LuxBuzz

While browsing through Tiffany’s selections for spring 2008, I was thoroughly disappointed, and even a bit disgusted.

The jewelry I coveted and started getting for birthdays and Christmases since I was twelve seems to have undergone a bit of a transition to tackiness.

Their charm bracelets that debuted a few seasons ago are so, “Look at me! I have Tiffany jewelry!” The hearts are ugly and also label stamped. And there are now knockoffs of the best classic pieces, which caused the real ones to lose allure. But the new stuff they are producing is just terrible. While contemplating which piece was worthy to show on this post to convince you, I couldn’t choose just one. Thus I invite you to look for yourself: www.tiffany.com.

While fantastic for label-whores and grandmothers, I have withdrawn interest from Tiffany & Co. Looking for something fabulous and really status-worthy? Check Cartier out!! They have yet to really go down the drain….

Happy Holidays, everyone!  LuxBuzz is going on a holiday break, gearing up for the new year and getting ready to bring you the very latest in everything you need to know!  Also, expect some changes in the setup of the site!

So sit back, enjoy your time off, and we will be back very soon!

With all of the stress surrounding modern holidays, it is important to have an outlet for possible stress.

An added bonus is something productive, like knitting!  It’s no longer just for you grandmother and her friends.  Knitting is taking trendy young people by storm everywhere!

It isn’t difficult to learn.  Head over to grandma’s, a friend who has mastered the trade, or just grab a learn-to-knit book up at the library, Barnes and Noble, or amazon.com.

It is best to begin with the easiest, a scarf.  When you master that, attempt moving on to mittens, hats, even sweaters!

My knitting endeavor?  Well, it is…improving!  I’m making a scarf currently, and though it’s beginnings are incredibly messy, I’m beginning to get the hang of it and it’s starting to look a little professional.

Practice makes perfect, right?  So pick up some yarn and knitting needles, and bust that stress, and you will be left with something to keep you warm.  It’s a win-win!

Hope your Monday was bearable, LuxBuzz readers!

With the holiday season just around the corner, I figured it only appropriate to start the first official week of December with a lust-worthy item.

I know what you are thinking. “Uh-oh. She is going to feature a $974 bag that I can nowhere near afford.”

Not this time! The item of this week retails for only $14.95 and serves an excellent cause! This “Sterling Domed Peace Sign Necklace” from thehungersite.com is the perfect addition to any holiday outfit and the perfect gift for a friend, mother, grandmother, cousin or aunt. Spread the word and promote peace.

For each necklace purchased, thehungersite.com will fund 25.0 cups of food to be donated to fight world hunger. Make the holiday of a child in an impoverished country!

Really, isn’t giving a very large part of what the upcoming season is about?

So visit www.thehungersite.com and finish off your holiday shopping!

If you missed part one of my Christmas gift guide, you can view it here.

The Best Friend
She/he is probably one of the most important people in your life - you cry on their shoulder and bake them cookies when they’re sad. Without them, your life would be sad and lonely, therefore they deserve a really special gift just to show them how much you appreciate them. These Juicy Couture pave heart studs ($45 from Neiman Marcus) are gorgeous. The Bobbi Brown lipglosses below are $28 from Saks and if you’re nice to your bestie, she might even let you borrow them!

The mother
As the woman that gave you life, I’d say she is quite important in your life! You raid her wardrobe and treat her as a taxi driver so she definitely deserves a special something. These shoe & handbag servers are $50 from Neiman Marcus or the set of 4 fashion plates which are $100 and also from Neimans.

The Father
Treat your dad to something cool this holiday season. Gadgets are always a great choice as are anything hobby-related (e.g. golf balls, sailing books etc…) This Lomography Fisheye camera is a great choice if your dad likes taking photos (it costs $38 from Urban Outfitters.) The City Survival tool below is also a good choice and at $25 it won’t break the bank. Find it at Urban Outfitters.

So this concludes my Christmas gift guide. Good luck choosing presents for those special people and always stick to the rule: don’t buy anything you wouldn’t want to receive.

Rock on!!
xx
-Steph

The UN World Food Programme’s (WFP) website FreeRice.com gives 20 grains of rice every time you get a vocabulary question correct. You gain a better vocabulary, while donating food to the hungry. Advertisements that change at the bottom of the screen for each question fund the program. Even if your computer freezes or your connection is lost, the site is still able to track the rice you’ve earned. You can also donate $8.25 to fund a full 25 kilo bag of rice (here). The game is also great practice for standardized tests that have vocab sections. The WFP also gives foods other than rice to the hungry.

With many of us traveling this month and next due to upcoming holidays, it’s good to keep these in mind regarding travel safety, tourism tips and of course, how to stow those must-have far-off purchases in your bag on the way back.

At the airport, train station and on the streets:

• Keep your bag within view at all times! Especially important for passports and money.
• Label both the inside and outside of your luggage.
• Pack your jewelry and valuables in your carry-on or purse, and again, keep a close watch.
• Pay attention to airport security. It will decrease your — and everyone else’s — hassle levels and wait times immensely.
• If worst comes to worse, contact the local police or your country of residence’s embassy for help.

Tourism:

• Investigate the so-called tourist attractions. In New York, visit the Statue of Liberty, Times Square and Central Park. These places are well-known for a reason, that being, they’re usually worth checking out!
• Ask the locals. They’ll know the best pizza places, the coolest clubs and more.
• Wander. Don’t feel limited in your travels. It’s great to go with what’s popular (see above), but the best finds are often found off the beaten track.
• Enrich your brain. Take advantage of museums, especially in cities known for their culture, like Paris. Not into the masters? Look into modern or performance art venues.
• Take advantage of student or traveler discounts.
• Above all, respect the residents. If you don’t speak their language, at least make an effort. Respecting their culture will earn you respect in return.

At the shops and the hotel:

• Take advantage of a lower exchange rate.
• Look into vintage and high street shops specific to the area, but skip designer goods you can easily get at home.
• Invest in a garment bag to avoid wrinkles.
• Make sure any appliances you bring (blow-dryers, curling irons) have compatible outlets. If not, buy a converter.
• Keep your luggage in good repair.

Most of all, have fun!

– Halie

Well, it’s that time of year again! It seems like only yesterday that the shops were all decorated and had Christmas songs playing. Time to face the annual dilemma of buying people presents. Will Aunt Margaret like that scarf? Will Nick like that man-bag? There are so many types of people out there, thats why I compiled a guide you can use to help choose presents for friends (and family) this holiday season.

1. The person that has everything
It may seem like nothing that you can buy would be good enough for their high-end taste, but often these people do appreciate little things and can be understanding. Get them something unusual and unique or go one step further and make their present from scratch (e.g. Jewelry). This marshmallow shooter ($30 from Urban Outfitters) is creative!

2. The arty types
Baking, painting, pottery or photography, these people really appreciate “different” gifts. They are also really easy to choose for because of their wide range of hobbies. Recipe books are wonderful for the people that love cooking or baking and a voucher to an art shop would be an instant hit - as would this brownie pan ($40 from Fred Flare) or this set of 4 plates ($34 from Urban Outfitters).

3. The rebels
You know the type - listen to death metal, usually play a loud instrument, wear a lot of black… These people are one of the hardest to buy for, but with a little imagination you can choose something that they will really enjoy! You can attempt to buy them something cutesy and often they will really appreciate it - even the toughest of people have a soft side! This locked diary would be ironic but sweet ($12 from Fred Flare) and this tea set would be perfect ($20 from Urban Outfitters).

Keep your eyes peeled for part 2 of this gift guide!
Rock on!!
xx
-Steph

Whether you were out at three this morning or are just about to go out, be sure you are ready for the madness that awaits at pretty much every shopping center today.

Personally, I have yet to see something that caught my eye enough to stand in freezing weather outside a retailer until they open.

However, if you are risking going out, here are a few things to keep in mind:

-Keep your cell on you at all times. Some pretty crazy things can happen, and you must always be prepared!

-Bring a jacket, gloves, hat, etc. to stay warm outside in the lines (Unless of course, you are lucky enough to live somewhere that is isn’t 28 degrees)!

-Wear something plain underneath your outerwear, like a white tee or tank so if dressing rooms are booked you can strip down to your decent tee or tank and try things on right out in the store.

-Get the best deal possible! Be sure you did your research, cut out those coupons and are saving enough money for the madness to pay off!

Happy Black Friday, LuxBuzz readers. The best luck to you in your shopping endeavors!

For as long as civilizations have existed, the past always sought out to mock the present, and vice versa. We will always have those that said, “Your generation is doing such and such wrong” in every field of life; music, ethics, politics, social responsibility, etc… But have things really sunk, or is the lizard complaining because she lost her ability to adapt?

Perhaps this relates to mainly my family culturally, but ‘ere goes… As you all know, I live in a mixed Euro-Arab background. For a few years, my family lived in Lebanon, which is the “France of the Middle-East” due to the Arabic-French cultural mesh that happened some time ago.

In Lebanon; well, back when we lived there in the very early ’90’s, people were very well dressed for each occassion. In fact, so much that anyone who was deemed “underdressed” would be very looked down upon. I hear it is still very much the same today.

My parents feel that, in North America, people are underdressed, but that’s definitely as compared to the Lebanese residing in Lebanon. Okay, that may not relate to the situation in terms of generational gaps; more-so in cultural gaps, but here’s another way of thinking…

Imagine the situation of the Lebanese as America in the 1940’s or such (even though we all know they’re way passed that), and think of America “in-the-now” as… well, America in-the-now! You see, when an American comes to Lebanon, they most likely will clash culturally with the Lebanese because they’re 60 years behind (in this instance). Thing is, as new generations arise, new opinions start to form, but the older generations still share the same old opinions they began with, and that’s why, even if what the elders say is true, it’s mostly because of the generational gap.

How do you feel about the gap? Is it really our fault, or is the lizard being bitter?