FC BARCELONA

This past weekend we lost our Cape May virginity. We had been wanting to check out the southern tip of New Jersey for some time now and with a heat wave raging in the east, it was the perfect excuse to take a trip to the beach. Cape May is an easy 2 hour drive from Philadelphia and 3 hours from New York.

We opted to stay at the Beach Shack. That's the hotel's famed Rusty Nail bar (above) and is the main draw of the property. During the summer, they have live music daily and a reggae all day on Sundays. The bar serves $3 Red Stripes and Coronas on Sunday funday, so there's really no reason to go anywhere else.

The rooms at the hotel are nothing to write home about—it is called the Beach Shack, after all. But they are clean and quiet. The biggest downside is that on a 100 degree day the wall unit A.C. barely cooled our room.


Overall, Cape May has a very laid back vibe. The town caters to tourists, so you won't get any attitude—all our servers were super-friendly, even when we sat down to eat at one restaurant 20 minutes before closing. Another plus is that there are numerous places to eat and drink so we never had to wait in line, even at the famous Uncle Bill's Pancake House where we had the best blueberry pancakes of our life. (Admittedly it helped that we were only a party of 2.)


Another plus for the budget-conscious is that many of the restaurants are BYOB. There's a liquor store conveniently located right off the Washington Street mall (an outdoor pedestrian shopping area), so you can pick up your booze before heading to dinner. We ate at  Gecko's, a Mexican place. Be sure to ask for the homemade habanero hot sauce.

There's so much to do in the quaint Victorian-style town, we barely scratched the surface. Cape May does cater towards families and couples, but there were groups of guys and girls out—the Ugly Mug was the place to be the weekend we were there. Cycling and miniature golf are just a few of the activities that are popular in the town. A fancier place to stay is Congress Hall, which has the same owners as the Beach Shack. Check back next week for photos from our tour of the hotel.

Kate Spade's capsule collection features Lillian Bassman, the brilliant fashion photographer of the 50's and 60's who produced black and white images. "Touch of Dew" was taken in 1961 of model Lisa Fonssagrives. The photo's movement and female power is a perfect addition to our carry on totes. The capsule includes this tote, a small zippered wallet and a scarf. The tote and wallet are printed on leather with a cream and gold woven lining.

Lillian Bassman Harmony Tote $495

We've been loving Rachel Zoe's wardrobe picks for her Jet Set Summer Series. St. Tropez (above) is our favorite—guess it's time to plan a trip! Zoe also featured the Hamptons, Malibu and Capri. Want more? Check out our guide on how to pack for a beach weekend.

No matter how carefully we pack our carry-ons there's always a top or dress that looks worse from the travel. Next thing you know one of us is dragging out the ironing board, and really, who wants to do that on vacation? Downy's Wrinkle Releaser in TSA approved three ounce travel size is just what we need. It's small enough to pack in your vanity case and strong enough to get out tough wrinkles.

Other handy new products worth checking out for your next trip are the Dryel Pen for knocking out a red wine stain before it sets and the Bounce Lint Roller that does double duty removing lint and leaving a fresh scent behind. If you like to exercise on the road and don't know where to put your stinky clothes, try the Tide Travel Laundry Bag which absorbs odors and keeps your damp clothes away from the rest. All products are available at Walmart, Target and retailers nationwide. Happy travels!

Just when we thought we were getting some relief from the heat wave, we caught sight of these new sizzling Kellan Lutz shots for Abbot + Main by Dylan George denim for the fall 2011 campaign. Enjoy!

Anne V is the lucky model for Dylan George.
All photos by Yu Tsai

Headed to the beach this weekend? Here's everything you need to pack:
A bikini like the Diane von Furstenberg vintage style bathing suit is a no brainer. For a coverup, try the Tie-Dye Babydoll Cover-Up Dress from Kohl's or pair with jeans shorts, like these from Express. If you're headed out aprés-pool or beach, top with a tunic-style sweater like this one from Anthropologie. For nighttime, opt for one short and one long dress, because you always want to keep 'em guessing. Our picks are from Shopbop (short red) and Free People (gray strapless). Don't forget a great pair of nude sandals and a crochet tote.

Thirty-eight perfect summer trips from Sunset.

Best Cities for America's Favorite Foods The Daily Meal.

Ten rules for booking the perfect cruise from CN Traveler.

Get the line up of this year's Austin City Limits Music Festival.

Learn the best way to pay overseas from Today Money.

The best sunscreen from Coastal Living.

Afterwards Kim and her friends headed up to the club and took over a few tables on the dance floor.

Meanwhile Kim's fiancé, New Jersey Nets basketball player Kris Humphries, was partying at the Palazzo's Lavo with friends including Kourtney's boyfriend, Scott, Kim's brother, Rob, and Khloe's husband, Lamar Odom. The boys made their way over to Tao eventually to see the girls and bring them back to Lavo.

L'Oreal Voluminous, one of our long-time favorite mascaras, needs to move over to make room for one that's better, the new L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lash Mascara. It gives lashes the same volume and coats them individually so there's no clumping. Each lash gets its own little helping of love. It's now available in a waterproof and carbon black for extra intensity. $8.99 at drugstores.



Another new fave from the L'Oreal fall line is the L'Oreal Colour Riche Le Gloss. Though it looks like a candy-flavored kiddie gloss in the tube, it's strictly for grown ups. The gloss packs serious color punch, with less tackiness than other glosses. Plus it contains Argan oil, omega 3 and conditioning Vitamin  to keep lips super smooth and kissable. Available in 16 shades. $7.95 at drugstores.

Okay, we may have a phobia about sharks when we're in the ocean, but we're not alone. This is an opportunity to see these babies up close and safely. In Playa Mujeres from June to September, whale sharks gather close to shore. While these sharks can grow to a whopping 40 feet long, they're vegetarians. Would you have the nerve to jump in?



The new Villa del Palmar Cancun is offering a Whale Shark Adventure package which includes:

• 5 Days and 4 Nights in our Luxurious One Bedroom Ocean View Suite
• 2 50-Minute massages per room, per stay
• 10% Off additional massages
• Up to two children under 12 stay and eat free (sharing room with their parents)
• 2 Whale Shark Tour passes
• Round trip transfers
• Welcome cocktail upon arrival
• All meals, snacks and beverages + premium brand alcoholic beverages
• Complimentary internet access in your room
• 6 times daily shuttle to downtown and hotel zone shopping centers
• Complimentary use of water and land Toys: non motorized water sports
• Daily theme nights
• Taxes and gratuities

Price: $1598 total package for 2
Children's’ tickets for Whale Shark Tour can be purchased on property ($79 USD per child)

Learn more about Villa Del Palmar here.

It's not easy to be both adorable and elegant, but the Nina Ricci "Liane" bag at Bag Snob is as cute as it is sophisticated.

What's better than a goody bag of Clarins skincare products to play with? One that helps to improve the lives of kids in need. Get yours at Beauty Snob!

Coquette says you don't need a microscope to appreciate the beauty of Diana Eng's laser-cut tees that are inspired by floral anatomy and botanical cells.

Fashion Pulse Daily's got the scoop on famed New York City discount department store Century 21's flash sale site.

The Jet Set Girls love the exclusive Halston line available at One and Only Resorts worldwide.

Second City Style shows you how to make your favorite summer mini work for fall.

Shopping and Info loves the sexy and chic Pologeorgis Suede Brown Shearling Vest for Fall 2011.

StyleHive beats the summer heat in style! It's the ponytail re-vamped with these three easy looks!

The Shoe Goddess loves these chic Miu Miu Crisscross Glitter Ankle Boots!

Conair partnered with John Frieda stylists to produce a first-ever line of styling tools. I tried the hair dryer this week and was impressed. The hair dryer has two heat settings and three temperatures. While the directions recommend starting on a low heat, I cranked up the speed and the heat; because I wanted a speedy job. Considering the oppressive heat and humidity, which makes drying my hair a marathon chore, I finished in record time. The dryer has ionic technology which helps with frizz and my hair is significantly shinier and smoother than normal. While I have girlfriends who are particularly attached to their dryers, so much so they'll pack them on a vacay; I've never been choosing. Now that I've used the John Frieda, I just may be sacrificing a pair of shoes to make room for this one in my suitcase.

John Frieda styling tools are available at Ulta, CVS, Best Buy, and Meijer. The hair dryer retails for $49.99. Also available are curling irons in three sizes and a straightener.

This review was based on a press sample.

What better time than the Fourth of July to test out a bright red Ford Flex? It's a show-stopper of a car that's ideal for road trips. Everywhere I went, I got compliments on it—I particularly enjoyed the cheers I got driving by a group of soldiers after a small town Fourth of July parade!

The car feels like an update on a classic truck. Its exterior is modern, and its interior, while having top of the line technology, including Microsoft Sync system to hook up your smart phones, has a vintage vibe. I particularly liked the silver-edged analog clock.

The Microsoft Sync system works via Bluetooth. Once it's hooked up, you can make phone calls, play your iTunes or listen to Pandora. Word of warning: your incoming calls will be announced, so don't hook up the Bluetooth if you have something to hide! All of these functions are also available via a firewire cable hook up as well. The car comes with built in GPS.



The Ford Flex is surprisingly easy to drive for such a large car. It has a parking assist that helps you parallel park (something I did not attempt to do) as well as a rearview video display, similar to the one on the Lincoln MKX.

My biggest complaints about the Flex are that it's hard to figure out how to fold down the seats to allow passengers access to the third row. (My guy compared it to a opening a parachute.) And, that last row of seats is so tight, you wouldn't want to put adults back there for a long drive.

If you're looking for a car that's fun to drive and will get you noticed, the Ford Flex is for you.