I *Heart* Adrienne Arpel

I don't know what it is about Adrienne, but whenever she's on HSN, I am completely hypnotized by her.

I love the way she sweeps her bangs out of her face and leans in towards the camera when she's getting serious about educating you on the finer points of argon oil or hyaluronic acid.

I love how she smears lotions, potions, and makeup all over the models' faces without much regard for how much she's using or where it ultimately ends up (the demonstrations with the multi-colored concealers are by far my favorite part of the Adrienne show).

I also seriously appreciate that she uses ... ahem ... more "mature" models to demonstrate her products. Seeing a smooth-skinned, dewy-faced 18-year-old model happily using an anti-wrinkle cream just doesn't do it for me.

The models Adrienne uses also appear to be clean-faced with no makeup on before she starts slapping on her various face paints (and I do mean slap, Adrienne is not know for her gentle touch!), which is much more than I can say for many other beauty vendors *cough*BE*cough* who seem to put an entire face of perfect makeup on with one easy sweep of their magic kabuki brush.

I love her big jewelry, her pulled face, and her pouty fish lips. I've never tried any of her products, but I'm always tempted.

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 My brain had been replaced by mucus and a nice lady on the TV was explaining how she had the answers to all my problems in her Holy Grail of olive oil products.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.

Pass the Bon-Bons: Peg Bundy Designs for HSN

Yes, you too can channel your inner Peg Bundy with HSN's stylish Today's Special: Destination Style™ New York by Pat Field Printed Tee or Tunic.

All I can say to this is hell to the no!

Does HSN and Patricia Fields think that their core demographic consists of prostitutes, strippers, and trailer trash???

Honestly, who can get away with wearing something like this? I'm sure I could wear it to the office or my son's soccer game ... maybe the PTA meeting? Only in Harper Valley, baby!

Miss Tina to Bedazzle Michelle Obama

Not only does Miss Tina have the Today's Special on HSN, rumor has it that she's also stepping her strappy stilettos into the political arena.

MediaTakeOut.com reported that Tina Knowles is going to be designing a special outfit for Presidential candidate Barack Obama’s wife, Michelle Obama.

I'm just wondering if Michelle has actually looked at Miss Tina's collection. Let's just say that her particular aesthetic doesn't scream First Lady.

Today's Blue Plate Specials ... China Gold (No, not the Olympics!)

The QVC TSV is a Kodak All-In-One Printer, Copier, & Scanner 3.0" Diag. LCD. Although I've had my share of issues with Kodak, this looks good. My only concern is the price of the ink. It seems like the ink always costs more than the printer!

The Q has some great Sample Beauty Offers. Check them out here.

And the Joseph Esposito customer choice design was unveiled today. You can see it and his other new items here.


The HSN TS is an Everyday Gold by Michael Anthony 14K Glitter Diamond-Cut Rope Necklace. It still upsets me that this line is no longer USA Gold because they couldn't keep the manufacturing in America. I understand that the price of gold has gone through the roof and they had to cut costs ... but at what cost? So much of the products sold on all the channels are Made in China, it was refreshing to find an entire line proudly Made in America.

Don't forget, today is the last day to get 20% off SSC in celebration Jennifer's 40th birthday.

And there is a new contest: the Summer Sizzlin' Kitchen. Enter for a chance to win HSN gift cards, $25,000, or a trip to Las Vegas.

The ShopNBC OTV is a Marble Top Accent Table. This looks really nice and it has great reviews. This is definitely the type of product that ShopNBC (and Margie!) does well.

Today's Blue Plate Specials ... Do Not Taunt Happy Fun Ball!

The ShopNBS OTV is a Pamela McCoy Metallic Nouveau Fabric Trench Coat. Nouveau Fabric? Nouveau? Seriously??? So what exactly constitutes "nouveau?" Shhh ... here's the big secret, chickadees: Made of 100% polyurethane.

I guess Nouveau sounds better than polyurethane. And if you don't like it, you can melt the coat down and use it to varnish your furniture!

I love the cleaning instructions: Wipe clean with mild detergent on a damp cloth, do not dry clean, do not machine wash, do not bleach, do not tumble dry ... Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball!!!





Get ready to Ripkarize, chickadees! The QVC TSV is a Judith Ripka Sterling 18", 22", or 54" Cultured Freshwater Pearl Chain. Did you catch Lisa Robertson last night with all those chains on? I swear she was like Madison Avenue Mr. T! I am digging that long one, but I'm definitely NOT digging the price. Oh, well. At least you get free shipping, right?

I'm still debating that big, fat lab-created yellow sapphire ring. It's massive, but I love it. If they ever put that thing on easy pay, I will be on like a fake bake on a show host.




The HSN TS is an AJ. Valenci Leather Shootie with Decorative Patent Flap. I like shooties. I do. I'm just never exactly sure how to wear them. They look ok on the models, but I can never pull it off ... sock? no sock? trouser sock? I don't know. It just never looks right on me. I'm either doing something wrong or I'm just too damn short to pull it off. Ugh!

There's 10-cent shipping on Wolfgang Puck to celebrate his 10th Anniversary.

Today's Blue Plate Specials ... Suck

The HSN TS is a 2.98ct Ruby Sterling Silver "Vintage" Ring. You see, I love rubies. But I love really good rubies. The kind that are more expensive per carat than good diamonds. In light of the fact that I am not Oprah, I make due with the lab-created variety. "Real" rubies--like the kind in this ring--do nothing for me.



The QVC TSV is an Oreck Restaurant Vacuum with Floor Sweeper,Crystal Aroma & Deodorize. I haven't ever used an Oreck, but I've heard that they're great. However, can they still compete against the Dyson? I don't know. It did get the Arthritis Foundation Ease-of-Use Commendation.



Yet another in a long, long line of watch OTV's from ShopNBC. I love the watch itself, but hate the bands that come with it. They cheapen the look of the watch.

There is an online only Offerings Trunk Show. Check it out here. One of these days I'm going to actually order something from Offerings instead of just window shopping.

Don't forget to vote if this week's HOME SHOPPING CAGE MATCH!

Adrienne Arpel vs. Joan Rivers

Fashion jewelry, watches, makeup, skincare, purses, and plastic surgery ... they both do it all ... but who does it better???

Today's Blue Plate Specials ... 10,000 Calories

Be sure to vote in the Home Shopping Cage Match!!! It's at the top of the right hand column, so it's easy to find. Every vote counts, Vote or Die, Rock the Vote, and all that business. This week two plastic surgery divas face off: Joan Rivers vs. Adrienne Arpel. Who do you think does it better???

I was watching the Olympics swimmers in their little Spanx-looking swimsuits again last night and saw an interesting segment about Michael Phelps. He said that he has to eat between 8 to 10 thousand calories a day. 10,000 calories!!! Basically, when he's not swimming or sleeping, he's eating. I would look like Jabba the Hut!

There are rumors flying that Paula Abdul is coming to HSN after her split from the Q and that Rosie O'Donnell will also be selling craft stuff on HSN. I haven't seen anything to substantiate either of these yet, but my fingers are crossed! Many people seem to think that it would be a bad thing. Come on! Think about the entertainment value, people.

HSN TS is a Slinky Brand 3 piece Jacket and Pant Set. I am not feeling this one--probably because it's hand wash and lay flat to dry. Although, I will say that I'm glad they offer the different blazer styles (three-quarter sleeve, button, or zip) and different lengths (petite, regular, and tall). I'm sorry, but you just can't hem something like this! Or at least I can't.


The QVC TSV is the Borba Age Defying Complete 4-piece Recovery Kit. Although I haven't tried this kit, I do have a little Borba in my collection. I don't know how well it works since I can never use one product exclusively or long enough to actually find out. I can say that it smells great! And if you want that new age defying advanced recovery creme, you'll have to get it from QVC since it won't be in other stores until February.


The Judith Ripka TSV on Thursday will be a Sterling 18", 22" or 54" Cultured Freshwater Pearl Chain You can go ahead and order it now ... not that I love Ripka or anything. Unlike Czar Naomi, Judith seems to actually appreciate her QVC customers. And don't forget: Free Shipping on all TSV's this week!


The ShopNBC OTV is a 14K White or Yellow Gold Five Stone 1.00ct Princess Cut Diamond Ring. The description states that the color is H-I and the clarity is I2-I3, but it seems to look better than that. Maybe the on-air samples are a little better. I do like this ring since I have a thing for band-style rings.

Today's Blue Plate Specials ... Buckle Up!

The HSN TS is a Victoria Wieck Crystal "Buckle" Leather Cuff Bracelet Watch. I love Victoria! This particular piece is a little much for me personally, but she still totally rocks. By the time I'm done watching her presentations, I'm pretty sure that all the moms at the PTA meeting are all wearing very tasteful, understated 5-carat diamond rings--give or take a carat or two.


The QVC TSV is an HP P7350 Intel Core2Duo 4GB RAM 320GBHD & 17.0" Diag. LCD laptop. Walmart has the same thing for a little more money--there wouldn't be any shipping, but no Easy Pay either. This is definitely the type of purchase where Easy Pay comes in handy!!!


The ShopNBC OTV is an Invicta Men's 100 Meter Sport Diver Quartz Chronograph Watch. I love the pink color pictured for a lady to wear. It's that big, boyfriend watch style, but it's still feminine.

Today's Blue Plate Specials ... Shocking!

The QVC TSV is a Kodak 12x Zoom 8.0 Megapixel Digital Camera with Optical IS. Other then the fact that I love to zoom, I have no idea if this is a good camera or not. I checked out the reviews online and they seem to be pretty good overall--basically a good camera for the price. Also the QVC price seems to be slightly less than other site I looked at (although with shipping and tax it's about the same). But there was an issue with the power button of all things:

For some stupid reason they've integrated power button with flash ejector.So to turn camera on, you have to eject flash first then turn camera on. It makes process of taking pictures so much longer.And on top of that, that same button doesn't latch properly sometimes. So you have to repeat process twice before the camera turns on.


The HSN TS is a Professor Amos Shock It Clean 16-piece Anniversary Kit. I love cleaning products! I'm a sucker for anything new that I see at the store. My latest favorite is Swiffer--the Wet Jet and the 360 Duster. Love! Love! Love! Anyway, back to the Professor ... the reviews for his products are mixed. Those who love it, really love it and those who hate it, despise the stuff.

I love watching Professor Amos. First, he's bald like Mr. Queen Bea (solar panel of love as he likes to say). Plus, he's so energetic and positive that I would love to believe that the products work as they show on HSN. Maybe some people don't mix the concentrate correctly? I don't know. Although I can't get this today, it's on my list to try.


The ShopNBC OTV is an Acer Aspire 17" Intel Core 2 Duo 1.83GHz Blu-ray Notebook with $100 Rebate. I hate rebates. I'm always pretty sure that there are rooms of bitter, poorly paid cube rats whose entire job is to go through all my rebate paperwork looking for any reason to not honor it. If they wanted to give you $100 dollars off, they'd just give you $100 off. Why do a rebate?

Check out the $1.99 shipping on all Isomers here.

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.

Today's Blue Plate Special ... Exotic Travels on Wheels

The QVC TSV is a 1.10 ct tw Andalusite & Diamond Accent Ring 14K Gold. I don't care for the setting, but the stone is interesting. I didn't know much about andalusite so I did a little research. Here's what Jewelry Television had to say about the gem:

Depending on the viewing direction, andalusite can appear olive green, rich reddish brown, or grayish green.

Unlike alexandrite, andalusite color changes are pleochroic and based on viewing angle - not lighting.

Andalusites are often cut so that the table is green with red or orange on the edges.
Named after the Spanish city Andalusia, andalusite was first discovered in Spain. Andalusite is a naturally occurring pleochroic gemstone.

On Mohs’ scale of hardness, andalusite is 7.5.

Even Jewelry Television didn't have much inventory of this stone, so it really is rare. The Q's not lying!

The HSN TS is a Skyway 30" Wheeled Duffle with Vented Pocket. I'm sure this is fine. I just don't have an opinion one way or the other. If you like SSC, there is a 20% off sale here.

The ShopNBC OTV Taja 7' x 9' Hand Tufted Wool Rug. I have a rug that looks just like this! $200 isn't a bad price for a 7x9 wool rug, even with the $25 shipping (plus most people don't have to pay sales at ShopNBC!!!)

If you've got 08/08/08 Olympic fever, ShopNBC also has all the new Olympic gear here.

Today's Blue Plate Specials ... IT'S SILVER DESIGNER DAY!!!

The QVC TSV is an Ann King Sterling/18K 8.00 ct Gemstone Ring in either Green Quartz, White Topaz, Black Onyx. I *heart* Ann King. And I looooooove Sterling Designer Gallery Day. Queen Bea will be buzzing today, chickadees!

Did you catch either Anthony or Nak's cell phone going off during their show last night with Lisa? Did you see Lisa's dress? Oh my goodness, she sure brought the girls out for the party, didn't she!?! ;-)

IT'S STERLING DESIGNER DAY!!!!!
IT'S STERLING DESIGNER DAY!!!!!
IT'S STERLING DESIGNER DAY!!!!!



The HSN TS is a Purple Drusy Quartz, Amethyst and Iolite 10K Ring. I like drusy and I like iolite ... I do NOT like this ring. Besides, I will be too busy over at the Q with my Silver Designer Day to watch HSN. *sorry*


The ShopNBC OTV is an Olympus FE-340 8.0MP Digital Camera Package ... and I'm sure it's just awesome. At least it's not a watch or a leather jacket. Have I mentioned that it's Sterling Designer Day at the Q? Yeah, I could care less about cameras today. BTW, there is 20% off SWI watches online only through 8/12/08.

Today's Blue Plate Special ... Shady Pines

QVC's TSV is a Motto Stretch Denim 3/4 Sleeve Jacket with Yoke Detail. Ummm ... two words ... Mom Jeans. Yuck.



I can't wait for tonight!!! Ann King has the TSV and it's Silver Designer Day ... my favorite special day that the Q does all year! It's a Major Award!!!



"Tonight! Tonight! It's coming Tonight! Tonight! Tonight! Tonight! Hot Damn, Tonight!"



The HSN TS is an Antthony Asymmetrical Tunic and Pants 2-piece Set. I don't like this. Not that I don't enjoy listening to Antthony, but this is Bea Arthur-esque (I loooves me some Golden Girls, chickadees!) Plus you would have to be as tall as Bea to pull it off.

The ShopNBC OTV is another watch--Invicta Men's Swiss Russian Diver Retrograde Bracelet Watch. What is with ShopNBC and the watches? I do like this one, but not all men could pull it off something so bold and trendy.

Today's Blue Plate Specials ... I Triple Dog Dare Ya!

The HSN TS is a ybf 9-piece Celebration Collection. This is the HSN debut of what was Model's Prefer back when it was on QVC. Read about the divorce drama here.

This collection is basically everything you'll need once the foundation is on. Colors are fairly neutral for a very natural look and you also get a 1-year subscription to Allure magazine.


The ShopNBC OTV is a pair of 14K Gold Cachalong & Black Diamond Earrings. I had to look up exactly what a cachalong is since I've never heard of it. Here's what I found (there wasn't much information on the Internet):

An opaque to feebly translucent porous type of opal which when wetted with the tongue absorbs moisture so quickly that it sticks. Generally white in color but pale colors in other hues are known, Cachalong is commonly associated with opalized and chalcedonized wood. Also abundant as cavity fillings associated with zeolite minerals in pillow basalts.

So--even if you're triple dog dared--don't lick these earrings, chickadees!!!

You might end up like that poor kid, Flick, in "A Christmas Story!"

Can't say that I like these earrings, but I did enjoy learning about another gem.


The QVC TSV is a Folding Island Kitchen Cart with Butcher Block Style Top with Stainless Steel Accents. I love the hardwood and the stainless steel. And I especially love that this just folds up for easy storage. However, it is a little pricey (shipping alone is over $20!) and the actual usable surface space isn't very big. But it could be a nice drink or appetizer station for a party.

Today's Blue Plate Specials ... Is it Cold in Here?

The QVC TSV is a Denim & Co. Reversible Leather to Suede Zip Front Jacket. I love the concept of this--one price and I get a neutral, classic leather coat that reverses to a colorful suede jacket. Love this! The colors and sizes are going fast, y'all! I'm rather fond of the chocolate/orange one myself, very fall fabulous.

The ShopNBC OTV is a Pamela McCoy Zip Front Quilted Metallic Leather Jacket. Apparently it's leather jacket day in Home Shopping Land! But I guess since Christmas was last week in Home Shopping Land, this makes sense. This leather jacket has a pearlized finish and the world famous Pamela "Oh Wes!" McCoy look-like-you-just-lost-10-pounds cut. I like Pam's jackets, but sometimes they boarder on Michael-Jackson-Beat-It style!


The HSN TS is an Olympus 18X Wide-Angle Ultra-Zoom SLR-Style Digital Camera. I'm not going to pretend to be an expert at cameras. I am going to say that 18x optical zoom sends a tingle all the way to my toes! I love to zoom--and not that dumb old grainy digital zoom either.

Today's Blue Plate Specials ... 23" Leash

The HSN TS is an IMAN Global Chic Golden Goddess with Amethyst-Color Dangle 23" Necklace. I like that this is bold and substantial and different. But I don't like the price. $65 just seems pretty ridiculous for fashion jewelry. If it's trendy, it better be cheap too--Queen Bea ain't spending the big bucks on something that will be out of style in six months (or fall apart for that matter).

The ShopNBC OTV is a 23" Austrian Crystal Accent South Sea-Style Simulated White Pearl Necklace. Apparently 23" necklaces are the thing now! Initially, I didn't understand the whole Pearlfection thing. Why buy fake pearls when the real thing has gone down in price so much? But since soooo many people love Pearlfection, I thought I'd give it another look.


While cultured pearls have gotten bigger, rounder, and cheaper, they still aren't perfect. Unless you want to shell out the big bucks, you will have rings, pits, and lopsided pearls--especially in the bigger sizes. So if you want a nice set of big, round, perfect Wilma Flintstone pearls at a decent price, Pearlfection is the way to go.

The QVC TSV is a Northern Nights Beefy Egyptian Cotton Jersey Sheet Set. I love sheets, but I tend to prefer the "crisp" cotton to the jersey cotton just because I like the cool feel. These don't look bad though--elastic all around, deep pockets, cute colors--especially for the price.

Only a few more days until Silver Designer Day ... :-)

Today's Blue Plate Specials ... Flaming Hot!

The QVC TSV is a Candle Impressions Indoor/Outdoor Lantern with Candle & Timer. Oh, how I loooooove flameless candles. Not that I don't like the flaming kind, but they are a tad dangerous around cats, dogs, kids, and especially husbands! In fact, I was just telling Mr. Queen Bea how I needed a truckload or two of flameless candles for the new place. Queen Bea's credit card will be smoking today, chickadees!


The HSN TS is the Wei East Restore Resurface and Renew with Golden Root collection. I know that Wei has a bit of a cult following, but I've never personally tried her products. Her Eyes Alive is on my list to try though! I checked out her Wei East Golden Root Renewal Daily Restoration Wear and discovered that it had a 4.6 rating with 86 reviews. That's Holy Grail Fountain of Youth Magic Potion good. Wow!

The ShopNBC OTV is a pair of 14K White Gold 0.50ct Diamond Hoop Earrings. For about $200, these are ok, but they aren't doing it for me. I don't like all the cutouts on the back. I realize that they want to make the earrings lighter and use less gold to keep the price down, but the design makes it look like another another pair of earrings entirely.

There is a 15% off online only sale on Croton and Invicta watches that ends today and $1.99 shipping on gems and silver.