Chance Combs

Sarah Chapman has posted more photos of her daughter by Sean "Puffy" Combs. The pictures are from her Facebook page. That is one beautiful child.

Girl on Top

Alright you young, professional gorgeous women of Houston. Here is an upcoming event that you do not want to miss! Career expert, and best selling author Nicole Williams, is coming to Houston to promote her new book Girl On Top, and is throwing a big party for all of us in the process. That's right, I'm invited, and so are 50 of you!

So what's in it for you?? The first 50 of you who register for the Girl on Top LIVE event will receive a VIP pass to an evening of:

• Chatting up the women in Houston you need to have on speed dial
• A gift bag valued at over $500 (full of stuff you'll actually use)
  
• An exclusive 40% discount on The Limited's brand new business-chic attire (This guarantees that I will be leaving with shopping bags)
• Free-flowing Girl On Top Cocktails (those of you who are long time readers know that this is probably the #1 reason I'm going)
  
• Career advice from Nicole Williams. I've spent forever on her website, and she is the bees knees, the bomb diggity, and totally off the chain. (Not to mention the fact that people pay big bucks for her words of wisdom)

Click here to RSVP!
& don't forget to mention that Houston's Weekly Chic sent you:)

When is this thing?

Date: 10.30.09

Location: The Limited at Galleria II

5085 Westheimer, Suite 3723

Time: 6-9pm

Bust Your Windows

No posts today. I am taking my son to the doctor, a task that usually makes me a nervous reck all day. So here is a musical number from Glee. I'm all for woman's rage.

Mattel Gets Ethnic...

...And it's about time! Mattel announced today an all new, permanent Black Barbie doll line. The new dolls have features that more closely resemble those of Black people. That means fuller lips, a wider nose, more distinct cheekbones and "curlier" hair. The So In Style line, or S.I.S, features Kara, Trichelle and Grace who are three best friends in tune with fashion, fun and music. You can click here to learn more about each doll. Each doll features its own unique personality and style and reflects one of three various skin tones - dark chocolate, milk chocolate and caramel. The line also features a mentoring theme and each doll comes with her own little sister. The little dolls are called Kianna, Courtney and Janessa. The big and little dolls hope to inspire mentoring in the black community (and all communities for that matter). Tell me if you like the dolls or not. My only gripe is the hair. I wish one of them could have had a more "natural" look but hey, this is progress! I wish these dolls were around when I was growing up. I LOVED to dress them up!

The dolls from left to right: Kara, Trichelle and Grace.

Ta Da!

I'm already getting giddy as a school girl about Halloween! Don't be surprised if you see an overkill of Halloween themed posts for the next month. I would love to toss these creepy pillows from Tada Boutique all over my house. They would be a perfect way to set a haunted mood, and entertain on for All Hallows Eve.

Murder and Mayhem Links 29 September

State Releases More Casey Anthony Case Documents
The State of Florida released over a thousand more pages of documents. Including the news that a female lab tech contaminated the evidence. The DNA of a female not related to the Anthonys was found on the tape.

Cadaver Dogs Do Not Find Haleigh Cummings
Investigators did not find Haleigh where a tip said the little girl was buried. The tip was rather specific, but it turned out to be a wild goose chase.

Drinking Water Unsafe At Thousands of Schools
The Associated Press tested thousands of water samples from schools across the country and found that the samples contained alarming amounts of toxins. And guess what...the federal government is doing nothing about it.

British Girl Dies After Cervical Cancer Vaccine
A 14-year-old girl died after being given the vaccine at school. The vaccine seems to have problems. Real problems, not problems like the vaccines cause autism link, but problems supported by evidence.

Jon & Kate Plus 8 (Minus the Douchebag)

We should have seen this coming.

In a stunning announcement, TLC said Tuesday morning that as of Nov. 2 Jon Gosselin would no longer appear on the popular reality series Jon & Kate Plus 8 — and the program would undergo a name change, to simply Kate Plus 8.

“Given Jon’s recent antics, there was no way the show could continue to portray him as a doting Dad, not while all this other crap was going on,” a source close to Jon Gosselin tells PEOPLE.

“Jon will still be seen on the show from time to time,” the source adds.

The series first debuted on April 16, 2007, and experienced a ratings spike once the Gosselin marriage became troubled earlier this year. This past season the couple announced they would divorce.

The fifth season premiere attracted a record 9.8 million viewers, making it the most-watched show of that evening including those on broadcast TV.

But after a six-week hiatus from new episodes, only 4.2 million viewers tuned in to see Jon & Kate on Aug. 3, and only 1.7 million reportedly watched last Monday.

Kate Gosselin recently completed a stint as a guest host of The View, sitting in for Elisabeth Hasselbeck during her maternity leave.

Gosselin has also reportedly taped a pilot for a talk show costarring Food Network star Paula Deen.

source

Beatrix Potter Emporium

I received the following request:

Hello,

I would like to buy a gift from the work of Beatrix Potter for my little niece.

I live in Paris and I'm looking for a shop which sells these items (object, not books).

Could you please give me some adresses?

Best regards

Jérôme

The best place to start is probably the Beatrix Potter Emporium. They have a ton of gift ideas and they ship worldwide. I suggest the Miniature Coffee Set.

Lamar and Khloe

Dwight Yorke Wants Relationship With Harvey

Dwight Yorke is speaking out about his relationship with Jordan and Peter Andre. And it isn't pretty. But I still say that Peter Andre is the best parent for Harvey out of the three. Dwight Yorke had the money to fight for Harvey, but instead he just let another man raise his child.

Dwight Yorke has broken his silence on his relationship with Katie Price, describing her as 'vain and infuriating' and confessing that he wanted to 'throttle' her former husband Peter Andre.

The footballer has also admitted for the first time that he cheated on Price during their stormy 18-month relationship, although he refused to give any details about the encounter.

In extracts from his new book, 'Born to Score', reported in the News of The World, the former Manchester United star describes in detail the moment his former girlfriend told him she was pregnant with their son Harvey.

'My reaction was immediate,' he said. 'There was no way we could have this baby. I told her, "Our relationship is too unstable. I don't think it's right".'

But despite initially appearing to agree with Yorke, within a few days she was on the phone telling him she was going ahead with the pregnancy.

Yorke described Price's partying in the year following Harvey's birth - by which time the couple had split - as 'the most distressing thing I'd ever had to deal with'.

He recalls staying down one night and Katie's crowd were heading off to a big party in London.

He said the crowd came back 'steaming drunk' and made a terrible noise, despite the fact that little Harvey was asleep upstairs.

'I challenged her about this lifestyle. She'd desperately wanted our baby but was this her idea of motherhood?

'I'm not by nature a bitter person, but no one's driven me quite so close to that as Katie. The woman is infuriating.'

Despite his anger with the glamour model, he tried to get back together with her at one point that year, whisking her and Harvey away on a luxury break to Barbados, and then on to Tobago.

After a night of 'wild' sex, Yorke describes how he pulled out a £45,000 ring and gave it to Price.

'It was clearly an engagement ring,' said Yorke.

'Perhaps she loved the gift but not the man who'd given it to her.'

When they arrived in Tobago, Yorke said Price's mood 'darkened'. She wouldn't let Yorke's mother look after her grandson Harvey, claiming her house didn't have the right cot.

Yorke was left reeling - and it sparked the end of their relationship forever.

'It was deeply upsetting,' said Yorke. 'The fact that Katie couldn't grant my mum that p***** me off like never before. I hated her at that moment. It was the final nail in the coffin - I wanted nothing more to do with her.'

They flew home separately - and Price never returned his ring.

Yorke explained that his relationship with the mother of his child took a further turn for the worse when she hooked up with Peter Andre following their meeting on I'm A Celebrity,.

'When I met Andre I wanted to throttle him,' admits Dwight. 'I'm not a violent man and it takes an awful lot to rile me. But this man got under my skin at the outset.'

Dwight said he would get wound up by the pair putting on ostentatious displays of affection, kissing and cuddling each other and calling one another 'Babes' and 'Precious'.

He added that he tried to have as little to do with them as possible and would cringe on visits to their home to visit Harvey.

Describing the house as a 'shrine to their own vanity', with pictures of the couple all over the walls, he said: 'I found it creepy. I couldn't walk down a hallway without his preening mug staring back at me or the pair of them draped over each other.'

And when Andre discussed adopting Harvey, Yorke became incensed.

No way would I ever, ever, allow Harvey to be adopted by him. Over the years I've heard Katie saying how Andre is Harvey's dad and what a terrible, uncaring father I've been, all of which sticks in my throat.

'Maybe if she hadn't made life so difficult for me, I might have been able to take a far more proactive role.'

In 2004, Harvey was rushed to hospital after burning his leg badly.

Yorke said he was shocked by the sight of his injuries, which Price had described as 'not bad'.

Lifting up the bandage to take a look, Yorke said: 'It was the most horrible thing I've ever seen - especially as it was a child and my child at that.'

According to Price, Harvey had climbed into the bath and switched on the hot water tap, scalding himself.

'I was furious,' said Yorke. 'For everything Katie's hurled at me about my parenting skills, I felt theirs weren't particularly impressive that day.'

The revelations will be a further blow to Price, who has been subject to harsh criticism since her split from Peter Andre in May.

In recent weeks she has been forced to defend herself against critics who have belittled allegations that she was raped.

She claimed she was assaulted by a celebrity after she ended up in bed him at a party, long before her marriage to Andre, 36.

In the News of the World last week, she said: 'Now every time I see his face on TV, I shudder. It brings back such horrible memories.'

She has since claimed she had 'no idea' her claims would cause such an outcry, and regretted making the revelation.

On Friday, the mother-of-three enjoyed a day out with her children at the cinema, taking Harvey, Junior and Princess Tiaamii to the premiere of Hero Of The Rails in Leicester Square.

Boyfriend Alex even brought along his nephew to the showing of the Thomas the Tank Engine movie.

After the film, the family headed off to a hotel in central London.

A few hours later, Price enjoyed a meal at London's trendy Nobu restaurant with her cage fighter boyfriend.

On Friday, chaos broke out at a Peter Andre album signing in Barnsley, South Yorkshire.

More than 1,000 girls turned up to meet the star at an Asda store and began squirting washing up liquid at Price's books, perfume and calendars.

An insider told the Daily Star: 'I guess the girls wanted to make a point. There was washing-up liquid everywhere.

'Pete didn’t mind about Jordan’s stuff being on sale – but his fans clearly did.’

source

Here is the link to Peter Andre's response which is basically, Harvey calls me dad because it takes a man to be daddy.

Jude Law Is Requesting Paternity Test

Jude Law is following in the footsteps of Eddie Murphy and refusing to see his newest baby until there is a paternity test.

Jude Law is refusing to see his newborn daughter until a DNA test proves he is the father, according to new reports.
Model Samantha Burke gave birth to "beautiful and healthy" baby Sophia on Tuesday (22Sep09) after a brief romance with the actor earlier this year (09) while he was filming Sherlock Holmes in New York.
Law had previously vowed to stand by Burke and help to raise the child - but Britain's News of the World newspaper claims the star is not planning to see little Sophia until he has proof he fathered her.
A source tells the publication, "Jude is still very cautious about Sam and Sophia. Until he is 100 per cent certain she is his daughter he is only communicating through lawyers.
"If he is the father he will meet his obligations to the child. He's hoping for an early chance to establish that he is genuinely her dad."

I kind of agree with Jude on this one. Samantha Burke seems a little media hungry.
source

J.Crew For Maternity

I asked the personal shoppers at J.Crew to recommend some pieces that would work well for maternity. (Not for myself. My chances of getting pregnant are slim to none. I will be spending my winter in skinny jeans.) They were kind enough to respond very quickly with the following suggestions:

• Slub cotton square neck tee. The soft cotton tee is fitted at the bustline, but loose around the waist. Available in nine colors, and on sale now for $29.50.

• 

• Saturday Twist Dress. The dress has an empire waist and the knot drapes nicely over a belly. It is available in four colors, $68.
• 
  

• Tissue Pleated Top. The top is lightweight cotton and loose throughout the body. $45.
• 
  

• The Flutter Scoop Neck Dress. The dress has detailing around the neck, (great for when you are pregnant) and a slight a-line skirt. $78.
• 
  

I don't understand why J.Crew doesn't do a maternity line. Many of their tops have lovely detailing around the neck, and with a little more fabric around the belly would be perfect. And they have some of the best jeans available. They should really consider it. Women who want something preppy, but nicer than the Gap would flock to them . There is a market for J.Crew maternity.

Is Nothing Sacred ?

Lamar Odom and Khloe (the interesting one) Kardashian actually got married. The rush was to create drama for her show. (Just think of the rating their quicky divorce will get.)

But Lamar has a past. As in a baby mama who he dated for ten years and three kids (wonder if they were in the bridal party.)

An interesting side note. Khole's bridal party included all of her sisters, and an ATL reunion. Actresses, Khadijah and Malika Haqq (the twins) and Lauren London were all in the wedding.

Save the Ta-ta's!

Yeah, that's right...I said ta-ta's. September is rolling to a close which means that it is time to kick off another wonderful Breast Cancer Awareness Month. What better way, than to save some Ta-ta's?? Right? Wanna know how?

The ultra cool and overall amazing Houston organization Charity Chicks, is throwing a swinging bash at the Bering and James Art Gallery on October 16th, to benefit the Save the Ta-ta's Foundation. Guests will sip cocktails, enjoy desserts, and check out the showcase of delightful BRA ART. So, what the heck is BRA ART? It's a unique themed bra decorated with love, hope and courage by groups or individuals raising money and awareness for breast cancer in our area. Seriously, how often do you get to see an artistic BRA display??

I've been chatting with Jayme Lamm of Charity Chicks, and through her, I have come to absolutely adore this organization.
"Charity Chicks is always looking for fun ways to raise money for all the great non-profits around the area. Save the Ta-tas has always been a fun brand to talk about and learn about a serious disease that affects so many women and their families every year. BRAtober 16 has been in planning for months and we are excited to Save the Ta-tas here in Houston!"

Yes Jayme, I too am excited about saving some ta-ta's! Tickets can be purchased at the Charity Chicks Website, and you can also RSVP on their facebook page. Oh yeah, don't forget to come dressed in PINK!

Anthro Musings

I went to Anthropologie today to finally use my birthday coupon and gift cards. I didn't find a whole lot, but I got this sweater and a bottle of perfume. I wanted this sweater since I saw it in the Philly store, but it left fuzz on my clothes, so I wasn't sure. I'm hoping once it has been washed it will stop shedding. Honestly, I am pretty disappointed in the clothing there right now...too many ruffles and short sleeves sweaters. Also, while I was there I noticed several very disturbing little signs. In a section with beautiful cups, saucers, plates and drinking glasses just begging for me to take them home, there were pieces of crisp white cardstock printed in typewriter font the following words, "Warning: These products may contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm." Eeeww! Why would they sell products for eating and drinking that may contain lead?!! I'm used to seeing these for crystal vases, and decorative items, but I figured by this point all the higher end stores were not carrying items used for eating and drinking that contained lead. Now, I'm all worried because I bought some wine glasses there a few months ago and now I'm afraid to drink out of them!

Goapele Covers Diablo Magazine...

Goapele is on the cover of the San Francsico East Bay magazine "Diablo." The songtress discusses her new album Milk and Honey and new business ventures including a nightclub and clothing boutique. Here's a snippet:

Born in Oakland in 1977, Goapele (pronounced gwah-puh-LAY, which means “to go forward” in her grandmother’s Setswana dialect) is the daughter of an exiled South African political activist father and a New York–born Jewish mother. Her parents married in Kenya, then moved to the East Bay.

“Music and politics were integrated into my upbringing from a very young age. A lot of my family is from South Africa, and during my childhood, there was a rich South African community in the Bay Area,” she says. “There were lots of parties where people would break into singing a cappella or playing conga drums.”

Click here to see more pics and read the full article.

Crop Top

Yesterday I was wading through my closet, which is actually not a closet at all. I keep most of my clothes in a wardrobe I got at a local thrift store for $40 that my husband painted white before the baby was born. She now lives in the room that was my closet and the storage space in our 1000 square foot 1920's California bungalow leaves something to be desired to say the least. Anyway, my clothes are really struggling right now due to the body limbo I have been in since I got pregnant almost a year and a half ago. I only have 5 more pounds to lose to get back to my pre-baby weight, but I don't think that will put all the pieces back in their places. So, as I went through another round of purging (my sister is going to be so excited because she always gets first dibs on the hand-me-downs) I realized that there are a lot of things that are great pieces, but are just slightly off. These two tops I scored at a thrift shop awhile back, but they were just a little too long and since I have a short torso and am too old to wear barely-butt-covering tops with leggings they just hung in the cold dark wardrobe. You are viewing the shortened and perfectly fitting versions, I am so thrilled! I literally just took a rotary cutter and chopped them off, knit jersey is the best! The leftover fabric was so pretty, so I braided it into a headband. I wore the cream top and headband today with one of the necklaces I just made.

Tame Your Wild Things

So I had a friend contact me recently, asking about the best ways to organize and store children's books, and I thought I'd share some of the info. Any system can work, as long as it makes sense to your little one, and is easy for them to maintain on their own, but here are a few little hints.

• Organizing books by size or color is great younger children and visual learners
• Keeping books together by genre, or alphabetically by author is helpful for older children
• If shelves are labeled, kids will remember where the book goes. For very little ones label with pictures instead of words
  

• If you keep a cute bin nearby, you can easily toss in books ready for donation
  
• Before you donate, check to see if you can get a pretty penny for it. Bookscouter.com, tells you which websites will pay you the most for your hardbacks.

There are lots of options for storage, but I am personally loving all of these sweet storage options from Crate and Barrel's Land of Nod. My favorite is the "Bin There Done That" Floor Book Bin (at top). It is chic functional decor at its finest. It shows off your books whimsical covers, while storing at the same time!

Now it's your turn. What are your favorite ways for storing your children's books?

A Sneak....

Just wanted to give you a little taste of an upcoming featured artist


Stay tuned...

Ghost Costume

I love this Martha Stewart ghost costume. It consists of the tulle cloak, a top and a skirt. $149.

More Information On Mima Kobi

Davy Kho, the director of Mima Kids was kind enough to send a little more information on the company's product line. He wrote:

Our products need some explanation.

In terms of design I think we have been able to innovate the stroller category. I especially wanted to get rid of the tacky look of the usual fabric stitched seat. I wanted to achieve the look of the interior of a nice car, with a sleek and clean looking seat.

Also in terms in functionality we have been able to innovate. The seat unit works like a suitcase. You simply zip it open, and inside you will find the frame, with a carrycot attached. The carrycot simply pops out, and there you go. So converting from seat to carrycot, and vice versa, is incredibly easy. After six to eight months of using the carrycot, you just put it back into the seat, without the need of storing it separately. This seat with patented "carrycot inside" system, is the same for both models: Kobi and Xari.

Kobi grows with your family, as you can also buy a second (empty) seat as an accessory when a second baby gets born.

Xari is a single, more compact stroller.

At the moment we are working hard to get the products 100% perfect. We are targeting to release both models around June/July 2010.

And there is a reason that the Kobi and Xari look so much like the Bloom highchair, Kho worked on the Bloom product line while at Ytra Design.

Lil' Wayne

Maybe Lil' Wayne collaborates so much because of all that child support. It must cost him a small fortune.

2010 Peg Perego Skate

Peg Perego is said to be releasing the lighter version of their Skate stroller in January 2010. Of course the stroller's release date has been pushed back several times already.

There are a couple of differences between the original Skate and the 2010 version. (I'm sure it will be released sooner or later next year.) The change that most purchasers will appreciate is the new lower price. Peg Perego probably realized that in this economy that the market for $900 strollers has dwindled. So now the Skate will only set you back $699.

The 2010 Skate weighs just 23lbs, ten pounds lighter than the original. This is a feature that you will love after lugging it in and out of your trunk a few times, or on and off a public transportation (a stroller nightmare usually).

Sadly, the seat and bassinet are now two separate pieces. But at least Peg Perego is including the bassinet with the stroller. So you don't have to buy it as a $200 optional accessory.

Win Marc by Marc Jacobs Accesories

Just saw a super cool giveaway at shopittome.com today. It is the second round of their "Battle of the Brands" competition, where they match up different chic designers and you pick your favorites. All you have to do to enter is be a Shop It To Me subscriber (it only takes 2 minutes to sign up www.shopittome.com), and then leave a comment choosing your favorite brands. Then you are automatically entered to win some hot Marc by Marc Jacobs Accessories. If I could pick any MJ piece, I would have to go with this croc double wrap...soo cute. Votes have to be in by this Friday, 9/25 at 5 pm PST (or 7 pm central), good luck!

This Week's Winner is...

Kelley Anne! Congratulations! There's one more $25 gift certificate to win! I will try to keep the posts coming and you keep the comments coming.

Clearblue Digital Pregancy Test With Conception Indicator

In the UK the Clearblue Digital Pregnancy Test will not only tell you if are pregnant or not, it will also tell you how long ago you conceived. The Clearblue Digital Pregnancy Test with Conception Indicator not only detects HCG in a woman's system, but measures it to date when conception occurred.

Of course it isn't available in the United States, but they can be found here on eBay.

The Handmade Brigade Show at the Detroit Bar last night was fantastic! I had so much fun hanging out with the HB family and meeting lots of new customers! Thank you to all who came out last night, I hope you enjoy your treasures. Here's a few pictures of the Salvage Life booth. I tried to capture the light exactly how it was.

Mae Fair Vintage

Just a few pretty little things...


...from MF Vintage.

Fuel Reusable Juice Box

Trudeau has a new addition to their Fuel line, a reusable juice box. The BPA-free bottle is leak proof and comes with an integrated straw. It will be available in two sizes, 9oz ($2.49) and 17oz.($3.49).

Think of the fortune you can save by using the Fuel Juicy instead of the disposable kind. And think of all the good you will doing for the environment, because the best kind of do-gooding is the kind that saves you money. And you also have complete control over what your kid is drinking. I can't wait to get my hand on one.

Emmy's Best Dressed 2009

Hooray for the Emmys!!! Here are my top 3 favorites...


Some more I loved...




And how can you not love the pleasantly pregnant Heidi Klum!

Were there any that you LOVED that I missed? Leave me a comment!!