Here in the Northeast, it’s finally warm outside again and for me that means an excuse to get more regular pedicures and splurge on some fun seasonal nail polishes. Every spring/summer, I usually invest in a few great polishes that I can rotate and keep on hand throughout the season. I like buying my own polish instead of using the nail salon’s so I can touch up whatever color I am wearing wherever I am…being on the beach or just walking around in flip flops can cause premature chipping. Using your own polish is also more hygienic.

A good friend of mine is addicted to nail polish, no matter what the season, and has great taste so I asked for her help to pick some of this summers’ best colors that will last us through Labor Day! With names like “Lacquered Up,” “Flirty Fuchsia,” and “Gold Get ‘Em,” who could resist such fun footwear flare? Click on the links below to buy our picks online or find them in your local retailers…

Essie Spring Collection 2009: Lacquerd Up

Essie Neon Collection: Flirty Fuchsia

Revlon: Gold Get’Em 900

If you are anything like me, you are a highly social gal but not a natural hostess.And the idea of organizing and creating a party, much less one with a theme, is curiously daunting. I love the idea of throwing parties; I just don’t ever seem to know where to start. With numerous friends getting married and having babies, I have a lot of reasons to celebrate but no source to help me compose these various events.

Socialcouture.com answered my party-throwing prayers. An on-line store for home entertaining products and services that provides you with the whole package – from party décor and tabletop ideas, to the napkins your guests will use. Their pre-packaged parties make it easy to throw a festive fete with little effort from you other than the choice of occasion. Whether you are celebrating Cinco De Mayo, a baby shower, bridal shower, or a child’s birthday, they have a your party planned.

In addition to their “parties in a box”, socialcouture.com sells individual products and offers abundant tips for the eager entertainer including food and recipes, complete menus and etiquette. They also have a great blog with creative ideas and products that will be helpful to even the most haute hostess!

Whatever happened to the simple pleasures in life? Taking a leisurely walk on a sunny day, a home-cooked meal, or a hand-written note? Walks now accelerate into shoving other pedestrians out of your way, home-cooked meals are made in someone else’s foreign kitchen, and hand-written notes are typed and sent through cyber-space.

But it doesn’t always have to be that way.It has now become a lot easier to reinvent the time-honored tradition of the hand-written word with the help of Carrot and Stick Press.

Sure, there are a lot of stationary companies out there, but Carrot and Stick Press’ products caught my eye with their cool collection of colorful journals, placemats, photo, table and folded note cards.  The company was recently founded in 2000 by two dedicated grad students who turned their love of playful prints for every occasion into one they could share (and we’re sure glad that they did!)

I read the newspaper, I watch MSNBC – we are in a big-time recession…I get it! The title of this section is Coveter, not Glutton, so we intend to show you how to save money as well as spend it. RetailMeNot.com ensures you “never pay retail” by providing updated coupon codes for most major online retailers, from big-box shops like amazon.com to my favorite virtual fashion boutique, shopbop.com.

The site has a unique array of tools to guarantee that you are always saving at checkout. These include personalized email alerts when your favorite sites are offering discounts and promotions, a “hot coupons” weekly newsletter, and bookmarks that will send pop-ups of available coupons while you are out trolling your favorite online haunts. MKIA is not here to fix the economy, nor do we claim to understand why it’s in the state it is in. But we are here to help you live your lives and that includes shopping – now with what we hope is a little less guilt!

My friend made the honest mistake of buying the JimmyJane Ember candle with the sole purpose of having its beautifully rich and intoxicating scent permeate her apartment. Boy, was she in for a wicked and sensual surprise! Simple and non-descript candle by day, sensual massage wax by night!

With a small and elegant spout for easy pouring, your partner will be as grateful for such a stimulating indulgence as Ricky Martin was in his Livin’ La Vida Loca video. With invigorating scents like Lychee + Lapsang and Truffle + Gardenia, you can go ahead and get your “new kicks in the candle light.” Go to the website for other classy, yet naughty, adult accessories: jimmyjane.com. Now that’s hot!