Dancing With The Stars: Best and Worst Costumes

There are lots of reasons that Dancing With The Stars has become such a huge hit with viewers, not the least of which, I suspect, are the costumes that dancers wear each week. I mean, it's hard look away when so much color, sequins and flesh are swirling about on the dance floor.

Granted, most of the costumes are gharish at best, but I can't deny the creativity that goes into outfitting the couples each week. So, to celebrate the halfway mark on the show, I compiled a list of the best and worst costumes worn thus far:

(See a photo gallery of costumes here.)


BEST:

1. Edyta Sliwinska channeled Halle Berry's 2002 Oscar dress with her gown on March 16, which was like a DWTS version of Berry's frock. Edyta's body looked flawless in the dress, which featured a sheer bodice with strategically placed flowers (sequined of course!), and a solid black bottom.

2. Shawn Johnson's rumba dress (April 14) featured light pink, drapey chiffon over a sequined bodice. Now, it's not the best dress we've ever seen. But she looked angelic in the color and it was more flattering on Shawn's thick, muscular frame than many of the previous, more revealing styles in which she's been outfitted.

3. Julianne Hough was sophisticated in a silver-grey floor-length gown with a high neck, gorgeous, modern shoulder straps and sexy open back on March 23. Short, matching gloves with ruffle-y trim funked it up a bit without looking out of place.

4. Despite its penchant for gaudy get-ups, DWTS still manages to make Lil' Kim look much more classy than she usually does in real life. She was a lovely, elegant lady in red on March 16 in a long, sequined gown, red satin gloves and rhinestone bracelets. An up-do with subtle hair decorations completed her transformation. A real upgrade from her pasties look.

5. On March 30, Cheryl Burke and Gilles Marini looked like they could be going to a New Year's Eve party. She wore a sexy, lacy purple dress that revealed just enough skin, and Gilles was slick in a pinstriped suit and complementary purple tie.

WORST:

1. You're not alone if you are still being haunted by the fringed, Pepto Bismol pink and Big Bird yellow bra and pants montrosity worn by Julianne Hough during the March 16 early episode. If you thought it was hideous when she was merely standing there, you should have seen it when she started twirling and the thing fanned out from every angle.

2. Melissa Rycroft got the short end of the stick on her first night when she was subjected to an aqua, silky skirt and sequined nightmare of a top that looked more like a fish-catching mechanism than a piece of clothing. The worst part? It's the same outfit she's wearing in the intro to the show, so we all have to relive the pain every, single week.

3. It's hard to screw up the chiseled beauty that is Gilles Marini. But leave it to DWTS to turn a piece of eye candy into an eyesore. On March 23, Marini was dressed in a raging red, boudoir-like shirt/pants/shoes combo with a smattering of sequins. Perfect for Hugh Hefner, not for Gilles. It was hard to look at him that night – and that's a hell of an achievement.

4. Lindy hop night (March 30) was an evening of fun, invigorating dancing, but the outfits were revolting. We honestly could have filled the whole "worst" category with Mark Ballas and Shawn Johnson's sequined "athletic gear," Julianne and Chuck Wicks' diner uniforms and other atrocities. But the worst was Lacey Schwimmer's turquoise, pink and black sequined shorts-jumpsuit. Besides being gaudy and hideous – fringed leg holes and big, black hearts on each butt cheek, anyone? – it rode up so much it bordered on being obscene. The purple, Crocs-meets-orthopedic shoes were the clincher, though.

5. Two April 14 ensembles tied for this slot. First, Edyta wore a hot pink sequined bra and shorts, adorned with a strip of useless chiffon. Dangling fringe and medallions added more gaudiness to the outfit, but it was the pink legwarmer thingies – which looked more like the fake boots you get in a packaged Halloween costume – that sealed its fate on this list.
However, on this same night, Julianne and Chuck wore see-through, lingerie-like, black, sequined lace outfits. The horror! Julianne even had thigh-high stockings to complete the Frederick's of Hollywood look.

Fashion TV: I've Seen Enough Of The Catty-walks.

As viewers grimace through Stylista, the newest addition to fashion-related, reality TV train wreck, it's hard not to wonder: Are these shows even in style anymore?

When America's Next Top Model and Project Runway launched, they seemed new and fresh and different. Unlike the slew of purely voyeuristic shows that were already out there, both programs explored uncharted territory and contestants actually required some sort of special skills to participate. Plus, they offered a glimpse into the dramatic and bitchy world of fashion, so the package made for a reality TV goldmine.

But then came the knock-offs. Once Janice Dickinson was done as a judge on ANTM, she got her own show, The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency. And frankly, it made ANTM seem as smart as The West Wing.

And it's only gotten worse from there. Not only have ANTM and PR lost their luster, interlopers such as America's Most Smartest Model, the horrifyingly bad Glam God With Vivica A. Fox, The Rachel Zoe Project – and now, Stylista – are trying to hop on the long-departed bandwagon.

But wait, there's more. Shear Genius puts scissorhands to the test, while Lifetime's new offering Blush: The Search for the Next Best Make-Up Artist premieres Nov. 11. Even if they play upbeat techno music and feature rapid-fire scene changes, can you think of anything more boring than watching people apply eyeshadow and buff blemishes for an hour?

I'd rather topple off a pair of 8-inch platforms into a bed of Tyra Banks' used hair extensions.

Besides, do contestants even benefit anymore? With constant turnover of reality TV out there, 15 minutes of fame has been reduced to about three minutes. And if you think about it, the only person who has been catapulted from obscurity to fame and career success isn't even a contestant – it's PR mentor, Tim Gunn, who is now a bonafide celebrity.

Now, to be fair, most people, including myself, have better things to do than track every move of reality show winners. But if any of these folks were making it -- truly making it, like, on the level of Gisele Bundchen or Marc Jacobs -- we'd hear about it.

Does anyone even consider Adrienne Curry, the first winner of ANTM, a model anymore? We think she's more synonomous with embarrassing VH1 reality shows and marrying Christopher Knight, whose most recent claims to fame includes his stints on Celebrity Circus and Celebrity Family Feud.

Try looking up ANTM alum CariDee English and you'll see more stories about her alleged make-out sessions with teen skateboard sensation Ryan Sheckler and her speeches about psoriasis awareness than modeling.

Meanwhile, the two PR winners who have probably seen the most success are the same folks who had established careers upon joining the cast. Season two winner Chloe Dao already had her own thriving clothing boutique, which is still going strong today. Recently, she sold out her 13-piece collection on QVC and was tapped to create a line of electronics accessories to be sold in stores like Target, Circuit City and Best Buy.

Season three champ Jeffrey Sebelia came to PR with an pre-exsisting clothing line, Cosa Nostra, and celebrity clientele. Since the show, he's launched a contemporary women's clothing line, Good Vig.

Sure, other winners from both shows are gainfully employed in their respective fields. But we have to wonder if that's because of the spotlight and humiliation that comes with reality TV, or in spite of it. Still, we're looking forward to seeing how it all pans out for people.

Our best bets for long-term success include season three ANTM winner Eva Marcille (who dropped Pigford from her name). She models, but she's also become a decent film and TV actress. Currently, she plays Tyra Hamilton on The Young & The Restless. Laugh if you want, but once upon a time, Eva Longoria called Y&R home, too.

We also have high hopes for PR winner Christian Siriano. Immensely talented for his young age, he's also got an engaging personality -- we predict both will take him far.

Certainly, viewers can enjoy much jackassery on the newest diluge of fashion programs. But as for producing the next great stylist or make-up artist? Does anyone really care? Or should Fashion TV just go the way of the peg-rolled jeans? As much as we love clothes and style, we're leaning toward the latter.

Project Runway: Hip-hop hooray! Wait... what is hip-hop?

It's been a long time since I so thoroughly enjoyed an episode of Project Runway.

With five designers left, the challenge was a recipe for drama and disaster: They had to make outfits for each other. And to further the complications, each garment was to be inspired by a different music genre.

Also, LL Cool J -- who is starting his own clothing line -- was the guest judge. And I cannot complain about any program that provides eye candy like that.

Anyway, here's how it all shook down. Jerell would be creating a pop look for Kenley. Kenley was to make a hip-hop ensemble for Leanne. Leanne was charged with making a country outfit for Korto. Korto was assigned a punk outfit for Suede. And Suede would make a rock look for Jerell.

From there, it was pure comedy, starting with Leanne and Kenley trying to figure out what hip-hop looked like. Kenley: "What would you want to wear if you were a hip-hop artist?" Leanne: "I'll totally do all gangster." Kenley: "I think everyone is wearing high-waisted jeans right now, and it's going to be awesome." Has Kenley actually ever seen a hip-hop video?

Then Leanne busts the worst rhyme that has ever been televised in the history of the world. I was so embarrassed for her, I had to close my eyes.

Back to Kenley: "I'm going to do something really cool that looks good on her. I'm not going to make her look like a fool." Clearly, Kenley has never seen rappers Eve (who has become a bit of a style icon) or Queen Latifah, who is a freakin' Cover Girl.

Later, Kenley asks Leanne to try on her jeans and discovered the crotch was insanely baggy and ill-fitting. When Kenley grabbed the extra fabric, Leanne exclaimed: "You're grabbing my crotch Kenley!" Finally! Ladies, crotch-grabbing is totally hip-hop.

On to the runway... and in honor of LL Cool J (swoon), we've assigned one of his songs to describe each look.

"Big Ole Butt" -- Leanne

Song quote: "When I went home, I kissed my girl on the cheek/but in the back of my mind it was this big butt freak."

As a woman with some junk in her trunk, I meant this song assignment in the nicest possible way. Leanne did Korto and her ample backside proud with a figure-flattering skirt/top/belt/scarf outfit. The judges didn't think it was country enough, but it hugged her curves well.

"Why Do You Think They Call It Dope?" -- Jerell

Song quote: "You better take a chill and observe the skill/of the man who can, so understand.... damn."

Jerell's fishnet laden minidress for Kenley was bangin'. I'll just let him describe it for himself. "Kenley Spears would be rocking this at Madison Square Garden and then probably be kickin' her panties off in the back of a limosine. That's the kind of outfit I've created."

"Dear Yvette" – Kenley

Song quote: "I'm glad you ain't my sister, then again if you was/I'd have to treat you like you was my distant cuz."

Not only is Kenley a witch to everyone on the show, her badly-crafted design also revealed how completely out of touch she is with pop culture.

"It Gets No Rougher" – Suede

Song quote: "Your battleship is sinkin' in quicksand/Strappin' to the bottom like a two-ton anchor."

Suede's rock and roll pants/tank/vest outfit was OK, but lacked the accessories and edge needed to wow the judges. He got the boot.

"I'm Bad"– Korto

Song quote: "I'm the pinnacle, that means I reign supreme/I'm notorious, I'll crush you like a jellybean!"

After making perfectly-fitting metallic black jeans for Suede, Korto distressed them with bleach and paired them with a well thought out top. She topped the whole thing off with tons of chains. She's declared the winner.

Emmy Fashion: Strapless Dresses Reign; Sandra Oh Shines.

Sandra Oh and Eva Longoria were among the fashion standouts at the 60th Annual Emmy Awards Sunday night.

It was a night rich with long, flowing dresses and tresses; splashes of color; metallics; straplessness; and flashy jewelry.

As always, classic black dresses were popular on the red carpet, but Oh's black Oscar de la Renta gown was a cut above the rest. Varying textures on the top (lace) and bottom (which had subtle sparkles) were spliced together with a simple black sash that tied in a bow. Her enormous diamond stud earrings were the perfect compliment.

Meanwhile, Longoria defied the floor-length gown norm with her short, matte silver dress, which featured a giant jeweled bow on top and flapper-like fringe on the bottom. Her charcoal smoky eyes, nude lipstick and sleek bob hairstyle completed her memorable and modern look.

America Ferrera was anything but ugly in a strapless, black ruched dress had great shape and lots of personality. She paired it with wavy, flowing locks, red lips and a chunky Fred Leighton necklace for a sophisticated elegant look.

Jenna Fischer, The Office's resident frumpster, was stunning in a Grecian style Gustavo Cadile gown that blended shades of seafoam green, light gray and aqua. The casual feel of her long, wavy locks made her look effortlessly beautiful.

In her metallic gray, off the shoulder gown, Heidi Klum also sported a head-turning capelet.

Ugly Betty's Vanessa Williams was lovely in a black, white and rose print gown by Kevan Hall, with one rhinestone shoulder strap. She topped it off with the perfect diamond drop earrings.

In a green, body-hugging gown, Christina Hendricks of Mad Men showed off her curvaceous figure and the color was a gorgeous complement to her red hair. As for other pretty jewel tones, Nicolette Sheridan turned up in a strapless purple gown, while Brooke Shields was fantastic in strapless fuschia and Tina Fey was elegant in eggplant.

Christina Applegate was a vision in an ice blue asymmetrical dress with metallic patches, pulled-back hair and classic red lipstick.

A few celebs were just a shade shy of perfect. Jennifer Love Hewitt's black and white, strapless Carolina Herrera dress stood out in a crowd, but her big, kinky up 'do looked like something I would have done in high school – and that was in the late 1980s, people. Not a good thing.

Mariska Hargitay was beautiful in her show-stopping, canary yellow asymmetrical dress with a bow on one shoulder and her loose up 'do was divine. But those yellow earrings were a little too much.

Teri Hatcher was ho-hum in a bright yellow dress, which might have been more special if it weren't shown up by Hargitay's number.

The silhouette, shape and back of Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Narciso Rodriguez criss-cross dress was wonderful. But it was salmon, which was reminiscnet of a 1980s bridesmaid, and there was a peekaboo of skin below her chest that didn't scream elegance.

And then, there were the unfortunate.

I only saw January Jones for a moment, when the camera panned over her. But after seeing the Mad Men actress wear so many stylish period dresses on the show, I wasn't impressed by her white mermaid dress. Its bustier top and many seams throughout looked more Frederick's of Hollywood than Hollywood.

Marcia Cross' gown, with its lacy floral overlay on top and poufy netting on the bottom, seemed like it wanted to be champagne colored, but it ended up looking like a used tea bag. The unremarkable color didn't flatter her skin tone, and the dress hit her mid-calf. Thumbs down, especially after seeing another redhead (Hendricks) do her coloring so proud. Cross should have hopped on that jewel tones bus.

Finally, Kathy Griffin's outfit wasn't necessarily on the D-List, but it didn't make the grade. I was all about her strapless, mocha and light pink damask print mermaid gown until the camera panned down to that hideous bow made of baby-poop-green netting that tied around the largest part of her hips – which aren't big, by any means, but still. Yuck.

Cats vs. Cards... who cares? For once, I do.

So, this morning I ran over to Kroger to get some butter in order to make my mom's delicious banana bread recipe.

It was about 10 a.m., and the store was packed with people wearing either UofL or UK garb, who appeared to be stocking up for food and tailgating supplies for today's big game.

But two teenage girls who were walking in front of me caught my eye. One had on a University of Louisville t-shirt with shorts, and a ponytail holder with a cardinal on it. No big deal.

However, her friend was hooched out to the nth degree in Univeristy of Kentucky-wear. She had on a blue and white striped tube top with a blue, micro-mini cheerleading skirt that would reveal her ass cheeks with one small breeze. Blue and white legwarmers (with UK written around the top of them), flip flops, and a UK backpack completed her ridiculous outfit, which also included a Girls Next Door white-blonde dye job.

It was a little much, but I was like, Whatever, they're teenagers! She may not know any better yet.

So I get up to the checkstand, and guess who gets behind me in line?

Seeing them for the first time from the front, I was horrified to discover that the UK offender was the other girl's mother! Her body was great, but she looked like she was about 40 years old in the face. She had on about 10 pounds of bright pink blush on top of everything else. Her husband was there, too, and he was also wearing some overkill crazed-fan outfit that involved blue hair and and a blue moustache. (But at least he wasn't half-naked.)

No wonder that teen girl was rooting for U of L! It's probably her only way to rebel against her embarrassing parental units.

I was pissed, of course. I never, ever leave the house without my (camera) phone... except on the one day I would have loved to use it.

Normally, I don't give a shit who wins these Kentucky rivalry games. I'm not from here, so I have no vested interest whatsoever. But today, I'll be rooting for Louisville -- all because that little girl deserves to shame her parents a little bit.

Gay Pterodactyls Soar on Project Runway

My air conditioner konked out this morning, on a day when it was a hot and humid 96 degrees. Now, I’m sweating and frustrated and cooped up in the “man cave” in my basement because it’s cooler down here. You probably don’t care, but I bring it up to make a point.

For one hour, a quite entertaining episode of Project Runway made me postpone my plan to kidnap an air conditioner repairman from his home and family in the middle of the night to fix my problem. After a few weeks of relatively unmemorable Runway episodes, this was a refreshing change.

With former contestant Chris March as an advisor, the designers were charged with creating drag queen costumes. And for the first time since the very first grocery store challenge, the outfits were as interesting than the banter in the work room. And isn't that supposed to be the point of the show??

It’s worth noting that when March showed up, he was wearing a drag costume that was part opera singer (long, white, drapy dress), part Viking (Flavor Flav would be totally jealous of this helmet), and part Studio 54 (a halved disco ball served as bra cups).

Before we hit the runway with our special haiku critique, let’s hit a few work room highlights: Wearing one of the drag queen’s ginormous bras, Joe did a horrifying, rhythmless dance that could almost rival Elaine Benis’ on Seinfeld. I was going to rewind it in order to describe it better, but some things are best left in the past.

And when Tim Gunn came around the workroom, he stopped to comment at Blayne’s ensemble. “It looks like it’s a pterodactyl from a gay Jurassic Park.” The camera cuts to Blayne: "Tim has just given me the best compliment a person can get.” Considering the challenge, this is the first time I’ve agreed with Blayne all season.

Suede and his queen, Hedda Lettuce, have some drama over the lime green dress with matching gloves. Hey, drag isn’t the only word that goes before queen!

Daniel is “not worried about Tim’s critique.” When will these morons learn that Tim Gunn is always right?

Now, on to the runway – in haiku – where a very scary, overly-plastic-surgeried RuPaul served as guest judge.

Blayne:
Neon pink and blue;
a kite with fringe grows from the
back of this model.

Jerell:
Even with a tall, popped
collar, Jerell made drag seem
drab. Show us some leg!

Keith:
It looks like my cat
used Keith’s “dress” as a scratching
post. Still, Keith squeaks by.

Korto:
Fiery collar and
detachable skirt make a
great “woman in heat.”

Leanne:
Mel’s Diner meets Star
Trek in waitress outfit gone
wrong. Drag-tastic, though.

Suede:
Hedda Lettuce looks
more like Cabbage Patch in lime
green monstrosity.

Stella:
Underwhelming in
plaid and black, but better than
most of the others.

Terri:
Crazy kabuki dress
on seven foot queen. Truly
a lovely costume.

Kenley:
Silver sequins with
feathered collar are enough
to save her this week.

Joe:
“Ann-Margret plus Love
Boat” scores win, immunity.
Masks the man parts, too.

Daniel:
Stripper’s manicure
colors compose this cliche
cocktail dress. He’s out.

Here’s one more bonus haiku, before my brain melts out through my ear and onto this arm chair:

Maisy (that’s me!):
May be writing from
jail next week. Kidnapping
about to commence.

Advice from an image consultant

Yesterday, I interviewed a woman who works as an image consultant and got a bit of a reality check. Most of the time, I feel as though I'm fairly put together, but learned that I probably am not. Ah well, live and learn.

Anyway, here's some of the advice she gave, which actually makes a lot of sense and isn't really that difficult to achieve.

1. Every, single item in your closet should be a 'wow' piece. Meaning, it should either make a strong statement, or you should love it so much that merely laying eyes upon it gives you heart palpatations.

My source -- a wealthy woman who could probably afford to fill all the closets in her large home -- said she doesn't have many clothes at all. But she's chosen wisely, and wears them in different ways.

So in a perfect world, she said, nobody would go to their closet and groan, "What should I wear today?" They would instead approach their closet, and, overwhelmed by their exciting, tasteful choices, exclaim with joy: "Wow! What should I WEAR today?"

(That's a fine theory. And sometimes, I do exactly that. But more often, I'm afraid I'm 'wow'ing for the wrong reasons.

As in:

"Wow! I wonder how long it will take for the wrinkles to fall out of that shirt, which I refuse to iron because ironing is a tedious, soul-sucking activity!"

"Wow! I used to fit into these jeans. What the hell happened?"

I need to work on this.)

2. Don't save it for a special occasion. Wear it whenever you want.

What are you waiting for? You only live once and you might as well go about your days wearing something that makes you feel awesome and pretty.



Finally! Validation for wearing my electric purple or gold shimmer eyeshadow during the day!

3. First impressions do count.

According to her, a person makes a judgment about another person in 1/48 of a second and it's based on their clothes, because that's usually the first thing you notice when someone is headed in your direction. In that split second, they can decide what your personality is like, whether they'd want to be friends with you, your intelligence, your social and economic status, etc.

It may not be the right thing to do, she said, but that's what happens. I guess I we all know this on some level, but it's nice to be reminded.

Anyhoo, just food for thought.

I might actually iron something tonight just for kicks. And while I should probably kick my smorgasbord of awesome Smashbox and MAC eyeshadows to the curb, well, that's just not gonna happen quite yet.

Baby steps, people. Baby steps.

My closet runneth over

Summary haiku:
Accessories have
the power to raise me from
coma. Hellz to the yeah.



I was super tired earlier -- too tired to write -- but I just got this spurt of energy, to which I credit two recent purchases.

I just got two really awesome things. Things that have improved my life times one million.


These boots were only $36, and I love, love, love them! They're from a great local store, General Eccentric. They're man-made leather, but seriously... why pay $200 for leather pewter boots that are more novelty than everyday shoe? And in person, they look really expensive. Our fashion director at work thought they came from some chi-chi boutique. Score! Can't you see Prince romping around stage in these?



My other purchase was this gorgeous Michael Kors mega-bag, which I won last week on eBay. It retails for around $370, and I got it for less than $100. Brand new, still had tags on it and it smells delightfully of fresh leather.
I sold a bunch of stuff on eBay (a pair of shoes, a Puma jacket, a Wilson's Leather organizer/briefcase) in order to buy it, and it was so worth it! I got rid of stuff I probably would have just given to Goodwill, and got a gorgeous bag in return. Every time I look at it, my heart skips a beat. It goes with everything and it's so well made.

Oh happy day!

Crystal necklaces and color block dresses make a girl tired

I'm a born shopper. Probably picked it up from my mom, who A) loves shopping and B) has a great sense of style. (Still, at 61, she's one of the best-dressed people I know.)


My mom, looking totally cute. Me, not a good fashion day. 2005.

So it probably seems like fantastic news that I'm now getting paid to shop for work. The fruits of my labors will run weekly in our revamped Scene section, and four times a year in a new glossy magazine we're putting out.

Still, it's tiring as hell! I've been running up and down Bardstown Road and around St. Matthews boutiques since Monday. (We all cover various areas of town...) I've been lugging clothes and shoes and brass lamps and Pokerchip Girl necklaces and ironing boards (don't ask) to and from stores, to my car, to the photo studio and back again. Between that and some scheduled interviews and tons of deadlines, my past five days have been a whirlwind.

Anyhoo, I think it's only proper to share some of the fun things I've stumbled across while out and about. Stuff that may not end up in stories right away, but it's out there and you should know about it.

Highlights from this week:

1. The new, revamped INC department at Macy's. It's huge, and they now appear to carry the whole INC line.

2. Dot Fox has these great items by Pokerchip Girl. The designer makes necklaces, money clips, belt buckles, etc., out of vintage poker chips from the turn of the (20th) century and jazzes them up with a few well-placed Swarovski crystals. They're really fun.

3. General Eccentric just got in a ton of really cute stuff for fall. I can't fit into any of the ridiculously tiny clothes there, of course, but their accessories are funky and inexpensive. They also have a new Louisville location at 2400 Lime Kiln Lane.

4. For that matter, the Cherry Bomb people opened a new store as well. I don't have the address handy, but it's directly across the street from Dot Fox.

5. Red Tree has a lot of really cool, classy home stuff, but they also have these hilarious penny banks for $10. They're shaped like a Band Aid tin and have prudish, 50s-type pictures on them, but say things like, "I'm saving for valium" or "I'm saving for some good weed" or "I'm saving for a new pair of jeans." They'd make a good secret Santa gift.

6. Regalo has some fun tote bags for $12 or $16, I can't remember. Either side of the bag's exterior is an old-school (upside down) cassette tape. The handles are brown, and come out of the top of the bagso its looks like the tape is being yanked out. You have the see them in person, but they were cute and cheap. I might have to get one for my upcoming Philly trip.

7. Moving on to the area of things I can't afford, but really would love to have, I saw this dynamite necklace by a local artist at Clodhoppers. It big and chunky with multiple and different green strands (African glass beads, jade and something else I can't remember). It was $300 bucks, but man, it was beautiful.

8. At the Three Dog Bakery, they sell suede collars ($80) and leashes ($70) that are embedded with giant Swarovski crystals. I actually wouldn't like to have this. The collars actually have a tag on them that say (I'm paraphrasing here), These are not to be used for going for walks or rough-housing. Your pet should sit quietly in the corner at your New Year's party while wearing this work of art.

So, it's an $80 collar and my dog can't even wear it unless she's been tranquilized? I think I'll pass. We're happy with our $8 Feeders Supply collars. See?




Lucy, smiling.


Archie, intense, as usual.

In closing, I will be visiting tons of stores around town every week, so if you're looking for something specific, let me know. I'll keep my eyes peeled.