Nothing thrills Diva as much as spotting a new trend [well no, Diva wasn’t the first to take note]. There it was, in The New York Times, last week, as big as life: "Steampunk Moves Between Two Worlds”--two pages, with...

In hopes of finding a recession-proof demographic, retailers are digging deep. And fortunately, they're coming up with a gold mine. So, let's think. What demographic could care less about CNN (or any news media for that matter) and shudders at...

We knew aviator sunglasses weren't going anywhere anytime soon when celebrities the likes of Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and the Olsen twins made them part of their staple fashion mainstays. Why not bring the ubercool sun-blockers indoors? Introducing the "Celebrity...

I love a good psychic. In fact, who needs to deal with the hard realities of life when you can have someone predict the future for you?! Well, apparently retail is getting in on the action, as Myron "Mike" Ullman,...

Why is Diva seeing Target’s red and white bull’s-eye logo in the window at Barneys New York? Now we have all heard of pop-up stores, but this is something all together different. A pop-up [discount] Target, inside a [high-end] Barneys...

She woke you up every morning and made your breakfast (or at least purchased the food in your cupboards for consumption). She wouldn't let you go to the prom with Jeff Hopkins, but she did let you date Eric Carpenter--chaperoned,...

As a resident of Indiana, over the past few months the airwaves have been inundated with commercials for political candidates; national, state and local, stating their case that this election is about, “jobs, jobs, jobs.” This week is our primary....

Maybe store design and customer service are making a comeback in coffee retail. Maybe using new color schemes (bye bye yellow and green, hello chocolate and pomegranate!) really make an impact. Maybe quirky tile backsplashes make preparation areas seem friendlier...

Sometimes there comes along a piece of design work so amazing it stops you dead in your tracks. You must tilt your head this way and that, contorting your body to take it all in. And at the end, you...

Networking is the key to success in most, if not all, career paths. The Web has given today's generation a head-above-the-rest advantage over previous employees--allowing social and work-related networking without the two-drink cocktail mandate. Sites like LinkedIn and Facebook allow...

For those of us that fully embrace the capitalist lifestyle, we firmly believe in cold hard cash. Economy in crisis? Infuse some cash into the system. Can't afford gas prices? Go buy some lipstick. Paper cut? Cover it in cash....

Well, Diva thinks there is nothing better than a windfall from a rich uncle, and in this case, Uncle Sam is certainly collecting too much tax money in the first place if he can afford to fritter away that many...

I'm not a fan of "touching" things in the bathroom. If I could press a button and have the door swing open for me, toilet seat come down (yes, I'm referring to my husband) and door lock behind me, I'd...

It’s like waking up in “Solyent Green,” the grind-em-up, eco-disaster and food-horror movie from the '70s, which starred Charlton Heston. Food was in short supply--steaks cost $29 a pound (that would be like $100 a pound today), and well...you get...

I am not one to preach old-time Bible stories, but, (and it’s a big but) I am thinking of the parable of David and Goliath. You all know the story. Granted, my mother would not let me have a sling...

When retail business suffers and sales plummet, corporate executives scurry into action. They create focus groups, send out customer surveys and develop their own "fixes" based on what they think may or may not be wrong. But, when Starbucks' sales...

This year’s Milan Furniture Fair (April 16-21) has been fast-paced and full of parties. Milan, Italy’s largest city, is definitely the center of commerce. Compared to other European capitals it has a desire to achieve and work hard to make...

Surprisingly a few years ago, Earth Day was only celebrated by a select few environmentalists and a handful of remaining hippies. Today, with increased knowledge about the damaging effects of plastics, chemicals and the like, the world is paying far...

Have you noticed how intimidating a trip to the grocery store is these days--if you don’t bring your own shopping bags? And most stores don’t even bother asking if you want plastic; they don’t have plastic bags any more. Diva...

Friday is here, and that means date night has arrived. It's an opportunity to reconnect or get connected with your significant other after a hectic week spent in the confines of a cubicle. And typically, date night involves one of...

Manga, manga, manga. Japanese pop artist and manga maestro Takashi Murakami is taking over Manhattan. Well, actually it’s Brooklyn, where his riotous retrospective opened to rave reviews last week at the Brooklyn Museum. Ninety of his colorful paintings, whimsical sculptures...

Gas prices are closing in on $4 (what, are we living in Europe now?!), interest rates are increasing (and not for our savings accounts) and in general, people are freaking out about the economy. So, what's a girl to do?...

Ah, the sweet smell of success. Lord & Taylor’s long overdue makeover seems to be working, and the retailer has revived the iconic rose that was displayed as a part of its brand image [since the '40s], as a symbol...

These days everyone wants to be a rock star--those who can do, all others design. Speaking of which, John Varvatos opened his newest store on April 7, in the former New York landmark CBGB/OMFUG. While running in diametric opposite of...

There's simply no escaping it. I've kept busy, cleaned my house obsessively, reorganized file after file, and still I can't avoid April 15. I have to do my taxes. Soon. Sound familiar? We dread it, fear it, and procrastinate until...