Pink-ifying

I'm on the prowl for presents for Babycakes who is turning 1 next week. She's at that age where the wrapping paper and the box would keep her just as enthralled -- maybe even more -- than the actual present. The first birthday is for the parents, really. And for the adorable picture of cake frosting smeared on baby's face.

I'm looking for presents that don't say they're going to teach my daughter her ABCs, colors, shapes, sounds, numbers with lots of flashing lights, computer chips and electronics. She's 1 for crying out loud. She needs entertaining stuff like wooden blocks, mega blocks, and I even considered the Fisher Price Rock a Stack.

True, it says its for 6 month olds, but I remember kids playing with it at older ages. It's rainbow-hued stacking rings were perfect for chewing, floating in a bathtub or banging on the floor. But that's when I found this classic toy had been pink-ified.

I enjoy shopping the adorable pink aisles of Babies R Us or Target, don't get me wrong. I don't hate pink. We've got all kinds of pink stuff at my house. But I couldn't believe this classic toy needed a gender-specific makeover. And I didn't see a blue one anywhere around. There were two. Rainbow, and this. And then I saw the pink school bus.Was the yellow school bus clashing with the decor of little girls all over our country? Is that why there would be a need for a pink school bus toy, exactly like the yellow one? Was there a blue school bus? No? I guess the yellow, multicolored school bus is masculine.

Next door was the pink Little People plane.

Perfect for those girls' getaways ... to a spa or a bachelorette party, right? The Sex and the City girls probably flew to Mexico in one of these after the big wedding scene. I'm going to New York this weekend and if my jet isn't pink, well, it just won't seem right. Again, no blue plane. Just the regular multicolored one. What was next? The pink Little People Barn? The pink Little People Tractor? The pink Little People Fire Truck?



As I came to the end of the aisle, one more surprise awaited.

The pink corn popper. While this little toy is the bane of some parents for the delight toddlers get in constantly wheeling it around the house to the incessant pop-pop-pop-pop-POP-pop, I secretly love the popper. Which is why I bought one for 25 cents at a yard sale this summer and have already given it to Babycakes. A regular, multicolored popper with red, yellow, blue and green balls and a blue handle.

Sigh. It will clash horribly with her pink bedroom. I hope she still knows she's a girl.When she's old enough to realize there's a difference.

Way less than 8 and gr8tful!

So I have been watching a lot of Jon and Kate + 8 on TLC recently. Have you seen this show? It's my guilty pleasure. Jon and Kate had twin daughters and thought they'd try for one more. They had fertility issues so they got pregnant with assistance both times. Turned out the last time, Kate was pregnant with sextuplets! Eight kids. When I started watching it, the sextuplets were under 3 years old. Now they are either 4 or about to turn four.

Anyway, Kate keeps them on a schedule, which is no mean feat. I mean we're talking eight children under the age of 7 plus at least one photographer, sound operator and a producer! On some shows, I know they've got to have more crews. Sometimes she comes off a little harried, but I utterly sympathize. On my worst day with two kids, I've got a walk in the park comparatively speaking.

I bought Lexie shoes on sale at Stride Rite a month or so ago. $29 bucks. On sale. Now multiply that by six. Buy some more shoes for the older girls. Double it. Not to mention the toys, the clothes, the laundry, the dinners, the potty training, the books, the diapers, the pull ups, you name it.

How does this show make me feel? Grateful. So very, very grateful.

Mary Jane Longing

On Monday, I saw a woman wearing the perfect shoes. If I wasn't doing a business-y thing, I would have tracked her down to ask her where she got them. They were that good. I have dreamed of these shoes. I WANT these shoes. So I asked my friend Google about them.


But I don't think I can have them. Behold the DKNY Mary Jane Peep Toe Espadrille Wedges. (not their real name) $180-$229. Sigh. They are perfect on so many levels. In fact, every level except one.

1. They are Mary Janes. 'Nuff said.
2. The strap is elastic! Very comfy.
3. They are peep toe. Love it.
4. They are espadrilles. Summery chic.
5. They are wedges. Comfy again.

But their failing point.
6. They cost a freakin' fortune!

My friend Google did tell me about some Tommy Hilfiger Mary Jane Espadrilles that look quite cute and adorable, and my friend Zappos says they have some in stock for me. In fact, Zappos, whose CEO I am following on Twitter, also has these DKNY shoes. (Hi Tony! How's the bald head?) I see that no one has reviewed the DKNY Harmony Peep-Toe Wedge. I would be happy to do that if Tony wants to send me some for review. Size 8.5, please. In Black. Thanks.

I miss Casual Corner

I really wish someone had bought the Casual Corner chain a couple of years ago when it was going out of business. Although I am still wearing some of the clothes I bought at a great discount when all the stores were closing a couple of years ago, I would gladly give them all back if the store were still here.

I admit, Casual Corner wasn't a vanguard in the style world. But you could count on them for professional looking clothes. I started shopping there in the late 1980's when I became an on-air reporter for first radio, and then television. They had a great layaway policy: if the clothes you were buying went on sale, you got them for the sale price as long as you kept up your payments and got your clothes out on time. I put whole wardrobes on layaway for the spring and fall seasons. I got to pick what I wanted, they had my size, it all coordinated -- how much easier could it get?

You could always count on Casual Corner for a professional suit or separates. I've always had a hard time buying suits since I am different sizes on the top and bottom -- like most of America. While some CC suits were sold as a set, almost everything came as separates but it all still looked like a suit.

If you had an important event coming up at work, like a visit from a corporate bigwig or were just tired of the shirt you had to go with your navy blazer, you could ALWAYS drop in to Casual Corner and find something.

The sales people at every store I shopped at whether in Wilmington, Greensboro, Winston-Salem or visiting a mall on vacation, were helpful and knowledgeable. When I was a news anchor in Wilmington, the Casual Corner store manager used to call me when she got in an outfit that looked like my style. My mother and husband could drop in and ask them what I would like for my birthday or Christmas -- and they always got it right. And I wasn't telling the sales associates to make me up a wish list. It was something they just noticed if I looked at something or if they had something they thought would look good on me or went with something I owned.

And generally at Casual Corner, if you were a size 8, all the size 8 stuff fit you. No surprises. No changing room trauma with you being a 10 in this, a 6 in that so that you had no concept of where you were on the body scale.

And their accessories! I still have all my Casual Corner pins and quite a few necklaces. I'm not wearing my pins much anymore since I don't always wear a blazer like I used to, but I just can't part with them.

Now when you need something special for work, it takes so much longer. Stein Mart is usually a good option, but not a surefire hit the way Casual Corner was. I know there's Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Loft for some of my coworkers --- oh, and Banana Republic -- but their clothes seem to be cut on the skimpier side to me. And I am on the ampler side now, truth be told. Talbots is a good option, but holy cow, the prices! Even the sale stuff is expensive!

I want my Casual Corner back!!

Adventures in Atlanta

It looked like Death was waiting outside my hotel.

I had been sightseeing Sunday afternoon, taking the MARTA up to Lenox Square Mall. I was trying to get to Phipps but just ran out of time after my flight was slightly delayed. Walking along Andrew J. Young International Boulevard, I squinted up into the setting sun and saw it.

Death. The Grim Reaper. Arms outstretched to gather folks in.


Only, it wasn't.

It was a statue of Andrew Young, about to be unveiled. I didn't get to see the unveiling since I was in a PRSA seminar, but I'm sure it was a fabulous ceremony. And I was really relieved to learn Atlanta doesn't have a statue dedicated to Death.

Love Cherries, Love Chocolate ... but not always together, I'm finding

As a diet soda drinker, I enjoy branching out from my beloved Diet Coke to switch things up. I love Diet Coke with Lime, for example. The lemon ... too strong. Found Vanilla Diet Coke to be refreshing, but can't find it in stores now.

Diet Dr. Pepper is also on my playlist, with Cherry Vanilla Diet Doctor ranking high. So when I saw ads for Cherry Chocolate Diet Doctor Pepper, I gave it a try. Bleah.

Just my opinion of course, but it's gritty somehow. Maybe chocolate really needs a texture to be enjoyable, although hot chocolate is pretty smooth, and I've had a YooHoo once or twice in my youth. I bought a 2-liter bottle of it and I've had one glass. It's not for me.