Hi, Everyone!  This is JP stealing the blog again.  Jenny’s working double-time on a film and a commercial, both at the same time because apparently sleep is for amateurs.  So, it’s a good time for me to put in my five cents on one of my favorite stops during our trip to Europe: The Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff, England! As this is Fierce and Nerdy, I don’t need to explain what Doctor Who is or why it’s the greatest TV show ever.  (And what better show for a travel blog, than a story about an ageless wanderer who can travel anywhere and everywhere?) I grew up watching daily re-runs of Doctor Who on our local PBS station. Weekdays at 6pm the series ran in order, starting with William Hartnell’s “An Unearthly Child” all the way through the end of Colin Baker’s “The Trial of a Timelord”. Sundays would be one of the “new” Sylvester McCoy episodes. So, even though our plans for England originally didn’t involve us going near Cardiff, I knew I’d never forgive myself if we didn’t try to go The Doctor Who Experience. We started our day by catching an early train from London to Cardiff, the capital of Whales. Cardiff gets a bad rap as being boring. So, we were pleasantly surprised when we found that the main area of Cardiff has a castle to explore, and a central shopping area that was a cool mix of New and Old with everything from pubs to churches to name brand stores. Very eclectic.  Very cool. And, it’s only a two-hour train ride from London. These factors alone make Cardiff a nice little day trip if, like us, you’ll check out any place you’ve never been to just to see what it’s like. Downtown Cardiff is right...

After a lovely rainy day of stuffing our faces with chocolate and taking in Geneva, we woke up very early the next morning to catch our train to Salzburg, Austria. This was not going to be a “normal” train ride. For the next 8½ hours (you read that correctly) and one train change in Zurich, we’d be travelling by rail through the Swiss, German, Lichtenstein, and Austrian Alps. Four countries in a few hours, and a whole lot of really high mountains. We couldn’t wait. It was still dark out when we arrived at the train station, but I had tried to organize it all so that the sun would be rising over the Alps as we travelled from Geneva to Zurich. I did the math right, and the results were breathtaking. Normally I encourage people to “play it cool” when travelling and try to not make it glaringly obvious that you’re a tourist. That just wasn’t going to happen. My husband and I were like little kids glued to the outside window of a candy shop; our faces pressed against the train car glass and our eyes filled with wonder. Seeing the Alps for the first time was an awe-inspiring moment, that turned into one amazing view after another. We looked around the train car, and everyone one else was sitting calmly in their seat, not even paying attention to the beauty right outside their window. They’d seen those mountains thousands of times before, and the Alps had lost their wonder. It made me sad for a moment, and then I realized, we would not be able to blend in at all on this ride. We most definitely enjoyed ourselves as tourists, and because of that, kept our guards high. It payed off. Earlier...

Geneva, Switzerland was one of our first destinations in our three-week, whirlwind European holiday. We flew into Geneva from Manchester, UK (A VERY lovely airport, I was impressed by it’s décor, calm atmosphere, and cleanliness) via EasyJet. It had been about five and a half years since I had flown on EasyJet, one of Europe’s most economical airlines. The are the Southwest or JetBlue of Europe, offering fares at amazing prices, with most being somewhere in the double digits. I often advise that if you are travelling to multiple cities in Europe, first check if EasyJet (or RyanAir, another discount airline) flies between the two cities. It’s amazing how often taking a plane is actually cheaper than taking the train. EasyJet does tend to nickel and dime, but in the way almost all airlines are now: checked baggage is extra, more legroom is extra, etc. But, unlike RyanAir, use of their bathroom is complimentary (seriously). I have to say, this flight on EasyJet was much more pleasant than the last, and much more pleasant than most of my Southwest flights as well. The plane was clean, well maintained. The staff was quite lovely and helpful. And I didn’t feel like a stuffed sardine. While the flight was short, as most within Europe are, for being so inexpensive it was very pleasant. If you have the choice between RyanAir and EasyJet for flying in Europe, I would pick EasyJet any day. Once we landed in Geneva, we were shuttled to the main terminal and waited to go through customs. The line was long, but honestly, I was just really happy to get my passport stamped in Switzerland. Traveling by train is wonderfully picturesque, but you do not get any passport stamps when moving from country...

Welcome back to the love fest blog about The Making of Harry Potter Tour– Part Two! If you missed Part 1, click here. Last time we met, we were just about to enter the Great Hall through the magnificent Hogwarts main doors. The Great Hall was absolutely majestic and awe inspiring. Additionally, since it was the holiday season, they had the hall decorated much like it was for Christmas in the movies. As you walked through the halls, you could see the carvings kids had made in the benches and tables over the years, costumes from The Philosopher’s Stone, and then the costumes of the Professors and Staff of Hogwarts at the head of the room. I got goose bumps as I stood in front of Dumbledore’s owl carved stand. From the Great Hall you walk into the main exhibit room of the tour. Here you are introduced to the Producers and Directors of the movies, and what inspired them in their work on the movies. From there you move on to see costumes, ice sculptures and food from the Yule Ball. Interestingly enough, they used both real and fake versions of the cakes and treats created from the props department for filming the Yule Ball. This was the start of the “vignettes” for each department from Art, Props, Hair/Makeup, Costumes, etc. The entire tour has a great variety from each of the departments, but the vignettes help you to discover a bit about what each department does. And while there’s a wealth of costumes around the whole exhibit, of course I had wished there had been a bit more to the Costumes vignette. What was really interesting about their vignette is that they had two mannequin’s there; one wearing Fleur Delacour’s Beauxbaton uniform,...

A few weeks ago my husband and I took advantage of his hiatus, and the fact that Hollywood pretty much shuts down during Christmas, and jetted off to Europe for three weeks. I had been blessed with a lot of work during 2012 and racked up quite a bit of Priority Club points from using their Visa Priority Club card for purchases. These hotel points were now burning a hole in our pocket, and we decided to cash some in and skip around Europe for 21 days (we had A LOT of points to burn).  For the next few weeks I’ll be blogging about our experiences from the trip, along with reviews of what is and isn’t worth your time/money, and also, what will make your nerdy heart sing. My nerd heart skipped many of beats during this trip, and one of the most exciting experiences during our stay was The Making of Harry Potter studio tour in Leavesden, England where much of the eight Harry Potter movies were filmed. In 2000 Warner Brothers began to lease the Leavesden Studios (which used to be an aircraft factory) for filming the Harry Potter movies. While parts of the movies were filmed on location, a great deal of the interiors and even Privet Lane were filmed at the studio. After 10 years of filming the HP movies in Leavesden, Warner Brothers purchased the studios, started building new sound stages, and made plans to turn two of the soundstages into an expansive behind-the-scenes tour of the Harry Potter universe. It took two years to complete, and on March 31, 2012 Warner Brothers opened their doors to HP fans from all over the world. When my husband and I started to plan our trip abroad, he asked me...

The Holiday season is upon us once again. Millions will be taking to the skies to visit loved ones. Yet with rising fuel costs, dozens of surcharges, and perks at a bare minimum, the skies aren’t as friendly as they once were. Flying used to be a treat, something that people dressed up for and made an occasion out of. Flight attendants weren’t just there for your safety, but to also ensure your comfort and care. It often seems like flight attendants can’t be bothered to bring that extra glass of water for your five-hour flight. And why should they? They are often over worked as it is. And to get that extra level of care that used to be the norm, you have to fly first or business class. But in this economy, it’s just not the reality for 99% of us. With people being packed into flying Greyhound buses like cattle, flying has become rather stressful as opposed to a treat. So lately, I’ve relied on myself to add my own touch of class to air travel. Instead of relying on the airline to treat me well, I take a little extra time before departure to ensure I will have my own little treat in the sky. And on every flight I’ve done this, I’ve received envious compliments from passengers wishing they had done the same. The most common remark, “Oh wow, you’ve made your own First Class!” First: Receiving a newspaper or magazine was rather common on airlines before. And while some airlines still have a great magazine of their own to peruse, it will not hold you over for the long flights. The night before a flight, I take a minute to download a magazine or book that I’ve been...

I’ve been having a hard time getting in the Halloween Spirit over the last few years, as you may have read. The idea of getting into costume seemed more like an unappealing hassle instead of something fun to do for one night a year. But having a husband whose favorite holiday is Halloween, I had to put my All Hallows Eve annoyance aside, and help him celebrate his favorite time of year. For weeks, my husband had been looking into “fun” things to do for Halloween week. Yes, a whole week of Halloween activities. You can guess my, um, enthusiasm. Our plans for the holiday slowly came together, yet our “couples costume” was still non-existent. We had parties to go to, friends to meet up with, and even tickets to Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland, but I was still completely uninspired. Then one evening, two nights before our first Halloween outing, we decided to put the movie Up! on. It’s one of our favorite movies and we can never get through the first ten minutes without crying. It even inspired us to start our own “Paradise Falls” travel fund. And it hit me, we were going to Disneyland as part of our Halloween extravaganza, we might as well go as Disney characters! Carl and Ellie were two characters we could easily relate to, and the clothing they wore when they first met was both iconic AND easy to acquire! We already owned a few of the items, and the rest only took a trip to the thrift store and a Halloween shop. And what is more comfortable to wear than a pair of overalls?! I was actually excited again to get in costume. And once it all came together, it was pretty darn adorable....

Hey, FaN Fans!  (Fierce Ones?  Nerd-Heads?)  I’m JP, Jenny’s husband.  And I’m co-opting the blog this week.  Last time, Jenny wrote about her hatred for Halloween.  She likes to costume other people not herself, and she just can’t get into it.  This week she asked me to step in and provide a counterpoint since Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year. It’s often overlooked, but one of the great things about Halloween is that it’s NOT a Hallmark holiday.  Sure, you see Halloween cards in the drugstore.  But who sends or receives Halloween cards? Does your mom get pissed at you for forgetting to call her on Halloween?  Do you run yourself ragged trying to find someone the right Halloween gift?  Of course not. There are no gifts involved. There’s no forced sentimentality. It’s a no obligation holiday. Yeah, you’re kinda obligated to dress up.  But you can always do a cheap, quickie costume.  And sometime those turn out to be the most creative.  I had a friend who dressed all in black one year. Then she pinned socks, handkerchiefs and other random clothes to herself.  She was going as Static Cling. When I’m really in a bind for a costume, I just throw on my blinking bowtie (yes, I always have one on reserve) and tell people I’m the Blair Witch. That one’s a bit of a thinker now.  But it killed back in 1999.  My dated pop-culture references notwithstanding, my point is this: you can put next to no effort into a costume and still go out and have fun. But the very best thing about Halloween?  It’s that it makes ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE.  That’s why we don’t do cards, or gifts, or make sure mom knows we’re thinking about her on this “special” day:  if...

Being a Costume Designer, people often assume that Halloween must be my favorite holiday. It’s not. When I was a child, I absolutely adored Halloween, and greatly looked forward to dressing up as my favorite villain and getting into that character. I totally rocked Captain Hook when I was seven, and made a pretty convincing Wicked Witch of the West. But somewhere between there and getting paid to make costumes for other people, I lost that loving feeling of wearing costumes. For the last seven years my husband has begged and pleaded for me to make something spectacular for the two of us to wear on Halloween (which is HIS favorite holiday). The most he’s gotten out of me is Doctor Who XI and Amy Pond. Most of the time I’m just too busy making or finding costumes for my jobs to worry about Halloween. And then, there’s the fact that I’d rather be behind the scenes than in the scene. What I love and enjoy about costume design is getting to help bring a character to life. Giving a fictional being a bit more dimension. Designing the perfect garment and accessories to help convey to the audience who this person is, and also help the actor feel comfortable in that characters’ skin. But the idea of doing that for myself doesn’t appeal to me. Yes, I designed and made my wedding dress, but that was really just to assure I got exactly what I wanted.  I adore cosplay, but have no interest in doing it for myself, just like Halloween. I can appreciate that the general population enjoys getting dressed up and being someone else for the day, but I’m happier being the person that can help transform you rather than join in....

The other day Ernessa posted a blog about longing for her dream trip and regrets of trips not taken. It inspired me to write this blog. My husband and I have quite the list of dream trips that we plan on taking. We’ve already taken a few (Bora Bora, a summer in Europe, and a cross country road trip) but we have an extensive list, and being that life is short, we really need to get cracking. We know we will be taking a trip this winter…and we’ve saved up enough travel points to make it happen, but where exactly? That is what we are unsure of. Christmas in the Alps? Playing with the elephants in Thailand? An Outback adventure in Oz? Or climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro? As we work on making our dream trip a reality, I wanted to share a few ideas and tips to help get you that much closer to your dreams. 1. Paradise Falls: JP and I were inspired by the Disney/Pixar movie, Up. If you haven’t seen it, you’re missing out on some cinematic greatness. The protagonist couple of the movie is in love with idea of travel. Their dream trip is to visit a magical place called Paradise Falls. All their lives they scrimp and save to take their dream trip, but cars break down, and roofs need replaced, and they constantly need to break their savings bank. Sadly, they never make the trip together. After JP and I watched this movie, we made a commitment to each other that we wouldn’t let this happen to us. We set up our own savings account called Paradise Falls that is separate from all of our other accounts. It exists solely to pay for our travels, and is never to be touched,...

Loafers and Slip-ons have been fashion staples for decades (and centuries) for their ease, comfort, and style.  Right now, they are fall’s most coveted flats for women and men. We all know and love the classic Penny Loafer and Smoking Slipper, but designers this season have really taken these slip-ons to the next level. Velvet, glitter, studs, and even plastic, here are a few fun twists at every price point for you guys and gals to try out… Now Boldly Go! Featured image credit: grabadonut (Cropped from eugene) [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia...

Recently I was lucky enough to travel to Toronto to see a few days of filming of the episode my husband wrote for Warehouse 13. Being on set everyday I was there, I did not get to spend much time being a tourist. I’ve been to Toronto countless times, and love the city, but thought I had pretty much seen it all. Then one day I decided to go for a walk near the location to get some tea, and stumbled upon a fun and lovely neighborhood: Leslieville. Leslieville is quaint and special in the best of ways. While the neighborhood itself spans a few miles, the heart of it is on Queen Street. Boutiques, markets and any odd store line this street with downtown Toronto in the near distance. There is pretty much a shop for everything: a pie shop, a cheese shop, a fish shop, a baby shop, etc. Within a few blocks radius, you can find pretty much every necessity and indulgence.  And from what I could tell, the shops all tend to focus on locally made or grown items. It was a Thursday evening when I happened to find this jewel of a town. It had the perfect amount of “buzz” too it. Not too many crowds, not too little, but just right. Many of the shops were open past 7pm, which in small towns I’ve found is quite rare. The local eateries, which all smelled fantastic, were filled with pretty much every walk of life. Within a few blocks you could find just about any food you would desire from around the world. Brazilian, Cuban, Thai, Vietnamese, and so on. There was even the quintessential Irish Pub. I could have easily spent the whole day there going in and...

Welcome back Fierce Nerds! I hope you have all been well during our “Summer Vacation” This week I’m back to tell you why I “fiercely” LOVE the Intercontinental San Francisco Hotel. As you know, I love San Francisco for countless reasons. One of those reasons happens to be the Intercontinental. Not to be confused with the Mark Hopkins Intercontinental, this location is at 888 Howard Street. It’s an eco-conscience hotel with a modern vibe with slight retro throwbacks. It’s fashionable and sleek. Their customer service is superb. And then, there is The Club Room. Like the best of the best in Airport Lounges, the ICSF’s Club Room is a traveler’s haven. Throughout the day they offer, complimentary breakfast, appetizers, high tea, aperitifs with snacks, desserts and a nightcap drink. They have their own concierge service, a staff that can meet your every need, and space to sprawl out, read a provided newspaper or magazine, get work done, or just have drink and enjoy the city view. The Club Room is accessible if: a) you book a “Club Room Level” room b) are a Royal Ambassador with IHG or c) if you pay the extra $40/day fee. In my opinion, it is worth the $40 fee, although I’ve never actually had to pay it with the Royal Ambassador status. The staff there is truly wonderful. Even though my husband and I only stay at the hotel once or twice a year, the staff always remembers us by name and our previous conversations. While JP and I aren’t fussy travelers, whenever we do have a need or request, the staff is always quick to respond. We’ve never had a problem. Whenever we are there, it feels like we are visiting old friends. As for the complimentary...

The latest installment on my love for San Francisco is being put on hold for the moment, because I just got back from Comic-Con and needed to share its awesomeness with you. This was truly the best year yet. I got to listen to Peter Mayhew (aka thee Chewbacca) sing to Bill Prady (co-creator of The Big Bang Theory), “Soft wookie, warm wookie, little ball of fur…”. Wil Wheaton and I had quite a long conversation about craft beer making, I talked to Levar Burton and Brent Spiner at the same time, shook hands with Sean Astin, and rubbed elbows with some of the sci-fi world’s finest. To say many childhood dreams came true was an understatement. The costumes, as always, surprised and inspired me. And oddly, this year the crowds weren’t as large and smelly as usual. And the best part about the Con, you never know what to expect. Check out my photo journal below to see some of the fun and unexpected wonders of Comic-Con 2012. Now Boldly Go! If you liked this post, please do us the further boon of Liking the Fierce and Nerdy page on FaceBook. Also, we’re giving great stream on Twitter, so do give us...

This week continues the detailing of my love affair with San Francisco. Every time I visit the Bay, I discover something new that I love, and always leave with the want to explore even more. In this blog I’ll tell you about the Palace of Fine Arts, the Golden Gate Bridge 75th Birthday celebration, and (for all you book geeks) the semi-secret Dashiell Hammett Walking Tour. Since my husband watched The Rock for the first time, he’d always wanted to visit Alcatraz and the Palace of the Fine Arts. We’d covered thee Rock on our first trip to San Fran, and were never able to make it  to the Palace on subsequent trips. This time, the Golden Gate Bridge festivities were so close to it, we made certain to check it out. San Fran is an architectural gem. It has a mix of every architectural fad in the last 150 years. And then there’s the Palace of Fine Arts. It was designed in the “Beaux-Arts” fashion by Bernard Maybeck and William Gladstone Merchant. It was originally constructed for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exhibition, preserved by the Hearst family, and then mostly demolished and rebuilt to be more structurally sound in the 1960’s. Today it’s a beautiful park, with even more beautiful architectural structures that can be enjoyed by all. If I lived in San Fran, I can definitely see myself going to the Palace to read scripts, design costumes, or have a romantic picnic. Basically, it would be one of my “zen” places. It had the perfect amount of people in it (not too many, not too little, but just right) and it had wildlife. Ducks, birds, swans, turtles, etc; there was enough wildlife to keep you happily entertained by their antics. As for the indoor...

While in San Francisco, my husband and I had the chance to take in their “Carnaval” Festival, which highlighted the Latino culture of San Francisco, as well as a good bit of food. We did not have a chance to see the parade (I, of course, had wanted to see the costumes) but we did get to take in the festival itself. The festival was mainly a street fair that spanned down Harrison Street from 17th to 23rd in the Mission District. It was free and open between the hours of 10:00am-6:00pm Saturday, May 26th and Sunday, May 27th. It truly had a little bit of everything for everyone. There was a whole parking lot filled with different bouncy houses and bouncy rides for kids (JP and I were rather jealous that we could not participate in this fun), several bands playing throughout the festival, dance lessons, face painting, art exhibits, clothing vendors, and more food than you could ever eat. There was so much food, that some vendors had multiple stands throughout the festival. You could get kettle corn on every other block if you wanted to. They did have a wine and beer garden for those who wanted to partake, but honestly, it was rather lame. There were only two choices of cheap wine being sold by the glass for the cost of a bottle, and the beers weren’t anything special either (there were five to choose from). There was also a parking lot filled with different basketball themed games sponsored by the NBA & Sprint. You could test your skills at the three-point throw, slam dunk, along with a quick pickup game, among others.  Fuze was giving out free beverages, along with a few other companies giving out token swag, but...

San Francisco has a special place in my heart.  It has the romantic feel of New York City mixed with the casual, laid back feel of California. This combination makes San Fran a bit of a utopia for me, except, it’s still too darn cold. If it had the same weather as LA, I would definitely have been tempted to live there, but now that I’ve grown accustomed to sun and warmth, I am happy to visit the City by the Bay at least once or twice a year.  My husband and I never grow bored of the city, and are always discovering something new to do and somewhere new to see. On this last trip we went to the city’s Carnavale festival, saw the Jean-Paul Gaultier exhibit at the de Young Museum, took a Noir-themed walking tour that focused on the life and writings of Dashiell Hammett, and took in the fireworks honoring the Golden Gate Bridge, among other fun little adventures that I will detail in upcoming blogs. Being that this is a FASHION and TRAVEL blog, I would be remiss to not tell you all about the Jean-Paul Gaultier exhibit. Back when the E! Channel used to focus on fashion, I spent many hours of my youth watching their fashion runway telecasts. During fashion week I was glued to the television watching pieces of magnificent art walk down a little runway. Jean-Paul Gaultier’s fantastical and irreverent designs quickly became my favorite and greatly inspired my youth and the designer I am today. The exhibit at the de Young was overwhelming to say the least.  There were six large galleries filled with Gaultier’s creations, sketches, videos, monologues, photographs, etc. And each of the galleries was absolutely packed with people. There was a...

A few months ago Pantone announced it’s “Color of the Year” for 2012 to be Tangerine Tango (17-1463). Since then, you can’t pick up a magazine without noticing bursts of orange delights. From straight up graphic design to house wares to high fashion, Tangerine is everywhere. It actually has been quite in vogue for a few years now, but since Pantone crowned it the King of all 2012 colors, it can no longer be escaped. This is a wonderful thing. It is quite the “happy” color that can add a bit of zest to just about anything. While I’ve seen this color in clothes everywhere, I haven’t actually seen many people wearing them. I wonder if it’s too bold and people think it might be inaccessible for them? But really, Tangerine Tango is a friend to every skin tone when worn the right way (Redheads-not too much of it close to your face).  It can be the statement in your statement jewelry, the color in your color blocking, and the prep in your Hamptons Preppy. It’s fun, it’s elegant, and it’s classic. I’ve put together a few items for you all that are easy and stylish ways to add Tangerine Tango to your look. For the brave-at-heart (or the guy who loves Revenge’s Nolan Ross costumes) try the bright orange suit pants from Target (recently seen in their “Alouette” campaign). Gals should boldly rock the H&M blazer (I’m talking to you, Ernessa). For those who would like to take a more subtle approach, I suggest the Sperry sneakers for guys or the Idiom Bangle by Kate Spade for gals. These are simple accessories that add the perfect splash of color. Now Boldly...

At last the final installment of “Rewards Points-A-Palooza” has arrived. I hope over the past few entries I’ve helped you find the right program for your needs as well as how to maximize your earnings for it. In this last installment we’ll go over a few more tricks and tips. Please feel free to ask any questions that you may have in the comments section, as I will be doing a Q&A follow up to this series at a later date. Also, please let me know what places you’ve travelled to on points, I’m always fascinated to see where points can take us! And if you’re just joining us, please check out Part 1 & Part 2 of this series. Here we go: 1) Points Conversion: Maybe you’ve given up on one rewards program for another, or just no longer use a certain airline anymore, you really don’t want that $50 gift card to Brookstone that your credit card is “rewarding” you with, or you signed up for a bonus program that you just never got around to using. Don’t let these points go to waste! There are a variety of ways to convert points or miles from one program to another. Many companies that have partnerships allow you to easily convert or combine points for rewards. The Star Alliance network lets you pull your miles from several airlines for a rewards flight. Southwest, in their partnership with Airtran lets your convert points for reward trips on either airline. American Express lets you pretty much convert your points into whatever you want, whenever you want. And to go further, there are websites like Points.com that let you convert points to/from non-partnered companies. While you don’t get a full 100% conversion through sites like this, something...

My, two weeks goes by fast! In my recent travels I had my first flight where there were two babies, one row apart, that didn’t even cry a bit during the 4.5 hour flight. It was truly a miracle to behold. I also received my millionth pat down by TSA for wearing a maxi dress, prompting me to remind all you ladies out there, if you don’t want to get that friendly with TSA, leave the loose fitting skirts and dresses for while on your trip, not during the flight. I hope that you all enjoyed and learned something from Part 1 of the “Rewards Points-A-Palooza” series. Today we’ll go further into how to maximize your reward earnings. Just a reminder, these tips can be applied to almost any kid of rewards earnings, not just travel. Additionally, I often mention Intercontinental’s Priority Club, which we mainly use, as an example.  But many clubs use the same kinds of earning avenues as they do. Shop: It is amazing just how many points one can earn just by going through your preferred company’s “business partners” to shop for the services and goods that you already need. Many times going through a partner can also actually give you a greater discount on top of earning rewards points. With the Priority Club we have quite a few different avenues we take for this. First is their Priority Club Dining program. With this you register ANY credit card (regardless of if it’s their visa or not) and you earn bonus points for dining at restaurants that are partnered with the program. Now, we don’t actually go out of our way to go to these restaurants, so we don’t earn a lot of points this way, but a point is...

Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Passover & Easter weekend. My Husband and I celebrated a very important milestone in our relationship this week. Anniversary? Promotion? New House? No, this week, we reached half a million points for our travel club.  My husband and I have had the opportunity to go to some pretty amazing places with equally amazing perks because of our travel club, and we often get asked by our friends and colleagues how we do it.  We’ve travelled to Bora Bora and stayed for free in amazing suites for 14 days, had free champagne breakfasts in San Francisco, lived the life in a “complimentary upgrade” suite in Las Vegas. In this 3-part blog series, I will tell you how we have “maximized our earnings” in our membership. While I am focusing on the travel aspect of rewards, all of these principles can be applied to any rewards program really, be it gas, groceries, The Loft by Ann Taylor, whatever floats your spending boat. 1.Do your research: First, you need to find out which platform suits your needs best. Do you fly often, especially for work, or do you tend to drive to your destination and stay in hotels more often? Does your airline go everywhere you need it to, or has miles partners that do? Is the hotel chain you frequent accessible in most places and suits your travel needs? Are blackout dates a concern? Do you need a program flexible to YOUR needs, or are you able to be flexible with your travel? Many airlines and hotel chains have blackout dates, or points expire within a certain time frame. Some have different “levels” of membership where the more you travel, the more points and perks you...

Being a Costume Designer and avid traveler, I often get asked the question, “What are your fashion/travel essentials?” Well friends, I’ve carefully compiled my list of the top twelve things a guy or gal should have when on the go.  This applies to your suitcase as well as the trunk of your car. These are items that can create an instant fix to your wardrobe problems and help your look stay on par. Guys: 1. Deodorant- Seriously, I love you men, but after a few hours, it’s just time for a refresher! 2. Belt- Honestly, they break, and having a spare (reversible preferred) one could save you when you need a quick change. 3.Running Shoes- For the long days when you just need to give your feet a rest. 4. Moisture Wicking T-Shirt- Really, it has so many purposes: that last minute hike, it’s crazy hot out and you didn’t wear an undershirt, you forgot to refill your “To-Go Kit” Deodorant, etc…. 5. Athletic Shorts- Again, great in an emergency when you’ve spilled coffee on your pants, your boss feels like going for a workout after work and wants you to join, your lover wants to go for   a long walk to “talk about your relationship”…. 6. Water Bottle- You need to stay hydrated, especially after that impromptu workout your boss put you up to. 7. Listerine Pack- Because no one likes bad breath, especially after a garlic-y meal. Do everyone this favor please. 8. Tie- Because you never know when you’ll need one at the last minute, or you spilled mustard on yours at lunch. 9. Razor – For when you need the emergency tie, and have to loose the five o’clock shadow. If you don’t like battery powered, here are instructions on...

I hope you all have been busy searching stores and the interwebs for fun and funky steampunk accents for your home these last two weeks. Time does fly fast!  I had a great time working on this week’s blog, and I hope you all enjoy it too! This week we will go through, step-by-step, how to make your own leather belt floor mat. 1) Gather your supplies: You’ll want to check out a few thrift stores to buy your belts. If you plan your visit right, go when the belts are most discounted, and you can get them for less than $1 each. I recommend buying 15-20 belts, depending on the size you want to make your floor mat. The more interesting the pattern or texture of the belt, the better. But make sure you get a few plain ones too as filler. This will give your mat a more interesting look. Additionally you will need: Sharp Scissors Exacto Knife Shoe Barge (shoe glue: I like to use Barge, or Goop) Ruler Felt (Get a color that will go with the belts-this will be your base to the mat) Chalk or a marker (to mark the felt and leather for cutting) Some heavy books to help flatten the leather Paper towels or wet ones for clean up 2) Sort out your belts: Once you have all of your belts together you might find that one or two just don’t fit in with the rest of them, just set those aside for now,  they might make for good filler. 3) Cut off the buckles: Make sure you get as close to the buckle as you can so you have as much leather to work with as possible. OR, if you’re like me and fell in...

As defined by Urban Dictionary: Steampunk is a subgenre of speculative fiction, usually set in an anachronistic Victorian or quasi-Victorian alternate history setting. It could be described by the slogan “What the past would look like if the future had happened sooner.” It includes fiction with science fiction, fantasy or horror themes. Starting with niche cosplay and con-goer groups decked out in bustles, corsets, monocles, and top hats, the Steampunk lifestyle has been slowly filtering into our daily lives. Today, you can’t walk into a coffee shop or target without seeing a hipster with an overly ornate mustache. Anthropologie’s current clothing line is pretty much the perfect mixture of hipster, earth goddess, 50’s housewife and steampunk mistress. When it comes to fashions for the home, it’s in vogue to buy items that are carefully, and artistically hand crafted, worn in, and just a little bit funky. While many proclaimed Steampunkers are very into the DIY movement, I’ve found many a website to help you spend your hard earned cash on beautiful bespoke pieces…and in my next blog, you can see how I DIYed one of these projects step-by-step. Now, I’m not suggesting your turn your house into this place: But, adding a dash of Victorian sophistication can add a lot more interest to your lovely abode. William Morris, the father of the Art and Crafts Movement, quoted, ““If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” To start, here are some clever instances where people have made modern day pieces look so much more beautiful. I believe that with enough creativity and thought, one can turn the most ugly of objects into...

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! I hope by now you’ve all bought and wrapped presents, and showered your love one with affection. No? Well, don’t despair! With internet access, a little research, and a trip to Target, you can surprise your loved one with an amazing 3-day “Love-cation”. It’s not too late to find great deals at hotels nearby where you can spoil your love with pampering and attention. Every year my husband and I forgo giving each other gifts and instead plan a fun getaway to somewhere new over President’s Day weekend. It proves to be a great mini-vacation where we can reconnect and leave the rat race behind for a few days. It truly gives more to our relationship than any tangible gift could. Step 1: Make arrangements: Make sure your partner indeed has a three-day weekend. Call their boss or coworker to double check, and make sure they stay hush hush! Have kids? Call the relative that lives closest to you and ask them to take the little ones for the weekend. If this isn’t an option, don’t fret, many hotels have adjoining rooms or family suites, where you don’t have to share the same bedroom, but are still connected.  If you live in driving (or quick flight) distance to a foreign country, check your passports, because going to a foreign country is much more romantic sounding than hopping over to the next town. Step 2: Get online! Check out online travel sites like: hotels.com, priceline.com, or the hotel you have a priority membership with. For local hotels, also, check your newspaper’s travel website, they’re sure to have great deals on local travel/hotels.  If you need a flight and rental car, try using your frequent flier credit card to book both that...

If you haven’t noticed the catalogues, emails, store displays, and company Facebook pages: Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! This is the one day out of the year when we are expected to be at our sexiest. We are overloaded with advertisements of svelt bunny-like women looking extra perky and desirable in their unmentionables. We all begin to think, “How cute, so-and-so would love it if I wore that!” Then with lace and frills dancing through our heads we go to Victoria’s Secret and grab that hot little number we saw, go to the dressing room, try it on, and cry.  What you see in the mirror is nothing like what was in the catalogue…Did I grab the wrong thing?…Wait maybe it’s the wrong size…No…Perhaps the lighting? Oh wait, that’s right, I’m not a Victoria’s Secret model, and I haven’t starved myself for two weeks and taken 4 hours a day to workout. So what to do now? God didn’t make you a VS model, but He did make you beautiful, and I firmly believe that you should shake what your maker gave you- but in what makes you feel sexy, not what mass marketing tells you will feel great. So erase those preconceived notions from your head and dress for what makes you feel confident. Your partner will be turned on by your confidence more than your articles of clothing-of which will most likely be removed shortly after being put on anyway! So stop the shame spiral and embrace your confident, sexy you! Dress to flaunt your assets. Do you have amazing legs, make those the focal point by wearing something short or with a slit. Love your elegant shoulders and collar bone? Wear something strapless or with very thin spaghetti straps....

Happy Travel Tuesday! Many of you may have already gone home for the holidays, or maybe you’re like me: waiting until a trip home doesn’t cost more than a trip to London. It’s beyond me how flying from LAX to my hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania costs more than crossing an entire continent AND ocean, but during the holidays it does. Whenever we travel to home to see our family and friends, it’s easy to fall into a predictable routine: we often head to our favorite restaurant, go only to the same neighborhoods, stick to the normal routes, etc. But if you just take an hour’s worth of time before your next trip home to do some research, you can see your town from a whole new light. Do you still live in your hometown? These tips will still help you get out of your norm and learn something new. Tip #1: Hit the blogs. There’s a ridiculous amount of blogs out there devoted to towns, travelling within towns, reviews of what to do in that town, etc. Do a simple Google search for your city’s name + blog. Right away I found links that listed HUNDREDS of blogs for Pittsburgh. Also, a friend (also a Jennifer) happens to write a great blog in which she and her husband challenge themselves to try new things around Pittsburgh (101 Achievements) between their blog and this directory: Pgh Bloggers Directory, I have more than enough to go on! Tip #2: Sip it! Ever since “artisanal” and “hand crafted” became the trendy, I’ve noticed in pretty much every town-no matter how big or small- their own brewery or winery (or wine bar) has popped up recently. So grab your friends, or family members you enjoy drinking with, and head to the...

Happy New Year! What better way to start the New Year than with my very first Fierce and Nerdy blog? I feel honored to be a part of this group, and hope that my advice can help you look and live your fiercest and nerdiest. I’m a professional Costume Designer and travel enthusiast. Every week I’ll be blogging about fashion or travel while encouraging you to be bold and daring. So to kick off 2012, I’m challenging you all to reinvigorate your style in an easy and affordable manor. I believe that one must be comfortable in their own skin to exude confidence, but every once and a while our comfort boundaries need to be pushed. I encourage you to try these tips at least weekly for the next month and see the difference in the way you and the way others see you. If you’re really bold, do it daily! And please, comment with your progress and reactions! I will keep you updated as well. So here we go: Tip #1: Face your Fears. Eleanor Roosevelt has sage wisdom that can easily be applied to your wardrobe: “Do one thing every day that scares you”.  Is there a new fashion trend you’ve been tempted by but too scared to try? Love the look of color blocking but not sure that you can pull it off? Worried the new H&M GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO line will actually make you look like Lisbeth Salander? Guys, are you too worried that anything you try will make you look like the stereotypical hipster? Don’t over think it. Grab that piece of clothing that scares you and try it on. Unless it’s poorly made or inherently ugly, you’re probably going to look amazing in it. And once...