Cyber Monday Deals

Welcome to We Heart This, your online source for all things worth loving! We are so excited to have you here. As we counted down to our official launch date, we couldn’t help but notice the bold Cyber Monday printed on 12/01/08 on our calendars. How appropriate that wht should launch on the biggest online shopping day of the year. I know what you’re thinking, “That’s just another made up corporate slogan to encourage me to buy more things!” Well, you are probably right, but I bet you also have a list of holiday shopping you want to do today while pretending you’re hard at work.

We’re here to help you out! To celebrate our first day in cyberspace, we’re bringing you a plethora of coupon codes as well as some affordable and adorable gift ideas. We’ve got a code or two for each wht category – so you’re sure to find at least one perfect gift for someone on your list! Read More »

Filed in: home & living, what a deal

wht iPod nano giveaway!

In celebration of the official launch of We Heart This, we’re making our first contest a very special one. We know our new readers have been good boys and girls all year long, so in the spirit of holiday giving we are offering one lucky member the chance to win their very own iPod nano (in orange, naturally). You know the ones that have been making you drool over their pretty colors and have had you humming “Bruises” by Chairlift for the past month.

That’s right one iPod nano, up for grabs. This 8GB iPod (retail value $149) can hold up to 2,000 songs, 7,000 photos and 8 hours of video. Features include a 2-inch (diagonal) liquid crystal display with blue-white LED backlight that allow photos to be viewed two different ways (Hold the iPod nano upright and see your photos in portrait view. Turn it on its side to see them in landscape) or let’s you browse through your music library by flipping through the album art.

So, how can you win your own iPod nano? Enter our inaugural wht giveaway where we are stealing a page from Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity (page 147 to be exact) and celebrating our launch by asking members to list their Top 3 “Side One/Track Ones”. Fans of this relatable, funny, late-coming of age novel or it’s equally enjoyable film starring John Cusack (and a scene-stealing Jack Black in an early role) are probably already plotting their list.

For the uninitiated, (and those wondering “what do they mean by side one?”) we are looking for your top 3 favorite introductory songs (track 1) off any album, CD or download. You choose the genre, style and artists of your choice (and we give Bonus Points for a great theme). We’ll review the submissions, pick our favorite and announce a winner January 2nd, 2009 on the site.

Rules:

• You must be a wht member and have completed your profile (including the Tell Us More section) to qualify.
• List your Top 3 Side One/Track Ones in the comment sections of this post. One entry per member, so choose wisely!
• Entries will be accepted until December 31, 2008.

Filed in: giveaways, read, watch, listen

We Heart Frédéric Fekkai

An interview with Fekkai Beverly Hills stylist Kelly Pace…

Love really isn’t a big enough word to describe how we feel about Frédéric Fekkai. Really, does hair care get any better? We say no. Having been a devotee of the line for ages, I was thrilled to be able to talk with Kelly Pace, a stylist for over seven years at their Beverly Hills Salon and an all-around amazing woman.

Kelly’s passion for her craft is readily apparent. With extensive training at top cosmetology schools like Oscar Blondi, Aveda, Bumble & Bumble and TiGi, Kelly’s talent with hair is universal. With each and every client that sits in Kelly’s chair, her goal is not to radically change their style, but enhance it, making each person look and feel their best. Eva Longoria, Brooke Shields, Heidi Klum and Carmen Electra are just a few of the celebrities to have their tresses tamed by her.

So, who better to give us an inside look into the Fekkai hair care collection, the ultimate in luxury hair care. And lucky us, we got some professional tips that everyone can benefit from to boot!

WHT: Let’s get the negative out of the way first. What are the top Hair Don’ts you see people doing, either in a style or the products that they choose? List them for us so that the rest of us avoid them.
Kelly: Don’t cut your own bangs. Keep your hair products limited, a lot of people over use them. Make sure to hold sprays 8-10 inches from hair. Don’t go out and get the latest trend, make sure to discuss them with your stylist. You should always consider your hair texture, your features, and your personality. Also a MAJOR don’t-Zebra Stripes as highlights! Your highlights should be minimal. And no more than 2 shades lighter than your base.

WHT: Ok, I’m dying to know about the latest Fekkai lines…
Kelly: Frédéric Coiff is a collection of seven multi-functional stylers. It makes the most of a great cut and the woman who wears it. Whether worn alone or layered limitlessly, the sheer, ultra-lightweight formulas texturize, mold, and hold without fear of product buildup. Comprised of three categories (pre-style, style and finish) it’s designed to provide fabulously fashionable hair. We also introduced Au Naturel, a new line of plant based products that are free of sulfates, parabens, dyes and synthetic fragrances. The formulas are weightless and totally refreshing.

WHT: I see Fekkai has also released 20 shades of Hair Color for home use. Is it worth the 30 bucks? How is it different from your standard drugstore hair dye?
Kelly: Yes, it’s an incredible value. Fekkai wanted to create a color product that is as close to the results as you would get with us. Frédéric and a top Fekkai color team have worked on this line extensively. It gives our clients that are traveling or people that don’t live close to a salon a way to have the experience at home. In addition to the salon quality permanent color, we provide a pre-color treatment, a post-color 3-minute mask, plus a bowl, brush and real gloves. It’s truly worth the money.

WHT: It’s not every day we sit down with a master. So help us-what are your top product recommendations for thin, dry or damaged, colored and curly hair. We thank you in advance!
Kelly: For thin hair, use the Full Volume Line or our More Line. Dry, damaged hair needs the Shea Butter or Glossing Line. Colored hair will love the Technican Line. And for Curly hair, try Luscious Curls for medium to fine hair and Shea Butter or Glossing for thick coarse hair.

WHT: If you were only allowed to use one Fekkai product, what would it be?
Kelly: Our Hair Spray, Fekkai Sheer Hold Hair Spray. It has hold but is not too stiff and it has Avocado oil for shine. It’s Fabulous!

WHT: What are the must-have hairstyles for this winter and upcoming spring?
Kelly: Chunky waves are really in style now. Middle parts are back too. Shorter hair is also coming back strong. A lot of celebrities are going short. Posh, Rihanna and Katie Holmes are just a few who have taken off their length. Short hair has always been very sexy and chic. It is a daring but striking look that not everyone can pull off, but if you can-you should!

And just for fun, we ask Kelly to pick one of our categories so we can ask her a random question. (Kelly picks beauty & fashion, but of course!)

WHT: What are your three make-up must haves?
Kelly: Blush, Bronzer and concealer.
WHT: Ah, a girl after our own heart!

If you are in the Los Angeles area and want Kelly to work her magic with your hair, call (310) 777-8700 and schedule an appointment at the Fekkai Beverly Hills Salon. And check out their website to see Kelly’s recommendations for your specific hair type.

Filed in: beauty & fashion

The Rescue Train – Race For The Rescues Event

We couldn’t think of a better organization than The Rescue Train or event, the Race for the Rescues, to inaugurate our do-gooder category. There are a very limited number of things that could get me out of bed at 5:00 am on a Sunday morning, but to participate as a volunteer for the annual event in Pasadena, CA, I grabbed the strongest coffee available and made my way to the Rose Bowl.

On October 28th, 2008 hundreds of animal lovers congregated to participate and volunteer in the Third Annual Race For The Rescues 5k run. This fun-filled, life saving day raises funds for eight nonprofit animal rescues and holds dog and cat adoptions for two city shelters. The main event was a 5K (3 mile) run/walk along with a non-competitive 1-mile kid’s race with all registration fees going towards these great organizations. Other fun activities included a special appearance from Marley of the Marley & Me movie (see Marley with some tongue action in the photos above!), an amazing silent auction, dog and cat adoption booths, face painting for the kids, dozens of unique pet vendors and an adorable Halloween themed, dog fashion show featuring some of the special animals looking for a good home.

Besides cuddling with every dog that would have me and stalking the Silent Auction to make sure I had the winning bid for some great items from Jax and Bones and Maura Peters Candle, I spent the morning helping out at the race registration tables and award booths and pitching in wherever an extra hand was needed. My friends and I (four of us decided to volunteer together – we had a sleep over to make sure we all got up and ready on time!) spent eight hours setting up and breaking down tables, handing out t-shirts to race participants and awarding prizes to the top runners. We left the Rose Bowl, tired to the bone, but happy with of a sense of satisfaction I haven’t felt in a while. I met a ton of new, pet loving people, helped raise money for a great cause and had a blast the whole time. Who knew volunteer work could feel so effortless and rewarding!?

Best of all, the Race for the Rescues was a resounding success. Over $45,000 was raised for local rescue organizations and dozens of animals found safe, happy homes. Even better, every single cat or dog that was featured at the event was welcomed into one of the local rescue organizations so that not one dog or cat went back to the shelter to face euthanasia.

So, what can you do to get into the action? Visit the official Rescue Train site. This hard working organization is always in need of a good home to adopt or foster a pet, you can make a monetary donation (every bit helps) or view their Wish list to add one of their needed items to your holiday shopping list. Of course, if you’re not in the Los Angeles area, you can always volunteer to spend some time caring for and walking animals at one of your local animal rescue organizations.

Thanks to the beautiful (inside and out) Lisa Young, one of the founders of the Rescue Train and a dedicated advocate for all animals in need. She successfully organized another winning event (with the help of a lot of enthusiastic volunteers) and looked poised and confident the entire day. We look forward to bringing you more from this inspiring woman and her compassionate organization in the months to come.

Filed in: do-gooders

In search of Nutthugger

This is as perfect an introduction to our potluck section as there is going to be! This letter was found last year in a bar in New Orleans and made the rounds with some friends. No one could quite believe this letter was real, but I assure you-it is, every last amazing bit of it. Try as you might to figure it all out -what Catherine is trying to achieve with the letter, what exactly happened to cause her to write it, why anyone would write a letter on notepaper with all the wonderful stationary available these days. My advice is to just enjoy mixed signals at their most staggering, complete with all the spelling and punctuation errors and the most humungous dots on I’s of all time.
.

It’s my hopes that since the Nutthugger never got this letter (remember it was found in a bar) that he may be reading this site and can clear things up with Catherine and cash in on that post script. Or in the very least, stop trippen on her. Doesn’t he know she loves him lots?! Oh yeah, and to the rest of you-feel free to use Nutthugger in your daily vocabulary. You’re welcome.

Filed in: potluck

Pet of the Month - Mabel

It’s the inaugural post of the WHT feature that is sure to be lots of fun-Pet of The Month!

Deciding who was going to be crowned first was a tough decision. Tyna and I have a lot of amazing pets in our life, both past and present. And though we’re sure you’ll meet all of them eventually (we are childless remember), I had to make an executive decision and declare it Mabel, my deaf Boston Terrier.

Training was a bit harder than with our other dogs (though not by much!) and treating her with a separate set of hand-only commands is sometimes a trick (getting her in when she’s taking off across our 5 cactus filled acres is a tough one). But challenge would never be a word we’d use to describe anything about Mabel. She picked up Sign Language quickly, a combo of actual American Sign Language and ones made up by us (like “pee pee” for example, as in “No-you pee pee outside!”). And anyone who’s met her can attest, she is as sweet as pie and twice as entertaining. Some of my favorite characteristics of her’s are:
• The girl could chase shadows all day! Birds and butterflies can keep her occupied for hours, and not the actual creatures either-just their shadows.
• She loves to give kisses but doesn’t like to be kissed. Love is always on her terms (though we sneak it in all the time).
• She loves beer. This is our fault. One tiny saucer and she was hooked. She will literally climb up your body to lick beer from your lips.

But most importantly, she has no idea she’s deaf. From the moment she wakes, she’s happy. Frolicking with our other 3 dogs (and a particular kinship with our huge Pit Bull), naps in the sunshine and running like a banshee when she sees the treat sign fill her day. We feel so blessed to have her and are so pleased we decided to bring a “special needs” dog into our lives. She’s enriched it in more than we can even measure.

(If you’d like to give a deaf dog in need a home, please visit the Deaf Dog Education Action Fund adoption page .)

Filed in: pet of the month, pets & kids

Honey Apple Martini

One fall drink before we head off into the land of peppermint schnapps and hot toddies…

I love having a signature drink for every get-together I throw, something seasonal that compliments the theme. So for my 2008 Halloween party, apples instantly came to mind. Apple trees, bobbing for apples, the caramel apples that the big house in the neighborhood used to give out to trick or treaters, to me apples scream “Fall”.

All online searches lead me to the apple martini. Don’t get me wrong, I love a martini. But the traditional apple martini is more Jolly Rancher than freshly picked. So I knew I was going to have to whip up something on my own.

A ramble down the liquor isle at the market led me to Wild Turkey American Honey Liqueur. The recipe came to like a bolt of sweet lightening. Honey Whiskey mixed with Apple Cider and Ginger Ale and voilà-one of my more successful ideas was born!

Here’s what Wild Turkey has to say about American Honey, which is the only bourbon-based liqueur on the market. “Wild Turkey liqueur brings out the best flavors of our premium bourbon, but with real honey to give it a sweetness that’s hard to resist. The palate is a bit like syrup and glides around the mouth with obvious notes of vanilla and citrus.”

This a sweet drink, but the bourbon adds richness and the apple cider and ginger ale gives it a bite too. But for the lazy, the American Honey is great chilled on it’s own too. Bottoms up!

Honey Apple Martini

1 shot (2 oz) Wild Turkey American Honey
1 shot Apple Cider *
1 shot Ginger Ale

Shake first 2 ingredients in a martini shaker filled with ice (crushed is best).
Pour into large martini glass and top with Ginger Ale. **
Garnish with thin slice of apple. Makes One drink.

* If you can’t find cider, Simply Apple brand 100% juice is quite good and very cider-like.
** I prefer Vernors Ginger Ale, which has a stronger ginger taste than others.

Filed in: cocktail of the month, eat, drink, be merry

Weekly Love List, 11.24.08

Tyna loves: Mad Men, tank tops and Target.

Stef loves: Agyness Deyn and her great taste in band t-shirts. Everything Amy Poehler does, especially this.

(4 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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Filed in: weekly love lists