I'm Still in Love!!!

I'm Still in Love!!!

For the past few weeks, the Hubby and I have been in a love daze...I feel like Minnie Riperton, walking around the house singing "Loving You".  The Hubby and I have been together for 13 years and married for 8...so when you have these moments of remembering what it was that brought you together (especially after you have numerously contemplated kicking him in the head for leaving the toilet seat up for the millionth time)...it is...well... amazing...energizing...refreshing...wonderful...you get the hint.

At times, we get lost in the daily routine, of kids, diapers, work, car repairs, bills, other concerns and of course, Scandal; and your relationship suffers.  You start taking your partner for granted and you find yourself annoyed at the sound of their breathing (well, maybe that's just me).  During my morning meditation (also known as cleaning the house) I realized, hey, I'm still in love with my husband and I have really been digging on him lately.  Wow. (That was my thought verbatim) We haven't really done anything different, no kinky stuff...well, not really...so I can't tell you why or how we are in this space...we just are...and I, for one, am not questioning it!

With all this mushy, lovey dovey feeling going around, I want to do something nice for the man in my life.  Yes, I am having a Beyonce moment...

Who could forget that line?!  As much as I abhorred that line (and male short sets) when the song first came out...I understand her! (at least now I do)  However, I have a dilemma. As you should be able to piece together by the title of my blog, I absolutely love shopping.  I adore designer labels, no name brands, and useless crap from the Dollar Tree.  My Hubby, while not quite the shopper, he doesn't like to spend money as freely, yet he likes high end, designer, luxury, expensive, clothing, goods, and gadgets.  So whatever I buy him has to appeal to his love of gadgets and luxury goods. (On a budget) 
  
While trying to find my love something unique, that his other male, name brand whore, friends don't have, I came across Trunk Club.

Trunk Club is this awesome service for fashionable men that pairs them up with their very own stylist!  The stylist picks out personalized pieces, to fit the clients likes and lifestyle, and sends them the goodie "trunk" (actually a box)  In my case, the Hubby will try the pieces and keep (and pay for) only what he wants!  No subscription fees, nor hidden charges and shipping is absolutely free!  Trunk Club also works with the wives (me!) to help put together looks for the hubbies.

It's that easy.

From Trunk Club's web site:

"Trunk Club was started to solve a simple problem – shopping for clothes in stores or online just doesn’t work for most guys. It’s overwhelming, inconvenient, and takes way too much time. With Trunk Club, guys discover awesome clothes that are perfect for them without ever having to go shopping. We combine top brands, expert service, and unparalleled convenience to deliver a highly personalized experience that helps guys look their best and saves them time.

We scour the planet for the very best in men’s apparel and curate an ever-evolving assortment of pieces from our favorite designers. With the best inventory anywhere as our point of departure, a Stylist on our team hand-selects a trunk of items based on each customer’s needs and tastes. They keep what they love and send the rest right back to us, at no cost to them."

Isn't that awesome?!

I chose Trunk Club for the Hubby, because while he owns a clothing store, most of his clothes are LA street style and I want him to get his "grown man" on.  Even Jay Z retired his streetwear for suits and slacks.  Furthermore, my hubby has a passion for fashion, so hand picked designer pieces directly to our door, AND he doesn't have to pay for it?!  I think he will love this gift that keeps on giving!  To check out Trunk Club for you or your significant other click here www.trunkclub.com.

The second idea I stumbled across, while shopping for myself (sshhh!), was VitaMan. 

"VitaMan offers an innovative and diverse range of skin care, hair care and shaving products for men. Based in Sydney, VitaMan is Australia’s first men’s natural grooming range to use native indigenous plant, herb and fruit extracts. VitaMan is acclaimed both locally and internationally and is the brand of choice at some of the most luxurious resorts, hotels and spas worldwide."

VitaMan has everything for the hubbies skin, shaving and hair care needs.  VitaMan has natural body scrubs, moisturizers, cleansers, after shave care, and hair care products to help the man in your life look and smell his very best.

I am going to buy the Travel Kit but I am going to order this Exfoliating Soap with Patchouli, Cinnamon and Sandalwood.

It just looks manly and the mixture of patchouli, cinnamon and sandalwood sounds like it will have my hubby smelling delicious!  If you are interested in VitMan products visit Beauty on a Budget here http://www.beautyonabudget.com.au/.  ALSO, to get 20% off all VitaMan products, use promocode VITAMAN

To love and shopping!

P.S You can connect with me on:

Instagram: @IHEARTRetailTherapy

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/IHEARTRetailTherapy

Twitter: @HEARTRetail

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Facebook Chats with Lorans Rogelle

Facebook Chats with Lorans Rogelle

If you are not familiar with Lorans Rogelle, no worries, you soon will be.  Lorans Rogelle is a French brand, created in 2007, for men and women. Lorans Rogelle Couture Paris was showcased during the Berlin Fashion Week to rave reviews.  The name of the collection was - First Cut - dress for summer.  Lorans Rogelle was interviewed on Hello Berlin TV and featured in Morgenpost and Die Welt, German newspapers.

 I recently had a chance to chat with Lorans and ask about his life, inspirations and goals for his brands.

1) When did you realize your passion for fashion?

I realized my passion for fashion when I was 17 ...when I worked at the fashion store, Industrie.

2) When did you realize you wanted to be a designer?

I knew I wanted to be designer ...in 1995... 

3) What or whom inspires you?

I am inspired for color by animals ...some birds have brilliant coloring.... and I inspired by everyday people in the street.  How they look, how they put themselves together...and then I imagine them in a different style...a Lorans Rogelle style

4) How would you describe Lorans Rogelle Couture Paris' style?

I describe the Lorans Rogelle signature style as luxury...like my name ....with extravagance, but at the same time classic cut and style

5) Whom are your clothes designed for?  (What type of woman?) 

The woman I want to touch is ....the classic woman....who likes elegance and wants to be free inside their clothes…like a flower ... free and beautiful in same time and space ...no special age ....but i think most of the time, a woman around 25…they ...like my styling ....

6) What is your idea of perfect happiness?

My idea perfect to happiness is to feel good inside your body without any clothes on ....it makes you happy and feel light like a white bird....

7) What historical figure do you most identify with?

Martin Luther King ....I am a pacifist.....I am for the United Nations

8) What would be your greatest extravagance?

To make a fashion with a white tiger ...walk with the tiger on my right side...

9) What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

::::::::

What would you consider your greatest achievement?

To have store in the world, Lorans Rogelle Couture

11) What is your most treasured possession?

The love of my family.....nothing else

12) What is your favorite place and why?

The West Indies…Guadeloupe ...Why? Because I was born there ...French colonial ...and I represent that first and foremost

13) What is your personal mantra or motto?

Lorans will continue ...never fall down ...keep your head up ....only strong survive!!!

14) Do you have any upcoming projects or fashion shows?

Soon a fashion show in Berlin.... my next shoot, 2013, will be in Paris in the private airport with private jet.....total luxury....

15) How can we follow your work and purchase your clothing?

People can follow my work on my web site Loransrogelle.com or on Facebook ...and my clothes are available in deposit store in Paris, Champs Elysees galerie 66

I TRY TO TELL MY BEST... 

Lorans Rogelle Couture is sensual, the design of the clothes embrace a woman’s body like a caress. He incorporates edgy design and cuts with a classic feel.  Lorans Rogelle Company also uses high quality material like silk, leather, tweed, jacquard and gabardine.  His brand is for the self-assured, confident woman, “who likes elegance and wants to be free inside their clothes…like a flower ... free and beautiful in same time and space” Swoon! *blush*

Be sure to follow his work at www.loransrogelle.com and on Facebook

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Rest in Peace Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen hanged himself in London home

By JILL LAWLESS (AP) – 4 hours ago

LONDON — A bereaved Alexander McQueen left a note, then hanged himself in his apartment on the eve of his mother's funeral, a coroner's inquest said Wednesday, giving the cause of the fashion designer's death as asphyxiation and hanging.

The inquest has yet to formally deliver a ruling of suicide, but police said there were no suspicious circumstances.

Coroner's official Lynda Martindill told the inquest at Westminster Coroner's Court that the body of 40-year-old McQueen was found in an armoire at his London apartment on Thursday. In the dispassionate language of the inquest, she referred to him as "a single man, a fashion designer."

Days before he died, McQueen had left several messages on the social networking site Twitter revealing his grief at his mother's recent death.

Police detective inspector Paul Armstrong told the inquest there were no suspicious circumstances. He gave the note found at the scene to coroner Paul Knapman but did not disclose its contents.

After a five-minute hearing, the coroner adjourned the inquest until April 28. Full details of the autopsy also will be available in a few months.

McQueen's family, who are now free to hold the designer's funeral, issued a statement through their lawyers appealing to the media to respect their privacy following their "grievous double loss."

They have not released details of the funeral.

In Britain, inquests are held whenever someone dies violently or in unexplained circumstances.

McQueen's death has cast a shadow over London Fashion Week, which opens on Friday. A spokeswoman said the event would feature a tribute to the designer, whose attention-grabbing designs helped re-energize British fashion after a fallow period following the punk explosion in the 1970s.

"There will be something simple and tasteful," she said. "The time for memorials will be later in the year."

She spoke on condition of anonymity because organizers are waiting for McQueen's family to approve the tribute.

Known for his dramatic statement pieces and impeccable tailoring, McQueen dressed celebrities from Cameron Diaz to Lady Gaga and influenced a generation of designers.

He was named British Designer of the Year four times and awarded the title of CBE — Commander of the Order of the British Empire — by Queen Elizabeth II.

Unlike many fashionistas, he came from a working-class background. The son of a cab driver, McQueen grew up on a public housing estate in London's East End, left school at 16 and entered the fashion world the old-fashioned way, as a teenage apprentice to a Saville Row tailor. He later studied at Central St. Martin's art college in London and was discovered by fashion guru Isabella Blow, who bought his entire graduation collection. She became a friend and mentor; her suicide three years ago shook the designer, who wept openly at her funeral.

McQueen was a private man who avoided the limelight, but his Twitter postings show emotional turmoil after his mother's death on Feb. 2. McQueen had posted messages four days before his death about his "awful week," and said he had to "somehow pull myself together and finish."

His mother's funeral was held the day after McQueen died.

Friends also said he might have felt under pressure to outdo himself at the unveiling of his new collection in Paris next month.

"I don't think success was easy for him," friend Plum Sykes wrote in the Sunday Telegraph this week. "He told me he was driven by his insecurities, and he believed that all successful people were."

McQueen became chief designer at the Givenchy house in 1996, but was best known for his own label, in which Gucci bought a majority stake in 2001. McQueen retained creative control, and became famous for his dramatic and often uncategorizable creations: sculptural cocktail dresses in psychedelic patterns; headwear made of trash; 10-inch (25 centimeter) heels shaped like lobster claws.

His shows were highly theatrical events, incorporating film and historical references and innovative technology — including, at one memorable 2006 show, an appearance by Kate Moss in hologram form.

His outrageous pieces never sold in great numbers, but he became one of fashion's best-known brands. He designed the outfit Janet Jackson was wearing when she had her breast-baring "wardrobe malfunction" at the 2004 Super Bowl.

Outrageous chanteuse Lady Gaga — dressed in a lacy white ensemble and towering Marie Antoinette-esque wig — paid tribute to McQueen at the Brit music awards on Tuesday. "Thank you to Lee McQueen," she said after winning one of three prizes, using the designer's given name.

Onstage she performed a somber tribute song beside a mannequin wearing those signature lobster-claw shoes.

McQueen will be missed.

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