H&M’s & Other Stories Announces Store Locations

As reported this fall H&M is launching a new fashion brand & Other Stories this spring to bring a new luxury clothing and accessory retail chain into the market. I’m super excited about this as I like the H&M’s look but not their clothing quality, and often find items I like, but don’t purchase due the quality of the materials. While H&M’s designer collaborations have been exciting, I am more excited about & Other Stories, the concept sounds very appealing. Expect to see women’s ready-to-wear, shoes, bags, accessories and beauty products.

H&M just announced the seven cities where the chain will open this spring: Barcelona, Berlin, Copenhagen, London, Milan, Paris and Stockholm to mark its first collections. The stores will be located in the luxurious shopping areas such as Regent Street in London, Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris and Corso Vittorio Emanuele in Milan, H&M has said & Other Stories will be priced below its premium COS brand. If you don’t live in any of the cities mentioned you still might be lucky to order the & Other Stories products online. An online store, stories.com, will launch in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. I’m sorry my American friends, this time you just have to wait. Now you know how we here in Europe feel when we have to wait all of the movie premiers and TV shows to cross the pond.

As far it comes to me? I’ll be in the Stockholm store opening as soon as the doors open.

This post brought to you by Selfridges & Co. (with video provided by GoViral). All opinions are 100% mine.

Gift ideas from the Best Department Store in the World

Today I'm virtually shopping in the world's best department store, the Selfridges in London. Selfidges contacted me to pick some of my personal favorites from their luxury Holiday Gift Guides. Selfridges was recently voted the "Best Department Store in the World" at the Global Department Store Summit in New York. In my recent trip to London I did some shopping at the Oxford Street, let these pictures take you to London and get the feel of shopping on the Oxford Street, walking towards the Selfridges London store, which is a national institution with the most famous shop windows on Oxford Street. Selfridges is known for opening the world's first ground floor beauty department in 1910, which revolutionized department stores. You might also know Selfridges from one of my personal favorite Christmas movies Love Actually (I just watched it last night!), the shopping scenes were filmed in the Oxford Street store in 2003. Across every single department, from food to fashion, home to beauty, Selfridges sets the standard for up-to-the-minute style, lasting quality and exceptional customer service.

This Holiday season Selfridges created this fun video and created awesome “Not Your Usual Christmas” Holiday Gift Guides to help their customers to find luxurious gifts for anyone in their list. What I love about their Holiday Gift Lists – they have picked classic products that stand the test of time and some very trendy products that are a hit this year to make it easy to pick gifts. The gift guides are named not your usual way, or can you imagine many gift guides for "silver foxes" or "eroticists"? While I found my all time expensive dream gift from the lists (it's been in my dream list for years), the guides also had luxury for less options, so you can get the luxury  feeling of shopping at Selfridges without spending a fortune.

Editor's Picks from Selfridges

Here are my favorite Holiday gift ideas from Selfridges.

1. Mulberry Bayswater This bag has been in my dream list forever… And if I can have one regret it's that I didn't buy it when I still worked for Mulberry and got an employee discount. I know, what was I thinking? Any woman would love the classic Bayswater.

2. NESPRESSO Magimix Gran Maestria coffee machine The most popular thing in coffee in Europe is Nespresso. Nespresso coffee machine is everyday luxury any coffee lover in your life would love.

3. Diptyque candles When you are looking for a luxurious gift for less, you can't go wring with Diptyque candles.

4. Lancôme Christmas cracker gift set. Lancôme gift sets are on my wish list every single year, and if I don't get one – I usually go and gift myself one. This Lancôme gift set it includes six beauty-filled Christmas crackers. Including; Hypnôse Mascara 2ml, Bi-Facil 30ml, Mini Juicy Tube – Fraise 17, Visionnaire 7ml, Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate 7ml, Mini L'Absolu Rouge ßx Lipstick 06.

5. ALEXANDER MCQUEEN skull scarf The Alexander McQueen skull-print modal and cashmere-blend pashmina is a must have for any fashionista. Got a picky teenager? This will impress.

6. MARC BY MARC JACOBS Rock Chrono rose gold-plated watch This year I am really into rose gold-plated watches. The rose gold gives a nice hint of pink to the masculine chrono watch, and I just love it!

7. Loimu glögg by Lignell & Piispanen When in doubt – buy a bottle. Whether it's a good bottle of cognac or whiskey, a bottle is a good gift idea in my book. For wine lovers it's difficult to get a gift especially if you are not a wine expert yourself, although bubbly is always a good idea. My gift pick from Selfridges is Loimu glögi, Scandic mulled wine, mixture of Merlot, the arctic bramble and a touch of cinnamon and cloves, perfect for the Holidays and my Scandinavian Christmas wouldn't be complete without some glögi.

Check out the Holiday Gift Guides at Selfridges and watch the Holiday video by Bruce Weber, shot in the Selfridges Oxford Street store.

Marshalls Fashion Challenge: Blazer

I’ve truly enjoyed the Marshalls Fashion Face-Off Challenge the past two months, and now it’s time for the last Marshalls Face-Off challenge. If you missed my earlier outfits, our first challenge was to find fall booties, second one was to create an outfit with colored bottoms (I chose red!), and last week we were challenged to create an outfit with an equipment blouse.

This time we had a mission to find a great blazer for fall from Marshalls.

I think this was the most difficult challenge for me. I’m pretty small so all the blazers I tried on were always too big for me. I told a friend about my problem and she said: “Remember, that even a bit big blazer will look amazing when you roll up the sleeves and put a belt to your waist!” That sure is a good tip but even then many of the blazers didn’t fit me right.

Finally the due day came and I had to buy the blazer, no matter what. And guess what? Marshalls really know how to surprise people and the surprises are always pleasant. That day I found a Petites -section from the store for the first time, and they just had received new blazers. Finally I found a blazer that looked good on me and fitted perfectly. I think Marshalls just has it all for all different sizes!

This dark blue blazer with a hint of sparkle is from Jones New York and the retail price was $179. I got it at Marshalls for $59,99.

The blazer is a bit fancy and sophisticated and I think it will work fine at the parties as well as in a casual events. This time I didn’t want to make a party look so I pulled the outfit together with a simple white linen t-shirt, black skinny trousers and a ballet flats. I would wear this outfit when I would spend the whole day shopping with my friends. If you have to walk a lot then the flats are the best choice for me.

Marshalls has Fall’s hottest designer fashion without designer prices. See what’s being spotted in stores now on Facebook. Make sure to subscribe Skimbaco Fashion feed via email to get all of our fashion posts delivered on Fridays.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Marshalls via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Marshalls.

Skimbaco Community kicked off a new weekly series called “Live a Little” last week, where bloggers around the internet will feature ways how to do little things that make you live life to the fullest every day. I blogged yesterday Live a Little: 10 ways to enjoy spring at Skimbaco Lifestyle, and my number one tip to embrace spring: visit your local flower shop and buy some fresh cut flowers of the season, like tulips.

Spring may be a little bit behind in Sweden, where I live, compared where you are, but it’s here, no question about it. The flower shops are bursting with tulips, and bulbs to plant in your garden. We sneaked away from Sweden and are in Italy when you are reading this – can’t wait to feel the warmer spring weather as well. But when we are coming back – we are getting our new house, and visit to a local flower shop is a must immediately.

I snapped these pictures in Stockholm’s Gamla Stan, and this flower store is called Christoffers Blommor. The colors are not as vibrant as the flower shops I loved in New York, but I love the delicate small flowers and the sense of spring… this is just the beginning of the blooming flower season.

For all my crafty friends there… check out this amazing yarn shop we discovered in Stockholm… The store is called Happy Color and it’s the coolest shop I’ve been in a long time, if ever. The store was full of yarn and handmade items like jewelry and other accessories, but mainly it was yarn, displayed in the most colorful way as possible. Just visiting the store made me want to start a few knitting projects, or maybe crocheting something little… I have a full house to decorate first but at some point I will go back to this store to buy yarn goodies!

Happy Color
Stora Nygatan 44, Stockholm, Sweden
(in Gamla stan, the old town)

The Monogrammed Martini is a preppy little gift shop in Richmond, Virginia, owned and operated by a mother-daughter team who are living life to the fullest and offering their customers a preppy gift product galore.

“It is truly a labor of love for both of us,” says Judy Suboleski who founded The Monogrammed Martini with her daughter, Kim Michaux last year. The Monogrammed Martini also has an online store for all those who can’t visit their brick and mortar store in Richmond.

The Monogrammed Martini sells a mixture of personalized and non-personalized gifts items, and it’s a perfect shop both for those looking for the perfect hostess gift, and for hostesses to shop for fun products to make their guests feel extra special.

I love the Thymes bath and body products, from body lotions to bath salts, that come in a vast variety of scents like lavender and mandarin coriander. They make perfect hostess gifts and they will make your guest bathroom very welcoming for your guests as well.

The Monogrammed Martini has a large collection of Clairebella personalized products that are perfect for gift giving. My favorites for the home are the monogrammed cutting boards, trays and coasters.

And then there is… Lilly Pulizer. You can find Lilly Pulizer’s small bags, lunch totes and water bottles among other preppy Lilly goodness from The Monogrammed Martini. My favorite? The above iPad cover.

These are just a few highlights from The Monogrammed Martini, please check them out at TheMonogrammedMartini.com. You will also have a chance to meet with the store owners at the WifeStyle Conference in New York City on September 17th. WifeStyle Conference is a one day conference that celebrates domesticity in a fresh and innovative setting for all passionate about stylish domestic living, regardless of marital status. The conference is held in an atmosphere where attendants can learn to entertain in style and revitalize their domestic living through hands on learning from industry experts. Get tickets to WifeStyle Conference.

Macy’s is a great place to shop for essentials for a college dorm! We shop at Macy’s for clothes, shoes and makeups, and I always stock up on kitchen essentials at Macy’s, so going to college with a little help from Macy’s home decorating department only makes sense.

Macy’s and Levi’s College Lifestyle Shopping Party

Show your student ID or acceptance letter in the Home Department and receive 10% off your Sale and Clearance store purchase at your local Macy’s. Exclusions apply. Ask your sales associate for more details. Valid through September 30th, 2011.

In addition to the 10% off shopping for college students at the Home Department, Macy’s and Levi’s present a College Lifestyle Shopping Party in selected Macy’s locations.

You can find everything needed for the college dorm – whether you are fresh to college and decorating your dorm, or a mom helping your student to spruce up hers/his dorm room. What’s even better – you can have a great time while shopping for dorm essentials! While you’re scoping out the newest items to trick out your dorm room, you can enjoy music, food & mocktails.

Get Levi’s Jeans – Get $10 Macy’s Gift Card at the In-Store Events

College students are in for a real treat on selected locations, when you buy two pairs of Levi’s Jeans, you will receive a $10 Macy’s Gift Card. ** Simply show your receipt to the Levi’s Representative in the Home Department to receive your gift card.

MACY’S & LEVI’S COLLEGE LIFESTYLE SHOPPING PARTY LOCATIONS

July 27th from 4-7pm
The Washington Square Mall
Tigard, OR

July 29th from 12-2pm
Macy’s Boston (Washington St.)
Boston, MA

July 30th from 2-4pm
The Hilldale Shopping Center
Madison, WI

July 30th from 2-4pm
The Towson Town Center Mall
Towson, MD

July 30th from 2-4pm
The North Point Mall
Alpharetta, GA

July 30th from 2-4pm
The Barton Creek Square Mall
Austin, TX

Event subject to change or cancellation. While supplies last. **Offer valid at participating Macy’s stores during event hours only. While supplies last. Limit two (2) ten doller ($10) Macy’s gift cards per household. Terms and conditions for Macy’s gift cards are listed on the back of gift cards and at Macys.com. 2011 Levi Strauss & Co. All rights reserved.

Disclosure: I received a Macy’s gift card as a gift from Everywhere to post this, but all my opinions are my own.

Eziba is a new invitation only shopping site, much like Gilt Groupe, One Kings Lane or Rue La La. It is a members-only website from Overstock.com that has exclusive deals on home décor, furniture, accessories and more. Each day new products are unveiled at 11:00 a.m. ET and are only available for a limited time and on low prices. In addition, shipping is only $2.95 on every order—regardless of how big your order is or if it’s a big piece of furniture!

Join Eziba and check them out this week, they are hosting a giveaway of Safavieh furniture throughout the week of May 24-27. During that week, they will be featuring various furniture sales—from living room furniture to Thom Felicia rugs—and by just signing in and looking at the various sales on the site that week you are automatically entered into the giveaways.

The Safavieh giveaways include:

· Handmade Hand-spun Heirloom Beige Wool Rug (7’6 x 9’6)
· Large, Brown Manhattan Storage Bench,
· Small, Brown Manhattan Storage Bench,
· Metro Curved Tufted Beige Linen Side Chairs (Set of 2)

I spent less than 24 hours in Dallas a few weeks ago, test driving the new Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet, and I had an opportunity to see my old friend jewelry designer DeAnna Cochran for a fun Saturday afternoon. DeAnna took me to one of her favorite stores in Dallas, The Gypsy Wagon, which is also a retailer of DeAnna’s jewelry. The Gypsy Wagon is on the North Henderson Avenue, surrounded by other interior design stores, restaurants and antique stores. You can spend an entire day on the North Henderson Avenue looking for furniture, home decorating products and having a good ol’ Texas style BBQ in a near by restaurant with outdoor patio. The Gypsy Wagon is probably the best the neighborhood has to offer.

The Gypsy Wagon started in a different, much smaller location first, but Dallas fell in love with this quirky and colorful store and its amazing owner Carley Seale, and The Gypsy Wagon moved to this much larger space on the Henderson Avenue and answered to the demands of more funky and fun stuff ranging from home decorating products to party accessories to fashion clothing, handbags and since we are in Texas – to cowboy boots. The Gypsy Wagon is your modern day general store Texas style, and I was smiling the entire time I was in the store. It’s just one of those stores that you know it was made with love, every single item was hand picked and many of the products are even hand made! Only downfall – you either buy way too much than your originally thought of or you have hard time choosing what to buy, this store is full of eye candy that you feel you must have.

When you are looking for color in your home, and something that pops – The Gypsy Wagon has it. The store was full of bright colored items, which are full of personality. The Gypsy Wagon carries hand made products from artisan from around the world, as well from several local people, like DeAnna. Decorated empty cigar boxes, decorating items made of upcycled bottle caps, recycled glassware, hand knitted accessories for you and your home, hand made birthday hats, painted luggage, blankets with pom poms. You name it.

Oh, and the way the store has everything displayed is as quirky and fun as the products – or what do you think of these blankets ($44) taking a bath in this bath tub?

If you like simple design, and minimalistic lines, you might think The Gypsy Wagon is a little too, well, gypsy for you, no worry, The Gypsy Wagon has that covered too. While the modern design items are not displayed the same way as you might find in the almost empty stores of Brooklyn, you can make some modern design finds at The Gypsy Wagon as well.

I loved the several lighting fixtures in the store, made from recycled materials, they would be great focal points or pull together a room.

Overall, The Gypsy Wagon is probably one of the sunniest stores I have ever visited, you could feel the love that was put into the store and merchandising and selecting each single item. The products made you want to smile and there was a sense of careless days, smiles from strangers, and traveling around the world without forgetting the Texan roots. The name The Gypsy Wagon is so fitting for this store that makes me hope it’ll turn into a franchise one day and start popping in cities around the country. At the same time – I hope it will never turn into a chain and it’ll always keep it’s authentic personality that can only happen when it is done with a small team of people who care for the store like a flower they want to blossom forever.

Lucky for us not living in Dallas, The Gypsy Wagon also has an online store. The selection is very limited compared to the vast variety of the store, but you can still find so many amazing things from the online store. If you shop there – let me know in the comments. And if you have a store close to you, let me know that too – maybe I will hit to your favorite store next time I’m traveling.

The Gypsy Wagon
2928 N Henderson Ave, Dallas, TX 75206
Store Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10am-6pm | Sundays, 1pm-15pm
Phone: 214-370-8010

On one of my trips to Europe last year I had an opportunity to visit Stockholm for a day of shopping and fun with my mother. I still keep going back to that fun day, and the memories are alive in my photos. Today I’d like to feature here one of the darling stores I visited in Stockholm. While I tend to feature more modern Scandinavian design, I love the traditional as well. The old romantic style with handmade lace, and porcelain cups.

Sirlig is filled with beautiful glass items, pill boxes, milk bottles, vases and wire baskets. Every corner and tabletop and shelf is full of decorating ideas and items. The best of the store is the unlimited amount of inspiration one can get, starting from the store’s black and white checkered floor and old cabinetry turned into store furniture. You can find items like drawer pulls and ribbons for many DIY projects. I can’t think of any better souvenir than bringing kitchen pulls from your travels to remind you of the trip every day.

The shelves are literally full of beautiful things.

The store is in Stockholm’s Gamla Stan, the old downtown, where the King’s castle is also located. It is one of the top tourist attractions of Stockholm, and Gamla Stan is full of souvenir shops. Sirlig offers alternatives for many other tourist shops in Gamla Stan and their slightly tackier products.

Sirlig is located at Tyska Brinken 22, Stockholm. If you want to visit them, you might want to check out their opening hours first, they are not open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays during winter time, but their summer opening hours are better.