Archive for the ‘QVC’ Category
Fall Fashion Day on QVC!
Posted on: August 8, 2009
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You know how much I hate GPS systems so the Today’s Special on HSN is the Big Whup, and the Our Top Value on ShopNBC is yet another Invicta watch (oh PLEASE, not again!), so my remote has settled on QVC for the night.
And it’s Fashion Day! The Today’s Special Value is a Susan Graver faux leather mock croc jacket for $36. It’s shiny, has a nice jewel scoop neck, doesn’t look too loose fitting, nor is it too tight, either. It zippers! AND it has 3/4 length sleeves, which I love because I play guitar. It comes in lots of colors. And in case you can’t tell, I SO want at least one, definitely the purple one, I have to have that… (It looks amazing on Rebecca the plus size model, and if it fits well on her, I know it’s a good bet for me). And, I’ll probably also get the black one because I’m a NYer and there are rules. 😉 But the blue is a nice lapis color, the brown is compelling and the wine color looks amazing on Lisa Roberts.
Also tempting, are the Denim & Co. toggle closure sweater jackets with corderoy. Great length, covers the butt and doesn’t look bulky. They look very That 70’s Show, kind of the jacket or sweater-equivalent of comfort food. Comes in a lot of great colors and I want pretty much all of them, but c’MON… I already have to many sweaters and jackets. LOL! Then again, they’re $35 and on two Easy Pays…
Then I want the Denim & Co Essentials 3/4 sleeve crew neck tops. They’re $18 for the first one, and save 4 dollars on each additional, plus you save on S&H. Love most of the colors, particularly the black, hot pink, lapis blue, red… (Oddly enough, I didn’t care for the lighter purple color. Donno why.). I think $18 is a little high for this item, but nobody asked me. LOL!!! Oh yeah, the other thing I really love about 3/4 inch sleeves… you can see your jewelry, especially if you’re into layering your bracelets with your watch. (I do!!!) Red always comes in handy for the holidays.
The Denim & Co. button down shirts with the french cuff sleeves for about $20 are really great, too. QVC claims that they’re wrinkle-resistant, but I know somebody who owns two of them and has to iron ’em. But they sure do look great on, which is the important thing anyway. But if you hate ironing (which I do!!!), then you’d better own a steamer. (which I do!!!) Love the My Little Steamer by Joy Mangano on HSN.
Okay, I admit it… I caved. I ordered the Today’s Special jacket in purple AND in black. Lovin’ that Today’s Special Value jacket, the more I’ve watched it on the air the better I like it. SO shiny! Washable polyester, too. (Oooo, plastic! LOL!!!) $36 for a faux leather jacket? Can’t go wrong!
By the way, I called first and checked on the bust size before I ordered online, and it’s good thing I did! Yep, it’s a Susan Graver so it does indeed run large, as do the Denim & Co. Essentials 3/4 inch sleeve crew neck tops. Got the Apple Red, and yes… I got the the black, too. You just can’t have too many black cotton tops, and they’ll look great under my new TSV jackets!
I’ll most likely check in again during the course of the day. Can’t wait to see what else QVC has in store! 🙂
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There’s a Dell computer for just under $1000 as the Today’s Special Value on QVC. Unless you prefer to spend quality time talking to India for customer service, dude, you’re better off not gettin’ a Dell. (Weren’t they the brand with the exploding batteries?).
Then there’s Adrienne Arpel’s Signature A snake oil extravaganza on HSN. It’s called the Rasdiant Skin Super something or other for $39 in two Flex Pays… But I don’t care a whit about the details of the Today’s Special, that woman opens her mouth and I hit the remote. I’d rather be strapped to a chair and forced to listen to Jean Stapleton as Edith Bunker, I dislike Adrienne’s voice almost as much as I dislike Fran Dresher’s. (Yes, THAT much.) Plus,the woman has had so much work done that she resembles the characters in the twisted sci-fi movie, “Brazil”! Do her products work? Don’t know, don’t care, don’t want to know. Dr. Denese on QVC looks like a real human with young-looking skin, Adrienne Arpel looks like an escapee from Madame Tussaud’s wax museum. (Perhaps if you use her products you too can transform into an alien being…)
ShopNBC has Margie’s Warehouse. Margie’s got a new stained glass lamp as the Our Top Value. She calls it (get THIS!), the “Tres-Tres Belle”!!! Ummm… I’m sorry, Margie, I like you, truly I do, and I own three of your lamps, but did you actually LOOK at this lamp before you ordered a zillion of them? It’s… AWFUL!!! I love stained glass, but this piece is just tres-tres “terri-belle”! It’s $75 with 6 Value-Pays, so it’s affordable which would be brilliant… if the lamp didn’t suck! It’s got big-ass roses on it AND dragonflies (the lamp doesn’t know which it wants to be), it’s floral AND it’s got bugs, AND there’s sort of a modern-ish stripey thing goin’ on over the roses and dragonflies. Who designed this? Okay, well, it’s narrow, which is good if you need a narrow lamp, it’s better in the yellow, I’ll say that much. But the blue one? Decorating DISASTER! I’m tellin’ ya… this one’s just… AWFUL!!!
Nite, nite, I’m going to bed!
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On ShopNBC, tonight’s Our Top Value is a Chuck Clemency beaded double strand magnetic closure necklace in sapphire, emerald or ruby for $67, (with an option of two payments). Love that Chuck Clemency… AND I have that necklace! Tonight is a repeat of the Our Top Value that flew out the door in May. (I got the sapphire – the ruby was gone in under 20 minutes!) I’ve worn that necklace a lot, it’s comfortable, not heavy, and the magnetic closure is kinda nifty… except for the problem that none of my pendants with large bails will fit over the magnetic clasp. I should also mention that some reviewers on the ShopNBC website complained that the magnet clasps fell apart, but I noticed that the people who had the problem bought the RUBY one. I’ve had zero problems with my sapphire necklace. By the way, the sapphires are not dark, they’re a denim-friendly, periwinkle blue, an almost tanzanite color, that I like a lot. And, it’s a surprisingly practical piece, it goes with pretty much anything. The emerald one looks real nice, too, but since I don’t wear green very often, it’s not high on my personal list of must-haves. I still really like the ruby one, though. Maybe they’ve corrected the problem with the clasp? Donno…
HSN’s Today’s Special is a Lexmark wireless all-in-one photo printer for $99 plus S& H on 3 Flex Pays. Comes with a software package, too, including a Hallmark cardmaker. It faxes, it scans it copies, it prints… Bottom line, if you need a wireless printer, this is a great deal. I own a Lexmark that I’ve had for at least 5 years. It’s not wireless, but I dearly love my printer, it has never given me a moment’s grief. But when it’s time comes to an end, I will want the printer on HSN. For real.
HSN is also selling a Sony DVDirect DVD recorder for about $200 plus S&H on 4 Flex Pays. It also comes a label kit and 25 DVDs! I own this one, too, you guys, and it’s great! I got mine from ShopNBC just before Christmas last year. (You can also order it from Costco for about $150 bucks, no DVD’s & no Flex Pays.) I paid the same on ShopNBC. Yes, it’s as easy to use as they say it is. I really like mine, it’s small, it has a built-in view screen so you can see what it sees and cue up to the part you want to record. Then you hit a button, and it records! Just like that! You don’t need a computer to use it, although it can work with one. PLEASE NOTE, it does NOT come with the cables to hook your equipment up to it. You’ll need a red, white & yellow RCA connector cable or an S-connector cable, or a USB cable. (Your camcorder probably comes with one, and if you don’t have an RCA connector cable from an old VHS videotape deck lyng around, go to the local dollar store, I promise they sell ’em!) The DVDirect reads memory cards, too. WAY cool. If you have a boatload of old VHS or 8 mm videotapes you’ve been meaning to dub, this is the way to go. It won’t tie up your TV or your computer. It’s also great for making DVD copies of your current camcorder footage, and it doesn’t matter what format your camera or camcorder uses. How cool is that!
QVC has a Cook’s Essentials pressure cooker as the Today’s Special Value. I like Cook’s Essentials, I’ve given Cook’s Essential sets as gifts and they’re always a big hit. I have too much stuff in a way too small kitchen or I’d buy a set for myself. But a pressure cooker? Naaah… not for me. If it’s just the thing that you’ve always wanted, Cook’s Essentials makes good stuff. That’s all I can say about THAT! 🙂
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Okay… g’nugshoyn (enough already), I’ve had more than enough of Christmas in July, and yep, QVC’s still at it. I confess: I bought a string of 50 battery-operated lights by Bethlehem Lights, the clear ones, (because I’m not a big fan of multicolored ones, as I’ve said before), they’re so pretty, they don’t take up much space, and you don’t plug ’em in, so how great is that? $18 bucks, with S&H and tax came to $25. Fine. Now I’m DONE. And since I don’t have kids, the Today’s Special Value American Girl doll is a Big Whup as far as I’m concerned, but the dolls are really pretty. If I was a kid today I’d probably be screaming for one, so there ya go. 🙂
ShopNBC’s Our Top Value is (*snore*…) yet another Invicta watch. Oooo… the band is made with blue rubber… which means it will biodegrade. and oh, in case you didn’t know, rubber is highly allergenic which means that lots of folks will break out in a rash from it. What a deal, huh? If you still want one after reading this, go look it up yourself. A watch band made out of rubber is a downright dumb idea. Period.
But HSN has Joy Mangano! Today’s Special is Huggable Hangers! 250 of ’em for $150 bucks on 5 Flex Pays and FREE S& H!!! (OR, 100 for $75 on two Flex Pays with free S& H.) If you think that’s too much to spend for hangers, then you don’t know nuthin’ ’bout these puppies. I own TONS of ’em. They save space, and they’re FUN!!! And nothing falls off them! REALLY!
I got ’em for my roomate for Christmas a few years back… We spent Christmas Eve re-doing her closets and had the best ol’ time! Then she got them for her best friend… and so it goes. I’ve sent the children’s size as a baby gift… I’ll recommend them to anyone who will listen. THIS IS THE BEST DEAL EVER!! Pick a color (there are sooo many!) and BUY THEM! I promise you won’t regret it.
Joy Mangano RULES!!! I know she’s got a strident voice, but I love her, and Huggable Hangers have changed my life. I used to hate hanging stuff up after doing laundry but these hangers are so nice and lightweight, and they never get tangled up. I admit I’m boring, I got them in black… Joy didn’t have ’em in purple yet. I have lots of the 4-bar pants hangers, too, I put pants and gypsy skirts on ’em. Now I no longer have nasty, ugly, mismatched hangers in my closet. And, I can fit my clothes into closet space I don’t have. YEE-HA!
If you don’t have Huggable Hangers yet… buy them. REALLY.
Still more Christmas in July
Posted on: July 25, 2009
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For anybody who hasn’t had enough Christmas in July, let’s recap: Last week was HSN’s, yesterday was ShopNBC’s and today is QVC’s Christmas in July. Nobody does in-your-face Christmas like QVC, and Today’s Special Value definitely makes the point: Bethlehem Lights battery-operated wreath, garland or tree (in choice of white or multicolored lights) for $27 plus S&H. Each piece also gives you the choice of photo-sensor (on at dusk, off at dawn) or timer, AND a choice of steady lights or random flicker. There’s even a $3 off buy-more, save more.
Okay, gang, let’s face it, this is a great deal. Period.
I personally own a Bethlehem Lights 30″ wreath and a 6′ garland. They totally rock. They use D batteries and I’ve gotten 2 holiday seasons out of one set of batteries in the wreath thus far! The artificial greenery looks natural and doesn’t look at all cheesy. You can also arrange the little evergreen branch thingies and decorate them with ornaments, how fun is that? The lights are lovely. I got the white lights and they’re very bright. (I’m not a big fan of multicolored lights), and I keep them set on the timers so they turn themselves on and off. So if you need a recommendation, go for it! 🙂
If that’s not enough, QVC has a ” TSV Extra” from Jeanne Bice and Quacker Factory, a holiday twinset in assorted winter themes done in sequins, for $45 plus S&H. Her stuff is an acquired taste to be sure – I must admit I had to “age into” Quacker Factory, but I have a number of Quacker Factory items from QVC and I really do enjoy them. Jeanne ‘s stuff is over the top for sure, but if you like fun, sparkly seasonal-theme clothes, Quacker Factory clothing is made really well. $45 for a novelty twinset is reasonable. If you need a gift for someone 50+ who will wear totally wackidoodle (and yet oddly tasteful!) holiday sweaters, oh what the hell, why not. What’s not to love? 🙂
Meanwhile, there’s Chuck Clemency’s NYC II line as the Our Top Value on ShopNBC. He calls his bracelet the “monster” because it’s 57 carats of Mystic topaz or Bahaman Pink topaz, done in 18 ct. gold vermeil for $137 on 5 Value Pays. Each link is over 4 cts of topaz. That’s pretty darn heavy, these are big honkin’ bracelets, for sure. Those stones are not my taste, but I have a number of Chuck’s bracelets from his NYC II collection and they’re gorgeous and very well made. There’s also matching rings and earrings, but I don’t like those, (the designs are clunky), but that’s okay, because I just LOVE Chuck Clemency. (Now if only we could just get Lynne Schacker to SHUT UP… Oh well, too bad we can’t have Dave King on ShopNBC 24-7. I suppose the man must sleep, after all, he’s not Elliot Smith, The Man Who Never Sleeps… But I digresss… LOL!!)
Back to QVC, they’ve got The World’s Dumbest Idea for a holiday chatchka: Soy wax dipped stuffed animals. THAT IS JUST INSANE, you guys! Whoever came up with that idea? What were they thinking? Sure, let’s take something cuddly & nice, like a stuffed animal… who DOESN’T like stuffed animals, right? Now, let’s dip the poor lil’ snuggly bugger in SOY WAX! Hey, great idea… SAY WHAT? AND… they’re… AIR FRESHENERS? STUPID, STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!!! I don’t care how much they cost, if you want one, go look it up yourself, 5 cents is too expense, WHY? Because they’re STUPID!!!
HSN has a Gateway computers celebration. BIG SNORE. Back to alternating between QVC’s Christmas -is-in-your-face and Chuck Clemency’s big-ass sparkly NYC II honkers on ShopNBC.
MERRY CHRISTMAS IN JULY- AGAIN! 🙂
More Christmas in July!
Posted on: July 24, 2009
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Well, there was The Butt-Ugly Handbag Show on HSN, featuring the HSN Today’s Special, a $140 Shariff bag. To be fair, this was not the worst Shariff I’ve ever seen, but, really, I wouldn’t own one of these if they were givin’ ’em away.
Then there’s a 5 piece Nick Chavez set as the Today’s Special Value on QVC, for $40 bucks plus S&H. Donno a thing about his product, all I know is, if I have to watch that albeit uber-handsome man foof up one more model’s hair… Nick Chavez has a smile that could sell snow to an Eskimo, but his demonstrations are getting way tired. Nick Chavez, you gorgeous, charming hunk-a-rama, please DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT! I’m so bored!!! Been there, seen that! NEXT!!!! Sorry, I’m SOOO not buyin’.
Ergo, I’m watching the ever-charming Dave King, (late of QVC, newly relocated to ShopNBC), and Thomas Pacconi (another bird who has apparently migrated from QVC), sell Christmas goodies for ShopNBC’s Christmas in July. (QVC has theirs this weekend.). Thomas Pacconi’s Our Top Value is $95 plus S&H (on 5 value pays!!!) for a way cool Christmas music box and lighted winter scene display thing in a nice cherry wood finish. LOVE it! Plus, they’ve got boatloads of hand-blown glass ornaments, a set of a dozen historical Santa’s, a set of 60 mini ornament doo-dahs, a nice set of 10 ornaments with stands for about $45 plus S&H (GREAT gift for friends and co-workers!)… If I had the bucks I’d be stocking up on these puppies right now!
In time for ShopNBC’s Christmas in July, Thomas Pacconi is introducing his line of flameless candles. They even have timers! This is ShopNBC’s first foray into the flameless candle market that QVC has pretty much dominated for the past few years. Because QVC cornered the flameless candle market, they have several years’ head start on ShopNBC. FYI, my apartment is full up with Candle Impressions flameless candles, wall sconces, etc. and a few Bethlehem Lights prelight wreaths and garlands. Love ’em, especially the Candle Impressions flameless candles, I’ve given them as gifts quite a lot, too.
Because these are being introduced today, we don’t yet know how ShopNBC’s Thomas Pacconi line of flameless candles will ultimately stack up against QVC’s Candle Impressions, Bethlehem Lights, and Valerie’s flameless candles… we’ll all just have to wait until the reviews come in. But my major concern regarding Thomas Pacconi’s flameless candles, is… SHOPNBC DOESN’T SPECIFY THE TYPE OF BATTERiES USED, OR THE ESTIMATED BATTERY LIFE. Why would this be? How dopey is this? Are they hiding something, or is this an incredibly stupid marketing blunder? Do the candles take C’s or D’s, double-A’s or worse, triple-A’s or even worse, those way expensive little hearing-aid batteries? Do the Thomas Pacconi flameless candles last hours, days, or months, or MINUTES? My Candle Impressions candles from QVC don’t require a battery change for anywhere from 6 months to 15 months! If ShopNBC’s not tellin’, then I’m sure as hell not buyin’!
Years ago, I bought a Thomas Pacconi old fashioned style one-piece stereo record player/CD/cassette/radio that I got from QVC. It was a really attractive piece of techno-furniture, it had a lovely dark wood finish with hand-painted peonies on it. It was lovely and sounded nice, but the CD player was problematic, and the piece was way too big for the area where I kept it. I ended up giving it away, which was sad. I think most of Thomas Pacconi’s stuff is quite beautiful and tastefully done, but I would take a wait ‘n’ see on those flameless candles unless you’ve bought stock in Duracells. 😉
So, Happy Christmas in July… again. HSN is the reigning champion of weird dopey inflatable holiday things, ShopNBC has elegant, expensive decorative stuff, but WAIT! There’s still more Christmas in July to come this weekend when The Big Q brings their A-game. How fun will that be? 🙂
Hi Def TV looks like the deal
Posted on: July 19, 2009
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I LOVE televisions! Even though I have my big-ass 52″ DLP Panasonic in my living room, I still pay attention to the prices, because I secretly long for a great TV in my room… Having said that, QVC’s Today’s Special Value is a 32″ hi-definition Haier LCD television with a built in DVD player for $400 (with four Easy Pays!). That’s a outrageously amazing deal for a 32″ HD TV, even without a DVD player. Granted, it’s 720p and not full 1080p HD, and the contrast ratio is only 3000:1, and it’s not a major brand but still, if you don’t have an HD TV and you want one, that’s a great deal!
HSN’s Today’s Special is Chef Todd English and his Green Pans. (Sounds like a band name!) Honestly, most of the time I find cookware shows nearly as boring as coin shows. I was pretty interested in the concept of the green pans at first, but read enough mixed reviews on ’em on HSN.com to personally vote no. I have gifted several sets of QVC’s line, Cook’s Essentials, to rave reviews from my friends, so should I ever need any more pots ‘n’ pans, I’ll buy from there. (I have my mother’s Revere ware from my grandfather’s store – you can’t kill Revere ware! Barring nuclear cataclysm, those pots ‘n’ pans will probably outlive me, too! LOL!)
ShopNBC is hawking $160 Croton watches. That was a 5 second check-in on my end. Watch shows are a complete snore, except for Joan Rivers’ wacky designs on QVC. I have no desire to buy her watches either, but at least she’s entertaining.
To be fair, even though I had no time to write, I did watch ShopNBC yesterday (Saturday) because Chuck Clemency was on. When Chuck Clemency is on, I watch. PERIOD. Love that Chuck Clemency, even when he’s got all his pricier stuff on, even when he’s with the hosts who bray (as opposed to SPEAK), like Lynne Schacker, who YELL when they sell…
Meanwhile, I’m still watching techno-toys on QVC. Nite-nite, and later, gators! 🙂
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HSN has a set of 2 Hunter Permalife air purifiers for $130 with free S&H, and on four Flex Pays. Honestly, I’m very tempted. I’m extremely sensitive to smoke and dust and live in a neighborhood with downright filthy air. This deal is lookin’ real good to me, especially because they say you never have to replace the filters. The only downside of this deal is that these units are optimized for 10 by 12 foot rooms. But they’d probably be great for bedrooms, because they’re small, they’re quiet and seem pretty easy to clean. (They are not, however, particularly attractive. ) All things considered, I’m seriously thinkin’ about this one.
Meanwhile QVC is doing fashion today. The Today’s Special Value is (AARRGGHH!!!!) shapewear. The Today’s Special Value is a Katherine Kirwood Sonic Slimmers set for about $45 plus S & H. There’s a top and a bottom. But I don’t care how many times I watch these types of presentations, they are not getting me into a girdle! Call it shapewear, call it slimwear, it’s still a frickin’ GIRDLE!!!As an asthmatic, even the very thought makes me reach for my inhaler! (Uch,uch, uch, I can’t even talk about it! )
BUT,QVC also has the cutest London Fog jackets, waist length, in bright blue, bright lime-green and a screaming hot pink. (That’s the one I want!), and it even has big black buttons! It’s the last day at the introductory price, for $59 (plus the usual S& H). QVC is also showing Vera Bradley tote bags for 89 bucks. So what’s the story with Vera Bradley bags? They’re kinda The-Ugly-Handbag-Show, but not as bad as say, Shariff bags on HSN. I think if you like Vera Bradley bags, buy Lemon Hill quilted bags instead. Their patterns are much nicer, they’re washable, and they’re a fraction of the price. I own a bunch of Lemon Hill bags and people always ask me if they’re Vera Bradley! LOL!!
ShopNBC is doing Brilliante clearance. Tonight’s Our Top Value is a set of three little stacker rings in sterling silver vermeil, in 18 ct. yellow gold over silver, 18 ct rose gold over silver, and rhodium over silver, with little round Brilliante diamond-simulant stones, all three for for $29. They’re done in a nesting style, in a bamboo design. FYI, Brilliante is Shop NBC’s brand of cubic zirconia. The vermeil is similar to HSN’s line called Technibond. (ShopNBC also has a line called 925 Fusion, which I love.)
Brilliante pieces are very affordable but are much more trend-oriented than QVC’s Diamonique line tends to be. I think that the Brilliante designs too often resemble the big honker boxed set fashion jewelry that you’ll find at say, Macy’s, whereas many of QVC’s Diamonique pieces could pass for the real thing. But if you’re a fan of big honker fashion jewelry but are allergic to mystery metals, then the Brilliante line would be right up your alley because the vermeil is high-quality so you won’t break out in a rash.
But, truth to tell, I’m still watching HSN tonight. The Today’s Special presentation is on again, and I’m still seriously thinkin’ about it… I’ll keep ya posted.! 🙂
Towels, handbags and London blue
Posted on: July 16, 2009
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The Egyptian cotton towel sets on QVC as the Today’s Special Value look very cuddly, and the colors are nice, too, but there’s no room in my linen closet for any more stuff so I’m not buyin’. And it’s the Butt-Ugly Handbag Show on ShopNBC. They’re still doing clearance shows. The Our Top Value is under $100 and that’s the best that I can say about it.
HSN’s Today’s Special is a honkin’ London Blue topaz five-carat ring for $59 plus S& H… SOOOO pretty, I love London blue. There are also matching earrings, (naah…). I like the matching pendant the best. Tonight’s show is all about exotic gemstones, but unfortunately I’m rather under-whelmed by the other pieces in the show. Looks like costume junk to me.
Ergo, I’ve been watching Paul MacCartney on Letterman. (NICE shirt he was wearing! Pink with a white collar, pretty darn cool.) He’s even playing his Hofner Beatle Bass, be still my heart! 🙂 Wish I could go to Citifield on Friday night. (Tip: If you hang out at the Willets Point subway station you can probably hear the show! )
Nighty-night, y’all! 🙂
ShopAtHomeGnome 