Style Files at Styleforfree.com

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There’s nothing like a stroll down memory lane before we wish 2006 a warm welcome.  We kicked off January writing our thank you’s with stylish notes from Chelsea Paper while sipping MarieBelle hot chocolate. Scott Barnes‘ Bento Box and Julie Hewett’s Hollywood Reds lifted our faces from the winter doldrums.  Our favorite fragrance launches included Moschino Couture, Miss Dior Cherie and Calvin Klein’s Euphoria.  Moby’s Little Idiot Collective brought new characters to life in online shopping.  Napoleon Perdis took the Golden Globe goody baskets to new levels while Vanity Fair covered the Oscars like no one else can.  We were mesmerized by ‘The Book‘ and marveled as Martha came home in this poncho.  Hideo Wakamatsu showed us that luggage can indeed look even sweeter than your most highly regarded handbag.  The Strida3 made spring bike riding a treat no matter where we could fold it up and journey.  Summer road trips became way more fun thanks to the launch of Sony’s PSP and that nifty Slingbox that wouldn’t let you miss a Tivo beat.  Milla Jovovich opened her first store in Greenwich Village while Coco went to the Met.  We went on virtual road trips with the girls from Gypsyville , discovered organic clothing that could look good too from Under the Canopy, found out how to get a Hampton Tan, and nurtured our creative spirits with custom created wallpaper at Flavor Paper.  Lance lived strong on his way to the top of the Tour de France and these guys and gals showed us how to bust a new move. Johnathan Antin went from Blow Out to Sephora, Gwen took cuteness to new levels with her Harajuku threads, Nate Berkus brought a whole new look to Linens ‘n Things, while Stella McCartney made big waves at both H&M and Adidas.  M.A.C. made Halloween way more appealing than putting on a simple plastic mask (and they’ll show you how to get glammed up for New Year’s Eve too!).  2005 was a year that brought us way too many tragic events. But from such sorrow came some amazing, unsung heroes like those from Curesearch.org , Bono’s Edun line and the heroic efforts of all those involved with Hurricane Katrina and Tsunami relief.  Stylewise, 2005 was Green Day’s year. They rocked our worlds, raised buckets of money for those great causes, came out with a must-see DVD/CD set and did it all their way…not once conforming to industry standards. They had all the ingredients for being Style Makers of the Year.

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Thanks to Howard Stern’s upcoming move from conventional to satellite radio and the recent addition of video on our iPods, the air waves are ch-ch-changing. Plug and play satellite radio and portable video is 2006’s big media metamorphosis and the bump of XM, Apple and Sirius stocks speaks volumes. Their on-demand, commercial-free content means you have whatever sound bytes you want instantly…be it Broadway show tunes or exclusive sports programming.  If you’ve yet to make the switch, this Tivoli Tabletop radio ($299.99, shown) will have you singing a whole new tune. Framed in cherry based wood extending the legacy of legendary audio designer Henry Kloss, this retro style is Sirius satellite ready and features AM/FM so you won’t miss a beat.  If XM is your service of choice, Delphi’s SKYFi CD Audio System ($129.99) lets you enjoy XM, AM, FM as well as your CDs and MP3s in the comfort of your own home, yet portable enough for those who want to take it on the run. If you’re sticking with your iPod as your media-on-the-go method, Tivoli’s iSongBook Portable iPod Music System ($329.99) unleashes your iPod to all new levels. Including a 6 foot cable that easily lets you plug it into surround, an on-base charger, FM transmitter, and built in alarm clock with sleep timer so you can both slumber and awake to your favorite iTunes.  It’s official. Satellite’s killed the radio star.

Handheld Satellite Players:     Eton Grundig XM Portable.   Pioneer Airware for XM.    Sirius Portable Media Player.    Tao xm2go.

Juicy gossip….celebrity sightings….red carpet photos…the latest movie production news.  It may be an unhealthy addiction, but it’s one we admit we can’t get enough of. If you want to read all about it, you’ll have a field day visiting TMZ.com.  AOL and Telepictures’ new entertainment portal represents the "thirty mile zone" that runs around Hollywood.  Providing 24/7 news coverage of celebrities, movies, music, television, video games and more. In short, it’s utterly fascinating. A click to the homepage serves up all the latest news headlines which we recommend refreshing every hour (Bono’s been doing quite the political luncheons of late….is he running for something?)  Dive into the Photo Gallery and you’ll find still shots of all your favorite stars. What we couldn’t tie ourselves away from was Star Catcher. If you’re dying to see secret streamed video of Hillary dashing, Carmen’s Red Sleigh or Prince hurrying around Hollywood - this is where you’ll find all the naughty little clips. For the latest Hollywood news videos, stop by the Chatter Zone and find out such things as how much Adrien Brody spends on his chihuahua or what Madonna recently announced she’s missing most from Japan? For lower speed connections, check out TMZ’s News zone for text-only features of all the latest news. It’s pure dish and we couldn’t love it more.  Just hoping that once it’s pulled out of Beta they won’t make us watch a 30 second commercial before each and every juicy clip.

Last week we made the mistake of trekking it to an outdoor B&M Outlet mall. Why we submitted ourselves to such madness is beyond us. It wasn’t enough that it took a half hour to find a parking spot, it was a mere 20 shivering degrees outside and that the "Outlet"buys, at best, were still a solid 20-40% more than the prices we’re able to frequently find online.  After 4 grueling hours, we walked out with a set of 6 Lenox glasses for $30.  A great buy indeed!  But when you factor in time, effort, fuel, and the fact that those on this journey caught a virus which had us flat on our backs for 3 days straight and spawned off on our kids…it wasn’t worth the trip.  There’s something else online that you simply cannot find at a B&M.  Creative minded, super friendly people like Carol Perry of BigPaw and CP Designs who will drop anything they’re doing to make you feel like you’re their #1 Customer (because you are!).  BigPaw offers gorgeous pet jewelry and charms that’d take you hours, if not days, to find locally.  You’ll find delightful charms for Couch Potato and Rescued pets plus pewter magnets for those with Catitude!  And it’s hard not to get all wrapped up with BigPaw’s Pet Photo Contest and the BigPaw Blog.  Styleforfree shoppers receive an extra 15% off your Big Paw order with coupon code: PETSTYLE at checkout.   If you don’t have a furry friend to shop for, you’ll have the same kind of fun picking out jewelry for yourself at CP Designs!  If you’re looking for a bargain, there’s plenty to be found in CP’s Stocking Stuffers under $10 and Clearance sections.  Simple gift giving ideas that make you look like you combed the world over looking for that extra special something all year long. Registered Styleforfree visitors are entered for a chance to win a Swarovski pearl small animal pet collar on 1/18/06….because that’s how cool Carol Perry is.

CP’s Got Your Look!   Bead & Jewelry Supplies.    Bridal Jewelry.   Not over the top Chandelier Earrings.   Kitty Jingle Charms.   Pet Treats starting at $3.

Imagine this:  A candle that not only comes in a substantial range of lush fragrances but one that also puts a smile on your face at the same time.  It’s no wonder Sheryl Crow and Cameron Diaz are such big fans of L.A. Based A Scent of Scandal. The baby of brother and sister team Ari Solomon and Heather Brancaccio, each of their hand-poured 100% soy wax candles are packed in a portable 8 oz. tin complete with metal-free wicks ($15 each). Burn time on each is 30-35 hours.    What got us first were the unique names on the candles…nothing at all like those you’d find in your Grandmother’s house.  CASTING COUCH smells like Leather, DIRECTOR has the scent of thyme while THE PRODUCER has a distinct minty fresh air about it.  In the mood for some holiday cheer? Check out HO HO HO’S (whiffs of hot buns) and HANUKKAH BUSH (big waves of fir freshness). Scent of a Scandal ships anywhere in the U.S. and Canada and orders leave within one to two days, ensuring you’ll get these perfect stocking stuffers in time for the Holidays.

Offline:   Available at Blink (NJ);   Kitson (CA);  Schad (Ontario) and select other locations.

Millions of us have read, relished, and savored each and every page of Memoirs of a Geisha. Now’s the time to get in line for tickets to the Movie - set for limited release on December 16th and nationwide release on the 23rd.  So how does a movie production company set out to market a film with unknown actors and actresses?  If you’re as creative as Sony Pictures is, you team up with the likes of Banana Republic and Fresh to create exclusive lines dedicated to beauty and style as only a Geisha can exude.  Banana Republic has designed a limited edition collection ranging from a quilted Geisha handbag ($48) to this stunning Satin Kimono dress ($195). If you’ve read more than a few magazines during the past few months, you probably recall seeing more robust advertising from Fresh Cosmetics. Their line inspired by the movie is worth all the buzz. The lip palette gives you the perfect red Geisha lip pout; the Geisha powder instantly makes your face glow with real crushed pearl, and the Kyoto Empress collection provides every Geisha necessity, not to mention, makes a great holiday gift!  We recommend getting the goods at Beauty.com who offers an extra 10% off through 1/31/06. If you’ve already read the original, a new book’s cropped up providing a portrait of the movie’s production details while the film’s Soundtrack , composed by John Williams, offers exquisite performances from Yo-Yo-Ma and Itzhak Perlman.

Click here and enter to win a whirlwind shopping tour of Tokyo, Japan for you & five friends! ends 1/31/06.