Tax Day Sucks

I hate April 15th. There is just nothing good about it. So when QVC offered a beacon of hope ... a small island of free shipping goodness in the unforgiving, tumultuous sea of income taxes ... I was ecstatic!

I hate paying for shipping. I hate that home shopping channels view shipping as another way to make a quick buck than as an unfortunate cost of doing business. I hate that they can't get it through their thick skulls that they are now competing with companies like Amazon, which offers Free Super Saver Shipping on ton of their most popular products every single day.

So you can imagine my disappointment when I headed over to the Q's website this morning only to discover that almost all the products getting the free shipping special treatment are excess inventory products that they are trying to unload. Very disappointing.

ETA: I just read through my post and realized that it sounds very negative. I use the word "hate" a lot, which isn't a word I generally like to throw around. Apparently, taxes really put me in a foul mood. Perhaps I need to relax with a glass of wine and a funny movie tonight!

Shopping Around ... Info Dump

So I've been slacking on the blog over the Thanksgiving holiday and my inbox overfloweth. This is going to be the biggest info-dump post ever. I just have to clear out some clutter! I can't take it anymore!




Kathy McGuire, inventor of My Little Weatherbuddy, got to meet Joan Rivers backstage at the Q after their 22nd Birthday Holiday Party. Kathy said Joan was "so nice and gorgeous" and that she had a great first experience on QVC, "I couldn't of had a better time in Disney world." I'm so jealous! I love Joan!


Finally! Someone is listening to me! I have nagging ad nauseum about high shipping costs and finally the-powers-that-be cleaned the wax outta their ears and listened. According to this Wall Street Journal article, it’s been all about the free shipping this holiday season.


Say bye-bye to bling-bling, electronics is now the Q’s most popular business (I wonder if this could this have anything to do with King George coming from Dell?) There's just one little problem with this: unlike jewelry, electronics has a very low profit margin.


Here's a warning that some of the coins sold on the home shopping channels might not be uncirculated as they claim. Basically this boils down to just buying what you love for fun and not buying because of some perceived future value. The best advice on the topic can be found on Steve Bryant's website (former QVC host). And while your there, take a quick listen to his song parodies (FYI--some are NSFW).


When the markets tanked last Monday (not to be confused with all the other days that it tanked), HSN dropped 24 percent to $2.84. That's in one day, folks. Wow.


Carol Alt is bringing her RAW beauty products to HSN and they are raw for real, y'all—as in not cooked. I knew about the raw eating trend, but I didn’t know that it extended into other non-edible products too. I could never do that whole raw eating thing since I (usually) love to cook! That would just suck too much joy out of my life. Oh well, to each her own.


Apparently iPhone is greedy enough to lower themselves to Walmart, but still too good for the Q. I guess you gotta draw the line somewhere, right?


This is a great article about not confusing home shopping hosts with real friends--even if they are nice people. Hosts are just doing their job by selling you stuff in an entertaining and friendly manner. And I really wish that the Q would stop all their talk about the big, happy QVC family--especially since they're canning hundreds of their beloved family members.


Here's a good write up for JTV’s watch website, which is much better than the regular Jewelry Television site--great pictures and easy navigation. I thought I'd post this since there hasn't been much good news coming out of JTV recently. Gotta take what you can get.


Mindy Grossman, CEO of HSN, was named number 28 on the 2008 Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Cable list. Why? Because HSN “has posted revenue growth during a time when most retailers have been challenged. Her reputation in the retail industry combined with her vision of HSN as a new retail frontier have made HSN a top choice for brands and strategic partners who had previously been averse to TV retailing, including Condé Nast, Sephora, Nate Berkus and Coty Inc. Her strategy of combining lifestyle entertainment and commerce has had an impact on the retail industry as well as on other media.” Forget King George over at the Q—all hail Queen Mindy!


This article details how Internet sales are becoming a bigger chunk of total home shopping sales. Personally, I never call to order anything. I am exclusively an online kind of a girl since I like to comparison shop and read reviews before making a purchase. I also do NOT like the pressure of the on-air sale (only two per state left!) I do, however, enjoy listening to the designer or inventor of the product describe and explain what they are selling. You just don’t get that kind of expertise from the eighteen-year-old at the mall. I think that the on-air and online compliment each other quite nicely and, really, the Internet is home shopping’s only hope for remaining a relevant shopping format in the future.


Here are some articles about some smart ladies with smart products who worked hard and got lucky by getting to go on QVC: Affirmagy, Butler Bag, and Lapper Trays. Congrats to all!


Interesting article about the science behind the Living Proof NoFrizz product, which won the Allure Beauty Breakthrough of the Year and is now sold on QVC. I checked out the reviews and they are definitely a mixed bag. We can fly a man to the moon, but we can't cure baldness or tame frizzy hair--go figure.


HSN's Terry Lewis gets a glowing review here for her line of "investment coats." Sounds impressive.


Fashion designer Arnold Scaasi has designed for Jacqueline Kennedy and now he’s launching a jewelry line on HSN featuring hematite, pearls, enamel and gemstones. I swear, home shopping channels are like Las Vegas—at some point everyone ends up performing there.

Today's Blue Plate Specials ... Anorexic Gold

Did you watch the Gold Rush yesterday? I caught a few minutes here and there--enough to remind myself why the gold shows are not my favorite. Gold ain't cheap. There's just no way around that fact. You can only make the gold so thin and hollow to try to keep the cost down. I'm fairly certain that there are laws of physics involved in this (much to the Q's dismay).

With few exceptions, the pieces were either too expensive or too thin--anorexic gold is not only not attractive, it doesn't last. Looks like unless or until gold prices go down, I'm not going to be buying much.

Was it just me or did Mary Beth's dress look very uncomfortable last night??? And what's with all the new gold colors? Purple? For real? I have nothing against purple, but I for one would not fork over all that money for real gold that looks fake. I'll just bypass that middle man and buy fake!


The QVC TSV is a KathyVan Zeeland Patent Croco Emb. Convertible Organizer Bag. Normally I love Kathy Van Zeeland purses. They're funky, fun , and fresh. But this one just seems like the same old same old. Not particularly impressed with this one. I still love Kathy though!

The Q's doing 3 Easy Pays on all seasonal clearance this week. It's as close to a sale as you're ever gonna get from QVC!

The HSN TS is a 9.5-10.5mm Peacock Cultured Freshwater Pearl 14K 50" Necklace. I love a long strand of pearls. You can wear it long, double it, triple it, twist it, tie knots in it, jump rope with it ... :-)

The ShopNBC OTV is a Two-Pack 600TC Egyptian Cotton Sheet Sets - Solid Set & Jacquard Set. Not one, but two glorious sets of high-thread-count sheets. Trust me, once you sleep in good sheets, you never want to go back. In fact you keep looking for that higher high. If the 400 TC sheets feel this good, I wonder what the 500 TC sheets would feel like? Before you know it you're spending your life savings for some 1200 TC pillow cases and your spouse is trying to get you some rehab treatment.

Free shipping on lots of clearance jewelry!

Today's Blue Plate Specials ... Quack! Quack! Oink! Oink!

I would have been in fake diamond heaven last night between Discover Diamonique and the Victoria Wieck Anniversary if I wouldn't have been so sucked into those Olympic gymnastics. Sorry fake diamond peddlers. I'll be back. It was just a fling. I swear. It'll never happen again.

The QVC TSV(s) are (in no particular order) a Quacker Factory Retro Waffle Knit Studded Shirt & Jeannes Set and a Paula Deen's Smithfield 7lb Sampler: Pork, Wings, Ham Sausage & Ribs.

I just want to say up front that I find both Jeanne and Paula highly entertaining (not to mention smart and talented). And being a Southern lady myself (well, Southern at least), I can relate. However, having the two of them together for a dual TSV just seems to ... well ... I'm having trouble being snarky without being downright offensive. Ok, how about this ... people who watch the Q today could possibly think that the QVC customers might have something in common with this lady:

I'm just gonna move on now ...

Anyway, to celebrate the 21st Anniversary of the Today's Special Value (otherwise known as the TSV), the Q is offering free shipping on all the TSV's this week. Not to mention on the extra bonus TSV (isn't that called a Hot Pick? I'm confused.) I think that free booze would be more appropriate for the 21st anniversary. Get Sandra Lee on and have her whip up a special drink. It's always cocktail time with Sandra!

The HSN TS is the Youthful Essence Microdermabrasion Double-Up Kit by Susan Lucci. The Youthful Essence products seem to get good reviews, but to me it seems like the poor man's Clarisonic (not that I have a Clarisonic).

The ShopNBC OTV is the Sony U73T GPS Navigation System with Carry Case. Now, I'm no GPS expert, but I do know how to Google. It's cheaper at Circuit City, but you don't get any Value Pays.

Today's Blue Plate Specials ... Magic Eight Ball Madness!

The ShopNBC OTV is a Charles Winston Women's Swarovski® Crystal Accent Charm Bracelet Watch. If I liked hearts, this would be kinda cute--a nice trendy piece for the fall. The strap is leather and comes in red, black, and white (well, the black is already sold out).

I love the quote from Charles Winston about this: "Here is the perfect gift for any woman, from the very young, to the very sophisticated.”

Remember chickadees, we aren't old, we're sophisticated ... or very sophisticated ... possibly more sophisticated than dirt. :-)


The QVC TSV is a Modern Soul NewStretch Shawl Collar Jacket & Wide Leg Pants. I like the idea of this--a comfy pant suit that looks more dressed up than it feels. However, the pants have an elastic waist (no thank you) and the pants also only come in one length. Being vertically challenged, I know this would not work for me. But the worst part is that you have to hand wash and dry flat. Queen Bea doesn't hand wash or dry flat!!!

The Q is going 8/8/08 nuts today! There is easy pay on all kitchen clearance here. And there's Crazy Eights Offers all day here. And easy pay on all home theater systems here (do NOT tell Mr. Queen Bea! Ugh!)




The HSN TS is a Lexmark Photo Printer, Copier, Scanner and Fax with 1GB SD Card. From what I saw on Google, $88.08 (the 8/8/08 madness will never end!!!) seems to be a good price. If you're considering buying this, check out the reviews for this here.


Jewelry Television has free shipping on customer favorites. Check it out here.

Blue Plate Special Daily Round Up ... It's EVIL PAY DAY!!!

Woot! Woot! I loooooooooooooove 5 Evil Pay Day! I know that it's not really a sale, but it feels like a sale. What can I say, I'm a sucker. I have no idea what I'm going to get. Ugh! I always do this. I always crack under the pressure. I just know that they are going to present something tomorrow and I'm just going to kick myself for not thinking to get it today. Pressure ... pressure ... I'm like a Cook's Essentials pressure cooker!

The official QVC TSV is a 3-piece Supersmile kit ... but who cares? I mean really, it's evil pay day, chickadess! However, along with the Supersmile, there's a page full of other auto-delivery (AD) items that you can order and lock in the 5 evil pays--Dr. Denese, BE, Philosophy, Ojon. So if you need to stock up, now's the time.

Queen Bea needs to sit down and elevate her feet and try to get some air.

HSN has this hideous excuse for a Technibond ring as their TS. I like Techinbond, I really do. Gold is like $1000 per troy ounce or something ridiculously high like that, so buying solid gold jewelry is an investment (like the ShopNBC OTV today).

I like Technibond best when it's just big, bold gold, like omegas and cuffs. I do not like ugly, drill-bit diamond, and nasty gemstones that belong in the bottom of a fish tank--not to mention the overall hideousness of the design. Yuck. Sorry, but this is bad.

BTW, did you read what Paul Deasy had to say about Technibond now that he's no longer under HSN's thumb? Check it out here.

ShopNBC has this beautiful and very expensive ruby necklace. This is niiiiiiiiiiiiiice, but not gonna happen ... I just can't justify $1500 for a necklace. but don't those rubies just look juicy?

Don't forget free shipping on the All Stars products!

BTW, they are now offering a big selection of fragrances ... even Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely. She's just not loyal to HSN at all. What was I thinking? She won't even show up to sell her own products

Blue Plate Special Round Up ...

The Q's TSV is an air conditioner, and as much as I like air conditioning, I'm soooo not interested in watching air-conditioner presentations all day. It's colder! It's quieter! It's smaller! It's cheaper! Ugh! Boring.

HSN has a big-a$$ TV for their Today's Special. Again, as much as I love to watch TV, call me crazy, but I do not like to watch people blabbering on about TV's on TV. Anyway, it's Host Pick Day too, whic would be cool if I thought that the hosts really got to pick what they wanted to present, but I'm not convinced.

ShopNBC is selling a 1/2-ct. diamond (think drill bit) vermeil ring as their OTV. At less than $150, it's cheap for a diamond ring, but I think this is one of those times that you get what you pay for. At least they are doing a big Silver Spectacular for most of the day.

Overall, not the best specials today. But, I am curious to see the new Andrea Ventura jewelry collection on QVC today at 3 p.m. And, of course, I can't wait until the Tacori show tonight. Tomorow will definitely be a better day!

At least Jewelry Television is having free shipping.

On a side note, I ran accross Debby Mayne's blog today. A friend of hers, who works for HSN, invited Debby to bring-a-friend week at the super special HSN employee store--and girlfriend was able to score some serious bargains.

First of all, I didn't even know that there was an employee store. And, secondly, how do I get to go? And, thirdly, not fair! not fair! not fair! Humph. (Queen Bea crosses her arms and pouts). She was even able to get the dang Huggable Hangers to disply her loot (without getting those annoying dents in the shoulders of the shirts, I might add).