Hi, my name’s Lisa and I’m obsess-o ’bout pugs.
I live in a flat, so having the dog o’ my dreams, who will be called Frodo and love his mumma very much, is not an option right now, but it’s okay, because I’ve discovered the answer to my pug-dog prayers.

Are you ready? Prepare for the awesome cuteness that is….The Stella Dog.

OHYMYFREAKINGSTARS.

This silver-sequinned Stella pug is a bag o’ beauty and has angel wings. I. AM. IN. LOVE.

There’s a purse-friendly version too and it’s from Fuzzy Nation online and is priced at £14.99. Don’t you just love him?! If like me, you fell deep into these doggy eyes, you will ADORE the rest of the range, so even if you don’t dig pugs, (really though? Is that actually possible?) there are other freakily fabu dogs to choose from…I’m also rather taken by the leopard-print Chinese Crested Leopard wristlet – ca-ute. Fuzzy Nation model their pieces on a TON of doggy breeds from Pugs and Poodles to Terriers and Chihuahuas, there’s something for every doggy lover and they make amazing gifts – hint hint!

Fuzzy Nation creations are available online and also from AdHoc London – hurrah!

I have been dying my ‘do for at least 15 years now, and the only way I’ve found NOT to stain towels and the bathroom is to do it topless, perched on the edge o’ the bath – classy, eh? – and despite that, I STILL manage to get a splodge of total-not-shifting dye on my personage which is why I’m now doing star-jumps o’ joy ’bout the Tie Towel.
Enter the Tie Towel.

Designed by style-dude to the celebs, John Woods MBE , the Tie Towel is totally bleach and tint resistant, perfectly sculpted to fit the neck (so there’s nowhere for the dye to escape underneath and onto your skin – yep, I’ve been there too g-friend!) and features a toggle to keep the towel securely in place until your dye job is done – hurrah!

Now, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting too much from the Tie Towel. BB contestant, Louise manages to make it look hot in the ad campaign for deffo, but could it get me through one dye-job stain free and without ruining my entire towel collection in the process? Turns out the answer is a resounding, big fat YES!
For real. It’s light, and you don’t have to worry about it falling off while you’re applying dye because the toggle ACTUALLY works and keeps it fixed in place – hurrah!
Of course I had a few spills, what can I say? I’m a messy-girl, but because this towel o’ awesomeness is bleach and tint-resistant, if you use it to wipe away the spills, you can simply pop it in the washing machine and it’ll be as good as new in one cycle – double hurrah!

Seriously, you could try and argue that a towel tied round my neck will do just the same job, and feel free, but I will not listen, because I will be too busy being stain-free, with a airing cupboard filled with stain-free towels, which makes me VERY happy, k?!

The Tie Towel is available from Asda, Boots and Superdrug for £9.99 – if you’re a regular dye-girl, it’s a deffo SASSY must-have.

Ever been told you should have gone to Specsavers? Well, after today, I’m deffo getting my bee-hind down there, because the dee-licious Gok Wan has gone and designed a collection of super-rad retro glasses exclusively for them and if you ask me, they’re pretty freakin’ adorable.

SM got a swanky invite to a posh Londinium hotel to meet with the Gokmeister and get a sneaky peek at these fabulous items o’ eye candy. I arrived a li’l early which meant I looked a bit of a keen-o, but it completely worked in my favour as I got myself facially styled by the man himself! He told me I could totally work his 1940’s inspired cats eye design, and well, if I do say so myself, I do think they’re really rather swell – what do you think? I explained to Gok that I was a li’l disappointed with the lack o’ bling and he told me to ‘customise, g-friend – get some rhinestones and you bling them up!’ Who am I to argue with guru o’ style?

GW by Gok Wan showcases a total of 30 different styles which have drawn influence from the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s. The result is a really rather fabu range of iconic style face furniture at a very fashionista-friendly price o’ £99 – which, personally, I think is pretty freakin’ awesome.

Pic: Sarah from Relentlessly Positive, Gok and ed-girl, moi.

We talk to Gok about glasses, inspiration and general gorgeousness…well, what else would you talk to Gok about, right?

What was your inspiration behind the range?
This range was completely inspired by looking back at the decades of the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. I think these were amazing periods in fashion and I was inspired by all the shapes, colours and patterns those eras gave me. Also, we must remember that fashion is always influenced by popular culture like television, movies and music – so recently we have seen the huge popularity of Mad Men, with all their fantastic clothing! The retro look is so classy and everyone wants a bit of style and pizzaz, right?

Who are your style icons from the past?
Some people just define the era they’re from, through things like their dress and attitude. David Bowie, Audrey Hepburn and James Dean all did this. These three are all iconic because they combined effortless style with a real understanding of what made them look fabulous!

Have you ever done anything like this before?
I loved designing the range but I admit that I found it difficult curbing my enthusiasm! This is an exclusive, limited collection but by the end of the process I’d drawn nearly 400 styles that I absolutely fell in love with, so whittling it down to less than 30 was tough. I think this is a really good premier collection because it’s strong, sexy, glamorous and different. Not bad for a boy from Leicester!

Who is the collection aimed at?
The glasses are for absolutely everyone or, rather, anyone that wants to make a style statement with their specs. I have tried to design a collection that can be worn by teenagers through to people in their 50s and 60s. As long as you enjoy stylish design and take a little bit of notice of what you’re wearing, these glasses are for you. Try a pair on and see for yourself.

Which frames match which face shape?
The theory is that you should choose frames that are the opposite to the shape of your face, so if you have a round face you go for a square frame. But, as long as your frames fit correctly and suit your prescription and lifestyle, I think you can break the rules when it comes to fashion and create a style that suits your personality. If you’re not sure you should try out my specs styling app on Facebook. Just answer a couple of lifestyle questions and I’ll recommend the perfect GW frames for you. And with Specsavers’ two for one offer you can choose a couple of pairs, to suit your whole wardrobe.

What are your top tips to get the retro look this summer?
Well the preppy look is always a classic – and my frames will complete that look. I think you should go down to your local vintage shop and pick-up those one-off pieces to make you have that unique look – or ask your nan for her old cardi! To get an all round retro look it’s all about the right accessories – whether it’s a vintage leather belt, bracelet or specs – it’s those little pieces that give you that authentic look.

GW by Gok Wan is available from 25 February 2011 in all Specsavers stores throughout the UK and Ireland. Glasses are priced at £99, including Pentax single vision lenses and scratch-resistant coating as standard. www.specsavers.co.uk

My name is Lisa, and I am self-help book geek.

Fact.

Although, because o’ my extensive knowledge o’ the books in this field, there is very rarely anything that rocks my world anymore.

‘Til now, that is.

Now, I’m not going to get all gushy ’bout a bloke I’ve never met, but Tim Ferriss is a bit of a hero-type. He blogs, he inspires and, most importantly right now, he’s written an uncommon guide to rapid weight loss, incredible sex and becoming superhuman – what can I say? The dude rocks.

He was right about the rapid weight loss, this will first be experienced in your arms while reading it, because this 600 page hardback is HEFTY. It’s also more than a li’l bit awesome.

Why? Well mainly, because it has a whole chapter dedicated to 15 minute female orgasms. Yes, really.

Other reasons I dig this book is:

Tim is on it.
He’s not another American-o dude who irritatingly promises you quick fixes like that one off the QVC channel – ohh, he makes me mad – no, Tim covers fat loss, sleep, better sex, becoming superhuman and he does it all in a really easy-to-understand and funny way. Which is good, because I have a VERY short attention span when it comes to matters o’ fitness and all things healthy.

Now, I didn’t get sent this book for free and I have no affiliation with Mister T, although I think he’d be a rather fabulous dude to know, I just think he is absolutely the go-to dude for all things inspir-o. I don’t want to go to a fitness boot camp, I don’t want to join a slimming club, I just want to get a better understanding o’ my body, how it works and how I can be nicer to it, so it’s nicer to me – um, did I mention 15 minute orgasms?!

Ohhh yes.

It’s out in the UK at the beginning of Feb, and it’s in paperback so it won’t break your back like my Americano version. Oh and FYI: It’s a bit blimmin’ awesome.

www.amazon.co.uk, £7.99

OHMYSTARS.

I can feel my inner Dita straining at the bit to purchase these shoes o’ deliciousness. I mean, look at them… Are they not the most gorgeous shoes you ever did see? Sigh.

And the good news is that you can strut your stuff in these curvaceous Red or Dead Paloma platforms for just £69.99 – snap them up now and be sure to swerve off the straight and narrow!

On Sunday, it took alotta cloud and a drop of rain to make me get on my laptop and shop. My style is pretty unique, so instead of just buying, I hop from site to site to find things that I can not only wear now, but take into Autumn/Winter so that it goes a little bit further. Something I usually peek into is ELLE COLLECTIONS-when I design, it is literally a huge source of inspiration for me, so it is never a bad thing to borrow for my own wardrobe. Or yours actually.

Whats more, its only 6 pounds and should be in your local corner shop as of now!

PS soon we will be showcasing our hot tips and favourite things for the new season, but we will let you all get off of holiday first!

It’s no secret that I have a total penchant for rockabilly, tattoos and all things 1950s, so I am in total cartoon-heart-shaped love stuff with Dolly Cool. Totally unique and original, not mass-produced, jewellery, accessories, clothing and bags – come meet Clare, she’s the girl behind the label and I heart her and her creations of rockabilly wonder mostest!

Read the rest of this entry »

Well everyone, tonight is the night. At 7.30, at our local VUE cinema, Ms Lisa and I, will be taking our Stanford (Brettster), and some of our friends to see the new SATC2. In fact, if I have it my way, this weekend will be all about SATC, I’ll be eating a bucket of chicken with my man tomorrow, and on Sunday, seeing my girls and boys to go to a big gay disco, dressed a la Studio 54 stylee and dreaming of New York. And so I leave you with these-some Sassy boards we created just for those who are equally excited…Have a good one girls xxxxx

CARRIE AKA Karma Chameleon

From left clockwise;
New York;Portrait of a city, Tashen, released August 2010, 38.24@amazon.co.uk, Wonka bag by Helen Rochfort, 52.50@laden.co.uk, *We come in Peace* UFO necklace, 28.00@Meandzena.com, pink Ray-Ban aviators, 100.30@thesunglasses-shop.co.uk
, blue tulle Corsellis dress, 160.00@thelookboutique.com, the newly launched Betsey Johnson fragrance, $55.00@betseyjohnson.com, Coral Burleigh print tie watch, 55.00@Liberty.co.uk, Eden shoe from Miss KG, 70.00@kurtgeiger.com