Indie Retail Week

Hot Mama Daily

Hello everyone....well, I hope there's someone out there reading this blog.

I wanted to give you an update on the new blog I'm writing for b5media. It's called Hot Mama Daily and it's a beauty and style blog for women of color. The logo was just redesigned to be more reflective of the content and I'm really proud to lend my editorial two cents to it.

So please subscribe to Hot Mama and tell a friend about it; even if you're not a woman of color there will be plenty of celebrity style commentary, beauty and fashion tips, and budget shopping alerts.

And the more folks who visit the blog, the more this Hot Mama gets paid.

Thanks,


Tracy

'Tis the Season for Swag

I've been to several beauty events recently and scored goodie bags filled to the brim with beauty products. One event was to celebrate Spa Week and another was a launch party for Pier 1's beauty product line. Two other swag-full events were Shecky's Beauty Night Out and Shecky's Girls Night Out. Look out for Shecky's Holiday Night Out party in NYC (Dec. 18-20)

The events gave me great holiday gift ideas. Here's a list of my favorite products:

1) Boots High Shine lip gloss ($6.99, target.com)










2) Crabtree & Evelyn aromatherapy body wash ($25, Crabtree-evelyn.com)

















3) Boots Mediterranean Olive Sage Almond Wonderbalm ($7.99, target.com)










4) Prann hand and body lotion ($2.25 - $9, Pier 1.com)
















5) Lush Fair Trade foot lotion ($19.50, lush.com)

Clothing Swap Profile on WCBS: Check Me Out on the News!

Click Here: I'm interviewed in a clothing swap profile on WCBS. Check me out!


I consider myself a clothing swap queen and budget shopping expert. Besides the recent interview on WCBS, I've written about clothing swaps for the New York Daily News and have been interviewed by New York Magazine , and by a Columbia U student for an article on the Really Really Free Market at St. Mark's Church.

Speaking of swaps, here's what's coming up:

Friday, Nov 14 starting at 6:30

The Greenpoint Church of the Messiah

129 Russell Street between Nassau and Driggs

5 bucks admission donated to the church

Take the G to Nassau and walk 7 blocks to Nassau and turn
right, the church is located in the middle of the block across the street from
McGorlick Park.

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle at the Flatbush FreeMeet!
sponsored by Sustainable Flatbush and Freecycle™ New York City

Saturday, November 22, 2008, 12pm - 3pm
P.S. 217 Playground
(1100 Newkirk Avenue at Coney Island Avenue)
Flatbush, Brooklyn
Rain or Shine

Directions: Q train to Newkirk Ave or F to 18th Ave. By bus, take the
B68 to Coney Island Avenue and Newkirk. You will find the
FreeMeet underneath the scaffolding next to the playground.

WHY: New Yorkers discard some 12,000 tons of waste each day
that is exported to landfills and incinerators in other states!
Here's your chance to help NYC reduce waste and keep our environment
clean by finding new homes for your old stuff, and getting some
things you can use in the process. Leftovers will be donated or
recycled to every extent possible.

WHAT TO BRING: Bring unwanted clothing, housewares and
other reusable items to share* or simply bring a tote bag to fill.
Bring friends and family too!

MORE INFO: www.RecycleThisNYC.org/freemeet
(excuse our technical difficulties--the date and location on the
website will be fixed today)

*please bring portable items only and log on to
www.Freecycle.org to give away furniture and other heavy
stuff.

Pop Chick Spotlight: Róisín Murphy

She's not a new artist, but she's new to me. I discovered this Cupie-faced singer who reminds me vocally of Lisa Stansfield and Cathy Dennis dressed like Bjork while reading an article about Grace Jones. How's that for inspiration?

Watch and enjoy. It's not often this jaded music critic finds a new artist to tout, but after watching this and a few other videos, I must admit I'm a fan.

Weekends Are Made for Lifetime TV Movies

Lifetime Television for Women. How do I love thee? Let me count five ways:

1) You make it possible for me to lounge on my couch and watch endless hours of television without getting bored or feeling guilty.

2) You've transformed mild-mannered TV Moms like Meredith Baxter Birney and Joanna Kearns into psycho, vengeful matriarchs.

3) Any personal drama in my life pales in comparison to what Laura Leighton, Jenny Garth, Tiffany Amber Thiesen or any former female member of the cast of 90210 or Melrose Place endure in their Lifetime flicks.

4) Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and Lifetime movies allow real-life women to live vicariously through their fictional counterparts.

5) You can rely on that tale of a woman scorned to wrap up in the last six minutes, usually with the villain's reveal and self-defense take-down by the heroine, right before the police show up predictably late and the credits roll speedily by.

Leanne Won Project Runway Season 5, But I Still Love Korto

All three ladies put on a strong showing at Fashion Week. Although the color scheme of ocean blue and white was a tad boring, Leanne's collection was elegant, architectural and modern. Korto's collection was vibrant, Afrocentric and glamorous. And Kenley, while still a supreme brat, showed some vintage-inspired flair and designs that would fly off the racks at Beacon's Closet. But boy does she need an attitude adjustment.