Outside of our cute pooch, nothing brings a smile to our face as fast as a dozen bright yellow Gerbera daisies or a single red anemone waiting to greet us. (Well almost nothing)
Decorating
Contest #2: Good Things Come To Those Who Do It Themselves
The only way to get surefire pleasure? To get that special, private satisfaction of meeting your own needs on your own terms? Three little words, baby: Do it yourself. A bitch has two hands and shouldn’t be afraid to use them. Oh, get your head out of the gutter. We’re talking home projects, grooming products, wardrobe ideas. We want to know how you please yourself, what you make, how you make it, what you save, and (most importantly) how it brings you bitchin’ pleasure. So today we’re announcing… drumroll/trumpet solo/tambourine shake/kazoo squeal… it’s officially DIY MONTH! We’re so excited to launch into our second contest, and we want to hear from you. Tell us what you do yourself. Be specific. Include a pic if you want. Post your entry in the Drop-a-Dime box (scroll down to the bottom of this page) by January 10. Best entry wins fame and fortune! Well, a copy of BITCHES ON A BUDGET, anyway. Plus its author and her (or his) ideas will be featured on our blog! Enter now. Enter often. You know you want to.
January 3rd, 2010 | 19 Comments
Tags: Beauty & Grooming, Decorating, Food & Spirits, Health & Fitness, Shopping, Travel & Entertainment
IT’S HERE!
Over the last few weeks, our fan base has been growing, our message getting out. And now, after lots of begging (read our blog! become a fan!), teasing (sneak peek of chapters), heavy breathing (we’re pretty exhausted), titillating images (cabbage, anyone?), hot links (vibrator supply company being just one)…. well, it’s finally come. Sweet release! Our book!!! It’s out!!! We’re here!!! BITCHES ON A BUDGET: SAGE ADVICE FOR SURVIVING TOUGH TIMES IN STYLE. In bookstores now. Thank you to all the bitches around the world who’ve joined our party. We can’t wait to hear what you think, and we’re so hopeful you’ll find this a useful guide to living a fulfilled, glamorous, and STYLISH life, even when your bank account is dwindling. These are tough times. We’ve heard from lots of women who are out of work… struggling to make ends meet, pay the mortgage, get food on the table. We’ve heard from women who love style, who love beautiful things and great food, but who feel stuck in a rut, out of energy, worried about the future. And we’ve heard from some of you just dying to get your hands on our little gem for the sheer fun of reading it. (It is amusing, if we do say so ourselves.) We hear you all! We bitches refuse to compromise, and our book will show you how to live a fuller life, even when times are tough. And, since we cover ten chapters worth of ideas, we offer loads of advice on lots of things, so don’t get nervous and think we’re telling you to go buy everything we write about. We’re a guide book about living with style, and our goal is to show you a different way to think about how to shop, how to spend, where to go, and what to do. Look, we’re realists too. We know you can’t always do everything you want. We know that change happens in stages. But our book is about finding little (and big) ways to keep your look sharp and mood up. To help you feel empowered. To keep your life full. All without spending lots of dough. No money is no excuse! Join our movement. Say with pride: “I’m a Bitch on a Budget.” We want to see just what we can accomplish. Get out to your neighborhood bookshop or order a copy online. Help make us all #1!
December 29th, 2009 | 2 Comments
Tags: Beauty & Grooming, Decorating, Food & Spirits, Health & Fitness, Shopping, Travel & Entertainment
Bitches on a Budget: Chapter 8
Just three short days until our book is released. By this point in our book, you’ll have loads of fun ideas for going out without blowing the wad, you’ll have cleared out the clutter and freshened the look inside your house. Now, it’s time to stay in and enjoy the free comforts of home. In Chapter 8, Get Comfortable: The Cheap Pleasures of Home we remind you of all the fun stuff you did as a kid, but now it’s all fun and games with a twist. Here’s a little taste from Bitches on a Budget about making your own reality: You’re watching too many reality shows. You really believe there is a Chairman and a Kitchen Stadium. You’re desperate to audition for The Real Housewives of Fargo (if only they would come to your town), The Millionaire Matchmaker (if only you lived in L.A. and weren’t already married), American Idol (if only you could sing)… But, For sitting on your ass watching other people living, you really are the biggest loser. So, Play pretend with your own versions of the reality shows. Act them out at home. Like your own version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show–but you don’t have to start at midnight or follow the script. You could dress the parts of your favorite characters (Tyra? Paula? Kim?), even play them…set the stage and have a banging good time. Remember– life is short and fun is free.
December 26th, 2009 | Comments
Tags: Beauty & Grooming, Decorating, Food & Spirits, Travel & Entertainment
Bitches on a Budget is being published by the New American Library division of Penguin Books. Ask for it at your local bookshop.
Bitches on a Budget: Chapter 4
Wait, have we mentioned we have a book coming out soon? Here’s a teaser from chapter 4 (Home Remedies to Get You Out of Recession Depression), all about updating your home on a shoestring. We’ll give you the lowdown on what to toss, how On linens: Bitch, you spend more time in the bed and bath than anywhere else. Outside of your toothbrush, which objects gets more up close and personal? Do you need reminding of a few basic facts? OK, here goes. Things suck. Life is short, wars rage, money’s tight, jobs are sparse. These days, the only legitimate way to pamper yourself is with everyday objects—the things you use constantly. The things that know your skin and curves better than any man ever could… On the Mid-Century Modern Craze: Mid-century modern became hot by skipping a generation. No one wanted the old furniture from those 50’s ranch houses, so it was cheap, cheap, cheap. All the very cool hipster, creative types who couldn’t afford pricy antiques bought it because they could afford it…. Be a contrarian and think of the rush to modern as your opportunity to get back in touch (a little) with the frippery and finery of another era. A bitch is nothing if not in touch with her paradoxes… On Mirrors: Think Grandma’s place in Miami: the walls of mirror, the gold furnishings, the plastic cover on the sofa…. We can go without the plastic, but those mirrors? Love ‘em. They’re a perfect, simple, and cheap way to enhance any room. We’re not talking Poconos ceiling mirrors (although we like your thinking) but well-placed, space-enhancing, light-reflecting mirrors… Bitches on a Budget is being published by the New American Library division of Penguin Books. Ask your bookseller when they will be putting it on their shelves.
December 22nd, 2009 | Comments
Tags: Decorating, Shopping
to re-purpose, where to buy, and when to splurge.
Clever, Crafty, Bitch
FIVE GIFTS PEOPLE WON’T BELIEVE YOU ACTUALLY MADE YOURSELF By Jennifer Ballot We’re all feeling strapped for cash this holiday season, and while anyone can go out to Target or Walmart and grab last minute bargains off the shelves, people really appreciate the personal touch and care that go into making a handmade gift. Even though we’re three weeks past Black Friday, there are tons of things you can make at home for memorable holiday gift-giving: *ETCHED DRINKING GLASSES: Every year, our family used to go through tons of drinking glasses when we’d get together. So, one year I made an entire set of personalized drinking glasses for my family. I purchased pint tumblers from Ikea, got some glass etching cream from my local crafts store, rounded up some alphabet stickers and punched out cute shapes onto adhesive-backed paper. One hour later, I had 12 one-of-a-kind drinking glasses. *CHUNKY KNIT SCARVES: If you’re a knitter, then you can whip up some beautiful scarves in no time at all. The key is to go for bulkier weight yarns and high-number needles. You’ll only need one ball of yarn for a simple scarf, so go ahead and splurge on some scrumptious yarn. Ravelry.com (http://www.ravelry.com) is a great resource for finding yarn and knitting patterns. (more…)
December 17th, 2009 | 3 Comments
Tags: Decorating, Shopping
A little budget tip for holiday decorating.
Clip those stems, let them live to decorate another day!
December 15th, 2009 | 2 Comments
Tags: Decorating
Saturday night you set the table with a tall vase of very pricey flowers. This morning they’re looking limp. You’re feeling very unsatisfied and a little ripped off. What’s a bitch to do? Save the life of your flowers by cutting them back and recycling them into cute little vases.
Nancy Boy-A Gal’s Best Friend
We were just in San Fran and spent a morning in the Hayes Valley making our ritual pilgrimage to our favorite shops: Lotus Bleu, Blue Bottle Coffee (read about them in our book), and Nancy Boy. We stumbled on Nancy Boy years ago. The scent lured us in from a block away. NO, not a cloying, putrid, chemical odor, but a fresh, spa-like, eucalyptus-y-green-all-natural kind of fragrance. Once inside we found great soaps, lotions, and home scents (their primary business), but the biggest excitement was their tasteful collection of ceramics and furniture. We’re total suckers for good mid-century modern. So on each visit, in addition to restocking their ‘signature scent’ products, we buy a new ceramic piece (a girl’s entitled to an occasional splurge). We’ve been thinking about holiday presents, and wrote to Eric Roos to ask him more about Nancy Boy and what he’d recommend in the $25 and under category for holiday gifts (sent directly to anyone on your list). Here’s the deal: “Our products are made with natural essential oils, so we don’t use any artificial fragrances or colors. Almost all our products are made in Berkeley at a family-owned lab that’s been in business for over seventy years. An exception is our soap, which is made in Vermont. ” ” There are a few great holiday gifts for approximately $20, including the Best Bang For The Buck #1 ($23, or $19.55 with Club discount) or Best Bang For The Buck #2 ($24 or $20.40). Orders can be placed as late as Monday, December 16 and shipped via FedEx Ground ($8) for Christmas arrival anywhere in the US. 2-Day and Overnight shipping options are also available.” Eric also filled us in on a little secret: ” Our most expensive product is the Ultramarine Night Cream, at $50, but it’s a bargain considering it has exactly the same ingredients contained in Estee Lauder’s $450 Re-Nutriv night cream. ” And, just by signing up for Club Nancy Boy you’ll receive 15% off every purchase. They won’t sell your name to the nasties, and only send one email update a month. Purchases over $75 ship free. Thank you, Eric. For us, the best part of signing up to be a Nancy Boy customer, though, is you get on Eric Roos email list. Huh? You’re supposed to be happy to be on someone trying to sell you something’s email list? You betcha.We dare you to find a funnier, edgier product pitch than Eric’s monthly email. Go ahead. Sign up. It won’t cost you a penny.
December 7th, 2009 | Comments
Tags: Beauty & Grooming, Decorating, Shopping
Drain the bathwater. Keep the baby!
Pleated Pendant Lamp (West Elm) In our upcoming book we devote a chapter to redecorating on the cheap. So many people, hungry for a change, make the mistake of throwing the baby out with the bathwater, opting for all new furniture and accessories—rather than re-purposing and re-imagining what they’ve already got. In a recent NY Times there’s a useful piece about a single mother who, with a budget of around $1,000 and a raging appetite for something new, transformed her blah living room. The perfect Bitch on a Budget, we’d say. The end results are fairly impressive. With a little paint; some chic West Elm lighting; and a few smart accessories from CB2, Ikea, and Pier One—the overall effect is, if we say so ourselves—pretty bitchin’. Have you transformed a room on a modest budget? Send us before & after pics! Or be a brave soul and post a pic of a room you long to make new!
December 4th, 2009 | 1 Comment
Tags: Decorating
