If shopping is your raison d'etre (hell-o!), check out Shopping, the Musical at the Shelton Theater. Sort of a Beach Blanket Babylon for shoppers of every kind -- online, department, grocery and hardware -- this musical definitely hits home and will elicit knowing smiles and a few serious guffaws.

Broadway it's not, but this indie revue stars four talented performers who enthusiastically sing and act their hearts--and shopping bags out--during the more than 25 whimsical numbers that comprise the 120-minute production.

Don't you think it's time for a shopping fix?

The Shelton Theater is located at 533 Sutter Street (between Powell and Mason Streets).

Looking for a calming-kumbaya-bird's-a-chirping spa treatment? Then skip the Jungle Love at Tru Spa.

But if you want glowing and soft-as-butta skin, and a unique adrenaline-inducing body treatment, book your appointment pronto! The spa's signature wet treatment takes place in the Tropical Rainforest Room, a mini suite of sorts. The first course in the 60-minute process is to get scrubbed all over, front and back, with a freshly made exfoliant of coconut and kukui nut.

After a quick rinse comes another yummy creamy concoction of tropical fruits (like papaya and mango) and enzymes. Your hair is smothered in a conditioning pack and then the room is filled with steam, activating the goop on your body. After about 10 minutes of steam, the rain pounds out from the ceiling, drenching you and rinsing away the mask (this is the adrenaline-rush part).

Finally, you're off to the next room for a waterfall shower, final moisturize, and sigh of ahh!

Tru Spa is located at 750 Kearny Street (between Clay and Washington); 415-399-9700.

Ever heard of a guy named Zac Posen?

He's just one of many talented designers who got his start at a Gen Art event. Indeed, the non-profit organization is known for its uncanny ability to spot emerging talent. So come get your fashion fix at Gen Art's Fresh Faces in Fashion, San Francisco, featuring a rousing runway show and haute after party. The catwalk gets grooving on August 22 at 8pm at the Regency Center.

This year's crop of local fashion designers includes Amy Sarabi, distilled, Janezic, PODOLL and Sara Shepherd. Accessories designers: amytorello, bryna nicole and NolaBella Jewelry.

Fans of edgy fashions and smooth cocktails, don't miss it.

For ticket information, go to Gen Art's website. The Regency Center is located at 1300 Van Ness @ Sutter Street.

When it comes to fragrance, I am of ambivalent nose. Call me crazy but I despise strong scents, scents that precede the person wearing them by 50 feet. If my many perfume-induced headaches on MUNI are any indication, there are many gals (and guys) who are gung-ho for these super bold and cloying fragrances. As for moi, I am a lover of soft subtle notes, a woman who likes to smell good, mostly for myself and for those who get close enough to snuggle.

So I am happy to report I have found a whole new line of fragrances that make me and my schnoz happy: Lily Lambert, known for her collection of many delicious ethereal and unpredictable scents, rather than one signature. Check out her S.P.E.C.T.R.U.M. line (a different scent for every letter) and her Master Number series to find a fragrance that speaks to you. My current crushes include "T" ( a blend of coconut, sandalwood and powder) and No. 77 (a mouthwatering mix of pomegranate and honeydew with hints of strawberry and baby pink roses). Now if only I could get everyone on the bus to become a fan.

While some might consider this shirt "over the top", I thought it added a lot of fun flair and matched with cute white shorts really completed the look.

Plaid is one of those patterns that is feared by some and fully embraced by others. The added touch to this picture is how she just happens to be sitting on a couch that matches her. Cheers to vintage plaids, now worn by lumberjacks and cute girls.

I'm all for designer handbags, luxe hobos, rich satchels, and sophisticated totes. But I'm also down with good cheeky fun and fresh designs from new labels. Hence, my desire to share my new find: Star 50 Handbags. It serves up a broad range of wild styles in various materials with a whole lotta wit. Star 50 makes limited-edition designs, from clutches to shoppers, for every state in the union.

Each bag, made in the U.S., is inspired by fun facts/quirks/geography from each particular state. Par example, there's the Alaskan Trapper (love the bright orange hue), a roomy fabric hobo-sling bag that's big and roomy and "worth reeling in." It can be used as a work bag or to haul fishing gear.

As a Garden State girl, I couldn't wait to see what Star 50 had created for Jersey. Alas, I'll have to wait a little longer, as the NJ design hasn't rolled out yet. I'll be happy as long as it has nothing to do with the turnpike. Springsteen is A-OK.

It's hard to believe a three-year-old company has "vintage" styles worth coveting. But local accessories label Goldenbleu does and is serving up a feast of its original and now discontinued styles at jaw-dropping low prices. This is the last call for the fun and fashion-y classic styles (clutches, totes and hobos) that celebs like Cameron and Heidi Klum drool over. The Goldenbleu Blowout Discontinued Styles Sale will be held at 111 Minna on Friday, July 27th, from 5pm to 9pm. Come and get 'em while they're hot. And still available.


111 Minna is located on Minna between New Montgomery and Second Street

Bring your sweet tooth and stylist's eye to Minnie Wilde's scrumptious summer sale on Saturday, July 21st, from 11am-7pm. You'll find select summer wares by the local label, including bonafide samples up to 40 percent off. Plus local fave Pink Spike tees will be served up, with prices starting at just $10. Grab a Popsicle as you shop the feminine-meets-funky figure-flattering flowy dresses, vintage-y tops, precious print skirts, edgy shorts and hip jackets. Yum!

Minnie Wilde is located at 3266 21st Street @ Valencia; 415-642-WILD.

It's still more than a month away but the kick-off party for San Francisco Fashion Week hits the W Hotel on July 28th (7pm-9pm). Along with chic cocktails and nibbles, fashion week producers will be unveiling its fun and fresh 2007 Citywide Style Campaign. It features original photos of local fashion mavens and trendies, and their answer to the penultimate question: What is San Francisco style?



A few style luminaries starring in the campaign, shot by Laurie Levenfeld of Zoom Photography, include shopping event entrepreneurs Karen Appel and Jody Frank, Blakely Bass, owner of Resident Apparel Gallery (RAG), Stephanie Solomon of Bloomingdale's, Tifani Wilt of Macy's West and the guys from Vintage 415. So whether you're a Hayes hipster or Pac Heights diva, you're bound to find a style soul mate.



Admission to the event is free with an advance RSVP to rsvpwsfevents@whotels.com. Space is limited so don't procrastinate.

"Let them wear cake," Marie Antoinette would have said had she been lucky enough to try Cake Beauty's menu of scrumptious beauty products. My latest fave is an all-purpose balm called Satin Sugar. First of all, like most Cake goodies, it smells so yummy -- kinda vanilla-y, lemon-y bakery fresh. It's made with shea butter and beeswax, and is perfect for using to smooth flyaway hair and ends, as well as a salve for dry skin. I've taken a shine to using it on my elbows and knees, and then rubbing into my hands. Plus, the cool plastic lightweight package makes it extremely portable. This Cake rocks--and it's calorie free!

Forget about bad luck, black cats and all that: this Friday the 13th is all about fashion, fun and, what else?, cocktails. Lucky 13 Katwalk and Trunk Show, sponsored by Bad Kitty Productions and SF Station, will be held on Friday from 4pm to 9pm at 111 Minna Gallery (between New Montgomery and Second). More then 30 independent designers (Shawna Hofmann Designs, Gypsies and Lords, Milkbomb, Lady Noir and Regine Pfanz, Crafty Bitch and Alba Nikka, among others) will be selling their wares, and a "lucky 13" will be featured in a fashion runway show at 7pm. Appetizers from local top chef Erik Hopfinger, rockin' DJ tunes, and a flowing cash bar will keep the party hopping.

The other day, as I strolled Union savoring my yummy fro-yo treat from the new Yogurt Bar, I stumbled upon the just opened Wildlife Works store. The locally based company has been around for 10 years, but this is its first dedicated retail space. I know the soft-as-butta tees with cool wildlife graphics from Anthropologie, REI and other boutiques where they're sold. (FYI, all of the unisex and kids' apparel is made from organic cotton and hemp, and other enviro-friendly fabrics.) Other quality goodies sprinkled around the shop include accessories and footwear, stuffed animals, notebooks and housewares, etc. But the greatest thing about Wildlife Works is its raison d'etre: wildlife conservation. We're talking the real deal here, as proceeds of products save endangered and threatened wildlife around the planet. Currently, focusing its efforts in Kenya, Africa, the company has created an 80,000-acre Rukinga Wildlife Sanctuary, where cheetahs and elephants and other animals can roam freely. It's also helping local humans by providing jobs at its eco-factory, located adjacent to the sanctuary. So, go wild at Wildlife Works and consume to your heart's content (guilt-free). Save a giraffe today!

I have heard so much about Pinkberry for so long and have been dying to find out what all the fuss is about. Plus, of course, I pride myself on being in the know about things, and being out of the fashionable fro-yo loop hasn't been a comfortable place for me. I was planning to try some PB on my upcoming trip to New York--and still will. But in the meantime, I just had a yummy frozen-yogurt treat from the brand-new Yogurt Bar, on Octavia at Union.

I imagine it's very similar to Pinkberry. The Yogurt Bar also has two main yogurt flavors (Green Tea and Original Plain) with a couple of rotating flavors every month. For July, Blueberry and Strawberry are on the menu in the teensy shop. A yummy selection of toppings, from fresh fruits and cereals to Oreos, nuts and healthy supplements (soy protein powder and Ginkgo Biloba), are also available. Definitely need something to give the frozen treat some zing!

The yogurt was kinda tart and kinda sweet at the same time. And I was perfectly happy with my selection of Original Plain with Captain Crunch topping, which added just the right amount of crunch. I ordered the smallest size (about 5 ounces), which suited me perfectly. The whole thing was about 200 calories. I'll definitely be visiting Yogurt Bar again soon.

Once I try Pinkberry, I'll be sure to share my thoughts. Cool?

Yogurt Bar is located at 2760 Octavia; 415-441-2585.

The Summer of Love is turning the big 4-0! It's only right that I (and you) should purchase a couple of hippie-chic pieces to honor all that peace, free love and tie-dye that took hold in the Haight all those decades ago.

Here's my fashion ode to the summer of 1967...



Flower Power lives on in this fresh Touch-Up Pullover by Guinevere. It was love at first sight when I spied the sweater during a routine shop at Anthropologie. The wallpaper florals and trompe l'oeil lace in muted colors are very '70s Anna Sui-ish.



No self-respecting hippie would have been caught without a cool pair of bell-bottoms back in the day. As more of a petite lass, I was a tad concerned that the full legs would overwhelm me. But as I slipped into J Brand's Joplin (seriously) palazzo jean in a dark indigo wash, I was longer and leaner than ever. (Of course, that doesn't mean I don't have to get them hemmed.)



The last thing I needed to put the exclamation point on this cool new outfit? A killer pair of wedge sandals. These Belinda Quarter sandals (in luggage) by MICHAEL, Michael Kors are the perfect update to those way-popular-back-then buffalo sandals. The cool cutout in the wedge, and stud and buckle detail make these a throwback and thoroughly modern.

Now, it's time for me to test drive the outfit--and hopefully, I'll create my own Summer of Love. P-E-A-C-E!