We've decided to take Daily Dose "Off the Air" so to speak in order to re-tool & overhaul it a bit.   Please stand by...

Signed,

The Management

SUMMARY: Who doesn't dream of opening their closet and being greeted by the site of everything organized (rather than crammed in) and filled only with items you love to death & wear just as much. The path to Wardrobe Nirvana is paved with Fashion Foundation pieces: select, trend-proof goodies that can easily be dressed up or down, and will take you almost anywhere in style. This month is devoted to the theme of New Year, New You - with the focus this week on getting back to fashion basics.  The key jacket?  A CLASSIC BLAZER. In this episode, we also discuss which blazers are worth investing in, and how finding one that is "classic" depends your own particular sense of style.

So far in New Year, New You:
How to Buy - and Tie - a Classic Wrap Dress
The Key Day Bag: the Jackie O Gucci Hobo

RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS EPISODE:

AUDREY (Momgenerations.com):
3-button stretch-wool blazer - J. Crew

LESLEY (Fashiontribes.com):
- classic tweed Chanel jacket & skirt suit
- leather blazers by Forzieri (black) & Chadwicks (brown) - both available at Amazon.com
- an avant garde piece by Yohji Yamamoto, Alexander McQueen or Comme des Garcons

On-camera image credits:
Audrey - 3 blazers: Vanessa Bruno (black); Smythe (navy); Marc by Marc Jacobs "Roxie" (charcoal) - all available at Net-a-Porter.com
Lesley - preppy Brooks Bros.blazer; classic Chanel tweed skirt suit; Chanel jacket with skinny jeans; Phoebe Philo for Celine Spring 2010 runway shots - via style.com; runway shots of Yohji Yamamoto, Alexander McQueen & CDG Spring 2010 - via style.com
Previously on New Year, New You:

SUMMARY: Who doesn't dream of opening their closet and being greeted by the site of everything organized rather than crammed in there, and filled only with items you love to death & wear just as much. The path to Wardrobe Nirvana is paved with Fashion Foundation pieces: select, trend-proof goodies that can easily be dressed up or down, and will take you almost anywhere in style. This month is devoted to the theme of New Year, New You - with the focus this week on getting back to fashion basics.  The key bag?  A GUCCI JACKIE O HOBO - EITHER THE CLASSIC "BOUVIER" OR THE "NEW JACKIE". In this episode, we also discuss which bags belong in a fully-stocked handbag wardrobe, and why we're so gaga for the Gucci Jackie O hobo.

Previously on New Year, New You:
How to Buy - and Tie - a Classic Wrap Dress

RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS EPISODE:

LESLEY (Fashiontribes.com):
Gucci "Bouvier" hobo - NeimanMarcus.com

AUDREY (Momgenerations.com):
Gucci "New Jackie" hobo - BagBorrowOrSteal.com


On-camera image credits:
Lesley - black & brown wrap dresses both Diane von Furstenberg "Julian"; I have nothing to wear; Jackie O with her Gucci "Constance" hobo; Audrey Hepburn with the Louis Vuitton "Speedy"
Audrey - handbag illustration

SUMMARY: Who doesn't dream of opening the closet, everything organized rather than crammed in, and full of items you love to death & wear just as much.  The path to Wardrobe Nirvana is paved with Fashion Foundation pieces: select, trend-proof items that can easily be dressed up or down, and can take you almost anywhere in style.  This month is devoted to the theme of New Year, New You - with the focus this week on getting back to fashion basics.  The key piece?  A WRAP DRESS in black or - depending on what colors best suit you - brown.  In this episode, we discuss the why's & wherefore's of the perfect Foundation wrap dress, plus demonstrate just how to tie one!

RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS EPISODE:

AUDREY (Momgenerations.com):
brown Massimo wrap dress - Target.com
boatneck sheath - Chicos
chocolate brown leather blazer - Chadwicks
classic pearl necklace - PearlsOnly.com

LESLEY (Fashiontribes.com):
classic Julian wrap dress - Diane von Furstenberg

On-camera image credits: 
Audrey - line drawing of a wrap dress
Lesley - zen closet; nothing to wear

On the:

FIRST DAY OF GIFTMAS, my True Love gave to me: a bejeweled "Partridge" in a Jewelry Tree
SECOND DAY of Giftmas: two Turtle Doves of Love
THIRD DAY: three Delicious French Hens
FOURTH DAY:  four Artistic Calling Birds
FIFTH DAY: five fabulous Golden Rings
SIXTH DAY: goose foie gras with vino fino
SEVENTH DAY: elegant crystal Swans A-"Swimming"
EIGHTH DAY: Maids went A-Milking & served it up at High Tea
NINTH DAY: 9 Ladies Dancing the Nutcracker
TENTH DAY: 10 Lords A-Leaping from a Plane
ELEVENTH DAY: 11 Pipers Piping & Playing Digital Piano

On this, the 12th Day of Giftmas, my True Love bought me a drum set Plus Wii Guitar Hero Drums (for my inner Rock God). And on that note (so to speak), we wish you a very merry, fabulously Rock & Roll holiday season!

RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS EPISODE:

AUDREY (Momgenerations.com):
affordable drum sets - DrumSet.com

LESLEY (Fashiontribes.com):
Wii Wireless Premium Guitar Hero Drum Set - GameStop.com


On-camera image credits:
Audrey: 12 Drummers Drumming embroidery illustration; Happy 2010 illustration
Lesley: Animal from The Muppets; Learning to play drums - DVD & drum set; Led Zeppelin's drummer John Bonham; Stuart Copeland & drumming for The Police; Blink 182's Travis Barker drumming; Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers) drumming; Happy Holidays illustration

On the:

FIRST DAY OF GIFTMAS, my True Love gave to me: a bejeweled "Partridge" in a Jewelry Tree
SECOND DAY of Giftmas: two Turtle Doves of Love
THIRD DAY: three Delicious French Hens
FOURTH DAY:  four Artistic Calling Birds
FIFTH DAY: five fabulous Golden Rings
SIXTH DAY: goose foie gras with vino fino
SEVENTH DAY: elegant crystal Swans A-"Swimming"
EIGHTH DAY: Maids went A-Milking & served it up at High Tea
NINTH DAY: 9 Ladies Dancing the Nutcracker
TENTH DAY: 10 Lords A-Leaping from a Plane

On this, the 11th Day of Giftmas, my True Love rounded up Pipers to play for me: on a fabulous downloadable CD and a state-of-the-art, limited edition Yamaha Digital Piano in a beautiful Chinese laquer red that was created in honor of Elton John.

RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS EPISODE:

AUDREY (Momgenerations.com):
Pomp & Pipes by the Dallas Wind Symphony - Amazon.com

LESLEY (Fashiontribes.com):
Elton John Limited Edition Signature Series Red Digital Piano - Yamaha.com

On-camera image credits:
Audrey: 11 Pipers Piping embroidery illustration
Lesley: 11 Pipers Piping illustration (via Dreamstime.com/JeannieMarie); David LaChapelle; cheesy electronic keyboard on X stand

On the:

FIRST DAY OF GIFTMAS, my True Love gave to me: a bejeweled "Partridge" in a Jewelry Tree
SECOND DAY of Giftmas: two Turtle Doves of Love
THIRD DAY: three Delicious French Hens
FOURTH DAY:  four Artistic Calling Birds
FIFTH DAY: five fabulous Golden Rings
SIXTH DAY: goose foie gras with vino fino
SEVENTH DAY: elegant crystal Swans A-"Swimming"
EIGHTH DAY: Maids went A-Milking & served it up at High Tea
NINTH DAY: 9 Ladies Dancing the Nutcracker

On this, the 10th Day of Giftmas, my True Love made me feel like royalty - like a Lord A-Leaping...from a plane! In this episode, we find skydiving experience gifts - one for under $200 (!) and, if you wanna jump with Lords, ie. in the presence of aristocracy, a skydive with King of mountains as company: Mount Everest.

RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS EPISODE:

AUDREY (Momgenerations.com):
Skydiving Trip Gift - XperienceDays.com

LESLEY (Fashiontribes.com):
Everest Skydiving with Explore Himalaya - XOPrivate.com


On-camera image credits:
Audrey: 10 Lords A-Leaping embroidery illustration
Lesley: 10 Lords A-Leaping illustration (via Dreamstime.com/JeannieMarie); photo of Mount Everest; tandem jump; Nepal side of Everest; skydiving in Nepal; Everest/Himalaya mountain panorama

On the:

FIRST DAY OF GIFTMAS, my True Love gave to me: a bejeweled "Partridge" in a Jewelry Tree
SECOND DAY of Giftmas: two Turtle Doves of Love
THIRD DAY: three Delicious French Hens
FOURTH DAY:  four Artistic Calling Birds
FIFTH DAY: five fabulous Golden Rings
SIXTH DAY: goose foie gras with vino fino
SEVENTH DAY: elegant crystal Swans A-"Swimming"
EIGHTH DAY: Maids went A-Milking & served it up at High Tea

On this, the 9th Day of Giftmas, my True Love took me to see more than Nine Ladies Dancing at a fabulous Holiday performance of the Nutcracker Ballet.  To keep the magic alive, I also received the gift of membership in the American Ballet Theatre.

RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS EPISODE:

AUDREY (Momgenerations.com):
A performance of the Nutcracker Ballet - NutcrackerBallet.net

LESLEY (Fashiontribes.com):
American Ballet Theatre - ABT.org

On-Camera image credits:
Audrey: 9 Ladies Dancing embroidery illustration; 12 Days of Giftmas illustration; Nutcracker poster; ballerinas dancing the Nutcracker; couple dancing the Nutcracker
Lesley: ballerinas in the moonlight (Nutcracker); Canadian protest against Prime Minister Stephen Harper's cuts of arts funding; George Balanchine's Apollo (ABT) by Gene Achiavone; Roy Round shot of Vladimir Malakhov (ABT); single ballerina; Swan Lake photo by Mira (ABT)

On the:

FIRST DAY OF GIFTMAS, my True Love gave to me: a bejeweled "Partridge" in a Jewelry Tree
SECOND DAY of Giftmas: two Turtle Doves of Love
THIRD DAY: three Delicious French Hens
FOURTH DAY:  four Artistic Calling Birds
FIFTH DAY: five fabulous Golden Rings
SIXTH DAY: goose foie gras with vino fino
SEVENTH DAY: elegant crystal Swans A-"Swimming"

On this, the 8th Day of Giftmas, my True Love sent Eight Maids out A-Milking, and when they returned, they poured it into a gorgeous pitcher and served up a proper High Tea.  In this episode, we present two glamorous ways to serve milk: in a handblown glass pitcher, and in a sterling silver creamer that is part of a beautiful antique 7-piece tea service.

RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS EPISODE:

AUDREY (Momgenerations.com):
"Ona" glass pitcher - CrateAndBarrel.com

LESLEY (Fashiontribes.com):
Dominick & Haff antique (c.1895) sterling silver tea service - Replacements.com
more about the history of Dominick & Haff


On-camera image credits:
Audrey: 12 Days of Giftmas illustration, 8 Maids A-Milking embroidery illustration; serving milk in style
Lesley: black & white illustration of women having tea; pouring milk into a tea mug; illustration of Proust's famous madeleine; Tea Time by Shui Mei; painting of two women at tea time

On the:

FIRST DAY OF GIFTMAS, my True Love gave to me: a Partridge (at least jewelry by a designer named Partridge) in a Jewelry Tree
SECOND DAY of Giftmas: two Turtle Doves of Love
THIRD DAY: three Delicious French Hens
FOURTH DAY:  four Artistic Calling Birds
FIFTH DAY: five fabulous Golden Rings
SIXTH DAY: goose foie gras with vino fino

On this, the 7th Day of Giftmas, my True Love gave to me: an elegant crystal swan. One was from Swarovski and resembles a delicate ice sculpture perched on a table, and the other - an extremely limited edition black crystal swan - was handmade by the elite artisans in the Daum studio located in Nancy, France.

RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS EPISODE:

AUDREY (Momgenerations.com):
Swarovski crystal swan designed by Max Schreck - Crystal-Fox.com

LESLEY (Fashiontribes.com):
Daum limited edition black crystal swan - AddisonCollection.net


On-camera image credits:
Audrey: 12 Days of Giftmas illustration; 7 Swans a Swimming embroidery illustration; single swan swimming closeup; single swan swimming with wings displayed; graffiti of swans symbolizing love; illustration of swans with necks intertwined
Lesley:  seven swans loitering on a lake; painting of a black swan; map of France featuring Nancy; Daum artisan techniques demonstrating pate de verre