Former Fred Leighton Owner Sentenced to Six Years in Prison

Former owner of Fred Leighton Jewelry, Ralph Esmerian, on February 19, 2007.  Photo credit: Marsaili McGrath/Getty Images

Ralph Esmerian, the former owner and chairman of Manhattan-based luxury jewelry retailer Fred Leighton Holdings Inc., was sentenced in Manhattan federal court to six years in prison for wire fraud, bankruptcy fraud, and concealment of assets in connection with a scheme to

Frugal Friday: Maxi Dresses

After taking a few Fridays off from frugality, I'm back to bringing you budget finds, all for $50 and under.

Today I set out the challenge of finding something with more fabric than most clothing items, thinking the more fabric the more it would cost. Today I tackle budget maxi dresses. It was no easy task, I'll tell you. Most I found were just big cotton tanks essentially, but I did find some, not diamonds, but cubic zirconia in the rough ;)

Xtaren, $52 @

Oasis, was $115, sale $35

Olivia Moon, was $68, sale $44.90

Oasis, was $90, sale $50 *

Urban Outfitters, was $59, sale $29.99 @

ModCloth, $49.99 *

Forever 21, $22.80

lulus, $47 @

ModCloth, $47.99

Arden B., was $69, sale $49

Audrey 3+1, $50

Charlotte Russe, $26.99

Charlotte Russe, $32.99

@Available in more colors
*EWP fave

Bulgari First Half 2011 Sales Up 23%

First half 2011 sales for the Bulgari Group increased 23.6 percent, year-over-year, at current exchange rates to 548 million euro ($784 million). At comparable exchange rates the increase was 23.3 percent. The luxury jewelry house reported an operating profit of 15.3 million euro ($21.8) and a net profit of 9.1 million euro ($13 million) for the period.

During the first six months of the year,

Record Sales at Swatch Group, but Strong Swiss Franc Cuts Margins

Watch and jewelry sales at the Swatch Group rose 24 percent at constant exchange rates to 2.9 billion Swiss francs ($3.6 billion) for the first half of 2011. At current exchange rates the increase was 13.3 percent for the six-month period. Total sales increased 24.2 percent at constant exchange rates to a record $3.36 billion Swiss francs ($4.17 billion). At current exchange rates the increase

kinda weird but kinda fun

Disney princesses as pinups:

Design Changes!

The time keeps getting closer for my move to Wordpress, but in the mean time, I'm making this here site more user-friendly with the links above to make things easier to find. All my reviews, recommendations, and essentials in one place. Happy reading!

Survey: Consumer Confidence Among the Affluent Drops Sharply

The top 20 percent of households by income are no longer feeling confident about economic conditions in the U.S. and are spending far less, according to a quarterly survey of the affluent consumers.

The Unity Marketing Luxury Consumption Index took its steepest quarterly plunge since the recession (between fourth quarter 2007 to first quarter 2008), falling 16.8 points to bottom out at 66

LVMH Increases Stake in Hermès

LVMH continues to slowly add to its ownership of Hermès International saying it now owns 21.4 percent of the Parisian luxury jewelry house, up from 20.2 percent. Company representatives made the announcement Tuesday during LVMH's half-year earnings report conference call with investors and journalists.



Bernard Arnault
In October 2010, LVMH shocked the luxury and investment industries and

Random images I like today

LVMH Watch and Jewelry Sales Up 30%

LVMH’s watches and jewelry business group benefited from sustained demand across all regions during the first half of 2011. Reported sales rose 30 percent to 576 million euros ($831 million). Organic revenue, when currency fluctuations and other nonrecurring events are removed, grew by 27 percent. It was the Paris-based luxury conglomerate’s top performer in terms of sales growth among its six

Texture Tuesday: July 26, 2011

ASOS layered trapeze camisole:Kenneth Cole New York gold cuff bracelet:Alexander McQueen pleated wool-felt mini skirt:

Slight Gain in Consumer Conference Index for July

Kim Kardashian shopping in Beverly Hills. Photo credit: FlynetPictures.com
The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had declined in June, improved slightly in July. The Index now stands at 59.5 (1985=100), up from 57.6 in June. The Present Situation Index decreased to 35.7 from 36.6. The Expectations Index rose to 75.4 from 71.6 last month.

“Consumer confidence posted a modest

De Beers Reports Record Rough Diamond Sales

Rough diamonds image courtesy of De Beers Group

De Beers Group said Tuesday that sales of rough diamonds during the first half of 2011 through the Diamond Trading Company (the rough diamond distribution arm of the De Beers) increased 33 percent, year-over-year, to $3.5 billion This is the highest ever sales figure recorded for the first half of the year, buoyed by continued retail demand from

Chicago Spotlight/EWP Review: Perennial Virant

I've decided to add a new feature to this here blog - little reviews and posts about local Chicago places. I've been doing it here and there, but now it'll be more official and part of the "Chicago Spotlight" series. It might be a local boutique or local eatery, but they'll get a spotlight shined upon them and get reviewed on the following EWP scale:
0 stars = Crocs
1 star = Payless
2 stars= Nine West
3 stars= Stuart Weitzman
4 stars= Christian Louboutin

As you can guess, everyone should be shooting for the coveted Louboutin rating :)

Today I'm reviewing a new restaurant. Yes, I normally talk fashion, but what's the fun in dressing up if you have nowhere to go?


A week ago I had the supreme pleasure of dining at Perennial Virant. [Isn't it cute?!]

My friend Foodiebia was visiting from California and I knew she would totally love the local, fresh menu as much as I would.

Perennial Virant is located across from Lincoln Park and the Green City Market. As a lover of farmer's markets and specifically the Green City Market, it was wonderful to see the produce from the market make its way across the street to the Perennial Virant menu. The menu changes daily, based on what is fresh and available. I LOVE this for several reasons: 1) I get bored with menus that don't change, 2) what could be better than tasting things at their very freshest instead of off-season and trucked in from places far away?, 3) I like being encouraged to show up to a restaurant repeatedly because they have new things for me each time.

The decor was fresh and streamlined. Simple, a little earthy, some tables to be shared with other groups, but not too close to them that you're weirded out that you're sitting with other people. We actually got a shared table and the only time I noticed that I was sharing was when I would peek over to see what they were eating.

The feel is casual and friendly. There were kids in attendance, the waiters all wore plaid (but in a cute hipster way, not a lumberjack way). The only complaint of mine was a person who was a little too friendly - the overenthusiastic water refill guy. He was just a little too much for me, interjecting jokes into our conversations. He was cute, but I wasn't in the mood for a full on press joking flirtation. But better an overly present water guy than one you can't ever find as you sit there parched. So if my only complaint is an overly friendly water guy, then this place is great.

And now let's get to the food. Perennial features small plates to share, so of course we ordered a million things. And every single thing was divine. Even the cheese plate, and I'm not a cheese person at all. But the cheese plate had these delicious Spanish almonds that had Foodiebia, Mr. EWP, and myself all swooning. And I don't even like almonds! We had short ribs, corn cakes, green beans, heirloom tomatoes with baked ricotta. All super delicious. But there were two standouts from the meal: 1) The beef loin. That was an incredible piece of meat. Mr. EWP is a meat guy, he's picky about his beef and he was drooling all over the table and basically fainted from the awesomeness of the beef. 2) The wings. Yes, a fancy restaurant that serves wings. Can you say EWP heaven? I'm a wing nut. I don't know why but I super super love chicken wings. But you can't really get them anywhere but a sports bar, but enter Perennial Virant and the most delicious barbecue wings of all time. They had been drenched in liquid smoke which really upped the flavor factor. I was literally licking my fingers and may or may not have considered ordering another round.

And lastly I have to show y'all the patio. Because it is adorable. If it hadn't been 95 degrees that day, I would've totally been sitting outside. I'll be there again soon I'm sure, I love me some outdoor dining. I'm seriously already thinking about when I can go back.

I give Perennial Virant an amazing Louboutin rating! (aka 4/4).

Look at that, a Louboutin right out of the gate for Chicago Spotlight. Wonder who'll be getting the EWP inspection next....

Neiman Marcus Wine & Shoe Pairing Event

Last week I had the supreme pleasure of being invited by the Waldorf Astoria to attend a Wine & Shoe Pairing at Neiman Marcus. It was small and intimate, but really fun. They'd pair a comfort wine with a comfort shoe, like a spectator Chanel pump. As a non-drinker, I don't know much about wines so I really can't tell you what paired with what, but I can tell you I really did enjoy watching the shoes being walked around by the models. I also enjoyed the dresses they paired them with, but no one was talking about the dresses, so I can't tell you what they wore :( Since my hands were free of wine glasses, I got a hand massage by the people of Fresh. It was divine.

Then our little band of wine tasters/shoe fondlers, made our way to the shoe department where the wine and shoe pairings continued and we were given gift bags that included a $200 gift card to Neiman Marcus. Um... best gift bag ever!

I used my gift card for these simple and useful Tory Burch flats. Lord knows I'll wear them a million times. When it's not Aerosoles soul mate season, it's Tory Burch flat season.

Tory Burch, $235 @

And with my gift card, they were basically free. Who can say no to that?!

I will admit that what I really really wanted were these Valentinos.

Valentino, $645 @

OMG divine. I swear my foot/leg has never looked so darn sexy as when trying on these spiky stilettos. But, sadly, they were not to come home with me. a) I need another pair of black pumps like I need a hole in the head. It's not like I'm working, where on earth would I ever wear them? b) My stay-at-home-mom budget definitely does not allow for $700 Valentino shoes. As much as I would like it to. *sigh*

But I am very excited about the Tory Burches. I wish I had taken my camera to take pics of the event, but it was intimate and I definitely would have been the weirdo snapping pics with my gigantor dSLR. Oh well, maybe next time.

@Available in more colors

love this...

Alice + Olivia one shoulder goddess dress:Banana Republic amalfi convertible clutch:Tory Burch jaquetta blouse:kate spade cut to the chase stretch bracelet:

Swiss Watches Exports Up 19.3% led by Growth in Asia

The entrance to the main watch hall at Baselworld, the world's largest watch and jewelry fair held in Basel, Switzerland.  Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco

The Swiss watch brand is as strong as ever and shows no sign of losing its luster.

Following the recovery of 2010, watch exports in the first half of 2011 showed a year-over-year increase of 19.3 percent to 8.7 billion Swiss francs ($10.8

Hublot is Still Making Noise with its Big Bang Watches

Mathilde Krim, amfAR chairman, and Jean-Claude Biver, Hublot CEO, at the opening of the Hublot New York boutique on May 11. Krim is holding the Big Bang Magic amFAR timepiece.
A few years ago Swiss luxury watch company, Hublot, introduced its Million Dollar Big Bang watch, a tourbillon timepiece covered with diamonds. It was big hit, generating a great amount of press and interest and leading

Swarovski Teams with Chamilia for Personalized Bead Collection

Swarovski Blue Brown Bracelet

It’s not often that the famed crystal company Swarovski partners with others. In fact, the Austrian firm that uses its brand to produce everything from crystal keepsakes to resort spas may never have been in a joint collaboration before in its 116 year history. This has now changed.


Swarovski Pink Drop Chain
Swarovski says it understands that fashion savvy

The Second Act of Marina B

Marina B sapphire choker

The Midtown Manhattan headquarters of Windsor Jewelers is located on the 16th floor of a typical office building near Union Station. Inside the orderly, clean space there’s an area dedicated to Marina B jewelry. The brand was extremely popular with the jet-set crowd from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s, but for more than a decade has been left largely dormant. It is

this week in iphone pics

All I've done this past week is decorate my new apartment and study! Sorry I've been slacking on blog posts!
This is a white board I made out of a picture frame and cute scrapbook paper:Starting to hang things... ignore the messy couch pillows:Spray painting frames:Final product!O and next weekend I'm going to see Dita Von Teese (the real one, not my cat), so I've been busy practicing my pinup hair and makeup:
Happy weekend!

New Sunglasses

I hadn't bought a new pair of sunglasses in over four years. As you know, I don't own anything for that long! I was BEYOND bored with my Ferragamo sunglasses [which I might be selling, so let me know if you're interested], and ready to vomit at the sight of my Coach sunglasses. (Coach? Coach?! What self-respecting fashionista wears Coach?! I mean, unless you want to buy them. haha) It was high time for a change.

So when my friend Kimmers went shopping for some new specs, I tagged along to help (and help myself). I wanted something black, as I'd be less likely to get bored of it if it was neutral. And I definitely wanted big, as my head is gigantic. Seriously, my head is huge. I don't fit hats. Well, except for that one I just posted. Anyway, something interesting to fit my style. And I saw these bows and I was sold. *sigh* Bows. Except my bow is black. You know, because of that whole getting bored thing. Also, it's less obnoxious. I didn't want them to be all "LOOK! CHANEL!" So with the black bows and the tiny tiny signature Chanel logo, it's not so obnoxious.

Chanel, $428

Galatea’s Queen Bead Carved Pearl Designs

Queen Bead Queen Bracelet

Chi Huynh is both a jeweler and an artist. His canvas and his muse are pearls. Already beautiful in their own right, he takes each individual pearl and carves designs in them or he pairs them with precious metals and gemstones in unusual ways to create individual works of art. The results are quite striking, as detailed and refined as any artist or craftsman who works

Confessions of an EWP

I know I've been MIA lately. I'm sorry, but I must confess I've been rather busy and neglected this lil bloggie. And as long as I'm confessing to that, thought I'd confess some other things:

• I haven't had a manicure in 2 months. Don't worry, my pedicure is very up to date. Wearing sandals in the summer without a pedicure is a major fashion violation, I wouldn't dare do that. But can't seem to get time to run out and get my nails done. I'm so ashamed.


• I don't own a full-length mirror. I KNOW! This shocks people on a regular basis. This is why you get all those silly bathroom shots. There is no full-length mirror in our place. This means I never actually know what an outfit looks like on me really. I guess in my head, but never see the finished product. Who knows if the shoes actually go! Who knows if the shoe/skirt combo makes my legs look thick! This is something I hope to remedy when we move to our new place next month. Then you can get full-length photos. I know you've been dying without them :)


• I have a wicked ring tan going. It looks ridiculous. Guess I won't be slipping my ring off when I hit the bars ;) Not that I actually go to bars. So I won't slip it off when I hit Nordstrom. With the baby. During the day. You know, since that's where people go to pick up guys, right? Not that I ever would take my rings off to go shopping. Aside from not being that kind of gal, they totally get me better service. Seriously, salespeople in nice stores definitely do a once over when you walk in, and my ring apparently makes the cut to get nice service. Phew!


• I dress up to go shopping. The better dressed you are, the better service you get. Especially if you throw on some designer duds. See above.


• I'm obsessed with peanut butter. I don't know what that has to do with anything, but I just needed to get that off my chest. If I could have it at every meal, my life would be perfect. We go through A LOT of peanut butter in our house. And as much as I like to pretend Mr. EWP is eating some of it, it's really just me.


• I make Mr. EWP put his clothes in the guest room closet. The master bedroom gigantic closet is all for me. Well, we do have some linens in there. See, I can share!

Got anything you need to get off your chest? Confess in the comments!

Do I Look Like Kate Middleton Yet?

I may or may not be obsessed with headwear since the royal wedding. I mean, I always head a thing for it before, but now I reeeeeeally am obsessed. My latest style inspiration Kate Middleton has me thinking hats and fascinators. Which led to the following purchases:

Francesca's, $34

Now that's what I call sun protection!

Now for my super exciting purchase. Y'all, I have looked high and low and could NOT find a for realsies British-esque fascinator. None of this headband with feathers nonsense, I wanted something artistic and on the side of my head. And look what I found. I'm in heaven.

Charming Charlie, $14.97

So what do you think? Am I British yet?

Random images I like today

Captain America Trailer and the Skinny Steve

Marvel is almost done introducing each of "The Avengers". Up next is Captain America that is going to hit the theaters very, very soon! In case you are curious, no, Chris Evans did not have to lose weight in order to play the pre-serum Skinny Steve in the movie. The advanced technology we have allowed the moviemakers to digitally shrink Chris' body so that it looks skinny and

Gemfields Emerald Auction Fetches $31.6 million

Gemstone mining and marketing company, Gemfields, said it made a record $31.6 million from its auction of rough emeralds held last week in Singapore, adding that it underscores the strong demand for its “ethically sourced” gemstones from its Kagem Mine in Zambia..
On a like-for-like basis, prices have increased 63 per cent to $42.7 per carat among the higher quality stones since December 2010,

Royal Asscher Opens Flagship Store in Tokyo

The Royal Asscher Diamond Company opened its first flagship store in Japan on July 15, located on the Ginza Street in the center of Tokyo. It represents the company’s first store in Asia.

“It shows our total commitment to Japan in these difficult times,” said Edward Asscher, president of the Netherlands-based company. “We have great respect for the solidarity and vigor the Japanese people has

Buckingham Palace to Exhibit Kate’s Wedding Ensemble and the Royal Fabergé Collection

Photo Credit: Getty Images

The Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress along with her wedding tiara and earrings will go on display at Buckingham Palace during its annual summer opening. As big as this display is for much of the world (an estimated 3 billion saw the British royal wedding), it may be overshadowed by what is considered by many to be the world’s greatest collection of Fabergé pieces

Jewelry Exhibit at Boston MFA to Span History of Adornment

Marjorie Merriweather Post’s platinum brooch from the 1920s, featuring a spectacular 60-ct. carved Mughal emerald surrounded by diamonds.

The Boston Museum of Fine Arts will open a new gallery Tuesday dedicated to jewelry with the exhibit, “Jewels, Gem, and Treasures: Ancient to Modern.” The exhibition, which will run till November 1, 2012, will cover jewelry ornamentation spanning from the

NRF: Retail Sales Up 0.3% in June

Retail industry sales (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) in June increased 0.3 percent seasonally adjusted from May and 5.5 percent unadjusted year-over-year, according to data from the National Retail Federation, which notes that it’s the 12th conservative month of retail sales growth.The organization said warm weather, lower gas costs and strong Father’s Day promotions

love this...

Rebecca Taylor spring posey dress:Melissa Joy Manning heart bracelet:Elizabeth and James hazel wedges:Banana Republic lace-trim racerback dress:Marc by Marc Jacobs ozzie lucy handbag: