I'm So Martha...(A K8 Flashback)

Originally published: 9/19/07

Update: I'm no longer as jazzed about Merona dresses, as I've discovered I can now find much better quality for only slightly more cost at Last Call!  But I still use the Blister Block, and I still think Louboutins are a bit overpriced; I've since converted almost exclusively to Stuart Weitzman (who incidentally, never requires Blister Block).

Okay, I couldn't help passing on a couple little tips I've come up with (I'm sure Martha or Heloise had these years ago, but I like to think I sort of discovered them myself)...

I just bought a couple new dresses at Target (side note - Merona has GREAT dresses, all for around $25 - throw on some Pradas with it, and no one's the wiser...except for all the girls I tell about it of course).  Anyway, on to the cheesy but useful tips...

As I was removing the extra buttons and tags, I realized that one of the tags was attached with a tiny black safety pin.  I'm using that very same pin today to keep the wrap top of the dress closed over "the girls" a bit more (proper ladies do NOT display overt cleavage at the workplace unless it's in reference to toes).  It's amazing how much better a black pin is vs. the shiny silver ones when you are attempting to keep your bosom covered. 

Regarding those extra buttons (which I keep in a little "button box" and have for years...funny how your extra buttons are around a lot longer than the actual garment), notice how they sometimes come in a tiny little ziploc bag?  These little bags are perfect for pills in your purse - you know, the extra strength Advil and Midol you would kill for on a bad headache or cramp day?  Just slip a few in the "ziploclette" (that's a mini ziploc), and put it in the secret side pocket of your handbag! 

Oh, and another quick recent discovery - Johnson's Blister Block (in the Band-aid aisle).  I've had to use it religiously to break in the Louboutins (which have disappointed me in how much they've stretched out), and it works well.  It's like a mini deodorant stick that you can rub all over your blister-prone places before and during shoe wearing, and it leaves no residue behind.  And based on my experience with expensive shoes, they should all come with a CASE of this stuff!

(Ginger) Snap to It!

The only thing I dread more than wearing pleather anything is the predictable 3pm craving for something sweet (also typically occurs around 8:30 pm).  But I've found a decent work-around that has more benefits than gum and is way more convenient than brushing your teeth (it's so weird when people do that at work).  I recently discovered "candied" ginger.  Not only does it help in digestion, but it's quite spicy, which means it's nearly impossible to eat something afterward, unless you like that whole toothpaste-orange-juice thing. 

You can find it in the bulk bins at Whole Foods, but I prefer Reed's - this fun pre-packaged brand comes in a variety of options.  My husband prefers the crystallized cubes, but I like the individually wrapped "chews" that you can take anywhere (also, they come in a cool little box that looks like cigarettes but are much healthier) - plus, you can find them in flavors like peanut butter and spicy apple!  I will warn you that the chews are pretty...chewy, so watch your dental work.  And while the crystallized cubes are much friendlier to your crowns and fillings, the "crystals" can stick around on your fingers (but are definitely less guilt-ridden than bright orange Cheeto residue).

So next time your sweet tooth starts twitching, pick your ginger poison and pop one in your pie-hole before, well...a piece of pie.  

Magic K8 Ball Says...

• Ginger Chews: 7 (Signs Point to Yes)
• Crystallized Ginger: 6 (Outlook Good)

Reed's Ginger Chews

Reed's Crystallized Ginger Cubes

Don't Discount Target (A K8 Flashback)

Originally published: 2/18/08

As you know, I love Target for everything from peanut M&Ms and knock-off Vitamin Water, to a $25 Mossimo dress and cheap sunglasses that are only "99% UV protected."  But I've recently discovered yet ANOTHER great thing about the Big T (I refuse to pronounce it tar-jay - it's Target, and I say it with pride).

I recently bothered some of you about whether or not I should read "The Other Boleyn Girl" (I like the idea of reading something other than chick lit or young adult books now and then).  I got a resounding YES from everyone and have been haunting my local (HUGE) 1/2 Price Books for the past month now, but they're always sold out of it (typically happens when a book becomes a movie, such as this one).  Anyway, I popped into "my" Target (NW Hwy and Lemmon), and wow, they really have a great book selection!  I picked up "Boleyn" for only $5.99 plus two other paperbacks (okay, one was a trashy romance - Lori Foster has some great male leads that are typically Ultimate Fighters, which I'm currently way into, but that's another story...).  They also have a great magazine selection, good kids/young adult books (I always get suckered into buying at least one coloring book), and obviously tons of cheapie DVDs that somehow end up in my cart (surprisingly, I still haven't actually opened the $5 copy of "Rudy" I "had to have" several months back).

Anyway, next time you head to Target for "just a couple of things" and haven't yet met your normal $100 spend, head over to the book/magazine/media section (usually at the back or far side of the store) and peruse for a bit...no doubt you'll find a cheap DVD or the latest copy of "Cat Fancy" magazine that you've been looking for.

Happy Targeting,

K8

Oh My Gloss!

As you know, lip gloss is one of my fave beauty products (come to think of it...most beauty products could be considered my "fave," except for maybe any lip "sloughing" stuff - it never works, always leaves gritty residue, and you'd get better results with a decent daily lip balm).  When it comes to glosses, I've tried, bought, tested, loved, hated, discarded, cherished, and recommended many different brands and price ranges (you all remember my "you must buy this!" dictate for Chantecaille's Charm gloss).  And even though I have a special love for Chanel Glossimers, lately I've become a tad disenchanted with how it tends to leak out the top (translation: impossible to throw in any handbag without discovering a new pack of gum all goopy w/gloss).

 To that end, I was determined to find a "less complex" (and cheaper) version of my beloved Chanel Twinkle gloss (it really looks great over ANY lipstick) - I needed something almost as good and certainly more portable.  Be happy, dear K8ers, because I found it!  May I introduce you to Rimmel's Stay Glossy Lip Gloss in Unlimited Gold (don't worry, it's a gorgeous pinky gold, not golden nugget bling).  Not only is it only $4.99, but it has a smooth texture (not tacky), looks lovely alone or over a lipstick, and despite the claims, it doesn't really last for hours (a "long-lasting" lip gloss?  Seriously, that just sounds gross).  I've already bought another darker color and been giddy about that one too.  And at $5 a pop, who cares if it wears off after your morning latte?  Just reapply and re-buy!

Rimmel Stay Glossy Lip Gloss
Magic K8 Ball Says:
7 (Outlook Good), but also 4 (Ask Again Later)
...because I've been burned before by judging too quickly only to be disappointed later, so I'm being cautious on this one...

A Total Frye Baby

Hmm, what's that lovely smell that's wafting through my house?  Fresh-baked cookies?  A bouquet of lilies? No, it's the totally disarming scent of fresh, new leather boots!  You know you know that smell, and you know you love it.  This recognizable fragrance is coming from my new Frye boots that I fell in love with last week and literally had to have.  I didn't buy them on the spot (God knows why), but when I realized I was thinking about them non-stop (and pretty sure I dreamed about them that night), I almost immediately jumped online to find them.  They're no cheap date, but they're worth every penny and last a lifetime!

My love affair with Frye began over ten years ago when they were just getting popular (again).  I of course appreciate that they are a US brand and originally all made in the USA (now most are made in Mexico which I also support because Mexico makes seriously great boots).  Plus, what other boot do you know that manages to look rugged, sexy, and comfortable all at the same time?  (Not to mention the wearability factor with jeans, skinny pants, leggings, skirts, and dresses!). 

My first pair was the traditional harness style and cost $200 approx. eight years ago - it was the most I had paid to-date for any pair of footwear (although I've certainly surpassed that in recent years).  But to this day, they still wear, fit, and look great (and possibly even better than when I bought them).  These boots truly get better with age, they always garner compliments (it helps that mine are a limited-edition olive color), and are totally worth the investment.  So next time you want to do the right thing by your tootsies and your wardrobe, don't think twice - harness up your handbag, mosey up to the mall, lasso yourself the best gall-darn boots you'll ever have, and get ready to inhale the pleasure that is Frye leather.  Ahhhhh....  

Frye Boots
Magic K8 Ball Says: 8+++ (Gotta Have It!)

Nailed It!

Just how many cotton balls does it take to fully remove "Chick Flick Cherry" or "Cajun Shrimp" from 10 fingernails or 10 toenails?  Typically, way too many.  And there's nothing worse than all those icky, wadded-up cotton corpses smelling up your trash.  Aren't you "Fed Up"?? 

I started using Cle de Peau Le Coton a few years ago to take off makeup, but I soon discovered that it's "Braziliant" for removing nail polish as well!  I literally only use ONE cotton square for all 10 fingers or toes (okay, maybe two if it's "Lincoln Park After Dark").  Sure, it's a bit pricey and seems like "Mucho Dinero" at $20 for a box of cotton, but it usually lasts for six months.  Plus, the squares are "Flawless" in that they don't leave stray bits of cotton stuck to your cuticles or eyelashes, and you can just feel that it's higher quality cotton (it comes in a very elegant box and is called "Le Coton" after all). 

Cle de Peau Le Coton pads

Magic K8 Ball Says: 8 = Gotta Have It!

As for polish remover, your smelly stand-by needs a "Curtain Call."  I highly recommend Deborah Lippman's The Stripper - not only is it a fun name and has a nice lavender scent, but you'll be "Sew Psyched" by its ingenious pump that you'll never use too much at once. And when you pair it with Le Coton, you can truly kiss your "Chubby Cheeks" goodbye and will definitely live "Happily Ever After."

Lippman's "The Stripper" Lacquer Remover

Magic K8 Ball Says: 8 = Gotta Have It!

And yes - all of the pithy quoted phrases above are real nail polish colors.

Leaving My Fashion Footprint on Our Youth (A K8 Flashback)

Originally published September 26, 2007

Update: My nephews are now 9, and my niece is 14, and they ALL definitely still know what Prada means to Aunt Kate.

A recent conversation between my 5-year-old nephew, Riley, and my sister-in-law, Amanda...

Amanda: So how was school today? (Riley started Kindergarten this year)

Riley: Fine...Miss B. wears "those shoes with the..." (indicating high heels with his fingers)

A: You mean high heels?

R: Yeah, those!

A: Were they like Aunt Kate's?

R: Mmm, no...they weren't Prada.

A: Well how did you know they weren't Prada?

R: I just know.

A: But you'd only know if you saw the inside of her shoe.

R: I did see the inside of her shoe - sometimes Miss B. just wears her piggy-toes around the class room.

How I love kid-speak!

Even more, I love that I've already had such a profound fashion impact on my nephews.  Thank God I also have a niece, and anytime she smells leather now says all dreamily, "Mmmm...smells like Prada!"

See, if more kids learned about fashion in their formative years, there would simply be no war, famine, global warming, nor panty lines.