BIG SALE!

Be sure to check out the Just Between Friends sale at the Overland Park Trade Center today. It's a huge baby/kid consignment sale. I've never seen anything like it. Rows and rows of kids clothes, car seats, outdoor toys and more. Tables full of kids toys, many still new in the package! AND...Haute Market has a huge corner of the room featuring 5 of our favorite vendors:
All Things Beaded
Bigg Eye Creations
jennyLou
Two Chic Blvd
Surburban Threads
All items are new, chic and fabulous. Most are discounted!
It's just $2 to get in the door for fabulous savings.
Haute Market shopping party tickets will be available at our booth as well. Stop by and say "hi!".

Cheers!

Eye On Trends

Tarragon, Strawberry Ice, Cafe' Creme. No, this is not the new flavor list at Starbucks...it's the color palette for Spring 2007 by Pantone. Pantone surveys the designers of New York fashion week to bring us their yearly report of color trends for the season.

Shown left is Silver Peony. Many of the colors in the palette are surprisingly pale, but with a few great pops of color in between. I've picked a few of my fave's to share with you.


Have the need to shop now? Check out the Haute Market spot at the Just Between Friends sale, going on all weekend. We'll have tickets on sale for the April 24th shopping party too!
Cheers!

This Week in KC

Get ready because this week is loaded with fun and shopping!

Today: The Girls Wearhouse is open 10-2 and they have our Spring Fashion Fling admission tickets on sale! Go grab your tickets and a few chic new spring tops.

Tonight: If you like country music, my friend, Lance Combs, is entertaining at Tymber.
If you want a little more rock & roll, Drew of Drew6 will be at the Cactus Grill in Leawood from 5:30-8:30. You party girls can catch Drew, then go see Lance!

Thurs-Sun: Shopping mania at the Just Between Friends sale at the OP Trade Center off 115th & Metcalf. Haute Market will have 3 booth spaces to put together a mini market of some of our favorite vendors with HUGE discounts!

Friday Night: A benefit for SAFEHOME by the new professionals group, SAFEHOME Circle. Wine-Tasting fundraiser at Tonic, 7938 Santa Fe Drive in Overland Park, KS, Friday, March 30th. Tickets $30. All proceeds benefit SAFEHOME! To purchase tickets please call 913-378-1512 and speak with Michele. I have my tickets, I hope you do too!

Q & A about Make Up

Finding the perfect pair of shoes is easier for me than finding the perfect make up. I am forever floundering at the mercy of Loreal, MAC, Maybelline, etc.
I shot an email to my friend and faboo make up artist, Staci Broski, of 7thRow to get some make-up 911.

Me: I have a terrible time getting my make up to last all day long.
I (usually) wash my face morning and night. Every few days I use a gentle exfoliant.
I've experimented with many brands and it's always the same...by early afternoon I need to reapply my foundation/powder because it's gone.

Any advice for me and the Haute Market fashionistas?

Staci: Foundation Primer is ONE key to keeping your foundation on all day.
As long as you are exfoliating, at the very least, once a week ( up to 3 X’s recommended), you will find the surface of your skin more satisfying to work with.
There are several foundation primers on the market...The one that works REALLY well for myself and my clients is Laura Mercier foundation primer.
It retails close to $28.00 at Nordstrom Oak Park.
1. Wash Face/exfoliate
2. Apply your moisturizer
3. Apply thin layer of Laura Mercier foundation primer all over face and neck (flat foundation brush to apply moisturizer & primer recommended)
4. Apply makeup!
**Having trouble with Eye Shadow creasing or fading? ...Use MAC Eye Paint.
Choose a color close to your natural skin tone (as not to compete with colors you choose to wear)
Apply a very thin layer from the brow bone to the lash line.
Your eye shadow will stay ALL DAY!

I always suggest starting with the eyes first after the first 3 steps. Then follow w/the rest of your look.

Wow...those are some great tips! Can you believe she gives us some of her best secrets?! Let's try this method and see how it goes girls. Feel free to leave comments about your make up trials and successes! Thank you Staci!!

P.S. The final winner of our Gift of Gab contest is...
Shannon W. of Lenexa! She wins a great list of prizes which includes Deluxe Admission tickets to the April 24th shopping party!

Fashion vs. Fantasy

After a long week and a half of Spring Break at home with the kiddo's, I'm skipping the fashion talk and going for a bit of fantasy today.

I stumbled upon a trailer for an upcoming movie filled with plenty of fantasy, thrills and fabulous cast.

Stardust is filled with stars: Claire Danes, Michelle Pheifer, Robert DeNiro, Peter O'Toole, and cutie patootie: Charlie Cox. Unfortunately it's not scheduled to release until August, and hopefully the wait is worth it. The story is about winning over your true love while finding out what true love actually is.

On the fashion side, the costumes are quite stunning. With so much frilly, romantic influence on the styles this season, the costumes might not be far from what will be on the racks this fall. (click the photo for the movie info page and trailer)

The First Female Rapper

I think I've uncovered who the first female rapper is. I found this completely by accident. I was watching a Nelly Furtado video, which was like a car wreck...it was so bad but I kept looking. Suddenly I spy a video title that says "Blondie vs. The Doors." Surely another car wreck is about to happen so I rubber-neck it to another page and there she is. Her short shorts, frizzy hair parted in the middle...Blondie, the first female rapper.
Watch here:



On another note. Here is a very hip new purse from Diesel.

And a similar style with not so similar price tag, from Target. Enjoy your weekend fashionistas!

The Underwear Theory

Today is one of those days - there is nothing fashionable or chic about it. So I'm going to be my "authentic self" (per Oprah), and share with you how I'm just a normal (and slightly neurotic) chick like everyone else.

I did my best to get myself presentable and get out of the house. The babysitter came on time. That was about the only thing that went well.

Humidity flattened my hair before I walked out the door. Two of the three kids are sick. Then the realtor called because someone wanted to show the house in a few minutes. Ugh.

I finally left. Drove three blocks, realized I'd forgotten the Spring Fashion Fling postcards at home - the whole reason for me going out today.
Whipping a U-turn while applying my make up, I drive back three blocks and hop out of the car.
Notice that I don't mention putting the van in park? Yeah...because I didn't.
I don't realize this and assume my van - which has recently been replaced with a newer model - is P.O.'d at me, has become possessed and is trying to run me over!
I'm actually trying to push on the front of the van as if my 5ft 3" frame can hold back a moving mini van!
Thankfully I have a Dukes of Hazzard flashback and somehow catapult myself around the door, into the moving van and throw it into park before I crash into the garage door.

This brings me to the underwear theory, because I chose a cuter pair of underwear today versus a regular boring pair.
The old advice of wearing nice underwear in case you get in an accident is a silly notion. No, I'm not promoting wearing funky undies with stretched out elastic and holes. I'm just pointing out that while wearing pretty underwear is a nice thing to do for yourself, or your significant other, it's not convincing to say that I should do so in case I'm in an accident.
Here is why...do you really think that your pretty underwear is going to be clean should you get into an accident? I think not. I'm pretty sure that had the van actually run me over and into the garage, I would have, at the very least, pee'd my pants, therefore messing my pretty pink undies.
Now you know the underwear theory.

The One and Only, Drew!

Interview with Drew, of Drew6!

What is it like to be playing so many great gigs right here in your own
stomping grounds?
I mostly enjoy doing it when the weather warms up. People are in a
much better mood as we head into the summer.
In a perfect world, I’d be on tour a lot more. That day will come, and I’m sure then, I’ll wish I was playing more in the city I live in.
Let’s just say playing in your home town a lot has it’s positives and its negatives.

At what point did you realize, "hey, I’m making it!" ??
I knew this is what I wanted to do at a very young age. I was singing before I could talk. As you accomplish one goal that seems great, you find something more that you want to accomplish.
This is living. Always moving forward. Your definition of "making it" is constantly changing.
I know I am already a big rock star, I just need for the rest of the world to find out about it!

Who do you love being compared to?
My dad. And myself in the past. Because I’m getting better.

Obviously I’m going to ask…who do you hate being compared to?
If you are getting at "who people think I look like and sound like," well I’d mostly just like people to think of me as Drew. I work very hard to build an image and a sound that people will remember.
When you are in Kansas City and you don’t look like everyone else, people are always going to say, "you remind me of so and so... " These comparisons vary wildly. I try to take them in stride, and sometimes I even take at as a compliment. I would like to be "incomparable" in the minds of my audience, but even huge celebrities are always being compared to someone.

What is in your CD/MP3 player right now?
I think most people would be surprised at the variety of music I listen to. Maybe not. My IPod has about 8000 songs in it. I buy the whole CD. I’m a fan first, if I like an artist, I’ll buy everything they put out.
I have lots of music for enjoyment, some to study the writing and the production.
By the way I don’t burn the songs, I buy them.
I listen to Robbie Williams and Kevin Max because that’s what I do. I listen to Kelly Clarkson because I want to see what Max Martin did with her production to make a hit.
I listen to Fall Out Boy because it’s current and I wonder what makes "This Ain’t A Scene" palatable to the same audience who thinks Backstreet Boys isn’t cool (when it’s written and produced in almost the exact same manner).
Then I’ll put on Leon Russell, Johnny Cash, some Motown, because these are my teachers. My guilty pleasure is George Michael.
My favorite hard rock band, The Cult.
Sheryl Crow, The Black Crowes, Counting Crowes, because I like the lyrics. Depeche Mode because I like the band. You get it, impossible to name them all...

So I hear a few of my friends are stalking you, in a good way…what is
it like to have so many fans as repeat guests at your gigs?
Unless you want to play music in your basement for your entire life, your fans make your career. I don’t have a basement in my current house, and I want to play to millions of people.
There’s a story I read in one of my motivational books. Something about if you took a normal city (and they actually used Kansas City as an example even though it was a national publication), and you did a show for a thousand people, and there was only one person that truly liked your music -- that would translate to being a bona fide "star" in America.
If you multiplied that by all the cities and you won over just one person for every thousand. They did the math, not me. I’m not a math guy. But I know that every single person at my show matters, if I play to 18,000 at Verizon with Maroon 5 or I play to 3 on a weeknight at an acoustic show. You’d better be on, because the time you give "less" is the time that you will have had the chance to make that one big connection.
You can’t "make it" alone. All of my fans, and even "stalkers" as you say, matter to me.

What music do you really love to sing/play?
My own. It doesn’t mean I don’t love singing Chris Isaak. But I’m in this business to make myself known. A nd to move people with my music.

Thanks so much Drew! I loved seeing/listening to you and look forward to more.
You can catch Drew at several locations around the metro area. Check out his web site!

Terrific Tuesday!

It's definitely a terrific day if you are Becky H. of Raymore. She's won this weeks drawing for referring her friends to the Haute Market web site and newsletter. Thanks Becky! Your prizes are on the way.

Next week is the final drawing and the prize package includes tickets to the next event!
How to enter?
Be on our newsletter VIP list.
Get your friends to sign up for our weekly newsletter and put your name as the "how did you hear about us" person.
For each person that lists you, you get an entry in the drawing.
It's that easy.
So get the gift of gab...the more you talk about Haute Market, the more entries you could get.

Make sure you read yesterday's blog entry about getting your feet ready for sandals, and check back tomorrow for our interview with local cutie and rock star, Drew of Drew6!

Playing Footsie

It's time to get those terrific tootsies in shape for sandals. If there is one thing I can't stand it's a chick showing toes with a two-month old pedicure. Eew!

You don't have to go to a spa to have nice toes, though it is a fabulous, and much deserved, treat for us chic chicks! In the comfort of your own home you can follow a few quick and easy steps to faboo feet.

First, have a shower. This is a good substitute for the long soak in a foot bath. Use a pumice stone to get rid of the scaley yucky stuff.
Once out of the shower coat your feet with your favorite moisturizer. Mine is Mango Butter and Cocoanilla Body Cream by AYU Inernational. Then apply your favorite color of nail polish and let it dry while you do your hair and make up.

At night use these fabulous footies to hold in the moisture and soften your feet while you sleep.

Bliss Softening Socks 1 pair FREE Shipping. 115% Price Protection. why try? bliss softening socks form a feathery film around the foot, creating an instant moisture barrier to help alleviate dryness and battle the buildup of corns and calluses. Besides, what misguided sole thinks that her feet couldn't use some improvement? instructions for use: As a quick treatment, wear bliss softening socks for 30 minutes over bliss softening sock salve or bliss glamour glove gel. For terrorizingly tough toes, keep your bliss softening socks on overnight. coming clean: To keep your socks clean and fresh, simply turn them inside out after each use, wipe them down with a cold wet sponge, lay them flat to dry, and dust a little bit of baby powder or corn starch on them to eliminate sticking. If properly cared for, your Softening Socks should last through 50 uses before they require replacement.

Treat your feet at least every other week to a little pampering. You deserve it!

Sun Kissed

Get a little kissed with this great self-tanner from AYU. Amber Kiss and Silke' Smooth are two great self tanning products from a K.C. based company and former Haute Market vendor. On eis a gel, one is a lotion. Both great at giving you that healthy-glow so many talk about, without all the sun exposure.

Also, try this tan extender for a longer lasting tan.

Great products from great local companies. Haute Market searches out the best for you!

Weekly Prize Give-away

Join the VIP Club (newsletter list) for weekly updates about what's happening in fashion, local shopping and for fantastic discounts and deals.

March holds a weekly give-away that you could win!
The Gift of Gab Give-away!
Be on our email list. Tell your friends about it. Get them to join and list you as the person who referred them.
The more referrals you get, the more chances to win! So go gab!
Next Tuesday's give away:
This funky, embellished t-shirt from Frankie & Jules.
$25 gift certificate to Two Chic Blvd.
Note Card pack from Bigg Eye Creations
Join now!

In & Out:

Here is a quick tip list for what is "in" and "out" in the fashion trends world:

In: color. colorful fabrics and prints are everywhere. There doesn't seem to be one single color, rather than a fun array of colors to fit your style and skin/hair color. This fun dress by Stella McCartney has great color..just not sure where I'd wear it.
Out: pure pink. It was fun when suddenly all was pink. But soon it looked like the malls had puked pink. Of course you can still wear pink, but the all-pink craze is over. Find another color to accessorize with. You don't have to throw out the clothes, just find some new colors to pair them with.

In: flouncy fabrics with romantic subtleties. There are loads of soft fabrics floating down the runways, like this one by Toni Maticevski. Delicate knit tops, feminine, soft sundresses. Uli nailed it on Project Runway with her loud prints and soft fabrics for the season. Definitely Miami inspired clothes on the racks this Spring.
Out: tweed. You know the tweed prints that were everywhere 2 or 3 years ago? The pink with the flecks of color, the fringe on all the edges. It's a little over done. Let's end that trend.

One last tip: remember that fit is it. Make sure your outfit fits YOU, not just the mannequin. Flouncy and soft does not mean slop. Keep searching until you find the fit and style that is so you!

Find your style at the April 24th Spring Fashion Fling! Details here.

We Have a Winner

Want to win great prizes during our March Madness give away? You have to get entries first. How? Join our newsletter list. Then refer your friends. When your friends sign up too, and put your name down as the "how did you hear about us?" person, you get an entry. Refer more friends, get more entries.

This week's winner is:
Jennifer Siehndel, and she's won...
~$25 gift certificate to Two Chic Blvd
~Note card pack from Bigg Eye Creations.
~gorgeous jewelry set from ArtWear Designs, $50 value.

Tickets are now pre-selling for the April 24th shopping party at the Wine Bar! Only 200 tickets available for this limited event. New swag bags, discounted shopping and so much more! Check it out.

Shoe time

I love shoes. I don't have reason to buy more, except that I love to see many pairs of shoes lined up neatly on my shelves. Naturally I frequent Shoes.com often. Today I found some cute shoes and a sale!

These black wedge-heels by Kenzie look sassy and fun. About $80 at Shoes.com. And another black pair by baby phat. Both are so cute. Decisions, decisions. Check out the sale link below too! Happy shopping!

baby phat - Women's Eugina Wedge baby phat keeps your look regal with this spellbinding dress wedge. Patterned satin fabric upper in a dress sandal style with thin front strap featuring rhinestone detail arch strap with inner elastic panel and t-strap with rhinestone encrusted baby phat feline logo charms. Heel panel anchors ankle strap with adjustable buckle and elastic panel. Smooth lining cushioned footbed with heel pad. Braided satin 3/4 inch midsole rises to a 4 inch high wedge heel. Flat traction sole.

Spring Fashion Fling

Come have a fling with us at the Wine Bar near 135th & State Line Rd, Tuesday, April 24th.

Not sure what to wear this spring? We'll have 3 vendors with clothing, sure to have a few goodies for your spring and summer wardrobe. Plus few jewelry designers and accessory boutiques to put on the finishing touches.

I took a peek at the Spring '07 runway shows, as usual they make it look like anything goes. A lot of white is going on, and of course bold splashes of color.
To the left, a fun outfit: Gwen Steffani for L.A.M.B.
Sweats, now that's an outfit I can pull off.


Remember Laura's line from Project Runway? I love this dress (left). The feathers, the feminine style. I think it would look stunning on so many body shapes.

And Uli's color collection..Jeffrey's wild side..I was so excited to see some of their styles up close at Macy's when they held the INC Fashion Show. I still get shivers remembering how close I was to Tim Gunn!

Here is THE most important thing to remember when shopping: Fit, Fit, Fit. Don't buy it if it almost fits. I don't care how much you love the color and how fabulous it looks with your skin tone. If the shoe fits, buy it. If it doesn't, keep looking. Even Tim says so.

Plans for tonight...

Shopping with the girls, then out for a nightcap and some acoustic tunes.
Tonight is another Girls Night Out at Girls' Wearhouse. Shop from 5-9. Drive south on Metcalf, pass 159th, right on 162nd, Wearhouse is about a block down on the right. Look for signs and lots of cars.

Once the shopping shuts down, join some of the Haute-girls at Old Chicago (119th & Metcalf, 9 to midnight) tonight to listen to the acoustic tunes of Drew, of Drew6. I hear he does a mean Bon Jovi.

Tell the hubby to put the kids to bed tonight because you have haute plans with your haute friends. Don't worry, it's basketball on TV tonight. He probably won't even notice you've gone out. Cheers!

oops...

I didn't give you your daily dose of fashion and diva-licious news. So sorry. Ya know...it's just been one of those crazy days and I'm human. During my normal blogging time, I took a shower and washed my hair instead. The whole schedule was off from then on. But at least I finally had clean hair.

The good news is that things are really rolling for the April 24th event to be held at the Wine Bar. AND...I've started planning the June event for you...which will be at least double the size of any of our other shows!

If you're on the VIP newsletter list, then you should have received our email blast yesterday with the link to our pre-sales ticket page. Get tickets soon. This VIP event will have just 200 tickets available.

Once you're on the newsletter, spread the Haute Buzz to your friends. If your friend joins the newsletter and lists you, by name, as the person who referred her, you get an entry to the Gift of Gab contest. So gab on!

I've got to leave you now. Someone should really be watching the kids. There is lots of giggling going on. With three boys, that's surely something bad. Cheers!

Look Ma...

I'm thrilled about the Sunday Star Magazine article about several of our recent Haute Market vendors! Heather, if you're reading this..we LOVE you for that fantastic write up!
Click the photo to see the entire article.

Here is a list of the featured vendors:
Urbantique - Cowgirl T-shirts
Beyond Broken Mosaics - mosaic belt buckle
Vintage Moon (Laura Timmons) - Blue Tunic
Apple Scraps - pendant

Each Haute Market event has some returning vendors, and some new vendors. We want to change it up and keep it varied for you. Check the vendor page for each event to see who will be at the next shopping party.

On another note:
A quick congratulations to our first March contest winner, Beth Wade. She got an entry because her friend joined the newsletter list and listed Beth as her "how did you hear about us" person. Join our newsletter and refer friends. Maybe you'll be next weeks winner! Prize packages valued at over $100!

Rare Treasures

With so many people dabbling in jewelry, it's wonderful to find a designer with work that is extremely unique and beautiful. Unless you've been unconsious for a month, you've probably seen Leigh Ann Prier, of Rare Adornment, and her fabulous designs around town lately. She was on TV with Haute Market in February, she was a vendor in our Feb. shopping party, and her jewelry was featured in the Star Mag last month as well.

Have you always wanted to learn a new jewelry technique? Learn how to work with PMC (precious metal clay) through Leigh Ann's classes. Intro to PMC, PMC 101, Etching and more.

Stroll through the Rare Adornment web site for a peek at Leigh Ann's impressive portfolio of jewelry art.

Check out the class schedule and get signed up today, before they are full.

Rare Adornment has several rare treasures you'll want all for yourself!

Spaces & Faces

If you haven't seen the Haute Market MySpace page, then check it out and make Haute Market your friend. It's a very lively place where we have met loads of local designers, music artists and business people. http://www.myspace.com/hautemarket

I know..a bit of a lame blog today. My middle son turned 4 today and we're doing some partying, it's sort of my day off.

If you need something inexpensive to do with kids during the day, Cosmic Mini Golf at the Great Mall. $3 a kid (under 5) and no one else was there with us at 10am. It was great. We did all three courses and the boys loved it. Now I have to set up a basketball hoop and play, his Highness has spoken.

I'll be back fresh on Monday with new blog material, newsletter coming out on Tuesday and MAYBE I'll even start selling tickets for the April 24th shopping party! Be sure to be on the newsletter list for first chance at tickets. Only 200 this time, so get yours before we sell out!

Cheers!

Lovin' Swag

I have had great response about our last Swag Bags. I'm so grateful to the SkinMilk & Sea Breeze company for sending hundreds of samples to Haute Market over the last 6 months. I hear some of you even got some in the mail due to their huge national campaign.

Here is a new twist on a concept most of us mom's have tried...Stuff-A-Friend. You mean I can now keep the 15 screaming, rowdy birthday party goers at home and stuff the animals here? Excellent!

Just order the animals you want to easily assemble at home. Kits come with Stuffing, Instructions, Wishing Star, Birth Certificate and Take Home Carrier.
Just $15 each with a huge selection of animal friends to choose from. I love it! And thanks to Chris, of Stuff-A-Friend, for including some goodies in our last Swag Bags!

Another great Swag contributor was Kelly from MopTop hair care. Unruly hair care products to the rescue! If you have hard to manage hair, very curly hair...MopTop and Fuzzy Duck have the solutions.

Kelly, who was nicknamed "fuzzy" in school, has been working on the development of this product for years. She's come up with a great product to tame your locks and end the "fuzzy" nicknames forever!

Give the products a try with this great travel pack, $20 online. Includes 2oz each of : * Gentle Clarifying Shampoo* Daily Conditioner* Detangler & Refresher Spray* Light Hold Anti-Frizz Gel.

These are just a few of our fabulous Swag Bag contributors. Check out our Goodie page for a peek at the Swag for our April 24th event. The list is growing!