CONGRATULATIONS TO CALISTA MYERS! THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED! Hello girlfriends! If you are reading this, you probably met one of the Girlfriends-in-Chief at BlogHer (for those who don’t know, BlogHer is the world’s largest conference of women bloggers. We’ll be attending it this weekend in Chicago). Or, you found out about our Blogher contest on twitter. Welcome! We’re so excited about meeting new girlfriends at Blogher that we’re having a fabulous giveaway just for you, thanks to the generosity of Liz Claiborne New York. You can be the proud owner of this beautiful Heritage Plaid large tote, which was created as part of the LCNY line, designed by Isaac Mizrahi. This bag makes a fabulous carryon or weekend bag, has a pink interior that just makes us happy, and it’s is HARD TO FIND! It was never actually sold in stores, and only a small quantity were made. It’s gorgeous! A real traffic-stopper, and there are goodies inside. You might see Dawn carrying one in the hotel at Blogher but that one is HERS and this one will be YOURS! Here is a another photo from an in-store event which might give you a better idea of the size of the bag. And guess what you will find inside?

• A gray-and-white, silk LCNY logo scarf,
• a “Liz Rahi Miz Claiborne” t-shirt (one size fits all)
• a copy of Isaac Mizrahi’s book How to Have Style,
• LCNY blank book, mouse pad, and more.

All courtesy of Liz Claiborne New York. WOW! Here’s all you have to do to enter:

1. Sign up for our weekly email by clicking . All new signups by midnight on Weds., July  29, 2009 will be automatically be entered. You must sign up for emails to be entered. Now, if you want extra entries:

2. Tweet this contest AND leave a comment saying you did so.

3. Blog about this contest AND leave a comment saying you did so.

4. Add our button to your site (grab code from the right-hand column) AND leave a comment saying you did so.

5. Leave a comment telling us your favorite thing to do with your girlfriends.

If you do them all, you can have up to 5 entries. w00t!  U.S. shipping addresses only, please. Winner will be drawn at random from all eligible entries received by 11:59 PM on Weds., July 29, 2009. Tell your girlfriend–you don’t have to be attending BlogHer to enter. Good luck ladies! Read the rest of this entry »

We came, we saw, we shopped: GirlfriendCelebrations recently partnered with Liz Claiborne New York and Carson Pirie Scott for a Personal Style Event for some of our fashion-forward girlfriends! This early morning event was a great way to squeeze in a little girlfriend time before the Saturday rush. Here’s how it turned out:

The invitation-only event was scheduled before store opening, so our girlfriends had to get up early. But, they were greeted at the door with festive pink punch in champagne glasses, and had the chance to explore the new Liz fashions and chat over coffee and a light breakfast. (Besides, the colors of the Liz Claiborne New York summer line will wake anyone up!) We heard from many girlfriends how excited they were to be out of the house and doing something girl-friendly on a Saturday morning! Gift bags were waiting on each chair along an informal runway. In the bag: A silk Liz Claiborne New York logo scarf, “Miz Claiborne LizRahi” t-shirt, LCNY mouse pad, chocolate, bottled water, Carson’s coupons, a pen, and a program for the fashion show. Carson’s associates modeled the summer fashions, with Liz Claiborne’s Joanie Ackerman as the enthusiastic emcee offering styling tips. The “real” models did a fabulous job, and our girlfriends must have liked what they saw, because the shopping quickly ensued. This black crochet dress, in particular, flew off the racks. So many of our girlfriends bought that dress, we are going to have to make a schedule of who gets to wear it where and when! In addition, our girlfriends received beautiful gifts with purchases of a certain amount, as well as “keeper” garment bags to take their clothes home. Bonus!

Carson’s also raffled off some beautiful LCNY bags, an Estee Lauder gift set, and a Carson’s gift card. Congratulations to the lucky winners!! Thank you to the team at Carson’s Yorktown and Liz Claiborne New York for making our girlfriends feel welcome. They clearly share our philosophy that Girlfriends Make Life Better!™ This email from our girlfriend Jill, after the event, says it all:

“I just wanted to say thanks for a great Saturday morning at the 7/18 fashion event. It was so nice to get some fashion ideas that were both fun and realistic! A small step for a decidedly non-fashionista…but it made me remember how much fun it is to shop with girlfriends.  I actually feel inspired to go through my closet, and try a little harder…”

Fun, food, fashion, inspiration, girlfriends (and shopping) – what a great way to start your Saturday. Thanks to all who joined us! Read the rest of this entry »

Oh yes we did—we met fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi and it all started with an email from a girlfriend! Genevieve, who remembered our past posts and tweets about how we were nuts about Mizrahi, kindly let us know he was going to be in town for an event to launch the Liz Claiborne New York line. Mizrahi took over design for the line this year (ending his relationship with Target, where he helped create an affordable style revolution). Carson Pirie Scott (known as BonTon in other parts of the country) hosted a fashion show and shopping event with an opportunity to meet the designer. Being that it was right in our backyard, so to speak, we simply had to be there. 

We’re in!

After waiting in line to see if we were going to get into the event, we were seated near the runway. Yes! Our pink wristbands ensured we would get a goodie bag after the show. Better, we had a closeup view of the stage where Mizrahi would sit and talk about style with emcee Stacy Wallace-Albert.

Style tips

Does fashion matter to real girlfriends, with everything going on in the world today? Well, if you’re talking about high fashion, maybe not. But, no matter who you are, style does matter. You have to present yourself in some way, given that we live in a visually oriented society, so you might as well give it some thought and look put-together. It doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot. Mizrahi focused on versatile pieces in this line, which is reasonably priced. Perhaps playing to his Midwestern audience, he also gave a lot of practical fashion advice in his time on stage. Here are a few of his nuggets: Read the rest of this entry »

Winter wardrobes are getting pretty stale right about now. We need to freshen up our style, girlfriends! How about dressing up your next girls night with a fashion theme? We know money’s tight, but fear not, recessionistas—here’s a roundup of fashionably frugal, sensibly stylish parties you can whip up for your next girls night in. And if you don’t have your next girls night on the calendar, use one of these ideas as your excuse. Spring *is* coming, and we all want to look our best. Right, ladies? photo by miss_rogue via flickr

Go “Unshopping”

Gather the girlfriends and hit the mall—not to buy, but for window shopping and trying on. Isaac Mizrahi, in his book How to Have Style, recommends the “just looking” trip. He says to focus on the things you don’t have in your closet, or styles you don’t usually wear – e.g. if you are afraid of accessories, try on loads of belts, scarves and jewelry. “If there is anything you feel you cannot live without,” Mizrahi says, “put it on hold. Go home. If when you wake up the next morning it’s the first thing that pops into your head, buy it.” With your gal pals in tow, you will get truthful opinions on what looks good. Remember to bring your digital camera so you can record some of your favorites (plus, the hat department might make for some fun girlfriend pictures!). Read the rest of this entry »