Fashions Night Out (NY Fridays)

One of the great things about NYC is all the free stuff you can get.  Fashion's night out has got to have the most abundant "free stuff" of the year.  For the past four years, one of my wonderful friends has mapped out some excellent itineraries (mostly through SoHo, West Village and Meatpacking) to ensure our group of gals hits up some fun stores with no shortage of free stuff.

For those of you unfamiliar, Fashion's Night Out is a one night fashion event "From Manhattan to Milan, Atlanta to Australia.” The after-hours shopping extravaganza Fashion's Night Out celebrated its fourth glorious year. With stores in over 500 cities nationwide, FNO was bigger and better than ever before. (http://fashionsnightout.com/)" 

As for the past few years, the FNO website lists many participating retailers and what they have to offer.  Here's a summary of some of the exciting, or not so exciting free stuff:

• Drinks!  About 50% of participating stores give out free drinks.  Most have free champagne, but some partner with various liquor brands or new items r and serve up a signature cocktail or wine.  Two years ago Mango gave out a mixed drink in a cocktail shaker like cup with a straw.  A bunch of places partner up with new beverages like Izze or coconut water and distribute bottles of those. 

• Cake (cup and other) - as you know cupcakes are all the rage. Last year Cole Haan gave out Baked by Melissa and this year Alice & Trixie handed out AMAZING cake pops.

Picture from http://www.foodandthings.com/cupcake-shop-baked-by-melissa-to-open-on-upper-west-side/

• Pizza- this year we happened to walk by one store we were unfamiliar with in the West Village and unbeknownst to us they had catered in delicious brick oven pizza (I wish I remembered the name of the pizzeria)!  Definitely the best food of the night. 

• Clothes - One year Alice by Temperly just started tossing clothes into the street.  I grabbed a night shirt and my friend a tank top. We both liked what each other got better and swapped.   

• Photos - the last 2 years photo booths were big!  

• Miscellaneous beauty items - dry shampoo, fake nails, fake eyelashes, hair feathers and nail polish just to name a few. 

• Of course nearly every store has a "giveaway"' which is basically a way to sign up for their mailing list, but one friend received  $60 on any free item at C Wonder this year by finding a colored balloon they were handing out in SoHo.

Point being, if you like free stuff Shariously schedule some time at Fashion's Night Out next September!  What kind of stuff have you gotten at Fashions Night Out?

Emmy Thoughts confirmations (Entertainment Thursday)

On page 24 of the October 5, 2012 issue of Entertainment Weekly (EW), in an article titled "Best and Worst of the Awards [Emmy's]," by Lynette Rice which I read only a day after my second Emmy post it says:

WORST FASHION TREND Sure, they looked great.  But Amy Poehler, Kat Dennings, Christina Hendricks, Morena Baccarin and Zooey Deschanel: Your revealing gowns had us feeling like icky lechers.

You may recall (or you can read) about how there was too much boob from Amy and Zooey and Kat looked like their dresses are falling off.

Shariously glad I'm not alone on this one.

Emmy Thoughts (Part 2)

Here's my continuation (although a little delayed) of my thought's on this years Emmy's. Part 1 Here

• Dresses I really liked- Mindy Kaling, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Tracy Morgan, Hayden Panettiere, Ashley Judd, Emily Vancamp, Padma Lakshmi, Sarah Hyland

• Dresses I really didn't like - Edie Falco, Martha Plimpton, Juliana Margulies, Claire Danes (I know your preggo but I'm sure there could have been something better), Lucy Liu, Ginnifer Goodwin

• What’s with all the dresses that look like they are falling off? (I'm talking to you Zooey, Tina and one of the 2 Broke Girls).

• Jimmy Kimmel is just OK--maybe the expectations weren't too high with him so people won’t complain as much?

• Yay Homeland! I've already told you how great this show is here. So glad for the writers, Damian Lewis and Claire Danes! Sweep!

• I have yet to write about Louie - but so glad Louis CK won twice and I can't wait to see him live in less than 1 month and be sure to review that show for my readers.

• 10 consecutive years for the Daily Show! Must be a record!!

• I very rarely watch TV movies or mini series - def most boring part of the awards ceremony. At least Tom Hanks did the talking on best TV movie and kept it short.

• As much as I love both Modern Family and Homeland I wish there were a little more variety.

Shariously - what did you think of this year's Emmy's?

Emmy Thoughts (Part 1)

A little late I know, but as I watched the Emmy’s I recorded my thoughts to share with  you all.

Emmy thoughts as chronicled while watching:

• Amy Poehler's boobs looked a little uneven – PS I was more upset to hear about her divorce from Will Arnett than any other Hollywood separation in long time – I guess it was just too much funny in one couple.

• I love Modern Family  and once ran into Jesse Tyler Ferguson on the subway, here's my story about that:

• In December of 2005 I saw Jesse in Putnam County Spelling Bee  on Broadway in which he originated the role of Leaf Honeycomb.  The following summer I started to see commercials for a new show on CBS The Class  where Jesse was to play one of the main characters.  Simply because I had seen him in Spelling Bee I watched the first few episodes--it wasn't great (probably why it didn't get renewed for a second season).  That same fall, I was on my way home from the Gotham Comedy Club  when I spotted him in the 23rd Street 1-Train station with some friends.  I “just happened” to get on the same car with him and worked up the courage to ask him if “he was in The Class” and then proceeded to tell him that I had seen him in Spelling Bee and really enjoyed his performance in it.  He said “Thank you.”  Most of the time when I see celebs I would never go up to them in NYC, but I kind of felt since he was an up and comer he might appreciate being recognized as a Bway star.

• Come to think of it, I don’t see celebs that often, but I also once had a Sophia Vergara sighting.  I think only 1 or 2 episodes of Modern Family had aired when a coworker and I were leaving a meeting and saw her walk by with some security.   My coworker and I didn’t know her name but we recognized her and after a few moments realized she was on “that new show Modern Family and is married to Al Bundy.” Oh how things change.

• More Modern Family, I love the show but they won everything last year. Can't they give some others a chance? Julie Bowen's dress is great! Bright colors are big this year. But a little too much spray tan.What’s with all the dresses that look like they are falling off? (I'm talking to you Zoey, Tina and one of the 2 Broke Girls).

• Last year I said "this is the Modern Family awards" then Ellen (last year’s host) made the same joke just moments later - maybe I should switch careers and become a comedy writer.

Stay tuned for Part 2...