You may have heard about the Elizabeth and James Pop-Up shop at New York Fashion Week, and now here's your chance to meet Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen in person! Check out our video for more details on how to enter our giveaway to win a shopping spree at Fashion's Night Out in September. On Allison: A/X Jacket
Imagine taking your dog for a daily walk . . . and encountering a rattler!
(Thanks CoralAmber for sharing this news with us!)
Around the same time those Ksubi shades sold out everywhere, we saw them in abundance on Canal Street. Is a street vendor on Canal Street the epitome of a downtown trendsetter? Kind of, but by default. Most likely those shades were mass produced at the same time, perhaps even in the same factory, as those coveted fifty odd pairs of original Ksubi shades.
So, whatchu gonna do? Well, for starters you don't buy anything you suspect is a fake (and if you buy those horrible Steve Madden knock-offs, well, that's your own problem). You can also clap your hands to the fact that eight people, and 1,113 boxes of counterfeit goods, were seized yesterday in Queens. 
That's two forty-foot trailer trucks worth of Lacoste, Izod, and Tommy Hilfiger bags. The raid was a result of case that started back in 2000, which is, according to Peter J. Smith the Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agent in charge of New York City (by the way, doesn't that sound like the. coolest. job. ever.?) eight years of, "taking a little piece of information and building on it". He said of the work involved in capturing these importers, "You do your surveillances, you make your purchases, you get your seizures at the border, you run money through their bank accounts to see where it comes back to.". All we can say is, happy Friday fashionistas.
I remember the story of the "JFK cats" from last year: back in October, the Port Authority announced that they were rounding up the feral cats surrounding the New York airport and sending them to shelters. That, of course, caused an outcry as shelters cannot really handle any more animals . . . especially the virtually un-adoptable feral cats. Animal advocates called for a more humane trap, neuter, and return process to save the animals' lives and allow them to remain in their habitats. However, the authority recently decided to halt that program and focus on rounding up the cats instead.
"They are telling folks that they are trying to adopt these animals out, but that is patently not true," said Patrick Kwan, New York state director of the Humane Society of the United States. "These animals cannot be adopted out. This is an extermination program that sentences them to death."
The authority originally said that the cats pose a threat to aircraft operation and that the 5,000-acre airport is no place for these feral felines. While I can understand the dangers of – and to – the cats if they remain, I have to agree that gathering them up and placing them in shelters does not seem to be a final solution with a happy ending. How do you feel? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
For an extravagant weekend away for your entire (furry) family, visit Le Parker Meridian to spend your days roaming the city streets, and your nights tucked away at a swank hotel. This midtown gem features a Feed the Party Animal–room service menu including steak tartare for the carnivores and a minced meat/fruit concoction for the omnivores, a flexible no size, weight, or breed restriction pet policy . . . and is home to Norma’s, the best breakfast-all-day restaurant for you if your pets aren't in the sharing mood with their own snacks.
Much like their dog-run info, NYC provides a comprehensive list of pet-friendly accommodations to choose from. Other standouts include the Ritz-Carlton with Burberry raincoats on loan for the furry fashionistas to North's fave pet-friendly chain, the W, which should stand for their very welcoming dog programs. If you're feeling forlorn for pets back home, or thinking of adding another one to your traveling brood, check out the also pet-happy SoHo Grand where you can even take a goldfish home with you when you leave.
Buttercup's PAW-tisserie is often featured in my pet snack or people snack quizzes because they stock (and bake) some of the cutest animal yums around! This gourmutt dog bakery specializes in freshly baked, all natural and healthy treats with no added sugar, salt, or preservatives. They use only the highest quality, human-grade ingredients like fresh meat, roasted peanuts, organic carrots, fresh spinach, and carob and all biscuits are handmade, rolled, cut and then slow baked to perfection. Furthermore, the snacks are soy and corn free and are lab analyzed for protein, fat, fiber, and moisture content helping pup keep that boyish (or girlish) figure. Located in Park Slope, in addition to their special occasion pupcakes and truffles, stock up on great everyday treats here as well – perhaps after a stop by nearby Prospect Park, too!
Ten feet wide, 15 feet long, 4.5 deep . . . and 87 degrees of chlorinated heaven! Treat your visiting (or local) pet to Open Swim at The Dog Run NYC for just $20. Held from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays year-round, water-loving animals can take a group dip in the pool during this special time or you can shell out $50 to hop in with him for splashy fun playing keep-away or catch with the provided balls and frisbees or private pool time. Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise for pets because there is no pressure on the joins from impact with the ground and the warm water relaxes stiff and sore muscles – hydrotherapy specialists can help work with dogs in need of special therapy to help build muscles and resistance. If you're not sure how your pup will fare in the water, there are doggie life jackets available for that trial dip.
Brooklyn’s Prospect Park is just one of the many parks in New York that's open to dogs, but it also features an especially cohesive community of pet lovers. They've joined to form local organization, FIDO (Fellowship in the Interest of Dogs and their Owners), and welcome off-leashed dogs on the first Sunday of every month for coffee, goodies, and good, ol’ fun for the pooches to help spread the word about animal-related news, rules, and other events. The park itself features many wide-open, roaming spaces with off-leash hours (in the evenings and early mornings), and even has a Dog Beach for those Summer nights.
Typically, there are four types of rules established in NYC parks — no dogs allowed; leashed dogs allowed, off-leashed dogs permitted (usually during certain hours only), and off-leashed dogs allowed in separate, fenced-in dog runs within the park. The Parks Department keeps a location list of the dog runs and their rules for all five boroughs to let pet people stay up to date. That way, when it's time to play, you'll both know where to go!
If you have a pampered pal, you must make a stop at Z Spot! This store stocks nearly any and every extravagant item you can imagine for your pets. Part of Zitomer (which also includes the huge Zittles toy floor and Z Next Door for chic accessories), Z Spot is located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. I made a special trip here on North's first birthday – it's a great wishful thinking wonderland and celebration destination when the animal in your life is celebrating a special occasion. Unfortunately they don't have an online store that does their selection justice at this point but, if you're in New York, make your way over there to ooh and ahh over the baubles, bones, and beds for the furry ones.
Do you have suggestions for PetSugar? Click here to share your own tips with our Out and About travel group – and stay tuned as our week of New York continues!
Did you know that the median onset of anorexia for girls is between the ages of 11 and 13, but the disease has been noted even in elementary school children?
As today marks the kick off of Fashion Week in New York and all eyes are on the shows for the fashions (of course) but also to see if the models will be less thin than in previous shows. This change (hopefully) comes after the fashion industry has been scrutinized after two models recently starved themselves to death. Models this year are supposed to have a BMI of 18.5 or above to be allowed to participate in the shows, so we'll see how that pans out.
Eating disorders are not to be ignored and while some, like Gisele, point fingers at families, experts believe that there is a lot more to it than just parenting. So to keep an eye out and help anyone that may have an eating disorder, the National Eating Disorder Association has outlined several eating disorder warning signs to look out for:
Love the fashions and can't wait to see the fall clothes, then be sure to check out Fab's coverage of Fashion Week!
