A Match Made in Heaven

Of course the music-inspired folks over at Lyric Culture have paired up with the folks at Sony to get a big nostalgia-fest going. We love 60’s music. We love 60’s clothing. We love us a good movie.

Here’s the story: For a limited time, visitors to Lyric Culture's website http://www.lyricculture.com/ can enter to win a private screening of the super-hot new movie Across The Unverse for 100 guests in their hometown, provided by Sony Pictures. The winner will also receive one limited edition Across the Universe tee and one pair of Lyric Culture's premium jeans, valued at $315.

From the BeansTalk confessional: We are eager to see the movie, and we wouldn’t mind hosting 100 friends for a good time, but… My God… What we wouldn’t do for a pair of those super hot jeans. These guys over at Lyric Culture really get it. For the true music fan… music is something that you feel in your soul, in your spine, and yes… in your loins. These jeans fit like the lyrics to a good song.

About the film:
A love story set against the backdrop of the 1960s amid the turbulent years of anti-war protest, mind exploration and rock 'n roll, Across The Universe moves from the dockyards of Liverpool to the creative psychedelia of Greenwich Village, from the riot-torn streets of Detroit to the killing fields of Vietnam. The star-crossed lovers, Jude (Jim Sturgess) and Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), along with a small group of friends and musicians, are swept up into the emerging anti-war and counterculture movements, with “Dr. Robert” (Bono) and “Mr. Kite” (Eddie Izzard) as their guides. Tumultuous forces outside their control ultimately tear the young lovers apart, forcing Jude and Lucy – against all odds – to find their own way back to each other.


About Lyric Culture
Lyric Culture is a music driven premium apparel line involving lyrical content on jeans, denim wear, leather and accessories. Each item in the collection reflects the personality, style and flare of the artist and song through its design. Lyric Culture fuses high fashion and music in a groundbreaking way, allowing the wearer to express themselves through the words of a classic song -- a modern twist to wearing your heart on your sleeve (and pant leg)! Lyric Culture is sold at Saks Fifth Avenue and other high-end retailers nationwide as well as their own website. Celebrity fans include Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson, Joss Stone, Fergie and more.

Oink! Scott Baio Turns 47 Today!

Time for the Truth, Chachi – you told BeansTalk’s ME how old you really were, even though we’d read in Teen Beat or Tiger Beat or 16 that you were just exactly our age. You’re not! You know it.

Pamela Anderson told us (in a separate interview) that she often had disagreements with you whether you were a Virgo or Libra (when you are clearly a Virgo). You had some real stunner conversations there. I’m sure you and your baby mama Renee have much more stimulating, elucidating chats.

We know you were at the Mix Media Emmy Suite charming everyone and getting organic baby products for your little girl. Does that make you want to have a completely change of character (what little you have?) Do you now fear that someday, like Julie McCullough, Erin Moran, the 24 Playmates and every large bosomed thin blonde who caught your gaze, she may be the victim of someone even just remotely like you?

For our readers who don’t know who he is, here’s his scoop (and yes, Wikipedia had the fake bday date and we changed it to the correct one – well, not on Wikipedia officially, but here, for BeansTalk readers. We believe in True Truthiness!).

Wikipedia Says: Scott Vincent James Baio (born September 22, 1960 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American actor, who is perhaps best known for his work on the sitcoms Happy Days and Charles in Charge. He is presently starring in his own VH1 reality series titled Scott Baio Is 45...and Single.

Early Life and Career

Scott Baio (pronouned BAY-oh)changed his name from Baiocchi. He was born in Brooklyn to Mario and Rose Baiocchi. His grandparents were immigrants from Italy. He attended Xaverian High School, and later graduated from North Hollywood High School. His other siblings as well as their cousin, Jimmy Baio, also act.

In 1976, he played the title character Bugsy Malone in the cult kiddie gangster musical directed by Alan Parker, which also co-starred Jodie Foster. Baio and Foster later worked together again in the 1980 teen girl drama Foxes helmed by Adrian Lyne.

When he was 16, Scott was then cast as The Fonz's cousin, Chachi Arcola, on Happy Days. During his Happy Days run, Baio earned two Emmy Award nominations for his lead performances in the TV movies Stoned (1981) and All The Kids Do It (1985). He also won two Young Artists Awards during the Third Annual Youth In Film Awards (1980-1981) as Best Young Actor in a Television Special for Stoned and Best Young Comedian in Television or Motion Pictures for Happy Days. He also starred in the made-for-television youth drama specials The Boy Who Drank Too Much with Lance Kerwin and Senior Trip with Mickey Rooney.

In 1982, Baio starred in a spin-off of Happy Days entitled Joanie Loves Chachi with Erin Moran, which lasted one season. His first sexual experience was with Erin Moran -- a claim he made on the first episode of VH1's Scott Baio is 45 ... and Single in the summer of 2007.

That same year, he appeared opposite Willie Aames in the film Zapped!, and recorded an album for RCA. The adolescent fantasy was recently hailed by Entertainment Weekly magazine as one of the Five Essentials within the popular teen sex comedy genre from the 1980s alongside Private School, Class, Private Resort and Fast Times At Ridgemont High. [citation needed]

In 1984, Baio starred as a male nanny on the syndicated comedy series Charles in Charge until 1990.

During the decade of the 1990s, Scott appeared in various television programs, including the short-lived Look Who's Talking small screen spin-off Baby Talk. Between 1992 and 1995, he portrayed Dr. Jack Stewart in the medical mystery series Diagnosis: Murder starring Dick Van Dyke. Baio was a popular guest-star on Full House, Touched By An Angel, Veronica's Closet and The Nanny. He directed a number of TV series and commercials. He also starred in several telefilms and video releases such as Detonator, Bar-Hopping, Dumb Luck, Face Value and Danielle Steel's Mixed Blessings.

Scott Baio's other movies include the independent films Very Mean Men, Face to Face and The Bread, my Sweet.

Very Mean Men (2000) was a gangster comedy directed by Tony Vitale about a mob war between two syndicate families. Scott served as a co-producer with his older brother Steven on said film and even played the crucial role of impetuous crime scion Paulie Minnetti who unwittingly instigates the crime feud. Variety praised his performance: "A career-reviving turn by Scott Baio with hair dyed blonde and sporting a white goatee."

Face To Face (2001-renamed Italian Ties) was a comic drama directed by Ellie Kanner about three young men (Scott Baio as Richie, Thomas Calabro as Philly and Carlo Imperato as Al) who kidnap their emotionally distant fathers for a weekend of genuine male bonding. Baio co-wrote the screenplay with Jeffrey Gurian. The movie won the Audience Prize for Best Comedy at the Marco Island Film Festival, the Silver Screen Accolade in the Reno Film Festival and the 10 Degrees Hotter Best Feature Award during the Valley Film Festival.

The Bread, My Sweet (2001- retitled A Wedding For Bella) a romance film directed by Melissa Martin and produced by Adrienne Wehr about normal Italian-Americans coping with life, death, love, laughter and the fine art of baking in Pittsburgh. Scott Baio portrayed Dominic Pyzola who's both a hard-edged corporate raider in the daytime and a kind-hearted local pastry chef at night. He earned three Best Lead Actor prizes in the Atlantic City Film Festival, the Kansas City Halfway To Hollywood Film Festival and the San Diego Film Festival. The movie itself collected top accolades from the Santa Monica, Stony Brook, Marco Island, Houston Worldfest and Iowa Hardacre Film Festivals.

More recently, Baio also had a recurring role on the Emmy award winning comedy series Arrested Development as the madcap Bluth family's serious but overpaid lawyer, Bob Loblaw. He took over the role of the clan's legal counselor from former Happy Days co-star Henry Winkler in four episodes: "Forget Me Now", "Notapusy", "Mr. F" and "Making A Stand". He made reference to this in his first episode, claiming this was "not the first time I've been called in to replace [Winkler]" and suggesting he appealed to a younger crowd.

In August 2006, Scott Baio was formally invited by the AIA Actors Studio to discuss his professional experiences as a working thespian and director in television and movies. He talked about his own lengthy acting career plus his recent forays into writing, directing and producing.

In July 2007, Scott made his own foray into the genre of reality show programming with the VH1 celebreality series Scott Baio Is 45...and Single. Media Life magazine observed: "While it breaks no new ground for most personality-based reality programs, none of that matters if the show is well-executed and the star is compelling. Here, both are." The New York Daily News gave this verdict: "An entertaining emotional hour built around the Hollywood hunk's quest to find out why he's still single. In the end, the show creates a sympathetic portrait of a star who has avoided the usual pitfalls of celebrity on the road to bachelorhood. And for a celebrity reality show, that's unusual and why this is worth your time."

"Scott Baio Is 45...and Single" averaged 1.3 million total viewers and 1 million adults from 18 to 49 years old, ranking it among the top ten basic cable programs in its 10:30 p.m. time slot. VH1 is currently preparing a second season of the reality series, composed of nine episodes (six half-hour and three hour long installments).

Personal life

Baio is a Republican[citation needed], and was a member of Young Americans for Freedom. He attended the historical ceremonies of the late U.S. President Ronald Reagan's widely-televised state funeral. The New York Daily News June 12, 2004 reported that Baio was seated near Margaret Thatcher and was quoted as saying: "President Reagan made me feel proud to be an American. Today, I feel sadness."

Baio is also famous for dating several actresses, among them, Pamela Anderson, Erika Eleniak, Nicole Eggert, Natalie Raitano, Nicolette Sheridan, Denise Richards, Julie McCullough, and Heather Locklear. In his VH1 reality series Scott Baio Is 45...and Single, he admits to losing his virginity to Erin Moran. In July 2007, he told E!: Entertainment Television's Ted Casablanca that he and wife Renee Sloan are expecting a baby in December. and per People magazine its a girl[1]

On July 24th 2007, Scott appeared on the Howard Stern show on Sirius Satellite Radio and received a standing ovation from the staff. Not only did Howard ask to shake his hand but, in typical Stern fashion also asked if he could smell it. On the show Baio admitted that Playboy quietly banned him from the mansion for a period of time in the late 80's since he had dated each of that year's Playboy Playmates and then some, totaling 24. A spokeswoman from Playboy called Scott and told him that he needed to "slow down" and some of the Playmates he was with were also involved with Hugh Hefner. In the same interview he confessed that Heather Locklear was the greatest lover he has ever had, hands down. He rated some of his lovers on a scale of 1 to 10 - Denise Richards:3, Beverly D'Angelo:10, Liza Minnelli:7, Melissa Gilbert:10.

Believe it Or Not, These Are All Different Women

left, Jill Scott. right, Pamela Anderson

left, former fiance Jeanette Jonsson. right, baby-mama Renee Sloan.

Oh, Oh, ONA

There is very little that BeansTalk loves more than luxury treatments at a spa (and yes, massage is at the very top of the list). And we like to keep our readers apprised of the latest and greatest available. We have lots of favorites, and one of them is West Hollywood’s Ona Spa. Ona has a restful piece of furniture we secretly (less secretly now) covet, a ceremonial bed that guests can enjoy while waiting. Yup, that’s it in the photo above. We love this thing. Love it.

We chatted with Ona’s owner, Fabienne Dufourg and he gave us the super scoop on spa news. He also gave us some tips for those of us who adore the idea of a spa, but aren’t always in the coin to afford it. We’re also aware there are many who aren’t as experienced in the ways of the often-elusive spa.

Read on and dream about relaxation.

BeansTalk: How is the spa world changing?

Fabienne Dufourg: The well recognized spas are now integrating medical procedures (botox, restylane, Juvederm,peels, and laser treatments) providing targeted result oriented treatments.

B: What are things that all good spas must have?

FD: Excellent well educated, properly trained and experienced spa therapists who can communicate a definite opinion and strategy to meet his/her client's objectives; professional product lines and immaculate sanitation.

B: With so many places calling themselves spas, how can you tell/do
you know that you're going to a legitimate place?

FD: The first place :their website .You can look at the menu of services they offer, description of their staff, how many years they have been in operation and pictures of the spa. Word of mouth, Referrals from friends and Family and finally the media are always helpful.

B: Is it true that a spa like Ona is more reputable/consistent than destination spas? My experience has been that at destinations I always get a lacksadaisical massage and lazy facial because they're not trying to get return business.

FD: Yes that is true .While you can enjoy relaxing decors, customer service at destination spas, they most of the time do not authorize (for liability reasons?) certain targeted services or use of advanced equipment therefore not obtaining or providing the same results.The caliber of therapists,the short training and lack of experience is also a factor. At Ona spa we pride ourselves in matching you with an experienced, fully trained therapist you feel comfortable with and who well help you achieve your goals.

B: What are signs you should look for in choosing a spa, how do you find a great spa?

FD: A spa with an excellent reputation, experienced therapists,customer service,immaculate hygiene and helpful staff.

B: What are some of the latest offerings, like at ona?

FD: We have exclusive new treatments such as ONA Nirvana 3 hours massage ultimate relaxation and therapeutic, ONA Pada, intensive deep tissue healing, utilizing the feet as tools, ONA Radiance combining massage and acupuncture. ONA Cosmelan, a medical peel designed to eliminate hyperpigmentation, melasma and brown spots performed by our registered nurse ,trained by Dr Stanley Frileck ,our medical director; ALCAT test, a blood test for discovering your hidden food allergies, intolerance or sensitivity (performed by our registered nurse). We also have Ona ultimate Environ + facial, this treatment normalizes and improves the collagen and elastin.

B What are the most popular treatments?

FD: All the ONA Signature treatments, using color sensory therapies, blue, green or orange to address your body or skin current needs.

B: If you are new spa-guest, what should you know -- about changing clothes, about tipping, what are the very basics

FD: Spa guests are greeted and directed into a changing room, where they will be given a robe and a pair of spa sandals. For a massage its better to undress completely; for a facial you can keep your underwear on. If you are getting a spray tan, bring black loose clothing to wear after the treatment. Suggested tipping is between 17 % to 20 %.


B: What about products, what is new out there that really works?

Ona AHA Serum complex 15 %. , intensive exfoliating formula, Ona ALPHA LIPOIC firming cream ,promote firm,tone skin, Revitalash, cosmetic innovation that will promote the growth of your lashes in 20 days.No more eyelash extentions just wear your own [BeansTalk Note: We got a sample at the GBK Emmy Suite – look for a review here soon], Cosmelan 2, bleaching facial cream, NU-FACE; Hand held Microcurrent lift and tone your skin, Environ C-Quence cream, hydrating antioxidant.

B: How long do the effects of a massage last and/or how do you make it last longer?

FD: Depending on your level of stress, a good massage should relieve tension and pain for a few days.

Taking long baths, stretching or doing yoga and breathing deeply prolong the effects of your treatment.

B: What should you do before you go into a treatment -- prep-wise?

FD: Before a spray tan, exfoliating your entire body is recommended
A warm shower before a massage help you relax.
Ask questions before getting your facial, after that, relax and enjoy.

B: what does the decor or theme tell guests about a spa?

FD: A very peaceful, well designed and tasteful decor, inspires a nurturing feeling, a sense of pampering and cocooning... It relaxes your body and mind and allows you to escape from the stress of your day .

(Photo above of Ona's Couples Room; below of the Spa's Wet Room)

For those of you lucky enough to live close enough to partake of Ona’s awesome treatments, here are some specials:

Ona Secret Weapon

Enjoy a complimentary Ona Glow when you receive 1cc of Botox and 1cc of Juvederm. This “secret” combo will have you looking young, fresh and ready to celebrate,


Ona Glow – Prepare for your special event by creating flawless skin before your make-up application. Ultrasound combined with pure oxygen produces glowing, radiant skin in no time flat!



Botox – With this facial enhancement, you will soften those crow’s feet around the eyes, frown lines and forehead lines. Botox may also be used to relieve symptoms of hyperhydrosis (excessive sweating) under the arms.



Juvederm – Following the success of Botox Cosmetics, ONA presents two new facial dermal fillers, Juvederm Ultra and Juvederm Ultra Plus to provide long lasting correction with unexpected smoothness. As with similar fillers, the hyaluronic acid (HA) in Juvederm products temporarily corrects facial wrinkles and folds. Juvederm contains the highest concentration of “HA” found on the market for the most natural look.



Package Value – $995
Holiday Special – $930


Ona Glamour

Ona Glamour is the deluxe package for anyone who just can not get enough of the spa experience. It begins with a complimentary eyebrow shaping, following by Ona Signature Green Facial and finished off with a Signature Manicure/Pedicure



Eyebrow Shaping – Using only the finest quality, non-irritating European waxing cream, a technician will shape your eyebrows to match perfectly with your features.



Ona Green – For dull and congested skin, ONA GREEN uses Iris Flower, Pure Oxygen, Ginko Biloba, Arnica Extracts, Mineral Extracts, Rosemary, Verbena and Algisium C to oxygenate, purify and detoxify the skin.



Ona Signature Manicure/Pedicure – Features a soak, an exfoliating sugar polish, an aromatherapy hand/foot massage and a complete manicure/pedicure. Made fresh daily, the sugar polishes and aromatherapy lotions combine therapeutic fruit, flower and plant essences with sweet almond oil, jojoba and vitamin E to leave your skin perfectly soft, smooth and healthy looking. Followed by a perfect manicure/pedicure, these hand and foot treatments with relax, refresh and energize!



Package Value – $305
Holiday Special – $275



Ona Ultimate Indulgence

For anyone in need of a complete body package, Ona Ultimate Indulgence will have every inch of your body in complete relaxation. Beginning with foot reflexology, followed by an Ona Green Cypress Polish and finishing off with Onaaah, your body will be ache free and glowing!



Foot Reflexology – Being one of the most neglected body parts, foot reflexology will give your feet a break from the constant stress we put on them each day. For 15 minutes, the feet will be massage, stretched and given a true break.



Ona Polish – Transform sandpaper skin into silk with ONA’s unique exfoliating Sugar Body Polishes. Made fresh daily, these non-irritating body polishes combine pure cane sugar with therapeutic oils to smooth, soothe and moisturize your body to perfection. The Essential Citrus, Green Cypress/Ginger will awaken your ever sense. Achieve total relaxation with a final rinse under the vichy shower.



Onaaah – After this four-handed tandem Balinese massage, you will have to be peeled off the table. Choreographed like an ancient dance, two massage therapists rhythmically massage away all your body’s tension to bring you to a state of deep, hypnotic relaxation.



Package Value – $310
Holiday Special – $285

Ona Spa
7373 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone: (323) 954-8605

www.onaspa.com

Hot Chocolate Tub

Feels So Sweet Introducing Hot Chocolate Sugar Scrub By Giovanni Organic Body Care

Get cozy with some warm hot chocolate…in your shower! Now you can indulge your cravings while giving skin a sweet treat with Giovanni’s Hot Chocolate Sugar Scrub. Known as the leader in all-natural body care, Giovanni creates an irresistible recipe of organic botanicals and essential oils in a scrub that exfoliates, soothes and warms the skin.

Filling the shower with delicious aromas of rich, candied cocoa, Giovanni’s Sugar Scrub is as soothing as it is intoxicating. This guilt-free dessert nourishes the skin with essential fatty acids in organic safflower seed – smoothing, repairing and healing skin while sealing in moisture.

Giovanni’s Hot Chocolate Body Scrub gently exfoliates and polishes skin using soft sugar grains and crushed cocoa beans. Mixed with assorted essential oils, the sugar scrub leaves skin regenerated, refreshed and glowing.

Utilizing its signature PureOrganic Technology™, Giovanni’s luscious, hydrating scrub uses organic ingredients from the earth’s most natural resources - picked at the peak of their freshness. All of Giovanni’s body care formulations are paraben free, 100% vegan and never tested on animals.

Finally, sugar we can have that makes us look better! Hot chocolate has never been this luxurious.

Hot Chocolate Sugar Scrub retails for $13.95. Giovanni Cosmetics and Giovanni Organic Body care is available at select chain drug and natural product stores around the country. www.giovannicosmetics.com

Guys Need Skincare Lovin’ Too

When it comes to skin care and men, most guys want to cut to the chase and make things simple. Baxter of California, one of the original men’s grooming companies, announces its Skincare 1-2-3 Kit, everything a guy needs to have perfect skin. Celebrities including Terrence Howard, Joel Madden, and Wilmer Valderrama have stocked up on Baxter products.

Kit contains:

1. Face Wash (10 oz. Bottle)
2. Herbal Mint toner (10 oz. Bottle)
3. Oil Free Moisturizer (4 oz. Tube)

Retail Price: $40 www.baxterofcalifornia.com

Jolie Est Tres Jolie!

The couple that never gets it wrong. Every red carpet walk is like a Vogue photo shoot. Angelina Jolie arrived at the premiere of “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” with her hands around her two best accessories… Brad Pitt and her black patent Stuart Weitzman Court clutch. She also wore rare Platinum jewelry by Neil Lane, Platinum earrings and a Platinum cocktail ring.

Va Va Varvatos!

The men who attend the Emmy awards are often overlooked for their tuxedo choices, but BeansTalk gives kudos to the following gentlemen who had the good sense to pair up their tux with John Varvatos sunglasses

Keifer Sutherland (“24”)
Greg Grunberg (“Heroes”)
Kevin Dillon (“Entourage”)
Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”)
Hugh Laurie (“House”)
Jesse Spencer (“House”)
Terry O’Quinn (“Lost”)
Thomas Hayden Church (actor)
Brian Baumgartner (“The Office”)
David Denman (“The Office”)
Nick Verreos (“Project Runway”)
Billy Bush (“Access Hollywood”)
Jeremiah Jones (musician)

Additionally, these celebrities will sign their sunglasses from tonight for the Clothes Off Our Back online auction to benefit children’s charities.

Fischer Looking Fine

Wow, “Pam” cleans up very nicely. Jenna Fischer arrives for the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Fischer was nominated for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series for her work on 'The Office.' Her makeup was done by Brett Freedman, L.A- based make up artist and creator of Vanitymark.

Here’s what Freedman used on Fischer:

Body

DuWop Revelotion tinted moisurizer in medium.
"I love the warm, natural look. Not tan, I call it the Marcia Brady tawny glow"
Sally Hanson shimmer body spray (one shade)


Lips

Benefit lip liner in Posh
Benefit gloss in Who DoesYour Work
Mixed with Benefit's 24K
"The obvious chioce with the dress would be just the gold...but I wanted a vintage vibe with a touch of plum on the lip"



Eyes

MAC liquid liner in Brassbeat.
MAC shadow in Goldmine.
"I did Jenna's lid in a matte ivory and did just a thin line of god at her lash line. I wet MAC's shimmery shadow to create a vivid effect"



Brows

Vanitymark Ultra Brow pencil in Blondest. "I really wanted to give Jenna's brow a very finished 'dressed up' look so I gave her naturally pretty brow shape a bit more drama by filling in a bit and extending them a touch".

(AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Customize Invites

Make your guests feel extra special and your kids like royalty.

Peppers and Pollywogs Inc., Introduces New, Exciting Features to its Card Central Page Company updates successful invitation portal to include in-house fulfillment; doubles its partnerships with designers to 14.


PeppersPollywogs.com, the informational website that is "All About Kids' Parties," presents updates to its Card Central page, the web portal offering busy parents pre-designed party invitations and thank you notes. Since April 2007, customers log on to www.PeppersPollywogs.com, head to the Card Central port and opt to print their own invitations from styles created by seven successful invitation and stationery designers. Now, Card Central has doubled the amount of designers to 14 in only four months due to the success of the site. Parents can now choose from more than 80 designs for all kinds of parties for kids up to the age of 17.

Card Central has now initiated in-house fulfillment, giving parents the option of having PeppersPollywogs.com print the invitations on commercial quality invitation stock and ship them within 3 business days. The price to print each invitation is only $0.99. Never before has it been easier and more affordable to create customized, beautiful invitations for kids' parties! Card Central users who opt to print on their own can still do so, with an unlimited amount for only $10. It's an easy and fun process. First, parents choose a theme; customize the details, pay, and print! Card Central will email the new artwork in a PDF format to the customer. They can print as many copies of that design as needed for the celebration. Invitations go out to guests on time and there are no shipping fees!! Card Central even gives customer tutorials, suggests the best Avery papers and cards for printing, and provides helpful printing instructions on the site.

Peppers and Pollywogs was founded in 2006 by Lisa Kothari and Shiv Chandrasekaran. True to its motto, the site helps with planning a unique celebration for that special birthday girl or boy, and offers innovative features, like Card Central, to optimize parents' time and money. "Peppers and Pollywogs' Card Central is a boon for busy parents, who spend an average of 25 hours planning their kids' parties." states Lisa Kothari, CEO. "I am excited that busy parents will be able to customize professionally designed invitations quickly and easily at home, and have the option to either print as many as they need from home or have us print and ship the invitations at a very reasonable price and within an efficient time frame."

www.PeppersPollywogs.com/cards

GBK Gifts Emmy

Last week GBK Productions honored the 2007 Emmy Nominees and Presenters with their Annual Emmy Suite. The luxury suite took place in the Presidential Suite of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
BeansTalk had the pleasure of attending so we could check out how the stars get pampered for the big show.
It’s no wonder that stars such as Debra Messing, Paula Abdul, Tim Daly, Blair Underwood, Billy Baldwin, Lorraine Bracco, Bradley Whitford, Kevin Dillion, Adam Arkin, Michael Maloney, Leeza Gibbons, and Rebecca Gayheart all attended the suite -- as GBK Productions was recipient of BizBash’s “Best Gift Bag Award” for its 2006 Emmy Gift Suite. This year GBK offered guests the opportunity to walk away with scores of gifts and travel packages totaling over $100,000, while providing indulgences such as on-site spa and beauty treatments.
In addition, GBK Productions will donate 20% of its proceeds to four charities: Jane Kaczmarek and Bradley Whitford’s Clothes Off Our Back, Kevin Bacon’s 6 Degrees, The Humane Society and the Harbor Foundation. These charities will be able to auction off a complete GBK celebrity gift bag.

Lucky Celebrities who visited GBK’s suite had the opportunity to go home with an exclusive gift bag filled with the newest tech gadgets, health procedures, elite fashion accessories, and spa products on the market, including: a Foundation Room Gold Membership from the House of Blues; lasik eye surgery from Dougherty Laser; a $10,000 certificate to Renaissance Health Centers; lingerie from Aline Alcantara; a $20,000 gift certificate to Iron Horse Trike Works towards the building of a custom motor bike and Mp4 Player Watches and spy equipment from Alexander Innovation Wizard.

Stay tuned to BeansTalk in the coming weeks for stories on many of the GBK sponsors.

Stars Go Platinum

Celebrities including Greg Grunberg (Heroes), Kaycee Stroh (High School Musical 2), Angela Kinsey (The Office), Kate Flannery (The Office), Brian Baumgartner (The Office), Leslie David Baker (The Office), Creed Bratton (The Office), Mindy Kaling (The Office), Oscar Nunez (The Office), Phyllis Smith (The Office), Dana Davis (Heroes), Diana Maria Riva (Side Order of Life), Brooke Mueller (Charlie Sheen’s fiancée), Kate Linder (The Young & The Restless) and Ken Davitian (Borat), attended Platinum Guild International USA’s Emmy Awards Red Carpet Jewelry Preview at the Luxe Hotel on Rodeo Drive where they indulged in a complete Platinum experience that included…

Over $20 million dollars worth of rare Platinum jewelry to wear on the red carpet.
Luxury spa treatments with caviar from La Prairie.
A gift bag from companies including La Prairie, Badgley Mischka, Kitson, Aldo, La Roche Posay, Definity, Sally Hansen, Blinc, Quick Tint, Auric Blends, Shanais Pelka, and Road Rage Motorcycles.
Limited-edition Platinum and leather cuff bracelets. (pictured) Valued at $600. BeansTalk gives kudos to the celebrities who autographed bracelets. These signed bracelets will be available through the Clothes Off Our Back award shows website auction to support children’s charities.

Vinturi

As if the celebrities attending the Silver Spoon Penthouse before the Emmys last week were not in a good enough mood… they were especially good-spirited after sampling the wine served by our friends at Vinturi. Vinturi was there gifting their beautiful aerators when BeansTalk stopped by.

Vinturi is an innovative new wine aerator which instantly decants wine and releases its intended flavors and aromas. Vinturi is notable for its sleek, elegant design which is designed to accelerate the traditional aeration process. By using it, consumers harness all the benefits of allowing a wine to breathe in the time it takes to pour a glass. “Wine opens up and tastes better when it has been allowed to breathe,” said Rio Sabadicci, Vinturi’s inventor. “Vinturi accelerates the breathing process, enabling consumers to fully enjoy their wine from the very first sip, rather than waiting an hour or more for traditional decanting.” Consumers simply hold Vinturi over a glass and pour wine through.

Benefits of Using Vinturi
Vinturi instantly delivers a better bouquet, enhanced flavors and smoother finish. Any wine that benefits
from aeration will be improved by Vinturi:
• Better bouquet: Sample the nose of the wine. You’ll appreciate the subtle aeromatic differences
and the full aroma of the wine. Vinturi allows wine to display its intended aromas.
• Enhanced flavors: Take a sip. Vinturi aerated wine tastes better, richer and more expensive;
more flavorful with better mouthfeel.
• Smoother finish: Vinturi aeration is very effective at softening tannins which results in a
much more pleasant finish. Any bitterness or bad aftertaste is reduced or eliminated.

According to an independent double blind tasting conducted by Vinquiry Wine Analytics in Napa, “The
same bottle of wine treated with Vinturi was higher in overall flavor intensity and mouthfeel...higher in
red color intensity and overall aroma intensity...more true to type and of higher quality.”

Vinturi is already endorsed and available at more than two dozen Napa Valley wineries, including: Acacia Vineyard, Alpha Omega Winery, Atalon Winery, Beaulieu Vineyard, Bouchaine, Charles Krug, Cline Cellars, Clos Pegase, Cornucopia, Elan Vineyards, Envy Wines, Freemark Abbey, Hope and Grace Wines, Luna Vineyards, Markham Vineyards, Merryvale, Moon Mountain Vineyard, Peju Province Winery, Regusci Winery, Robert Mondavi Winery, Sterling Vineyards and V. Sattui Winery.
Patent-Pending Design

The suggested retail price is $39.95 and is available at www.vinturi.com.

Quick Click: Deets on Sonya Dakar Emmy Event

Double click on the above image for the scoop -- with photos -- of Sonya Dakar's 2007 Emmy Boot Camp. BeansTalk stopped by for visit and chatted with the Green Girl Guide folks, as well as the SpaRitual nail varnish reps, among others.

God, We Love a Bargain

A couple of days ago, we "sacrificed" one of our "good" candles -- meaning, one that came from a suite or a gift bag. We hoard them and use them sparingly and lovingly.

The candle we chose smells so amazing. It's Guavapeel and it reminds us both of something we can't identify and a long-ago memory of childhood (we had an actual guava tree in our sideyard). The candle maker is Bluewick and we're pretty sure it came in a gift bag -- but given that we're now often ladened with senior moments, we cannot remember.

We made our weekly pilgrimage to one of our favorite discount department chain stores, and headed to the candle section -- we've found good deals on lovely Root tins, and occasionally, Yankees.

BeansTalk can give you a good tip: never buy candles that are not made in the U.S. this will insure that there is no lead in the wick, and frankly, that the candle will burn better and not create a toxic environment. We don't care how pretty the packaging is (the outside box, the vessel the candle is in), it must say MADE IN U.S.
Many women love candles, but hate the faint fog of black that manages to wind its way onto the ceiling and corner crevices, making it appear as though you live aside a freeway, and are catching exhaust.

We have waxed rhapsodic about he tremendous advantages to soy candles (pure soy) and realize that they're harder to find and much more expensive. But they're worth it.

But back to that lovely candle -- Bluewick. So, as we were saying, we were visiting our favorite "for Less" store and there was a bevy of boxes. We looked closely: they were Bluewick! Granted they are now "discontinued" or "retired" lines -- the HAPPY series and the ILLUMINA series, but there they were, boxed and beautiful.

We knew we were getting a deal, but had no idea how much of one. We picked up a Cait 20 oz. candle from the Illumina collection for $4.99 -- and found that it retails on line (some vendors are still selling) for $49! We also picked up two of the votive Landas for $1.99 each. The 12.5 oz. Happy series (we got five different kinds, one box, unfortunately, was immediately chewed through by our furry roommate), which retail for $26 each were also $4.99.

Yay! We love a good deal. And this was a super good one.

For more on Bluewick's latest collections: www.bluewick.com

"Mix"ing It Up Pre Emmys

We didn’t get to visit the Mix Media Emmy Suite, but host with the most and our buddy Stacy Broff sent us some fun pics from the event.

Magnolia Presents Madison & Mulholland Swagsuite Sponsored by Pioneer Elite *Alive!Expo Presents Mix Media Green Pavilion – The Official green Hollywood event.

“George Clooney’s Tango Commuter car was such a huge hit, he was so gracious to loan it to us for the green pavilion event,” says Kim Shimmel, owner of Mix Media.

OK, so BeansTalk didn’t make it to the suite, but plenty of other stars stopped by for super swag:

Hal Sparks, Kenny Johnson ( “The Shield” & “Saving Grace”), Rachelle Carson-Begley, (Host of “Living with Ed” on HGTV), Omarosa ( The Apprentice), Andy Baldwin ( The Bachelor), Leyla Milani ( “Deal or No Deal”), Christian Clemson (nominee for “Boston Legal”) Madeline Zima (“Californication”) Joshua Gomez ( NBC’s “Chuck”), Dania Rameriz (“Hereos”), Tony Dovolani (choreographer/judge “Dancing with the Stars”) and Kaisha Whitaker.

Other attendees included Kevin Sorbo (who got an “I’m not Plastic” tote from Pence Hathorn Silver), Kenny Johnson from “Saving Grace, Tim Daly (of the new Private Practice getting “Get Fresh” products), Maria Menunous (got a foot massage from Get Fresh), Joshua Gomez (Entourage), Cheryl Hines & Rachel Harris), Scott Baio (whose birthday is Saturday, btw – and he’s turning 47, not 45’ he got some organic baby products for the baby he is having with that poor girl from his TV show), David Boreanaz (Bones), Chris McDonald (tried out the Vetrix scooter).

And dear Stacy liked Baio: “Scott Baio and I debated who was “greener.” He heckled me about having an SUV so he won. Really….I let him win since he’s got his own TV show. He’s a funny guy and was very appreciative of all the cool stuff he got,” Broff/Diamond Girl PR says, adding, “It goes without saying that Anthony Anderson is hilarious. He was definitely entertaining each sponsor as he made the rounds.”

Broff also tells us that Source Water USA kept everyone well hydrated throughout the three days. Source Water donated flat and sparkling water.

"Private Practice" star Tim Daly (who plays an acupuncturist and maybe Kate Walsh's love interest) got Fresh at the Mix Media Suites, hosted by DiamondGirl PR.

Pretty Maria Menounos got a foot treatment from Fresh.

That's Stacy Broff, far left.

Raven Waves

This, we must admit, was an “impulse” buy. It was inexpensive and it looked interesting.

When we first removed it from the box, it had the usual warnings and some (we emphasize the “some”) instructions. Since this was an unusual – and heretofore unseen by us – item, we were kind of hoping there would be some photo instructions of how to use. We also tried looking online and came up empty, too.

So we decided to go for it, plug it in and try it out. We’re not sure if we were even using it correctly, but can say that it heated up very quickly and impressively and when we used it the way we think we’re supposed to, we got some nice waves that mimic our natural hair, or the kind of hair some get when they braid their still-damp hair before bed and let it loose in the a.m.

For several years, we had our hair straighten professionally and loved it. It’s been a long time since we’ve had it done (probably about three years), and our hair is back to its “natural” state (which is pretty darn wavy). Our associate editor, Andrea Goodwin, looking at it while we were at Sonya Dakar’s Emmy Suite last week, called it “fluffy.” We never thought of it that way.

But back to the review of the hair tool – if your purpose is to achieve that braided-overnight look – this works well and makes hair feel pretty sleek.

Vidal Sassoon Studio Tools Slim Ceramic Deep Waver

* 3-barrel design with ceramic
* Large middle barrel
* 30-second heat-up
* 20 heat settings


$39.29 on amazon.com. We got ours at TJ Maxx Home Goods for $14.99.

Getting it All Ironed Out

Barbar owner Dominic Barbar greeted BeansTalk's ME and AE at the GBK Emmy Suite last Friday at the Roosevelt Hotel by telling us that he'd met us before. But we never forget a face and we wouldn't have forgotten his. That said -- frequent visitors to this site know that we pride ourselves on our knowledge of flat irons, having reviewed several of the most popular, right here on BeansTalk.

Barbar generously presented us with the 1 1/2" Ionic Flat Iron seen in the image above. We finally got to test it out. Our favorite thing about the iron is the comfort of use. The design is great, feels good in your hand, whether you're doing your own hair or someone elses.' It is not speedy at heating up to its full 220 c*, but it has a nice digital readout to tell you what the temp is. It's also a handy size for travel. Of all the irons we have, we can say that this is the most comfortable and easy to use. We haven't used it on a regular basis to give a truly comprehensive review, and when that time comes, we'll certainly post it here.

For now, we're going "au naturel" and seeing how that works out for us. It's easy -- we shampoo and shower daily, dry only our bangs and let the rest air dry (with an occasional flip of the head and a teeny bit of scrunching -- we really get 80s-flashbacks when we do this).


Barbar's website, barbarartist.com features plenty of info about the company products and some fun photos of the different events Barbar has vendored at -- we're curious as to why Kevin Sorbo has been to all of them (and yes, he was at the GBK suite at the Roosevelt on Friday, we know that for a fact because he was right behind us).



Seen above:

The Barbar Titanium-Ionic 1600 Flat Iron has a digital temperature display and heats up to 420 degrees Farenheit. The Barbar 1600 can be used on WET or dry hair and will not burn or damage the hair, due to the ionic ventilation holes that seal in moisture. 180 WATT, 110V/125V, AC 50/60 HZ. Titanium plate, swivel cord.

110V-125V

AC 50/60 HZ

180watt

$180.00

Emmy Winners

(AP) - List of winners at Sunday's 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences:

Drama: "The Sopranos," HBO.

Comedy: "30 Rock," NBC.

Miniseries: "Broken Trail," AMC.

Variety, Music or Comedy Series: "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," Comedy Central.

Variety, Music or Comedy Special: "Tony Bennett: An American Classic," NBC.

Made-for-TV Movie: "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee," HBO.

Reality-Competition Program: "The Amazing Race," CBS.

Creative Achievement in Interactive TV: Current.

Actor, Comedy Series: Steve Carell, "The Office," NBC.

Actor, Drama Series: James Spader, "Boston Legal," ABC.

Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Robert Duvall, "Broken Trail," AMC.

Actress, Drama Series: Sally Field, "Brothers & Sisters," ABC.

Actress, Comedy Series: America Ferrera, "Ugly Betty," ABC.

Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Helen Mirren, "Prime Suspect: The Final Act (Masterpiece Theatre)," PBS.

Supporting Actor, Drama Series: Terry O'Quinn, "Lost," ABC.

Supporting Actor, Comedy Series: Jeremy Piven, "Entourage," HBO.

Supporting Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Thomas Haden Church, "Broken Trail," AMC.

Supporting Actress, Drama Series: Katherine Heigl, "Grey's Anatomy," ABC.

Supporting Actress, Comedy Series: Jaime Pressly, "My Name Is Earl," NBC.

Supporting Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Judy Davis, "The Starter Wife," USA.

Individual Performance, Variety or Music Program: Tony Bennett, "Tony Bennett: An American Classic," NBC.

Directing, Drama Series: "The Sopranos: Kennedy and Heidi," HBO.

Directing, Comedy Series: "Ugly Betty: Pilot," ABC.

Directing, Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special: "Prime Suspect: The Final Act (Masterpiece Theatre)," PBS

Directing, Variety, Music or Comedy Program: "Tony Bennett: An American Classic," NBC.

Writing for a Drama Series: "The Sopranos: Made in America," HBO.

Writing, Comedy Series: "The Office: Gay Witch Hunt," NBC.

Writing, Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special: "Prime Suspect: The Final Act," PBS

Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program: Late Night With Conan O'Brien," NBC.

Dazzling Designs by Cecelia

Last week at the Sonya Dakar Beauty Boot Camp and Gifting Lounge breakout designer Hillary Lammens could hardly keep up with celebrity requests for her stunning accessory line. Stars including Paula Abdul, Vanessa Williams, and Kathy Griffin gushed over her gold plated, turquoise and Swarovski crystal embellished clips, which can be added to bags, clothing, hair, or purses. Lammens suggests swearing them with anything from flip flops to Manolo Blahniks. The look brings a summery California elegant look to anything one chooses.

Lammens: "I think that style is the element that you bring to your wardrobe. It's personal. It's the small touches that make the overall composition yours. My accessories allow for that choice. what distinguishes the line from current accessories on the market is the ability to transform a lokk with a beautful semi-precious piece."

Check them out at http://www.ceceliashop.com/ or 866-CECELIA.

Smart Idea: Tarte

BeansTalk’s beauty beat has had us running all over LA this week in preparation for Emmy. When on the run, we often have to keep our make-up routine short – essentials only: mascara, lip gloss. Our friends at Tarte have sent us a new purse favorite: the Inside Out Lip Gloss powered by Borba neutraceuticals. We think it is a winner for a number of reasons, but to get you started you need to know that:

This is the first lipgloss that’s actually good for your skin. So while Tarte’s shimmery gloss beautifies you on the outside, BORBA’s nutraceutical blend beautifies you on the inside. Dermatologist tested Inside Out includes natural ingredients from BORBA’s Age Defying, Replenishing and Clarifying lines:

Skinvigorating Benefits:
Lipgloss with antioxidants and other vitamins & minerals can help diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while helping to protect against environmental attack

Acai and green tea extract help strengthen capillary walls, reduce epidermal irritation and enhance skin’s clarity and radiance

Grape seed extract & Vitamin C help accelerate production of natural elastin, protecting skin against environmental attacks and free radical damage

Vitamins A, E & K act as antioxidants to give you that healthy glow

Lychee extract promotes long-term skin hydration and chamomile extract soothes skin and helps to counteract redness.

These lip glosses are so pretty, that BeansTalk is going to withohold the usual suggestion to wear them over lipstick. We say: wear it alone. The three shades: apple-a-day (sheer shimmery hot pink), om (sheer shimmery pale pink), and liquid sunshine (sheer shimmery nude) are perfect on their own. We also love the super smelling pomegranate scent. It reminds us of holiday and boosts our spirit.

Inside Out ($21 US, $30 CDN) is available at: http://www.tartecosmetics.com/, http://www.sephora.com/, http://www.beauty.com/, http://www.qvc.com/, Henri Bendel, Bergdorf Goodman, select Sephora stores,

Lookout for Lindsey Marie

As the ME of BeansTalk, we’re a little blasé about the seeming hoardes of jewelry designers that pepper Emmy suites. But Friday at GBK’s Roosevelt Hotel-set suites, we met an enterprising, admirable young woman whose tenacity is impressive. And, besides that, her jewelry is very pretty. Many of the Penthouse-located staffers were donning her distinctive cuffs (see above) and we were following behind the much-gifted Blair Underwood (who is in one of our favorite network shows, The New Adventures of Old Christine) – his wife walked away with one of the cuffs.

Lindsey Marie has a user-friendly professional website – we were very impressed that all of the jewelry (she had a lot on display at the suite) were all made by herself or her mother by hand. Her proud mom was also by her side. We raised a lot of eyebrow as she was telling us her schedule, which includes heading to jolly old England to a Masters program. When does she find the time to create such pretty trinkets?

Here’s a little bit about her, but for more, check out her site (and read about her Biwa pearls), flare-lindseymarie.com:

Lindsey Marie is “rocking out pearls” (Dallas News). While her materials include the highest quality of freshwater, south sea and exotic biwa and keshi pearls, her designs are contemporary, fashion-forward and are created to accompany runway seasonal trends in shape, size, and color palate. Lindsey Marie creates pearl pieces to be everything they are not supposed to be: bold, sexy and exotic. Lindsey Marie’s keshi and biwa pearls are of her most popular pieces as in the collection as they their shapes and colors are unique and exotic. Lindsey Marie has worked alongside international fashion labels and these experiences have taught her a great deal about cosmopolitan fashion and its differences across the globe. Lindsey pulls designs from her travels, and life experiences in order to create pieces that tell stories and demonstrate a personal flare. A graduate of Southern Methodist University in Dallas Texas, Lindsey Marie earned a degree in Biological Sciences. She later realized her passion was in design and has attended classes at Central Saint Martins in London and is now pursuing an MA Applied Arts degree in silversmithing, Goldsmithing, Metalwork and Jewelry from the Royal College of Art in London. These experiences have fueled her line's urban-global appeal. In November 2006 Lindsey Marie was named one of the top ten designers in the Dallas Fashion Incubator competition. Lindsey Marie’s Autumn/Winter 2007 line, Posh Noir, continues to evolve the identity of the classic, conservative pearl into everything that it’s not supposed to be: bold sexy, and provocatively fashion-forward. Lindsey Marie successfully maintains her personal signature of exotic keshi and biwa pearls while adapting her new collection to current trends. This season, Lindsey Marie pearls develop into lighter, more ethereal designs with a touch of glam. She uses stones such as onyx, lemon citrine, peridot, iolite, and amethyst. These eye-catching shades are elegantly blended with biwa, keshi, freshwater pearls and delicate metals. Posh Noir takes several cues from runways spanning the globe. Among the many motifs used are endless lengths, metallic glamour, smoky chic accents, and feminine charms, yet all retain Lindsey Marie own personal style. The vibe is luxurious, sophisticated, and intriguing. The Posh Noir collection is not for the meek. The pieces have a bold message, making them strong enough to stand alone, but they also look fabulous layered and with the coming season’s clothing trends. A woman wearing a piece from the Posh Noir collection knows she’s making a statement as soon as she puts it on, and not only does she know people are looking, but she’s enjoying it. Posh Noir is the perfect complement to the edgy, statement-making fashions of this season such as metallic prints and mini dresses. Lindsey Marie’s poignant collection this season inspires sultry thoughts of being in softly lit velvet-draped rooms while sipping pomegranate cocktails. Posh Noir truly captures the LM woman mentality of edginess, individuality, elegance and sophistication. Lindsey Marie is available for custom exotic pearl necklaces: 469.233.0215
Images: LM Large Biwa Pearls with sterling silver and CZ clasp and Melanite accents. $155.00; LM Keshi Cuff: gold toned wire wrapped cuff with keshi pearl accents. $78.00

Look Dandy

Even if you’re not going to be donning Emmy wear tonight, you or the man in your life may want to visit the Charles Trywhitt website for some rather stunning menswear.

The business began in 1986 (the owner’s full name is Nicholas Charles Tyrwhitt Wheeler) and they operate from their flagship shop in London's Jermyn Street, and have grown to become England's largest maker of quality shirts through the Internet and mail order.

Jermyn Street has been famous for its quality retailers and craftsmen since 1730 when the perfumery Floris set up shop at No 89. Charles Trywhitt has almost half a million customers around the world.

www.ctshirts.co.uk

Diamonds Shine for CHI
CHI raised excitement at the Style Villa when they featured the $1 Million Dollar Diamond CHI Hairstyling Iron at The Style Villa. This exclusive 3-day, invitation-only event was a super popular rest stop for top celebrities during the MTV Video Music Awards. Attendees included Eve, Ashanti, Linkin Park, Fifty Cent, Timberland, Nelly and many more.
Farouk Systems Group was proud to feature the tool that had everyone talking: the Exclusive Million Dollar Diamond CHI Ceramic Hairstyling Iron. This prestigious tool created by Blue N’ White Diamonds, Inc. contains over 6,800, 3pt. flawless non-conflict diamonds each carefully set in an 18K Gold casing. The luxurious Diamond CHI will tour selected cities to create awareness, and afterward; it will be sold with a portion of the proceeds going toward the victims of conflict diamonds.
Shauky Gulamani, President of Farouk Systems Group states, “Our Company takes pride in creating products that restore hair and produce incredible shine. That’s what the Diamond CHI symbolizes. Its 222 karats shine brightly to raise money and help restore the lives of those who are victims of conflict diamonds.”

Hot Handbags

Well, at least to us. We love us some pretty handbags. So much that we have a section of our closet dedicated to pocketbooks, the best clothed in soft flannel bags, each color theme on a separate shelf. Sigh.

But we're a little tapped out. By that we mean that 1. We don't have room in our closet for anymore bags (which means – horrors! – that we have to give away/sell something to get something new). 2. They're so expensive.

That said, we just cannot get behind all the exotic handbags that are so hot right now.

There's a Bottega Veneta Crocodile Tote that is $22,680. And no, that comma isn't in the wrong place. Jimmy Choo 's Ramona bag is $14,000. Nancy Gonzales has several bags that hover in the $3,000 in Crocodile and Python. We're also slightly wigged about the Peta factor. Now, for the most part, we are so not down with extremists (which we think Peta is), but in this case…it's a little obvious, and frankly, we're not that crazy about how they look anyway.

That said, let's be a tiny bit indulgent today. Let's look at some bags we think are pretty…nice. Bear in mind this is purely fantasy indulgence. Alas, we do not have the coin to buy any of these lusciously lovely bags.

Dior Samourai 1947 Knot Frame Bag
• Black leather with woven front detail.
• Knotted shoulder straps; Louis XVI picture frame tag with Dior
logo.
• Tonal framed top with rings and serpents.
• Snap clasp.
• Metal feet protect base of bag.
• Dior logo jacquard lining.
• Inside: logo tag and zip pocket.
• 8 7/10"H x 12 2/3"W x 5"D.
• Made in Italy.

Price: $3,600.00

Regular readers know we love us some Isabella Fiore Bags. We have yet to buy one regular price – the last factory sale (it’s here in L.A.) was on August 18 and we “missed” it – the fact is, it’s impossible to get there and not get anything. Not only are the bags awesome and the prices considerably less, but the drive and the crowd-factor are another factor to pulling out your checkbook – you want to make the “trip” worth it. But don’t get us wrong, the bags are fantastic.

Isabella Fiore Heirloom Bloom Kelsey Bag

• "Heirloom Bloom Kelsey" Style.
• Black leather.
• Tonal/tan swirl jacquard body.
• Gold-tone hardware.
• Top handles; extended tab with turn-lock closure.
• Logo plate on back.

Price: $695.00

We have to admit, this bag calls to mind one of the great lines in
movie history. Joan Cusack's Long Island secretary commenting on
the high price of an evening frock "And it's not even leather!"

Tod's Bauletto Nylon Media

• Black nylon with patent trim.
• Adjustable cross body strap.
• Zip top closure with exterior pockets.
• Exterior expandable zipper and interior zip pocket.
• 10 1/2"H x 14"W x 3 1/2"D.
• Made in Italy.
Price: $875.00