Fashion Trend Spotting » Uncategorized

There better be a diamond in that little box on V-Day

Charissa Cowart — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:10:30 +0000

Ok fellas, while it is such a generous thought for you to want to give your Valentine jewelry on the day of Pink and Red, you must, I repeat must be careful what jewelry you choose and how you wrap it. In fact, there is only one piece of jewelry you need to stay away from and that my friend, is the Ring. The only reason you should give a woman a ring on Valentine’s Day is if that ring is a diamond and you plan to drop down on one knee and ask her to spend the rest of her life with you! If that is not your plan, do not get her a ring.

If you get her a necklace or earrings instead, please make sure they are not packaged in a box that could resemble a diamond ring box.

Guys, these are things you must think about especially if you have been dating the love of your life for 4 wonderful years, but aren’t ready to make that big leap into marriage. Odds are, she’s ready and is just waiting for you to pull out that little ring box. And when you do, you bet it better have a diamond on the inside and a “Will you marry me” coming out of your mouth!

(Otherwise, you will spend days making up for the disappointment she will feel when she sees a pair of earrings instead.)

Not, I’m not here to just tell you guys that if you planned to get jewelry you are doomed to fail… nah, I would never do that Here are some options for jewelry on Valentine’s Day.

1. Put it in a box that isn’t small and ring-box-shaped.

2. Get her a necklace or bracelet to avoid the look of a proposal.

Check out eBillme’s list of Valentine’s Day gift ideas or their list of gift ideas for HER. (Ladies, for those of you getting ready to forward this post in an email to your boyfriend with “hint, hint, hint” in the subject line, check out the Valentine’s Day gifts for HIM too.) In fact, they have a really great contest running right now. Up for grabs is $600 worth of jewelry, a diamond necklace for her and a Citizen watch for him. Check it the Who’s Your Valentine contest, you might win big!

eBillme's Valentine's Contest Prizes

If you want to stay away from jewelry altogether to avoid the Valentine’s Day from Hades, check out the gorgeous bags at Handbag Heaven. (I particularly love the pink one shown below).

Ribbon Shoulder Tote from Handbag Heaven

Men, if you want to go above and beyond the call of duty this V-Day check out this striking red clutch from The Butler Bag’s new Boutoure Line. The Butler Bag is an amazing bag (I have 2 and love them so very much). Jen Groover created the Butler Bag which has a built in organization system for your purse. I promise, it works!! (The red clutch pictured below is $800, it’s a perfect splurge, but she does offer less expensive bags around $65 and up.)

So get out there and find the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for your love and come back and let us know what you chose!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Allure Clutch Butler Bag

Allure Clutch - Inside View

It’s Time for a Girls’ Night Out! #gno

Charissa Cowart — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:10:45 +0000

I want to first apologize for the lack of posts. I spent the last week in Las Vegas for the annual Blog World Expo. It was an absolute blast! (I will post photos very soon.) I can’t begin to tell you how many wonderful, successful, and ambitious people I met. One day I’ll do a post just about the people I have made connections with from Social Media.

Anyway, on to the point of this blog post. While I was at Blog World I met one extremely awesome person, Jyl Johnson Pattee founder of Mom It Forward and #gno – Girls Night Out – live Twitter chats. She was so sweet to ask me to be a panelist for tonight’s (October 20th) #gno chat about Fashion on a Budget! Y’all know I’m on top of that one!

So here’s how it works: you need a Twitter account to participate (if you don’t have a Twitter account yet… get one! If you want to know why I love it so much, shoot me an email and ask – I’ll give you the lo-down). RSVP by clicking here to the #gno chat and on that page you will see full instructions on how to follow the conversation using TweetGrid.

This part is really neat – the Twitter event is being sponsored by Timex, and they are giving away 4 watches! Be sure to show up so you can find out how to win, you can also click here to find out!

It’s going to be a BLAST and I really hope I see YOU there! Be sure to let me know if you found out about #gno from my blog.

I want THAT outfit!

Charissa Cowart — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 04:29:30 +0000

Have you ever found yourself looking in a magazine or seeing someone on TV and saying – “I want THAT outfit!” Then you realize how much it must cost if someone on the Young & the Restless, or The Hills is wearing it – that’s right a FORTUNE!

Well, I have the solution! Just visit my blog regularly That’s right, I’m starting a new blog series on where you can get the look for less and I’m adding a little something – not only will I show you where to get hot looks for less, but also how to add your own personal flare. Remember, here at Fashion Trend Spotting, we don’t copy other fashions, we find our OWN fashion in it!

So I’m off to do my research. Get ready for some great Fall Fashions! Leave a comment or find me on twitter @CharissaCowart let me know what look you want to find for less and I’ll find it for you!

Top 5 Money Saving Fashion Sites

Charissa Cowart — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:39:50 +0000

Who wants to spend a ton of money to look great if you don’t have to? Not me! I bet you don’t either! That’s why there are so many money saving places to shop online. Remember: shopping online saves gas money So I wanted to take just a minute to tell you about some.

Here are my Top 5 Money Saving Fashion Sites.

Zappos.com – Zappos is known for having the best customer service on the web. Not only that, they also provide Free Shipping! And when it comes to the product itself, you can find everything from designer shoes to deal saving digs! So go ahead and put your best foot forward!
Etsy.com – The Etsy shops are so fabulous! You can get the most unique finds on this site, or even have something custom made for you. Some items are pricey but you can find great deals here too!
HandbagHeaven.com – Well the name says it all, this is truly Handbag Heaven including Miracle prices! Check out this super cute ‘Fun for Fall’ (as I like to call it) clutch for $18! You’ll be in heaven shopping on this site (pardon the pun).
Target.com – You can shop Target online or in stores, but either way this place has a plethora of fashion accessories, sure to fit your budget! I’m such an ‘Accessories Gal’ and I can’t go in Target without making a little pit-stop in the jewelry section.
e.l.f. Cosmetics – Now to top off your fab look grab your favorite cosmetics from e.l.f. (eyes lips face). You won’t believe these prices! You can find anything for one of three crazy amazing prices - $1, $3, or $5. They have a few larger products for $10 and $15, but not many. Bottom line, you can get so much for$20 or less on this site!

Remember, fabulous fashion isn’t about the price! It’s all about fitting your style on whatever budget you have. Leave comments and let me know where you get your budget friendly buys.

Michael Kors Fall Fashion Show – Sneak Peek

Charissa Cowart — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 22:19:33 +0000

I was recently in VEGAS and attended the Michael Kors fashion show for the new fall fashions. It was so fun to see the designs, so I wanted to make sure I let you in on the sneak peek. So here’s a quick video, let me know what you think!

My Top 5 Favorite Fashion Blogs

Charissa Cowart — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 21:42:49 +0000

I’ve been weeding through many different style, fashion, and trend blogs. I want to tell you about my Top 5 Favorite blogs so you can visit them and see if they are interesting to you also.

1. The Bag Snob: Reviews of Designer Handbags, Authentic Designer Purses & Leather Bags

Ok, so the title is a bit lengthy, but don’t be misled this blog covers every thing fashion and style related. I think it’s the “be all” of fashion blogging. The most recent post highlights frugal deals; posts with money saving tips are always on the top of my list these days. The Bag Snob blog also gives you timely designer news, top fashion picks, and get this – the writer discussed MTV’s new reality show “The City” in a recent post. This blog definitely hits the top of my Top 5 list.

2. The Chic Leak 2.0

I like that The Chic Leak has moved into the New Media lingo and sets itself apart. I think this is one thing that drew my eyes to this particular blog. I commend the writers for that. The second thing that popped out to me on this blog was the post with bright red heels. Notice the tip of the shoes, they are tips from cowboy boots. A very interesting addition to the classic red heel. You can find little treasures like this throughout The Chic Leak 2.0.

3. Shoe Flair

You can never go wrong when talking about shoes. The Shoe Flair blog very poignantly showcases one pair of shoes at a time. The most recent is the ever so popular (and might I add warm) Ugg’s boots. I love that this site is simple with a picture and text plus more frugal, money saving advice. The site doesn’t seem to update or add new posts as often as the others, which is good for those of you who read blogs on a slower pace, and want to be able to keep up.

4. InStyle.com

I’m almost reluctant to add this blog to my Top 5 list simply because of the already intense popularity of it, but I remind myself it is a great blog. If you are the “keep up with the celebrities” type of person, InStyle.com’s blog is perfect for you. Not only can you read about all the inner-workings of the celebs lives, but you can also keep up with what they are wearing.

This is where I will remind you that you don’t need to feel like you must follow the fashion trends of the celebrities to be in style. Remember this website is about finding your own style in your own closet.

5. I HEART LUXE | Daily Shopping Magazine For Women

I think this is a great blog because it doesn’t stick to just fashion and style but it also pulls in neat and trendy items for modernizing your office or living space. The blog is also separated in a clean design with one item per post. I love the diversity of the blog and I think you will too.

So there you have it, my Top 5 Favorite Fashion Blogs. I encourage you to check out these blogs plus others. If you find some that you think are wonderful, send them my way so I can check it out.