya jersey blouse $168--i love how this ties around the waist spruce street peep toes $158-- this red open toe wedge from anthropolgie seems like it would be walkable (and being in nyc and not quite of socialite status, thereby being unable to justify cabs every two seconds this is v. important and makes them THAT much more desirable)- i don't think i've seen anything like this before but i think they would be perfect with trousers and maybe dark jeans. this red sweater coat $128 seems just perfect to wear over a pretty skirt because it is feminine and not bulky or scraggly. i hate sweaters that make girls look like bums. i just so can't pull off the mary kate and ashley garb (maybe that has something to do with weighing more than two pounds) Bobbi Brown shimmer ink eyeliner -(Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner Collection)--i use chocolate shimmer everyday--it has the tiniest flecs of metallic gold to add a bit of punch but doesn't over do it. it really does last all day and with the right brush is a cinch to apply! I use the brush pictured. $18 it comes in four shades: Sapphire Shimmer, Chocolate Shimmer, Ivy Shimmer, and Graphite Shimmer fun luggage tags: i have to travel soon (xmas to the fabulous state of iowa i'm sure you've heard of it once or twice in the fourth grade) these are from girlshop.com $12 tepper jackson luggage tags: this one is from Banana Republic …so not quite Hermes (as featured in December's Vogue) but pink enough to please me! $28 this initial luggage tag is from kitson $18:

case of the holiday blues: venting yesterday i purchased a $700 ticket to des moines from new york. ($700!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! @!#@#$% you gotta be @#$#$## kidding me it is @#$#$# iowa not paris! @#$%#$%! one has to admit that when going to paris for christmas is cheaper than flying to beat up des moines, iowa one has no choice but to wonder if things will ever be right in the world! the opportunity cost on this deal is HUGE, but i promised my parents I was coming home for christmas so I really don't have a choice at this point. i know i know spending time with my family is worth it right? time with family vs. the things i could be doing/ways i could be spending my $700: i could have spent the holidays with my boyfriend in new york and boston and used the $700 toward: my decorating fund for my new digs or my [marc jacobs, bokier, kooba, bulga, gucci] purse fund (both of which are fabulous causes i might add). anyway, i leave new york on saturday dec. 24th at 6am and leave des moines on the following monday at 7am. needless to say, it is less than ideal. i will have zero time at home, just like at my brother's wedding i had no time to visit any of my friends!!! it makes me really sad. i wish i could have gotten a better deal with the flights and or was able to take some days off from work. maybe next year i will put in for some vacation time, but honestly who wants to use up their vacation time to visit iowa? haha just kidding mommy...i would use all the vacation time in the world to see you! so, despite my frustration over my short trip home for christmas i still have a million things to do before the 24th. i have all of my christmas shopping done and all the gifts are beautifully wrapped, but i still have to ship them to the hawkeye state and i'm sure it is going to cost me a fortune! i also am working to finish a drawing for my mom before i go home (she commissioned the project as one of her christmas gifts). As far as the drawing is concerned things have been going well, it is just the fact that i literally have a million things to do on top of working a full time job. only to add to my current state of panic & distress: i have neglected my hair--it is in dire need of a haircut (as embarrassing as it is to admit my last cut was in MAY!) i have not been to the gym in a while (2 weeks to be exact, largely due to the fact i was dying from the commonly horrific cold virus) because i've been focusing on holiday crap i have not bought myself a single thing in the past two weeks (that is a @#$% record!) i need my nails done badly! i should really go tanning because after being sick for the past few weeks i am especially pale! oh my god! i'm so overwhelmed! let's not even talk about how someone should stage an intervention for me this holiday season once they read this and find out about my non-grooming ways.

current project: drawing my mom requested/insisted that i refrain from purchasing her a christmas gift because she says that me coming home for christmas is the only gift she wants or needs. she did however want me to draw her something to hang on one of her walls at home. i often do this for my parents and my drawings can be seen throughout her house and i don’t know if it is a good thing or a bad thing but no one ever knows that i actually drew them. anyway, a few months ago (before the bitter cold, rain, & snow hit new york) i would go to central park (usually on my lunch breaks) and find a place under a tree or a bench and draw/sketch for an hour or so. because my time was always limited out there i always brought my digital camera along and took a lot of photos from various angles of the summer/fall scenery so i would have a point of reference when i went back to my sketch book later on. i decided it would be entirely appropriate to go through my catalog of sketches and photos and create a final product to give to my mother on christmas. the scene/sketch/photo i decided on is actually of one of the many bridges in central park that i had sketched in great detail and took numerous photos of. ideally i would complete the drawing out in central park, however, i have a full time job and it is now bitterly cold. it is always difficult for me to work on a drawing and painting for an hour here and an hour there because i have a hard time picking up where i left off. it takes some warming up to get on the same creative wavelength as i was on initially, so sometimes a photograph i took of the subject matter speeds up the process. in high school i remember spending hours and hours each night working on art projects, sometimes staying up very very late, but now that i have graduated college and have a full time job and a whole slew of responsibilities it is difficult to even imagine having the time or energy to do that. anyway, i started this project on sunday and as usual i’m going to be a little rushed but the goal is to do a little bit each night and just hope mama likes the final product. if problems erupt in my drawing i will make a few visits to the bridge to see if i can correct them. i hope to finish this project soon! maybe i’ll post a few pictures so you can all tell me to stick to my day job!

weather report! It snowed in new york this weekend for the first time and that means that my baby sophie (my beagle) was about to experience her first snow! My boyfriend and I woke up, dressed in our winter gear grabbed the football (yea he is married to his football, he takes it to bed every night!) and we took her out and threw the football around with her (we were out on the island). Like a good paparazzo I captured the moment! She was so cute! She loves to play fetch (well she likes to chase down everything you throw) so when we made snowballs and threw them she would chase down every single one, but once she bit into it it would explode and she would proceed to eat it. She loves digging in the snow and enjoys to carry around the ice blocks around in her mouth... the only problem is that she has attempted to carry the snow chunks into the house and when she lays by the heater (her new favorite spot) it, naturally, melts into the rug. sophie warming up inside: p.s. for the record i hate snow! :)

the art of selecting the perfect holiday card every year during the holidays I attempt to send out the cutest holiday cards. this year I used the following criteria to select the perfect card: 1) is the card cute enough? a button snowman or a red nose reindeer suit me fine, but I’m not about pulling all the stops out and going for a scene with Santa petting Mrs. clauses kittens. 2) chic factor I love the illustrated cards with the girls in sexy snow outfits lugging around shopping bags on their shiny vespas, and while they maybe perfect to send out to all my girlfriends I believe these cards might alienate my guy-friends as well as some of my conservative “Christmas preservationist” family members. these family members might find the card offensive and see it as further evidence that my approach to the holiday that celebrates the birth of Christ is becoming increasingly materialistic. (i love this card from hello lucky) 3) modern design--red and green can be so dated so I try to find updated and usually simple designs and decorations for the holidays 4)deeply religious vs. secular -I always prefer the secular cards but sometimes even if you have santa’s jolly old face on the card you can piss off some holy rollers in your family and sometimes I just forget that some of my friends are jewish. (haha just kidding paula!) 5) comedic effect-not necessary but a bonus factor…maybe including a funny Christmas memory in the message So, being relatively artistic I decided to take the time and effort to make my own holiday cards this year with the ultimate goal of creating a card that met my own specifications! Initially, I set out to create two separate designs: one a button snowman and the other a gingerbread man card, but quickly changed my mind. Prior to changing my mind I had already cut 10 cards out of red card stock, spent a considerable amount of time and money selecting & buying supplies (most of which I would not use) and had used a rubber “Merry Christmas” stamp inked in green to dress up my store bought white envelopes. So already I had violated one of my criteria but I couldn’t very well throw out the ten envelopes I had stamped because that is wasteful! So I decided to work with it. I should also mention that I really didn’t have the time to make a card for everyone on my Christmas card list, so I had to purchase one box of cards. I purchased a boxed set of 12 cards at target. They were white embellished with red felt mittens with green stitching. the design was simple, modern, secular, and cute, but it wasn’t a “Melanie original” and it was a “safe” design especially since it stayed with the traditional color scheme of red and green. tasks necessary for completing the project: I purchased silver ink for my rubber stamps (I own a snowflake stamp and a merry Christmas stamp) I cut ornaments out of cardstock and decorated them with various ribbons and papers I had purchased or found in my craft box. items/tools I used to complete the project: metallic silver cardstock (to cut out ornaments I used one sheet in making 10 cards) hot pink matte cardstock (ornaments I used <> various printed papers available at any scrapbook store, papersource.com, or art store silver ribbon red ribbon (assorted) pink ribbon (assorted) white ribbon (assorted) silver pen black pen silver ink pad rubber holiday stamps double stick tape scissors x-acto knife double stick tape craft glue (if it dries clear it works best!) optional: eyelet setter white eyelets my design(s): on half of the card I simple attached the modern printed paper to the cards, glued ribbons to the card then I either glued the bows that I tied to the cards or I attached eyelets to the card to make it easier to tie the ribbons into bows and attach additional tie-ons. I recommend using the eyelets if you have a hard time tying bows that look presentable. (just remember practice makes perfect) I then stamped a silver snowflake on hot pink card stock, cut it out, punched a hole in the paper, weaved in silver string/ribbon and affixed to the card so it hung from the bow. Initially I wanted to affix snowflake cutouts that I was going to cut out from the silver cardstock, however, I didn’t have enough time to do that and I didn’t feel like trying to find pre-made cutouts or other snowflake embellishments which you can most certainly buy. Final Result(s): I stamped each envelope with my x-mas and snowflake stamps and mailed them early this week along with my target bought cards. Overall, it was a lot of fun and I have more ideas for next year! Other Holiday Prep: Well Gifted So all of my gifts have been wrapped, now I just need to pack em up and ship em out…BUMMER! But don’t they look pretty?

nyc steals n' deal of the week clothing Earnest Sewn 12/5-12/9 (9am-7pm) 71 Gansevoort St., nr. Greenwich St., third fl. 212-675-0553 expect to find: men's & women's denim in a ton of styles and washes $40 to $90 Diane von Furstenberg 12/6-12/9 Tue 9am-6pm, Wed-Thu 10am-7pm, Fri-9am-3pm 260 Fifth Ave btw 28th & 29th St. grnd flr 212.725.5400 expect to find: wrap dresses, sportswear, coats, marked down by 50-70% Versace Couture (their first ever sample sale!) Dec. 13-16; Tue-Thu, 9 am-7 pm; Fri, 9 am-5 pm 260 Fifth Avenue, between 28th and 29th Streets 212-725-5400 expect to find: Top-notch clothing and shoes for men and women, 60 to 70 percent off. Eberjey Dec. 8 & 9; Thu & Fri, 9 am-7 pm 40 East 34th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues, suite 610 212-696-5393 expect to find: lingerie, camis, loungewear, and swimwear, 50 to 75 percent off Catherine Malandrino Dec. 12-16; Mon-Fri, 9 am-7 pm 589 Eighth Avenue, at West 39th Street, second floor 212-840-0106 expect to find: Silk chiffon dresses, were $595, now $199; cowl neck sweaters, were $325, now $99; trench coats, were $795, now $299. Proenza Schouler Dec 13-16; Tue-Fri, 9 am-5 pm 120 Walker Street, between Centre and Baxter Streets, sixth floor expect to find: Fancy gowns, tops, skirts, sweaters, jackets, and shoes sold at Kirna Zabete and Barneys are $50-$600. Cash or check only. Meg Cohen Design Dec 13-17; Tue-Sat, 11 am-7 pm 920 Broadway, between 20th and 21st Streets, suite 905 212-473-4002 expect to find: Men’s and women’s cashmere scarves, hats, and gloves, were $75-$350, now $25-$155 Hanro Dec 13 & 14; Tues, 8 am-6 pm; Wed, 8 am-4 pm 40 East 34th Street, between Madison and Park Avenues, suite 207 212-532-3320 ext. 10 or 11 expect to find: Best loungewear, underwear, sleepwear, and robes are $6 to $50 Cash or check only Malo Dec 11-14; Sun-Tue, 9 a.m.-6:30 pm; Wed, 9 am-5 pm Metropolitan Pavilion, 123 West 18th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, fourth floor expect to find: Men’s and women’s tees, cardigans, sweaters, throws, and other whatnots in cashmere, silk, and cotton are up to 75 percent off retail. TSE Nov 29- Dec 4 Tue-Sat 10 am-7 pm Sun 11 am-6 pm 72 Greene Street, btw Spring and Broome Streets 917-606-6795 expect to find: luxe cashmere on sale as low as $50, women's hoodies (retail: $625 sale: $200); baby onesies (retail $185 sale:$110); men's jackets (retail $550 sale: $220) Opening Ceremony 12/1-12/31 (Mon.-Sat. 11am-8pm; Sun. noon-7pm). 35 Howard St., nr. Crosby St. 212-219-2688. expect to find: house label, plus men’s and women’s clothes from Alexandre Herchcovitch, & Hussein Chalayan 30 to 50 percent off. Theory 12/5, 12/7, 12/9 (10am-6pm); 12/6 and 12/8 (10am-7pm). 261 W. 36th St., nr. Eighth Ave., second fl. 212-947-8748. expect to find: $74 for cashmere V-neck sweaters to $132 for velvet military jackets. Armand Diradourian Cash only 12/3-12/20 (Mon.-Sat. noon-6pm). 160 Fifth Ave., nr. 21st St., Ste. 901 212-924-5787 expect to find: Cashmere 40% off Linda Richards 11/7-12/23 (Mon.-Fri. 9am-6pm) 256 W. 38th St., nr. Seventh Ave., eighth fl. 212-382-2257 expect to find: winter coats are reduced by 60 percent Harry Kirshner & Son 4/1-1/1/06 (Mon.-Fri. 9am-6pm; Sat. 9am-5pm). 307 Seventh Ave., nr. 28th St. 212-243-4847 expect to find: winter clothing for $35 (normally $75 for the season) jewelry and accessories Lauren Merkin Dec. 6-8; Tues.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 231 West 29th Street, between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, suite 201 (212-239-2459). expect to find: Stylish handbags, clutches, and cosmetic bags up to 80 percent off. M+J Savitt 12/6-12/8 (9:30am-5pm) by appointment only) 475 Fifth Ave., nr. 41st St. 212-684-4221 expect to find: jewelry 30 to 60 percent off retail James Leonard Opticians Through 12/31 (Mon.-Fri. 10am-7pm; Sat. 10am-6pm) 1010 Second Ave., nr. 53rd St. 212-753-7733 expect to find: eyewear from Dior, Gucci, and Prada discounted by up to 85 percent shoes Due Farina Esti’s 12/5-1/31 (Mon.-Thurs. 10am-5:30pm; Sun. 10am-5pm). 1888 Coney Island Ave., nr. Ave. O, Flatbush, Brooklyn 718-376-3661 expect to find: shoes from valentino, moschino, and more for 40 to 70 percent off Stuart Weitzman 12/2-1/31 (call for store hours). 625 Madison Ave., nr. 59th St., 212-750-2555; The Shops at Columbus Circle, 212-823-9560 expect to find: shoes 30 to 50 percent off home Frette 12/4-12/9 (Mon.-Thurs. 9am-6pm; Fri. 9am-5pm; Sun. 3pm-7pm). Metropolitan Pavilion, 123 W. 18th St., nr. Sixth Ave., fourth fl. expect to find: luxe Italian linens up to 70 percent off Ann Gish 11/28-12/23 (Mon.-Fri. 9am-5pm) 599 Eleventh Ave., at 45th St., eighth fl. 212-969-9200 expect to find: 75 percent off bedding and tabletop items ($5 to $500) Molton Brown 11/25-12/9 (call for store hours). 515 Madison Ave., nr. 53rd St. 212-755-7194; 1098 Third Ave., nr. 63rd St. 212-744-6430 expect to find: luxe items at reduced prices, like the portofino cashmere throw (was $1,900, but is now $999) ABC Carpet & Home 11/3-12/31 (call for store hours). 20 Jay St., near Plymouth St., DUMBO, Brooklyn 718-643-7400 Tanger Outlet Center, 1947 Old Country Rd. Riverhead, Long Island 631-208-1720 expect to find: a serious closeout sale as ABC is closing its DUMBO and Tanger locations thereby reducing prices on tribal rugs, antique desks ($295), and bath accessories ($7). bridal Bergdorf Goodman 12/5-12/10 (Mon.-Fri. 10am-8pm; Sat. 10am-7pm) 754 Fifth Ave., nr. 57th St., seventh fl. 212-872-8957 expect to find: stylish bridal gowns from Elizabeth Fillmore, Amsale, Angel Sanchez, and more are $700 to $2,500; 50 to 80 percent off Saeyoung Vu Couture Through 12/31 (Tues.-Sat. noon-8pm; Sun. by appointment only). 214 Mulberry St., near Spring St. 212-925-6505 expect to find: chic bridal gowns and bridesmaids dresses for 75 to 95 percent off. Avon Salon & Spa 4/19-12/31 (Mon. and Sat. 8am-6pm; Tue.-Fri. 8am-8pm; Sun. 11am-6pm) 725 Fifth Ave., nr. 56th St., sixth fl. 212-755-2866. expect to find: "The Pre-Nuptial" bridal treatment package includes 12 yoga sessions, 10 Endermologie sessions, manicure, pedicure, facial massage, up-do, and makeup application for $2,200 (normally $2,638 a la carte) beauty Sally Hershberger Downtown Every Tuesday night Ongoing (from 5pm by appointment only) 425 W. 14th St., second fl., between Ninth and Tenth Aves. 212-206-8700 expect to find: offers cuts ($40), color ($40), and highlights ($60) at a discount by stylists in the advanced training program Miano Viel Salon and Spa 11/1-12/31 (by appointment only) 16 E. 52nd St., between Fifth and Madison Aves. 212-980-3222 expect to find: is offering 30 percent off cuts, blow-outs, and styles for first time clients Lia Schorr Skin Care Through 1/31 (Mon.-Fri. 10:30am-7pm; Sat. 9am-5pm). 686 Lexington Ave., nr. 56th St. 212-486-9670 expect to find: a Deep Pore Facial, Manhattan Massage, and microdermabrasion package for a mere $150 (normally $340). Also available in gift certificate form for a holiday gift.