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Happy New Year …and, I’m going to (try to) post every day in 2011!

Date: January 1, 2011 • By • Comments 1

Happy New Year to all! I hope that 2011 brings you all the health, success and happiness that you desire.

As for me, I hope 2011 is the best year yet for Shoes, Shirts & Other Sh!t. I started this blog in 2010 and it brought me the most amazing opportunities, connections and some of the coolest people I will ever meet. Which is why I’ve decided that I want to blog even more in 2011. Rather than just thinking about doing it, I’m starting right now. (No really, I am because, well, I’m writing this.) I will be (attempting to) post on SSOS once a day for all of 2011.

I know it won’t be easy, but it might be fun, inspiring, and will bring you even more amazing fashion, style, beauty, recipes and lifestyle news. I want to travel and expand this site beyond New York City…to the entire East Coast, Boston, D.C., Miami, towards to the Midwest—Chicago, Minneapolis, Cincinnati; to the south in some of my favorite cities–Savannah and New Orleans, and all the way west, towards L.A., San Diego, Seattle, and Portland….and everywhere in between. I already have tons of amazing Canadian readers (thank you!) and I think I’ll worry about expanding out of North America in 2012. (SSOS is already being read in 30 countries all over the world, which is so amazing).

Therefore I’m promising to make use of The DailyPost, WordPress’ new campaign, and the community of other bloggers with similiar goals and interests, to help me along the way, including asking for help when I need it and encouraging others when I can. I will vow to read and comment on other blogs like mine to help develop our community of fashion, style, beauty and lifestyle bloggers! As I was once told, (and firmly believe): we are the future of fashion journalism. I’ve even installed the WordPress app on my brand new Droid (which I have no idea how to use by the way, I feel so technologically illiterate for the first time ever) so I can blog anywhere, anytime.

If you already read my blog, I hope you’ll encourage me with comments and “likes” (a recent WordPress feature at the bottom of my post…I get a nifty little email congratulating me if you hit it!), and good will along the way. Ask me questions; I have a brand new contact form on my “Contact” page and I personally answer every email I receive. You can communicate with me on Twitter and on Facebook as well.

What do you like or want to see more of? What do you wish I would stop doing? Tell me! This site is as much yours as it is mine.

Want to guest blog? Send me an email.

No, seriously.

Let’s make 2011 the best year yet.

 

And, if you want more personal insights into my life, you should subscribe to ErikaBelezarian.com. While I don’t post every day, I write what I feel is necessary to describe my life as a fashion/beauty/lifestyle blogger.

Oh, and seriously, the prizes keep getting better, so you should go enter the contest to win a bag full of beauty goodies and more!

Hugs & Kisses,

 

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Burt’s Bees Celebrates Earth Day!

Date: April 16, 2010 • By • Comments 0

Burt’s Bees Celebrates Earth Day!

BURT’S BEES ASKS NEW YORK CITY TO “FIND THEIR BURT”

This April, Burt’s Bees celebrates 40 years of Earth Day with a nod to none other than their namesake and co-founder, Burt Shavitz. Burt is no newcomer to the green arena: The beard and spirit behind the earth-friendly company participated in the first Earth Day celebration four decades ago and has lived lightly on the planet ever since. Burt has brought his love and respect for the natural world into the everyday practices of Burt’s Bees for 25 years, and now he’s encouraging New York locals to “Find Their Burt” by discovering the earth-friendly potential we all share.

On April 22nd, 2010, Burt look-alikes will take to the streets of New York, handing out samples and urging folks to be as eco-friendly as Burt in honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.  Passing out free “Burt” beards and hats, the Burt look-alikes will help transform the crowds into “Burts” themselves.

Burt’s Bees will also be offering people-powered natural smoothies at a “Bike Blender”, where visitors can stop by and enjoy a smoothie featuring natural ingredients like milk, honey, pomegranate, and cranberry (some of the same natural ingredients you’ll find in Burt’s Bees products).  The pedaling action actually powers the
blender, creating a wholesome natural treat with clean energy.

I found MY Burt!

At FindYourBurt.com, guests are invited into Burt’s world and asked to discover for themselves pieces of Burt’s simple, nature‐loving persona and practices through an augmented reality experience. An uploaded picture or webcam view of yourself is transformed or “Burtified” according to your ecomotives. Whether it’s recycling the newspaper, refilling a water bottle, or using solar power, the Burt possibilities are endless and so are the ways to love the Earth.

You’ll also learn about the ways Burt’s Bees is finding their Burt. Creating natural products for the whole body is a great start, but doing it without sending any waste to Landfill, that’s much better. They’re also reclaiming water that can be used again in their manufacturing process, saving an estimated 750,000 gallons of water per year. A lifestyle of well‐being and sustainability for all is the company’s hope, but they too are on path to the greatest good. It’s a path of learning and being inspired by those who came before, like Burt and those who are leading the way forward, 40 years after the first Earth Day. That’s all of us.

And now you can be a part of Earth Day! Burt’s Bees invites YOU to be part of their very special celebration of the 40th Annual Earth Day:

WHO:            Burt’s Bees & a Flock of Burt’s

WHAT:           Pedal-Powered Smoothies, Burtification & More!

WHERE:         Times Square, Broadway between 42nd &43rd, New York, NY

WHEN:           Thursday, April 22, 2010
The Burt’s look-a-likes will be out all day, but the Bike Blenders will be available from 11am-4pm

Burt’s Bees has been offering distinctive earth-friendly, natural personal care products for 25 years. From a beekeeper’s backyard in Maine to the leading edge of natural, Burt’s Bees knows natural body care solutions from head-to-toe.  The brand creates products for total skin health that keep The Greater Good top of mind.

Source: Press Release, February 2010, Tractenberg & Co.

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NYC Life: Adjusting to the Push ‘n Shove

Date: April 16, 2010 • By • Comments 3

Adjusting to the Push ‘n Shove
Think I’m referring to the NYC Subway? Wrong. The crowded streets of the bustling city? Wrong again.

I’m referring to a good old-fashioned sample sale.

Or…a new-fashioned sample sale…at least for me.

As a newbie to being an NYC resident, I had been to “sample sales” always in empty retail spaces down in Soho or the Village, but not a real sample sale in a designer’s showroom. Not until today.
My first real sample sale was Cynthia Steffe; set in a posh, lofty building that houses the offices and showrooms of not only Cynthia Steffe, but also several different floors of Ralph Lauren, Badgley Mischka, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, and many other designers. I expected this sample to be much like the others I had been to, but naïve me; I had no idea what I was in for.

A sample sale sort of resembles backstage at a fashion show, but far less organized. There are clothes everywhere and girls everywhere. There are no makeup mirrors, stylists, or back-of-house girls lining the models up. There is pushing, shoving, stripping (yes, stripping, to try on clothes…there are no fitting rooms) and it’s hot. Really, really hot.

Chaos at a Manolo Blahnik sample sale

I was almost prepared for the nakedness, until I saw a girl in only a nude thong (she might as well have not even bothered)– Apparently she came very prepared to try on clothes.

I was also surprised that a girl would have no issue ripping something off a hanger that I was casually looking at if she wanted it. These chicks are cut-throat.

While it sounds like a slightly scary experience, it really wasn’t at all. In fact, it was exhilarating and exciting—it was what I dreamed a real sample sale would be like (but never expected it to actually be like). It’s like a sporting event…in shopping.

I unfortunately arrived an hour after the sale started (I was in class) so by the time I got there, it was 100 degrees and half of what was left was in piles on the windowsills or in heaps on the floor, which I didn’t have the patience to go through. After sifting through a few racks and piles of shoes, I came out of the sale with one adorable, pink and white damask printed babydoll top, perfect for summer…for only $20! The original MSRP was $195. Fabulous!

A little glimpse of my new Cynthia Steffe top..sorry, when I took this I was trying to get the earrings, not the shirt!

If there are a few rules of the sample sale that I have learned and should pass on to you, they are as follows:
1. Arrive early.
2. Wear clothing (and undies) conducive to stripping in front of other people and that are comfortable once it gets hot.
3. Be prepared for pushing, shoving and clothes stealing. It happens and you shouldn’t get aggravated—it’s the norm for this type of shopping event.
4. Try on whatever you purchase unless you’re an amazing ebayer. Sample sale items are final sale, and if it doesn’t fit, you’re stuck with it.

Ready? Set….Shop!

Resources to finding great sample sales:

TopButton requires free subscription

Daily Candy requires free subscription

Timeout New York (direct link to page)

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NYC Life: The Subway Series Part 1 of 2

Date: April 7, 2010 • By • Comments 2

NYC Life: The Subway Series Part 1 of 2

Most tourists who stare at an NYC subway map cringe and rack their brains to try to figure out where they are and how to get to where they want to be. After navigating the overly simplistic Metro systems of Paris and Madrid last week, I have an understanding of why it’s so difficult for them! The NYC subway has so many different lines and places to transfer–local trains and express trains to navigate–the two foreign systems I used were based on numbers and colors, with separate lines that are “express” trains, so it makes sense why people have so much difficulty coming here!

The 1st IRT Map from 1904, showing the Manhattan-Bronx Route lines.

Amazingly, some of the first “subways” in the late 1800s in NYC, were not subways at all, they were actually above ground, called “El” trains, located at 2nd, 3rd, 6th, and 9th avenues, which stood for “Elevated”. As a tourist overseas, I found the Metro systems far simpler than NYC, but I don’t ask that the MTA overhauls its system completely–it’s been around since the 1900s, when the Interborough Rapid Transit or IRT, subway was invented when it became necessary that a system to clear up street congestion was needed. Had I been around in 1904, the IRT opened on my birthday, October 27th, with a “Manhattan-Bronx” Route and a “Brooklyn” route. The NYC Subway has come a long way from the first IRT. From expansions, to closures, the infamous “line that never was” (The 2nd avenue line), to criminality and filth in the 80′s… the subway we know and hate to love today, is much improved from its former self.

The Current NYC Subway..much different from 1904!

I used to be one of those tourists who had no idea how to get from point A to point B, but now the NYC subway is all I know …and I know it like the back of my hand. I’m now happy to help confused tourists because I used to be in their shoes (Until the day I die, I insist on being a helpful New Yorker, I want people to love my city as much as I do. When I see someone perplexed with a subway map, I always go over and ask if they need help–no one ever tried to help me!). While I believe that there are many improvements that could be made (see Paris and Madrid’s Metro systems for their ease of use, timeliness, and EXTREME cleanliness), I couldn’t live in NYC without the subway. (Note that Paris & Madrid’s Metros also have drawbacks: both Metro systems close at 1am, Paris reopens at 5am, Madrid at 6am; NYC’s subway is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with limited service during late nights).

The original price to ride to the subway back in the early 1900′s was just 5 cents a ride–including transfers! Unbelievable, right? A one way ride on the NYC subway today will cost you $2.25, but with all the construction and improvements the MTA is making, at least you know your money is going to good use. While that seems expensive, in comparison to most of the other Metros I’ve used across the world and across the country, the NYC Subway costs the same to use as just about everywhere else.

MTA Metrocard

Because I use the subway on a daily basis, and more than once a day, the best option for me is the newest offer from the MTA, Metrocard EasyPayXpress. The EasyPayXpress hooks your Metrocard right up to your credit card, so you never have to worry about waiting in line to refill your card! EasyPayXpress comes with two options: Pay-Per-Ride and 30-Day Unlimited, which are exactly what they sound like! You open your Pay-Per-Ride account with $45 on your Metrocard, when your balance falls below $20, another $45 automatically gets added to your card, so you never have to worry about refills! With the Pay-Per-Ride card, you are allowed to ride all subways and both local and express buses. The 30-Day Unlimited card is $89/30 days to ride the subway as often as you like. The only draw about 30-Day Unlimited is that while you can ride all subways and local buses, you cannot use the 30-day Unlimited card to ride express buses. While you can buy a monthly unlimited card out of a Metrocard Vending Machine, those cards don’t automatically refill each month like the EasyPayXpress card. The 30-Day Unlimited EasyPayXpress card is what I use, since I rely on the subway to get me everywhere! Not being able to use express buses is not a draw for me, I always ride the subway! You can register for EasyPayXpress on the MTA’s website.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where I will be giving you some more history of the NYC subway, where to find the best NYC Subway art, and the NYC Subway latest scoop, straight from the MTA Press Office!

For the latest updates on the NYC Subway, visit the MTA’s website or Follow NYCTSubwayScoop on Twitter!

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