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Fab Flash: Is Donatella Going to Leave Versace?

FabSugarUK — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:20:00 -0800

Just last week, Donatella Versace insisted that despite the financial problems the company would weather the storm arguing, You have to face the truth. For me, life is about chapters. Die and born again, die and born again. It’s the story of my life.”

This week it seems, however, that not everybody is convinced of Donatella's strength. A damning Newsweek article by Dana Thomas charts the "Tragic Decline of the House of Versace" which she claims has been falling apart since the death of Gianni, and that it's time for the company to move away from family control. "Many in the fashion industry believe it's time for the brand to continue without Versace family involvement - and some suggest that the family is starting to accept this idea too."

The Italian fashion house used to take over $1 billion in sales under the control of Gianni, but has since fallen to less than half of this. Some cite the remaining families resistance to adapt to new times and new economies, also the allowance of luxurious expenses. "There was zero expense control in the company, and the lifestyle was absolutely, positively insane," says the Versace source.

All of these problems are building up and you can't help but wonder if Donatella will be forced to leave. Do you think that she should pass on the control to someone outside of the family?

Rachel's Making a List and Checking It Twice

PopSugar — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 07:00:00 -0800

Rachel Bilson had her shopping list in hand Thursday as she stopped by a Staples in LA. Unlike her recent photo shoot for Flaunt, Rachel kept things covered up but she did show off her favorite bag. She's restocking items around her house after being robbed earlier this year, though apparently the thieves weren't too slick - her lawyers believe that one of the alleged burglars passed an expensive vest of Rachel's on to her sister, who was photographed in it.

For more photos of Rachel shopping just read more.

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Would You Swap Houses to Save on Hotel Expenses?

SavvySugar — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:30:45 -0700

House swapping was never something that crossed my mind until I watched Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet merrily swap abodes in The Holiday. Cameron's character (Amanda) got to stay in a cozy English home while Kate's character (Iris) spent a week in a decked-out Los Angeles pad, and in the end everyone got exactly what they wanted. I made a mental note to peruse Craigslist to see what was out there the next time I traveled, but the fact is the idea hadn't come up again until I read an interesting article from Budget Travel.

Frequent traveler Joanna Goddard is a big proponent of home swapping; she's exchanged her Manhattan apartment for stays in other people's homes all over the world. She and her traveling partners have been able to stay for free in often expensive cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Paris, and more. Joanna admits that, at first, it was difficult to imagine other people using her towels and sleeping in her bed, but once she became friendly with them over email she became comfortable with the idea.

Would you ever consider checking out the Housing Swap section on Craigslist instead of searching for a hotel deal?

Source

Before and After: Updating a Sun Porch

CasaSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:00:23 -0700

Su Casa member PrettyLittleWorld loves her new home, but she wasn't a fan of her sun porch. She writes, "When we moved into our new home over the summer, we knew the sun porch would have to get some attention so that we could use it. The previous design was just all around unattractive, and made the porch feel a little depressing. We needed to stay within a small budget because there were bigger and more expensive things that needed doing in the rest of the house."

To see how she improved the original porch, read more.

PrettyLittleWorld used paint to improve the sun porch, which, as you well know, is one of the most dramatic and inexpensive ways to update a space. Using Winter Flannel and Quail Egg paint, the entire space looks updated and refreshed. PrettyLittleWorld also added a new, comfy porch chair for a green pop of color, and moved houseplants into the space as well. "We changed the sun porch into a space that we love to use!" she reports.

Have you made any changes in your home? Share them on Su Casa.

Casa Beta: Home Decorators Annandale Jute Area Rug

CasaSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:00:52 -0700

Jute/natural fiber rugs are a great versatile, nondescript choice for every room in the house when you're not trying to make a statement but rather just pull a space together. I'd been looking for one for a sitting area in my home, and found that the prices really ran the gamut. I've seen super-simple 5-x-8-foot sisal rugs for only $50, and thicker jute rugs like Pottery Barn's Flat-Braided Jute Rugs for $300. For such a faceless style, I really wouldn't spend more than $200. I like the thick cushioning of the more expensive jutes, but I've also found that some designs are too rough underfoot. So I'm definitely particular about them.

Home Decorators Collection recently sent me the 5'6-"x8'6" Annandale Jute Rug ($159, reduced $199) in Natural to review. Wondering what I think of it? Then read more.

I've found the Annandale to be a really high-quality rug. It's thick and durable, like anything you'd find at Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel - always my comparison. But this one in particular is woven with both jute and chenille, making it softer than a 100 percent jute rug. This is definitely a plus.

I've given myself some time with the rug, and found that it stays in good form with foot traffic and vacuuming, both things that can cause many rugs to lose their luster. It also has a latex backing which keeps it from slipping and stabilizes the weave, so you don't have the added expense of a rug pad.

The rug also gives the space the casual look I was looking for, and instantly pulled the seating area together. So I would definitely recommend the rug to any of you on the hunt for that same effect.

My beef with the rug, though, is that it really doesn't resemble the product image on Home Decorators site - at all. The natural color is much, much lighter online than in person. Luckily, it seems to work in the room. But also the rug's weave looks only vaguely like the product image. Home Decorator's site does disclaim, "The digital images on our website are as accurate as possible. However, different monitors may cause colors to vary slightly." But really I think that's no excuse. Capturing candid photographs is no mystery anymore, and plenty of retailers seem to have it down.

Obama Buys $4,800 Recycled Chandelier For Daughters' White House Bedroom

CasaSugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:00:56 -0700

In last night's episode of Man Shops Globe, Keith Johnson traveled to South Africa, where he was on the hunt for not-so-typical African crafts. After stumbling upon some unusual pottery and a handmade wooden dining chair straight out of a Van Gogh painting, he wandered into a magical art collective shop called Magpie , which sells knickknacks and décor made entirely from recycled objects. Be it a lid to a dog food can, a wine cork, or a Barbie, the eco-conscious craftsman turned the disposable into the extraordinary. Johnson was blown away by a tall, dramatic chandelier made from found objects, trinkets, and castoffs, and ordered one for Anthropologie.

As it turns out, President Obama bought the $4,800 recycled chandelier for Sasha and Malia's bedroom in the White House. We did learn back in January that the Obamas planned to decorate the girls' room with Pottery Barn and Anthropologie, and that they already have a large collection of African and Asian art, so it's quite fitting actually! While the purchase is certainly expensive for young girls, as is the family's celebrity decorator Michael Smith, Barack and Michelle did decide to pay for their White House renovations personally, and forgo the allotted $100,000 presidential decorating budget, so you can't blame them!

7 Guidelines For First-Time Home Buyers

SavvySugar — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 04:30:22 -0700

Just about a year ago, our financial system as we knew it was collapsing - Wall Street was in shambles. Things kept getting worse in pretty much every corner of the economy, and we're still trying to figure out whether or not the country has reached a state of recovery. The housing market has been particularly tumultuous, but many new buyers are taking advantage of lower home prices and finding themselves in escrow for the first time.

Home-buying is a different game than it used to be, so The New York Times' Ron Lieber gathered a list of seven suggestions for navigating the new housing economy.

Start with the basics. Lieber lays the foundation for conservatively getting into the market and says, "Put 20 percent down, so you have less of a chance of owing more than your home is worth if prices fall again. Get a fixed-rate mortgage, so the biggest part of your monthly housing bill remains stable." On top of that, he recommends spending no more than about 35 percent of your pretax income on mortgage, property tax and home insurance payments.
Consider your income. Income overconfidence may have had something to do with the mortgage mess, but Princeton economics professor Harvey S. Rosen thinks “People can, on average, make reasonably good predictions of their future incomes and act on them in sensible ways by buying bigger houses."
Bow to unknowns. Financial planner Bobbie D. Munroe encourages her clients, especially the younger ones, to model their budget in three ways: with both spouses working full time, one working part time, and one staying at home for a few years (and maybe even practicing living on one income).

See the four more guidelines when you read more.

Map out expenses. Financial planner Dennis G. Stearns "estimates that owners of a newer home that do some work for themselves but contract major work out to others will pay 3.6 percent of the original purchase price annually for maintenance and 4.5 percent if it’s an older home."
Buy best (or cheapest). Financial planner Michael Kalscheur "suggests buying the dream house you covet (if you can afford it) or an inexpensive starter house but not anything in the middle." He reasons that buying the entry-level home instead of the second place home will allow you to save enough money to buy what you really want down the road.
Stretch the house. Stretching out your tenure in a home by making periodic upgrades might be more sensible than ever moving from that first home.
The eight-hour rule. Lieber advises, "If an impending loan has you stretching for the Ambien, it’s a pretty good sign that the loan is a bit of a stretch as well." In other words, sleep on it before making any decisions.

Get Ready For a Day Without Cats: In the LINK of an Eye!

PetSugar — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:00:10 -0700

What animal should reign supreme on a "Day Without Cats"?! - Urlesque
This (extremely) little piggy gets a doggy mama - Best Week Ever
World's most expensive sheep sells for nearly $400,000! - People Pets
Keep canines comfy during long car rides - Paw Nation
Paralyzed police dog injured In shootout makes improvements - Dogster
Leave the house with this pretty kitty key - Moderncat

Details about Sophie Dahl's Wedding Revealed

FabSugarUK — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:30:19 -0700

Sophie Dahl has been busy building a career off the catwalk lately writing several books, including a cookbook and subsequently landing a cookery show. However, she has still managed to find time to arrange her upcoming nuptials to singer Jamie Cullum as they plan to marry next July. Jamie's professional commitments have meant things have been postponed from January, but a Summer wedding is surely more fun anyway?

The pair look likely to wed at Hunton Park’s Queen Anne mansion house with a relatively low key affair. Sophie wants no expense spared with silver service and Bentleys to transport the wedding party.

The couple are regularly discussed for their difference in height as she is 5'11" whilst he is just 5'4", but Sophie dismisses this as an issue. "We happen to be two people who met, fell madly in love and will probably produce fairly average-sized children, hopefully with his more elegant feet, not mine."

10 Important Things to Know About Retinoids

BellaSugar — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 08:00:07 -0700

Retinoids have been used for decades, but oddly, they don't get much buzz. These underpraised and often overlooked topical treatments could help your skin in more ways than one, though. Not only do they effectively treat acne by unclogging pores, they can also slow signs of aging while keeping your complexion healthier. Retinoids - including drugs like tretinoin, isotretinoin, adapalene - are topical forms of vitamin A, and they're available only by prescription.

The good news is that retinoid medications can work wonders for your complexion. Unlike over-the-counter treatments, though, they require a little more attention. To find out what you need to know before considering retinoids like Retin-A, Tazorac, and Differin, just keep reading.