This Solid Black Lace Bib Sophia Apron has all the elegance & flirtation of a little black cocktail dress!

Vintage Styled Glamorous Full Apron With Black Lace

Thanks to Deanna’s drooling over it, I not only discovered it, but found out that I could win one too! To enter, get yourself to the contest at Blommi.com and follow the rules. Or don’t. Because I really really want that glamorous, sexy black apron!

I’m super excited to bring you this next contest! Everyone wants to be a flapper, dress like a flapper, and one of the most iconic and practical staples of roaring 20’s fashions is the teddy: And all-in-one cami and panty lingerie piece which works well beneath suits by day and even better under the covers by night *wink*

Grace Bradley Wearing A Teddy & Decorating The Tree

But because flapper fashions were made for young women, such pretty things were built on a rather straight and narrow design, making finding an authentic roaring 20’s flapper teddy in a size to fit an average woman today difficult. And if you’ve got curves (be it just a bountiful bustline or are an all-over Rubenesque, full-figured BBW) you’ll find yourself saying — in your best Italian accent — “Forget about it!”

However the folks at Hips & Curves let all curvy women live the dream with their vintage styled teddy:

Reminiscent of the 20’s this vintage style teddy has a beautiful V front with 2 rows of lace at the top and matching lace detail around the leg. This charmeuse teddy is available in sizes 1x - 4x with a tie back and snap crotch for a good fit. The beautiful quality of this garment makes it an excellent value and something you will treasure time and again.

Plus Size Vintage Style Teddy Lingerie Set From Hips & Curves

Check out the size chart; see how well these will work for the bigger busted ladies as well as the full-figured?

Hips & Curves Size Chart: 1X though 4X

(Note: Hips & Curves carries sizes larger than 6X; but the teddy is only available, as listed, in sizes 1X - 4 X, so I’m only showing those measurements from their size chart.)

And the most awesome part? I’m giving away a free Hips & Curves plus size teddy!

Pure Vintage Glamour With Vintage Styled Teddy From Hips & Curves

To enter, just make a comment, telling me which of the four colors you’d get if you won.

And you can get an additional entry if, after you post your comment, you also Twitter the following: Thanks @JaynieVanRoe & @hipsandcurves for the chance to win! http://bit.ly/8HxsxI

(You can also follow us: @JaynieVanRoe and @hipsandcurves!)

Contest is open to residents in the US and Canada. Entries must be received before December 16, 2009 (so that’s 11:59 PM, Central Time).

Here’s Looking Like You, Kid!

If you love vintage glamour, but hate your dry and old looking skin, enter my contest! One lucky winner will get a home spa set (retail value $79) from Sothys!

Sothys Home Spa Products

The prize contains:

Sothys Aroma-Sothys Energizing Shower Gel
Softly cleans and tones the skin. It contains essential oils of eucalyptus, cardamom, nutmeg, and neroli for an energizing fragrance while leaving your body feeling refreshed. Price: $24

SOTHYS Aroma-Sothys Energizing Bath Essences Tablets
Effervescent, playful and revitalizing bath pebbles which enrich the bath with their tonic and energizing fragrance… a particular moment of pleasure and wellness. Price: $26

SOTHYS Aroma-Sothys Energizing Essential Oils Elixir
Magical, this very concentrated dry oil is an invitation to happiness: when massaged, it restores tonus and felicity… the skin is divinely satiny and full of energizing active ingredients. Price: $29

To enter, post a comment — preferably with any ski care tips for those of us who don’t win *wink*

Contest is open to all in the US and Canada.  Entries must be made before midnight (Central Time), December 14th, 2009.

Good luck!

Few things are worse for footwear than the salt — those white salt marks aren’t only ugly, they eat the leather away, drying it, cracking it, and damaging it. But it’s not only the salt put down to de-ice winter sidewalks and roadways that’s the problem. Rex Streno, owner of Ullrich’s Shoe Repair, explains:

Salt doesn’t come from the road. Salt comes from the leather itself. The leather is tanned with salt. When it gets soaking wet, the salt rises to the top of the shoe. That’s how you get the salt stains. The salt is in the lining, and it’s in the leather.

(In that article, Streno gives general tips for shoe care and repair — but again I remind you to please consult a shoe repair person experienced in vintage shoes before you agree to any services.)

Because tanning methods, ancient and modern, used salt, it’s likely your vintage leather shoes were tanned with salt. And ‘weather’ or not you fear winter’s salt or the salt already in your shoes which will be brought out from snow (or rain) — or if your town uses sand for traction rather than salt to melt away ice, your vintage shoes and boots are also at risk as sand grinds it’s way into soles, seams, and uppers — it is time to think about how to protect your shoes.

The best way to protect your footwear is to not wear it outside and tempt the fates and weather systems. Slip off those vintage darlings and slip your feet into some cold weather boots. Not only will you avoid salt damages to your shoes and keep your tootsies warm, but you’ll avoid slipping on wet and/or icy pavement, which puts your safety at risk and increases the potential to damage vintage shoes with scuffs, tears, broken heels, etc.

I know we fashionistas tend to resist real cold weather boots (I myself bought only fancy leather boots with heels for years), but the best way to save our pretty babies is to wear those less than fancy boots.  And since modern made boots can be more properly prepared to brave the elements, restored or even replaced when problems occur, it only makes sense to wear them not only in bad weather but in seasons where bad weather is more likely — or just left around on the ground, ready to trip you up.

The good news is that, via A Tad Too Much Tan For Taupe, I discovered a contest that’s giving away a free pair of Whooga ugg boots every month– enter to win here!

Maybe you can save your vintage shoes for free — and save some money to invest in more vintage shoes *wink*

The December issue of Marie Claire features some fabulous hair accessories in their Free For You, Strike Up The Bands feature:

Marie Claire: Strike Up The Bands

I love the sparklies, of course! Who wouldn’t want the Billie Barrette comb by Stella Accessories? Sorry, couldn’t find this pretty comb or any hair comb, actually, on the site — but there’s always vintage combs with rhinestones!

I’d prefer to win the incredible Jennifer Behr Double Crystal Headwrap!

Jennifer Behr Double Crystal Headwrap

I have nothing like it, but I have pinned rhinestone necklaces into my hair every now and then… Mostly for holiday parties, but not exclusively so.

To enter, you’re supposed to go to marieclaire.com/freeforyou — but that page is still featuring November’s giveaways — so you’ll have to wait a bit, yet, to enter. (Doesn’t mean you can’t enter the other ones while you wait!)  If you’re impatient, just go buy these pretty hair accessories now — my guess is they’ll be plenty picked over by holiday.

Lucky Shops is a shopping event hosted by Lucky Magazine in New York, November 5-7.

Lucky Shops Ultimate Shopping Event

To celebrate, one lucky Shop It To Me member will win a VIP gift bag from Lucky Shops!

The VIP gift bag contains Amrita Singh bangles, Kiehl’s products, a Clu tanktop, tons of other fun beauty products, and more — with a total value of $750.

To enter, just do the following:

1. If you’re not already a Shop It To Me member, join now (It’s free and you’ll save money with the Sale Mail alerts!)
2. Visit www.luckyshops.com to find out more about the Lucky Shops Ultimate Shopping Event
3. Leave a comment on this blog post, telling Shop It To Me what you think is the most exciting part of Lucky Shops

The lucky winner will be selected on Friday, October 31st at 5pm PST via a random drawing of all qualifying entries.

Please note: Prize can only be sent to a U.S. mailing address.

August must be “contest month” or something… Well, at Twolia, there’s a contest every month *wink* But along with the other recent contests I just posted, ShoeHunting.com has a giveaway. To enter, all you have to do to enter is upload a picture to the Runway. That’s it! Show off a cool pair of shoes & one winner will be randomly selected to receive a $100 gift certificate to Zappos.com. Contest ends August 31st at Midnight EST.

Shopbob.com’s giving away a trip to New York during fashion week (travel included), a pair of invitations to the Erin Fetherston Fashion Show in New York, some spending cash and a spree at Shopbop.com.

Shopbob NY Fashion Week Sweeps

The Grand Prize consists of a trip for 2 to New York, N.Y. Trip including round trip coach class air transportation for 2 to New York departing from the major airport nearest to Grand Prize winner’s home on September 11, 2009 and returning September 14, 2009; ground transportation between airport and hotel in New York; 3 nights’ standard hotel accommodations (double occupancy) at the Westin Hotel in Times Square or comparable accommodations; 2 $200 Visa Gift Cards ($400 total); 2 invitations to attend the Erin Fetherston Fashion Show in New York on September 13, 2009; a $1,000 Shopbop.com Gift Certificate (”GC”) for use on Shopbop.com.

The approximate retail value of the Grand Prize is $3,750.

Enter by signing up for their email list before 11:59:59 p.m. (CT) on August 27, 2009; limit one entry per e-mail address.

At Kitsch Slapped, Deanna dishes on the joys of TCM and Bathing Beauty.

At Out of the Past, Raquelle went to go see Rebel Without a Cause outdoors.

At The Bumbles Blog, check out the Monday Movie Meme.

Oh, and if you’re a film maker, actress or have any other talent, check out Twolia’s Talent Contest — you could win $1000! (And, you can get $50 just for entering this month’s contest!)

What makes your life colorful? Maybelline New York and More magazine want to hear your story!

Maybe you’ve started your own business based on a personal passion, or you’re a community leader who everyone looks up to. Perhaps you dedicate your time and energy to a cause, or use art as a means of creative expression. Tell us how you exude confidence, optimism and personality while balancing a variety of roles – at home or at work – all with grace, flair and style!

Three Grand-Prize winners will:

* Star in a Maybelline New York “Colorful Life” short film

* Take a fabulous, all-expenses paid trip with a guest to New York City

* Receive a Maybelline New York Makeover by a professional make-up artist

* Meet Candace Bushnell, best-selling author of Sex and the City, at her Webisode Premiere Party and appear in a “behind-the-scenes” webisode

Ten runners-up will also be selected. Each of them will receive signed copies of each of the three newest paperback novels from Candace Bushnell (Lipstick Jungle, Trading Up, and One Fifth Avenue) and a year’s supply of Maybelline New York Color Sensational lipcolor (4 shades).

Women can enter the nationwide contest today by logging on to www.Maybelline.com/ColorfulLife and following the instructions to upload a photo & an essay of 200 words or less about “what makes your life colorful.”

The contest ends June 30, 2009. Winners will be selected by Meredith Publications and Maybelline New York.