fête à fête

Ah, glorious Paris...the most visited city in the world. I haven't been back in eons and my heart warmed so much when the cab dropped us off to the lovely apartment where we had stayed (Merci Amelie et Delphine!!). It was an amazingly inspiring experience. There were hundreds of photos taken but here's a sampling of some of the beautiful memories:

Wandering around Montmartre...I know everyone has seen the Sacre Coeur and other touristy parts but I'm more in love with how light and shadow fall along the walls of the buildings and alleys.

The Metro saved our butts. I wish we had it here! So so so so convenient. Much better than the slow-as-molasses Muni.

Visiting Monet's home and gardens at Giverny. Everything is so gorgeous there. I can spend days upon days and discover new angles to capture these trees and flowers.

Spring blossoms at Giverny:

Tagged as: France, international, travel

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Beloved foodie and wine fans of the Tablehopper, don't miss this special Italian wine tasting with the gourmet diva! You'll be in a guided exploration class that will feature delicious Sicilian wines and pairing them with tasty nibbles from CookWithJames.

Some wines that will be highlighted: bubbles from Murgo, COS's exquisite Ramí 2007 and the "Scyri" Nero d'Avola 2001. You'll also try a Passito di Pantelleria–Kammeo from Guicciardini Strozzi. To close the sweet evening, take a sip of one of Marcia's fave amaros (Averna of Caltanissetta), and some Limoni di Sicilia.

The event is located at The Cheese School of San Francisco - you'll also be trying some scrumptious Southern Italian cheeses as a bonus. How can you resist that? I think not.

Buy tickets here: tablehoppertasting.eventbrite.com

tablehopper wine tasting

Wed. June 3rd, 2009

The Cheese School of San Francisco
2155 Powell St.
Cross: Francisco St.
San Francisco, CA 94133

6:30pm reception
7pm–9pm wine and food tasting

$79 (includes ticket processing fees)

Tagged as: food, food and drink, gourmet, San Francisco, special events, wine, wine tasting

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Check out the new Magnifique parfum commercial featuring Lancôme ambassador Anne Hathaway. Filmed at New York’s The Box, Anne is working the sexy and confident persona of the Magnifique woman.

To see Anne in the new commercial and to get her Magnifique makeup look: www.lancome-usa.com/fragrance/magnifique.aspx

In celebration of the new commercial, we're giving away one bottle of Magnifique Eau de Toilette to a lucky reader. This spicy, floral, woody fragrance is an intoxicating scent perfect for a summer’s night out.

To Enter:

Step 1: Tweet this post on Twitter (RT @feteafete Lancome Magnifique EDT giveaway http://tinyurl.com/ommafj ). IF you don't have a Twitter account, please leave an interesting comment below on why you like this brand, or what you'd like to try from this line (don't send generic ones like 'this sounds great!').

Step 2: Email your full name & mailing address to feteafeteswag@gmail.com. DO NOT forget to send your name and address to this email after you comment or tweet, or you'll be disqualified automatically.

One winner will be chosen at random. Deadline is Friday, May 15, at 11:59pm EST. U.S. residents only. Good luck!

Tagged as: beauty, celebrity, fragrance, giveaway, makeup, perfume, shopping

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Now's the prime time for weddings, hot summer soirees, and other special events. As you pull out that sexy backless number to show off your figure, you might wonder how to deal with the tricky wardrobe situation. To bra or not to bra? Go bare or cover up?

If you want to cover up, Fashion Forms might have the answer. Their new Seamless Backless Strapless Bra will hold up for 4-6 hours if you want some type of support. Thanks to the silicone adhesive, you can wear it up to 25 times. This is a good option for those sporting risque halters or complicated frocks. Just peel off the protective backing, press on the bra to the skin, and you're ready to go.

If you're not comfy with adhesive on your skin, another good choice might be the Infinite Options Bra. You can go nuts on all the strap combos you can pull off. You can even do one-shoulder looks. That one also has removable gel push up pads for those who want to enhance their bust line.

www.fashionforms.com

Tagged as: Accessories, bra, fashion, lingerie, shopping

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May is Asian Heritage Month, and to celebrate this, we're doing a special and fun book giveaway with Hachette Book Group! We're giving away 3 sets of books of the following great titles:

Free Food for Millionaires By Min Jin Lee
Trail of Crumbs By Kim Sunée
The Fortune Cookie Chronicles By Jennifer Lee
Transparency By Frances Hwang
Strangers from a Different Shore By Ronald Takaki

Each winner will receive the entire set of books (five books per set). What a deal, huh?

To Enter:

Step 1: Tweet this post on Twitter (RT @feteafete: Win a set of books! Asian Heritage Month Giveaway w/ Hachette! Enter at http://tinyurl.com/pqg2gb ). IF you don't have a Twitter account, please leave an interesting comment below on which title you'd like to read (please no generic ones like 'this sounds great!').

Step 2: Email your full name & mailing address to feteafeteswag@gmail.com. DO NOT forget to send your name and address to this email after you comment or tweet, or you'll be disqualified automatically.

Three winners will be chosen at random. Deadline is May 31, at 11:59pm EST.
U.S. and Canadian residents only. No PO Boxes please. Good luck!

www.hachettebookgroup.com

Tagged as: Books, giveaway, Lifestyle, shopping, special events

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Summer Sundries and Indie Style
Edited by Debutante Clothing

Welcome to Links à la Mode! This week, bloggers are buzzing about summer musts such as Style With Anna's swimsuit trends and Capitola Fashionistas round up of drool worthy sandals. Edgy bloggers are bringing fantastic interviews such as Super Kawaii Mama's chat with colorful Amelia Arsenic and a very cool DIY studded belt by Brick My Lane.

The full version of Links a la Mode is in the forums... there's a lot of great posts there too.

Super Kawaii Mama - A cracking interview with a very worthy girl crush - Amelia Arsenic!
Style Symmetry - Seven Questions with Susie of Style Bubble!
Solo Lisa - Canadian jewelry line DESIGN + CONQUER puts a bold, quirky spin on the meaning of geek chic
The Coveted - Win a $250 gift certificate for Avelle (formerly Bag, Borrow or Steal) luxury handbags!
Agent Dreamer - Hearts Idil Vice
Tickle the Blog - Make your existing make-up into summer beauty must-haves!
Ono Lady - Too cool for school, NYLON magazine have just recently celebrated their 10th anniversary
Dramatis Personae - Ashe Mischief Asks Herself "Why Develop Your Wardrobe's Color Palette?"
fete a fete - Guerlain's new summer Terracotta lip glosses, Fard Indien, and the new Rouge G lipstick!

The Capitola Fashionista - The 15 Must Have Sandals for this Summer
Style With Anna - The Hottest Swimwear and Bikini Trends for Spring/Summer 2009
A Few Goody Gumdrops - is giving away a Hana Elite Ceramic Flat Iron for Mother's Day. Enter to Win!
Capitola Girl - So ready for summer on The Devil Wears Etsy
Two Thousand Things – Celebrity Walk-In Wardrobes and some pictures for reference
The Curvy Fashionista - A Curvy Fashionista declaring her fashionable existence in a straight world
The Fashion Grail - Get Miranda Kerr’s look for less!
Misslikey - my view on the night at Met's
Fashion Pulse Daily - Khaki goes beyond its preppy stigma with the new Gap designer collaboration
Brick My Lane - DIY: how to make an "organic" spike Rock'n'Roll belt
Independent Fashion Bloggers: What's next for IFB?

independentfashionbloggers.org/2009/05/07/lam-14/

Tagged as: beauty, fashion, Style, Trends

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Check out the following makeup used by Lancome for the Metropolitan Museum of Art for Vogue's Costume Institute gala. The star-studded evening included hosts Marc Jacobs, Kate Moss and Justin Timberlake, and many luminous beauties from the fashion and film realm.

Celebrity makeup artist Leslie Lopez gave Anne Hathaway her ultra-dramatic look with smokey eyes as the focal point. Leslie swept Lancôme Color Design Eyeshadow in Statuesque over the entire eyelid, then dabbed Color Design Eyeshadow in Daylight on the brow bone.

She finished with several coats of Lancôme L'Extreme Mascara in Black. Anne’s sheer, neutral colored lipstick--Lancôme L’Absolu Rouge Lipstick in Couture Suede—was the finishing touch.

Supermodel Du Juan's look:
Lancôme makeup artist Andrew Sotomayor created Du Juan’s radiance by using Lancôme Artliner in Brown on the upper lash line. He then added a few coats of Lancôme Virtuôse Black Carat Mascara, giving her lashes a boost of volume and length.

Andrew added just a touch of color to the eyes with Shu Uemura Eyeshadow in ME Brown 860 and ME Pink 100. He lined the lips with Lancôme Le Lipstique in Natural Mauve and topped it with La Laque Fever gloss in Pink Dimension, resulting in a pretty pink pout. A dusting of Star Bronzer in Bronze Dore gave Du Juan a sun-kissed complexion.

(Image credit: Style.com)

Tagged as: beauty, celebrity, eyeliner, fashion, lipstick, makeup, mascara, shopping, special events

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A few items from Guerlain's summer 2009 Terracotta collection is making me swoon. I just LOVE the smooth, moisturizing Gloss Cashmere Velvet Matte Gloss. It has the perfectly matte lipstick look, yet it just glides on so thinly like the lightest lip gloss. It's liquified lipstick that defies definition.

It's so smooth and soft (no wonder they named it Gloss Cashmere), and it's not drying at all. You can also play around with it and mix it with a gloss for another look altogether. The Rose Pondichery is a sweetly neutral shade while Rouge Sultan is the classic sexy red.

J'adore the Fard Indien Mineral Eyeshadow. The silky and even texture is great for blending into a smoky eye. The Jungle Dust is a gorgeous mysterious forest green that will go well on many skin tones. Blend it with a light gold shadow and you're done!

The new Rouge G de Guerlain lipstick is a killer product in terms of luxury design. Jewelry designer Lorenz Bäumer came up with this seductive spygirl accessory, making you feel like a star of your own Bond flick. The white-gold coated case flicks open to reveal a mirror (I was wondering if it's got a secret camera-pistol too) that also lets you pull out a highly pigmented lipstick.

Ground Ruby crystal powder (lab-synthesized) and liquid mother-of-pearl help provide unprecedented radiance and light refraction. Gugul resin acts as a natural wrinkle-filler while wild mango butter keeps your lips super soft.

Available at Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman.

Tagged as: beauty, cosmetics, makeup, summer, Trends

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shu uemura is having a 20% discount on all purchases (and FREE standard shipping) with any purchase over $50 between today through May 7. If you need to stock up on your favorite lashes, eyeshadows or cleansing oils, here's your chance to do it with a nice discount. Just enter the special promo code: NEWSITEBLOG upon checkout.

They also just launched a new site design, with a brand-new custom makeup palette feature. If you register as a shopping site member you can select a free deluxe sample. Whoo hoo!

www.shuuemura-usa.com

Tagged as: beauty, cosmetics, discount, eyeshadow, Luxury, makeup, promotion, shopping, skin care

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Ok, I know y'all are nice kids but if you haven't gotten Mom her prezzie yet (6 days away!), here are a few last minute ideas:

Vosges' new Les Fleur Heart Box collection is sublime. Featuring the pretty Les Fleurs du Chocolat collection, these truffles are topped with organic flower petals (rose, nasturtium, orchid, and marigold). The Siam Cirtron truffle is so delicate and lovely (hints of jasmine tea, lemongrass, and coconut enrobed in white chocolate). Platanos y Orchidus has a burst of caramelized bananas and Jamaican rum.

If your budget is lower, get some yummy Bombalinas. The Barcelona Almonds are brilliant - smoked hickory almonds mingled with Maldon sea salt and 45% deep milk chocolate.

Kiehl's has perennial faves and bestseller skin care products, and the folks there can tailor to any budget. If mom is a floral lover, get the new Gardenia lotion & cleanser set for her.

Spoon NYC has a great Breakfast in Bed Gift Basket. Serve her breakfast in style with the Perfect Buttermilk Pancake Mix, Vermont Blueberry Maple Syrup, Small Batch Strawberry Jam, Stumptown Organic Coffee, and The Best Ever Granola.

If Mom likes to eat her arrangements, get her the edible Hearts and Berries 'floral' arrangement of pineapple hearts and chocolate-dipped strawberries. If she's a gardener, she will re-use the keepsake watering can.

Tagged as: beauty, chocolate, flowers, food, gifts, gourmet, holiday, shopping

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