Find Something Gorgeous At Macy's Like Fine Jewelry

1) topaz with diamonds; 2) amethyst with diamonds; 3) pearls

It's the time of the year (again!) for me to feature a few awesome retailers and gift ideas to make your holiday shopping easy! You really can't go wrong at Macy's as the department store offers choice galore for every budget. Plus it has a long history of fantastic customer service. 
    

4) Tanzanites; 5) emeralds; 6) diamonds 

To be honest, it's not concierge customer service, but as an independent shopper, I'm ok with that. When I do need to ask a sales associate to help me, I always find them to be knowledgeable and honest about their wares. Plus the merchant strives to make things right if something goes wrong after you buy it, an invaluable trait. 

7) amethyst with diamonds; 8) blue sapphires with diamonds; 9) pink sapphires with diamonds

Today's blog features mid-priced jewelry made of real stones and 14k gold (with one silver medal ... ↑the amethyst ring above left) you might consider for your mother, sister or daughter. Far from dirt cheap (as you may have to save up a few paychecks) yet they are affordable and durable gifts that should last a lifetime. 

As longtime readers know, I'm a fan of Macy's fine jewelry because jewelry is rarely an investment. Short of being the estate of Elizabeth Taylor or Queen Elizabeth II, you will rarely be able to resell your jewelry for the price you paid for it. Moreover, at Macy's never buy their jewelry at full price, but wait for a rock bottom promotion (such as Black Friday, Friends & Family Sales, Limited-Time-Specials)!

10) onyx, emeralds and diamonds; 11) rolls of pearls; 12) topaz, amethyst, topaz, citrine with diamonds

Macy's online customer associates offer excellent assistance too. I have telephoned them many times to help buy gifts. And, recently they helped me select a bed mattress with their information and tips. (After narrowing the possibilities, I visited the Herald's Square store knowing what mattresses to try for hardness.)

For this blog, I went online to the fine jewelry department category, selecting "sales", "clearance" and "last act" to pull up this array of gift ideas. Some are classic pieces, while others are modern or whimsical -- something to suite every taste and  occasion. The sparklers are: diamonds, sapphires (blue and pink), emeralds, amethysts, topaz (blue), Tanzanites (violet-blue), and citrine (orange).

13) diamonds; 14) diamonds; 15) emeralds with diamonds

I've had instances in a jewelry store when a total stranger asks me to help him select a piece of jewelry for his girlfriend. What a sweet jesture that he's there, I always think and am delighted to assist! I LOVE buying jewelry! I have also taken a 20-something man to Macy's to get his paramount a piece. I start by asking him for a range of what he wishes to spend, followed by the type of jewelry and stones she likes to wear. I ask what her favorite color is and what metals she tends to wear. If you know these answers, you'll get something she likes. There's less choice when buying men jewelry, but I have no doubt I could find the perfect piece! At Macy's the sales associates are very helpful ... and I find truthful.

Do you have a favorite? What do you wear more often ... earrings, rings or necklaces?

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Stylish Layering From Uniqlo

Looks even sleeker and more stylish then it photographs.

On Saturday, the first breath of brisk autumn air hit New York City, just enough to show us that Old Man Winter was on his way.😱 That's all it took to send me out shopping in order to prepare for the biting cold ahead! Minus a set of wings, I flew over to Uniqlo, one of my favorite retailers for a few stylish layering basics. The 3 pieces I bought easily fit under a winter coat without adding bulk including:

1) Women Ultra Light Down Compact Vest - ↑ (top image)  - This item can be worn as an inner or outer layer. It repels light rain and snow. Has outside  and interior pockets, as well as, snap buttons. Takes up no room to store in a closet, or rolled up in a backpack.

2) Women Heattech Extra Warm T-shirt - Cozy and soft, yet made to handle the most extreme cold. Durable, moisture absorbing fabric you can wear as a layer or a normal top. Also comes in a crew or scoop neck ... so if you have a preference,  pay attention when placing your order.

3) Women Heattech Extra Warm Leggings - Like the matching t-shirt, the leggings are soft and stretchy for ease of moment. A high waist stays in place. Opique -- absoluely not see-through (yay!). Keeps out the cold, but absorbs moisture to feel comfortable against your skin. Wraps you in warmth and is machine washable.

I bought all 3 pieces in black for versatility to go with my entire wardrobe, but there is a selection of colors. A basic black or neutral color can mean that buying less is more!


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Kally's Kentucky Fruitcake Is The Best Ever!

All photos and recipe by Rita Mackin Fox

Ready or not, the holidays are coming. Today I'm sharing my schoolmate, Rita Mackin Fox's Kentucky (Bourbon) Fruitcake. This is not your typical yucky fruitcake. People who don't like fruitcake, agree on how scrumptious this recipe is! 

As well as her culinary skills, Rita is a talented writer with many worldwide fans. For her Romance novels, she writes under the pen name Kallypso Masters. "Like" her Facebook page to find other delicious recipes, information and entertainment. Thanks, dearest Rita (mostly for being you, and) for letting me share your mother's recipe, plus giving my readers a chance to connect with yours!

Kally's Kentucky Fruitcake 

Makes 3 regular loaves, or one 5+ pound loaf: Rita says, "It can take 6 weeks, from start to finish, so don't wait too long to start!"

Ingredients:

4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

6 large whole eggs

1/2 cup bourbon (this is just for the cake recipe, not the soaking).

4 cups pecan pieces, soaked in bourbon

1 pound candied cherries (8 oz each of the red and green)

8 ounces raisins, or Craisins, soaked in bourbon

8 ounces candied pineapple

1/2 cup orange marmalade (Rita doesn’t like citron, and this is SO much tastier.)

Extras: 

pecan halves and red/green whole cherries to decorate the top of cake(s)

cheesecloth (a package of 6-yards, cut into three relatively equal sections will do it)

1 - 1.5 litres of fine Kentucky bourbon (Rita prefers sourmash.)   

Directions:

1) At least the night before mixing and baking the cake (and even several days or a week before is okay), soak raisins/Craisins and nuts in bourbon in separate containers. Says Rita: "I just put the pecans into a quart Mason jar and the raisins/Craisins into a pint jar, cover with bourbon, and put them in the fridge until I’m ready for them. They will plump up with the liquor, so don’t overfill the jars, but try to keep the fruit and nuts covered in bourbon."

2) Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and another rack below it on the lowest spot. Put a pan of water on the lowest rack. This will add moisture to the oven when baking. Heavily butter a 10-inch tube pan or three loaf pans. Set aside.

3) Sift the flour, baking powder, and nutmeg into a medium bowl.

4) In a separate, large bowl, cream the butter and sugar, beating with a mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending completely after each addition.

5) Drain the bourbon from the raisins and nuts. Measure out and set aside 1/2 cup of the bourbon for later. Pour the rest into a small bowl and add the strips of cheesecloth to soak it up. We NEVER waste good Kentucky bourbon! Set aside.

6) Preheat oven to 325 F.

7) Add the flour mixture to the eggs in two additions, alternating with the 1/2 cup bourbon. Stir in the pecans, marmalade, raisins/Craisins, pineapple, and cherries.

8) Transfer the batter to the prepared pan(s). Rita sometimes decorates the top with bourbon-soaked pecan halves and red/green whole cherries, but that's optional. 

9) Bake until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. APPROXIMATE baking times (ovens vary; also consider altitude adjustments):

• coffeecake pan or tube pan: about 1-3/4 to 2 hours. (Rita’s is usually done within the 1-3/4 hour.)
• bread loaf pan: 75-90 minutes
• 5-inch gift size pans: 60-75 minutes

10) If the top of the cake begins to brown substantially before the cake is set, cover loosely with a piece of aluminum foil.

11) Remove the cake(s) from the oven and let cool 15-30 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife down the sides to help loosen the cake from the pan. If you made a huge ring cake, before or after turning the cake out, you might want to cut it into three wedges (unless it will be given whole as a gift--and then good luck getting it out without having it break up; Rita's always brakes up). That's why she goes with wedges when she uses a ring pan.

12) When completely cool, wrap each section in a 2-yard strip of bourbon-soaked cheesecloth until covered in several layers.

13) Place the cake(s) in airtight, leak-free containers. (For a ring cake, Rita uses a large Rubbermaid or Tupperware container big enough to fit three loaf-pan sized cakes.) 

14) Liberally, but slowly (so more of it can soak in), pour bourbon over the cake(s). It's okay if liquid is swimming at the bottom a bit in the first week. If you do have a lot of liquid in the bottom, you might not need to add more. Once or twice a day, flip the cakes over so that the bourbon will run back through the cake slowly. Do this for 2-3 weeks, but when you don’t see any standing bourbon at the bottom of the container any longer, and the bottom is no longer “soggy,” you can quit turning it. After a few weeks to a month where no liquid bourbon has been visible, it should be ready to serve or gift, but the cake will keep for months (some even say years). No rush!

This is the best fruitcake you will ever eat! Unlike most, these friutcakes make wonderful gifts!

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Beauty Advent Calendars For Less

With many Beauty Advent Calendars customers don't get enough bang for the buck. The high end calenders are expensive and a holiday splurge. And yet, despite paying a hefty price tag, some luxury brands skimp on product. I'm thinking of you Charlotte Tilbury: offering 12 items in travel sizes for $200. At $150 NARS is a little better with 25 gifts, but they, too, are mini sizes (and one offering is a pencil sharper)! Oh c'mon, when we pay the piper, give us full sizes of product!

Today I'm adding three Beauty Advent Calendars for less since not everyone can afford the high end Beauty Advent Calendars I featured on Monday. The following is sure to delight also:

Inside of Sleek Advent Calendar

🔔🐪🎄

1) Sleek MakeUp Can’t Wait Another Day Advent Calendar - 35£/$44. Twenty-four days of goodies. Sold at Boots in the UK. Here in the US, Sleek makeup is available at Ulta and Walgreen's, but I haven't seen the advent calendar in America. The Sleek beauty line is worth discovering, so I'm tempted to buy the makeup to make my own advent calendar of gifts! Included in the UK Advent Calendar is Sleek's doppelganger for NARS Orgasm blush in their own imitation shade of rose gold, so be sure to include it in your mix.

Although Walgreens doesn't seem to stock Sleek's full Advent Calendar, it carries smaller collections of 5 Sleek makeup items in lovely neutral colors retailing from $10 to $15, which I nearly got for myself.😊 As I reminded myself, makeup is not what I entered the store to buy!

2) NYX Sugar Trip 24 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar $55 - Contains 24 gifts consisting of eyeshadow, blush, highlighters, matte lip creams and lip glosses.

Inside of NYX Advent Calendar
🔔🐪🎄

3) Westminster Abbey Advent Calendar from Acorn $35 - This last suggestion is a bit of a stretch as it's not a 3-dimensional beauty calendar. I love it for its history of London's great Gothic church. 24 doors, windows and other openings reveal sections from the Abbey's stained-glass windows! Pair this calendar with 24 wrapped Sleek makeup items and still pay less than the cost of one of the ritzy beauty advent calendars. (Ulta offers 2/1 Sleek makeup often.) Plus this landmark calendar is sure to be kept instead of tossed!

🔔🐪🎄

12 makeup products

Another holiday calendar of interest is No 7 from Boots, yet I stop short of recommending it as a 4th choice. Yes, I love No 7 as a skincare and makeup line, but 12 Days of Beauty contains only 12 (not 24 items). Retailing for $44, they are not full sizes. You know how I feel about small sizes in a collection readers!😠 If it sold for about $20, I'd recommend it. Why not pick out full sizes of 2-3 favorite items in order to give more substanial gifts?

Most everybody spends more than they wish on Christmas gifts. Yet, here is a bit of wow for 24 days costing $55 or less!

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Happy Halloween From Gotham City

In a town of dedicated doormen, two dandy gentlemen welcome you to Gotham City to experience a howling Halloween. 

 Who spread the terror ... um, terr~ible rumor that New Yorkers are an unfriendly bunch? As you can see by this colorful beaming face such hearsay is merely fiction!💀

Know that Gotham City isn't all concrete and mortar. There's plenty of green living things from where little creatures (bats!) like to hang upside down and birds (ravens and buzzards!) like to perch eagerly watching all passersby.

Did someone below faint, or fell over? Perhaps, a fat, little, tasty morsel! Shall we fly down to see?

These longtime, Upper East Side, Social X-rays will dangle around until their black feathered friends better assess the scene.

Meanwhile in the side yard, the spirited games and merriment begin with our honored guests. Come join the fun!

On Fright Night open bar: Barton, the bartender, is standing by to fill your glass. Ahhhh, he's smiling!

What's a Halloween Party without a treasure trove of festive door prizes for everyone attending. Just don't fell in!

And look: Fireball, the family pet, wants to play with you!🔥Puff, puff, little dino!

Everybody is tied up and having such a frighteningly good time ... but who is eating the appetizer here?  Want a bite???

Oh, what a tangled web of All Hallows' Eve we weave!🕷

And for the love of wickedness ... who left their bones in the flower pot?🎃

Work up your appetite, my lovely readers. After dark, Fireball🐲 starts the barbecue.🔥 Mmm, big juicy rats! 

Oh vegan, are you? No worries! We have an extra pair of hands to help toss a red and green salad.

Neighbors are practicing their ghoulish dance moves out on the stoop. Come back after dark to see their monster mash. It promises to be a scream!

Keith? Mick? Is it you?

Gotham City (including these Glimmer Twins) wish you a Happy Halloween!

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Beauty Advent Calendars 2018

Liberty of London Advent Calendar 2018

The Beauty Advent Calendars 2018 are launching now, and they sell out lickedity-split fast. Here are 5 calendars I recommend based on content alone. Packaging is a nice bonus, but it pares down to what's inside: Will you love the products? Some cleverly festive Advent Calendars from high end beauty companies don't make my cut because they don't offer enough product for the money, (sample sizes should be free!); or have too many fillers (such as highlighters, glitters, a pencil sharpener -- not joking!) as their offerings. For the moola charged (anywhere from $150 - $325+) I look for 24/25 days of gifts; generous sizes of product; and a lovely curated assortment, giving consumers a chance to try new things. I want a "wow" factor!

Sooo, here are my 5 Beauty Advent Calendars 2018 -- if spending the money is not a factor, these are the most desirable:

1) Liberty of London ↑ top image - I'm not going to lie. This Advent Calendar is the one I covet the most, but haven't had the good fortune to own. Yes, it's expensive, but the beauty products are well sized and selected; and top-notch. A desirable mix of better known and unsung brands. Not cheap, yet a good value (worth £600/$700). One day I will wait no more and buy it for myself!

2) Fenwick -  It has a good amount of skincare, which I like over a calendar of candles or fragrances. However, a single candle is fine by me, and the Neom Scented Candle in Tranquility that is included sounds soothing.

3) Eleimis - Yes, yes, yes to a calendar of youth serums, super food skin potions and nourishing body creams just in time to fight and win a mighty battle with Old Man Winter.❅

4) Space NK - An opportunity to expand your beauty horizons with new products by brands including Votary, Sunday Riley, By Terry, Illa, Rodial, Diptyque, Miriam Quevedo, Natura Bisse, R+Co, Oual, Christophe Robin, Kevyn Aucoin, and Oribe. 

5) Net-a-Porter - A collection of skin, hair and makeup items from popular luxe brands like Charlotte Tilbury, Aromatherapy Associates and Marc Jacobs in full sizes.


If you want a Beauty Advent Calendar, order early as they are sold in limited quantities only to fly off the shelves. And check back later this week: I found 2 additinal Advent Calendars For Less (under $55) that are almost as much fun to buy/get as these luxe calendars.


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