Kitten Lounge

Mingling Mondays ~ Welcome to Vegas Baby!

KittenCouture — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 09:00:08 -0700

Welcome to Vegas, I got here yesterday morning and spent time just hanging out and resting. It's going to be a hectic serious of days that will involve me attending Curve, Magic, Accessories Show, Project and more. What a great time to learn about some fabulous brands and to let you guys have a sneak peek about them as well. In addition, we'll be out and about at night to check out some fun parties and restaurants as well! Before the hectic schedule begins, I wanted to show a form of serenity. This morning I woke up to see mountains and of course the strip in the stark of day. I'm staying at the Venetian (love it) and love that the landscape is a bit relaxing as well. Yesterday, there was a lot of haze out there (LA isn't that far away so their fires are definitely affecting the air) but it's nice to see the red and beige colors of the area. I can't wait to share everything with all of you.

Mingling Mondays ~ Vegas Baby

KittenCouture — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:00:00 -0700

This time next week, I will be in Vegas hitting Project, Pool, Magic, Slate, etc. I'm staying at the Venetian and can't wait to catch all the shows from fashion to entertainment! In addition, next week's coverage will include amazing boutiques, restaurants, spas, etc as this is a great way to spend a getaway with friends! I can't wait to meet those that are bloggers that live in the area who are covering various Fashion stories (and to my friends that are in the area, you know that I'm super excited to meet you!). The Venetian serves as my home base and there will be quite a lot of posts to share about what's going on! Don't feel too nervous to let me know you're in the area and a meet up - Yes PLEASE! I can't wait to share the coverage and I'm days away from celebrating my 30th as well!

Trendy Thursdays: TRICK AND TREAT

KittenCouture — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:00:00 -0700

*Editors Note: Throughout this month, each week we will include tidbits or related items from A.W. Gryphon's Blood Moon. Today, we have included the author's tips on how to look amazing, which you can find in her new book. In upcoming weeks, I will share an interview that I had with her and much more. Take some time to read her tips and then visit Blood Moon's site to learn about the first of 3 books within this series!

10 Beautiful Ways Too Celebrate The Witchy Woman In All Of Us This Halloween Season from Blood Moon author A.W. Gryphon

Gorgeous on the inside. Gorgeous on the outside. Make this Halloween yours with a few Seasonal Beauty Tricks and Treats that are all about you.

Did you think Witches were all about the pointy hats and magic spells? We’ll they’re not and traditionally these Pagans have got a lot up their sleeve when it comes to Beauty, Strength, Confidence and much, much more. Try one. Try them all. With many traditions that you will find in the novel Blood Moon and the coming books in her Witches’ Moon Series here are A.W. Gryphon’s Top Ten Steps to Making Halloween Yours.

#1 LET YOUR MAGIC CARPET RIDE: CHARM YOUR BROOM AND CLEAR THE NEGATIVE ENERGY FROM YOUR HOME.

What’s a witch without a broom? We’ve all got one, but there is much more to it than you may realize. In the Pagan tradition, Halloween represents the end of one year and the beginning of another. This is a great time for a clean slate. Start your celebration by sweeping the house in a way you never have before. Sweep one room at a time, always sweeping out, and with each motion focus on moving any negative energy out of that room, while welcoming in new and positive thoughts and desires. By the time you’re finished you won’t only see the results, you’ll feel them.

#2 MASH THE MONSTERS: LET SAGE GUIDE YOU AND YOUR HOME TOWARD A FRESH START.

Drive the ick out of your living space and make a fresh start with the time honored tradition of burning sage. Many cultures and religions practice the clearing of bad energy, unwelcome spirits, negativity others bring into our lives, and past unfavorable thoughts, feelings and incidents, by cleansing their space with sage. Bundled sage can be found in most metaphysical and herb stores. To cleanse your home, simply welcome all positive energy in, let the universe know that negativity is not welcome, and take those thoughts with you as you light the sage and slowly walk through your home as it burns. Walk along each and every wall raising the sage up high and down low, letting the smoke drift into the corners and through each room. End at your front door saying one last good bye to all that is negative and welcoming in any new and existing positive thoughts and energy.

#3 COME ON BABY, LIGHT YOUR OWN FIRE: LET THE POWER OF THE CANDLES GUIDE YOUR WAY.

Candles are peaceful, beautiful, timeless and have been used in celebrations and rituals throughout history. Expand your All Hallows Eve experience by lighting a white candle for peace and spirit, a purple candle to embrace your psychic inner workings, and a red candle for energy, strength, courage and love. Whether you light one of each or fill your home, let the light of the candle bring out your inner beauty and illuminate and enhance the grace of both you and your home.

#4 SEND YOUR WEREWOLVES BACK TO LONDON: RECHARGE WITH A LUXURIOUS CLEANSING BATH.

Be Refreshed. Be Relaxed. Be… Peace. Let yourself soak into the tub for a ritual bath that celebrates you. There are many different kinds of traditional bath ingredients and there is no right or wrong, so choose what’s most attractive to you. My favorite Halloween bath brings peace, sheds negativity and leaves you with smooth and, fresh skin. As you run the water pour in one cup of milk, add a few drops of rose oil then sprinkle lavender over the water and dip in. Not only will this feel like silk on your skin, it smells great and you’ll be glowing after 20 + minutes of this luxurious, “me time” as it sends the bad energy, and dead skin, away and encourages your inner beauty to shine through.

#5 BY THE CALMING OF THIS ONE, SOMETHING WONDERFUL THIS WAY COMES: BE STILL.

Be Still. It sounds simple, and in theory it is, but how often do we really do it? Take a moment. Take an hour… or two. One thing that our Pagan ancestors crafted into their day that would greatly serve us all, is a little alone time. Not time to figure something out, or catch up or whatever it is, time to be still within ourselves. What you do and how you get there is a personal choice. I light candles, put on calming music, and close my eyes and think of the ocean until I’m able to unplug completely. Then I let my mind, body and soul take me away for a little while. It’s wonderful. It’s like a massage for your spirit and trust me you will look and feel gorgeous when you’re done.

PARTY TIME!

If you’re going to jump in full force and follow all 10 tips, and you’re going to have a girlfriend or two… or three… over for your Witchy Wonderful Treats, the best time to have everyone arrive is after you’ve completed your, “me time” in step #5 and you’re ready to start step #6 with the group. If you are having an All Hallows Eve Party that’s all about you and only you, Cheers and keep going!

#6 OFF WITH HER HEAD! WE’LL HOW ABOUT OFF WITH HER DEAD SKIN AND ON WITH THE BEST HALLOWEEN MASK EVER! THE PUMPKIN FACIAL TREATMENT.

Pumpkins and masks. They’re tradition. You’ll want to sign up for this Witch’s Mask and start your Pagan New Year with fresh, clean and radiant skin. This wonderful treat protects, repairs, nourishes and it smells fantastic. All year we are hard on our skin from the inside out. Being kind to your face nourishes the body and the mind. There are hundreds of masks that might fit your Halloween fancy. Pumpkin is high in anti-oxidants and pumpkin facial treatments come in many forms. You can try everything from the Pumpkin Enzyme Peel by Peter Thomas Roth to a homemade fresh pumpkin mask. Recipes can be found at care2.com and many other websites. Either way it’s fun to prepare and the results are wonderful.

#7 HOCUS FOCUS: THE PERSONAL GOALS APPLE GUIDE

When you slice an apple through the middle, you will find the seeds make a five pointed star. In much of Pagan tradition the five pointed star represents the five elements: Water, Air, Fire, Earth and Spirit. In this Halloween tradition, each of the points represent a personal goal to focus on in the year ahead. We slice the apple to determine how many tasks to set our sights on. If you have four seeds, set four personal goals to focus on. If it’s just one, choose one. Write them down and keep them in a place where you will see them every day… and then crunch your teeth over this magical fruit as you move on to your next Halloween treat.

#8 BE-WITCHED AND CELEBRATE!

Raise a glass to those who have touched your life. This is a day to celebrate the living and those we’ve lost with open hearts and settled minds. Halloween, Samhain, All Hallows Eve, The Pagan New Year… we call this night many things, but one shared ancient belief is that this is a night when the layer of the universe between the living and dead is thin, making it a great time to celebrate in honor of, and even with, the spirits of loved ones of the past. Have a party. Make a toast. Pull out your photo albums. Do whatever feels best to share a moment with the spirits that flourish in the living and the dead on this precious night that celebrates us all.

#9 DOUBLE, DOUBLE LET THE GOOD VIBES RUMBLE, FIRE BURN AND HONEY BUBBLE: IT’S TIME FOR HALLOWEEN WISHES

Wishes to go. Wishes to Stay. Write it all down and make a change. It’s time to think about what we want and that includes making room for it by sorting out for what we don’t want. Write down everything you want to bring into your life this year, no matter how big or small. Use a piece of simple paper and a pencil. On another piece of paper write down everything you want to let go of and that you want out of your life. Take time with the lists and remember this is about you personally. After the lists are complete, take a candle, set in it a cauldron (a safe pot or something of the like will do), close your eyes, take a long deep breath, then open your eyes, burn the list of all that you want gone from your life and say goodbye to everything on it. After the burning has come to a safe end clear all of the materials that you used away. Next place your list of positive wishes in a jar. Fill the jar with honey, seal the lid tight and place it on a windowsill that you think is best for the positive flow of energy going in and out of your home. That’s it. The wishes are out there, now all you have to do is remember them, believe and let them come true.

#10 TREAT AND TREAT: LET’S EAT!

What’s a girl to do after a full interior and exterior beauty session? Eat! And make it something delicious and in the spirit of the holiday. A little comfort and warmth to nourish your soul and stomach is the perfect way to wind down an evening. Pumpkins represent the American take on this special night and making apples part of the celebration takes us back to our ancestors. So, how about Pumpkin Bread and Spiced Apple Cider? You can make it from scratch, or buy it at the store. You might even have an old family recipe. However you make it happen, its always a good choice and a perfect end to a perfect evening. Happy Halloween!

Wearable Wednesdays: THINK CITRUS ~ Sailor Jerry

KittenCouture — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 05:00:00 -0700

While I was in Vegas, I had the opportunity to travel to the west coast in order to find out about a line that is Philly (I love that you can meet people from all over and then realize that they are practically in your backyard). With a debut at Magic, it was definitely exciting to see that this line not only has interesting clothing but they also have a rum line, Navy Aftershave and much more. Now I have recently fallen in love with lines that are all about showing tattoo art (Yellowman has been posted on here various times) and was interested in learning more about this super cute line, Sailor Jerry. I love this style of hoodie where the hood itself zips. When unzipped, this shows two anchors that are definitely noticeable. This would be so cute with flip flops and a cute pair of espadrilles as well! In terms of THINK CITRUS, you can definitely add in pops of color by pairing this with a lime, orange or yellow tank top with a cute pair of white shorts. I love that this line is design and manufactured in the US.

Treasure Tuesdays: THINK CITRUS ~ Bubble Jewelry

KittenCouture — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 05:00:00 -0800

I love the idea of having themes. It's like when you walk into certain stores and although they have a lot of clothes they co-ordinate everything by color. So if you feel like you're in a light blue mood, you can go to that section and see all the shirts that fall within this color scheme. That was my intent when I began thinking of thematic posts by color for this spring and summer. Nothing is more fun than being able to look at posts that stay within a set color scheme or idea whether it's clothing, something for the home or even wherever you're going to eat.

Today, I bring this super cute Bubble Cuff from Sikara & Co which not only appeared at Magic in Las Vegas, but they had a case where they showcased some of their pieces as well. I remember when I first saw this company, I actually had a booth next to them at Shecky's Girl's Night Out in NYC. From that day, I became a fan and I was pleased to see their showcased pieces at the trade show. So, I am proud to include this piece within this month's concept, THINK CITRUS.

This cuff has over 50 bubbles of Amber showing it in variety of hues. This piece is truly an investment piece since it is able to transition from season to season and I love the pops of green that also come in as well. This can be dressed up and down is a fashion essential for your wardrobe. Take a moment to check out more pieces from Sikara & Co.

Mingling Mondays: Support R is for Retail

KittenCouture — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 05:00:00 -0800

Traditionally on "Mingling Mondays", I like to talk about a great restaurant or event since mingling is all about coming together and exchanging ideas - what better way to do this then with food and something to look at? But I have to say that earlier this week I read something that made me want to share it with you and to provide my thoughts on this subject. It would be unfair for me to provide this exchange without including an excerpt of the original which will be listed below in italics. A friend of mine who runs a showroom here in the city sent this out to her buyers and I thought that it was not only brave but a view that I believe in as a designer and something that is uplifting for all of us!

As many of you know, I work for a luxury sportswear brand and earlier this year as I sat in our Sales Meeting we discussed the fact that due to the current economical situation and it being an election year that it was going to be a tough one. Brands would survive and stores would still buy but the fact is that to maintain (or obtain your place if you're trying to break in) your place you would have to work harder to be considered as 1 of 8 options as opposed to 1 of 10. Ultimately, it would be a matter of taking someone else's share in order to increase your own. That can be seen as something scary but I like to think of it as an opportunity.

I spent an entire week at Vegas for Project, Magic, Lingerie Show and the Accessories Show. Not only did I go to see friends that I knew but also those that were new designers. It is my belief that for those of us that are still scratching to get out there, that this is the time to show how we are different! As I walked the show floors there were a variety of buyers out there and although we can complain that buyers should be looking for those of us that are different, we have to ask ourselves "Are we going out there and showing our angle on style?" In order for buyers to take a chance on what we bring to the table, we need to believe in ourselves and take that step as well. Presenting a variation of what has already been done will only make your intended target pass over your work and purchase items from the designer that has already established themselves in that niche.

As the designer and owner of Kitten Couture, I must say that there have been times that I have been slightly frustrated that people like my pieces but they don't feel that it's the look they are going for in their store's product mix; however, it is that difference that will set me apart. I use this analogy when you decide to present a product: "You have to decide do you want to be Mc Donald's where it is available wherever you look or do you want to be Ritz Carlton?" Both of these places are coveted spots but it is a matter of whether you want to position yourself everywhere or would you rather have a smaller point of distribution and be more exclusive? I choose the Ritz Carlton school of thought and I choose to maintain my way of designing since it is times like these that someone may be more willing to take a risk and present their customers with new looks in their store. It is my opinion that even in the bad times, there are those that succeed and those of us that have been out there for a few years trying to get noticed - this is when we need to push so that next year we are considered by more individuals. I highlight Ziordia who is not only a designer who I respect because she worked in the handbag industry but I am encouraged by her passion and efforts to get her line out there and that she continues to stay true to her concepts. It wasn't easy but to initially see her in her showroom and then to see her doing so well at Project, this encouraged me.

To become noticed or to increase our share in the market, it is going to require that as designers we come together and get creative! Maybe this means we decide to combine our contacts and come up with trunk shows and shopping events. We look for ways that we do photoshoots that we incorporate our pieces together. I am always open to options (I am always looking for people to put on here at Kitten Lounge and also on See Pretty Things) and if I can help you directly or pass you on to someone else who can - that just makes it better for all of us! Tough year yes but it is not a year that will go by with only those known labels making successes. This is an open letter to all of us out there to continue to make strides because we are not that far away and although there are those preaching brace ourselves for the worse I am saying brace ourselves for the unexpected and access to areas that we couldn't have believed simply because we chose to take a stand, maintain our innovation and we didn't stop pushing forward.

Original Excerpt from My Friend
R is for RETAIL!Stop reading all the bad news out there. How many national shows since early January [10 ]did we all hear the R word discussed. This is just FEBRUARY!!!

This is going to be a very challenging retail year.
But, one that still brings opportunities and niches to fill.

As store buyers and owners, you have to really shop and open your eyes to everything. Travel, surf the web, review the fashion magazines, click on to the fashion runway shows...and at the retail level, what is truly important is giving "perceived value" in the items you buy. You need to understand how much more profitable an item business will continue to be and how margin builders is this year's mantra. A proven basic: You have to give the customer a "reason to buy"

Mingling Mondays: Las Vegas Baby!

KittenCouture — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 05:00:00 -0800

I am heading out to Vegas this very moment for those of you that are reading this at work this morning. I am so excited, I have never gone and I will spend the next few days visiting restaurants, clubs and designers as the Accessories Show, Project, Pool, Magic and the Lingerie Show. This is definitely a trip that I have been looking forward to and with my headquarters being the lovely Venetian, I can't wait to share this with you via blogs, video and more. So, make sure you check out this blog and of course, my sister blog: See Pretty Things. Hopefully you will get multiple entries from me! If you're out here for the shows, let me know your booth and I will drop by and say "hello". So enjoy this image of the Venetian which looks amazing and I will have to tell you what I think about this when I finally get here! For all of you back home, "Love You - Miss You"

Treasure Tuesdays: Check Out See Pretty Things

KittenCouture — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:17:06 -0800

People love reading my thoughts on entertainment, fashion and general musings; however, it all started when I began blogging about accessories! Oh yes, I am just a little obsessed when it comes to accessories and if you are or have always wondered what's out there and how it can be worn into your style, visit See Pretty Things. Here you will find daily posts that are all about jewelry, handbags and so much more. Named "Best Accessories Blog 2006" by Accessories Magazine, this is definitely a site to visit. If you happen to be in Vegas during Project, Magic or the Accessories Show - let me know as I will be visiting others.

Wearable Wednesdays: Night Clubbing Before You Hit the Lounge

KittenCouture — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 20:54:55 -0800

Sorry for the tiny image but I am so excited about this new eyeshadow that I purchased at Sephora from NARS Cosmetics. I love that their new Spring 2008 Collection has amazing shades that add a bitter of shimmer. This shade is known as Night Clubbing - it is black mixed with gold pearls! Those who know me know that I am not a gold girl; however, I loved the shimmer that I received when I tried this on. Depending on what you fall in love with, you'll be ready for the clubs in no time whatsoever. The secret to the amazing and seductive portion of this collection is the fact that pearls of various colors are mixed in to give you that amazing look! Nothing is better than playing with your makeup and giving yourself a variety of looks. I am so falling in love with this line and can't wait to test it out in Las Vegas next month during Project, Lingerie Show and Magic!

Treasure Tuesdays: Flippin for Flip

KittenCouture — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 05:53:00 -0800

I LOVE Flip Video! I just got it for Christmas - don't you love when you get Christmas presents early? Anyway, I can''t wait to start doing video stories and more - which will be available here. Anyway, this is the same item that Oprah gave away during her "favorite things". I received the bundled package which included the tripod, case and of course the Flip! Over the next few weeks, you'll see posts with me using this and if you have a Flip, feel free to give tips on how to use this! I will be in Vegas for Project, Magic etc in Feb and I will definitely enjoy using this. Check out Flip's website and in case you're wondering, I have the pink one!