Interview with Sheree Whitfield from the Real Housewives of Atlanta

Go to Hot Mama Daily to read my exclusive interview with Sheree from the Real Housewives of Atlanta. She talks about her blow-up with the party planner, her divorce, her She by Sheree fashion line and more!

Get Totally Fit with Mel B!

Spring is coming and I need to get my rear in gear. So I plan to try Mel B's "Totally Fit" workout DVD this week. That is if I can keep up with the Brit dynamo also known as Scary Spice.

Read my interview with the former Spice Girl on Hot Mama Daily.

I'm So Ready for "The Hills!"

The Hills - MTV Shows

Pretty in Pink: Adorable Betsey Johnson Dresses for V-Day

Here are my V-Day picks 4, 5, and 6. Adorable pink dresses from mop-top designer Betsey Johnson. Get free shipping on all orders over $200!

More Valentine's Day Gift Ideas 1, 2 & 3

Valentine's Day is next Saturday, but there's still time to pick up a few last minute items to make your heart holiday even sweeter.

Here are a few sweet and sexy items I found on Bebe.com that will surely spice up your love-in weekend:

Today is National Wear Red Day for Women's Heart Disease Awareness

According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of women over age 25, and African-American women are more prone to stroke and heart disease than other women.

So show your support today by wearing red. Also, wear red today and save 20 percent off all purchases at Macy's or buy a Red Dress Pin for $2 at Macy's and get the same savings until Sunday, Feb. 8!
To inspire you, here are a couple cute red items I found at Dollhouse.com.

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas

With Valentine's Day and Fashion Week (more on that soon) approaching, February is going to be a rockin' month. Next week, I will post my Gift Picks for Valentine's Day and post an even more comprehensive V-Day Gift Guide over at Hot Mama Daily. To tide you over until then, here's a sneak peak at romantic gift ideas at Barnes & Noble.com.



I love these candles. Who knew B&N.com sold such cute home and gift wares?

Will the Real New York City Please Stand Up?

I hate to admit it, but I actually like "The Hills." So I was looking forward to Whitney Port's spinoff "The City," especially since I'm a New Yorker. So I watched the premiere episode this week on MTV. Ummm...and I didn't recognize New York City at all. Sure, the landmarks and hipster spots were there. But from watching "The City," you would think perhaps the most racially diverse city in the world had no people of color living in it. And the forced divide between "downtown hipsters" and "Uptown socialites" feels like a contrived story line cribbed from the pages of S.E. Hinton's "The Outsiders." You know, re-imagined as the Upper East Side Socs and the Lower East Side Greasers, without the grit and despair and all with interest earning savings accounts. Or perhaps it's just a lame Gen Y version of "Sex and the City," without the sex and the real city.

So, dear Whit, I cannot bear to watch "The City," because it reduces New York -- one of the realest, most multi-faceted cities in the world-- to a superficial playground for bratty trust fund babies and vapid fashionistas. I'd rather watch Lauren pout her way through expectedly fake L.A. on "The Hills." But maybe Cali folks feel the same way about that show.

Awwwww...This Kitten Loves Broccoli!

I want this broccoli lovin' kitten for Christmas. So cute.

My Guilty Pleasure: MTV's The Hills

Ok, I'm late to party but I'm officially a fan of The Hills. I know, I shouldn't pay these privileged brats any attention. But the vapid cast is somehow so hard to resist.

Love Audrina's raven locks and dazed moments of silence. Can't stand that witchy Lo (if this weren't a PG-13 blog I'd really let her have it). I think Spidey deserve each other. Horsey Heidi isn't all bad (she's just a dim wit who wears way too much makeup), but that Spencer is pure evil. How could she marry a man who disrespects her mother every chance he gets? As you can see, I'm way too involved. And I really like that Whitney. She's probably the classiest member of the cast and I'm looking forward to watching her NYC spinoff The City. I really gotta get a life.

But now the real reason for this post. Again, I'm late to comment on this. But what's up with Lauren Conrad's 'stache? I'm sure she bleaches, but it's not working. Lauren's "character" is the best friend to all and done-wrong by many good girl, but I'm not buying it. I'll be watching you Conrad. And if you shed any more crocodile tears I'll...still be watching.

Hot Mama Daily

Hello everyone....well, I hope there's someone out there reading this blog.

I wanted to give you an update on the new blog I'm writing for b5media. It's called Hot Mama Daily and it's a beauty and style blog for women of color. The logo was just redesigned to be more reflective of the content and I'm really proud to lend my editorial two cents to it.

So please subscribe to Hot Mama and tell a friend about it; even if you're not a woman of color there will be plenty of celebrity style commentary, beauty and fashion tips, and budget shopping alerts.

And the more folks who visit the blog, the more this Hot Mama gets paid.

Thanks,


Tracy

'Tis the Season for Swag

I've been to several beauty events recently and scored goodie bags filled to the brim with beauty products. One event was to celebrate Spa Week and another was a launch party for Pier 1's beauty product line. Two other swag-full events were Shecky's Beauty Night Out and Shecky's Girls Night Out. Look out for Shecky's Holiday Night Out party in NYC (Dec. 18-20)

The events gave me great holiday gift ideas. Here's a list of my favorite products:

1) Boots High Shine lip gloss ($6.99, target.com)










2) Crabtree & Evelyn aromatherapy body wash ($25, Crabtree-evelyn.com)

















3) Boots Mediterranean Olive Sage Almond Wonderbalm ($7.99, target.com)










4) Prann hand and body lotion ($2.25 - $9, Pier 1.com)
















5) Lush Fair Trade foot lotion ($19.50, lush.com)

Clothing Swap Profile on WCBS: Check Me Out on the News!

Click Here: I'm interviewed in a clothing swap profile on WCBS. Check me out!


I consider myself a clothing swap queen and budget shopping expert. Besides the recent interview on WCBS, I've written about clothing swaps for the New York Daily News and have been interviewed by New York Magazine , and by a Columbia U student for an article on the Really Really Free Market at St. Mark's Church.

Speaking of swaps, here's what's coming up:

Friday, Nov 14 starting at 6:30

The Greenpoint Church of the Messiah

129 Russell Street between Nassau and Driggs

5 bucks admission donated to the church

Take the G to Nassau and walk 7 blocks to Nassau and turn
right, the church is located in the middle of the block across the street from
McGorlick Park.

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle at the Flatbush FreeMeet!
sponsored by Sustainable Flatbush and Freecycle™ New York City

Saturday, November 22, 2008, 12pm - 3pm
P.S. 217 Playground
(1100 Newkirk Avenue at Coney Island Avenue)
Flatbush, Brooklyn
Rain or Shine

Directions: Q train to Newkirk Ave or F to 18th Ave. By bus, take the
B68 to Coney Island Avenue and Newkirk. You will find the
FreeMeet underneath the scaffolding next to the playground.

WHY: New Yorkers discard some 12,000 tons of waste each day
that is exported to landfills and incinerators in other states!
Here's your chance to help NYC reduce waste and keep our environment
clean by finding new homes for your old stuff, and getting some
things you can use in the process. Leftovers will be donated or
recycled to every extent possible.

WHAT TO BRING: Bring unwanted clothing, housewares and
other reusable items to share* or simply bring a tote bag to fill.
Bring friends and family too!

MORE INFO: www.RecycleThisNYC.org/freemeet
(excuse our technical difficulties--the date and location on the
website will be fixed today)

*please bring portable items only and log on to
www.Freecycle.org to give away furniture and other heavy
stuff.

Pop Chick Spotlight: Róisín Murphy

She's not a new artist, but she's new to me. I discovered this Cupie-faced singer who reminds me vocally of Lisa Stansfield and Cathy Dennis dressed like Bjork while reading an article about Grace Jones. How's that for inspiration?

Watch and enjoy. It's not often this jaded music critic finds a new artist to tout, but after watching this and a few other videos, I must admit I'm a fan.

Weekends Are Made for Lifetime TV Movies

Lifetime Television for Women. How do I love thee? Let me count five ways:

1) You make it possible for me to lounge on my couch and watch endless hours of television without getting bored or feeling guilty.

2) You've transformed mild-mannered TV Moms like Meredith Baxter Birney and Joanna Kearns into psycho, vengeful matriarchs.

3) Any personal drama in my life pales in comparison to what Laura Leighton, Jenny Garth, Tiffany Amber Thiesen or any former female member of the cast of 90210 or Melrose Place endure in their Lifetime flicks.

4) Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and Lifetime movies allow real-life women to live vicariously through their fictional counterparts.

5) You can rely on that tale of a woman scorned to wrap up in the last six minutes, usually with the villain's reveal and self-defense take-down by the heroine, right before the police show up predictably late and the credits roll speedily by.

Leanne Won Project Runway Season 5, But I Still Love Korto

All three ladies put on a strong showing at Fashion Week. Although the color scheme of ocean blue and white was a tad boring, Leanne's collection was elegant, architectural and modern. Korto's collection was vibrant, Afrocentric and glamorous. And Kenley, while still a supreme brat, showed some vintage-inspired flair and designs that would fly off the racks at Beacon's Closet. But boy does she need an attitude adjustment.

Love Jones

I've written about my love for Grace Jones before (see my Sept. 17, 2007 entry "Amazing Grace"). And with news the 60-year-old siren has a new album (tentative release date Oct. 28), I need another Grace fix. So watch this gender-bending beauty in action in the androgynous, avant-garde video for "My Jamaican Guy."

Check out Grace Jones's Myspace page.

The $4722 wedding: I prove it can be done

Despite all the shameless self-promotion I've done recently, I'm actually more comfortable as the observer, rather than the observed.

But since I'm passionate about bargain shopping and helping others get the look for less, I'm truly proud of the budget wedding story I wrote for the New York Daily News. The positive comments were sweet and unexpected, and hopefully I gave other atypical brides ideas on how to cut costs for their big day.

Here's a link: The $4722 wedding: One Brooklyn bride proves it can be done (NY Daily News, Sept. 21)

Let's Swag: Fashion Week and Fall Freebies

The Fall season is a great time for swag. I struck goodie bag gold several times during Fashion Week and the freebies keep on coming. Here's a list of my favorites:

1. The Ottavia et Emma party at the Bryant Park Hotel: I went on a whim with my party-hearty friend Adena. I'd been invited by the event publicist, but neglected to RSVP since the 9 p.m. start time was past my self-imposed party curfew. When we arrived at the hotel entrance, we were greeted by a long line of hopefuls. That didn't stop us. As soon as the security guard turned his back, we bypassed the line and slipped in. So far so good. Once we reached the actual doorway to the party, however, a second imposing security guard asked to see our wristbands, which of course we didn't have. A bit dejected, I started up the stairs and was homeward bound. Then I saw Bryce, the publicist who invited me to the event. I told her I forgot to RSVP and she said no problem.

She asked, "Did you get a gift bag?"

"No," I replied, shocked that she would so freely offer a gift bag.

"Did you want a gift bag?" she responded.

"Are you kidding?" I thought to myself, and said "YES" aloud.

We followed Bryce past the security guard who turned us away just minutes ago. Bryce motioned, "They're with me." I've rarely felt so V.I.P. Inside, the scene was impossibly crowded and we didn't linger long. A photog snapped our picture holding our generous gift bags, which included a black Ottavia et Emma canvas tote (I've been carrying it nonstop); a cute, long sleeved black Ottavia et Emma t-shirt; a Chambord sample (love those); and beauty products from Elizabeth Grant, O.P.I., and Gotham Skincare.

2. The Budget Fashionista fifth anniversary bash at Housing Works: As soon as I got in, a friend told me free jeans were being given away in the back of the store. I nearly knocked a couple girls over as I made a bee-line for the jeans, courtesy of Fashion Bug's "Right Fit" line. The jeans cater to each woman's body type ("Right Fit Red" is for moderately curvy women; "Right Fit Yellow" is for women with a straight shape from hip to waist; and "Right Fit Blue" is for curvy women with full hips), and using the forgiving system I'm a comfortable size 7. The night was full of other fun giveaways including an "I Love Shoes" canvas tote bag from Payless filled with plush thong slippers, Dashing Diva nail polish, and a copy of "How to be a Budget Fashionista."

3. Bond No. 9 "Andy Warhol" samples: I can't express how much I love Bond No. 9 perfume. I discovered the brand's popular "Bryant Park" scent a few seasons ago and have been a fan ever since. So I was thrilled when I scored a handful of samples of the brand's newest fragrance, "Andy Warhol," outside the tents during the Spring 2009 shows. I sounded like Britney as I pleaded with the kids handing out the samples to "gimmee more!"

4. Bag Trends "Arm Candy" party at Union Square Ballroom: Fashion Week is over, but the swag keeps on coming. I went to this handbag event and came home with a $50 gift certificate from Bag Borrow or Steal (renamed Avelle) of "Sex and the City" movie fame. You can rent designer bags for a week, a month or longer for a reasonable fee. You can also purchase used merchandise from the "Outlet" section on Avelle.com. With my gift certificate I "stole" a gently used gold clutch bag by BCBG (marked down 75 percent to $45). I also received a $25 gift certificate for Shoebuy.com and ordered a much needed pair of stylish and sensible loafers by Naturalizer. My Mom will be proud.

Eco Chic Fashion

Eco-friendly fashion is trendy and good for the environment. Garments made from bamboo, organic cotton, hemp and recyclable materials are popping up in boutiques from Coast to Coast. This week I went to an Eco designer showcase in the Fashion District sponsored by Boho Magazine.

Here are a few of the featured designers:

Threads 4 Thought tees made with 100 percent organic cotton and recycled fibers.

eco Skin, chic, smart and sexy dresses and separates made from bamboo, naturally grown with no pesticides, insecticides or fertilizers.

Lilikoi, a Canadian company named after a Hawaiian passion flower specializing in garments made of bamboo, soy, organic cotton, and linen.

Smartglass Recycled Jewelry handmade from beer and soda bottles.

gg2g ReVinylized bags made from recycled billboards and lined with organic cotton. The company estimates that they have prevented thousands of pounds of billboards from ending up in the landfill.