Consuming and the American Dream?

When we went on our trip to the Spotsylvania Mall, I gave into my impulse to purchase an item that was on sale at Bath and Body Works. Their eight ounce bottle of Japanese Blossom lotion was on sale for $5. It’s original price being $10.50. This is my favorite scent. Working in the restaurant business and being around people you have to have good hygiene. This week alone i have been asked what perfume I am wearing when in fact it was my lotion that smelled so good. I have received many compliments on he scent. The display was at the front of the store so you couldn’t miss it. When i purchased the lotion they gave out “Bath and Body Works Perfect Gift Guide 2008″ which enclosed over $35 worth of savings, but there of course was a catch. You would think the coupons inside the book would all be dated the same, but there not! This is defiantly a ploy to get you back into the store to shop. The first coupon was a “free item of your choice with any purchase of $10 or more up to $13 in value,” valid through October 13 - November 9, 2008. The second coupon was “$10 off any purchase of $30 dollars or more,” valid through November 10 - December 14, 2008. The third coupon was “$15 off any purchase of $50 or more,” offered through December 15 - December 24, 2008. Not only is this a way to get the consumer back into the store but what i noticed is the purchase price for you to use the coupon keeps increasing as the dates get closer to Christmas. I am assuming they did this with the assumption that consumers will be spending more money the closer it gets to Christmas. So of since i had coupons i went back! This time it was for a purpose. I had to purchase a birthday present for my best friend Mary. Bath and Body Works this month has a new limited edition “Sweet Dreams” collection. This includes aromatherapy sleep collections with the mascot being a lamb. My friend Mary loves lambs; hence “Mary had a little lamb.” I got her a huge fleece lamb blanket which cost me $35. The Lambie Sleep Blanket features a adorable Lamb face embroidery and presented in a pretty ready to give box. The size is 52 X 52. I was able to use the “free item of your choice with any purchase of $10 or more up to $13″ coupon. So i got her some lotion as well. Also with my purchase I got a free “Little Lambie” with the value of $5 for free because I purchased $15 or more worth of items. So needless to say the Bath and Body Works ploy got me and I’ll probably be back around Christmas to do use the other coupons.

The item that I want this weekend is a bottle of Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup. It comes in many different sizes, but I want the 24 oz. bottle. It cost about $3.00 and you are able to buy it at any grocery store. My friend is turning 21 this weekend and I wanted to get her something unique. After thinking about all the liquor bottles I could get her; I decided that a bottle of Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup is the answer. She likes to drink chocolate milk and this syrup is the main ingredient. I believe that others who are interested in chocolate milk should really think about getting a bottle of the syrup.

After this week’s discussion on Ann DuCille’s article, “Toy Theory: Black Barbie and the Deep Play of Difference”, I have been fascinated with learning more about the warped sense of femininity Barbie conveys to young girls. I was on the Toys “R” Us website, searching for the latest addition to the Barbie merchandise craze. Let me tell you, for Mattel, the name of the game is LINE EXTENSIONS. Mattel sells Barbie-brand everything, from dolls, to clothes, to accessories, to dollhouses, to powered mini-jeeps, to roller skates, and beyond. I found this interesting new product, the Barbie Diamond Castle Playset Doll and Pet.

The reason why this product caught my attention was because it is priced at a whopping $92.99! This toy appeals to girls aged 6-9 (according to the Toys “R” Us website) who dream about becoming a fairytale princess. The product description is nothing short of a fairytale itself: “Just like in the movie, the breathtaking Diamond Castle playset has a gorgeous light show in the magical tower and plays a special song! This castle has lots of enchanting furnished rooms to play in with three stories of magical fun!” Only $92.99? Can you really put a price on three stories of magical fun? Apparently, there is a Barbie Diamond Castle Princess movie that this toy is based off of.  With your $92.99, you not only receive the three-story dream house, but also the Barbie Princess Doll herself, Barbie’s pet puppy, furnishings for the house, and three AA batteries. Princess Barbie is dressed in a luxurious purple Rappunzel-like gown with her traditional flowing blonde locks. On the Toys “R” Us website, customers can rate products and recommend them to other customers. All 6 customer ratings reported their little girls loving the product, but complained about how expensive it is. “Not enough castle for the money” one grandparent commented. The fact that parents will pay almost $100 for a dollhouse reflects the mystique of Barbie. There is a “fetish” quality to anything that is emblazoned in that traditional pink and white logo. Fads will come and go, but Barbie will always be a constant in the lives of young girls.

Bee Pollen Pill

Recently my hairdresser convinced me to try Bee Pollen in pill form. She swears by this homeopathic remedy for a myriad of ailments and issues. It cost me $20 for 100 pills. I have checked online and it seems comparable to other vendors who sell the pill form. The granule form cost about $15 for a 16oz jar.

So what is Bee Pollen you may ask. It is a substance that is high in protein and carbohydrates and contains trace amounts of vitamins and minerals. It is not found in the average daily diet but people have been taking the supplement to enhance energy, memory and performance. It is also taken to prevent hay fever and some people even believe that ingesting the pollen will help to build up a resistance to them although there have been cases of sever allergic reaction to the supplement.

Bee Pollen in Natural Form

Bee Pollen is the male seed of flowers. It is required for the fertilization of the plant. Every variety of flower in the universe puts forth a dusting of pollen. Bee Pollen is the food of the young Bee and contains about 40% protien. It is considered in most circles as natures most completely nourishing foods, so even though it is not found in the average daily diet, it probably should be. It contains nearly all of the nutrients required by humans. It is high in amino acids which are the building blocks of the proteins that are required to sustain human life.

I have been taking it for about 3 weeks and I can tell you that I feel pretty good. It is good for the complexion as well as weight management as well as joint pain and blood circulation. I know that it sounds like one of those new wave type drug things, kind of like ephedrine was a few years back but I am truly a fan. I should warn some folks that they may experience some sleepless nights in the beginning because it does increase energy like a stimulant but that goes away or at least it did for me.

I recommend Bee Pollen to anyone who is interested in this homeopathic remedy.

The story of how this came about is slightly embarrassing, but lead to an interesting discovery. My friends were googling their names to see what random links and websites would show up, so when my turn rolled around one of the first links was: loreleinyc.com. The description said that Lorelei is a line of handbags, and while shoes seem to get all of the attention of being a woman’s Achilles Heel, my weakness is a purse. So I clicked on the link. After all, these bags (literally) had my name on them.

As it turns out, the Lorelei Collection is a very prestigious line, not yet very well known by the general public- making it even “cooler” to me. These bags aren’t sold just anywhere, and aren’t worn by just anyone. Here is a list of celebrities who have worn a Lorelei handbag. The site also shows where the bags have appeared in magazines and in TV shows. Obviously, given the title of the website, the line is rooted in New York City but has also debuted in major cities around the world. You won’t be finding these bags at your local Macy’s or Bloomingdale’s so the website gives locations as to where they are sold.

Unfortunately, they are really expensive. Most of them are priced in the $200 range. The cheapest I saw was a Mia for $172.00 and the most expensive was a Lucia for $575.00. My favorites are the Isa and the Chloe:

I know that in reality I’m probably not going to be getting one of these bags anytime soon, but hey, maybe one day!

I’ve been a Radiohead fan for years now.  Not only do I have all of their albums and album b-sides, I own all their solo projects and even the demos they made when they were called On A Friday.  Formed in 1986, they hit mainstream radio with “Creep” in 1993.  This album, which was released in 2007, made headlines again because the band put it on their website and allowed people to pay as much as they wanted for the download.  You could even get it for free if you so wished.  I, being the diehard fan that I am, paid $7 for my download and haven’t stopped listening to it since.

It’s hard to lump Radiohead into one specific genre.  As I usually tell people, Radiohead can be any genre they feel like.  In Radiobows is no different.  The album starts out with “15 Step” which is a heavily electronic/drum ‘n’ bass track, then launches into “Bodysnatchers,” a guitar driven track.  Then it glides into “Nude,” which is slow and ballad-like.  And that’s just the first three tracks!

Radiohead’s music was recently put onto iTunes, so you can now buy all of their albums for $9.99.  They are also available anywhere music is sold, such as Wal-Mart, Target, or Circuit City.

When I have a bad day, I like to go shopping! Even if I just buy one thing as simple as a pair of earrings, I feel better.  The other day I was on the hunt for a replacement pair of Converse All Star slips. Unfortunately, I could not find them anywhere (not even the converse website) because they no longer make them in green and so I will have to find them somewhere online.  Even though I did not find the shoes I was longing for, I did not leave empty handed.  I found another pair of shoes that I fell in love with!

They are Jasmine-Tea Rocket Dog sneakers! These sneakers come in off-white, black, or bark.  My pair are bark.  I absolutely love the color and the floral pattern on the shoe. Also, I hate bothering with shoe laces so slip on shoes are the greatest shoes on earth! Just slide them on and go. These shoes are also very comfortable and are made of thin material so they are very breathable.  I have worn them every day since I bought them, they are great!

At DSW these sneakers were originally $39.94 but lucky me, they were on sale! 50% off! Fantastic, I could not have been happier! I ended up getting the shoes for $19.97! What a great deal! Getting a new pair of shoes makes me happy, but getting them for a very good price makes my day!

If you are looking for a new pair of sneakers that are fashionable, comfortable, and inexpensive then you should buy yourself a pair of Rocket Dog sneakers! If these sneaks fit your style then I guarantee satisfaction!

*These shoes can be found online or in any stores that sell Rocket Dog.

One of my last purchases was a Domke F-5XA camera bag. The bag is very small and it can carry a couple of lens and one camera body. My favorite thing about this bag is that it limits how much I can carry. Camera equipment is heavy and after a few hours of walking around with one hanging on my shoulders it starts to hurt.

The water-resistant bag weights 1 pound. Its dimensions are 8.0 x 4.5 x 8.0 and it comes with a non-slip gripper shoulder strap. The bag can also be use as a waist pack, if you purchase the optional waist belt. The internal compartment can be divided into as many as three separate compartments. The bag comes in three colors, olive, sand, and black. The bag is design for cameras, lenses, cell phone, MP3 player and accessories. The bag cost $50 and kind be purchased at B and H Photo and Video online.

This bag is cool because it doesn’t look like a typical camera bag. So if you own more then one piece of photography equipment you can keep it hidden when you travel until you need to use it. Last weekend, I used it on assignment at the Gold Cup horse race in Fauquier County last weekend and I hardly know I had it own my shoulder. I had loaded the bag with four lens and memory cards.

I just bought a Laurel Burch tote bag, because it was love at first sight. 

The late Laurel Burch was an artist in the primitive style.  Much of her work portrays wonderful, stylized animals in the vivid explosion of colors that was her trademark.  A self-taught painter, she once said, “I refuse to have anything in my life that I can’t turn around into something beautiful and magical.”   

Laurel Burch died in 2007 from osteopetrosis, the rare, inherited bone disease from which she had suffered all her life.  Osteopetrosis causes the bones to harden, and it can cause many debilitating complications.  She was in fragile health all her life, yet her work is joyous and playful. 

For Christmas last year my husband gave me one of the Laurel Burch tapestry handbags (in the Mythical Dog line).  He had gone to an event called the Beastie Bazaar, hosted every year on one of Fauquier County’s big farms where exotic animals are raised.  Some Laurel Burch items were for sale there. 

As I was browsing online last week I found that many pet charities sell Laurel Burch, shrewdly going after the animal lover market to supplement donations. 

Pets were not Laurel Burch’s only themes.  The art gallery at her Web site displays her range.  Imaginative and vibrant, her paintings are full of passion and detail.  My favorite collection in this digital art gallery is “Ocean Songs.” 

In addition to totes and purses, the Laurel Burch line includes clothing, jewelry, paper products, ceramic mugs and plates, scarves and footwear.

My tote bag hasn’t arrived yet, so I’ve got that tingle of excitement that comes from knowing I have something special to look forward to.  I like the idea that I will be carrying a work of art, created from the heart. 

I was starting to get bored writing about stuff I wanted for Christmas this year, so I thought I would discuss some things I got LAST Christmas. The best gift I think I’ve ever received (besides my pink convertible Barbie car) was the 7 seasons of the Golden Girls. This is by far my favorite show of all time. I cannot get enough.

        It may seem that I am hooked on a show that starting airing before I was even born, but that is what Lifetime is for. One day when I was home sick from school I was flipping through the channels and recognized Betty White, as she used to be on the Mary Tyler Moore show. From then on I couldn’t get enough of these four kooky ladies, Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia. These elderly ladies lived together in a house in Miami, and they talked about anything and everything, sex, men, childhood experiences, and they ate a lot of cheesecake. Its interesting how all of these ladies are so different and yet are best friends. But as best friends, there were still fights and rivalries.

        So, after a few years of watching this show on Lifetime, I noticed the episodes were being aired less and less frequently. My parents noticed my disgruntlement, that I would have to miss school to watch my show, so for Christmas they bought me the whole series, all seven seasons. I can now say I have seen every single Golden Girls episode ever made. But even then, I still have trouble with the trivia game on mylifetime.com. These box sets cost from $19.99 to $24.99 at Best Buy depending on the season. You can also find the sets at Wal-Mart and Target. So to buy the whole series gets kind of pricy. But I feel that these DVDs are worth it. While all four actresses are phenomenal, it was the writing of Susan Harris that really made the show successful. I’ve seen Bea Arthur on Maude and Rue McClanahan on Mama’s Family, and I don’t feel that their hilarity is given the chance to come out.

        These DVDs have been a godsend in college, its something to watch before bed. I think I have even got my roommate hooked on it. If you have never seen or have never heard of The Golden Girls, I recommend you give it a try. Even though the girls are old, they are still hilarious and their jokes still resonate.

Here’s a great clip about Sophia telling the girls a story from her past.