Terence & Sarah on The Bonnie Hunt Show 11-18-08

Terence Gerchberg & Sarah Leshner appear on The Bonnie Hunt Show, 11-18-08 to discuss their, (sad!), elimination from The Amazing Race this past weekend.
Terence is a wearing a top from my menswear line! Watch the video clip!

The Amazing Race won't be the same.........

Last night, my friends Terence and Sarah were eliminated from The Amazing Race. It was a sad state of affairs, but I couldn't be more proud! How incredible was if for them to be a part of such a fabulous, once-in-a lifetime experience?? How many of us could do what they did?? I know I couldn't.......!
They are both truly amazing, wonderful, and two of the nicest, genuine, most down to earth people I have ever met. I only see great and fabulous things ahead for them..........Sunday nights just won't be the same, or as entertaining!...........

Catching Up........

Wow, I haven't blogged in a while, but I've been a busy girl!

I had my "Store Grand Opening Party" this past week, and was lucky enough to have Terence & Sarah from "The Amazing Race 13" attend!
(Please don't forget to watch them on "The Amazing Race" on CBS every Sunday at 8pm!)
Terence was wearing a top from my menswear line and, as usual, looked "Amazing"!
It was a great night, the store was filled with old and new customers,
old friends, (Donna from Edison, NJ, my hometown),
and newer friends, Judy, (my old bar hopping partner!), Zulema George, the fabulous designer of the Anavaa Kisasa Handbag line, (and owner of the Anavaa Kisasa boutique in Williamsburg!). Even my cousin, Robyn, (who I hadn't seen in ages), came by to support me!Of course, my bff, Pamela was a huge help with everything! She was there with her husband, Eddie, and her beautiful daughters, Daisy & Hannah.All in all, it was a fabulous night! Thanks to everyone who came out to support me!

The Amazing Race...2nd Place and a Gnome!

If you watched "The Amazing Race" last nite, you know my fav team, Terence and Sarah, finished in 2nd place! And one of the clues involved the cute "Travelocity Gnome". I had the pleasure to "meet" the Gnome in person, as it made a guest appearance at the viewing party!

Another highlight from last nite, was Terence wearing a top from my menswear line.....doesn't he look great???Don't forget to watch The Amazing Race, Sundays @ 8pm on CBS!
More info on Terence and Sarah can be found here.

Then and Now......

My bff, Pamela has moved back to New York after living abroad for 19, (19!), years, and I couldn't be happier! Before she moved, we worked together and our days revolved around food....breakfast, mid morning snack, a gigantic lunch, (with desert!), and then an afternoon snack. How we didn't weigh 300lbs is beyond me......both of us were thinner than we are now and of course, thought we were "fat". Oh, the stupidness of youth!

Our lunches were legendary. We worked in the garment center and would have lunch regularly at the now defunct, B. Altman's on 5th Ave. The top floor was the restaurant and it was us and all of the old ladies that shopped there. There was this adorable little french waiter, (who looked exactly like the one in the cartoons). I mean, he was the human version of the cartoon waiter!
We would eat these huge triple decker sandwiches, and finish with chocolate mudd cake for desert. The amount of food we consumed still amazes me........now we've designated just one day a week to eat like the old days.......
Anyway, I previously posted a pic of us from those days, but here it is again, along with a pic of us now.......I think we look exactly the same! LOL!Then.......
And now......

The Amazing Race.....

Sooo.....my friend Terence is on The Amazing Race, and I've been going to the weekly viewing party hosted by him and Sarah, (well, I missed one, but only because I was out of town). Anyway, it's been a blast watching the show with them, and getting some "behind the scenes" details during the commercials..........

Terence and Me at the first Viewing party!Me with Sarah and Terence at the third viewing party!

Now, I don't know how they did, or where they finished, but I think they're the team to beat! Don't forget to watch, Sunday @ 8pm on CBS! Check them out here.

New York Magazine Blogs about my store!!

New York Magazine's Fashion blog, "The Cut" wrote a nice little piece about my upcoming shop!
Click here to read!

Opening Soon!!

I'm putting the finishing touches on my new store, and it'll be opening very soon........here is a picture of me in front...........!!

Opening Soon.........................Lois Eastlund @ 153 Ludlow St, NYC. 212-777-1470. See you there!

My Own Store!

I finally did it......I found my own little store, and will be opening a boutique on the Lower East Side............I signed the lease and picked up the keys yesterday. I'm very excited/scared/nervous/happy, and did I say excited???
I brought a few friends by to see the space, then went to celebrate at my favorite bar, Lucky Jacks.............A good time was had by all.......

Clouds........

It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's just me flying through the clouds....................

I've always been fascinated by clouds. They just hang there in the sky, all full and puffy like a cotton ball, or long and flat, or sometimes resembling cats, dogs, or whatever the imagination dreams up. Remember when you were young, and you laid on your back outside on a sunny day and stared up at the clouds? Now, we all learned about them in school, gasses, pressure, atmosphere, yadda, yadda, etc......but they're sooooo much better when they're mysterious and unknown.........
Now, whenever I fly and we're around cloud level, it still amazes me. They really look like giant cotton balls, and when you fly through them, it's just like fog. Anyway, I finally took out my camera and filmed outside my window, and I still find it fascinating!

Project Runway

Is it just me, or did Project Runway, Season 5, just appear out of nowhere?? I mean, where was the big PR blitz for this season?? Is it because it is the last season to be aired on Bravo and they couldn't be bothered to promote it at all? I remember last season's huge media campaign, but this year, there wasn't even a promo pic/article in the local news papers, and not one small item in Women's Wear Daily.Could it also be that nothing could top last season's fabulous "fierce" winner Christian????????
Last nights episode was pretty boring to me, (and I'm a Designer!). Maybe the castings aren't going so well, (as I got another email from Season 6's casting director, they're "extending" the deadline for try-outs). Hmmmmmmmmmm. Time will tell!

Happy July 4th!

Time Warner Cable Sucks!! pt 4

Yes, those fabulous folks at Time Warner are creating havoc in my life yet again........After a long day, I just want to come home, unwind with some mindless tv. Unfortunately for me, this is what my screen says on all channels-
It's now almost 9pm and it's been like this since approx 7:30pm. Could have been longer, but that's when I turned the tv on......Now, after numberous calls to customer service, I'm assured that my service will return any minute now. Hmm, I'll bet.
I really can't wait for Verizon FIOS service to be available..............

Hollywood Lips

I really enjoyed last seasons new show, "Army Wives", starring Kim Delaney. I have been a big fan of Kim since her days on All My Children as part of the 80's super couple Jenny and Greg.
So, I was very excited to watch the new season of Army Wives, which premiered last nite, (June 8th) on Lifetime.......and now my pet peave begins................

Kim Delaney is a beautiful woman in her 40's. I think she's aging just fine, as you can see by this picture of her from last season.
So, why, why, why did she have to go and mess it all up........as you can see by the picture below, she now has the "hollywood lips". I mean, who thinks this is attractive??? It makes her, (and other hollywood actresses who've done it), look like a cartoon. If it's natural, like Angelina Jolie, yes, it's sexy, but this???? All I can see are big "fish lips", and it distracted me from the show. I can no longer watch Army Wives because of this. Too bad, as it really is a good show.

Photo Shoot

I've been playing around with imovie a bit, and wanted to make a "video" slide show of my last photo shoot. Here is what I came up with!

Many thanks to my fabulous model, Severe Erase! (Check out her website SevyBags.com).

Here's another one, an earlier photo shoot, back in February, with photographers Joey Quintero and Michael Hauss.

It Was 20 Years Ago Today...........

Well, actually, it was May 18th, 1988, when I loaded a u-haul with all of my many, many, many belongings, 2 cats, and 2 friends, and drove into New York City from New Jersey to move here for good.
I had already gone to school here for 2 yrs, (and commuted from NJ), and worked here for 5 yrs, (and commuted from NJ), so it was time................The previously mentioned best friend, Pamela, (whom I worked with, we weren't quite bffs yet), had volunteered to come home to NJ with me after work to help me pack for the next days move. (She lived in Brooklyn then). Of course I hadn't even started packing yet, (a very bad habit I keep repeating). We stayed up all night and packed. I still have no idea how we did it all. The next morning, my friend Patrick showed up with the u-haul, and my parents came to help us load up. On our way into the city, my cats started freaking out, and peed all over themselves in the cat carrier, (ahh, my sweet kitties, now in kittie heaven). My other friend, Steve had stayed in my new NYC apt the night before, so he could be there to help us unpack. As we neared my new Greenwich Village apt, and approached Astor Place, Pamela remembered that she was supposed to meet the priest for her upcoming wedding, and jumped out right there, in the middle of traffic, to catch the subway................We unpacked, and Patrick and I headed back to NJ to return the u-haul. Then I caught the NJ Transit train back to the city and to my new fabulous, (and very spacious!) apt. Pamela and Eddie, (her then fiance, and now hubbie), stopped by with pizza and beer to welcome me to NYC!
It really does seem just like yesterday...................

Mets!!

Mr. Met says it all..........The Mets beat the Yankees two games in a row to lead this seasons Subway Series 2-0. The rained out game will be made up when the they meet again this summer as part of a two-stadium double header. The day game will be played at one stadium and the night game will be played at the other, making it a true "Subway Series" double header! At least this takes a little bit of the sting off the end of last season....but, I really don't want to go there.
Go Mets!!!

Monday is the new Saturday........

For me, Monday and Tuesday are my "weekend" days. And what I love, is when I wake up on a Monday and it's a crappy, rainy day, (like today). I can just sit around in my pjs, and drink coffee all day long......

A rainy Monday in New York City..........

I Have The Best Friends! pt 2

I recently received two fabulous envelopes from my best friend Pamela, (who lives in Japan).......the first one contained the following- 6 file folders that were replicas of old original Superman Comics covers, (actually two of them were Action Comics covers, featuring Superman). I was soooooo excited! If you know me, knowing that my name is "Lois", then you know I collect Superman and Lois Lane items. I have many goodies, but Pamela always manages to find more......
The next day, I received the second envelope. This one contained more goodies for me.......5 beautiful silver bangle bracelets, (I collect those as well, on my arm........!), and 2 more Superman items! A key chain and a patch. She rocks!!

Quote of the day.......

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them".
-Walt Disney

Quote of the day.......

"If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything"

Mark Twain

Fashion is Fun!!

I love what I do.......designing and creating clothing is extremely satisfying to me.......here's one of my new pieces for Fall 2008, (and my current favorite!)

Happy Feet!

Spring brings out bare feet and painted toes! I got mine done today, aren't they pretty??

Time Warner Cable Sucks!! pt 3

Today is the 17th. I received my replacement cable box on the 11th. On the 14th, I had no cable channels, only broadcast tv channels. Yes, 3 days after the new box, it had to be reset. This morning, I turned to Excercise TV on demand so I can do my morning Yoga.....this is the screen I encountered............................
I tried to get any on demand exercise........got the same message. So, I called the evil Time Warner Cable again. The technician said it would be fixed in 24 to 48 hours. 24 to 48 hours????
I explained to him that this was a new cable box that I received less than a week ago and I've already had two separate problems with it, in less than a week! He had no intelligent response. I asked for a new box. He hesitated, then finally gave me an appointment for the 21st.
I've googled this box, and apparently it's the worst HD cable box available! Why would a cable company continue to use a box that is constantly causing problems???? And why is it that I have to pay $150+ a month for sub par cable/internet service in the greatest city in the world??? Oh wait, I forgot, THERE IS NO OTHER SERVICE AVAILABLE TO ME...........(sorry for the shouting).

Quote of the day.......

"People with extraordinary minds talk about ideas. People with average minds talk about events. People with simple minds talk about other people."
-Anonymous

Something to think about.......

I Have The Best Friends!

Anyone who knows me well, I mean really knows me, knows that "back in the day", I was a huge Duran Duran fan......(I mean, I still am, but, well, not like before). I was especially a fan of John Taylor, who I thought, (and pretty much still think), is the most beautiful man alive.........
Duran Duran just happen to be playing in Japan, and my best friend, Pamela, lives in Tokyo with her wonderful husband, Eddie, and her four, (four!?!), fabulous children..........
Well, Eddie was out with friends the other night and who was sitting in the bar they were at??? Simon LeBon, and John Taylor. Eddie, being the wonderful, sweet person he is, went up to John and asked him for his autograph for me.......! But, alas, John said he doesn't give autographs......HA! Liar! I have his autograph, which I got about 15? 16? years ago.
I also took his picture, but have no idea what happened to the roll of film, as it was never developed, (remember those days when we actually had to wait for pictures to be developed???). Sometimes it took a few days!
I actually passed him on the street a few months ago. I was on my way into my store, (on Bleecker St), and I saw this tall good looking man walking towards me. Then I realized it was John Taylor! I was excited. Man, he still looks good to me......................
Pamela and I, "back in the day"...........

Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow........

Sometimes the clothes I design feel like my children. Especially when I do "limited edition" pieces, or "one-of-a-kind". I create them, love them. I want them to go out and see the world, but I feel sad when they leave. Well, that's what happened today when I sold one of my favorite new "one-of-a-kind" dresses. So long, my little black cotton knit mini dress.................I hope you do fabulous things and visit interesting places!

Time Warner Cable Still Sucks, but.......

After arguing with the customer service rep last nite for approx 20 minutes, I asked to speak to a supervisor. Lo and behold, after holding for another 10 minutes, the rep came back on the line to let me know that I would have an appointment for Friday, (today), between 10 and 2pm. It's amazing since he originally said there were absolutely no appointments available until next week.

Hmmmmmm.........

So, this morning I patiently waited, and waited, (and while I waited, my internet connection went out every 5 minutes or so......very annoying!). Much to my surprise, they actually arrived withing the said time frame. The technician was very nice, (unlike the one who originally installed the cable, who hit on me the entire time he was in my apt.....creepy.). Anyway, this technician gave me a brand new box, so, time will tell if it was the cable box, or just Time Warner's crappy cable service.

Can you say "MONOPOLY"?? And I don't mean the game!

Time Warner Cable Sucks!!

As I sit here on my comfy couch waiting for my cable box to re-boot, (and yes, I've been on the phone with Time Warner for 15 plus minutes now).
But, before the re-boot, this is what my screen looked like, and it's not the first time.

Since I've had Time Warner, (which has been for 6 months now), this has happened at least once or twice a month. I previously had RCN cable at my last address, and had no problems at all. But for some wacky reason, my move 2 blocks north pushed me out of RCN's service area, so, I am stuck, and I mean STUCK with the horrendous Time Warner Cable Company.
And now the technician tells me that the box sucks, and he can't have anyone come by till Tuesday.........TUESDAY!! Are you F-ing kidding me??????
I HAVE NO SERVICE AT ALL, IT'S THEIR FAULT, AND I WILL HAVE NO SERVICE TILL TUESDAY???????

BRRRRRRRR...........

I am convinced that spring is never going to come......first we get a nice, kinda warm, sunny day as a tease, then a cold, windy, damp, miserable day to snap us right back into reality!
Please.....I'm soooo tired of wearing turtlenecks!

Leggings are not pants!

As I sit in my retail space watching customers come in and out all day long, I am amazed by what I see..........especially women/girls wearing leggings as if they were pants!

This is the correct way to wear leggings-
With a top that covers your butt!!

The wrong way to wear leggings-
as pants!!

So please, ladies everywhere..........cover your butt!

April Showers........

May bring May flowers, but they also bring out "rain wear". Thank goodness for my fab bubble umbrella and black rubber boots.

Even though the weather is crappy, you can still look fashionable!

This is too good not to share.....

From my friend Parisa's Blog........(sorry, I just had to share this!)

I'm Free!!

My third day of jury duty lasted exactly 15 minutes!!!!!!

I was not picked for the jury and I am now free for the next 6 years!!

Woo-Hoo!

More Jury Duty........

I'm not even going to get into how my second day of jury duty went, other than to say that I will know tomorrow morning if I am picked for a jury. My friend Parisa wrote a great entry about our time together there.......you can read it here!

But what I really want to know is.......will it ever get warm??????

Jury Duty is fun!

Well, not really.....but, this being my 3rd, (or 4th?), time doing "time" on Centre St, I was prepared for the worst. I filled up my new video ipod with movies, music videos, and music, just to get me thru the first day. Then the best thing happened.......one of my friends, Parisa, who I hadn't seen in ages, was there too! We got to catch up all day long, (much to the annoyance of some of our "peers"- we had to go out into the hallway just to talk). It was a great first day as neither of us were called today. Of course, there's always tomorrow...............