WTF???

What the hell has HSN been smokin'??? Who can wear this? These DG2 Luxe Animal Print Boot-Cut Jeans are the Today's Special, which means that they will be selling these jeans all day! All I can figure is that maybe this is supposed to be some sort of pimp daddy Halloween costume or something.

Let's take a look at the rear end view, shall we ...




Zebra rump ... yummy!

Diane Gilman and Patricia Field totally need to hook up. Did you see her super sophisticated Peg Bundy dress that she also sold as a Today's Special? You must check it out!

Sock Monkeys Gone Wild

I sorta have a thing for sock monkeys. In fact, much to Mr. Queen Bea's chagrin, several pairs of my super sexy pajamas are adorned with cute little sock monkeys. Apparently he prefers more practical sleeping attire--you know, like lacy thongs.

I'm not saying that I'm exactly like the sock monkey wife in this video, but I have been known to race home after work to get the UPS package off the porch before my husband sees it! :-0

Shopping Around ... Too Cool for School

• For just a split second, I thought this was real: The Home Shopping Network Introduces Talking Presidential Candidate Doll® Collection. Hey, I’ve come to expect anything from the company that sells Banana Bunkers!

• Wanna be an easy rider? Enter the QVC Orange County Choppers Sweepstakes. The Grand Prize is $10,000 cash plus an Orange County Choppers bike that will signed by Paul Teutul Sr., Paul Teutul Jr., and Mikey Teutul and has an engraving that has "QVC Inaugural Show October 9, 2008" on it. You know, you just can't get much cooler than having QVC engraved on your bike. Good grief! Who made that decision? Probably the same guy that likes to put "DMQ" on the face of all the Diamonique watches. QVC has improved by leaps and bounds, but don't kid yourselves, QVC is still not considered cool.

• HSN is also having their own Great Gift Giveaway. Although I still haven't figured out exactly what they are giving away exactly.

• Kim Parrish--of the Kim Parrish Collection on HSN and former QVC host--will be touring around the country giving workshops for Miss America's Outstanding Teen to give contestants inside look into the organization and the acting/audition process. Maybe she'll find the next VP candidate? You never know!

• You might want to read this before you go investing in all those gold coins sold on home shopping. Basically, buy what you like, don't buy because you probably won't get a huge ROI if you ever decide to sell them.

• I looove Project Runway, so it's only fitting that I love all the PR alums that come to QVC. Chole Dao was one of--if not the--first to do this. Dao says her pieces on QVC typically sell out. "It was scary because you don't think you can sell 10,000 units of anything, but I do," she said. Not only are her pieces selling out on QVC, she's also got her own line of electronic accessories at Verizon, she’s a spokesperson for Dove, and she's got some higher-end fancy duds on her website. Check ‘em out!

• It's not on her website yet, but Lori Greiner's upcoming TSV for November 9th looks like it's da bomb, baby! This absolutely ginormous jewelry cabinet swivels 360 degrees and can hold up to 700 pieces of jewelry and it opens up into a 3-way mirror. Although I do not enjoy looking at my bra bulges and muffin top in a 3-way mirror, I do appreciate the huge jewelry storage capacity. Here's a picture from The Insider:
  
  

Speaking of The Insider, when in the heck is QVC gonna wise up and start giving out free subscriptions for its most loyal customers? If you spend over a certain amount of money with QVC, wouldn't it behoove them to extend this mere pittance of a gesture of goodwill? It could even be an online copy. In fact, I would probably prefer that.

Diamonds for a Cure

Jewelry designer, Neda Behnam, of the SoHo Boutique line on ShopNBC has launched Diamonds for a Cure (DFAC)to raise funds for cancer research.

“As a breast cancer survivor I am dedicated about raising urgently needed funds for research. I am not only passionate about jewelry design and manufacturing, but will now dedicate most of my time to assist in any way I can to help in finding a cure. DFAC presents a unique opportunity to help others, while enjoying the uniqueness of our jewelry collection. We all wear jewelry, so why not wear Diamonds for a Cure and be part of the fight!” said Neda Behnam, CEO Diamonds for a Cure.



A 4ct. natural pink diamond flower ring set in rose gold, and an 18k white gold rough diamond pendant with a diamond center stone on either a black or pink silk cord are just two of the pieces in DFAC's "Think Pink" collection. DFAC is donating $100 from each sale of the flower ring and $50 from each pendant sale.

Will ShopNBC be selling this collection? It would certainly help their current slump and I do love all the crazy animal designs in the SoHo line ... I just can't afford any of them!

Batteries Not Included

Did you know that they come in fun fashion colors??? If you aren't already familiar with this unique product, check out my original post about this useful invention.




Video demonstration of my absolute favorite new HSN product: Banana Bunkers!

John Edward: Hawking Hope on HSN

John Edward--that’s John Edward the self-proclaimed medium, not John Edwards the fancy haircut politician who cheated on his ailing wife—does that even narrow it down anymore???--was recently on HSN hawking his memory boxes, DVD's, and jewelry.

This blogger tells the story behind John Edward’s “Hand on my Heart” necklace. I don’t know if John Edward is for real or not, but the story is touching nonetheless.


“Hand on my Heart” necklace is “a really nice piece that was inspired by his son, Justin. Apparently, one time when John was going to go on a trip to Australia for one of his workshops or something, he told his son that if he every missed him, that he could just put his hand on his heart and feel his heart beat and know that ‘Daddy’s heart beats for you’. Anyway, he wasn’t sure if Justin, 4 at the time, completely took in what he was saying, and assumed that it meant more to him than it did to Justin. But the next day, Justin gave John a hand print of his, and said that he wanted him (john) to be able to put HIS (Justin’s) hand on his heart.”

Is John Edward truly gifted or merely a fraud who preys on people when they are most vulnerable? A quick Google search will lead you to a plethora of articles about him "hustling the bereaved" with revamped old parlor tricks.

In addition to the standard cold-reading guessing game technique, he has also been accused of using plants in the audience and of bugging the studio to listen to the audience before the show so he knows who they are wanting to psychically contact. He was even shown to be a fraud on Dateline when he tried to pass off information about the cameraman that he already knew from working with him previously as being garnered from the spirit world. Maybe he was just confused?

South Park dedicated an entire episode to John Edward: "The Biggest Douche in the Universe." You can watch the full episode here.

While I do believe that some people do have extraordinary gifts, I'm not so sure that John Edward is gifted in anything but marketing himself. If he really, truly connected with the deceased, wouldn't it be much more of a burden? Would he really be using those amazing gifts to sell necklaces on HSN? Really???

On the other hand--real or not--people who are grieving find a certain solace in what he does. Of course, this is mainly because all the messages are positive and healing in nature. I know many nasty, spiteful people, and I don't think when they're dead that they are suddenly going to turn into Mary freaking Poppins. But that's just me.

The James Randi Educational Foundation, which is a a not-for-profit organization to promote critical thinking with reliable information about paranormal and supernatural ideas, is offering a "one-million-dollar prize to anyone who can show, under proper observing conditions, evidence of any paranormal, supernatural, or occult power or event."

This large prize has been offered for approximately ten years and is yet unclaimed.

For the Forbidden Love of Fake Diamonds

Oh, how I loves me some fake diamonds! QVC is kicking off Diamonique Week with a big ol' blingy bang. Wow! If this bracelet wasn't $300--yes, you read that right,Three.Hundred.Dollars.--I would be all over it.

*Sigh* I think I'll just be crying on me keyboard all day.

Jewelry Television Settles Class Action Lawsuit!

According to Knoxville television station, WBIR, Jewelry Television reached a preliminary class-action settlement with customers who claimed to received chemically altered gemstones instead of the all natural stones that were described on air.

The controversy over the andesine labradorite stones has been going on for some time now. You can read what I had to say about it here.

Although JTV admits no wrongdoing, the thousands of customers who bought the stones in question can get "cash refunds, store credit, or a combination of the two." Jewelry Television also has to better train their employees to avoid this from ever happening again.

Even though the settlement could cost the retailer several million dollars, Knoxville attorney, Greg Coleman, said that it was not their intent to put Jewelry Television out of business. "We realize they are a valuable employer in Knoxville but at the same time we have to be fair to the customers and the class."

If you think that you bought one of the gemstones and need to find out if you are eligible to take part in the class action settlement, contact Gary Coleman at 865-247-0080.

The Brains Behind the Beauty

This is a great interview with QVC cosmetics buyer, Michele Tacconelli. If you love all things beauty and makeup, it's definitely worth going to the Sparkle and Gloss blog for a read. Michele is sort of the "woman behind the curtain" of QVC beauty brands.

Here's a little snippet ...

Michele Tacconelli, buyer of color cosmetics for QVC in the U.S., has been with the network 10 years and is credited with discovering and/or nurturing some of its biggest successes – Bare Escentuals, philosophy, Laura Geller and one of her more recent finds – 100% Pure that she expects will become a “huge” success due to its use of natural ingredients. It is currently the only brand in the world using fruit tints for color, claimed its creator in a broadcast in early October.

Why do you think women are willing to buy beauty products without seeing them or touching them?
At QVC we have the top expert on the brand, whether it is the president or a makeup artist, to really explain the product. You can’t get that kind of expertise and passion at traditional retail. That is an unmatched experience that QVC offers and that is the biggest difference between us and traditional beauty retail. It is about the story and the passion. There is a personal connection with the consumer that is really important. Plus the show is live and that develops a trust factor. You have to keep it believable.

Who is the QVC shopper? Do you have a target market?
Our customer is a shopper of the world and very sophisticated. They read the beauty magazines and they know this category well. They want you to excite them. So the brand and the products have to have unique qualities. Our customer loves to shop in store, on the Internet or anywhere. We do not see her as a target age group. She is someone who is looking for something new and different.

Do you have exclusives on brands? What do you look for in the brands you bring on?
We have a lot of brands that are also in traditional retail. But we have some brand and product exclusives as well, and that helps drive our business. [For instance, QVC has the exclusive on the 100% Pure cosmetics products until January.] We really look to build long term relationships with our brands. One of our strengths is in brand-building. For instance, we introduced Mally Beauty, the cosmetics collection by makeup artist Mally Roncal. I had seen a lot of celebrity makeup lines, but she had a unique point of view. Mally took the techniques she used on her clients and created products that made it easy to duplicate the looks at home. Her brand launched on QVC on March 5, 2005, and the one-hour show ended 22 minutes early because all the items had sold out.

Nags, Harpies, and Shrews Unite!

Hats off to nagging wives everywhere!!! And, let me tell you, Queen Bea knows a thing or two about both nagging and complaining. Done correctly, it's an art form to be admired.

Apparently, some husbands channel their wives incessant complaining into something really inventive and productive (No, managing to channel surf and guzzle beer at the same time while successfully avoiding taking out the trash do NOT count!)

This is how Bill Clinton got to be President ... Hillary was constantly nagging him!

There will be a new product so great you’ll split your pants … or, rather, your sheets! This is what happens when a frustrated husband likes nice, cool cotton sheets, but his always-cold wife likes the fuzzy, warm flannel kind. David Haggerty took matters into his own hands by cutting the sheets down the middle and sewing a cotton sheet to a flannel sheet.

Hmmm ... Simply a sheet or a marriage counselor? Right now Dave is managing a couple hundred Teamsters at the SuperValu grocery warehouse while he packs up orders at night, but he’s getting his big shot on QVC October 30th. I just love stories like these. It’s not just the best of home shopping, it’s the best of America. Go Dave!


Very interesting story about a mechanical engineer that came up with a material that is not only collapsible, but it can handle heat up to 500 degrees, but doesn't "release toxicity, change color or shrink when they hit high temperatures" Foods tend not to stick to the new material and it won't blow up if you put a hot bakeware straight to the freezer. It's even dishwasher safe. You might wonder why did he take the time to create this amazing bakeware? Well, he was tired of hearing his wife complain about the "inconvenience of ceramic containers."

Fung is holding a contest on the Foldtuk Web site to find the most creative video about how people use their collapsible containers. The top prize winner will receive $500 and the second prize winner will receive $250. Both the first and second place winners will also get full sets of FoldTuk containers. The contest will run until the end of the year.

Better to live on the roof than share the house with a nagging wife. (GNB: Prov 21.9)

Walk a Mile in my "MissMatched" Socks

Just in case you are struggling to lose one of each pair of your socks, fear not! Because QVC's got your back ... foot ... whatever. They are now selling pre-mismatched socks. That, my friends, is going the extra mile.

QVC works hard to make sure that none of the nine(!) socks included in the Little MissMatched Sock-tastic Crazy Sock ComboPack match each other. That is no easy task.

Why buy a pair of matching socks when you're just gonna lose one of 'em anyway? Might as well cut out the middle man and dive in with an uneven number of socks that don't match each other.

As strange as this might be, nothing will ever top HSN's Banana Bunkers. That is--by far--the strangest product I have ever seen on any home shopping channel!

The Doctor is IN

ShopNBC hired some fancy-schmancy consulting firm-- Segel Associates—to help them figure out why they stink and can’t manage to ever make a profit. In addition to their sage advice, Segel also has their own products that will be launching on ShopNBC. Stuff like the Deep Cover Nail System and the Flavor Magic Gourmet Seasoning Sheets by Real Chef.

Are they serious? Do they really think that this is going to save them? No wonder they can’t make any money!

So, for the umpteenth millionth time I’m going to explain to those overpaid dimwits what they need to do:

1) Brand Identity. No, not of ShopNBC, but of what ShopNBC sells. I have a hard time coming up with very many product lines. Look at QVC and HSN … go on … you can do it … they make lots of … oh, what’s that word … right, money! Both companies have tons of recognizable brands that get customers excited. You know what? I recently went to Sephora, but I didn’t buy anything. You know why? Because I know that I can probably get a better deal on whatever I want at either QVC or HSN.

2) Sales Pitch. Please, please please stop acting like you are selling me a rusted-out used car that you slapped a new coat of paint on. The soft sell works. It might take a little longer, but your sales will be more consistent and your returns will be fewer. Also, make your hosts memorable and human. Other than Charla (love her!), they’re all robo-hosts. Look at the big uproar over Dave King and Kelly Repassy leaving. Customers were upset because they had a vested interest in the hosts. Would you buy from a robo-host or a host that you like?

3) Price Point. Yes, I know that ShopNBC is the luxury shopping channel. The problem is that you can’t live on caviar alone. Get a better mix of lower priced items. Home shopping customers are looking for more bang for their buck, but—especially in today’s economy—the bucks are limited.

4) Target Audience. You would think that most home shopping customers were men by the way ShopNBC was always pushing things like electronics. It’s not that women don’t like electronics. They do. Women are just much more practical about them. They just want it to do what it’s supposed to do simply and not break. Men want it to be the latest and greatest with the most flashy buttons and features (admittedly, women are a little like this with makeup). Men might buy from you once because you have on the biggest, baddest HDTV ever made, but they won’t come back and buy from you again. Men are just fickle like that. Love ‘em and leave ‘em.

5) Community. Where’s your message boards? Do you have a blog? Do your vendors or hosts have blogs? Newsletters, maybe? There are only a scant few product lines on ShopNBC that have a cult following (Isomers and Offerings are two I can think of). Where do these loyal followers meet to chat it up? The QVC message boards, of course!

There’s plenty more that ShopNBC could do to dust off their image and maybe turn a profit, but I don’t get paid enough to tell them. The doctor is OUT.

Queen Bea's Death Bed Confessions

Alright, alright … I admit it! I caved. I’m weak. So sue me. While I was suffering with the creeping death plague flu, I accidentally—allegedly--bought the Serious Skin Care Today’s Special on HSN.

It’s not my fault though! My lips were chapped, my nose was raw, and my eyes looked all sunken and sallow. I was horribly dehydrated. Normally, aside from the infamous T-zone, I’m as dry as the Sahara Desert (as Lisa Robertson at the Q likes to say), so being sick was just adding kindling to the fire.

And all day long the lovely Jennifer (Flavin Stallone) kept talking about all the rich moisture and luxurious hydration I was going to enjoy with the her Solutions for Dry Skin Olive Oil Kit. And it was only like $14 to get it home and I could always return it, right? Plus, if you sign up for auto-ship, you get free shipping. I am a sucker for free shipping. And I can always cancel the auto-ship. Jennifer even said I could.

For goodness sake, I wasn’t thinking straight. My brain had been replaced by mucus and a nice lady on the TV was explaining how she had the answers to all my problems in her Holy Grail of olive oil products. So, yes, through my haze of sickness I somehow managed to correctly order the TS. They do make ordering easy, don’t they?

Props to HSN, I got my order yesterday morning.

Here’s the thing though. So far, I love it! Especially that Omega 3 serum. I have no idea if it fights lines and wrinkles since I’ve only used it twice, but it does hydrate. My extremely dry face is now … dewy and soft. I have never been dewy or soft. If I could bathe in this stuff, I would.

The shower cream and the body lotion are both good. I haven’t had a chance to try the mask yet, but it’s supposed to leave my face smooth and supple, which will go quite nicely with dewy and soft.

The replenishing oil and the cleanser are both good, but squirt all over the place when you push down on the pump. I know Jennifer doesn’t like to spend much on packaging, but trying to hunt down the product on the bathroom counter is rather annoying.

The facial firming pads are good. My face feels tighter, but I don’t break out in hives or get all red and blotchy as my dry and sensitive skin is prone to do. The top ones will dry out, so I would recommend storing them upside down.

The squalane is interesting. I don’t think that I could use it if it were shark squalane, but this is from olives. The roller is good and bad. Sometimes it just gets stuck and doesn’t want to roll so you have to push down really hard or try to get it going with your fingers. It also smells bad to me—sort of a strong floral scent. I hate floral scents, but that’s just me. I decided to just use it on my fingernails. Like my skin, they are dry and peal all the time. Maybe this will help. I don’t know yet.

I don’t care for the ugly purse that came with it, but I’ll give it to my niece or something. The subscription to Self will be nice too.

All in all, this is a great kit—especially the omega 3 serum. I’ve heard complaints about the smell, but I don’t think the olive oil line smells bad at all. If you like the smell of olive oil, you probably won’t mind these products.

Is That a Banana in Your Pocket???

For the person who REALLY loves bananas, HSN is now selling this ... ummm ... interesting set of Banana Bunkers.

Just imagine whipping out your own personal Banana Bunker in the breakroom at work. And, call me crazy, but I'm pretty sure your kid would get suspended from school if you put one in his lunchbox.

The poor, poor, poor host who has to get through an entire presentation with a straight face ... "Each hard plastic Banana Bunker measures approximately nine inches long and is made of a two-piece ribbed sleeve that pulls apart for easy access. Remember--hand was only!!!"

I'm still feeling terrible, but this was just too funny to pass up!

A Royal Pox

Sorry for not posting these last few days, but Queen Bea and her royal family have all come down with the creeping death or the plague or something (possibly just the flu, whatever). My brain is barely functioning, in fact, the mere act of holding my head up has become a triumph of will.

On the plus side, I have had more time to watch mindless television. At this red hot moment, Jennifer Flavin Stallone almost has me convinced that I need all that olive oil for my dry skin. I'm feeling very dehydrated.

Davinia Gone!

A short few months after being promoted to host, Davinia Palmer is gone. Her profile is no longer listed on the QVC host page (although you can still get to it here).

You see, this is how it works ... I'm hot on the trail of the Patti Reilly leaving story and Davinia up and leaves (or whatever happened!) Ugh! It's like a crazy home shopping slight of hand trick.

She's got an awesome website. Check it out!

Shopping Around: "like whores out of a ..."

• In this in-depth article about interior decorator, Nate Berkus, discusses losing his partner in the 2004 Sri Lanka tsunami and how the experience changed him, coming out to his parents, and what Oprah is really like behind the scenes. Some interesting facts: Nate’s dad used to sell sport’s memorabilia on HSN (like father, like son, right?), he’s the oldest of six siblings, and he thinks that The Wiener's Circle in Chicago “have the best hot dogs in the world.”
  
  
• “QVC free samples? It’s like getting whores out of a ...” Joan Rivers pulls no punches in her latest interview—Sarah Palin, Clay Aiken, and QVC should take cover!
  
  
• The Swanky Pup found some great pet buys on the Q. If you have a little fur baby, check out their recommendations.
  
  
• The chair of Liberty Media, John Malone, sold 4.5 million shares back to Liberty Media …why??? One day I might understand all this high finance mumbo jumbo.
  
  
• Don’t forget, the 15th annual "FFANY Shoes on Sale" 7-10 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15. More than 100,000 pairs of brand-name shoes from about 100 brands will be offered at half the manufacturer's suggested retail price, with net proceeds marked for breast cancer research and educational institutions. Over the past 14 years, the event has sold more than a million pairs of shoes and donated about $28 million to the cause.

Down the Rabbit Hole: My First trip to Sephora

Yesterday, for the first time, I ventured into the holy temple of beauty … Sephora. Wow … just, wow!!! I was so overwhelmed that I could barely take it all in. It was like I fell headfirst down the rabbit hole and landed smack dab in the middle of QVC-land. Aisle after endless aisle of products that I’d been hearing about for years were on display.

I finally got the chance to smell all the Philosophy not-really-perfume perfumes—Amazing Grace, Inner Grace, Baby Grace, Pure Grace, and Falling in Love. After smelling them for myself, I can say that yes, in fact, these are perfumes. I don’t know why Philosophy likes to pretend otherwise. And, they weren’t what I was expecting. I suppose after listening to long-winded and flowery descriptions by numerous hosts and Philosophy founder, Cristina, I had certain preconceived notions going in.

My favorite? Baby Grace. I never would have guessed that. Although I have to confess, I had just spent twenty minutes at the Yankee Candle store sniffing the new holiday candles so my smeller was a little spent.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to really test out everything since my husband, Mr. Queen Bea, and my son, Queen Bea Jr., were not-so-patiently waiting for me (Sbarro pizza was calling—Yum-O!). I plan on going back when I have more time and less men with me and I can’t wait!

And, for the record, most of the deals on the Q for the products really are deals. As Dolly Parton said, “It takes a lot of money to look this cheap!” Amen, sister.

An "Uplifting" Story

So let's just say that maybe you've had a baby or two and maybe you've gained and lost little weight over the years ... or maybe gravity is just working its merciless magic. Whatever the reason, if you have to untuck your boobs from your waistband, roll 'em up, and stuff them in a sturdy, straight jacket excuse for a bra, you know the road to perky bazoombas is hazardous.

Supportive bras are ugly, the straps dig into your shoulders, you get hot, sweaty, and uncomfortable. So how can we comfortably hoist up the girls without looking like an old school marm?

Kathy Baker thinks she has the answer. And her story showcases the best of home shopping.



Here's her story from the Orlando Sentinel:

Five years ago, [Kathy] Baker shared your problem. Then she figured out a solution. She calls it the Bralief Bra Clip. Here's her story:"My breasts were too heavy. I was a J cup," says Baker, 36, a former computer engineer. "To get some lift, I was using string and safety pins to hold my bra straps together in the back. Then I woke up one morning with this idea. I could see it clearly in my mind's eye. It made so much sense."What she envisioned was a strong, adjustable, elastic clasp that could be used to pull the bra straps together in the back, which raised the cups in front.

She scoured fabric shops for the right elastic and designed her own plastic clasp. Then, in 2004, she hit the trade shows."The response was overwhelming," she says.She opened her first plant in Fort Lauderdale in January 2005, and a second one in Kissimmee in July this year. She has three full-time employees and hires extras during crunch times."I've been on QVC three times, and we sold out each time," she says.The original purpose of the Bralief was to lift the breasts of full-figured women, she says. "But by default, it also keeps the straps from falling off the shoulders, so it works for all women."The bra clip sells for $9.95. It can be ordered at bralief.com or by calling 1-866-428-5150. And by the end of the month, it should be in some local stores.

Home shopping can take a smart lady with a great idea and turn her into a successful entrepreneur by giving her a chance to talk directly to her customers. This is where home shopping gets it right.

A Rumor with a "View"

So, the rumor is that Elisabeth Hasselbeck will be doing some sort of Dialogue fashion line for QVC this Spring. And--just like with Rosie--feathers are ruffled! How dare she bring a fashion line! Who does she think she is, anyway? She's an idiot! I hate listening to her on The View!

Whatever.

Just like I said with Rosie, people need to get over themselves.

I will say that "The View" is doing themselves a huge disservice by not having a right-leaning/conservative/Republican woman on the panel who can can actually articulate her perspective coherently. I know I prefer to hear an intelligent--even heated--discussion of the issues from different perspectives. I don't like to hear someone scream talking points and cry when asked for any facts or evidence to back them up.

But this has nothing to do with whether or not Elisabeth can put together a fashion line of some sort. I look forward to seeing what she does.




And as for the other rampant rumor that people keep emailing me about: No, I do not know if Patti is really leaving at the end of the month or not.

I promise, as soon as I know anything that I will let you know!!!

A New Weapon in the War on Frizz

Women have always had a rather complicated relationship with their hair--we will cut it, burn it, and attack with an array of advanced chemical concoctions all in a futile effort to simply get our hair to cooperate a little.

Frizz, for many, is enemy number one.

If you have frizzy hair, you know that no matter how much product you glop on or how long you flat iron your hair, the frizz will always win out in the end.

QVC is launching a new anti-frizz product that has been in the making for over 30 years: No Frizz by Living Proof, which won the Allure magazine "beauty breakthrough" of 2008.



Right now, anti-frizz products work using silicone; however, silicone "doesn’t prevent humidity from entering the hair shaft, and it doesn’t reduce the surface friction on hair. Rather, silicone works by weighing down hair with oil, ultimately allowing humidity to penetrate, leaving it limp and greasy.

This sounds very promising and I can't wait to read the reviews!

You can catch No Frizz on the Q Sunday, October 12th.

So You Wanna Decorate like a Billionaire???

Ok, so maybe you aren't a billionaire with your own number-one-rated talk show, but you can certainly pretend. Oprah's favorite interior designer is coming out with his line of furniture and home accessories on Monday, October 13th, on HSN.

Oprah has always been so generous to us plebs!



After looking at the collection HSN has already posted on their website, I came to the conclusion that Nate loves interesting combinations of texture and color--and is not afraid of a sequined throw pillow or two. And for the record, I love the idea of a sparkly throw pillow, but I'm terrified of what my little kitty-kitty would do to it!



If you want to see what Nate did with his own apartment, check out the pictures here. I get the feeling that he likes books.

And if you have a big Nate or Oprah fan that's on your Christmas list, you might want to get an autographed copy of his book, "Home Rules."

Shopping Around

• 
  
  Don't steal me Lucky Charms!!! According to WWD Business, Van Cleef reaches settlement with Mouawad's Heidi Klum collection for QVC over all those clover designs in her jewelry. What's next? Hearts? Stars? Horseshoes? Ugh!

• 
  
  Barry Diller, CEO of IAC, former parent company of HSN, talks with the Wall Street Journal about the economy, the future, and the big break off of HSN. He also talks about a feud with Jim Malone of Liberty Media (parent company of QVC, which also owns part of IAC--confused yet???) that landed them in court.

• 
  
  Burnin' Down the House ... The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled fryers, which were sold on QVC's Cook Essentials 3 Liter Stainless Steel Deep Fryers with three baskets. The model number is F1053Q. Contact the Q if you bought one of these.

• 
  
  According to the AP, You Tube is trying to cash in on the whole home shopping concept. Those free videos don't pay for themselves, you know!I'm not exactly clear on this, but it sounds like there will be a button below the video to purchase the product in the video (or related to the video? I'm not sure).

Ugh! Technical Problems ...

For some reason I have been losing posts and having all sorts of strange technical difficulties. I think my blog is possessed ... 

How They Getcha!

This is a post from funny "The Secret Life of Ducks" blog, which I had to share.

This is how we oh-so-willingly fall into the glittery trap of home shopping. Trust me, it can happen to anyone ... even husbands!

The Home Shopping Phenomenon

Last night was a rough night for JP. While getting him comfy and settled into a somewhat sleep we were all watching TV. it was Saturday night and there was nothing on. I eventually turned on QVC, a home shopping channel.

They were doing a show on misc items for problem solving. I turned it initially on because it had a GPS thing for the car on. My mom had told me earlier in the day that she had ordered that for a Christmas gift for us and my SIL with no sense of direction.

I left it on as just something to listen to and all of a sudden Joe says from his side of the bed:

"You're not becoming one of THOSE people are you?"

Meaning a home shopping channel junkie, lol. The joke was on him a few minutes later.

A new product had come on for gently whitening teeth at home in a simple manner. Neither of us like the color of our teeth and want to whiten them. But we don't want to bleach them either. This product came with 2 tubes of paste and 2 toothbrushes. The price was reasonable and they even offered an auto ship. All of a sudden from Joe's side of the bed I quietly hear:

"I wouldn't mind getting that"

I started laughing and told him he was becoming one of THEM, lol. We're going to order it though as the system looks decent and is a decent price.

Shopping Around

• Jessica Alba spoofs home shopping in support of a Declare Yourself, "a national nonpartisan, nonprofit campaign to empower and encourage every eligible 18-year-old in America to register and vote in the presidential primaries and 2008 presidential election." Check out the video of Jessica selling muzzle masks here. Even if you don't, please make sure that you are registered to vote!

• Anthony Heywood from QVC UK talks about his visit across the pond, lunch with Davania, and Jeanne Bice forcing him to make an appearance on camera. They like to call it Qgossip.

• Greg Maffei, CEO of Liberty Media (which owns all of QVC and part of HSN--I think--this might have changed since HSN broke off from its parent company), talks about how the economy and the bailout will affect their business. Read the Rocky Mountain News interview here.

• I can not look at this due to being in a twelve step program for scrapper addicts, but feel free to check out a preview of new scrapping stuff from Laura at Glitz Designs here and here. She'll be on HSN on 10/8/08.

• JTV is trying to pull themselves out of the cheese and evolve into a real home shopping network--the economy and lawsuits are just slowing them down a bit. However, starting October 15th, Jewelry Television will be launching in high definition (HD) in a brand new studio with brand spankin' new graphics. (Just one minor problem--they don't have any distribution deals yet for the HD, but they are working on that.) Read the article here.

• Here is another article on JTV, which I do not understand. It seems to be written in code. Are they talking about fake online reviews and articles? I can't tell, but it sounds shady.

Oh, Snap! Props to Lisa Mason

I have always loved my Diamonique shows with Lisa Mason--she's irreverent, funny, entertaining, and informative. Kathy Levine certainly left some "big honkin'" shoes to fill and, while many loyal viewers may disagree, I think Lisa has done her best to step up to the plate.

The main criticism of Lisa seems to revolve around her interesting and unnecessarily wordy verbage/verbiage (yes, I know there has been discussion of that particular word), but from my "vantage point," this quirky style makes her all the more interesting.

But that's not what I'm giving her props for.

For years, Lisa has consistently stressed that customers should never over-extend themselves financially by buying too much because "a piece of jewelry won't change your life."

"Only buy what you can easily afford" is not exactly the mantra that salespeople (i.e. hosts) tend to live by, which is why home shopping has a bit of a reputation for sweet talking people into spending their life savings and maxing-out their credit cards looking for happiness.

Lisa risks selling less in order to be true to herself. I admire that.

Creede Rocks the Bracelets!

It's Creede Silver Strike Day on the Q!!! I love jewelry and I love silver, so I certainly have no problem with an entire day dedicated to silver jewelry!

After looking through all the Creede pieces, I was most struck with the bracelets (and I'm not just talking about the TSV either). Normally I'm much more of a ring and earring kind of a girl, but the bracelets were clearly the stars of the day.

The TSV is an Arte d'Argento Sterling Multi-gemstone Charm Bracelet. I love just about anything Arte d'Argento, but I'm sure we'll soon be hearing stories of beads falling off the bracelet (or arriving already broken). I always worry when a manufacturer has to make enough of something for it to be a TSV. If you have to make 10-20,000 bracelets (I have no idea how many they have), I'm guessing that the quality is naturally going to slip a little. Although I have to admit, it does look like it would be fun to wear and jingle.

There's also some great Artisan Crafted items, like this Sterling & Brass Bead Scroll Design Cuff:

And this Artisan Crafted Sterling Bold Woven Bracelet:

There's even some designer jewelry like this RLM Studio Sterling "Molten Wrist" Couture Cuff (be still my beating heart ...)

And some designer knock-off stuff like this Sterling Twisted Cuff Bracelet w/Decorative End Caps:

Janice Dickinson Gives Lip Service to her New HSN Jewelry Line

The rumors were true ... the self-proclaimed world's first super model will indeed have a line of jewelry on HSN.

Here's a sneak peek from Janice's blog:

Love 'em or hate 'em, they are certainly over-the-top, edgy, and fashion forward--just like Janice.

Here's the thing, I'm not so naive as to believe that Janice is burning the midnight oil hunched over some drafting table slaving over jewelry designs; however, it does look like the pieces she has chosen to be in her line reflect her personal style and aesthetic. That's all you can hope for in these celebrity fashion and jewelry lines. I'm just going to withhold judgement until I see more.

Janice will be on HSN October 29 ... it should be entertaining!