I was introduced to Laura through my friend, Bernadette. Laura was wearing the most stunning sterling silver wrist cuff. She told me that she is actually the artist who made it. This woman has talent! Years ago (I am not to say how many), Laura enrolled in the oldest engraving school in the country in Pennsylvania. The school was established in the 1850′s and, until it closed its doors a few years ago, kept the integrity of teaching engraving the old fashion way, meaning no machines. Sadly, there are now only a handful of hand-engravers left in the States.
Taking a [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Contributing Editor
Prom is right around the corner.  Dresses are being bought and tuxedos are being rented.  Limos are being reserved and dinner reservations being made.  Now for the finishing touch: the corsage and boutonnière.  Artist Desicra handmakes boutonnières and corsages from paper and found objects.  They are beautiful, unique and will last longer than the traditional floral ones.  A wrist corsage with real flowers can cost around $50.00 (at least this is what my son paid last year for his date). This year, he is ordering a corsage from Desicra’s shop [...]

I believe that my search for a cool, functional laptop bag has finally come to an end. Thank you Urban Junket for your T.O.T.E bag collection (T.O.T.E. stands for To Observe the Earth)!
The bags are not only super handsome-cute, they are also made of durable AND eco-friendly materials. Indeed, the bags are made from 70% recycled materials and eco-friendly dyes. RPET is used for all the lining materials. RPET (Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate) is made from recycled plastic bottles that undergo high temperature washing and sterilization before being made into thread which is then dyed using non toxic vegetable dyes.

The laptop [...]

I used to be the girl that would walk out of the house without any makeup and still feel quite pleased with myself. As I age though, there are a few things that need a little extra patching and thus there are now  quite a few products in my vanity that I canNOT live without.

I must be showing my age, because it seems that I’m all about covering up of late. I wrote about the Hip-T a few months ago, the “t-shirt extenders” that help cover up unfortunate plumber’s crack sightings caused by low-rise jeans (I wear mine all the time, the Hip-T, that is). Now I’m all about Second Base, another half-breed of a camisole, but this one for the upper body.
It’s not that I’m that much of a prude, but I’m not so keen on having it all hang out. Much of fashion seems to be cut for the 20-something bodies, when [...]

Yesterday, in a cruelly teasing mood, Mother Nature rose the temps into the 60’s in the Chicago area. So, we all divested our heavy winter layers but still, there was a chill in the air. That’s what spring is all about… warm, cold, hot, warm, cold, hot…
Perfect solution to one -up the Mam Nature: The Shoul. It’s a simple yet brilliant variation of the shawl, or wrap, except much smarter. Why is it such a great accessory? As opposed to large bulky wraps, this one stays on your shoulders. You know, as opposed to the points of a normal wrap [...]

Know someone who’s not so lucky with her amorous relationships? That wants to forget all about Valentine’s Day and instead vent a little? Or a lot. Here’s a cute gift line for those who live with many of the “didn’t put the cover back on the toothpaste” type of annoyances.
The Would It Kill Him® line features the edgy yet vulnerable Miranda June character. She is Laura Brucato’s creation and artistic outlet, used to unleash frustrations gained during a series of unfortunate romantic relationships. Actually, Miranda is very much Laura’s alter ego. Miranda is the one who fully expresses the extent [...]

Note: Ladies, please feel free to forward this to the men in your lives that need gift ideas and inspiration this Valentine’s Day.
The “picture is worth a thousand words” cliché is enduring for a reason: because it’s so true. Which is quite a relief for those not so poetic because now, simply handing over one of these little jewelry pieces should say it all. Well, actually, some pieces here conjure images that can be left to interpretation, which interpretation should really be left to the gift recipient, after all…

My Friend Roze has molded and cast bubble wrap to produce these [...]

Need to stir things up a little this Valentine’s Day? You might want to pop in any DVDs from the Intimacy Spa collection and see what happens…
Taking a tasteful approach that features real life couples, the Intimacy Spa DVD series proposes six different titles aimed to boost a couple’s intimacy. ‘Cause it’s a well known fact that increased intimacy makes for healthier, more satisfying relationships. The titles include the almost sedate variety like Sensual Massage for Couples, Sensual Yoga for Couples, Sensual Fitness for Couples (I’m trying to imagine the exercise routine) and Sensual Thai Massage. And then, for good [...]

I have been following Courtney Laine’s work for a number of years now, always in dreamy adoration of her Passementerie line and now of the Laine collection (Laine houses Courtney’s latest line, higher-end one-of-kind collectible pieces while Passementerie features Courtney’s classic designs).

You would never guess it but Courtney is completely self-taught, except for a few metalsmithing classes and graduate gemology classes that she has enrolled in to get a better understanding of the precious gems that are used in her designs.
I am entirely self taught, which has allowed me to take my time, to truly explore the materials that I [...]