Cheryl Shops

America's Next Top Model Recap
Either I'm good, or America's Next Top Model is getting really predictable. This episode was all about Sarah, and thus it became clear to me that she'd be the one to go this week. Well, and also, because while she's very beautiful, she's also very stiff and, honestly, just not a great model. Which is fine, because I feel like Sarah is too smart for it, and she'd be better off as, I don't know, a TV reporter or something where stiffness doesn't work against you. Anyway, the main focus of this episode involved the models going on go-sees to various Thai clients and traveling by these bizarre open-air taxis that looked like golf carts to me. Jade complained about this mode of transport more than anyone else, although Danielle was not feeling the humidity. Danielle technically won the challenge, although since all the girls were late returning from their assignment, Danielle was denied the prize, which was racks upon racks of clothes from the designers they met with. Ouch. The girls then traveled to Phuket, which had been hit heavily by the 2004 tsunami; enter Tyra and her Serious Message about the aftermath of the tsunami. This seriousness threw Danielle off her game, and she had trouble focusing during her photo shoot, and while Sarah stumbled at first, everyone else pretty much nailed it. Joanie was called first at judging, then Jade. And while Danielle took more shit about her accent (um, hello, get the girl a speech coach--she's not going to drop it on her own!), Sarah's stiffness did her in--although, to her credit, I think this photo was the best one Sarah had taken thus far. Still, she wasn't America's Next Top Model material.

Next week, it's the finale. I think Jade goes first, so it's down to Joanie and Danielle in the end. Danielle's got youth on her side, but Joanie's better spoken. Any guesses on who takes it?

Website of the week
When I think of "Hawaiian style," I think of leis, grass skirts, and tropical-print shirts. Granted, I've never been to Hawaii (well, except as a fetus--my mom was pregnant with me on my parents' honeymoon there), so I was quite surprised when I came across Aloha Rag, an incredibly edgy-cool boutique located in Honolulu. Aloha Rag has a well-designed Flash-enabled website for those of us on the mainland (you can also shop in Japanese), and there are no leis, grass skirts, coconut bras, or anything of the sort to be found. In fact, the selection reminds me a bit of Barneys--a mix of established and up-and-coming designers, great jewelry, and stylish presentation. You can shop by category or by designer (guys, there's a ton of stuff for you too, but in the interest of most of my readers, I'm going to focus on the ladies); merch ranges from Belgian Ann Demeulemeester to It-girl label Chloe to trendy denim like Rogan and Tsubi. There are also a lot of under-the-radar handbag and jewelry designers, which is great--I love having accessories that no one else has. Like this Lena Wald butterfly necklace--I know I'm a sucker for butterflies, but how minimalist yet cute is this?
I also, even though it's a bit tacky, like this Dsquared2 horseshoe bracelet:
I also love this totally girly ring from Wouters & Hendrix, this quirky Tom Binns Mickey Bomb necklace, and, because this is Hawaii after all, this coral-inspired Heremitit ring from Moea. But aside from outstanding accessories, the site has some quality clothes, like this subdued (for them) DSquared2 Frill Top:
I totally want the Grand Hotel pant from Golden Goose, a new-to-me brand:
And I think I can live all summer long in this comfy-looking strapless dress from Rogan:

Sadly, like everything else in Hawaii, shipping is on the expensive side ($10-$25), but orders over $500 ship for free. And, hey, that's a lot cheaper than flying out to Hawaii, isn't it?

Pay no attention to the little man behind the curtain!
As you might have noticed, Cheryl Shops looks a little different. This is kind of an accident, and kind of on purpose. In short, I'm in the middle of redesigning the site, adding links, and doing all sorts of good stuff that will hopefully take Cheryl Shops into the 21st century (yes, I know we are already in the 21st century). So please bear with me and my utter lack of HTML skills; more changes are coming soon!

The week in shopping
Score Paper Denim & Cloth jeans for all members of the family for a mere $18-$75. Through 5/12; 9-6; 230 W. 39th St. (7th & 8th Aves.), 4th fl.

Cashmere in May? Why not? Score TSE sweaters for men, women, children, and home at wholesale prices and below. 5/9-5/13; 10-7; 72 Greene St. (Spring & Broome Sts.).

Save up to 80% on trendy brands like Ya-Ya, James Jeans, and Edward An at Billion Dollar Babes' sample sale. As always, you have to be on the list to get in (sign up at bdbinvite.com. 5/13; 8-6; The Altman Building, 135 W. 18th St. (6th & 7th Aves.).

Twinkle By Wenlan's awesome summer knitwear is up to 75% off (now $20-$200). 5/12-5/13; 11-8 Fri., 11-6 Sat.; 545 8th Ave. (at 37th St.), 17th fl.

Aeffe has Alberta Ferretti, Moschino, and Jean Paul Gaultier for 60% off; expect sample sizes only. 5/10-5/13; 10-6 weekdays, 11-5 Sat.; 30 W. 56th St. (5th & 6th Aves.).

On Wednesday night, you'll find me at the Araks sale, where their luxe cotton lingerie is $5 and up. 5/10-5/12; 8:30-8 Wed., 9-8 Thurs., 9-7 Fri.; 121 E. 12th St. (3rd & 4th Aves.), ste. 6I.

Fairly new boutique Wink is having its first warehouse sale; 10% of sales will benefit arts & music programs at PS 234. 5/11-5/13; 10-7; 401 Washington St. (enter on Laight St. between Washington & Greenwich Sts.).

A veritable sample sale bonanza, Showroom Seven has Imitation of Christ, Issa, Tara Subkoff for Easy Spirit and more. Through 5/19; 10-7; 498 7th Ave. (36th & 37th St.), 24th fl.

Accessibly luxe Hayden Harnett handbags and accessories are up to 60% off. 5/10-5/11; 1-7; 330 W. 38th St. (8th & 9th Aves.), ste. 503.

Gorgeous Angel Sanchez bridal and evening gowns are 50%-75% off. 5/11-5/13; 10-7 Thurs. & Fri., 11-4 Sat.; 526 7th Ave. (at 38th St.), 9th fl.

MaxMara womenswear is $77-$625 at this sale. Through 5/9; 9-5; Metropolitan Pavilion, 123 W. 18th St. (6th & 7th Aves.), 4th fl.

I'm a huge fan of Kartell's plastic furniture; new orders are 10% off, and overstock and discontinued items are 30%-50% off. Through 5/14; 11-7, noon-6 Sun.; 39 Greene St. (Broome & Grand Sts.).

Swiss Watches from heavy hitters Tissot, Hamilton, Swatch, and others are 50%-70% off. 5/11-5/13; 1-7 Thurs., 9-7 Fri., 9-5 Sat.; Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W. 18th St. (6th & 7th Aves.), 4th fl.

Much-loved UES yarn store The Lion & the Lamb has lost its lease and is taking 50%-70% off yarn and knitting accessories. 5/9-5/12; noon-8; 1460 Lexington Ave. (at 96th St.).

Rachel Reinhardt's costume jewelry is up to 75% off. 5/9-5/11; 10-7; 37 W. 39th St. (5th & 6th Aves.), ste. 901.

Clothingline has Chilewich vinyl bags and home accessories for $4 and up. 5/9-5/12; 10-7 Tues. & Thurs., 10-6 Wed. & Fri.; 261 W. 36th St. (7th & 8th Aves.), 2nd fl.

Lola's chic hats are 60% off at this cash-only sale. 5/9-5/11; 10-7; 535 8th Ave. (at 36th St.), 20th fl.

Get a reggae-inspired look at Catch a Fire's sale. 5/10-5/12; 9-7; 632 Broadway (Bleecker & Houston Sts.).

Rubin Chapelle's clothes are $65-$280 at this sale. 5/11-5/13; 11:30-7:30 Thurs. & Fri., noon-6 Sat.; 410 W. 14th St. (9th Ave. & Washington St.).

Tough yet chic Tracy Watts hats are at least 50% off (now $35-$95). 5/11-5/12; 11-7; 305 W. 20th St. (8th & 9th Aves.).

It's never too late (or early) for fur, apparently: Adrienne Landau furs are 60% off. 5/11-5/12; 10-7; 519 8th Ave. (at 35th St.), 21st fl.

Treat Mom to a shopping spree at Lafayette 148--their office-friendly clothes are 80% off. 5/12-5/13; 9-7 Fri., 10-6 Sat.; 148 Lafayette St.--how about that!--(at Howard St.), 5th fl.

The First Call sale has begun at Neiman Marcus; get free shipping on a $150 order when you enter code SALE through 5/15.

Met Costume Institute Gala
Monday night was the Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual Costume Institute Gala, which is arguably more important to fashion people than the Oscars. The event is a fundraiser for the Met's Costume Institute and usually occurs in May, right before the Costume Institute's big summer exhibit opens. Also worth noting: The gala is always co-chaired by Anna Wintour, so it always draws fashionistas of the finest caliber--design houses buy tables and, for increased press coverage, invite fashionable celebrities, give them gowns to wear, and have them sit at their tables. This year's exhibit is all about British fashion (I cannot wait to see it), and while some invitees go overboard with the theme (Sarah Jessica Parker, I'm looking at you), others just look hot. I suggest clicking through Style.com's slide show; Fashionologie, I Am Fashion, and Go Fug Yourself all have excellent coverage of the event as well. For the record, I think Drew Barrymore looked incredible in a strapless Oscar de la Renta lace sheath; Kate Moss and Stella McCartney both wore tuxedos (Kate's had leather pants); Sienna Miller ruined her outfit with horrible hair (and, yes, we get it, you're playing Edie Sedgwick in an upcoming movie); Charlize Theron needs to take a big step away from the Dior; and I thought the Olsen twins, especially Mary-Kate, looked awesome. But in the end, the models--everyone from Lily Cole and Daria Werbowy to oldies-but-goodies Helena Christensen and Linda Evangelista (who, despite obviously having had some work done, still looks exquisite)--looked better than everyone else. And isn't that the way it should be?

America's Next Top Model recap
Even though this week was the "make the models partake in local traditions" episode of America's Next Top Model, I almost didn't mind, because Joanie kicked so much ass. The first part of the episode had the models learning Thai dancing, then performing in front of an audience full of Thai people, the most amusing part being that they totally busted out laughing when Furonda blanked and started grooving out, hip-hop style. Joanie won the competition and took Sarah with her to dinner with the editor of Vogue Thailand (kind of a lame prize compared to a diamond necklace that Jade won earlier, but whatever) and Sarah was an ungrateful little bitch because Joanie picked Sarah because she hadn't won any challenges before (for the record, neither had Joanie). In the meantime, poor Danielle, who had previously broken her toe and got her gap-tooth fixed, was hospitalized for dehydration and food poisoning. Ever the trooper, Danielle ignored the doctor's advice and went to the next day's photo shoot, in which the models had to pose on elephants for motorized Venus razors (cue lengthy product placement shots). Joanie especially rocked the shoot (as did Danielle, who, miraculously, did not barf through the entire thing), so much so that Sarah decided to steal like all of her poses--except that Sarah's were nowhere near as good at Joanie's. Also, we learned two important facts about elephants, courtesy of Jade: They're descendants of dinosaurs, and they're "preposterous" (um, Jade, that word means "absurd"). After a ridiculous mini-challenge at judging where the girls had to convey emotion with a pose by wearing masks on their faces, it came down to Furonda, who's inconsistent, and Jade, who's just...Jade. So while Jade is...Jade, she can pose, and she certainly makes for good television (especially when she teaches us all about elephants), so Furonda got the boot. This makes me a little sad, because I've always liked Furonda. The funny thing is that the judges never mentioned her bad skin; apparently Danielle's poor speech is okay to criticize, but Furonda's skin is off-limits? Interesting.

Next week, the competition heats up between Joanie and Sarah. (Bring it, Joanie!) And, since there are only two episodes left (I think), I'm going to start placing my bets. I think Jade goes next, then Sarah, and Danielle and Joanie will be the final two. And since Danielle kind of sounds like Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain when she talks, I'm going to venture that Joanie wins. At least I hope she does.

Website of the week
In the past six months or so, I've lost a little weight. Twelve pounds, to be exact. I know it doesn't sound like a lot--and because I'm totally neurotic about my weight, if you ask me, I think I could stand to lose another six or seven pounds--but most of my clothes are quite baggy on me now. This became very apparent last weekend when I switched my closet from fall/winter to spring/summer. The funny thing is, I've lost weight in really weird places, like my upper chest between my collarbone and my boobs. I've also noticed that my underwear is baggy, which makes me think, did I have a fat above-crotch area before? Regardless, I need to do a little underwear replacement (sadly, my boobs appear to be the same size, so no new bras for me). And a few days ago when my coworkers and I were discussing the guilty pleasure of shopping in Grand Central Terminal, I remembered The Pink Slip, which is my favorite waiting-for-the-Hudson-Line diversion. While, yes, the Pink Slip has slips, they also have everything from costumes to hosiery to swimwear, and on the website, you can shop by category or by brand (you can also check out new items, specials & sales, and top sellers). But because I'm looking for underwear, that's what I'm going to focus on. I think this Felina Lowrider Boyleg seems like a nice basic and, at $9, the price is right. I am a huge fan of Mary Green's lingerie, and this Cotton Boy Short looks like it's right up my alley. (I'm a little scared by the model, though--is that a mannequin?) This Ruffle Rhumba Hot Pant isn't exactly for everyday wear, but, to paraphrase my former dance instructor, it looks like underwear that's fun to wear. I think I'll also stock up on Hanky Panky's famous Low-Rider Thongs, which are incredibly comfortable, as far as thongs go. I'm also intrigued by this Lace-Trim Cotton Boythong, also by Mary Green, which appears to be a non-full-coverage boy short. The great thing about Pink Slip is that it has a Wish List feature, so you can save all the things you're pondering (or that you want someone else to buy for you) for later. And should you choose to make some purchases, shipping via FedEx is a mere $5.95, with free exchanges and easy returns. Which seems kind of gross when it comes to lingerie, so, um, hopefully you won't have to utilize that aspect.

The week in shopping
Hello, Dolce! Score Dolce & Gabbana for up to 80% off. 5/5-5/7; 9-6 Fri., 10-6 Sat., 11-5 Sun.; 85 Spring St. (at Broadway).

I am always a huge fan of the Dwell sample sale, where you can get their mod, geometric sheets for 40%-50% off. 5/4-5/21; 11-7; 476 Broome St. (at Wooster St.).

I am also a fan of retro-classic Delman shoes; at this sale, they're 50% off. 5/2-5/5; 10-7; 730 5th Ave. (at 56th St.), 8th fl.

This week, Clothingline has Ben Sherman and Evisu clothes for 60% off. 5/2-5/5; 10-7 Tues. & Thurs., 10-6 Wed. & Fri.; 261 W. 36th St. (7th & 8th Aves.), 2nd fl.

Jill Platner's lovely, modern handmade silver jewelry is 10%-50% off (now $50-$1,000). 5/5-5/7; noon-7; 113 Crosby St. (Houston & Prince Sts.).

Calling all design snobs: Highly coveted Knoll furniture is up to 44% off. 5/5-5/8; noon-7 Fri., 11-6 Sat., closed Sun., noon-6 Mon.; 76 9th Ave. (at 15th St.), 11th fl.

Blah blah blah, Alvin Valley makes great pants...blah blah blah. Through 5/6; noon-6; 264 W. 40th St. (7th & 8th Aves.).

Luxe Armand Diradourian cashmeres are 60% off at this cash-only sale. 5/5-5/13 (closed 5/7); noon-6; 160 5th Ave. (at 20th St.), ste. 901.

It seems like everyone's getting hitched these days. If you're one of 'em, hit Reva Mivasagar for a bridal gown for up to 80% off. 5/4-5/8; call 212-372-2804 for an appointment; 10 W. 18th St. (5th & 6th Aves.), 4th fl.

Get free shipping on a $100 order at VictoriasSecret.com when you enter code FSHP through 5/18.

Buy IT: Jessica Simpson Footwear
I am not the biggest fan of Jessica Simpson. She's a little too Texan for me--the hair, the teeth, the tan, the boobs. I think her "Dessert" line is kind of gross. And I feel bad for Nick Lachey, the poor guy. Anyway, if you've been reading the news recently, you've read that she's being sued by her licenser--apparently Jessica has not done such a good job of promoting Princy, her line of juniors sportswear (we sell it at Macys.com, and I can verify that it's not doing so well for us), the main example of which being when asked on the red carpet what her favorite jeans were, instead of saying her own label, she said "True Religion." That Jessica's a smart girl.

So in addition to the fledgling Princy, Jessica Simpson has a line of footwear, for which she appears in the ads, and it's called, simply, Jessica Simpson Footwear, a name that, hopefully, she can remember the next time she's asked about her favorite shoes on the red carpet. That said, the shoes are straight-up adorable. My absolute favorite is this Amy sandal, a dead ringer for a similar Christian Louboutin that Jessica herself wore on the red carpet. (At a tenth of the price of said Louboutins, count me in.) My second favorite is the Tracy thong, an awesome flat sandal with braided straps--I feel like I could wear the tan style all summer long. I even like the Glory Thong, a great alternative for those who don't want to fully commit to the espadrille. And while I don't like Jessica Simpson, sometimes one needs to make sacrifices in the name of fashion. For example, even though the owner of Urban Outfitters is a major Republican Party contributor, I still shop there. But to make up for it, every time I buy something there (or at Anthropologie), I have to make a contribution to a leftie organization. Yes, I'm totally serious. So I might be making Jessica Simpson a bit richer by buying her shoes. There are worse things in the world, aren't there?

America's Next Top Model recap
As I predicted last week, the remaining contestants on America's Next Top Model were shipped off to a totally random location that Tyra tried to pass off as a "major fashion capital": Bangkok. Major psychedelic drug capital, okay. Major underage hooker capital, sure. Major fashion capital...I don't think so. Regardless, after a brief challenge in which they were interviewed by the ridiculous George Wayne of Vanity Fair--a challenge that Nnenna inexplicably won--the girls were off to...Bangkok. After a bizarre episode in which the losers of the challenge had to pamper winner Nnenna and Jade, the girls were subjected to an uncomfortable photo shoot in which they had to pose upside down over a smelly canal filled with Thai women peddling produce and wrapped in fish nets containing dead fish. Where's PETA when you need them? I think everyone did a good job, except for Sarah (I love her, but she can't really pose...or walk) and Nnenna, who, come to think of it, usually doesn't take very good pictures. Nnenna put the final nail in her own coffin by rambling on about herself Miss Universe-style at judging. It was down to her and Furonda, but Furonda is still fierce, and thus Nnenna was given the boot. I approve.

Next week, it's the awkward "make the models partake in local traditions" episode, and someone (Danielle, it appears) gets sent to the hospital. Drama!

Website of the week
Clearly, I love shopping online. I love that on a slow day at work, I can shop for shoes or check out new lip glosses. I love that I can shop in my pajamas, without makeup, and not have to worry about salespeople--whether they help me too much or not enough. One of the problems with online shopping is that sometimes you do need help. For example, at the beauty counter. Granted, this is one of those areas where the term "pushy salesperson" certainly can come into play, but, on the other hand, I love walking into a place like Kiehl's, where I can say something like, "My skin feels like the desert when it hasn't rained for three months," and they'll know just the right product for me. Or the Shu Uemura salesgirl who recommended white eyeliner and changed my life. Sometimes this human interaction is necessary at the beauty counter. Which is why My Beautiful Place is great--it's so obviously personal, it's like you have a friendly saleswoman telling you which moisturizer is her favorite. Even better, the site has a product assortment that rivals Bendel's--think cult lines like 3 Custom Color, Korres, and SCO Skincare. And, as with any good cosmetics website, there are several lines I've never heard of. You can shop by brand, and then by subcategory within the brands. I'm not going to lie--the navigation is a bit awkward, but the cool products make up for it. I'm intrigued by the Terranova body butters; I've heard great things about SCO Skincare; this MOR pomegranate body polish probably smells amazing and is half the price of Fresh's sugar scrub; this French Bulldog Cafe Kit from Jaqua Beauty looks like it would make a wonderful gift; and, as I'm a sucker for sparkle, this Girlactik Beauty Heaven's Dust sounds, well, divine. Orders over $75 ship for free, and orders over $100 receive lots o' samples. So while you might not be receiving actual one-on-one human interaction by shopping here, you still get pretty much all the perks, whether you're at work, in your underwear, or otherwise.

The week in shopping
Tufi Duek's sexy Brazilian womenswear is $50 and up at this sale. 4/26-4/28; 9:30-7; 530 Broadway (at Spring St.), 10th fl.

Modernists, rejoice: Save up to 70% at The Conran Shop one-day sale. 4/28; 8-8; 407 E. 59th St. (at 1st Ave.).

Fancy yet accessible Bliss beauty products are up to 75% off (that's $1 and up). 4/26-4/28; 8-8 Wed. & Thurs., 8-4 Fri.; 345 Hudson St. (at Charlton St.).

Play spot-the-fashion-designer at the Manhattan Vintage show this weekend. Admission is $20; hit the website for $5 off. 4/28-4/29; 1-8 Fri., 11-6 Sat.; Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W. 18th St. (6th & 7th Aves.).

Aspire to fabulousness? You'll need a Judith Leiber handbag; thankfully at this sale, they're 65%-75% off. 4/27-4/28; 9-4 Thurs., 9-3 Fri.; 20 W. 33rd St. (5th & 6th Aves.), 2nd fl.

Awesome pants and Euro-chic clothes by Joseph are 70%-90% off (that's $25-$500). Through 4/30; 11-7, 11-6 Sun.; 106 Greene St. (Prince & Spring Sts.).

Fancy Zuzka clothes and home accessories (think ABC Carpet & Home) are 90% off; silk pillows are $50 and up. 4/26-4/29; 10-6 Wed.-Fri., 11-6 Sat.; 37 E. 18th St. (5th Ave. & Broadway), 10th fl.

Rena Lange's chic, sophisticated womenswear is up to 75% off. 4/25-4/27; 9-5; 730 5th Ave. (at 56th St.), ste. 1000.

Worth the trip to Queens: Gracious Home's bedding, hardware, lighting, and more is 40%-90% off. 4/29; 9-5; 30-30 60th St. (at Northern Blvd.) Woodside, Queens.

Didja know John Varvatos made women's clothing? Neither did I. But the collection is up to 75% off. Through 4/30; 10-7, 11-7 Sun.; 260 5th Ave. (28th & 29th Sts.).

Get free shipping on a $60 lingerie purchase at Macys.com through 5/1.

Get free shipping with any order through midnight tomorrow (4/25) night at Shopbop.com.

Save 20%-50% at Pottery Barn's online sale.

Hit Built By Wendy's Brooklyn store on Thursday night for a renovation party, plus save 20% that night on all spring collection items. 4/27; 6-9 p.m.; 46 N. 6th St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Save 25% on all orders of $25 or more at StylePatch.com when you enter code "style" at checkout through 4/30.

Get free shipping on orders of $30 or more at Kiehls.com when you enter code MOM at checkout through 5/8.

Get all manner of samples and bonus offers at Gloss.com through 4/25.

Cheryl (bargain) shops
On Thursday I had a little time to kill before meeting a friend for a drink (actually many drinks), so I headed over to Bloomingdale's in Soho, where, it turns out, it was Girls Night, which is just like any other night, except they pump up the music, serve sugary cocktails, and put certain things on sale. I could care less about the first two things, but yay for sales! In the Aqua department (Bloomie's contemporary private label, which happens to be designed by Necessary Objects, another one of my bargain faves) I bought two trendy items that I never thought I'd own: "formal" shorts and a bubble skirt. The shorts are just above my knee, in a stretch wool fabric, with pleats in the front. They are quite flattering considering the only shorts I normally wear are when I'm working out, and I think I can get away with wearing them to work. As for the bubble skirt, I tried on several styles just for fun (I had a dress back in the '80s that was a black velvet bodice with a polka-dot bubble skirt, and I loved it to death); while most of them made me look like an elephant, I found one that is slimming and extremely comfortable--the key is to get one in a lightweight jersey that's not too poofy. I'll wear mine with a fitted top so I don't look like a fashion victim (or like a coworker of mine, who wears hers with leggings and off-the-shoulder tops). Speaking of tops, I hit H&M and Forever 21 on Friday (again, killing time before meeting a friend) for some fun summer tops. At H&M I was in search of stripes, and that's what I ended up with: a cute blue-and-white drawstring top. H&M also had some great, really thin tanks that reminded me of La Cosa (at a much more wallet-friendly $7 each). At Forever 21, I stocked up on white tanks and tees. I love getting basics at F21, because everything is like $8, and I love how thin they are--perfect for layering. Plus, while I also love upscale T-shirt lines like C&C California, I never buy anything white from them--whites get too dingy too quickly. The best part of my little spree is that I got 8 tops for $60, which is pretty much the cost of one C&C tee. While I didn't get around to changing my closet this weekend, at least I have some new stuff to wear. That is, if the weather starts cooperating...

America's Next Top Model recap
This week's (well, now technically last week's) episode of America's Next Top Model was all about "the darker side of modeling," i.e., every day. The girls were sent to a "top creative director," who of course was 1) a big bitch and 2) not actually a creative director but an actress, which, as the show has done this type of thing before, I saw coming from a mile away. Everyone but Jade got flustered--yes, Jade is so cocky that she thought looking like a transvestite was a good thing--and, as this was a challenge, Jade won. The prize was a visit from a "special someone"--Jade's mother came, and after meeting her...well, let's just say everything started to make sense. As Jade picked Nnenna to be her co-winner, Nnenna got a visit from her whiny boyfriend, who, while I thought this wasn't possible, is actually more annoying than Shandi's boyfriend. Nnenna, DTMFA. Seriously. After the challenge, the girls got to meet with Janice Dickinson for more tips; while I love Janice, someone needs to keep her away from the plastic surgeon, as she's starting to look like a brunette Amanda Lepore, collagen and all. The first of two photo shoots in this episode had the girls dressed up as living dolls (oh, how clever); I'm not sure how this fit into the whole "dark side of modeling" theme, but there was probably some facile explanation. In the meantime, Tyra treated all the girls to teeth-whitening; special cases Danielle and Joanie were treated to a gap-closing and veneers, respectively (although Danielle declined to have her gap closed, 'cuz she wanted to keep it real). Since veneers are a two-day process (in this case, at least), Joanie spent one night with her teeth being more jacked up than normal, then the next day she (and the others) had to go to a photo shoot directed by Tyra, in which they had to look beautiful crying. Now, Tyra actually let the girls use gylcerine drops, which kind of shocked me, because I figured she'd want to manipulate them or yell at them and get some real tears out of it. Anyway, Joanie ended up with some nice-looking but lisp-giving veneers; she also totally rocked this week, so she was called first at juding. And now I can officially announce that Joanie is my favorite and that I'm rooting for her (not because she's been doing so well the past few weeks--I just think she's the best, although Furonda is my second favorite). Jade almost got kicked off due to another stunt at judging (she pretended to cry when her "crying" photo came up), but while she is truly obnoxious, she makes for pretty entertaining television--much more so than Brooke, who was finally given the boot. Thank god.

Next week, the girls pick up and go somewhere. Ten bucks says its some obscure place that Tyra tries to pass off as "the next fashion capital of the world."

Website of the week
There are three services that are absolutely necessary to a city girl's life: a dry-cleaner, a shoe repairman, and a waxing/nail salon. I moved into my new apartment three weeks ago, and while I have yet to find a new dry-cleaner or shoe repairman, I've found an excellent nail salon that happens to be kitty-corner from my apartment. It's a tiny little place called Go Girl, but it's decorated in a very mod white, black, and pink motif, and it's quite affordable--not so much as the sketchy places that offer $20 mani-pedis, but in a good sterilizing-all-the-tools way. Go Girl also sells a small line of beauty products called East Four that fit in with the aesthetic of the store and, more importantly, smell good. My dry, ravaged cuticles are asking for the miracle oil, and my sore muscles are begging for the Arachnotherapy lotion. I'm also thinking the Body Dew and Crembrulotion look good to me, especially since I suffer from crazy dry skin. Now that my renovation craziness is coming to a close and I think I can (finally) put down the power drill, I think I might be treating myself to a Go Girl mani-pedi this weekend. And maybe some products too.

The week in shopping
EMG's vintage sale has tons of designer goodies for cheap. Cash only. 4/22; 2-6 p.m.; Tribeca Grand Hotel, 2 6th Ave. (at Church St.).

ISAAC by Isaac Mizrahi and Magnolia shoes are $50-$75 at this sample sale that's practically across the street from my office. 4/19-4/21; 8:30-6; 119 W. 40th St. (Broadway & 7th Ave.), 2nd fl.

Pretty sparkly jewelry from Roberta Chiarella is up to 80% off ($10-$50) at this cash-only sale. 4/20; 10-7; Affinia 50 Hotel, 155 E. 50th St. (3rd & Lex Aves.).

Eurotrashy Replay for men, women and children is up to 80% off. 4/21-4/23; 9-7; 38 W. 21st St. (5th & 6th Aves.), 11th fl.

Soho Gem is taking 30% off select diamond and semiprecious-stone jewelry. 4/22-5/7; 10-6, noon-6 Sun.; 780 Madison Ave. (at 66th St.).

Nest Interiors' rustic home accessories are up to 50% off. 4/19-4/30; 11:30-7:30 weekdays; 11:30-6:30 Sat., noon-6 Sun.; 172A 9th Ave. (at 20th St.).

For the gunslingers out there, Men’s and women’s fashion and home accessories from Beretta are up to 70% off. 4/18-4/20; 9-6:30 Tue. & Wed., 9-5 Thurs.; Metropolitan Pavilion, 123 W. 18th St. (6th & 7th Aves.), 4th fl.

Costume jewelry from R.J. Graziano is 50%-75% off. Through 4/19; 11-5:30; 389 5th Ave. (at 36th St.).

The Design Within Reach 10% off sale has been extended through tomorrow, 4/18.

Save 30%-70% on select spring items at PinkMascara.com.

Save 20% on everyting on the website this Thursday (4/17) at Satya when you enter code SatyaLS at checkout.

Order shoes from Urban Outfitters and get free shipping on your entire order when you enter code SHOESHIP at checkout.

America's Next Top Model recap
I'll admit, I am still completely perpelexed as to why Brooke is still a contestant on America's Next Top Model. This week's episode did not do much to alleviate my confusion. On one hand, I can relate to Brooke--she's obviously sensitive (as am I, although not to such an extreme), and she appears a little uncomfortable in her body. Okay, a lot. Her runway walk is an off-kilter hunched-over lope. And until today, I don't think she really took a good picture. And yet the judges keep her in. I'm clueless. Anyway, this week's episode had a runway focus, featuring segments with Ms. Jay and these bizarre, flamboyant "Aswirl" brothers who were, frankly, a little too RuPaul for my taste (this is 2006, and models no longer "swirl" like drag queens on the runway). The challenge had the girls walking in a "church show," modeling very modern designs from Lloyd Klein that, frankly, would've looked much better without the bizarre minimalist turbans. Jade won the challenge, unfortunately, by having done the "aswirl" with much gusto. The photo shoot involved modeling Payless shoes with krumpers in the background; since I have a mortal fear of clowns, this segment was a bit difficult for me to watch. At judging, the girls had to perform their "signature walk," then execute a bizarre turn as dictated by Tyra, and, as you can imagine, none of the girls pulled it off. Joanie really impressed me this episode; aside from kicking ass, she appears to actually have a personality. For lack of better options, I might have to start cheering for her (not a ringing endorsement, I know, but I've got so little to work with here). Although I also like Sarah, and I was a little worried when she was one of the final two, but considering Leslie's lackluster presence and perplexing runway walk, it was pretty obvious that she was going home. Which she did.

Next week: The girls go on go-sees, and Joanie goes to the dentist, the poor girl. I hate the dentist.

Website of the week
The other night, I stood in my closet for what seemed like forever, trying to pick out an outfit for the next day. Getting dressed this time of year is always difficult, not only because of the in-betweenness and unpredictability of the weather, but because by this point, I'm so sick of my winter clothes, but still not quite ready to bust out the summer wardrobe. Granted, I like the challenge, but lately my closet has been feeling particularly bleak, and the more I thought about it, I realized this is probably because I haven't bought anything new to wear in over a month. This, as you can probably imagine, is like a personal record for me. I've been so wrapped up in buying stuff for my new apartment (and let me tell you, I've been spending money like it's going out of style) that I haven't bought anything just for me. So the other day I started making my spring shopping list (and, yes, I know the Cheryl Shops Spring Shopping Guide is long overdue--when I get a chance, I'll start working on it), and I decided I want more, more, more Daryl K. I know they carry some of her pieces on Shopbop.com and on Active Endeavors, but it was through the ol' standby Google that I came across La Garconne. With just a quick browse through this site, you can figure out the ideal customer: A super-hip city girl who's incredibly stylish but doesn't have to try hard. And, as you can imagine, I love practically everything they sell. You can shop by look (kind of an incomplete experience), by designer, or by category, although all of the designers are permanently listed on the left-hand navigation bar. Labels represented--most qualify as "cult status"--include everything from denim labels Earnest Sewn and Habitual to artsy Magda Berliner and perennially cool Vivienne Westwood. Of course I went straight to Daryl K: Sadly, most items in my size are sold out, but if I were a size four, I'd be ordering this Cotton Terry Lounge Jacket, a cross between a hoodie and a blazer; the Signature Mini Sarong Pant, a way more streamlined version of the ubiquituous mini-and-leggings combo; thankfully they still have my size in this ultra-flattering Riding Pant; and I totally love this random Peddle Pusher. The knitwear brand Clu has never really registered on my radar, but this Grecian dress and babydoll tee are enough to make me a convert. Nieves Lavi is another new name to me, but I think this Silk Jersey Babydoll Top is perfect for summer (and it will look great with skinny jeans). For the Kate Moss lovers out there, they carry her signature Misfit Jean from Sass & Bide; and I think these would look fabulous tucked into this Suede Slouchy Boot from Pedro Garcia. And: I'm a sucker for anything with the word "pirate" in it, but how could you not love this hot Pirate Jacket from Vivienne Westwood? Of course, there's no way I can afford all of this right now. And while I should really be spending my money on, say, fabric for drapes for my living room, I think maybe I can treat myself to one thing. After all, I have nothing to wear!

The week in shopping
BoConcept has its top-selling modern chairs (think a step up from IKEA) on sale. Through 4/30; 10-7 weekdays, noon-6 weekends; 144 W. 18th St. (6th & 7th Aves.), 105 Madison Ave. (28th & 29th Sts.).

Catherine Angiel is having a Mother's Day Sale--save up to 50% on her pretty, semiprecious necklaces and earrings. Through 5/14; noon-7, noon-6 Sun.; 43 Greenwich Ave. (Charles & Perry Sts.).

The excellent Bra*Tenders has seamless, molded-cup, and T-shirt bras on sale; Chantelle bras (my personal favorite) are now $39. 4/15-4/30; call 212-957-7000 for an appointment; 630 9th Ave. (at 44th St.), ste. 601.

Edgy Maverick by Rebecca Romero has past fall, spring and resort collections for o50%-80% off. Through 4/16; noon-7; 262 Mott St. (Prince & Houston Sts.).

Noir NewYork has costume jewelry for $10 and up (that's 75% off retail), plus get a gift with a $100 purchase. 4/11-4/14; 11-7 Tues.-Thurs., 11-5 Fri.; 350 W. 38th St. (8th & 9th Aves.), 5th fl.

Buy it
In the past, I've extolled the virtues of both True Religion jeans and, more recently, skinny jeans. And we all know that skinny jeans are currently the big thing in denim. (In case you didn't know, WWD recently ran a front-page story about how retailers are blowing out of the skinny jeans, pushing boot-cut and flares to the back of the store.) The ubiquituous Joey jean from True Religion (the flare-leg with curved side seams and button-flap back pockets), however, tends to be flattering only if you're super-skinny, or at least if you have narrow hips and relatively slim thighs. Now, call me crazy, but I think TR's new Billy jean is going to be more flattering on more body types. Plus, I love the dark rinse--I was not a fan of those jeans with all the rips and tears. At $171, they're a bit pricey, but you all know my theory on denim: You wear it more than anything else in your closet, so why not splurge? Tempting, no?

America's Next Top Model recap
My coworkers and I agree: We're starting to get really annoyed with America's Next Top Model. The first nail in the coffin was Tyra's cruel, cruel fake fainting spell, which I saw coming from a mile away, because someone so image-conscious as Tyra Banks would never let herself appear to be tired in front of her girls. The second was the fact that in spite of the fact that Brooke is so shy and sensitive that she can't even speak in front of the camera, and that Jade did her commercial performing as Jade the Drag Queen then blamed the director for choosing her worse take, the judges, for some inexplicable reason, kicked off Mollie Sue. Yes, Mollie Sue bore a somewhat bizarre resemblance to Boone on Lost, and maybe her personality didn't come through at judging, but come on, you can't tell me that Brooke deserves to be there and she doesn't. I'm this close to giving up on the show. It's the, what, fifth week and I still don't have a favorite girl--and don't think I will at any point. I came across this quote from Real Time with Bill Maher which I think perfectly sums up the show:

"New Rule: Until one of the winners of America's Next Top Model gets an actual modeling job, they can't use the name 'Top Model.' These women seem nice, but they're not 'top models,' because they aren't breathtaking beauties, Eastern European or 12. So let's call the show what it actually is: A Bunch of 9's Taking Shit From Tyra Banks."

Priceless. Next week...ah, who cares?

Website of the week
There are many reasons to love Costco. Yes, it's an upscale alternative to Sam's Club, but even more importantly, Costco treats their employees well. Unlike Wal-Mart. I had no idea Costco had a website until I read about it on the excellent Closet Therapy, but now that I've been to it, I'm sold. You need to purchase a $45 yearly membership in order to buy anything, but I think it's well worth it, considering how much money you're saving. For example, this Cartier Tank Americaine watch is $12,749.99, which seems expensive, but considering it retails for $16,500 (and never goes on sale), I think that's a pretty good deal. Or how about a YSL Borsa Venise bag for a mere $800? For the beauty buffs, there's Kinerase cream for $20 off; you can even buy art, like this signed Toulouse-Lautrec lithograph, which seems seriously undervalued at $2849.99. Not that I plan on buying any of these items, mind you, but it's fun to dream. And it's certainly more fun than browsing 10-lb. tubs of pretzels at Sam's Club.

The week in shopping
If I hadn't just received a downright depressing Amex bill, I'd totally be hitting the Calypso Warehouse Sale for boho chic galore. 4/6-4/9; 10-7, 11-5 Sun.; 148 Lafayette St. (Howard & Grand Sts.), 5th fl.

Some of my coworkers scored some cute stuff at the Kate Spade (and Jack Spade) sample sale; everything is at least 50% off. Through 4/5; 9-7; Metropolitan Pavilion, 110 W. 19th St. (6th & 7th Aves.).

Auto's semiannual yard sale is making me nostalgic for my old neighborhood. Boo-hoo. 4/6-4/9; 11-7 weekdays, noon-7 Sat., noon-6 Sun.; 803 and 805 Washington St. (Gansevoort & Horatio Sts.).

This week, Clothingline has Free People, Lotta Stenson, and other hip labels on sale. Through 4/7; 10-6; 261 W. 36th St. (7th & 8th Aves.), 2nd fl.

Fancy-schmancy Calvin Klein Black Label for men and women is up to 70% off. Through 4/8; 10-7; 260 5th Ave. (28th & 29th Sts.).

Ben-Amun's boho-chic costume jewelry is 50%-60% off at this sale. 4/5-4/7; noon-6:30; 246 W. 38th St. (7th & 8th Aves.), 12th fl.

Affordable Francesco Biasia bags are even more affordable--at least 50% off--at this cash-only sale. 4/5-4/7; 9-5; 320 5th Ave. (at 32nd St.), ste. 1100.

Luxe made-to-order accessories from LAI (think exotic skins) are 20%-30% off. Through 4/15; 10-6 (closed Sun.); 35 E. 65th St. (Madison & Park Aves.).

Nicely substantial M+J Savitt jewelry is 30%-60% off at this appointment-only sale; RSVP to diana@mjsavitt.com. Through 4/6; 475 5th Ave. (at 41st St), 20th fl.

Sturdy handbags from Monsac and Echo are 50% off. Through 4/6; 10-5; 381 5th Ave. (at 35th St.), 3rd fl.

Get a free mascara and eye pencil duo with a $75 purchase at Benefit when you enter code EYESETA or EYESETB at checkout through 4/10.

If I had $85 to blow, I'd spend it on this sample-filled train case, your gift with a $85 beauty purchase at Nordstrom.

Posts coming tomorrow
I promise.

Cheryl moves
I'm finally moving into my new apartment on Monday, and because I'll be spending the rest of my week unpacking, organizing, feng shui-ing, and arguing with MW over decor, I'm taking the next week off. I shall return April 3rd, posting from the brand-new Cheryl Shops HQ in the lovely East Village (a.k.a. my new apartment). Please check back then!

America's Next Top Model recap
If there's a lesson to be learned from this week's America's Next Top Model, it's that anything can change at any time. For example, the annoying Jade was almost sent home last week, and she pretty much rocked this week (albeit in an annoying way), whereas Nnenna, who was rocking the past two weeks, kind of faded into the woodwork (and got called near the end, shockingly). And, kind of out of nowhere, Danielle started working it. Who knew? The episode started with runway-walking lessons by Ms. Jay; it still never ceases to amaze (and delight) me that a former drag queen is teaching models how to walk on network TV. Anyway, most of the walking was pretty mediocre, and, as much as it pains me to say it, Jade did have one of the better walks. The girls were put to the test in a "runway show" for L.A. designer Jared Gold, who appears to be the poor man's Vivienne Westwood; cue wacky clothing, weird makeup, and...huge cockroaches. Jade won over the crowd by working (and kissing) hers, whereas Gina freaked out and literally had to be pushed onto the runway. Big surprise, Jade won the challenge and got to take four buddies to a fashion show. And since models sometimes "fall" on the runway (like in Vivienne Westwood shows), the photo shoot involved dressing up like a fairy-tale character and falling onto a big cushy mattress, which, honestly, looked like the most fun shoot since the trampoline in cycle three. The girls then had one final challenge--to do their runway walk for the judges in huge 8-inch platform heels (again, Vivienne Westwood). Kari (a.k.a. model Barbie), who stumbled every time down the runway, totally wiped out--mutliple times--in the monster shoes. Remarkably, not all of them did--except for Danielle, who sprained her toe in her collossal wipeout that, as mean as this sounds, really made me laugh (especially when she crawled on her hands and knees at the end). Oh, come on, you were laughing too! Anyway, Jade (shocker) was called first, followed by the (newly) fierce Danielle. It came down to model Barbie and Gina (the Asian girl) in the end; according to Tyra, it's because both of them are boring, but I really think it was because Gina was a brat at Jared Gold and Kari can't walk (and is a bit chubby, for a model). Gina's angular face won out in the end, because poor Kari was already starting to get the "too commercial" comments and, as MW put it, she was the hottest girl on the show (read: the prettiest, i.e. not "edgy" enough and, yes, "too commercial"). I'm sure she'll turn up in a Macy's catalog at some point.

Next week, Janice Dickinson is back to give the girls posing tips. And, I expect, to call out Jade on her insecurities.

Website of the week
In my old age, I'm becoming increasingly flaky. Not flaky as in unreliable, but flaky as in New Age hippie-dippy. It probably started with yoga. For about a year now, I've been seeing an acupuncturist for a chronic condition I have, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone, as I definitely believe it and the supporting Chinese herbs I take really do help. Lately, I've been dabbling in macrobiotics (yes, what Gwyneth and Madonna eat), which is not nearly as crazy as people seem to think it is. Also, I'm a firm believer in feng shui. For example, I spent a weekend last fall clearing clutter from my apartment (clutter is very bad in feng shui) and lost two and a half pounds the following week. Clearing clutter, however, is a fairly easy proposition in comparison to decking out your apartment with all of the other random items suggested by feng shui books. Having no idea where one would purchase faceted crystal balls and Mandarin ducks, I turned to the internet, where I found the wonderfully wacky Fengshui-Gift.com. You can shop by product category (Auspicious Fishes, Deities & Guardians, Money Frog, etc.), by aspiration (career, love, wealth, etc.), or by room. As one might imagine, a lot of the items are on the far side of tasteful. However, for the feng shui devotee, there are some necessary yet hard to find items: I'm going to need several faceted crystal balls to slow down the chi in my apartment; I'd like a laughing buddha for my "helpful people" sector; and feng shui is big on water fountains, so why not go for the Ingot fountain to attract wealth luck? Even if you're ordering a bronze buddha statue, all orders ship for a flat rate of $6.80. So, hey, maybe that wealth fountain is working already!

The week in shopping
East Village lingerie-and-more oasis Azaleas has Splendid tees, Belabumbum lace camis, and FarylRobin suede flats for up to 70% off. 3/22-3/26; 1-8 weekdays, noon-8 Sat., noon-6 Sun.; 223 E. 10th St. (at 1st Ave.).

adam+eve's incredibly chic men's and women's clothes are up to 70% off (now $10 to $150). 3/23-3/25; 4-8 Thurs. & Fri., 10-3 Sat.; 450 W. 15th St. (9th & 10th Aves.), 4th fl.

Modern furniture from Property is 20%-60% off. Through 4/1; 10-6 weekdays, noon-6 weekends; 14 Wooster St. (Grand & Canal Sts.).

You can't go wrong with Elie Tahari's chic, classic clothes, which are now on sale for roughly 50% off. 3/22-3/25; 8-8 weekdays, 10-3 Sat.; 520 5th Ave. (at 43rd St.), 2nd fl.

Fun, colorful home accessories at 30%-80% off (that's $40 and up) at Hable Construction. 3/23-4/10; 11-7, noon-6 Sun.; 230 Elizabeth St. (Houston & Prince Sts.).

Mom-friendly Joan Vass clothing and accessories are $30-600. 3/23-3/24; 10-5; 208 W. 30th St. (7th & 8th Aves.), 11th fl.

Chinese-chic Shanghai Tang has clothing for up to 80% off. 3/24-3/26; 10-7 Fri. & Sat.; 11-4 Sun.; 102 Wooster St. (Prince & Spring Sts.).

Buy it: Stella McCartney for Adidas tennis collection
We all love Stella McCartney. I was a huge fan of her first collection for Adidas, and the second was good, but mostly more of the same--and even maybe a bit too 80s for me. But her spring 2006 has a tennis theme, it's in stores now, and, best of all, you can buy this one online. Halelujah! Now, I haven't played tennis since I was a teenager, and I fully do not plan on playing any this summer, but this collection has so many crossover pieces, you don't need to set foot anywhere near a tennis court (or a gym, for that matter). The tennis dress, for example, would be cute layered over leggings (or without, if you have great gams) or as a swimsuit cover-up. Ditto for the adorable tennis skirt, which you could wear with the tennis polo or the tennis tee. And I love the DIY fit of this Melange Tee. For those of you who actually plan on wearing this stuff to work out, there's the tennis tank, these cool capris, and even shoes. It's almost enough to make me want to join the gym again.

America's Next Top Model recap
This week's episode of America's Next Top Model was the makeover episode, which is usually one of my favorites (as opposed to, say, the "acting" eposide). On one hand, it's a little predictable--at least one girl always hates her hair, at least one turns into a diva, at least one complains about how they didn't do much of anything to her--but I always find the transformations so remarkable. Except this time, they were a little ho-hum. For at least half of the girls, I could barely tell the difference between "before" and "after"; the rest got extensions, a shaved head (Nnenna) or a crazy blonde short 'do (Jade and Sara). Jade, who's clearly this cycle's big bitch, was expecting extensions because "all the working girls have long hair" and was totally put off by her bright blond afro. Sara was clearly not thrilled with her shaved-on-the-side-but-long-on-top mohawk-type thing, although it makes her look like a punkier Scarlett Johansson, and considering how crazy it is, it's very versatile and "edgy." As they were getting their new looks, Mr. & Ms. Jay went around and gave all the girls "images," like "hip-hop fabulous." At their challenge the next day, the girls had to pick out an outfit from the Gen Art fashion show, then they had 15 minutes to style themselves and do hair and makeup before being judged by my favorite (emphasis, ironic) stylist, Rachel Zoe. Also Naima was there to give the girls makeup tips (and for some obvious Cover Girl product placement); I have no idea when Naima became makeup expert, but whatever. Ms. Zoe did her best to cut the girls down to size (let me just say she's no Simon Doonan), but if I were a contestant, I'd find it hard to take criticism from a 35-year-old woman who dresses like a 22-year-old and has single-handedly brought anorexia back into vogue. I'm just saying. Anyway, Nnenna won the challenge, entitling her and roommates Gina and Jade to a shopping spree. Meanwhile, Jade is creating friction with nearly everyone in the house, calling Furonda a diva because of her new hair extensions (she may act like a diva, but oh my god does she look like Tiffany from cycle 4 now!) and yelling at Wendy for hogging the phone (Wendy being the displaced New Orleans resident). Of course, the more Jade brags about herself and cuts everyone else down to size, the more clear it is that she's totally insecure. And she should be, because 1) I think she looks like a man and 2) she's too old. Anyway, the photo shoot this time was for a "cover" and because no shoot is ever easy, the girls had to pose in a veritable freezer, on blocks of ice (with appropriately blue and silver makeup, natch). Again, I think most of the girls rocked it, except Jade, who was a big baby the whole time and Wendy, who's clearly (and with good reason) preoccupied. Jade defended herself by bringing up her lack of social skills and by making excuses; the judges were totally not having it. But they decided she made better TV than the Hurricane Katrina victim Wendy, because they sent her packing. Which was probably a good thing for her sake and for her family's.

Next week, Ms. Jay teaches the girls how to walk.

Cheryl Shops...for her own birthday present
After my last post, you're probably going to think I'm totally crazy. And I am, but hear me out. So, my birthday was a few weeks ago, and every year I treat myself to something nice but not ridiculous (i.e., not a new Marc Jacobs bag). This year I thought, since I'm about to move and all, that I should count, say, my new rug as my birthday present. But, you know, I can't wear a rug. So after I got my hair done a few weeks ago, I stopped into Alexander McQueen on the way home, thinking I might treat myself to a skull scarf. Of course they were sold out, but I put my name on the waiting list, figuring either I'd never get a call, or if I did, I'd be over it. Lo and behold, I got a call today from a very friendly salesgirl, and she convinced me to stop by the store after work. I thought the scarves were like $500; they were actually less than half of that, and Alyssa (my salesgirl) told me that they only make 20 in each color. And since they sell out the day they hit the store, Alyssa told me, people buy two (that's the limit) and sell one on eBay. Um, so that's what I did! I know it's not totally logical, but I checked, and the scarves are indeed going for about $500 each. So, hey, my scarf will basically pay for itself! By the way, if you're interested, email me; I'll be listing the scarf tomorrow night. (Also, this reminded me of the time I was second in line to buy tickets for Madonna's Drowned World tour, and instead of buying the max of six tickets at $200 apiece and selling them on eBay for a 1000% profit, I just bought two and have been kicking myself ever since.) And, in case you were wondering, my scarf is fabulous, and I couldn't be happier with it. It's black, with blush-pink skulls; the one I'm selling is pink with black skulls. See? Being thrifty doesn't always have to mean shopping at K-Mart--you just have to be in the right place at the right time.

Website of the week
Last week I realized that upon my move into my new apartment, my housing costs will be increasing by 50%. Yeeow. And, as one could surmise by reading Cheryl Shops on a regular basis, I'm not exactly good at being thrifty. But there's no time like the present to make some changes in your life. Now, don't freak out--I'm still going to be lusting after the latest shoes and handbags; I'm just not going to be buying all of them. And over the weekend, my friend HI brought up a good suggestion: Since I'm now going to be living in the Land of Hipsters, why not embrace thrift store chic? Now, in the 90s, when the height of chicness was layering a flannel or two over a thermal and a tee, I was all into Salvation Army. And I still love a good thrift shop find; I just don't exactly have time to spend three hours sorting through the racks in search of a perfect lace blouse. Which is why I love vintage stores--they've already picked out the best stuff, plus it's been dry-cleaned and pressed. Unfortunately, lots of vintage stores (Resurrection, I'm looking at you) jack up the prices accordingly. One that jacks them up just enough is Adore Vintage. What really makes this vintage site stand out--aside from its relative affordability--is the photography and the styling. The models are all real-looking hipster girls, and they're all accessorized to the hilt. They look hip, not kitschy, and you, the consumer, see what the garment or accessory will really look like, when you wear it with what you already own. Plus, they're very on trend with their merchandise, which is great--no matter what's happening in fashion at the moment, you should almost always be able to get something simliar in vintage, since, as we all know, fashion is cyclical. Take, for example, this adorable, boho-chic Rainbow Sorbet dress, which looks almost exactly like a dress from A.P.C.'s spring line (I'd link directly to it, but A.P.C. now requires Flash 8 and I don't feel like installing it right now). They've also got spring's big trends: stripes, nautical, and, um, 80s (doesn't the print on this last dress remind you of Primp thermals?). As you'll notice, a lot of the merchandise is sold, and a lot of it is coming soon; since everything is cute and reasonably priced, it moves fast, kind of like H&M! So you might have to check back often, but it's still easier than digging through the racks at Salvation Army. And no flannel shirts here--that is, until the Grunge revival begins.

The week in shopping
I saw my dear friend AG over the weekend (she lives in Virginia now), and she had the cutest Lauren Merkin clutch. I'm tempted to hit this sale to see if I can find a similar one--clutches are now $90, totes are now $240, and studded bags are $110. But the compliments you'll get are priceless. 3/14-3/16; 11-7; 231 W. 29th St. (7th & 8th Aves.), ste. 201.

Echo of the Dreamer's pretty boho-chic semiprecious jewelry is up to 85% off. 3/15-3/18; 9-7, 11-4 Sat.; 242 W. 30th St. (7th & 8th Aves.), 14th fl.

One day, I will own Pratesi sheets; if you're there financially, score their famous linens for up to 75% off. Through 3/14; 9-6:30; Metropolitan Pavilion, 123 W. 18th St. (6th & 7th Aves.), 4th fl.

The J. Rosen showroom has swimwear, coverups, accessories, and other beachy stuff from Vix, Lisa Curran, Havianas, and more for 40%-60% off. Cash only. Through 3/17; 8-7:30; 250 W. 39th St. (7th & 8th Aves.), ste. 510.

Score very current blouses, pants, sweaters and more for 50%-70% off at the Alice + Olivia showroom. 3/16-3/18; 9-6, 11-3 Sat.; 80 W. 40th St. (at 6th Ave.), 2nd fl.

When MW and I went to ABC last weekend, we decided to look around the whole store and pretend we were rich. Strangely enough, we didn't have to pretend in the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams showroom, where prices are actually quite reasonable. For the next month, they're offering 20% off all custom orders. 3/15-4/15; 10-8 weekdays, 10-7 Sat., 11-6:30 Sun.; ABC Carpet & Home, 888 Broadway (at 19th St.).

Or, if you're actually loaded, you can just head right over to DDC, where their furniture is now 20%-70% off. 3/18-3/26; 9:30-6 weekdays, 11-6 Sat., closed Sun.; 181 Madison Ave. (at 34th St.).

I recently came to the conclusion that, for the time being, the most appealing thing about getting married would be getting a sparkly ring and wearing couture. And for the former, I think vintage is the way to go, especially considering the harshness of the diamond trade nowadays. Coincidentally, Stardust Antiques has vintage costume and estate jewelry starting at a mere $50. And no, MW, this is not a hint. I'm just saying. 3/13-4/1; noon-7 weekdays, noon-6 Sat., closed Sun.; 38 Gramercy Park (at 21st St.).

The Mella sale is usually a zoo, but their pricey flip-flops are up to 80% off. 3/16-3/17; 11-7; 25 W. 36th St. (5th & 6th Aves.), 6th fl.

Score semiprecious Nancy Cohen jewelry for up to 75% off. 3/16; 11-7; W New York, 541 Lexington Ave. (48th & 49th Sts.), Waterfall Room, 2nd fl.

For the Barneys cardholders out there, earn double Free Stuff points through 3/19. So, hey, time to splurge on that Balenciaga bag!

Five reasons America's Next Top Model has gone completely cuckoo...
5. Upon arrival, Ms. and Mr. Jay greeted the girls and said that Tyra couldn't make it, then played a video that Tyra had made for them. Oh, but, HEY, THERE'S TYRA WALKING INTO THE ROOM! Yeah, I wasn't fooled.

4. Tyra seems to be modeling herself after Oprah, trying to be both tough-love-giver and modeling fairy godmother. I can't stand Oprah, so this is going to be hard to handle. I think I might mute Tyra in future episodes, although I'll still be seeing her widened, faux-earnest eyes while she makes the girls cry.

3. The girls were subjected to a "press conference" in the first episode. It was, in a word, ridiculous, especially since the girls hadn't had any media training, and I have no idea what it was attempting to prove.

2. The girls were told they were going bald for a photo shoot. Cut to shocked silence. "Oh, just kidding, you'll be wearing bald caps!" Um, I saw that one coming from a mile away.

1 1/2. One contestant, Wendy, is from New Orleans, which I think is really cool, especially in light of the fact that she doesn't know where half of her family is. However, Tyra already made her cry once, and while Wendy is pretty, I feel like Tyra's going to milk her for all the social issues she can. And I think that's kind of exploitative.

1. One contestant is 26, one is 25, and several are 24. Um, hello! In the real world, 26-year-old models marry Italian playboys and sail off on their yachts, because their careers are over. Not that America's Next Top Model has ever been realistic.

...but five reasons I'll still be watching it
5. They may have picked a ballsy New Yorker, several naive young things from Bumblefuck, and the preacher's daughter, but thank god the gay-bashing, liberal-hating 18-year-old Texan cheerleader didn't make the final cut.

4. Janice Dickinson isn't back as a judge (it's still Twiggy), but she showed up in the press conference bit and was her usual crazy self. I hope this isn't the last we'll see of her.

3. Real model Eve showed up to assist with the bald-head-application and lend much-needed street cred to the show.

2. There's a contestant named Furonda, whose name reminds me of LaFawnduh from Napoleon Dynamite, and then I laugh. But, seriously, she's fierce.

1. Um, have you seen the girls? If not, go here. They all look absolutely stunning on the website, and I'd say 90% of them turned out a flawless bald picture. Yes, that's a bald picture, people. I might be sticking my foot in my mouth a few weeks from now, but I think these are some of the best girls they've ever had on the show. I can't wait to see who wins.

Project Runway recap
Okay, so, for those of you who don't know me personally, I'll be the first to admit I'm very gullible. And as I mentioned in last week's Project Runway recap, I'm easily manipulated by editing. Although I was right to assume Daniel V. wasn't going to win, I'd been telling everyone at work that I thought Santino was a shoo-in. Wrong! Anyway, to backtrack a bit, this week's finale started in medias res, with the designers still freaking out about their 13th-hour pieces; Andrae and Gay Uncle Nick seemed to have everything under control for Santino and Daniel V., but Dirty Diana was sewing with the speed of those blind nuns in Belgium who make the pretty lace. The designers were finishing up everything until 4 a.m.; they then had a 5 a.m. call at the tents; Daniel V. remarked he had slept two hours in the past four days and, yikes, could I tell (see, if he were a real fashion designer, he'd be blowing rails and be chipper as a chipmunk). Daniel went first, and while I thought he definitely showed his tailoring skills, as well as a sophistication that was beyond his 24 years, the collection seemed too tailored and too sophisticated--with the exception of his 13th-hour dress, which I loved (maybe because Gay Uncle Nick made it). Chloe went next, and her collection was gorgeous--mostly dresses and suits in satin and prints--it seemed kind of impractical to me, especially coming from "a woman who designs for women." (I kept remarking, "You can't wear a bra with that!") But based on how much camera time Chloe got and how breezily Santino's was shot, I knew it was curtains for Santino. Which is too bad, because I kind of liked his collection the best. But Santino was the first to go at judging; Heidi Klum made the very accurate point that there were breasts all over the place, and it turned out that Santinio hadn't fit his clothes on real women until he came to New York, so that explained that. Guest judge Debra Messing was obviously enamored with Chloe's collection, and everyone seemed to like Daniel's, even though there didn't seem to be a cohesive theme (I didn't buy the military-meets-Japan thing either). And even though Chloe got the dreaded "matchy" comment from Heidi (a triple-bad "matchy-matchy-matchy" at that), she was selected as the winner. And the more I think about it, the happier I am--I've liked Chloe's stuff from the start, and she's turned out consistently chic, wearable stuff. And, not to get all femininst on everyone, but there are already so many male superstar designers in the fashion industry, so I think it's cool that a woman won. Congrats to Chloe, and I'm looking forward to seeing more from her.

Website of the week
While I basically make it my job to know about new websites and places to shop, sometimes a few sites slip through the cracks and I'm, like, the last to know. One such site is eyes.lips.face, or e.l.f. The gimmick, or "philosophy," behind e.l.f. is that everything is $1. Yes, a dollar. But instead of being cheap and nasty like other makeup that costs $1 (like, say, Wet 'n' Wild, although I do like their 666 lip liner), e.l.f. is made of quality ingredients--they believe, refreshingly, that innovative cosmetics don't have to be expensive (take that, Chantecaille!). The e-commerce portion of the website is organized quite simply: by facial feature, plus tools, cases, looks, and gifts. I love the "create your kit" feature where you select a makeup bag, then fill it up with makeup. The nice & neutral is a great starter kit ($20!) containing shades that flatter everyone. Can't decide? Get the master set--yep, it contains every single product sold on the site, and it's only $100 (which would buy you some eye shadow, a lipstick, blush, and mascara at the department store). If you don't want to make that much of a commitment (or if you just don't have enough space), the line is great for trying out stuff you wouldn't normally spend money on, like the eyeliner in midnight blue, the facial whip in lilac petal, or the nail lacquer in Rachel's Brick House (a dead ringer for Chanel's Vamp). Also on my list: the professional eye-widener, a.k.a. white pencil, whose price puts my $18 Shu Uemura pencil to shame; the soothing lip gloss in bark; the healthy glow bronzer; and, for the love of pete, this Tweezerman-like slant tweezer for, yep, $1. Plus, now through 3/13, get free eye makeup remover pads (yeah, a $1 value, but still) when you enter code eyepads. Shipping on all orders is $5, which seems kind of steep considering everything is $1, but then again, everything is $1, so who's complaining? Not me--the only thing I can complain about is not having discovered this site sooner!

Oscars fashion
Without further ado, my best and worst dressed (with honorable and dishonorable mentions, of course), plus five hot men I wouldn't kick out of bed.

Best
Michelle Williams: I've loved Michelle Williams ever since she was Jen on Dawson's Creek, and now here she is, nominated for an Oscar, in what was my favorite dress of the night. Yes, not everyone can pull off canary yellow, but she looked totally flawless, and whenever the camera panned across the audience, your eye was drawn immediately to her. Smart girl.

Reese Witherspoon: The belle of the ball, Reese bought this vintage Christian Dior herself and had it restored by hand. I thought she looked classic and gorgeous.

Uma Thurman: Certainly making up for her Christian Lacroix faux pas of last year, this gorgeous Versace showed off her impossibly elegant bod and made her look like the great beauty she is.

Honorable mention
Keira Knightley: I loved this entire look--until the knees. The hair was cute, makeup gorgeous, necklace beyond gorgeous, Goth-y bodice...and then a crazy-huge trumpet hem. Perhaps Rachael Zoe should stick to straight up styling.

Felicity Huffman: I love Felicity Huffman, and I applaud her for choosing an up-and-coming designer (Zac Posen), but I feel like this dress might've looked better on someone with a more youthful physique. Someone with, um, slightly perkier breasts. I'm just saying.

Jessica Alba: My second Versace pick of the night (I know, usually I'm not the hugest fan of Versace, so this is shocking to me too), and she would've been in the Best category if not for one small detail: Did she lose a lot of weight? It certainly looks like it to me. Jessica, I like your curves. Please keep eating.

Dishonorable mention
Jennifer Aniston: Team Aniston was representing at the Oscars while Team Jolie-Pitt was galavanting around Paris, and what does she wear? Yet another black dress. I know it's Rochas, but, hello, it's black. This would've been the time to wear green, red, blue...anything but black. So score one for Team Jolie-Pitt.

Nicole Kidman: OK, Nicole, we get it: You want to get married. Also, you've bleached your freckles away and you stay out of the sun. Yes, we know. Now, please, wear some color, whether it's your face, your body, or your dress.

JLO: The dress was actually quite beautiful, but I was so distracted by JLO's ultra-severe updo and Mystic-Tan-Gone-Wrong, I didn't even notice it. Maybe her scary husband Marc Anthony can confiscate her Body Bling and hairpins for the next awards show.

Worst
Amy Adams: I think Amy Adams is cute, and I think it was nice that she was nominated, but is it me or did her dress look like a big pile o' turds?

Charlize Theron: I know this is obvious, but Charlize needs to step away from the Dior. I heard this dress was actually striking in person, although I find that hard to believe. First, it was forest green; second, it looked like some haute couture robot made it; third, I was worried that bow was going to eat her head.

Naomi Watts: Oh dear, where to begin? 1) It's nude. 2) It doesn't flatter her body, especially the hip region (and those of us who've seen 21 Grams, Mulholland Drive, and every other movie in which she's appeared naked, can verify that she is not hippy). 3) The deconstructed ruffle stuff might eat her head before Charlize's bow eats hers.

Five hot men I wouldn't kick out of bed
Ludacris: Even though I know Luda has hoes in every area code, you've gotta love a man who can pull off a velvet tuxedo jacket.

George Clooney: As my coworker AW says, I love me some Clooney. I think he can now safely be called our generation's Cary Grant. Also, I thought he had the best acceptance speech of the night.

Matt Dillon: How old is Matt Dillon? Forty? How is it possible that he still looks this foxy? I'll have what he's having.

Ryan Philippe: I've loved him since Cruel Intentions (the movie on which he met Reese), and I'm glad that his career is somewhat hot again. Well, and he didn't slap Reese on the back or stand up and ask for money this time.

Heath Ledger: Having seen Heath in person (with Michelle, at Nobu), I can understand why she never leaves his side. I wouldn't even make him shave his mustache. Now that's love.

Paris Fashion Week roundup
So I've been totally slacking with my Fashion Week updates. Which is too bad, because, as everyone pretty much agrees, Paris is where the most interesting stuff is happening, fashion-wise. So here's what Cathy Horyn has to say: She hated Yohji Yamamoto (quite surprising, since he's usually such a critics' darling); is mezmerized by Balenciaga, while also praising Dior and Gaultier; praises Belgians Olivier Theyskens and Dries van Noten while panning Ungaro and Stella McCartney (whose collection was rather boring, yes); gives more praise to innovators YSL and Chanel; questions the modernity of Alexander McQueen and Comme des Garcons; and learns to love "overload" at Vuitton. Whew!

For the record, my three favorite Paris shows were Balenciaga, Rochas, and Alexander McQueen. I love the clean, mod shapes at Balenciaga, and he arguably makes the hottest skinny trousers around--so much so that I want to, to paraphrase Atoosa Rubenstein, start dieting now so I can fit into them by fall. Rochas is just so understatedly glamorous yet cool; these are clothes you could wear every day (if you could afford to). And McQueen is just a virtuoso; I'm willing to argue that no other designer of his generation can tailor as well as he can. I love to pop into his store on 14th Street just to look around and be inspired (in fact I did so on Saturday after my appointment at Sally Hershberger; while I was there, I got on the waiting list for a skull scarf).

And just when you thought you were done, Los Angeles Fashion Week starts next Friday. Expect lots of tees, jeans, and former America's Next Top Model contestants.

The week in shopping
MW and I braved the crowds at ABC Carpet & Home on Sunday for their antique-rug sale. Prices run $800-$100,000, with the majority somewhere in the low four figures. (We'll be sticking with West Elm, thanks.) Through 3/19; 10-8 weekdays, 10-7 Sat., 11-6:30 Sun.; 888 Broadway (at 19th St.), 6th fl.

Awesome knits are under $100 (tees are a mere $25) at MarieMarie's sample sale. 3/8-3/9; noon-6; 257 W. 39th St. (7th & 8th Aves.), 10th fl.

If only I could afford Pratesi sheets for my new apartment. They're up to 75% off at this sale, but a king-size set is still in the mid-three figures. Yeeow. 3/12-3/14; 9-6:30; Metropolitan Pavilion, 123 W. 18th St. (6th & 7th Aves.), 4th fl.

Samples are 40%-50% off at Eileen Fisher. 3/11; 10-7; 314 E. 9th St. (1st & Ave. A).

The excellent Girlshop has Ulla Johnson, Lily McNeal, Louis Verdad, and more for 20-50%off. Through 3/12; 11-7 Mon.-Wed., 11-8 Thurs.-Sat., noon-7 Sun.; 819 Washington St. (Gansevoort & 13th Sts.).

Fun housewares store Karikter is taking 30% off all Alessi home accessories. Through 4/1; noon-7; 19 Prince St. (at Elizabeth St.).

Click here to find out how you can score a free lipstick with your Benefit purchase through 3/12.

It's spring fashion week at Macys.com, so get free shipping on your $100 order when you use your Macy's card.

Take $10 off a $75 order, $15 off a $100 order, or $25 off a $150 order at La Redoute when you enter code 1651-00979-368 at checkout through 3/16.

Project Runway recap
While last year's Project Runway was a two-hour finale, this year they're splitting it into two hour-long episodes, I suppose to up the drama factor. This week's installment featured Tim Gunn visiting each of the three finalists at home as they work on their 12-piece collection for Fashion Week. I think Santino realized he came across as an ass on the show, because damn if he wasn't trying hard to look grateful, humble, and sympathetic. And, you know, he did a good job (or maybe it was just the editing). Tim then visited Daniel uptown (it looked like Morningside Heights to me) and Chloe in Texas. Cue the semi-sappy stories about how the designers have overcome the obstacles in their lives. Enough of that. The designers then convened in New York, months later. Chloe and Daniel were obviously happy to see each other...and not so much Santino (whom I'm now actually starting to feel sorry for--gee, can I be manipulated or what?!). The designers gave Tim a preview of what they had so far, and while he seemed kind of lukewarm about Chloe's and enthusiastic about Santino's, he was quite mum about Daniel's. And Daniel kind of threw a hissy fit. (Speaking of being manipulated, remember last year how you started to hate Kara Saun, the clear frontrunner, during the last episode? Exactly.) The designers then selected their models, fit their models...and then Tim and Heidi presented a last-minute challenge! Woo-hoo! In a very Apprentice-like twist, the former contestants came back, and each still-in-the-running designer had to pick a helper for the task--which was to make a 13th-hour 13th piece to add to the collection. Cue the frantic looks from the designers. Daniel, smart boy, picked Nick; Santino picked Andrae, probably just so he could do his Tim Gunn impersonation; and Chloe picked Dirty Diana, which I feel is like a disaster waiting to happen. The episode concluded with a frantic trip to Mood and Santino threatening to send his model down the runway in a maxi-pad. Oh, some things never change...

Like America's Next Top Model, which kicked off its new season with a "Where are they now?" episode. The thankfully Tyra-lite show (she's starting to make little distinction between Tyra the Talk-Show Host and Tyra the ANTM Host) focused on past-season contestants who are actually working as models--which included everyone from the winners to season one's Shannon, season two's Mercedes and Camille (still exaggerating, as always), season three's Ann (who was signed to freaking Elite and is doing quite well for herself), Toccara, and Yaya, and season four's Brittany. Conspicuously absent was season one winner Adrianne Curry, who, in Tyra's eyes, has tarnished the ANTM franchise by appearing on The Surreal Life, schtupping Peter Brady, and posing for Playboy (or so I'd like to assume). And while I was glad to see season five's Kim (my favorite) embracing her newfound status as a lesbian role model, and the fact that Lisa is still batshit crazy, I was kind of let down that only five girls--Bree, Lisa, Cassandra, Kim, and Sarah--were interviewed? What happened to Nik, the runner up? Or Jayla? Or Miss Don't Get It Twisted? Faded into oblivion already, I guess. I did, however, love all the "Look how couture Nicole is!" segments, for their campiness alone. Speaking of which, the new season starts (for real) next Wednesday. Ah, escapism...

Website of the week
I'm going to preface this week's website of the week entry by stating that, yes, this one's a bit of a departure from the usual clothing or accessories websites, but to rationalize it in a Karl Lagerfeld-type way, the more fit you are, the better you look in your clothes. Now to backtrack a bit, I belonged to Crunch for five years but let my membership run out last December. When I first started going, I was all into the hip-hop and ballet classes; at some point, all these classes started getting really crowded, to the point that I'd get to the gym an hour early just to sign up for a spot. Then I started to hate the fact that working out became, like, a 2.5-hour debacle several times a week, so then I just went and lifted or walked on the treadmill. Which got boring really quickly, and then going to the gym really became a chore. So I quit. (And I love to triumphantly tell people I quit, because it reminds me of the episode of Friends when Ross and Chandler try to quit the gym in vain.) But for me, not working out at all would mean getting fat. So I did a little research and started working out at home. I know this sounds really dorky, but I push my coffee table out of the way, pop in a DVD, and do my little workouts. I love working out at home because I can do it for 30 minutes in the morning before work (and not spend 30 minutes or more commuting, changing, showering, etc.), and because I do it in the privacy of my own home, I don't have to worry about other people, whether it's people who hover when you're on the eliptical trainer for more than 30 minutes or the meatheads who grunt and spit and slam their barbells into the floor. The hard part, however, has been finding fun but challenging workout DVDs to do. Amazon reviews and word of mouth are good on one hand, but everyone's tastes are different. Which is why I love Collage Video, a straightforward website that's all about the workout tapes. You can search by title, instructor, or keyword, or use the search by type feature, where you pick the type of workout you want, then select the level of difficulty. Search results pages feature type of workout, length, level, title, and price. You can also browse videos featured in your favorite magazines, or read about the instructors (dorky, but kind of interesting). When you click on a specific title, you get a straightforward description, plus a bar showing the length of the warmup, workout, cooldown, etc. (if there are multiple workouts on the DVD, it has the breakdown for each workout). Need weights, a mat, or a step? You can get them here too. There's also a handy wish list feature, so you can save DVDs for future purchases. What's on my wish list? Crunch Cardio Salsa and Crunch Cardio Dance Blast, ironically.