Archive for June, 2008

I recently hosted a press event at my design studio in NYC where I met with an amazing mix of home media. Magazine editors and newspaper reporters stopped by to chat about current home trends that I’m seeing and the breadth of great home finds on eBay.

I styled my studio with pieces that I’ve collected from eBay over the years. The display included some really

beautiful mason jars, a bakelite utensil set, and some redwing pottery, just to name a few. These glass turquoise fishing floats were a huge hit. A local eBay seller, Vintage Views Consignment and Consulting, also lent me some beautiful items to showcase. I borrowed this unique Danish magazine rack, and a really out of the ordinary driftwood-lamp. The most remarkable piece was a fabulous vintage mirror that combines different types of metals like copper and sheet metal. I love the lily-pad motif – it adds a playful element. The extraordinary craftsmanship and attention to detail demonstrated by this structural piece make it a true home treasure!

I’ve never really thought too much about power strips until recently. First, my house had a “bad” power day. One of my headsets that was recharging went night night… forever. Then, I went to set up my living room and had nowhere near the amount of outputs needed.

I started doing some digging and came across the Belkin Conceal Surge Protector. This gadget has truly changed the way I’ve looked at power possibilities. It has 11 protected sockets that stay nice and organized because of the layout. Next, it comes with two phone jacks. Ah ha! This came into play when I went to set up my phone and my fax machine in the same space. I didn’t even have to go looking for a splitter, there it was. Next, it comes with a $300,000 equipment warranty which makes me feel much better about plugging in about $10,000 worth of goodies. Lastly, placed on a long 6-foot cord, this surge protector is child-safe, protecting Jack from dangerous outlets. For $50 this was a great buy.

For those of you who are Top Chef obsessed I have the most amazing opportunity for you. The Culinary Institute of America at Astor Center in New York City will be hosting a series of cooking classes featuring TV’s favorite cheftestants from Bravo’s Top Chef. Since none of you have smell-o-vision, these classes will give you the chance to actually taste the food that made players like Sam, Stefanie, Casey, Jenn, Marcel and Dale climb higher on the food chain, round after round. Let’s be honest, after most reality shows die, former contestants are relegated to posthumous activities like bar appearances and D-lists. However, this promotional appearance is actually classy, and practical. It ties in to what these people actually do for a living, cook.

During the class each chef will “will prepare a signature dish which appears in the Top Chef cookbook, plus two complementary dishes. Attendees will savor tastings of all meals prepared, plus a specialty cocktail paired with the dishes. All attendees of Top Chef: The Class at the CIA will receive a copy of the newly released Top Chef: The Cookbook which they can have their favorite chef sign. The fun and informative program will feature a question-and-answer period that will allow attendees to quiz the Top Chefs.”

Sign me up!

*Photo credited to: Culinary Institute of America

Bright yellows, oranges, and greens are the hues to make any outfit pop this summer. Pair these colors with gold accessories or even with a little gold embellishment on the garment.

Hot yellows make their way out of spring and into summer holding their place as the “it” color for young women. Bright yellow looks great in any formal or casual top. A cropped, preferably bell shaped, summer jacket in a magnetic citrus hue can be a staple for this summer’s wardrobe. For a fresh look, choose yellow for an evening gown. Love orange in a short flirty cocktail dress.

I recommend a bright (not neon) green (I also describe the color to myself as “money” green) for a fun eccentric or vintage look. Preferably in a pencil skirt or a sleek fitted dress. The unpredictable hue speaks life and prosperity!

Men can get in on the citrus look too! Kanye in money-green jeans or were they scrubs? Whatever, these colored pants - original and chic. For the less adventurous, a bright fitted tee will do the trick.

*Photos licensed to: Photorazzi.com

Ask any tween out there and they’ll tell you there’s a new star causing fan-damonium. Kitt Kittredge, (aka Abigail Breslin) star of the first ever American Girl doll film “Kit Kittredge: An American Girl!”, is the new pop culture sensation. In anticipation of the film’s July 2nd release, people have been logging on to eBay.com over the past month to get the “scoop” on their favorite young aspiring reporter and her friends:

AMERICAN GIRL DOLLS
16,603 Number of American Girl Doll items sold on eBay
$2,500.00 Highest Priced Sold “American Girl Doll” item on eBay - LOT OF AMERICAN GIRL DOLLS
31,849 Number of American Girl Doll listings on eBay

KIT KITTREDGE
37 Number of Kit Kittredge items sold on eBay
$198.99 Highest Price Sold Kit Kittredge item on eBay - AMERICAN GIRL/PC KIT KITTREDGE
43 Number of Kit Kittredge listings on eBay

Although the film is titled ‘Kitt Kittredge: An American Girl’ it could just as well be ‘Kitt Kittredge: An “American Idol” based on the popularity of Kittredge and other American Doll items on eBay during that past month. With over 30,000 American Doll items currently on the site, there’s no better time to get your own American Doll. Think if it as this generation’s Cabbage Patch Kid, it will only get better with time.

*Photo licensed to: Photorazzi.com

Now that the dust has settled on the untimely death of designer Yves Saint Laurent on June 1, let’s look at what the everyday person can really take away from this maestro of modern fashion. The big deal is the pantsuit for evening or as it was dubbed after his groundbreaking 1966 collection – le smoking.

Every woman – and I do mean every – should have one in her wardrobe. It’s so versatile. It suits any evening event from cocktails to high black tie. Saint Laurentproved that it can be business-like or sexy and alluring. His creations were all about imparting power to women as well as men.

My life has been saved many a time by a black tux. I have two in my wardrobe. Sometimes, I’ve worn it with a camisole, another time with a white shirt or on yet another occasion I wore one with a long, colorful scarf. If the jacket breaks high enough, I often don’t even need to put anything under it. The only reason I can get away with this is because of Yves Saint Laurent.

*Photos licensed to: Photorazzi.com

On the heels of one of the most exciting NBA championships in recent years comes Gunnin’ for That #1 Spot, a documentary focused on a group of elite, high school b-ball stars. The movie was directed by Adam Yauch, aka, MCA from the Beastie Boys—hip hop legend and basketball junkie. In the film, 24 of the best high school ballers in the country meet at Rucker Park in Harlem for a top-level tournament. You get the sense that when you are watching the “Elite 24″ in the film that you are witnessing the next set of NBA superstars—the next multi-millionaires, the next to have a sneaker named after their likeness. The flick is peppered with killer tracks and is filmed with a fish-eye lens and in slow-mo to achieve an alternative perspective. Yauch miked the players and omitted the announcer commentary so that the audience could get a real sense of what goes on on the court, complete with all of the trash talk. It’s the real deal. Who’s my pick? Kevin Love (just check him out on the NBA mock draft). With a name like that, you’re bound for greatness.

During eBay Live, Chicago was my “Sweet Home” for the majority of last week. It was a great time of year to be in the Windy City—nice weather, a beautiful boat ride, even more beautiful deep dish pizza…mmmm. It was a great choice of city to hold our convention. As far as the actual event itself, “Live” was alive with energy. Our fantastic community was front and center, cruising the convention center floor, learning, and mingling with their fellow eBay compatriots. I met a lot of colorful people with colorful stories of their entrepreneurial success. I hung in the Community Lounge with my fellow Style Squad members (not to mention CEO, John Donahoe, and President of eBay Marketplace Operations, Lorrie Norrington [in the pic with us at right!]), collected ribbons for my eBay badge (pic below), and watched Chris Isaak put on a killer show at the closing gala. With my aching feet and full belly (pizza, natch), I got on the plane and winged back to California. Au revoir eBay Live, until we meet again….

Sorry new Flip Video Mino, although I think the new slim design, rechargeable battery, and great quality are radder than ever, my new love is Sony’s Rolly.

This MP3 player is mind-blowing and totally mesmerizing. At first glance, it looks like an oversized egg. Once you turn it on though, its sides flap open like little wings. The device lights up in pretty iridescent colors and starts playing your favorite tunes while moving all around. It’s definitely something from the future. I love it!

The Rolly is innovative in function and design and is a nice breath of fresh air in the seemingly boring MP3 player world. Here are a few more specs: It has a 2G hard drive, Bluetooth connectivity so you can stream songs from your computer or cell, and moves and changes color in sync with your music. Purrrrrrr.

Have you ever had a dream come true that you never really dreamed of?
That’s how I felt about the dinner I co-hosted for Oscar nominee Ruby Dee.

Ms. Dee (as we all called her) is in her mid-eighties and as you know if you saw the movie for which she was nominated - “American Gangster” - she’s still got it. A lot of it. She was gorgeous at the Academy Awards in a ruby-red gown created especially for her by Kevan Hall. (My co-hosts for the dinner were Kevan and Vogue’s Andre Leon Talley.)

Kevan had been so moved by his experience dressing her and had heard from so many people about how inspiring she is to them that he wanted to honor her in some way. She’s contributed more than 60 years of service to our country in American cinema and theater and in civil rights activism. She loves fashion, and she is very charming and funny.

I had heard so much about Ruby Dee over the years, she’s like an icon in my mind.

As Kevan said in his toast, “if she were in England she would be Dame Ruby Dee.”

We decorated Melba’s restaurant, where the private dinner was held, with white flowers and white candles. It made for a vivid, romantic picture against the restaurant’s predominantly black interior.

The evening ended with gifts: A pair of $10,000 pearl and diamond earrings presented to Ms. Dee by Mikimoto. Not to be outdone by Mikimoto, I had thought long and hard about what to present to her from our eBay team. Jewelry? No. Fashion? No. A car? Just kidding. Finally, it hit me. I’d look up Ruby Dee on eBay.

There I found the most fabulously stylish photo of her taken when she was an ingénue in the studio system. “This is double satin ribbon,” she said mischievously as she pulled the ribbon wrapping off the box containing the framed photo. Her jaw dropped when she saw it.

Most of the 30 or so guests were from the fashion flock and several reported they were close to tears as they watched her and listened to her fashion stories and life philosophies.

“Everyone deserves a hug like this in their lifetime,” she said of the evening. “I hope you all receive one.”

It felt like, she said, God had reached down from the heavens, patted her on the back and said, “Atta, girl!”