Military Inspired Totes by Clava

As I was scrolling through my email yesterday morning, these sexy, military-inspired totes caught my eye.  I stopped, and the sudden movement made boyfriend look over as well.   They must have caught his eye too, because suddenly he said “oh, those are cool.”  Completely unprovoked.

I knew I needed one.

Let’s be clear. I’m a handbag maven, but I’m insanely picky.  I’ve been carrying around nothing more than a wallet for 6 months because I can’t find a purse that I like.  This is serious business for me.  For me to instantaneously fall in love with a bag like this?  This is major.

As if the outside wasn’t enough of a selling point, our friends at Clava were nice enough to send me a photo of the inside of their tote.  Look at all of those fun pockets and compartments!  This would be amazing for all of the traveling that I do.

Military-inspired looks are hot again this fall – so these bags would give you a jump on the trend.  These Clava totes are available online and retail for $160.

Hanes Goes Pink For A Cause! {A Giveaway}

If little AG and I are playing a game, coloring, or doing anything where “colors” are required, she is always sure to give me the color pink.  It’s because pink is my favorite color – even my 3 year old knows that.  (Cue the Aerosmith song here.)  I have pink luggage, more pink shirts and dresses than the law allows, pink shoes, every shade of pink nail polish known to man – I was even given the nickname “Pinky” in college because my classmates said I always had on something pink, somewhere.  (It was true!)

For me, pink is always in fashion.  For most people, it hits it’s fashionable peak in October, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  While I think it’s great that everyone rallies to show their support during the month of October, I also think it’s important that we remember that breast cancer is something that affects women all 365 days of the year.

Including today.

Everyone has a story – some heart wrenching, some victorious, some that are still hanging precariously in the balance – about how breast cancer has personally touched their lives.  It’s for that reason that I want to start the conversation early.  Yes, I know it’s July and not October, but it’s always the right time to support a great cause.

You already know about my involvement with Hanes as a member of the Comfort Crew, but did you also know that Hanes is a major supporter of Susan G. Komen for the Cure^®?  Hanes is donating a total of $500,000 – split 50/50 between the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure^® Series and  Passionately Pink for the Cure^®.  Of course, in their signature “comfortable” style – 1.5 million people who participate in the race this year will be outfitted in a Hanes 100% cotton Tagless^® T-Shirt.

Hanes also has their very own “Pink” collection – which is available now on Hanes.com.  I’m a huge fan of their comfy pink ankle socks (I love padding around my house in them – great to keep my feet warm on cold wooden floors!) – and sorry if this is TMI – but a HUGE fan of their No Ride Up cotton bikinis.  They withstand the test of trains, planes, and automobiles without a problem – but even more-so – they withstand the test of running, jumping, and tumbling after a 3 year old!

Win It! Hanes has graciously given me a $100 gift card to give away to one very lucky Chic Shopper Chick reader!  It could be you!  To enter to win – head over and like the Hanes Facebook Page.  Once you’ve done that, head back over here and leave a comment with what Hanes Pink product you would most love to have, or why Komen is a cause that is near and dear to your heart.  To recap – you must become a fan of Hanes on Facebook AND leave a comment to be entered to win.  Bonus entries if you tweet about this contest (include @ErikaLehmann so I get a heads up).

US entries only, winner will be chosen via random.org at the end of the contest. Winners are emailed directly — please leave a valid email address or blog address if you’d like to be contacted should you win. Winner has 72 hours to claim their prize. This contest ends at 11:59 pm CDT on July 31st, 2010.

Exclusive Interview with LeVar Burton – The Jensen Project

I am 100% positive that you read my post earlier today that detailed my experience and time on the set of The Jensen Project back in March.  While I was on set, I had the opportunity to interview the one and only LeVar Burton – yes, of Reading Rainbow and Star Trek: The Next Generation Fame.  I was totally geeked out – as were most of you, my Twitter and Facebook friends, when you saw photos of us together and saw that I had the chance to interview him.

The interview itself has been up on YouTube for quite some time (why aren’t you subscribed to my channel?!) but I wanted to share it here, as the excitement mounts for tonight’s premiere!  Don’t forget that you can enter to win a copy of the DVD/CD pack of The Jensen Project over at the other post, simply by leaving a comment!  Yo, dawg, Randy Jackson laid down the tracks, so you know it has to be good!

So here it is, my interview with LeVar!  It was a lot of fun – I think you’ll love it! Also, a huge thanks to Kelly at PegLegPug and her master video editing skills for making this video look amazing (two camera angles was no small task!).

The Jensen Project – Watch Tonight!!!

Back in March I had the most incredible opportunity to visit the set of The Jensen Project – a joint movie project by Walmart and P&G in an effort to bring back family movie night.  This is their second project in this endeavor – the first being Secrets of the Mountain.  The Jensen Project stars Kellie Martin, Brady Smith, Patricia Richardson, and LeVar Burton, to name just a few of the all-star cast.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience – check out the recap of our time on set below!  (Which, for the record, can also be seen in the “bonus features” section of the DVD!”)  Pay close attention to the last 5 minutes of this video where I prove, once and for all, that I am a GIANT. GOOFBALL.

For the record, my experience on-set was AMAZING.  But, I should also state, for the record (who keeps these “records” anyway?) that I support this movie for several reasons – the least of which was the trip to Canada to hang out on the set.  So here ya go – reasons why I am 100% behind The Jensen Project.

1.  Family Movie Night is back. Well, it’s about time!  How much junk is there on TV, seriously?  Even when the programming itself is mild enough to watch with your kids, you end up covering their eyes during half of the commercials for shows like “Desperate Housewives”.  You can watch this together with your family – all of them!  Sa-weet!

2. The movie is awesome.   I know what you’re (potentially) thinking.  After school special?  Captain lame-o?  Sorry to disappoint you, naysayers of the world – this movie is SO not lame.  Secrets of the Mountain proved that Walmart and P&G can indeed swim in this made-for-TV-movie world, and the all-star cast of The Jensen Project proves that again.

3. I adore the cast. I simply cannot say enough NICE things about them all.  This is the most down-to-earth, kind, genuine, hardworking group of people that I’ve ever met in ANY profession.  For instance, before we “officially” met, Kellie Martin and I ended up in the same elevator at our hotel.  We chatted away like old friends. I arrived later that day on the set and went – oh, right.  So that girl from the elevator (who’s ear I TALKED OFF) was Kellie Martin. She greeted me with a smile when I walked in and immediately said “We met in the elevator!”  Why yes, yes we did!

I grew up watching Patricia Richardson on TV each week, but in a very surreal moment, she stood and talked to me for 20 minutes about her children, her hiatus from work, and Twitter – and this was after the cameras stopped rolling on her interview with us.  I was totally geeked out.

Of course there was LeVar Burton who graciously played along with my antics both before and during my interview with him – and was so much fun to talk to. He even gave a shout-out to my dad during our interview – a longtime Star Trek fan!

And then there was Brady Smith (CONGRATS on the new beautiful baby girl, Brady!) who showed off pictures of his beautiful pregnant wife, and then asked to see pictures of my daughter. The next day, he saw me wandering the lobby of the hotel and invited to give me a tour of Montreal and to have lunch with him and Kellie.  So for several hours on the last day of shooting they voluntarily hung out with a random blogging chick from Louisiana – and they made me feel right at home.

…so there you have it.  This is the short of the long story – a story that I could go on and on about for a bit, but it boils down to this.

Watch The Jensen Project tonight on NBC at 7pm CDT.

You won’t regret it.  Follow me on Twitter for updates, and follow @Kellie_Martin and @LeVarBurton as well!

PS – Want to win a copy of The Jensen Project?  Leave a comment to be entered to win the DVD + CD combo – available in Walmart on July 17th!  Contest ends July 25th at 11:59pm CDT.

Shopping and Relaxing in the US Virgin Islands – Win it!

I couldn’t resist sharing this irresistible contest with my favorite people (that’s you!) – imagine if one of you won!  Knowing that you all love to shop and almost everyone loves to travel, I thought this was one sweepstakes that I couldn’t pass up blogging about!  But hurry, today is the last day to tweet to win!

The US Virgin Islands department of tourism is giving away a shopping trip to two to St. Thomas, which includes a 5-night stay at Bolongo Bay Beach Resort and free tickets to concerts featuring Wyclef Jean, Chrisette Michelle and more.  And really, couldn’t you use a (free) vacation right about now?

@USVIMockoJumbie will be tweeting updates on St. Thomas shopping deals/discounts and shopping tips now and during the Festival. Travelers love shopping in the USVI because there’s a $1600 duty-free allowance for U.S. residents, and prices on electronics, jewelry and designer good are typically lower than on the U.S. mainland. Here’s a list of some deals you can expect to find on St. Thomas during the USVI Shopping Festival:

*30 percent off swimsuits at Purple Papaya, Charlotte Amalie,
*70 percent off select jewelry at Alpha jewelers
*Coupons for free merchandise at A.H. Riise stores
*Designer sunglasses on sale at Solstice Sunglass Hut
*$25 certificate and a free gift at Golden Star Jewelers

So how excited are you?!?!  Go check out the Shopping Festival page for the rules on how to enter.  Go, run, TWEET!  (And don’t forget your favorite fashion blogger if you win – she LOVES to travel!)

Gossip Girl Season 4 Hits Paris

Can we just, for a moment, talk about this:

Season 4 of Gossip Girl began shooting yesterday in Paris, and from the looks of this photo, the fashion is primed to be even more incredible than in years past.  The storyline picks up with Blair and Serena spending the summer in the City of Light, where the first 2 episodes will take place.  The season premiere airs September 13th, 2010, and as a serious Gossip Girl addict, I can’t wait for them to be back on my television, where they belong!

xoxo,

E

Keratin Treatment At Home by Rio de Keratin

I have a LOT of hair, and that hair has lots of body, and some definite texture to it.  Unfortunately that “texture” really just translates to something between curly and wavy and often ends up looking frizzy.  I own every straightening iron, fancy pants blowdryer, and expensive hairbrush in the book just to keep all of that hair in check.  It’s a lot, yes, but it’s an investment in making sure that I look more Tina Fey and less Tina Turner.

Oh, and add in Louisiana humidity to the mix and we’re talking poofy to the max!  So, while I enjoy some waves and body in my hair, I usually still have to use almost all of those tools to “straighten” it before it looks presentable.

A few of my friends have had those Brazilian Keratin treatments done to their hair – and they have raved about the results.  However, they’ve also sheepishly diverted attention away from the 400 and higher price tag.  So, when Rio de Keratin offered to send me one of their at-home Keratin treatments to try, I jumped at the chance.

I followed the directions to a “t” and saw excellent results.  The treatment was so easy to apply (section your hair and spray it on until your hair is saturated!  So easy even I could do it, and that’s saying something!), and after a careful blowdry with a large round brush and 5 passes with my flat iron (as per the instructions, to “set” the treatment) I had pin straight, shiny, AMAZING hair.

That night was a girl’s night, and my friends all marveled at my hair.  (“I did a keratin treatment” I said nonchalantly as I accepted their compliments.)  That night, my boyfriend had the similar comments, and the next day my mom noticed as well.  Not bad.

The best part is that it has lasted.  My air-dried waves have at least less than half of the frizz that they did before.  This cuts my straightening and taming time down significantly, which leaves time for the cooler things in life, like tweeting and blogging.

Rio de Keratin launches August 1st, and if you are looking for a cost-effective, natural, at-home solution to those pricey salon Keratin treatments, this is definitely an option to consider.  At $100 it is still an investment and it won’t last as long as a salon treatment, but it’s an excellent option for anyone wanting to try it (or wanting to have it done on their own schedule).

Disclosure:  Rio de Keratin sent me the treatment to try for free, but that in no way affected my review or opinion of the product.  If you’d like more information on how this works, you can check out my Disclosure policy.

Tory Burch Sale! 50% off Tory Burch Flats! Go! Go!

What a great way to celebrate a Friday and a long weekend!

Tory Burch is having a sale and well, I’m so excited that I almost feel like Tory herself has personally invited me to  rifle through her closet and pick out a few things that I like.  You already know I’m crazy about Tory.  I’ve been to her show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, and I wish Audrey’s feet didn’t grow so quickly or I’d have already bought a pair of the kid’s Revas for her!

This is a good sale, y’all.  We’re talking 50% off here.  50% off of my coveted (and no I still don’t have a pair dear readers) Tory Burch Reva.  Everything is on sale.  You can snatch up some gorgeous tunics (which she is oh-so-famous for!), some adorable accessories, and even a skirt or a dress (or two or three!).

Here are a few of my favorite items from the sale:

So what are you waiting for!  Run as fast as your computer will let you to the sale – who knows how much longer you have!  Oh, and if you don’t mind – grab me a pair of the Reva’s while you’re there?  I’m a 9.5. 

At-Home Spa Treatments For Summer