FabSugar

Monet and Giverny: Pets of the Week

PetSugar — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:30:34 PDT

More BFFs! These beautiful kitties are the furry family members of Le Etiana. The little black cat is Monet and the other is Giverny – when they were babies, Monet was so tiny that she used to curl up next to her big sis's tum. OMG to the cuteness! While Giverny is super noisy, especially when mom's on the computer – flopping and meowing her hunger and desire for attention – Monet loves to hide out and offer teeny tiny meows. I couldn't resist including a couple more shots of the grownup cats when you

Trend Alert: Standout Jewels

FabSugar — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:00:22 PST

Team Fab was just chatting about how jewelry can really make an outfit. And with today's costume jewelry designers and yesterday's vintage jewelry, there are so many options. Julianne Moore's grey YSL dress is pretty awesome, but all I see here is that amazing colorful Boucheron necklace. I wouldn't even call it a necklace - it is jeweled art. Here are some more standout jewels, ready to inspire . . .

Source

Designer We Love: Sophie Monet

FabSugar — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:07:18 PDT

Sophie Monet has been making a strong statement with her line of sculptural wood-based jewelry, and we're smitten with the simple, yet incredibly striking results. The clean, geometric lines are a breath of fresh air from layered chains and embellishments, while the combination of elements ranges from the intriguingly earthy-think turquoise, crystals, and unfinished gemstones-to the decidedly modern: sleek shapes with a gilded touch. Her line is growing; you can now buy it at Fred Segal and Planet Blue, as well as her website. We had a one-on-one with the 24 year-old designer, and got the scoop on her budding line.

FabSugar: How did your jewelry line begin?
Sophie Monet: I started experimenting with wood almost 3 years ago. It was my first summer out of college and after interning for Alexander Wang and Nylon Magazine I was kinda like “Now what?" I made one ring, a few necklaces and a line sheet, then all of sudden I was in Fred Segal and Planet Blue. It’s all fun for me. I get to make art all day, get dirty and end up with an awesome-looking end result.

FS: What made you start with woodmaking?
SM: I’ve always loved making things with my hands. I really just started using wood out of convenience. I grew up around it, playing in my dad’s art studio, gluing scrap pieces together.

FS: What was your breakthrough moment?
SM: Probably when I saw my double finger rings in Women’s Wear Daily. I was excited to tell everyone. Doing interviews like this is just amazing and makes me feel so lucky.

For the rest of the interview, and pics of Sophie's incredible jewelry, click our slideshow.

5 Sneaky Supermarket Tricks That Make You Eat More

Prevention — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 13:21:07 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

Have a healthy (and cheap) trip to the grocery store
By Bari Nan Cohen, Prevention

You walk into a grocery store expecting to buy only the items on your list, yet you leave with a cart full of extras you may not really need - and a considerably lighter wallet. An accident - or lapse in judgment? Actually, the store setup is likely to blame. "You want to get in and out quickly, but the folks in charge want you to linger as long as possible, spend as much as possible, and ideally spend it on the highest-profit items," explains Ali Benjamin, co-author of The Cleaner Plate Club: Raising Healthy Eaters, One Meal at a Time (Storey Publishing, 2011). How, exactly, do they make you stick around and load up on items you never meant to buy? Here are eight ways to guarantee a healthier (and cheaper) grocery shopping experience every time.

Bring A C-Note - And Leave Your Credit Cards Behind
Cash is king when it comes to avoiding impulse buys. "I know that I spend way less when I use cash rather than credit," says Benjamin. And the research proves her right - Lindstrom advises shoppers to use a 100-dollar note for grocery purchases. "We find it emotionally harder to break a larger bill, so we spend less," says Lindstrom. "We don't have an emotional connection with numbers on a credit card statement."

20 Ways to Feed Your Family on $100 a Week

Watch Out For "Health-Washing"
You may not read labels with as critical an eye in a store like Whole Foods as in, say, Super Target says Rabbi Issamar Ginzberg, president of Monetized Intellect Consulting, Inc, in Brooklyn, NY. "The atmosphere in Whole Foods Market makes you feel like everything in the store must be healthy," he notes. "In Target you'll look at the calorie count on the same package of granola you buy without thinking in a 'healthy' grocery store."

Learn three more sneaky tricks when you read more.

Encourage Budding Van Goghs and Monets With Master Kitz

Rebecca M Gruber — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:15:50 PDT

How many times has your lil one presented you with an art project, only for you to turn to her and say, "It's beautiful . . . what is it?" We don't mean to question kids' artistic skills, but we would like to be able to identify what it is they are presenting to us.

While parents can't expect their tots to present them with museum-quality work, we can now encourage them to create their own masterpieces based on the works of Van Gogh, Klimt, or Monet with Master Kitz. Michelle Talbot, a mom of two boys and a former advertising exec, has combined real artists' tools and preschool art tricks to create a collection of kits that inspire kids to create their own interpretation of some of the art world's greatest masterpieces.

Available for four artists, each kit contains different tools to educate children about a variety of art techniques and help kids experience them. So for lil artists who are taken with Van Gogh's Starry Night ($30), the kit includes a landscape stencil, non-toxic paints and pastels, and a specially designed roller that helps replicate the artists' famous active stroke. When kids combine the tools, the result is a layered painting that looks strikingly like the famous version. Next stop, the Metropolitan Museum of Art!

How Long Will the Harry Potter Brand Last?

Emily Co — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 00:15:40 PDT

Now that the final movie is out, Warner Brothers will have a tough time figuring out how to further monetize its Harry Potter empire, which currently includes paraphernalia, video games, and a theme park in Orlando. The franchise has been quite profitable for the firm so far, and the company has earned $1 billion in profits.

In an attempt to lengthen the life of these lucrative wizarding businesses, the firm is planning on rolling out theme parks around the world and possible more online ventures and video games.

It's kind of hard to imagine that the interest and fervor will die down, seeing as how Harry Potter has been such a phenomenon and the story has wormed its way into the hearts of millions. What do you think - how long will the Harry Potter brand last after the final movie?

2011 Design Trend: Watercolor Decor

Shelterpop — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 04:00:53 PST

We're excited to present a post from one of our favorite sites, ShelterPop!

Watercolor isn't just for an artist's canvas - the painterly theme has popped up on everything from pillows to place mats. And we're loving this 2011 design trend.

Watercolor is one of the oldest painting mediums known, dating back to paleolithic Europe, although it really made a name for itself during the Middle Ages and European Renaissance. And while flowery works on canvas are the standard association, it seems that watercolor has ditched its botanical roots in favor of the modern graphics for the home that we rounded up here.

AphroChic designer Jeanine Hays is channeling her inner Monet and her affection for the borough of Brooklyn this year to create several modern toile pieces, including a collection of "Brooklyn Life" place mats. The watercolor designs pay homage to neighborhoods like Fort Green, Clinton Hill, Park Slope and Boerum Hill (above), and are made from 100% natural Belgian linen and cotton. Keep reading for two more examples of this trend!

Texts and Tunes: Art Books

LilSugar — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 08:00:00 PST

Classic books are the staples of a home library, but how about stocking up on a few whimsical reads? Here are some creativity inspiring page turners.

When Pigasso Met Mootisse Arguably, one of my favorite books of all time, Nina Laden's homage to Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, two of the greatest painters that ever existed, is a must read. It explores the friendship and feud of Pigasso, a pig and Mootisse, a bull. My son and daughter enjoy the book's colorful images and witty puns almost as much as I do.

Art Dog by Thatcher Hurd is the story of Arthur Dog, a guard at the Dogopolis Museum by day and masked creator of mural masterpieces by night. This book introduces kids to famous artists in a fun way.

Mini Masters Board Book Set If you're tired of the same old animal board books, these 6 x 6 inch books featuring the works of Degas, Matisse, Monet and Van Gough are a nice alternative. Even better, they come in a lil cardboard carrying case.

So Trippy Disc Earrings - Sold Out	Monet Leopard Print Cuff - Sold Out
Magpie Jewelry Turquoise/Amber Cluster Ring - Sold Out	Blue Trapezoid Strand - Sold Out
Chamak, Chunky bracelets - Sold Out	Dior Lady Dior Bangle - Sold Out
Nugaard Designs Stone Drop Necklace - Sold Out	Women's Smoky Blue Chunky Beaded Bracelets - Sold Out
Chunky Stone Toggle Bracelet - Sold Out	Monies Triple Wood Necklace - Sold Out