valentine's giveaway winners!!!

sorry for the delay in announcing winners...i was out spending a perfectly lovely day with my valentine!

a great big thank you to everyone for entering - really. i hope some of you newbies will stick around & become regular readers...if only to get a shot at more free goods in the future. but, without further adieu, the winners of the fabulous valentine's giveaway, generously sponsored by the folks at your conscience, are:

sara l., who said "Since we are really trying to become a more "Green" family, I would have to say I would LOVE the totes! I don't have any reuseable bags yet...So these would be GREAT!"

sarah h., who said "How cool! I'd pick the support T-shirt because it looks bad ass and is for a good cause. Plus, I'm already stocked on totes and I look horrible in yellow."

and savannah s., who said "I love the color and message of the Breathe shirt, but I'd definitely pick the shoppers. The messages are so much more creative than the usual 'I'm not a plastic bag' sayings and I think I could generate so much more interest in the web-site with bags I can use everyday!"

apparently, your first name had to begin with an "s" to win this one. (totally kidding...random drawing, as always. please do not send hate mail if your first name begins with a letter other than "s".)

so, congratulations to the winners - you're all getting the valentine of your choice from shoppingsmycardio and your conscience!! make sure you email me sometime in the next 48 hours (i'll give you until monday morning) - shoppingsmycardio at gmail.com - and i'll get all of the info i'll need from you to get your prizes out to you! if i don't hear from someone by monday, i'll draw another winner, so make sure you email me!

and a really serious thank you to the team at your conscience for sponsoring this fabulousness...i do so love giving things away, but when i get to generate interest in a good cause at the same time, i'm just about beside myself!

what i want today: cheesy love plates

i know, i know - they're cheesy and over-the-top. and i completely adore them. there's only one set left, and i've been trying to figure out how to convince the hubs they're a housewares necessity (read: joint budget expenditure) ever since i spotted them a week ago.

could someone else please buy them & put me out of my misery?

(ps: definitely check out the rest of the store when you click over - it's fantastic!)

valentine's giveaway: last day to enter!!

just a friendly reminder that this is the LAST day to enter our fabulous valentine's giveaway, sponsored by your conscience.

remember, to enter, just go to this post, and drop a quick comment telling us which prize you'd pick, and we'll choose 3 winners to be announced tomorrow.

ooh, and as an added incentive to spread the word, we're going to add an extra element: get friends, family (...coworkers, total strangers, whatever...) to enter, and if they put your name in their comment (as well as their own, obviously), they'll be giving you a second entry into the contest. no limit to how many times you can make this work for you! so, send the link far and wide, and you'll increase your own chances of winning too!

yes, we're all about the selfish good deed here at shoppingsmycardio.

cheap thrills: james perse dresses on sale

for those of you who loved the james perse cowl neck dress i featured a while back, but weren't willing to drop the cash necessary to add it to your wardrobe, it's now 70% off at shopbop.com.

so, you can score the cowl neck or v-neck version for $65 each. or heck, at that price, buy both, and you still saved almost 40% from what you would have paid for one. now that's a sweet deal!

worthy splurge: anya hindmarch woven silver pumps

oh my, how i adore these shoes. that gorgeous woven leather, the beautifully sculpted arch, that yummy metallic silver...sigh. true, at $455, i'd have to adore them, but...well, i do.

anya calls these evening shoes, but i actually think the wooden heel makes them uniquely versatile for day or evening, and i'd wear them a dozen different ways. with skinny jeans and a big chunky sweater, with a gorgeous dress and tights, or, sure, a fabulous cocktail dress.

i'm fairly certain these won't make it to the sale rack, so if you're in love and can afford the spluge, well, these beauties are well worth it. i will have to be content to pine from afar.

shoppingsmycardio valentine's giveaway!

i've been so excited to announce this contest! the absolutely lovely people over at your conscience have recently redesigned not only their website but their entire line of eco-friendly garb, and to celebrate, we get to give away fun prizes and such!

for those who haven't seen my prior write-ups, your conscience is a truly fabulous company who has managed to come up with a really clever way of mixing fashion and social responsibility. every time you buy one of their darling tees, they donate $5 to the environmental org of your choice. so basically, they manage to make my impulse buys into environmentally responsible acts. i heart these people.

they also recently added a couple of new items to the line: a tee designed to benefit the folks rebuilding their homes in new orleans, and a set of four super-portable reusable tote bags, which i'll be snapping up just as soon as i'm done writing this.

best of all, though, your conscience and shoppingsmycardio want so desperately to be your valentine that we're going to buy your love with free stuff. three very lucky shoppingsmycardio readers are going to receive the chance to pick one item of their choice from your conscience - a tee or a set of totes - and it'll be sent to their front step completely gratis!

to enter, just comment on this post and let me know which item you'd choose, and what you love about it. naturally, anonymous posts aren't going to get you anywhere - first name and last initial, please!

we'll choose a winner on valentine's day (when else?), so be sure to stay tuned to find out if a valentine from your conscience will be on it's way to you!

good luck, everyone!!

cheap thrills: canvas ballet flats

how exciting! it's been so long since old navy had something i was really happy to see, but these canvas lovelies more than make up for it. i'm buying them now & hoarding them until spring, when i'll wear them with khaki shorts, jeans, skirts...all sorts of great options. they're a great way to add a little fun to a neutral outfit, without going all-out crazy with color. and they're only $19! several patterns to choose from, but the one above is by far my fave (though i also love the pink and blue batik-inspired print).

snag them quick - old navy's always a risky gamble between waiting until they go on sale, or watching them sell out before your very eyes.

SMC beauty buys: resurrecting old classics

wow, are we ever overdue for a beauty post here at shoppingsmycardio!

lately, i've been on a quest for the perfect eye cream. now granted, my expectations are high. i want it to remove dark circles, prevent wrinkles, and generally make me look amazing. but that's not too much to ask, is it? anyway, after months and months, i still haven't found anything jawdropping.

until i find the grail, i'm glad to settle for clever tricks that accomplish the same goal. so, when a colleague suggested i stop by an event benefit cosmetics was holding at my friendly neighborhood bloomingdales, i decided to take her up on the invite. ordinarily, i run screaming from department store makeovers, but the truth is that i already own 90% of the benefit line, so i knew i'd be pretty safe. their products are just so cheeky and fun, i can rarely resist the marketing. bonus is that they actually work.

so, the head of their cosmetics department (i must have really looked like i needed help) worked her wonders on me, and taught me a trick i had never considered. and by god, it actually worked! natch, i rushed back home to try it for myself. and it worked again! best of all, i already owned all products involved, which you know never ever happens in the world of department store cosmetic counters.

anyway, here's the trick: take their eye bright pencil, and scribble (don't you love my technical terminology?) all over the dark parts in the inner corner of your eye, and the wrinkles at the outer corner, that you desperately want to hide. lightly, of course - no need to cause injury. top with a little bit of ooh la lift. blend lightly with finger until it all melts in. then add a little more eye bright on top if you need it, and dab (don't rub - it'll just rub right off) to distribute. top it off with a little lemon-aid on your lids (if you haven't tried this product, i can't say enough lovely things about it), and, well, it just works.

try this one at home, ladies - and report back! i'm anxious to see if i'm the only one, or if i've uncovered some deep, mysterious, dark-circle-hiding secret.

what i want today: gorgeous dresses from....jcrew??

i'm sitting here being very annoyed with j.crew - their stupid 'final sale' emails always, always suck me in. i end up spending 20 minutes finding things i want, only to talk myself out of them because i just know i'll get the one sweater that was mislabeled or something, and is actually 2 sizes too small, and i'll be stuck with it for time and all eternity (a phrase that is funnier if you grew up around mormons, but i digress).

however, they've managed to (briefly) redeem themselves. i haven't seen pieces this stunning come out of j.crew....well, ever, really. i mean, i don't really go to them for the fancy, dressy stuff - they're more of a "cashmere sweater & flats" sort of place, right?

but they have a couple of really beautiful options available right now. i absolutely love this silk boatneck a-line dress, which would be a stunning substitute for a suit at the office. or if you love the colors, but wish the style was a little more casual, check out this version, which has a gorgeous ruffled hem, but is otherwise a very straightforward silk sheath that could be styled a dozen different ways.

not a big fan of the pricing - i still dry heave a little at the thought of spending $335 on a j.crew dress. but i have to give credit where credit is due, and these are pretty fantastic.

what i want today: freddy & ma vote totes

as it turns out, the rest of the world just keeps on spinnin', even when it's fashion week. who knew?

in honor of super tuesday, it seemed only appropriate to share one of my favorite recent finds with you all. these darling vote totes by freddy & ma ($25) are just the thing to show your support for the team of your choice, without all of those obnoxious stars, stripes, and all-too-predictable red, white and blue color schemes.

you can choose from democrat, republican, hillary, obama, or independent. natch, my money's on the fabulous lady whose chief of staff was named one of vogue's 10 best dressed for 2007. but regardless of who you love (or love to hate), you can't help loving these totes - they're destined to become collector's items, no matter who takes the cake.

if you haven't voted yet today, and you're in a super tuesday state, get your fanny over to your local polling place. you know, right after you order your tote bag.

who says political activism isn't fashionable?

update: anthony of freddy & ma has very generously pointed out that these darling totes are 20% off today, in honor of super tuesday! just use code "supertues" at checkout.

reminder: fall '08 fasion week is here

if you happened to miss the memo, fashion week (fall '08 already? really?) is upon us. your best bet for succinct reviews, without (a) getting trapped in the millions of pics flying around out there, or (b) having to wait for the april vogue, is to hang out at the daily obsession this week, where we're all manically writing up every single show, and two of the editors are actually at the tents, which is pretty freaking fantastic (i'm not jealous, i'm not jealous, i'm not jealous...).

if you check out nothing else from fashion week, the proenza schouler show is required viewing here at shoppingsmycardio. well, not required...how about "utterly fantastic, and not to be missed." yes, that's it.

(ps...a great big kiss to coutorture for that lovely pic, not to mention the thousands more they've left us on their site.)

what i want today: mari's brownies, please

i don't have much to say about these other than YES, PLEASE - I'LL HAVE SOME.

We've added a layer of fig jam made with Black Mission figs, 10 year old tawny port, honey, orange zest and a little ginger to our Classic brownie for a rich, finger licking treat.

there is just literally no part of that sentence i don't adore. and that's only one of their flavors...don't even get me started on the caramel sea salt.

very, very good things would happen to the wonderful person who sent these yummies my way.

shoppingsmycardio gift guide: valentines for everyone!

when it comes to valentine's day gifts, i sort of think you have to go cheesy or go home. i mean, the entire "holiday" (a term i use very, very loosely) is built on pink hearts, for heaven's sake. so, you have to either be bitter and cynical enough to just ignore the whole thing (which is totally acceptable, by the way), or you have to just say "to hell with it," and jump on the candy heart bandwagon. since a gift guide full of cynical, ignoring-like gifts would be really, really dull, i went for the other extreme.

truly, though, i think one of the biggest problems in this world is not enough people buying themselves presents. so hey, if you don't have a third party to buy for, don't be all down in the dumps. happily buy one of these lovely gifts for yourself - after all, you're saving loads of money not having to take someone out for a frighteningly overpriced dinner on the 14th.


this itsy bitsy 'love' necklace by lena wald ($220) says it all, without shouting it from the rafters. check out the modeling pic to see how delicate and subtle this beauty is.

for the right guy, these heart cufflinks ($15) would be an absolutely perfect gift. not a bit cheesy, these will let you indulge your inner romantic without making him wear the schmoopie on his sleeve.

i can think of at least two people i know who would happily give just about any gift their valentine wanted, if they received these gorgeous recchiuti chocolates ($24) in return. bonus: your valentine might even share.

if you go the chocolate route, why not go cliche all the way and add on flowers? but please, please forego the FTD. instead, pick up just a few gorgeous blooms (no need to go for the classic roses. try peonies, tulips or lilies) and deliver them to your sweetie in this beautiful milk vase by uncommon goods ($28).

this LOVE sculpture would be fabulous as a paperweight, bookend, or random chotschky mix-in on the shelf of your choice. comes in several colors, but i love this bright, cheerful blue best, as i think the crazy color eliminates any trace of cheese. pick it up at colette, a delish french website i've recently fallen for. sadly, flash only, so you'll have to look it up the old-fashioned way (hint: head for the design section). it'll run you about $100, give or take the euro conversion and subtracting VAT.

or, if you're looking for something really decadent, i spied this stunning diamond ring (also available in yellow gold) by marco bicego at a local jeweler a few weeks ago, and haven't stopped thinking about it since. it'll set you back about $1,800, but hey, can you really put a price on the kind of happiness that only comes from such pretty, sparkly things? apparently so.

and as long as we're doing overly decadent gifts for girls, it seems only fair to offer the male equivalent of pretty, sparkly things. these watches by nooka confuse me greatly. something about time being told by dots filling up? makes my brain hurt a little bit, to be honest. but they're nifty to look at, and i think my very geek-minded (though still incredibly cool) hubs would think this was fantastic.

what i want today: pocket campfire

i realize it's late on friday, and hopefully everyone's gone home for the day. but i came across this darling little candleholder and just couldn't keep it to myself. isn't it fantastic?? this little cutie holds just a teensy votive candle, but the thin white porcelain makes the entire thing glow. so this really is a pocket campfire, if ever there was one.

i am dying to buy a half dozen (do-able, since they're only $15 each), put them in a line down my dining room table, and let my friends and family ooh and ahh when i invite them over for a fabulous meal.

(ps: don't miss the how-to-use video on velocity's website.)

shoppingsmycardio interviews: doie designs

i recently got the loveliest email from doie designs, asking me to take a look at their line of casual and loungewear. the line, made primarily from eco-friendly bamboo jersey, features loads of great basic pieces mixed with gorgeous little dresses in fabulous patterns.

doie's fall collection is all marked down now on her site, as well as on tobi.com, so it's well worth checking out. my picks are the manzanita dress and her super-cute striped hoodie & pants, which i love so much more than most matchy-matchy loungwear.

i have to admit, though, that most of my favorite pieces are from her upcoming spring '08 line, which should be available in april. she does have a sneak peek on her site, and it's well worth checking out. i'm absolutely in love with the bamboo print silk top above - it's by far my favorite piece from the line, and i'm doing some serious coveting.

anyway, i liked what i saw so well that i asked the designer, sara kirsner, to do a little Q&A with us.

shoppingsmycardio: from looking at your bio, you’ve had some pretty fabulous experiences – interning for DKNY and Marc Jacobs just have been amazing! did you always have the goal of starting your own line, or did you decide to start your line after seeing a gap in the market? i’d love to hear how you got started.

sara kirsner: For as long as I can remember I have been interested in fashion. I used to draw mini “collections” when I was in grade school and I tried to give my friends makeovers in the fourth grade. When I decided to leave advertising and apply to Parsons School of Design, I knew that I wanted to work in fashion, but I thought that having my own line would be something that would possibly happen way down the road.

When I was working as a freelancer in the design department, at Ann Taylor, I took a trip to Vietnam and Cambodia with some friends. A friend and I had talked about starting up a loungewear line, so when I was on the trip I had a few prototypes made up in a small town full of tailors, call Hoi An. When I returned, my contract with Ann Taylor was up and I was so inspired by my trip and had so many ideas for the line, that instead of looking for a new job I threw myself head first into creating Doie. The friend that I was supposed to start the line with ended up deciding to work full time at Polo Ralph Lauren. I was petrified at first, to do it alone. I knew nothing about starting a line but I was so excited and invested, that I just kept going.

SMC: you must have had some amazing learning experiences working with all of those other designers. what did you learn from those jobs that was most valuable to you in starting your line?

SK: The internship experiences at DKNY and Marc Jacobs were very different from each other. I learned a lot from both of them, but I realized that neither environment felt like the kind of fashion that I wanted to do. Working for a huge corporation felt too impersonal and working in the high fashion runway world was also something that I didn’t feel was a good fit for me. However, Marc Jacobs and Donna Karen are my two favorite designers and no matter how hard the internships got, I was constantly in disbelief that I was actually “working” for those companies. I was able to meet both designers during my time there.

SMC: you primarily use fabrics made from bamboo – did you choose to design with bamboo fabrics because you really prefer the fabric or because you’re trying to be eco-friendly? can you tell us a little about that choice?

SK: I started out using regular cotton. After my first collection was produced, I was showing it to my friend’s mom, who also owns Vivaterra, a great website/catalogue featuring eco-lifestyle products. She loved my collection and asked if I could make a few pieces for her in a sustainable fabric such as bamboo or organic cotton. I really liked bamboo and after learning more about it I decided to continue using it for all of my future collections. My family is very environmentally conscious. It just seemed natural. After learning how environmentally disastrous cotton is, I will never go back.

Bamboo production is not completely virtuous as there are harmful chemicals used to breakdown the bamboo into fabric, but bamboo growth does not require any pesticides and is 100% sustainable. I am trying to incorporate more organic cotton and organic wool these days.

I do use bamboo because it is environmentally friendly, but I also love the feel of it! It has the softest hand and it drapes so well. Bamboo is also naturally anti-microbial, which means the fabric actually prevents bacteria from growing on it, resulting in clothing that remains odor-free longer than other fabrics.

SMC: I love that you’re not afraid to include classic, staple wardrobe pieces in your line, along with the trendier silhouettes. How do you decide what to include in each season? I’d love to learn a little about your design process.

SK: I love to be fashionable and look put together, but I have never been super trendy. I try to include pieces that will be able to be worn for more than one season. This idea of “disposable fashion” at places like H&M, and Forever 21 is great for the wallet and a fun night out, but not so great for the environment. I obviously want people to want to buy my new collection each season, but I don’t want the pieces that they already own to seem obsolete. I usually do have a few trendier items, but as you mentioned, they are mixed in with staples that can hopefully be worn for years.

SMC: what trends are you most looking forward to for spring 2008?

SK: I am excited that the dress trend is still very strong. I live in dresses!

SMC: if you had to choose one piece from your line that’s your absolute favorite, what would it be, and what do you love about it?

SK: My absolute favorite piece is the Doie signature hoodie. It may change slightly from season to season, but that is the piece that I live in. I can lounge around in it and then still wear it out to meet friends, run errands, or to the gym. The hood is lined with a printed silk, so it is a little nicer than an old sweatshirt, but just as comfortable!

SMC: what’s next for your label? are you planning to stay with your more relaxed vibe, or do you see yourself branching out into more structured pieces? any plans to branch out into bags or accessories?

SK: Doie will always be about blending style, comfort and sustainability, but the collections are starting to include dressier pieces along with the loungewear. I want to have both types of styles, because I have both of those sides to me. I am branching out this Fall and incorporating organic wool into a few pieces. I am doing my first coat and I am very excited about it.

I have thought about doing a maternity line. More and more of my friends are becoming pregnant and I would love to branch out in that direction eventually.

SMC: when you go to sleep at night, what excites you about going to work the next day?

SK: It all depends on what is going on with the line. For example, this week I have been very excited to wake up and go to the factory where my Fall samples are being made. I can walk there from my apartment. I check in every other day or so to see what they have ready. It is really exciting to see my ideas “come to life.” The main thing that I love is not knowing what the next day is going to bring. For example, this interview was a pleasant surprise that I didn’t see coming.

SMC: who would you most like to run into on the street wearing one of your designs?

SK: I would to see someone like Natalie Portman wearing my line. She is not only gorgeous, but also smart and cares about the environment. I would also love to be out to dinner, or walking down the street and see someone wearing something from my line. I have yet to see someone completely random wearing my line. That would be exciting.

SMC: i’d love to know a little more about your personal style – can you tell us about your favorite, no-fail outfit?

SK: My no-fail outfit changes from season to season, but lately it has been the Doie Juniper dress (in black) with tights and a belt, my Charmone (cruelty-free) boots, and these amazing lazer-cut bamboo earrings by Molly M designs. It is such a comfortable outfit, but it still looks so put together.

SMC: what one style secret do you wish you could teach every woman out there?

SK: My #1 style secret would be to make sure that you are comfortable in what you are wearing. When someone feels comfortable, they project a certain confidence and people are drawn to them. If you are constantly fidgeting with your outfit, you will appear insecure and also won’t be able to enjoy yourself as much. And a good bra can make all the difference!

a great big thank you to sara at doie designs for taking the time to chat with us! i'm really looking forward to seeing what this designer has up her sleeve for future seasons.