Why, ILORI, why? Just when I swear off designer sunglasses for good, you tempt me with the following offer:

The best part? It’s for CHARITY, people!

Donated frames will be given to OneSight(sm) a family of organizations devoted to helping those in need – both domestically and around the world.

Umm, how can I turn this down? Sure, I have broken/lost approximately 10 bajillion pairs of designer frames, but sunglasses are the foundation of any summer look  and I am itching to get my hands on a new pair.

Whenever I am wandering SOHO, ILORI beckons with they’re beautifully designed store and impressive selection. Perhaps I can persaude a Femme or two to make a venture there soon?

I am squealing with delight, ladies! The trailer for The September Issue has finally dropped!  Feast your eyes on this:

Quite simply, it looks A-MAH-ZING.  Our beloved Ms. Wintour could strike a person dead with a single glance, and boy does this film capture her in her glory.

Looks like there is even a speacial quest appearancshe from Uncle Karl!!

You better believe your Femmes will be there opening day.

As the week draws to a close and we come to grips with the horrific shooting at the Holocaust Museum, a letter in today’s Washington Post reminded me of the amazing capacity we as humans have to find meaning, inspiration and hope in the face of tragedy:

James W. von Brunn — racist, domestic terrorist and anti-Semite — never knew that when he and his then-wife sold their Lebanon, N.H., home in 1982, they sold it to a Jewish family.

The von Brunns had moved to Maryland before we looked at the house, and he was incarcerated when we bought it, imprisoned for attempting to hold hostage members of the Federal Reserve Board. When we moved in, we realized we’d bought it from an anti-Semite survivalist because he’d left behind several boxes of anti-Jewish books. We immediately added them to the trash.

Anyway, James W. von Brunn, we want you to know we took great pleasure in living there despite the hate-filled man who occupied it before we did. We celebrated Passover Seders, exchanged Hanukkah gifts and raised two wonderful Jewish children there.

GAIL CHADWICK

Wonderful, non? Irony is a wonderful, wonderful thing.

Summer is in the air here in New York, and I’ve been on the hunt for cute sandals that can take me from day to evening for weeks now.  I LIVE in sandals during the summer season.  Something about letting my toesies air out of months of winter captivity is so freeing.

Flip flops at the office is a no-no, so I needed something a tad dressier.  The problem? They had to be cheap too.  Hey, it’s a recession.

Luckily I wandered into a Steve Madden the other day and came across this darling beauty:

The Motif sandal is a chic little number that’s available in numerous color options for the bargain price of $39.95 online and $29.95 in stores.  I wore my brand new tan pair the entire weekend, including a 2 mile walk home from my office – can you believe these babies are comfortable too?

Steve Madden FTW!

perfectly flushed

Ok, readers. So I admit it – I am not a die hard environmentalist. I drink from plastic water bottles that I promptly toss. I am, at best, lazy about recycling. I feel asleep during An Inconvenient Truth. And horror of horrors! I refuse to pay more for organic foods and instead munch on chemically sprayed apples.

While Kai is inspiring me to try and more eco-friendly, frankly there is only one area of my life that I am consistently anal about being environmentally conscious: skincare. Oh, vanity! You whip my butt into shape, forcing me to consider the previously unthinkable. In the name of my sensitive, Rosacea-plagued skin, I obsessively read labels and use only products that have the purest, most-green ingredients possible. For that reason, I become obsessed with trying out tarte cosmetic’s “a perfect whirled limited-edition natural swirl cheek stain.”

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Deliciousness from Foley & Corinna

Do you have StefaniBags bookmarked on your browser?  If not, you should. Trust.

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This is genius. Enjoy.

Never thought you would hear those words come out of my mouth, eh? Well watch this clip of Shep Smith summing up with unbelievable brevity and clarity in three, little words why we DO.NOT.TORTURE.

That’s right. We are America. End of story.

And also, I just really enjoyed the added florish of the f-bomb.

Wow.  I know Portfolio‘s “Confessions of a TARP Wife” is being lambasted all over the internet, but I could not resist posting this bit on nonsense here on Femmeiniste too. It is just.that.ridiculous.

To make a long story short, the wife of a Banking CEO has written an article discussing how she and her husband have had to cut back on their lifestyle in the wake of the collapsing economy.

Among the choice bits: they now have to fly commercial, skip opening night at the Metropolitan Opera and downsized the husband’s lavish annual birthday party.

OH, THE HORROR!

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Ladies, we’re all looking to save a few bucks during these trying times, right?  I’ve made it my 2009 mission to get my finances in order, pay off my debt and get the savings flowing.

Sure it’s not my most glamorous post, but here are a few of  my patented save-money-while-living-fabulously tips.  They are not particularly original or revolutionary, but they work for me!

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