Divine Design 2013 Returns to Light Up the Holidays in Los Angeles

Looking for great gifts, even luxury items, at a great price? Then you will want to go shop at the Divine Design event this week in Beverly Hills.   I've been shopping this event now for 3 years and I love it.  It always delivers deals from my favorite designers like Trina Turk and David Meister.  Here's what you need to know to attend this year's shopping extravaganza!

 Divine Design will kick off on Thursday, December 5th with a star-studded Opening Night Shopping Party at 6:00 PM inside the 2013 Divine Design Marketplace at 8767 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Celebrities, designers and supporters of Project Angel Food attending the opening night will be able to enjoy the disco beats of DJ Adam XXII and the sweeping views extending from downtown Los Angeles, on the east, to Santa Monica on the west as they browse the incredible assortment of designer goods available for purchase at the evening’s discount of 60% off of retail. Chef Mohan Ismail of RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen will be providing a selection of authentic Southeast Asian cuisine designed to complement the evening. Brown-Forman will be hosting the bar with Barefoot Wine & Bubbly offering a selection of wines.

On Friday, December 6th, Divine Design will host its First-Look Shopping Day from 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM. This will be the general public’s first opportunity to browse the available merchandise and make purchases at the 60% off of retail discount. Project Angel Food will be providing a continental breakfast in the morning and afternoon snacks and refreshments to First-Look shoppers. Divine Design will reopen Friday evening at 6:00 PM with its First-Look Shopping EveningReception featuring music, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and fabulous fashions and merchandise on sale at 60% off retail. Tickets are $35 each for the First-Look Shopping Day. Tickets for the First-Look Shopping Evening are an additional $15 at $50 each and include admission to both the First-Look Shopping Day and the First-Look Shopping Evening.

General Shopping Days for Divine Design will be Saturday and Sunday, December 7th & 8th from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM both days. The discount on Saturday will be 70% off of retail and progress to 80% off of retail on Sunday, December 8th, the final day of Divine Design. General Shopping Day Tickets are $25 each per day. For more information including designer updates, advance ticket sales and purchasing options (including a $10 off admission coupon good on General Shopping Days), log on to Divinedesign.org beginning November 15th. Social media users can also follow @ProjAngelFood on Twitter and/or “like” Project Angel Food on Facebook to stay current with #DivineDesign2013 updates. To further promote the significant initial discount and that every dollar raised will contribute to the well-being of fellow Angeleños in need, Divine Design 2013 will introduce a new hash tag: #60%Off=100%Love.

Where: Divine Design will be at  8767 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211, the Kobor Family & Javor Family-owned building..

Dunkin' Donuts Special for National Coffee Day Specials Sept 29

National Coffee Day is coming up on Sunday, September 29 this year, and to celebrate, Dunkin’ Donuts is offering guests three exciting deals during the weekend of September 28-29:
· In stores only on September 29, guests can receive a free small hot or iced Dunkin’ Donuts coffee at participating Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants throughout the U.S., redeemable only on the “My Offers” tab of the Dunkin’ App, the brand’s app for mobile payment and gifting.
· Online and in-stores, guests can take home Dunkin’ Donuts’ 16-ounce packaged coffee for only $5.99*
· In stores, guests can purchase Dunkin’ Donuts K-Cup® packs at a special price of $7.99 for a 14-count box*

*Limit of two per guest; includes all flavors while supplies last

eBay is offering sellers the chance to sell more & pay lower listing fees

For the past few years, I’ve found eBay to be a great way to both satisfy my lust for discount luxury fashions and a good way to sell wardrobe items & handbags that I no longer carry or use.  eBay has been a valuable tool in The Recessionista’s saving toolkit.  Selling on eBay helps to recoup my shopping costs and of course pay my bills.  eBay indexes very well with the Google and Bing search engines, so once you list on eBay, chances are very good that Internet shoppers will find you.  If you’re interesting in cleaning our your closet and selling some old items, or listing some new items for sell, eBay is offering a new program to attract sellers with lower listing fees.   Read on to get the details. Continue reading »

Schwarzkopf Professional USA -- OSiS Wish it Pin it Win it Contest

To celebrate the launch of their two new OSiS products, Gelastic and  Rough Rubber for styling hair, Schwarzkopf Professional invites you to "wish it, pin it, and win it!  Prizes include a Tiffany Oval tag bracelet, the Apple MacBook Air and the Kindle Fire HD.  Watch this video to get the details on how to enter, then read the contest information on The Recessionista. 

The Nordstrom Half-Yearly sale is on for Women and Kids

Shop the Women’s Half-Yearly Sale at NORDSTROM. Plus, get free shipping and free returns on every order.  Top designers are featured in this sale, plus brands like Topshop.  If you're shopping over Memorial Day weekend, put this sale on your list.  See more Memorial Day Sales for 2013 on The Recessionista.

Special Giveaway of Uniqlo Snoopy T-Shirts for Charlie Brown/Peanuts Lovers

We're excited to announce a special giveaway of new Snoopy T-shirts from UNIQLO on our sister website. The Recessionista is giving away six new Snoopy Tees featuring Charlie Brown's  adorable Beagle in a variety of cute poses.

The contest will run from now until Friday, June 7th at MIDNIGHT.  Enter now to get your Tees in time for Father's Day.  There will be SIX lucky winners chosen!

Tacori Brings the Red Carpet to LuckyFabb: Lights, Cameras, Diamonds!

 It was like the Oscars for fashion bloggers last week in Los Angeles. TACORI, the legendary fine jewelry designer known for exquisite platinum and diamond rings, created a Red Carpet experience to celebrate Lucky Magazine's second annual Fashion and Beauty Blogger (FABB) event at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills.

Tacori brought more than 1.5 million dollars' worth of diamonds to the Lucky FABB event by showcasing fabulous "RoyalT" platinum engagement rings (all of which feature center diamonds that are 3 carats or larger), the newest designs from the "City Lights" fashion collection, as well as items from "The Vault", which are one-of-a-kind platinum designs and which have been worn to the Academy Awards, the Emmys and more.   The City Lights collection is full of beautiful colored stones and big statement pieces.  Believe me, they can make any girl feel like a million.  Stay tuned as I will be posting more about the TACORI pieces that I received at LUCKY FABB.  I own a gorgeous pair of TACORI blue stone quartz studs that I love for going from casual to evening. (see picture above.)   Look for TACORI at fine jewelers like Robbins Brothers.

Loehmann's To Announce Winners of NY Design Challenge A Contest With FIT Fashion Design Students

Fashions at Loehmann's

Three students at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) who were named finalists in off-price specialty retailer Loehmann's NY Design Challenge competition, held exclusively with FIT. Ou Ma of Beijing, China; Maor Tapiro from Brooklyn, NY; and Ying Wang of Xi'an,China, received the highest number of votes out of seven semi-finalists during a weeklong contest held on Loehmann's Facebook page.

A grand prize winner will be announced at a celebratory event on April 3 ^rd, 2013 at Loehmann's Chelsea Store, 101 7^th Ave at 16^th street. The winning garment will be showcased in the Loehmann's Chelsea storefront window.

The competition, first announced by Loehmann's during its Fashion's Night Out runway show inSeptember 2012, attracted 15 students from FIT's Fashion Design program, who each submitted up to three avant-garde evening wear designs using famous New York City landmarks as their inspiration.  Ma's design was inspired by the Guggenheim Museum; Tapiro's design was inspired by the Brooklyn Bridge; and Wang's design was inspired by The Highline.

Lucky Magazine Announces First-Ever Two-Day West Coast FABB: Fashion and Beauty Blog Conference

Lucky, the magazine about shopping and style, announced today the 2^nd annual FABB West. The two-day event, taking place April 4 ^th and 5^th, 2013 at the Beverly Hills SLS Hotel, will once again bring the top influencers in fashion, beauty, technology and entertainment together. Day one of the conference is comprised of a series of panels and keynotes featuring industry leaders who will educate the audience on how to "Take It to the Next Level." Thursday's festivities will wrap with a VIP cocktail party where bloggers will have the opportunity to mix and mingle.  Day two will feature breakout sessions to provide bloggers with the tools they need to build their business.

"I am very excited to head to the west coast for our fifth installment of the Lucky FABB Conference.  The group of influencers Lucky brings together at the conference are setting the trends in blogging, e-commerce and social media and are truly redefining how fashion, beauty and technology work together," said Lucky General Manager and Senior Vice President, Gillian Gorman Round. "Additionally, it's the perfect opportunity for our advertising partners to reach such a highly sought-after audience. This event enables them to get their products in the hands of an inspiring group who have the same aesthetic as Lucky. We are thrilled to have P& G Grooming as the presenting sponsor once again along with LeSportsac, AG Jeans, L'Occitane, Miss Me, Style Network and Tacori."

Drew Barrymore, Lucky's May cover star, will deliver a keynote address in which she will discuss how she balances her busy life as a mother, actress and entrepreneur. The conference will conclude with a Q and A session with Betsey Johnson and an exclusive screening of her Style Network show, "XOX Betsey Johnson."

I'm looking forward to attending this conference and learning more about Social Media and Blogging.  I attended last year's conference and it was very worthwhile. From my perspective, Lucky Fabb offers a taste of all that is fabuless, social skills within a luxury destination spot. Follow my updates during the conference via Twitter @Recessionista.

Monterey County Named one of the Top Ten Wine Travel Destinations in the World

Wine Enthusiast has just selected Monterey,CA as one of the 2013 Top Ten Wine Travel Destination in the World.  Monterey County is the only California wine region to make the 2013 list.

 "Monterey County offers so many unique and top-class experiences in not only wine and food but in everything from outdoor adventures to art to sightseeing. It has an undiscovered, offbeat, creative flair while at the same time offering very elegant experiences. We feel Monterey represents our reader - extremely modern, approachable, sincerely quality driven.  Glamour without pretense," says Wine Enthusiast Executive Editor Susan Kostrzewa.  To get details on wine tasting in Monterey, visit www.SeeMonterey.com

"The wine country in Monterey County is less commercialized and provides a more authentic experience for the devoted wine enthusiast," said Tammy Blount, CEO of the Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau, adding, "A wine country itinerary in Monterey County is perfectly complemented with our incredible array of intimate dining options, world class shopping and spa experiences, and the most beautiful coastline in the world."


Monterey County has seen a stunning forty percent increase of tasting rooms in the last year and is home to over 40,000 acres of premium vineyards.  Wine enthusiasts are able to take public transit to tasting rooms in rustic Carmel Valley which is home to the new East End Wine Row.  Shoppers can mix finding their latest treasure with wine tasting in Carmel-by-the-Sea.  Fifteen  tasting rooms are now located in the walkable one square mile known for unique shops.  Vineyard experiences along River Road are also gaining momentum with A-T-V rides through the vines.

 If you're thinking of visiting Monterey county, and looking for affordable lodging, check out the Hyatt Monterey.  The hotel regularly offers specials.  Benefits of the Hyatt Monterey include the fantastic Accista spa, the fire grilled pizzas at the TusCA Ristorante and the golf course.  Of the amenities at the Hyatt Monterey, the spa is the most worthwhile in my opinion.  I visited last fall and was blown away by the quality of services offered.  The staff is top notch and both the facials and massages are relaxing and nuturing.  Even if you don't stay at the hotel, the spa is worth visiting.  Check out their Facebook specials to save. The only drawback of the Monterey Hyatt is the rooms are not all connected via an indoor walkway.  That means you have to walk outside to get to your room.  But, for the price, that may be an inconvenience  you can live with.

If you're looking for a more luxurious accomodation, perhaps to celebrate Valentine's day or another special event, check out the Hyatt Highlands Hotel.  The location is conveniently located between the charming village of Carmel and Big Sur.  It really is the "gateway" to Big Sur.  The rooms are luxurious condos with fireplaces, kitchens and jacuzzi tubs.  For R&R there is a full gym, swimming pool and trails you can run or hike through the property.  The hotel restaurant, Pacific's Edge, is an excursion itself with fantastic food and wine on the menu.