Will Charla Rines be Hosting on EmVee TV?

Charla back in the day.

Oh, my darling Charla, how I have missed you!

In a world full of robotic, cookie-cutter hosts, she's a one-of-a-kind. And while I do realize that Charla might not be everyone's cuppa, I adore her off-the-wall antics coupled with that trademark gravely voice. I'll stop gushing, but if you'd like to read why I think she's "da bomb," click here.

Anyway, I had heard through the grapevine that Charla might be showing up at the new boutique shopping network, EmVee TV. All the cool kids from ShopNBC seem to be headed in that direction--the Ramsey's are already there and so is Pearlfection.

I wasn't sure if there was any truth to the rumor that Charla would finally be back on my TV set, but then she posted this on her Facebook:

well, i'm close to putting my mug back on air at a small start-up. if i can make this happen you ladies will have your luxury product back big time. all prayers welcome!!!

Here's hoping Charla! I can't wait to see you again.

Bob Bowersox Coming to ShopNBC

Ever since Bob Bowersox suddenly left QVC with only a short hostage goodbye video, he has become quite the thespian and screenplay writer down in Key West--but we haven't seen hide nor hair of Bob in home shopping land.

But nobody puts Bob in a corner!

Keep your eyes peeled for Bob to make his first appearance on ShopNBC Thursday of this week. After that, he'll be making regular weekend visits. Key West to Minneapolis ... that's quite a commute.

ShopNBC Host Wendi Russo Crowned Mrs. Minnesota

Corrado and Wendi Russo

Hot on the heels of being crowned Mrs. Minnesota America 2008, ShopNBC host Wendi Russo was recently crowned Mrs. Minnesota United States 2010.

According to the Mrs. Minnesota website:

Wendi Russo is the first woman to be crowned Mrs. Minnesota United States during its May 22, 2010 pageant in Lakeville, Minnesota. The Mrs. Minnesota United States pageant has not been held in the state for over a decade but has recently been acquired by Future Productions. The Mrs. Unites States pageant celebrates the accomplished married women of Minnesota in their careers, their marriages and contributions to their communities.

"I'm so proud to be the new titleholder for the Mrs. Minnesota United States Pageant. Co-Directors, Craig Heitkamp and Denise Wallace are highly respected in the pageant industry for being professional and kind. I am thrilled and honored to be a part of their family, representing Teens, Miss and now the Married women of Minnesota."

As a television hostess with Shop NBC, the premiere lifestyle shopping network, Wendi presents a large range of products, helping her viewers look and feel their best with the latest skincare, cosmetics, jewelry & fashion. A graduate from the University of Vermont with a degree in Business Administration; UCLA with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and an Accredited Jewelry professional with the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), Wendi was recently accepted into Bilmore's Who's Who Among Business Professionals.

Wendi has worked with a multitude of charities with a bent towards children, but her true passion is Mentoring. Wendi has dedicated her time to mentoring young girls on a one-on-one basis for over 10 years and plans to use her title to promote awareness of the enormous need for mentors for at-risk children through her appearances, speaking engagements and local media outlets. Growing up in a single parent home, Wendi knows first hand the importance a caring adult can make in a child's life.

"I've had mentors throughout my life and they are the ones who have believed in me and supported my dreams. They helped me become the person I am today and that's why I mentor--I know what a difference it can make."

An alumni and mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters and a mentor, speaker and Ambassador for Kinship of Greater Minneapolis, a Christian Mentoring organization, Wendi has inspired hundreds to consider becoming mentors. Wendi is currently mentoring two young girls through ACES,( Atheletes Committed to Educating Students), an after school mentoring program that helps close the achievement gap by engaging inner- city youth in learning and service.

Wendi has been married for six years to Corrado Russo, a contractor in Eden Prairie, whom she met on her trip to the Amalfi Coast in Italy. Wendi has a beautiful 5-year old daughter and says her family is her "greatest achievement."

Check out Wendi's pictures here and keep tabs on her official appearances here.

Congrats!

Say Goodbye to ShopNBC

I don’t enjoy muddling through dense text filled with financial number, so here is the bullet point version of what ShopNBC reported for the 2010 First Quarter if you’re interested (if you're not, just meet me down at the first paragraph):

• Although ShopNBC managed to get their average price point per item down from $144 last year to $108, this is still nearly twice as much as QVC’s average selling price.
• Overall sales sank 6.6%, which ShopNBC primarily attributed to lower sales of electronics.
• ShopNBC increased their net shipped units by 23%, up from 877,000 to 1.1 million.
• E-commerce sales accounted for nearly 40% of all sales.
• New customers went up 48% and active customers were up 30% .
• ShopNBC had a net loss of $11 million, but this was down from last year's $15 million loss.
• Watches continue to be a strong category.
• Jewelry outperformed expectations, especially gold, diamond, gold-plated items, and colored gemstones.

So obviously the numbers aren’t looking good for ShopNBC, but what else is new? The real news from their first quarter results is the announcement that ShopNBC is being forced to change their name.

About ten years ago, a trademark licensing agreement was struck between NBC Universal and Value Vision (ShopNBC’s original name) that allowed Value Vision to use the NBC name and logo. However, the agreement expires next year and NBC Universal, which is being bought by Comcast, does not want to extend the agreement. This leaves ShopNBC without a name and without a logo.

On top of all that, NBC Universal also acquired over 6 million shares of ShopNBC in that licensing deal and they are currently making plans to sell all of it. TV retailing no longer fits in with their strategy. To make matters worse, another company under the same umbrella, GE Capital, owns another 6 millions shares of ShopNBC and they want to sell too. When the largest stakeholder in a company wants to sell, investors get a little nervous.

ShopNBC plans to gradually roll out the new, and as of now unknown, name on social media in the near future and then slowly incorporate the change to their website and finally on air by February. No name has been chosen yet, but there is a “short list.” Rumor has it that they will retain the “Shop” part of their name and tack on something new to the end. There are no plans to enter into another licensing agreement.

According to the Star Tribune, the roll out is intentionally slow:

[ShopNBC CEO Keith] Stewart said the company "learned from the past" after ValueVision burst onto the scene as ShopNBC in 2001.

"Customers puked all over the idea," Stewart said. "Sales were crimped for a few months. It's a long lesson we've learned many times over: Never take hard turns when dealing with the customer."

So where does this leave ShopNBC? What’s going to happen to their stock price now that NBC is selling their stake? Will the new name and logo be the beginning of a whole new and successful brand, or just the beginning of the end?

Get Out the Door with Mommy Makeup

Have you ever tried to apply eyeliner with one baby screaming in the crib and the other frantically climbing up your leg?

After becoming a mom, New York City makeup artist Debra Rubin-Roberts realized that if she ever hoped to wear makeup again, she was going to have to re-think her entire makeup routine. Debra simplified the process by cutting out as many time-consuming steps as possible and focusing on a few multi-tasking products. She is also debuting her Mommy Makeup collection on ShopNBC this month. And that’s where I come in! This is Queen Bea’s review of Mommy Makeup’s “Out the Door Kit”:

What’s in the kit?

Mineral Dual Powder with SPF 15 in Lullaby

Small Kabuki Brush

Any Wear Crème in Twinkle

Just so you know where I’m coming from, I have very dry, sensitive, roseacea-prone skin--sounds lovely, doesn’t it? Anyway, since the makeup did not cause a rosacea flare up, I was able to give it a good trial run before I reviewed it.

The Mineral Dual Powder is a pressed mineral makeup. Unlike other mineral makeups, this one is in a compact instead of loose in a jar, so it’s not as messy. Per the instructions, I used the kabuki brush to buff the makeup all over my face. The kabuki brush picked up the product nicely and the bristles did not fall out like some others I have tried. There is also a foam pad included in the compact, but I don't recommend using that. The coverage is sheer, but buildable. However, I found it easier to add extra coverage to red areas first using my own small flat brush for application, allowing me to use less makeup on the rest of my face. The finish is not matte, but more luminescent and I did not notice the makeup settling into fine lines. I also checked the side of my nose, where my pores are the worst, and there wasn't any of that horrible “swiss cheese” look that some makeups cause.

The Any Wear Crème comes in a teeny, tiny jar, but that little jar will probably last forever. This product is extremely thick and pigment dense—trust me, you do not need much! The consistency is very similar to gel eyeliners. The idea of Any Wear is that you can use it anywhere—eye shadow, blush, and lips. The Twinkle color is a nude bronze with sparkle. If you don’t like sparkle, this is not for you. Honestly, with a name like Twinkle, what do you expect?

As eye shadow - Application is simple; you just smear a little on your eyelid with your finger. Depending on how much you use, the coverage can be completely sheer or opaque. However, I felt like I had to let my finger sit in the pot for a few seconds in order for the product melt a little. Probably a makeup brush would have helped to get the product out more easily. Once I got it on my lids, the eye shadow did not budge all day. In fact, I passed out and slept in it (don’t judge!) and it was still there in the morning. The next day, using my own brush, I decided to try it as an eyeliner. Once again, it went on smooth and lasted all day.

As a blush – Because this product is so dense and my skin is so sensitive, I had trouble spreading the Any Wear Crème on my skin without causing my cheeks to get all red and blotchy. You do have to work to spread it around evenly. On a positive note, I did like the highlight it gave my cheekbone.

As a lipstick - The first time I put this on as lipstick, I applied waaaay too much and my lips looked horrible! The next time I tried it, I just dabbed on just a tiny amount with my finger. Apparently, that's all you need. My lips looked so much better. They were a very subtle nude color, but due to the matte finish, I thought it looked best with just a little soft gloss on top. Keep in mind that Any Wear doesn't have the same staying power as a lip product as it does as an eye shadow and a blush.

Overall, the Mommy Makeup “Out the Door” kit gives you a very understated but iridescent look in not much time. If you hate sparkle, this probably isn't for you--not that I looked like a thirteen-year-old going to a Justin Bieber concert or anything! With the addition of some gloss and mascara, the “Out the Door Collection” could actually get you out the door quickly.

Mommy Makeup will debut on ShopNBC 5/20/10 at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. EDT.

You can find Mommy Makeup:
Website: http://www.mommymakeup.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/mommymakeup
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mommy-Makeup/86786773230
You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/user/MommyMakeup
ShopNBC: http://www.shopnbc.com/

This product was provided for the purpose of review.

Sonia Bitton Back at ShopNBC

Charla and her favorite face ring ... I miss my Charla!

Sonia Bitton and her high-end line Galerie de Bijoux jewelry sadly split with ShopNBC several months ago--probably because her average price point was too high. Since then she's been selling her jewelry on QVC UK and the Australian home shopping channel, TVSN. She's also launched the online site, SoniaBLive.com.

But good news, y'all! Sonia will be back on ShopNBC with her CZ line at the end of June and her diamond line in August.

All the people rejoice!

Wendi Russo Remembers Bill Fahey

ShopNBC host Wendi Russo, who co-hosted the morning show with Bill, wanted to share her memories of her friend and mentor:

I have so many memories about Bill after working with him for 18 months on the Daybreak morning show. I remember how excited I was to work with him. He was always so much fun, brought a smile to my face and knew how to make everyone around him feel special.

I'll never forget how he broke down when I told him that all of my dogs puppies had died. He felt my pain and it surprised me how compassionate he was. Behind his jovial exterior, Bill was a deeply sensitive man. Bill was also methodical, arriving early, equipped with historical commentary, stories about a product's background that were just stored in his memory bank from years of experience.

Bill loved counting down the days' til Christmas, starting in October and did it off the top of his head. He loved to challenge himself to come up with phrases that played on the item...if it was a panther.."You'd spot this one a mile away" or "it's a purrrfect addition.." His mind was always moving...It was a little game...I remember playing this game with him with a star necklace, we bantered back phrases that had to do with stars, and when I came up with "And it wouldn't be a 'constellation' prize to wear this necklace"--he laughed so hard and said "that was a good one!"

Bill loved his fans on the set...and I mean wind fans. Because of the hot lights, he would always need every fan in the studio on to make him cool down and very often my hair would be flying all over the place like a Vogue cover shoot because they were tilted too far in my direction. The first 5 minutes of every show would be about the crew getting the right tilt of the fans on him--it became a joke every morning because he wouldn't join in on the conversation until his fans were just right. Sometimes the visuals said that he would often reach for the shammy cloth used to clean the jewelry to mop his brow during the show and occasionally they would mistakenly use it on a piece of jewelry!

When Bill and I started working together in the morning show, it took a little time adjusting to the camraderie of a co-hosted versus solo show--we started noticing that the other tended to have a few catch phrases-- those used a little too often. I kept a running tally of his "Aaaabsoluuutely Beautiful's" and he kept a tally of my "fabulous's" ---although we would rib eachother on and off set, we respected and cared for one another and looked out for each other.

His corny humor drove me crazy at first...he reminded me of my dad's humor, but over time, I loved it. I waited for his carefully planted play on words, his catch phrases and eventually tried to slide my own in before he did. Some of the phrases I remember most are "Sometimes even a blind pig finds a truffle" (if he said something that was very astute or appropriate); variations on that theme were: "Sometimes even a blind squirrel finds a nut" and "The train is leaving for sell out city!"

ShopNBC Looking for Model Results

ShopNBC has been rolling out all sorts of new products for their big Beauty Discovery Week. And all I can say is that it’s about time! Their beauty offerings have long lagged behind their competitors and it’s good to see them bringing unique, undiscovered products to the marketplace.

I spoke with one of the latest vendors, Lisa Bass, who is bringing a new Model Results to ShopNBC. The line focuses on an oft overlooked area—the hands. Lisa is an artist and a real estate agent, but she’s also a hand model (see the above gorgeous picture ... wow!) She worked to develop a product that would protect her hands without having to keep them in white cotton gloves all day--always convenient when you need to change diapers and wash dishes!

QB: Kathy Levine, a favorite former QVC host with gorgeous hands, wrote in her book that she tried to get into hand modeling, but didn't have any luck. How did you break into the industry and what led you into hand modeling?

LB: It was a catch 22 - can't get work until you have an agent/can't get an agent until you've done work!  It was perseverance and I believed I could do it.  I was going art school at the time and working as a graphic designer for Michael Friedman Publishing Group in NYC.  The book I was working on was called, "Creative Gift Wrapping".  They needed "how to" shots for the gift wrapping shots and they used my hands.  I worked with a photographer named, Tony Cenicola, for this book.  Whenever he needed a 'hand', pardon the pun, he would call me.  After about a year, he recommended me to an agency.  I went to see them and after I left, they called me back that afternoon to ask if I could do 5 commercials the following week?  My immediate response was, "hold on, let me go quit my job!"  Ever since then, I've been extremely lucky and fortunate to have worked with the most important and fabulous photographers, directors, actors, art directors, fashion editors special effects people in the industry.  It's offered me the chance to travel to different places in the world to work, while remaining in my quiet anonymous fame.

QB: Did you work with any celebrities or do you have any interesting tales from any of the jobs you were sent out on?

LB: Yes I have worked with many different celebrities - all of whom have beautiful hands, but for either scheduling on their part or if it was a complicated hand position, I was asked to step in and help.  I've worked a few times with Brooke Shields.  She has gorgeous hands and was great to work with.  We worked together while she was starring in “GREASE”.  And because of her busy schedule there, I was asked to help for her commercials and print work.

Claudia Schiffer, who also has beautiful hands, thanked me for making her look so good!  Can you imagine?  This woman is so incredibly gorgeous and thanked me for making her look beautiful.  I was blown away by her graciousness!

Madonna - I was her hands for a Japanese Sake commercial.

Julia Roberts  - I was hired to be her hands for the movie, “The Pelican Brief”.  My hands were that of 'Darby Shaw'.  Julia Roberts hands are also so beautiful.  But I think because of her honeymoon with Lyle Lovett, it was easier to get me in to do the hand parts rather than getting Julia back from her honeymoon!  That was an interesting job in that the director asked me to get into Julia’s wardrobe and I looked at him puzzled?  Did he not remember I was just the hands and not the full thing?  Julia was a size, what, 2?  And there’s a real big reason why I wasn’t a full model!  I had to wear her clothes for the shot because that’s what she was wearing in the scene.  After I squeezed into here skirt and shirt, I then had to tuck in my shirt!  Only a woman can understand where I’m coming from with that -  and spanx was not yet invented!  I was fine as long as I didn’t breathe!

Former Host Bill Fahey has Passed Away

Former CVN/ValueVision/ShopNBC host, Bill Fahey, has died. He was found yesterday and the family is awaiting autopsy results. They suspect a heart attack.

His funeral is tentatively set for Friday morning at Pax Christie Church in Eden Prairie MN; however, his son is in Berlin and can't confirm a flight home due to the volcanic ash issues there.

Announcement will likely be in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

I will pass along details as they become available.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his friends and family.

The Counterculture is Coming to ShopNBC with a BOOM!

Even if the name Cindy Joseph doesn’t immediately ring a bell, you know her face. Since breaking into the modeling business at the tender age of 49—no, that’s not a typo!—Cindy and her trademark silver hair have been photographed in ad campaigns for Olay, Elizabeth Arden and Aveda. She’s also modeled for Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, and J. Crew, and graced the covers and pages of Oprah, Glamour, and Mademoiselle magazines. And she did this all while being two inches too short and three decades too late to ever be a fashion model.

After 25 years as a makeup artist working behind the scenes, Cindy was ready to retire and get out of the beauty business altogether. She had even decided to quit dying her hair, instead opting to proudly go gray. The day she cut off the last of her dyed hair was the day that she was approached on the street by a casting agent to model for Dolce & Gabbana. After that, Ford Modeling Agency quickly snapped her up and Cindy has been working as a model who proudly embraces her age ever since.

Now Cindy wants to help all women have the courage to accept and love their skin and their age.

Cindy worked to develop a line of simple, healthy, and pro-age cosmetics called BOOM! Her products don’t claim to or even try to reduce wrinkles, hide age spots, or make you look younger. In a sea of anti-aging beauty products bombarding you with the message that you must look young to be beautiful, Cindy wants you to know that it’s the character and wisdom in your face that truly make you beautiful and that all you need to do is enhance the beauty that’s already there—not cover it up with a mask.

I had the opportunity to talk with Cindy about her new BOOM! line of cosmetics. I loved her story and her refreshing approach to beauty, but I wasn’t exactly sure how she would fit into the home shopping landscape.

Cindy spoke passionately about how women of all ages just want to be valued, noticed, flirted with. “We’re bombarded with the message that a woman’s value in society goes down as she gets older.” And while she certainly sympathizes with women who struggle to fight the battle against time, Cindy really wants women to change the way they perceive what is beautiful.

“Women shouldn’t hide the texture, lines, and wrinkles on their faces. It’s what gives us character. We look good when we are healthy and when we are happy. Your face radiates when it’s flushed from exercise, laughter, crying, or romance. You can make a 90-year-old woman blush!”

Cindy keeps her skin healthy the old-fashioned way with “sleep, fresh air, sunshine, exercise, fruits and vegetables, psychological and emotional health. You are dealt a hand. You can’t change your skin. You only have control over what you do with it.”

When’s the last time you heard that touted by a beauty vendor?

Big Mike Davidson Back on ShopNBC

After being shown the revolving door earlier this year, former ShopNBC host Mike Davidson will be back at his old stampin' grounds. You can catch Big Mike's coming out party this Sunday on the "Watch Time with Jim" show as the new Renato watch guy. Does this mean Daniel Mink is out?

But for the love of all that's home shopping, what about Charla?!?!

~

Home Shopping Speed Dating

Now that homeschool is off of Spring break and back in session, Queen Bea has less time and energy to post all those funny and acerbic home shopping rants that you all have come to love ... or at least tolerate. So in an effort to prevent Queen Bea from taking another extended spectacle, here is a quick rundown of just some of the home shopping madness that has already started to pile up in the inbox.



Three things about this video: 1) I think Jeanne Bice and Isaac Mizrahi were separated at birth, 2) Jeanne sure knows how to make an entrance, and 3) what is up with the constant flow of IsaacMizrahiLive! TSV's? I realize that the Q dumped a lot of money into him--even building Isaac his own special studio--but too much of a good thing is never good. Let me break it down into simple home shopping terms: Even though Queen Bea would love to sit on the couch all day an eat an entire Isaac Mizrahi designed Junior's cheesecake while watching a Golden Girls marathon, doing so would make her feel very sick and not fit into her pants the next day.


QVC is looking for a real life doctor to pitch health and beauty products for them--actors need not apply. Could this be in response to the recent QVC-Andrew Lessman lawsuit? Interesting.


Pat James-Dementri's ex-husband, Vince Dementri, just got a new broadcasting job.Seems like this particular station is starting a rehab program for wayward newscasters. If you haven't already, check out what happened at his last job here.


Queen Bea has been a fan of QVC fashion designer Chloe Dao ever since her Project Runway days. However, in a recent interview Chloe Dao said that her high-end collection only goes to a size 10. Considering that the average American woman is a size 12/14, that really stinks. Apparently, only skinny rich ladies are welcome.


Liz Lange, that designer with the awesome maternity clothes line at Target, just launched a line of clothes on HSN for all us un-pregnant folks to enjoy. I love her Target stuff, so I'm holding out hope for this one.


QVC issed $500 million in bonds in order to pay down some bank debt. I will not pretend to be an expert on these types of financial dealings, but from what I read at several different sources, they are being described as "junk bonds." I guess Easy Pay only goes so far.


QVC's parent company, Liberty Media, was looking to buy HSN later this year (for real--read it here), but HSN's stock has been doing so well lately--up 50% since just January--that they might prove to big to buy.


Massillon Cable TV and Clear Picture were recently selected to receive $25,000, the grand prize in the 2009 QVC Affiliate Cross Channel Promotion Program for promoting QVC throughout the year. And do you know what they did with the prize? They donated it all to charities in their community. Good for them!!! In this day of corporate greed, it's wonderful to see a company do something so generous.


Sonia Bitton--whose name I love to try to say in her distinctive accent--launched a new website SoniaBLive.com where you can purchase daily and weekly specials of her high-end jewelry. Sonia Bitton has long been a staple jewelry designer at ShopNBC, but her luxury baubles did not match up with the new lower price point that ShopNBC was aiming for. Since the split from ShopNBC, Sonia has been on QVC-UK and even an Australian home shopping channel where she worked with none other than Queen Bea's favorite host--Charla Rines! Oh, Charla, how I miss you so! (I love Sonia and Charla, but why are they selling the Tacori Harlequin ring in Australia? Look for yourself! What's going on here?)

~

Send Queen Bea Your Judy Crowell Questions!

Doesn't it look like Judy Crowell is standing in a padded room in this video? Too funny.

Anyway, I have exciting news, chickadees!

Have you been loyally following Judy throughout the years from QVC to HSN and now to ShopNBC? Do you have burning questions that you are just dying to ask her?

I will be chatting with Judy later this week and I want to ask her all your questions. Yes, this means YOU! What do you want to know?

Email Queen Bea at homeshoppingqueen@gmail.com or leave a comment to this post.

If you haven't already, you can check out Judy Crowell's website here and the Judy Crowell Collection on ShopNBC here.

The Ramsey's at Large

What happened to John and Laura Ramsey? They didn't just disappear from ShopNBC, they seemed to vanish from the industry completely. Their company's website, ramseygems.com, is completely gone. I heard a rumor that they were doing some work for Ross-Simons, but could never verify that to actually be true.


Then I found an exchange on a message board that just has to be seen to believed ...


Back in 2003 a poster on the DiamondRing.com forums named "Maven" innocently asked if anyone else liked to collect the John and Laura Ramsey's Gems at Large jewelry. In so doing, Maven unknowingly opened a Pandora's jewelry box of backstabbing ShopNBC vendor drama.


The post lay dormant for years until another poster named "Bankruptcyfraud" resurrected it. Well, I'm just gonna let him (or her) speak for himself:

They (Laura and John Ramsey of Seattle) filed for bankruptcy and screwed all their overseas vendors....I was one of the major ones. I produced alot of the beautiful pieces they used to sell. They used to fax ugly illegible scrawls to me and I asked my real designers to redo professional sketches for the Ramseys. We made these tammyfaebakers rich and famous and they do this immoral thing to the people that supported them and financed their operation. But make no mistakes, they love their customers and they know full well their customers are kings and they trained their personas to accomodate and lick all the loyal customers.

Laura's allegedly illegible jewelry sketches.

It might have been six years later, but Maven was still around to respond to the post and defend the Ramsey's. Maven felt that after the Ramsey's left and returned to ShopNBC, that the quality was "significantly less than the good old days" and that most of the ShopNBC vendors have started "catering to a lower Walmart mentality."

ShopNBC drove the ramseys out of business and forced them to file for bankruptcy ... I had always found them pleasant , and they certianly seemed very dedicated to tehir profession. John has gems in teh smothsomian. I am also not sure any of your story is accurrate. 'They always did alot of charity work. O have their autograpohed book, a gift fior being a good loyal customer.

So at this point we have a Ramsey lover and a Ramsey hater. Both seem to have inside info, but who knows the truth of what happened?


But the poster "Bankruptcyfraud" came back with some really serious accusations. And even though the post is really long, I'm just gonna quote him here since I don't want to misinterpret what he is saying. 

I was searching online to see if the Ramseys are in jail yet. I lost almost US1mill selling to the Ramseys when they filed chapter 11. I chaired the committee when they filed.....i saw the inner workings of their creative accounting. ShopNBC paid everything and on time to RGI (Ramseys). All the suppliers got screwed for millions...now the DOJ has taken notice and got Congress to amend the bankruptcy laws which has closed loopholes so poeple like the Ramseys cannot file chapter 7/11 so easily. The debtors are more accountable. A complaint was lodged with the DOJ's USTP (US Trustee Program) that accused them of tax/duties evasion, concealing jewelry inventory...etc.

[...] After they ciphoned off all the cream during chapter11, they could have retired in Bahamas or the islands but they were cunning. They stayed on to work until the heat dissipated and postponed their retirement until now when its all forgotten. But these things never are forgotten forever. They somehow creep back at cha.

The good ol days was when we were a dedicated team of suppliers for Ramseys. Upon their return, all the great vendors that used to make their jewelry have stopped supplying them so the quality certainly went dnhill if not disappeared altogether.

Believe me ShopNBC didn't drove anyone nor forced them into filing. ShopNBC's parent is GE. There were many other host/brands selling shopNBC and they didn't get forced? The Ramseys were among the top volume/income for shopNBC and the darlings on TV. Why would shopNBC kill the golden goose and let the average sellers stayed on? The Ramseys were looking for an exit strategy to cash out. They tried to sell their business to my ex-employer, a big public company but it fell thru. It was such a specialized business and they were so greedy asking an astronomical selling price so no takers. Before their window of opportunity to sell was closed, they took the next best route. They are clever but they were too greedy...they thought cashing out at the height would yield them 30P/E or even40P/E.

I am not witchhunting, just want to set the record straight. I dont like seeing the devil cheating their way into heaven and try to look like angels while doing it.

[...] Why would my stories by unaccurate? I have received my share from the bankruptcy proceeding and the insurance company.

Tammyfaybakers were pleasant, dedicated professionals that did charity work. Which is all very nice but that is not mutally exclusive from being crooks.

After a new poster, "Saraj," jumps into the fray to accuse Bankruptcyfraud of being a "snake" who was only trying to "drum up business" for himself, Maven comes to his defense and dumps all sorts of information about the goings-on at ShopNBC.


Maven stated that the top executives at ShopNBC forced a lot of their vendors out in a "mass exodus" because they decided to go with lower end silver jewelry made overseas. The Ramsey's, Offerings, and 1912 decided to leave for this reason, as did the "gold maven" (not sure who that's supposed to be... maybe Meredith Borowski with Treasures D'Italia).

Shopnbc is trying to have a piece of evey line they carry. Pam McCoy is a leather designer,jeweler designer and what else? come on , they push their hosts to get product identification and then bank roll them to create lines they sell exclusively as Haute Couture? No way!!

look at what happened to Karen Connelly she bucked their system got a better deal( so she thought elsewhere) and was banned from returning, laura Duffek,and also tim temple left in that swoop as well as Kendy the darling they forgave and brought back.

Saraj, who seems to have inside information of his own, sticks to his guns. He thinks all the vendors left just because they "heard trouble was brewing," not because they were actually ousted.

Karen and the others left to go to another shopping channel, that from what I hear never gort off the ground. [...] I think its funny to see Merith not so much into her Italian accent anymore. Paul Kelly who you must know from the Q has decided to see what he can do with this company to improve it and I wish him much luck out there, I can see changes for the better already. He has Dave King now and Paul Deasy and I'm sure Judy will pop up somewhere along the way as well. I just keep waiting for Jeff Hewson to show up..lol.

After Saraj and Bankruptcyfraud throw mud at each other for a while, we get someone who refers to him or herself  as simply "The Truth."


The Truth claims to have worked for the Ramsey's for years and also claims to know who Bankruptcyfraud really is. And although The Truth concedes that Bankruptcyfraud suffered due to the Ramsey's bankruptcy, he still thinks that Bankruptcyfraud is just a "PITA" who's full of "BS." (PITA is "pain in the ass" ... unlike BS, I had to look that one up!)

[The Ramsey's] are good people, they were fantastic to work with, they love and respect their employees and treat every one they meet with kindness, and they gave more to charities than any one else I have ever met. Your business would not have suffered if ShopNBC had not screwed the Ramseys and forced them out of business. 

So what is the real truth here? What really happened to them?


We know that ShopNBC was trying to lower the average price point for all their items in order to increase sales. Of course, that was when ShopNBC was doing so poorly that their only choice was to sell cheaper items or go out of business completely. Can't really fault them there. We know that during this time many vendors left or were given the boot. We know that the Ramsey's were one of those vendors. Beyond that, it's just speculation ... extremely interesting speculation ... but speculation nonetheless!

LukaStyle is Back!

Wayne, Wayne, Wayne ... oh, how I've missed thee! After his break from HSN, there has been a vacuum in the home shopping universe that can only be filled by one Mr. Wayne Scot Luas.

I caught a bit of his maiden ShopNBC presentation yesterday morning, and he did not fail to disappoint.

Best moment: Can we say "nipples?"




Check out the new line on ShopNBC.

ShopNBC's "State of the Channel"

According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, new ShopNBC CEO, Keith Stewart, recently held an all-day "State of the Channel" meeting with staff and vendors.

"The economy has nothing to do with ShopNBC's woes," he told the group. "We shot ourselves in the foot. It was all about poor execution. It was all about a backward business model. It's why we haven't delivered more than a dollar of [earnings] in 18 years. And that is going to change."

The ongoing financial woes have been discussed and ranted about ad nauseum by Queen Bea--check out my sage advice for them here, a stock analysis here, an eccentric investor's letter to ShopNBC here, and all the crazy over-paid executive drama here, here, and here. And those are just a sampling!

Stewart, who cut his home shopping teeth at QVC, wants to turn ShopNBC into a "world-championship" company, just like the Yankees. He even got all decked out in Yankee attire because with 26 world championships, "the Yankees represent the kind of excellence Stewart wants at ShopNBC."

While I certainly appreciate his enthusiasm and wholeheartedly agree with him that things need to change quickly in order to stem what he calls a "mass exodus from ShopNBC," by his Yankee logic, they need to be spending more money than all the other shopping channels luring the best hosts and top vendors away from QVC. That's how the Yankees win, right?

As far as behind-the-scenes talent, Stewart seems to be doing just that. Since being promoted to CEO in January, he has "recruited a half-dozen former QVC employees as executives, consultants or board members."

"We really need to get better at customer service," Stewart said. "We really need to get better at answering the phones quickly. We really need to get better at processing reorders quickly. We really need to get better at delivering products intact, on time and ahead of schedule. We really need to get better at product assortment and product mix.

"We're stale," he said. "Let's be honest."

He wants to see more gourmet food and even wants to add cruises (now that's something I haven't seen before!) He also wants his vendors to work with him to lower the average selling price from $225 to $100, which is closer to the QVC and HSN average of about $40.

Stewart seems to be all about setting high goals: double sales and profits every five years, double the customer base in five years, and go international in three to five years. That's a high bar to scale when the economy as a whole is contracting.

And while competitors get half of their sales from about 5 percent of the customer base, ShopNBC gets that same share from 20 percent of its customers. ShopNBC points out that the number of "active customers," those who make more than one purchase, is up 26 percent, and the business has increased its base of new customers by 63 percent in the past year.

Stewart even brought out an old QVC favorite: the letter. You know, too many returns. Since he felt like certain customers--with a 70% return rate--were just "renting" jewelry, he "fired them" as customers. The overall return rate was 33% in 2007, dropped to 23% last year, and Stewart has set a goal of getting that down to 17%.

Has ShopNBC really turned the corner? Will they live up to their new moniker:

New
Better
Changing

Read the entire artile here.

Shawn Wilsie Gets Jiggy Wit It

ShopNBC host and watch connoisseur, Shawn Wilsie, shakes what his mama gave him! How funny!

If you are obsessed with all things that go tick-tock*, you can keep up with all the latest watch news on Shawn's My Space Blog. He has a website too, ShawnWilsie.tv, but what he's gonna do with it is a bit of a mystery. This is all you see:



What a tease!

*note: unless said watch is a Rolex, then there should be no ticking or tocking going on.

ShopNBC Rocks the iPhone

ShopNBC is gonna be rolling out a new mobile app for the Apple iPhone and the iPod Touch--beating HSN and QVC to the punch.

From your iPhone, you'll be able to check out the OTV, review the last 12 items on air, and what's being presented right now. Of course, for more info, you can click through to the website or you can call ShopNBC from your iPhone to order. Pretty slick.


They also have info and fun little tidbits about the hosts for when you need a Charla fix on the go!

Check out a demo here (OMG! You must see the jacket on the demo!)



"The ShopNBC app is part of the company's mobile strategy, which is part of a broader 'ShopNBC Anywhere' initiative," said ShopNBCproject spokesperson Marv Segel. "We believe that shopping should be fun – an escape from the ordinary into a world where anything is possible. The network's initial merchandising strategy on this mobile app is to focus on incredible deals, with a taste for what else can be seen on the network."

Does this open up ShopNBC to the almost 30 million iPhone and iPod users who otherwise wouldn't watch a home shopping channel on TV??? Will this new "ShopNBC Anywhere" initiative help save them??? Any iPhone users out there with any thoughts???

Treasures D’Italia Leaves ShopNBC for HSN

I heard a while back that Meredith Borowski of the Treasures D'Italia collection was planning on leaving ShopNBC, but I wasn't sure if she'd turn up on another network--especially considering the astronomical price of gold lately. QVC has already started "enhancing" their gold pieces with silicone injections for goodness sakes!

Meredith is following in the path of Offerings--now Sajen Silver--and setting up shop at HSN.

Here's a quote from Shivan Sharna's HSN blog:

"I want to introduce you to a very special guest who we are so proud to have at HSN: Meredith Borowski! She brings her Treasures D’Italia Line of gold. You may know her from her many years on TV with her gorgeous jewelry. She is one of the superstars who will be part of our special event at the end of March called Passport to Fine Jewelry. Here we are together modeling some of her creations. OMG we are so alike! I am happy they are putting us on air together, but I have already been warned by my best friend that Meredith and I will need to slow down and breathe during the show. We both tend to speak quickly when we are excited. And I am very excited about Meredith coming to HSN. Her new treasures are going to be wonderful additions to your collections. So if you don’t know her yet, I’m sure you will love her. She is a busy mom, learned the gold trade from her dad and travels to Italy 4 times a year to work with her designers. Love it! Love her!"

I have to take issue with that "busy mom" description. We all know that Jill Bauer is the official home shopping "busy mom." Besides, busy moms do not go to Italy four times a year! Whatever! She's gonna have to find herself another shtick because that one is taken.

Meredith isn't completely gone from ShopNBC yet. There's still has some jewelry listed on clearance if you're interested.

Shopping Around ... Slummin' It

In addition to QVC, McDonald’s and Mattel are some of the other new … ahem … lowbrow sponsors of Fashion Week. Why? Money talks. All these high-falutin brands don’t have the roughly $100,000 in cash it takes to put on a show.

And just like they did with the inauguration, Extra and QVC are giving away a trip to Fashion Week. I would never find anything appropriate to wear! Southern housewife trailer park chic, perhaps? Who am I kidding! With Fashion Week slummin' it with Micky D's, I will fit in perfectly!

In her latest blog entry, Kim Parrish says that the nautical and safari looks are in for Spring. Ships Ahoy!

QVC is trying to buy more land in Suffolk, VA for future expansion. Looks like they really are closing or shrinking their Northern facilities for good.

Shares of ValueVison (ShopNBC) stock have gone down 95% in the past year to only 20 cents a share. 20 cents! Part of me thinks I need to snatch those shares up and make a bundle and the other part of me remembers that I know nothing about the stock market.

"Extra" co-host Dayna Devon—spokesperson of Sensa—is married to plastic surgeon Dr. Brent Moelleken, who did a well-publicised tummy tuck on her in 2007. Does this matter? We buy cosmetics and skin care from people who have clearly had facial plastic surgery so should it matter if you buy a weight loss product from someone who had a tummy tuck? Check out video of Dayna Devon's tummy tuck and decide for yourself.



Sarah Morgan, the handbag designer behind the new eenamaria handbag line debuting on QVC this month, will be interviewed on the MomAdvice Simplified Podcast next week to discuss simplifying accessories, what to look for in a good handbag, how to care for handbags, and how to spot a fake purses. Right now, these bright and bold purses that look like modern art can only be purchased at eBags.com. You can also check out a review of the Workin’ Weekend Baby Tote on 1800blogger.com.

Apparently Flipo is looking for a someone to be a vendor rep for them. Why must this rep be a 25 to 30-year-old female? Honestly! But if your interested, you do pocket $250-$400 per show. Not too bad.

Is QVC backing out of free $10 promotion deal? Sounds shady.

Funny mock interview with a real colonial blacksmith trying to sell goods on QVC. I guess Williamsburg wasn’t selling enough the old fashioned way.

Interesting interview with Linda Dano. I had no idea that she’s been with the Q so long!

Another product effected by the huge peanut better recall. This only applies to products purchased after August 11, 2008. So if you've got an old cake stashed away in the back of the freezer, you're good. "Annie B's Confections announces a precautionary voluntary nationwide withdrawal of the following Annie B's ® branded wholesale dessert products and Annie B's ® Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake and Annie B's ® Classic Collection Miniature Pastry Assortment sold on QVC and on the internet site, QVC.com because they may be contaminated by Salmonella, an organism, which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems."

Kenneth Brown will be debuting a new bedding collection on the Q. He also designed High School musical darling Zac Efron's house, so I suppose that makes him a hot designer.

I know we all need to be safe, but has lead testing gone too far now?

Patricia Field doesn’t like to be too hands on with her collections. In an interview with OregonLive.com promoting the new Shopoholic movie she worked on, Patricia said, “I don't want to be manufacturing and production. For HSN (Home Shopping Network) and Marks & Spencers, I didn't produce it. I designed it and PR-ed it, but I didn't produce it. I'm not an administrator of a big business.” How does that explain away these metallic leggings though?

QVC vendor, Donna Salyers, tells the story of how she went from using real to faux fur—it involves a rather traumatic cat fur scare.

QVC had record sales in tanzanite recently. Looks like after four decades of being on the market, it’s finally starting to catch on.

Forget plant stem cells, jellyfish will be the next new fountain of youth. Just you wait SSC will be on it like white on rice!