Coral for Spring

Spring will be here before you know it and a perfect shade to spice up your wardrobe for spring is coral!

We recommend our unique 18 karat yellow gold and coral earrings, pictured above. The beautiful earrings are on sale for $275 and will definitely spice up your wardrobe for spring. Add a splash of color today by clicking here! 

BENEFITS OF RED WINE

Benefits of red wine:

1. Antioxidants in red wine have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease 

2. Moderate consumption of red wine has been known to raise heart healthy omega-3 levels

3. Resveratrol, another antioxidant found in red wine, could keep you slim

4. Polyphenols, also found in tea, nuts, berries and cocoa, may decrease the risk of Alzheimer's disease. 

So, if you need a couple of great reasons to open up a nice bottle of red wine tonight, remember the 4 benefits listed above and enjoy! 

It is important to note that 1 glass of red wine brings benefits to your body and going over the 1 glass limit can counteract the positive effects of the beverage. It may be hard, but drink just 1 glass! 

When choosing a red, keep in mind that Cabernet Savignon has the most antioxidants (flavonoids) followed closely by Petit Syrah and Pinot Noir, then Merlot and red Zinfandel. 

Would you ever wear something like this?

Would you ever wear a bathing suit like the one featured to the above? 

The triangle one-piece is by Zimmermann and costs $450. So we also have to ask, would you ever pay $450 for a bathing suit?

Browsing the Web at Work

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National Pancake Day!

Today is National Pancake Day and IHOP is celebrating the day in a special way. 

IHOP will be giving away buttermilk pancakes (in participating stores) between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. today with no coupon or purchase necessary! Each diner can get 3 free pancakes. 

This is the 4th year that IHOP has celebrated National Pancake Day with this event, which IHOP uses to raise money for community charities. In exchange for free pancakes, IHOP asks you to make a donation to the Children's Miracle Network or another local philanthropy. 

So, what could be better than yummy pancakes and giving?! Enjoy National Pancake Day! 

What do you think of last night's Oscar fashion? Who was your favorite?

Slumdog Millionaire Wins 8 Oscars!

Slumdog Millionaire was king of this year's Oscars, winning 8 academy awards, including best picture. 

Congrats to the cast, directors, writers, producers, and crew of Slumdog Millionaire!

The 81st Annual Academy Awards - OSCAR Night

Tonight is Oscar night! The start studded awards show begins live at 5:00 p.m. PT/8:00 p.m. ET.

Any predications on winners? We predict that Slumdog Millionaire takes home several awards. 

Take a guess at some of the categories listed below and post your predictions under "comments."

Actor in a Leading Role:

Richard Jenkins

Frank Langella

Sean Penn

Brad Pitt

Mickey Rourke

Actress in a Leading Role:

Anne Hathaway

Angelina Jolie

Melissa Leo

Meryl Streep

Kate Winslet

Best Picture:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Frost/Nikon

Milk

The Reader

Slumdog Millionaire 

Its Oscar Time!

Are you excited for this year's Oscars?! 

Do you throw an Oscar party or attend one? Either way we found a recipe that we think fits the occasion perfectly. So, whether you are throwing an Oscar bash at your place or going to a friend's, toasted brioche rounds with creme fraiche and caviar are sure to be a big hit!

What you will need:

1 one-pound loaf brioche, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 eight-ounce container creme fraiche or sour cream

2 ounces black caviar, or more

How to prepare:

1. Using a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut 36 rounds or brioche from slices. Place 1 tablespoon butter in 12-inch skillet. Melt over medium heat. Add half the rounds; cook until golden, turning once, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining butter and rounds. Let cool on a wire rack or paper towel. Store rounds in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. 

2. Place a dollop of creme fraiche on each round, and top with caviar. 

This receipt is brought to you by marthastewart.com. If you would like to make the recipe even simpler, just add a dollop of creme fraiche and caviar to already sliced and baked bread rounds or tasty crackers. 

NEW RIHANNA PICTURE!

Everyone has been talking about the events that transpired between singer Rihanna and Chris Brown the night before the Grammy Awards 2009. There has been tons of speculation about what really happened between the pair and now a photograph of Rihanna, after the alleged beating by Chris Brown, has been released! 

What do you think of the picture above (Courtesy of TMZ)? Click here to read the new statement released by LAPD. 

Vintage Brooch

A great way to dress up any blazer or jacket is with a brooch. Adding a brooch also gives your item of clothing a unique and special touch. 

Check out the vintage brooch on Ex-cessories.com on sale now for $199. To find out more about the beautiful brooch pictured above, click here. 

Tiffany & Co. Platinum Cross Pendant Necklace

Spotlight Item of the Day:

Platinum Tiffany & Co. Cross Pendant Necklace - $764

* 1 stamped Platinum lady's combination cast & die struck cross shape pendant with a high polish finish

* The cross weighs 3 DWT

* The chain measures 16 inches in length

* The designer is Elsa Peretti byTiffany & Co.

* The cross measures 1/2 inch in length

* Trademark is Tiffany & Co

* Appraised value - $1,500

* Click here for additional details or click here to purchase 

* FASHION WEEK FALL 2009 *

Do you closely follow fashion? Are you a die hard Fashion Week fan? Have you ever attended a New York, LA, or Europe Fashion Week show? 

Well... New York's Fall 2009 Fashion Week is currently underway and all of the stars, fashion buyers, magazine editors, and stylist are trying to hit every tent in site to catch all of the fabulous Fashion Week fashions. 

Combining Fashion Week and the new release, Confessions of a Shopaholic, we had to ask in this weeks poll, are you a shopaholic?! Take our poll on the right hand side and reveal your true shopping habits! 

Pictures above are from Fashion Week Fall 2009* 

10 Heart Healthy Foods

Do you try to incorporate healthy foods into your diet to watch your cholesterol, blood pressure, and/or sodium intake? 

We can say that we are pretty bad about consuming too much sodium because we love salty foods and lots of soy sauce with our sushi, but we do try and incorporate the 10 best foods for your heart into our diet. 

The list:

1. Oatmeal 

2. Salmon

3. Avocado

4. Olive Oil

5. Nuts

6. Berries

7. Legumes

8. Spinach

9. Flaxseed

10. Soy 

Some of our easy tips to add the top 10 foods to your diet:

Eat oatmeal in the morning, adding in brown sugar and fruit to kick up the flavor. 

Add avocados to your salads and sandwiches for some extra healthy flavor or whip up our favorite guacamole for an afternoon snack.

Add berries to your yogurt.

Incorporate olive oil into your salad dressings and other seasonings.

Snack on a handful of almonds or add nuts into chicken salad. 

Do you incorporate any of the foods on the top 10 list into your diet? Are any favorites? Are there any on the list that your taste buds cannot handle? Let us know by posting under "comments." 

Sunday Breakfast/Brunch

Sunday is the perfect day to sit back and relax! Things we think are important to make Sunday perfect and relaxing... a good book, a great movie, comfy sweats, hot speciality coffee, and a delicious breakfast/brunch. 

For breakfast/brunch we recommend Bon Appetit's Citrus Salad with Ginger Yogurt. 

Ingredients:

1 pink grapefruit, peeled

2 large tangerines or Minneolas, peeled

3 naval oranges 

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1 16- or 17.6-ounce container Greek yogurt

2/3 cup minced crystallized ginger

1/4 cup golden brown sugar

Additional dried cranberries

Preparation:

Break grapefruit and tangerines into sections. Cut grapefruit sections into thirds; cut tangerine sections in half. Transfer grapefruit, tangerines, and all juices to deep serving bowl. Using small sharp knife, cut all peel and white pith from oranges. Slice oranges into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, then cut slices into quarters. Add oranges and all juices to same bowl. Mix in 1/2 cup dried cranberries, honey, and cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Mix yogurt and ginger in bowl. (Fruit and yogurt can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill.) 

Spoon yogurt atop fruit. Sprinkle with brown sugar and dried cranberries and enjoy! 

* Happy Valentine's Day *

We would like to wish everyone a very happy and sweet Valentine's Day! 

Enjoy the day and treat yourself to something special. Check out all of the great jewelry we have on Ex-cessories.com and buy yourself something special today! 

XOXO,

The Ex-cessories Gals

Friday the 13th 2009

Today, Friday the 13th, marks a superstitious day for many. 

On this day, people fear that something bad will happen and also relate the day to the Friday the 13th horror films featuring the psycho killer Jason. Do you believe in all of the Friday the 13th madness? 

It is interesting to note, that this year, both February and March, are identical calendars. So, each month mirrors the other, which leads us to 2 Friday the 13th dates in a row! 

Good luck to all of those who are superstitious on this occasion!  

* New Men's Rings *

You must take a look at the new 14 karat yellow gold and diamond men's rings we received yesterday! 

Click here for a detailed look at the square ring and click here for a detailed look at the other men's gold and diamond ring. 

Did you know...

The strength of our economy can be measured by our garbage?! 

It is said that when our economy is thriving we produce more waste. 

Have you noticed any changes in your garbage over the last 6 months? More or less? What do you think of this theory?

In an Absolute World...

Take a look at the new Absolute Vodka commercial and let us know what you think. We ABSOLUTELY love it! Imagine a world like this... 

Sushi Etiquette

Have you ever wondered what the proper way to eat sushi was? Are there any rules about how to eat sushi? Can you eat sushi with your hands?

Well... Hiroko Shimbo, cookbook author, teacher, and Japanese food guru has the answers. 

1. When eating nigiri sushi (rice topped with fish) or sushi rolls, use your hands, not your chopsticks (since the loosely packed in well-made sushi will fall apart if pinched). For sashimi use chopsticks. 

2. Don't drown the fish. Some people immediately dump salt on their food and among sushi fans, the equivalent is a person who immediately dunks into soy sauce. A little is fine, but don't dip the sushi rice-side first-it will crumble. Instead, flip the piece over and let the fish barely touch the liquid. What to do with wasabi? Nigiri sushi already contains a bit of wasabi between the rice and fish; when eating sashimi a little wasabi mixed into your soy sauce is okay. 

3. Bite once. Sashimi, nigiri sushi, and maki rolls should be consumed in one bite if possible. The size of fish and rolls in Japan tend to be much smaller than what we have in the U.S. So, if you can't eat your sushi in two bites, you probably shouldn't be eating it at all. 

4. Eat in order. Start with sashimi, then sushi with rice, then miso soup. Picked ginger should be eaten only as a palate cleanser between bites. If what you are eating contains cream cheese, pineapple, barbecued pork, or fried chicken, it's not really sushi. 

We hope these tips were helpful and we definitely learned a thing or two that will have us adapting several of our sushi habits... 

Start the Week off Right

Start the week off right with this warm and spicy vegetarian dish - Spicy Tofu with Red Bell Peppers. 

This dish combines Asian flavors like fresh ginger and soy sauce with crunchy vegetables and sauteed tofu. Red pepper flakes proved heat while lime juice adds tartness. 

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil

2 large red bell peppers, seeded, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 14-to 16-ounce package extra-firm tofu, drained well, cut into 1-inch cubes

3 green onions, thinly sliced on diagonal

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1 6-ounce bag baby spinach leaves

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

1/3 cup lightly salted roasted peanuts

Directions:

1. Heat oil in wok over high heat. Add bell peppers, ginger, and garlic; saute until peppers just begin to soften, about 2 minutes.

2. Add tofu and green onions; toss 2 minutes.

3. Add next 3 ingredients. Toss to blend, about 1 minutes.

4. Add spinach in 3 additions, tossing until beginning to wilt, about 1 minute for each addition. Mix in basil. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle peanuts over. 

One can also add rice for a heartier dish. This recipe serves 4 and is brought to you by Bon Appetit.  

Valentine's Day - Sweet Hot Cocoa

Warm up this Valentine's day with some delicious hot cocoa!

Add marshmallow hearts to your hot chocolate for an even sweeter hot treat for you and that special someone.  

All you need to do is purchase a bag of basic marshmallows and punch each marshmallow with a heart shaped cookie cutter. You will then be left with a marshmallow heart and a marshmallow cut out of a heart. Place the sweet treats into your hot cocoa and enjoy! 

Michael Phelps - The black last has begun...

Since the now infamous photograph of Michael Phelps smoking out of a bong hit the internet the back lash from his sponsors and USA swimming has begun! 

USA swimming has suspended Phelps from competition for 3 months. They are sending the message the drugs are not appropriate for anyone, especially athletes. Kellogg brand has also decided to drop its sponsorship of Phelps because of the photo. Kellogg issued this statement...

"Michael's most recent behavior is not consistent with the image of Kellogg. His contract expires at the end of February and we have made a decision not to extend his contract." 

Phelps did apologize for his actions, but do you think that this was enough? Do you think that it was right for Kellogg to drop him and for him to be suspended? The golden boy doesn't seem that golden anymore! We will be waiting to see if other sponsors drop the super star athlete. 

More Valentine's Day Heart & Diamond Gifts

If you are looking for Valentine's Day jewelry at the perfect affordable price, Ex-cessories.com is definitely the place to go!

Click here to view our selection of heart earrings and here to view our selection of diamond earrings. 

Looking for a beautiful diamond bracelet? Click here to check out our affordable selection! Remember... "diamonds are a girl's best friend."