I usually hate florals, but this vintage-inspired dress from Newport News for $39.99 blows me away. With it’s basic scoop tank top, fit waist, full skirt and striking colors, it reminds me of a rare find fom a vintage shop … minus that funky mothball smell. You can add a waist cinch belt, pearls, slingback flats and a kiss-clasp purse for the office, or dress it up with a pair of cowboy boots and low-slung western belt for a bohemian twist.

I plan on keeping it simple and pairing it with flip-flops, a straw tote and pretending I’m in Capri — I might even buy an old fashion Schwinn to ride around SoHo just for affect.

As a guy, I can safely say that grooming is NOT about feeling like a lady. We want to look and feel our best, handsome and manly. I want products designed for me. I don’t want pink girly clippers with flowers and sparkles and crap like that.

And yet, I want something a little more stylish and sophisticated than the generic nail care tools you buy at the grocery store. Pour Homme offers “…a prestige line of upscale grooming tools specially designed for today’s discriminating man.”

Classy!

Por Homme Men’s Ultra Slim Clipper w/Pouch | $29 Shop.com

I finally watched an episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County and hit a reality-brick-wall when an ‘average-stay-at-home mom and housewife’ walked into her flawlessly clean and quiet home at the end of the day, miracled a cocktail into her perfectly manicured hand and sat down … I call BS! Unless you live with a few full-time maids, a nanny, a cook and a housekeeper what I saw on TV is NOT reality.

When I come home it takes two hours from the minute I walk through the door till I have a chance to look at the mail. There are messes to clean, fights to break up, emergency laundry loads, dishes to do and lots & lots of Clorox needs to be used. And, unlike the women on TV, I clean up pet-messes in comfortable sweats, not 4” pumps, skintight jeans and cashmere tank tops with full makeup.

But there are your old fraying sweats from 10 years ago, and then there are trendy sweats you pay $150 for and try to never actually sweat in…

Luckily I discovered Victoria’s Secret offers a PERFECT middle-ground, with these comfy, trendy sweats in a ton of fun or basic colors, that you can mix and match for only $11.99 each! The great thing about these, aside form the price tag, is that the inseam is actually 30.5″ with a banded bottom, so you can push them up to capri length, or wear them long and the banding keeps them from dragging on the floor — a definite plus in my Really-Real Housewife home.

The easiest way to change up an outfit is with big pieces of costume jewelry. My current favorite piece is this chunky and bold Serpentine bracelet for $14.99 from Urban Outfitters. You can wear one, an armful or mix it in with other pieces and it will look AMAZING! And if you have thin ankles it doubles as the perfect anklet for a beach holiday …

During last weeks sub-zero weather, I wandered NYC in my ‘official’ winter uniform: a jumper, skinny jeans, long scarf & some killer booties … what I refused to wear was anything resembling ‘functional’ because it always looks puffy. And I work too hard in the gym to look puffy!

Since then I’ve had lots of alone time with my flu to reconsider my position & … nope. I stand by my decision not to look like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man in public.

But yesterday, between sliding me Elle on a woody wagon & Purell-ing all her exposed flesh, my microbe-phobic best friend pointed out that there are stylish ways around typical winter gear. And then she pointed out her winter boots … and they really are AMAZING!

These hot boots from La Redoute come in a patent black & hot silver, & are on sale for … $39.99!

I got them in black and silver, and I’m sooo psyched I’m almost hopping for more snow before I have to pack them up for next year. Now I just need a coat …