AprilMarin - Not Yet...

So I got the following press release the other day, including photos of some of AprilMarin's custom-made clothing. Being a new huge fan of custom, I contacted them and asked when and where I could see, touch, try on the garb. I was told that it is not available yet in NYC, but might be soon "somewhere" in Soho. Hopefully good things will come to those who wait...just not sure why the press release says "New York-based." Well kudos, because I've just written about them anyway!

New York-based AprilMarin (http://www.aprilmarin.com/) announces the launch of their new online custom clothing collection that will have women wondering why they ever purchased ready-to-wear. Each item featured at AprilMarin is custom-made and uniquely personal. In addition to customizing each item to your individual measurements, AprilMarin has added the feature of choosing your own jacket fabric color and lining color. Customers can choose from over 72 color combinations to ensure a personally unique look. From AprilMarin pink, sunshine yellow to standard black etc..…there is definitely a color for everyone. AprilMarin asks each woman to take her specific measurements including sleeve length and dress length etc. to insure a perfect fit and unique style. Each item at AprilMarin is designed in-house by co-designers/founders April Bukofser and Marin Milio. AprilMarin encourages customers and viewers to send in their own ideas on new designs for future collections. “We want women to feel good about themselves and their style and we aim to make clothing that does that,” say co-founder/designer Ms. Bukofser. The diverse range of measurement options allows customers to really personalize each item, or if they are unsure, they can opt for standard measurements. The new collection offers eight items that serve as timeless staples in a women’s wardrobe. The collection ranges from jackets to skirts to dresses to suits with prices between $80 and $200. AprilMarin is currently available for purchase online at: http://www.aprilmarin.com/

Big Drop Warehouse Sale: Jan 18-20

What: Big Drop Warehouse Sale

When: Friday, January 18th to Sunday, January 20th; 10a.m. to 8pm

Where: Open House Gallery: a socially and environmentally responsible venue 201 Mulberry street between Kenmare and Spring streets

Payments: Cash and all major credit cards. Minimum charge $100, otherwise, cash only

Featuring apparel from Seven Jeans, Citizens For Humanity, Paige Denim, Mara Hoffman, Tracy Reese, Rebecca Taylor, Edun, Young Fabulous and Broke, YA- YA, Development and more…

Some price examples:
- Seven Jeans were $205 now$49 to $59
- Citizens for Humanity Jeans: were $192 now $49 to $59
- Development: cotton voile v-neck dress with silk trim was $360 now $99
- Edun: Striped blazer was $345 now $99
- Rebecca Taylor: Wool coat was $548 now$159

Office Furniture Inquiry

I recently received an inquiry from a handsome young lawyer who was just made partner at his law firm, but is stumped about how to decorate his new office space. He writes:

"I thought you might be able to help me. I get $12,500 to furnish my office, but I don't know where to spend it. I like clean lines, brushed silver type metals, dark or cherry wood--something between mission and modern I am told. I'll need a desk, chair comfy enough to use 8+ hours some days, computer desk thing, book case, and some type of credenza\file cabinet type thing. Any ideas guerilla shopper? Let me know if this is within your vast expertise or if you need more information."

I have quickly suggested that he go online and look at West Elm and Bo Concept to see if it matches his vision, and then we can speak further. If anyone else has other ideas, please feel free to comment!

Domain Home (furniture)

I am on a mission from God, and I've chosen to accept it. Since I live in a rational world, I have determined that there is no way I can afford to buy the kind of apartment I would actually ever live in atop this land mass surrounded by a moat...so I shall make the one I rent a much nicer place in which to dwell.

Translation: I am pimping out my rent stabilized Manhattan shack.

And so begins the story of the Dante Armoire from Domain Home. OK, so it's not really that much of a story. But I have decided to purchase this offering from among Domain's clearance items, which means not only is it cheaper, but then it was also another 5% cheaper. However, in an ad found by Mother Guerilla it noted "free delivery," but when I made my purchase online I was charged $135 for delivery. Which is not free, in case you weren't clear on that point. So I am going to have to make a follow up call on that one and see what I need to do to achieve delivery free-dom.

Anyway, I'm not entirely sure how I am going to fit this grand piece into my bedroom, however it will be replacing three old furniture items that I have been holding onto for far too long. This all in an effort to streamline my bedroom cluttered with disjointed pieces of my youth. I am hoping that my new found feng shui will aid me to achieve and maintain a life full of wealth and happiness. Or at least keep me from cringing at mismatched furniture.

Sales at Cole Haan and Jill Anderson this Weekend

WSJ: Griddles--They're Hot!

Since I still have no working stove or oven in my old new apartment, I am thinking of getting a big bad electric griddle and eating breakfast morning, noon and night! Here's a comparison in today's Wall Street Journal. The winner? BroilKing Professional Griddle.

Catalog Critic
WEEKEND JOURNAL
Griddles -- They're Hot
By Charles Passy
4 January 2008

The Wall Street Journal

The new year may be as good a time as any to start giving breakfast its proper due. But how are we going to progress beyond quick and easy solutions like Pop-Tarts and cold cereal?
The short answer: Consider buying an electric griddle.
These classic countertop kitchen appliances, typically designed to offer more room for cooking pancakes, eggs and such than your standard frying pan, seem to be making a comeback. BroilKing, an appliance manufacturer in Winsted, Conn., has expanded its line of griddles in the past couple of years, including one with a splatter guard. And Presto, a century-old name in appliances, has added three new models. Presto spokesman Don Hoeschen says the appliance's continued appeal has a lot to do with its versatility, noting that griddles come in handy beyond the morning meal. "You can use them for grilled-cheese sandwiches, too," says the executive with the Eau Claire, Wis., company.
We wanted to see how some griddles handled the familiar American breakfast spread of pancakes, eggs and bacon. (OK, it's a little on the heavy side, but you can always opt for healthier substitutes, like turkey bacon and egg-white omelets.)
In the case of the Rival griddle we tested, we nearly went hungry. The appliance didn't heat up as well as the four other models we tried and it never got our bacon crispy enough. (And the pancakes came out more like sponge cakes, according to our nine-year-old taster.) A West Bend model performed better in the cooking department, but had other significant flaws, such as a hard-to-turn dial and a narrow frying space (so much for fitting all that bacon on it). Hamilton Beach's Jumbo Griddle came close to the mark, but still didn't quite hit it. The culprit? A drip tray difficult to pull out.
But two griddles made a strong impression. Presto's Tilt'nDrain BigGriddle ($39.96), our pick for Best Value, was 23 by 17 inches, big enough for about 12 modest-sized pancakes. It also gave us the option to position the grilling surface flat or at a bit of an angle, good for anything greasy. Our Best Overall, BroilKing's Professional Griddle ($99), had the edge, with its solid construction -- the handles are stainless steel -- as well as a splatter-guard feature. And at 21 by 12 inches, it still had enough room for all our pancakes -- at least until the call came for seconds.
---
BroilKing Professional Griddle (model PCG-10)
BEST OVERALL
CompactAppliance.com
compactappliance.com; 800-297-6076
$99; standard shipping cost $19
The Good: A sturdy model, constructed partly of stainless steel, that made
the other griddles feel lightweight by comparison. Splatter guard, easy-to-
grip handles and relatively large size (21 by 12 inches) were other plusses.
The Bad: It was more than twice as expensive as other griddles on the
market.
The Shopping: A similar model, minus the splatter guard, is available for
$79.

Presto Tilt'nDrain BigGriddle (model 07046)
BEST VALUE
Amazon.com
amazon.com
$39.96; standard shipping cost $10.30
The Good: At 23 by 17 inches, this griddle could handle enough to feed a
small family. And the unique tilting system gives you the choice of cooking
with the surface flat or angled.
The Bad: Not dishwasher safe; this was also true of the BroilKing and
Hamilton Beach models.
The Shopping: As always, there are different ways to go with Amazon.com:
You can buy through them or through other retailers on their site.
(Currently, this griddle is available only through other retailers, priced at
$40-$45.)

West Bend Electric Griddle (model 76220)
West Bend
westbend.com; 866-290-1851
$39.99; standard shipping cost $9.95
The Good: Finally, a dishwasher-safe model. The griddle also cooked
reasonably well, though we would have preferred not feeling the heat
radiating from the surface so much.
The Bad: The narrow, front-to-back dimensions (the griddle measures 20 by
10 inches) made it difficult to position a strip of bacon that way. And
temperature dial was the hardest to turn of all that we encountered.
The Shopping: This is the only griddle that West Bend offers on its site,
but it does have a panini press and an indoor grill.

Hamilton Beach StepSavor Jumbo Griddle (model 38510)
iKitchen.com
ikitchen.com
$34.99; standard shipping cost $11.20
The Good: Comparable with Presto in quality, though slightly smaller, at 19
by 12 inches. Comes with a handy temperature guide right on the drip tray, so
you know what's appropriate for everything from steaks to eggs.
The Bad: The drip tray was hard to remove.
The Shopping: Well-organized site allows you to shop easily by brand. But
we wish it offered a phone number for customers (Amazon.com has a similar
email-only contact policy).

Rival Digital Griddle (model GR250)
QVC
qvc.com; 888-345-5788
$59.99; standard shipping cost $8.22
The Good: Lots of good features on this 20-by-10-inch griddle, including a
digital temperature setting (our other models were strictly dial-operated)
and removable surface that can be washed separately.
The Bad: If only the thing would actually heat properly. Even when we set
the temperature much higher than the norm for pancakes, we couldn't get
things cooking. The result: "Sponge cakes," to quote our nine-year-old
taster.
The Shopping: Griddle is also available directly from the manufacturer at
Rivalproducts.com.

Cable Installation: Learning the Hard Way

So in my efforts to upgrade my living space I decided to throw caution to the wind and go for the Time Warner Cable Triple Play (with wireless) package. They agreed to come to my palace on the day after Christmas to install it. I was so looking forward to entering the 21st Century with 250 channels, DVR, wireless Internet connection, and so on.

So I rushed back to NYC on the 26th, and the guy shows up on time - a seemingly good sign. He then proceeds to spend much of his time in my apartment trying to convince me that I need to rearrange my apartment so that he won't have to wire anything into my bedroom.

Examples:
1. He told me I should really move my entire PC/printer from my bedroom to my living room. When I said no, he then...

2. ...Told me that if he tried to drill a hole through the wall between the living room and bedroom the walls were weak (which is not so) and the hole may end up being as big as SIX INCHES IN DIAMETER.

3. Upon further discussion, he suggested that he install the Internet in the living room and then I could buy a wire to plug into the modem and run through my living room, into the kitchen, through the hall way and into my bedroom. You know just have a wire running through the entire house to trip over. Nice.

4. He also told me to buy a new phone that would allow me to keep the base in the living room but get a "wireless" second phone that I could keep in the bedroom. Again so that he wouldn't have to wire anything into my bedroom.

He was more than a piece of work.

So he left and I now have a phone, phone modem, Internet modem and huge cable box all piled up next to my TV in the living room - a very attractive set up. And then if that weren't enough after he left I discovered that no HBO channels were working, and whenever I would click on one, the cable would freeze and reboot itself.

Cutting to the chase, I called Time Warner to complain and asked them to come out and fix the HBO situation, as well as wire my Internet connection into my bedroom. A different TWC guy showed up on Dec. 31 and in three seconds assessed the problem:

THE GUY DIDN'T INSTALL ME.

What?! You might ask...

He just plugged my TV into an old wire on the outside of the building that isn't even supposed to be working AT ALL anymore, instead of wiring me into the actual cable system within the inside of the building.

So now I have to get re-reinstalled this coming Saturday. Pretty much starting from zero. But! At least two good things should come out of this experience:

1. I will get the installation the way I want it, not the way the first guy wanted to do it so as to get out of actually working.

2. I learned that the first guy was a sub-contractor, not a Time Warner Cable employee. I was told a little secret by the second, Dec. 31, guy who was an actual TWC employee: YOU CAN (AND SHOULD) REQUEST AN IN-HOUSE TECH. Had I known and done this, I wouldn't have to get my cable re-re-installed and sit around at home all day on a Saturday!

You just HAVE to love the utilities companies.

More Heavy Metal Painted Jean Jacket

Because I have been getting a lot of great feedback on the other day's Heavy Metal Painted Jean Jacket blog, I thought I'd provide you with additional viewpoints since a picture of a picture speaks 1,000 words to the 1,000th power. And look, chicks dig them too!

Martha Stewart is in My Bathroom

Now that I have moved back into my rent stabilized palace, I needed someone special to take care of my most damaged room: The Bathroom. So I called my friend Martha and she selflessly directed me to her Martha Stewart Everyday from Kmart line. Yes, I made fun of anyone who shopped at Kmart when I was a kid too, but discount and retail has come along way from the old days.

For Christmas, madre guerilla bought me Martha's shower curtain, liner, assorted towels and washcloths, matching wastebasket and bathroom rugs. This stuff is really quite nice and good quality too.

As you can see from the comparison photos above - those that are reminiscent of London WWII and those that Martha has most recently touched - I am well on my way to achieving bathroom zen.

The Classic: Painted Jean Jacket

Do you long for the days of yore when many a metal head sported the infamous painted jean jacket? Well, you may be in luck. The young lads above and I had a half-drunken brainstorm that we would bring that kind of sexyback to the masses -- utilizing the unbelievable skill and talent of Nelson DeCastro, the artist of this, the Metallica "Ride the Lightning" jean jacket painted in 1985. Twenty-two+ years later and the paint is still glowing strong!

A renewed trend the kids don't even yet know that they need...or one that should remain in the decade of Reagan? You make the call...I'm taking orders (soon).