FabSugar

On Our Radar: New York Look Shuts Down Operation For Now

FabSugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 11:00:08 PST

Yet another change has been made to New York Fashion Week. One of our fashion bibles, New York Look, has announced that it will not publish a Spring issue this year. That means no special Fashion Week coverage in New York, Paris, or Milan. Instead, coverage will appear in the regularly syndicated Fall fashion issue of its parent publication, New York magazine. Whether or not New York Look will produce a Fall issue is still unknown. A spokeswoman for New York magazine states it "will revisit the publishing of the stand-alone Look in the Fall of 2009.” Sigh, another one bites the dust.
Source

Fab Read: New York Look Book, A Gallery of Street Fashion

FabSugar — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 15:00:22 PST

If you want to feel as though you're walking up and down the streets of New York City, invest in New York Look Book: A Gallery of Street Fashion by Amy Larocca ($25). You'll see over 200 unique looks without actually having to travel, or walk. However, if you want to take advantage of the book's recommended boutiques, then you'll obviously have to go there . . . which won't be so bad considering it's the most fashionable apple in the country!

9 Ways to Earn Extra Cash When Money Is Tight

Wise Bread — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:51:58 PDT

I'm sure everyone can do with a little more cash in their wallets. Here are some great suggestions by Wise Bread for you to make extra money.

Even though I'm self-employed full-time, I'm always looking for new and exciting ways to make more money.

Earlier this year, I wrote a Wise Bread post on websites that can help you earn extra cash. More recently, I came across a blog post on Zaarly titled, "10 Ways to Make Money Without a Job." After reviewing the latter post, I thought it was time to revisit the topic and let you in on a few more ways to get paid.

The ideas that Zaarly presents are perfect for the unemployed or those who just want to pad their pockets a little more. In addition, there are moonlighting jobs that I do that I thought you should know about. Thus, if you're without a steady paycheck or you just want to build up a rainy-day stash, here are some of your options.

1. Offer Experiences to Strangers

I recently learned about a new site called Vayable, which allows people with specialized knowledge and talents, local info, and time on their hands to create experiences that others can purchase. It's basically a touring and activity company without the company. Anyone can join the site and set up an experience. For instance, the Kan Brothers offer motorcycle tours of San Francisco - which include helmet rental, a drink at a local hot spot, and a city map - for two to four people at $75 per person. In New York City, Kim G. is offering a personalized painting lesson for groups of two to six for a flat rate of $300; the experience includes acrylic paints; canvas board and supplies; studio space; wine, cheese, and crackers; and Kim’s undivided attention. Consider this tip if you're interested in joining Vayable: Browse the site to see what other people in your area are offering. By creating a unique experience that no one else has established, you have a better chance of getting booked.

Read on for more.

Molly Sims on the Most Surprising Thing About Pregnancy, Her Glam Maternity Style, and More

Lisa Horten — Fri, 11 May 2012 08:12:58 PDT

She may be 34 weeks pregnant, but that didn't stop mom-to-be Molly Sims from squeezing time into her hectic schedule to chat with us. In addition to her acting and modeling work, Molly was recently named the Global Ambassador for Population Service International (PSI)'s child survival program, Five & Alive, and she's counting down the weeks until the birth of her baby boy.

LilSugar: Congratulations! How are you feeling?
Molly Sims: I'm coming into the end of my third trimester, and there's been a lot of swelling. I've been putting my feet up and soaking them in freezing cold water. That seems to work. We just went on the hospital tour and that made me a little nervous. I kept asking, "What's that?" and Scott [Stuber, Sims's husband] was taking notes on his BlackBerry. I said, "Can you tell we're first-time parents?!"

LS: Any other pregnancy tips and tricks that have worked for you?
MS: My back has been bothering me the whole time and the best investment I made was the Sleep Number bed. You can sleep with your feet up! It's great for my husband and I, and it means that he can rest without my waking him all throughout the night.

LS: You just had your baby shower - how was that?
MS: It was so great, just so much fun. We didn't really have a theme, but afterwards, we had a Cinco de Mayo party with everyone.

LS: Any favorite gifts?
MS: I love [online retailer] Layla Grace, and they sent me this supersoft rocking horse. I also got three great strollers - a Bugaboo that I'll use in New York, the Orbit System, which is supposed to be really easy to take apart, and then Baby Trend sent me a custom one - it's the coolest thing! I walk and hike a lot, so it was important to me to have a really good jogger. What's been great is that all of my friends have been giving me the products that they found really worked. There's so much out there, so that's been really helpful. I've also been working with Margot Stuart at Ready Me Baby. She helped me narrow down my Amazon Wish List to the 15 or so things that I really need.

Keep reading to see what's been the biggest surprise in Molly's pregnancy and her cravings.

When and When Not to Use a Travel Agent to Save Money

LearnVest — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:02:20 PDT

Will using a travel agent help you save money for your upcoming trip? LearnVest has the answer.

Are travel agents back?

This question, posed by The New York Times, got us thinking. According to the piece, nearly one in three leisure travel agencies is hiring, and in 2011 travel agencies experienced a second consecutive year of growth; in fact, their bookings accounted for a third of the $284 billion US travel market.

Silly us, we thought travel agents had become passé.

But if the travel agent business is thriving, we started wondering - is there something to this? Could using an old-school travel agent actually save us money on travel?

To find out, we consulted Barbara Vong, a travel agent with Wright Travel Agency, the 2011 winner of the Best of the Best Globe Award from Travel Impressions.

Globe Award From Travel Impressions.

The first thing we learned? Travel agents usually don't charge customers for their services! Their payment actually comes through the hotels and wholesalers, meaning that we can simply tap into a free service. That also means using a travel agent should never be more expensive than booking by yourself online . . . and these are experts well-versed in where to find the best deals.

Of course, booking your flights in 30 seconds with a few clicks sounds a lot easier than playing phone tag with a live person, so it pays to know when a travel agent can help the most, and when you might as well DIY it. Vong let us in on the best times to call an agent, and some money-saving travel tips she's picked up in her line of work:

Use a Travel Agent If . . .

You're Traveling With a Group

For group bookings that involve coordinating travel for multiple people, it's always easier to use a travel agent, says Vong. “I just had a bride call me because one of the groomsmen booked his own trip through a discount travel site, and he wanted to add someone to the room,” says Vong. "The customer service representative from the travel site he used told him they couldn't do it, but they were probably just being lazy. This is a great example of when you’d rather hand the responsibility of changing that booking to a travel agent, rather than trying to fix it on your own."

Read on for more.

A Cancer Survivor's Goal: 50 Triathlons by Her 50th Birthday

espnW — Fri, 04 May 2012 04:26:06 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar!

By Julia Savacool

It's a good thing Jenn Sommermann discovered triathlons when she did. "I was turning 40 years old, and my friend and I were looking for a way to commemorate the occasion," Sommermann said. "We decided to train for a triathlon." Because Sommermann was on the East Coast and her friend was on the West, the two trained together virtually, exchanging workout notes and messages of encouragement. Several months later, they competed in the Danskin Women's Tri in Seattle.

"That was it, I was in love with triathlons," Sommermann said. Little did she know, two years later the fitness she gained through the sport would help her win a battle against ovarian cancer.

It was December 2006 when Sommermann received her diagnosis. She'd been feeling out of sorts for months, but had been reluctant to see her doctor.

The symptoms for ovarian cancer are subtle: Bloating, weight gain, fatigue and indigestion are all indicators for the disease, but they are also common symptoms for many women during their monthly cycle. The main difference with ovarian cancer, explained Sommermann, is the symptoms don't go away.

It was by chance she discovered the cancer - she was pressing on her stomach one night and came across a hard lump. "I called my husband over, and he felt it, too," she said. "I knew this wasn't good." She went to see her physician immediately, and an ultrasound revealed a tumor about the size of an eggplant. "I had Stage 3 ovarian cancer," said Sommermann. "I was in shock. The disease is 94 percent curable if you catch it by Stage 2. But after that, the numbers are not in your favor."

Surfing gets Anastasia Ashley through tough times

Read more about Jen's inspiring story after the break.

8 Ways to Make Your Own Career Luck

LearnVest — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:15:52 PDT

People often say that you make your own luck, but how do you make your own career luck and get the job of your dreams? LearnVest shares how you can do so.

You sit next to someone on an airplane who later helps you land your dream job.

Your dentist’s daughter is a book editor, and wouldn’t you know it, she’d just love to publish your memoir.

You have a role model in your industry, and your roommate’s fiancé just so happens to be her best friend.

OK, chance doesn’t always work out as we might wish . . . but a few travel apps, a weak economy, and plenty of gumption got us thinking.

Cajoling Lady Luck may be easier than ever, with new services like Planely, a Danish start-up, and Satisfly, a Hong Kong-based start-up. Both apps connect passengers before their flights, so they can see the Facebook profiles of fellow travelers and choose seats by people they’d like to meet. Airlines like Dutch carrier KLM and Malaysia Airlines are getting in on the act with similar services of their own. Sharing and viewing this social media info is, of course, optional all around.

Read on for more.

Brad Meltzer Talks About His New Heroes For My Daughter

Rebecca M Gruber — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 03:11:19 PDT

"Where's my book?" In the two years since Brad Meltzer released Heroes For My Son, that's what the New York Times best-selling author has heard over and over from his daughter. Now, just a month before Mother's Day, Brad reaches out to his daughter and mothers everywhere with Heroes For My Daughter.

In his new book, the father of three profiles 56 people who he believes are worthy of the hero title. The collection of biographies and photographs spans Amelia Earhart and Lucille Ball to Mahatma Gandhi and Judy Blume. He's also introducing a line of inspirational clothing pieces featuring caricatures of the heroes. I recently spoke with the author about the new book; here's what he had to say.

LilSugar: Are there any crossovers between the heroes you picked for your son and the ones you have selected for your daughter?
Brad Meltzer: I did 50 brand-new heroes for my daughter. But there were six heroes that I felt were worth repeating from Heroes For My Son - a sort of hall of fame that I felt needed to be there for my daughter: Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart, Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Lucille Ball. Plus, I again included my mom. C'mon. It's my mom!

LS: What were the criteria you used to make your selections? What did it take for them to "make the cut"?
BM: To pick a hero, it's like the Supreme Court definition of pornography: you know it when you see it. But in the book, there's one thing every hero has in common. They all had to do this: help someone. Some people help thousands of people directly, like Marie Curie or Susan B. Anthony. Others help us by inspiring us, like Amelia Earhart. But you do have to help someone.

It’s the dream that links every single hero I picked for her. As I now often tell my daughter Lila, no matter what stage of life you're in, when you want something - no matter how impossible it seems - you need to fight for it. When you believe in something, fight for it. And when you see injustice, fight harder than you've ever fought before.

Keep reading for more about Brad's picks, including some little-known facts about the heroes.

Janet Lee Shares Her Tips and Tricks For Living Fabulously in a Tiny Space

CasaSugar — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 11:20:50 PDT

While many of us may dream about living in a majorly spacious home, the everyday reality is that most homes occupy a much smaller footprint - a nutshell, in Janet Lee's words. Lee, the author of the just-released Living in a Nutshell, has honed her small-space living and decorating skills over 10 years of living in tiny homes in New York. The result? A fantastic book full of decorating inspiration and tips. Covering everything from innovative storage ideas to low-cost art solutions, this book is a must read for anyone interested in living large in a small space. Keep reading for Janet's tips and a look at her own "nutshell" home!

12 Fresh and Fun Party Decor Tips From Brad Goreski's Book Release Party

Elka Karl — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:03:00 PDT

Last night, Deborah Lloyd and Kate Spade New York hosted a dinner at The Terrace in West Hollywood to celebrate the release of Brad Goreski's book Born to Be Brad. As you might imagine, the dinner was full of boisterous color and adorable styling. Let's take a look at the soiree, and see what ideas you can borrow for your next wedding, party, or dinner.