Try this on for size...

I don't want to let the cat out of the proverbial bag, but I LOVE...HauteLook.com.

What is HauteLook.com?  Well, it is a web site which brings sample sales to customers at a click of a button.  Instead of having to travel and fight hoardes of women, you can shop for quality items from quality designers on-line.  WHEW!

In fact, it was at a true blue sample sale (I believe it was via Billion Dollar Babes) that I first learned of Maya Brenner Designs.  I met the designer and picked out a cute 14-K gold necklace several years ago in person.  Of course, I had to push my way through the layers of women to get to purchase my prize.

I'm very particular...I know what I want.  I do my research.  I study the up and coming designers and I focus on it when I  have to go in person.  Lucky for me *sigh*, someone actually heard my complaints about crowds and claustrophobia that is the disadvantage of a live sample sale.

Thanks to .HauteLook.com., I got to purchase three jewelry pieces that have been on my "want" list for the last 3 months.  I got 50% off on 2 pieces and 40% off on 1 piece.  HOORAY!!!

So, I'm currently attending a work conference in Orlando, Florida.  I've been MIA b/c my folks were in town from the East Coast and I was entertaining my mum & dad.  After dropping them off at my cousin's place in the East Bay, I started packing for this trip to Orlando. 

The good thing about Orlando is that it is HOT and humid...JUST LIKE I LIKE IT.  If I lived here year-round, I would have NO wrinkles, FO SHO!

Anyhow, a colleague and I have been totally living it up.  We've been to some of the best restos here in Orlando and this morning we spent 3 hours at the local outlet mall.  Now, I don't mind paying full price for CURRENT designer duds and accessories, BUT...why do that when you can go to the outlet mall and pick up last season's items at anywhere up to 50% off.  Today, I purchased some sunglasses from Kenneth Cole reaction ($29.00), a blazer from Brooks Brothers and a BEAUTIFUL scarf from Salvatore Ferragamo....TO DIE FOR.

I keep promising photos, but I keep forgetting to post.  I've got several of my Longchamp purses and also of my recent purchases (2 premium denim jeans - Sevens and Hudsons- 1 Sweater, 5 new shirts/blouses and all of today's items).  I promise that I'll post them at the end of the week!!!

Have a great week!!!

I FINALLY got around to watching the VP and Presidential debates on the internet.  It isn't that I do not care about my government, it is just that right now, I'm a little too strapped on "me" time.  I've been actually working at work...but today, I've dedicated my 6AM-3PM to getting caught up on the debate...

Oh and watching the SNL skits, too!!!  Tina Fey cracks me up.

Where's your favorite place to have Sunday brunch?

Strangely enough, I haven't found "THE PLACE" yet.  The boy and I try various restaurants for Sunday Brunch.  Today it was Crepevine on Fillmore Street (on the Fillmore Shopping district) and it was blah.  I've never been a big fan but L. wanted to give it the old college try.

Next weekend, I have no clue as to where and what we will be venturing to devour.  Any suggestions from SF residents?

Happy Sunday!!!

In addition to my other reality television addictions now DWTS has made it to the top of my "have to watch list".  OMG...have I told you how much I used to fantacize about Lance Bass when he was in N'Sync?  I guess that was the first sign that he was gay...I've had that happen WAY too many times to mention...Ricky Martin...my WDW boyfriend, John.....and then, there was Lance Bass *sigh*.  I was a fag hag in training and didn't even know it back then!!!

It is either feast or famine with regards to my workplace.  It may not seem like I'm busy due to all the vox posts last week, but I am actually up to my eyeballs with all sorts of work related issues at the moment. 

So, since I'm a girl on the go and my boy, although I love him dearly, is not necessarily the most ideal animal care-giver, I decided to invest in the following:

Cat_eating

It cost an arm and a leg, but the Perfect Pet Feeder has been the ANSWER to my long-awaited prayers.  I no longer am a slave to my cats' desires to feed every 4 hours after 8PM at night.  My Perfect Pet Feeder is there to ease Max and Fuji's midnight munchies.  As a result, I am no longer awakened with Max's paw on my nose, blocking my air flow, or insistent yowlings from Fuji,  my Siamese-Tabby,  for feedings.  I just sleep, peacefully. 

When I decided to take the next step on my idea of purchasing an automatic pet feeder, I did a lot of research.  My neighbor actually has a spiffy little pet feeder, which is made of durable pet safe (BPA free) plastic.  Yet, after checking out her unit, I knew that my Siamese-Tabby would chew through the plastic (he loves to chew hard plastic!!!) in less than a week's time to get to the food.  So, I specifically searched on the internet for DURABLE, STEEL, PET PROOF, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, BEST IN CLASS automatic pet feeders.   Et VOILA!!!  The Perfect Pet Feeder popped up from Google Search

After reading the reviews on the site and through other internet sources, I was intrigued.  This was the only auto pet feeder that I had found that was made of durable steel, had a back-up power source (outside of just the ac plug) and allowed for a 2 animal set up.  With all of the reviews and the Monday-Friday 8-5PM manned customers support telephone line and e-mail account, I was VERY excited to try the product out.

Of course, peace of mind is NOT cheap, I paid around $499.00, including shipping.  It arrived in 3 days, though, via ground UPS.  It comes in 2 colors, black and white, with a steel storage/gravity drop drum.  It takes about 20-30 minutes to clean all the metal parts that come into contact with the pet food and to set it up.  It comes with a very lengthy, but easy to read and even easier to understand instruction manual.  The initial programming of the unit is not difficult and takes around 5-10 minutes. 

The most challenging portion of programming the Pet Feeder is figuring out the equation which equals the "right" amount of food per day.  In addition, you can set up to 6 discrete feedings per day.  Therefore, it requires some math skill to make it all equal to a fraction of a cup or a fraction of a certain number of ounces.  I found that portion of set-up the hardest chore (I'm NO MATH-LETE).  You have to calculate how much dry kibble exits the drop feeder per second and set the timer to open the chute for a certain amount of seconds.  There is not a one size fits all ounce/cup to second ratio provided included in the instruction manual.  There are recommended settings, but you have to sort of test it out because the size AND shape of the dry kibble affects the drop rate.

After all of the set up, you can enjoy watching your cats sniffing out the unit and make a mad dash everytime the meal chime sounds.  So far, so good.  I'm still fine-tuning the feeding equation (amount and scheduled times), but I notice that my cats are not getting super large b/c of my minute "errors" in judgement when tweaking the meal times or meal portions.  Yet, I do notice that they aren't waking me up every morning and I've actually been able to sleep SOUNDLY.  In addition, they seem more content.  They still occasionally beg for food out of habit when the boy and I get home, but it is rare now.  There isn't an urgency to meet us at the door and scream bloody murder to be fed any longer.  Usually when we get home from work/gym/yoga, they still have a bowl with pieces of kibble standing there. 

Therefore, I give this unit an A-OK.  It is easy to set up, to clean, and it actually does its job.  My Orange Tabby cat, Max, has not figured out a way to open the unit (there is a secured latch at the top of the drop feed bin) and my Siamese-Tabby hasn't tried to BITE any of the steel pieces, so I think that we are on a roll!

In addition to "Project Runway", I've been spending a little time enjoying some other reality television watching.  I've just started to get into the "Rachel Zoe Project".  I love the dramatics!  I've also fallen in love with "Tabatha's Salon Takeover". 

Several of my friends are hairdressers (yay for me...as that means stellar cuts and colors for less than salon prices *LOL*) and we have been cat-like in our comments about the lazy, disgruntled salon owners who have been on the show.  Some of those people are SOOOOOO...unprofessional and I'm surprised that they have lasted as long as they have in the industry.

Okay, I have a real job to go to now!!!  I'll write more about fashion purchases very soon b/c I will actually be on a shopping rampage very soon for some business attire (I have a MAJOR conference coming up) and also, I'm going on my hunt for designer denim.  I've gone custom engagement ring window shopping recently and I'll be happy to share the process with y'all.  In addition, I'm preparing now for SF's FOLSOM STREET FAIR (this weekend), which I'm going to be a gatekeeper this year.  So, I have to find the appropriate leather and bondage outfit *LOL*, which hopefully, I can use for Halloween in some way shape or form....

So, there is much to come on my fashion and frills blog in the upcoming month.

One sentence:  Kenley is a bitch and she should be eliminated. 

Being a fag hag is quite a bit of work.  It means being current and able to converse about anything related to the following topics:

• fashion
  
• food/restos
  
• product sales (fashion, cosmetics, automobiles, furniture, accessories...food)
  
• art
  
• literature
• travel
  
• clubbing/gay events
  
• relationships
  
• gym
  

This weekend, some of my boys and I were talking about heading to Vegas to catch the following shows:

Today, during lunch, some colleagues and I were playing the "learning more about each other" game.  It involved questions like:

What was your first concert? 

• Mine=Boyz II Men

• Cassette: New Edition - Self-entitled
  
• LP: Menudo - Quiero Ser