Reviews by Smika

Smika says "Forget the little black dress..this little WRAP dress is amazing" about Butter by Nadia Signature Wrap Dress

Smika — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:48:56 GMT

The Butter by Nadia Signature wrap dress will become the go-to dress in your closet, I guarantee it!

It is a wrap dress made of super comfortable jersey or satin fabric and the best part is that you can wrap the dress in dozens of different ways to create tons of looks. No exaggeration, wear it as a strapless, halter, kimono, sleeveless, capped sleeved, just as a skirt, and so much more. Check out the photos I uploaded to see more styles. You can show as much or as little skin as you want, and dress it up or down. I have 3 weddings to attend this month, all with varying degrees of formality, and my Butter by Nadia wrap dress will work for all of them just by changing how I wear it. You can completely glam it up, or even go casual with flip-flops or wearing it over skinny jeans.

It's one size fits all (or most, the label says sizes 2-16) and it really does work on any figure - just wrap in a way to emphasize your assets and cover the rest! I also think it would be an amazing maternity...

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Smika says "CB2 -- modern furniture that actually is 'within reach'" about CB2

Smika — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 05:31:56 GMT

CB2 is a furniture website that offers home furnishings at an affordable price. They are a sister company of Crate and Barrel, but the style of furniture is more modern and on average, the price point is typically lower than you'll find at Crate and Barrel. They sell furniture, such as desks, beds, storage units, sofas, and chairs as well as ton of decorative accessories and kitchen items, including fun and functional glasses, plates, silverware and serving items.

Overall, I recommend CB2.com as a good place to find affordable furniture as well as bright, colorful, fun items for your home. If the thought of a bright orange credenza excites rather than appalls you, this is a good place for you to shop. I'm not a big fan of mass produced art so I tend to avoid those items, but if your design preferences lean towards the modern side, I think CB2 is a good shopping option. If I had to describe CB2 in terms of how it ranks in quality and cost compared to other furniture stores, it would...

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Smika says "Wonderful, amazing concept - but why oh why does it taste funky?" about Coke - Diet Coke Plus

Smika — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:18:15 GMT

So, I drink a lot of Diet Coke. A LOT. Probably far too much for my own good, but I can't help it, I just love it. I never ever drank it growing up but in college, my good friend Dee (and ardent Diet Coke fan) lived with me for 3 months and in that short amount of time, I was hooked. I suppose I should be happy she wasn't into other things, but I digress....

So, given that I drink a lot of diet coke, and given that I know it's probably not most healthy thing in the world, I was PSYCHED when Diet Coke Plus came out. The premise: the same old Diet Coke that I know and love, now fortified with a portion of my daily recommended dose of vitamins and minerals. For a person like me, who drinks more dc than milk, this is a fabulous development.

Here was an opportunity to get all of that sweet diet coke goodness AND vitamins and minerals at the same time!?!? Wonderful!! Every little bit of self justification helps and I could see this development helping me justify my diet coke......

Smika says "Do really cool apps justify the need to charge it every day??" about Apple - iPhone 3G Cell Phone

Smika — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 21:42:58 GMT

I am really torn on my Apple iPhone. It's very cool, and the web interface, search functionality, and all of the applications are great. But. I really don't like that I have to charge it almost every day. On the road/traveling that becomes quite a pain. I converted to an iPhone from a Blackberry, and honestly, it was WAAY better in terms of holding the charge. In fairness, I suppose I didn't have fun dice games on my BB. In addition, even though I am getting used to typing on the iphone, I still greatly prefer texting on the Blackberry. Lastly, I don't think that the phone service is nearly as good, but that is probably more of a function of it being AT&T instead of Verizon (much better network).

However, if 'putting your money where your mouth is' is actually a good indicator of how strongly you recommend something, I guess I'd better up my rating. I lost my almost new iPhone in a taxi and I waited almost a full week debating whether to pony up for a new one. In the end, I......

Smika says "Fuel efficient it ain't...but zero maintenance issues is a plus!" about Nissan Xterra - 2003

Smika — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 21:36:02 GMT

I am by no means a car expert so take my advice with a grain of salt! However, our Nissan Xterra has gotten us through all of the trips to the home depot and carting stuff back and forth that comes with buying a house, moving, renovating a house, and moving back in. With all of that heavy usage, it's proven to be a good everyday car. I like that it's a mid-sized SUV - big enough to carry a lot of people, luggage or random stuff - but not so huge that parking is an issue.

On the downside, it doesn't get great gas mileage, which has become a bigger issue in the last year for obvious reasons. I knew what the mileage was when we bought it so I guess I shouldn't complain, but I have learned that it's one thing to read "17 MPG" and it's another to realize that this translates in filling your car up every 4 days.

As importantly, however, we've had absolutely no maintenance issues at all with our Xterra. We've kept up with regular oil changes and such but that is literally it. Given......

Smika says "Recyclable, practical, & stylish. Yep, I AM talking about carpet" about Flor Carpet Tiles

Smika — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:48:44 GMT

I had seen FLOR carpet tiles in magazines and liked the concept and look of them, but I resisted actually buying them because I was dubious that they'd actually work. Big Mistake! In person, they look great and even better, they work fantastically well too.

If you don't know exactly what FLOR tiles are, they are essentially 20" x 20" square tiles of carpeting that you can configure into a rug or even wall-to-wall carpet. They arrive in boxes and the first thing you'll notice is how heavy and sturdy they are, with a solid backing as well as stickers used to keep them in place. This addressed part of my initial concern - I thought they would slide around, but that wasn't the case AT ALL. Ours have been installed for over a year now and they are still in perfect position.

In terms of installation, you can literally do it yourself, although if you have a big space, two people working together is best to make sure everything lines up. If you are installing them as a rug, you need NOTHING...

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Smika says "Another beautiful, but not so functional, sink" about Kohler Purist Wading Pool lavatory K-2314

Smika — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:06:39 GMT

Kohler has a series of bathroom fixtures and furniture called "Purist". The line is contemporary, minimal and is meant to evoke a spa like feeling in your own home. This review is specifically about the Purist Wading sink, although we have several products from the line - including two wall mounted vanities, and two matching mirrored cabinets.

So, I again got swept up with the look of the sinks. Overall, the Purist products really do create a spa-like feel in our master bathroom. I love that everything is wall mounted, creating a light, airy feeling. But the sinks....back to the good ole sinks. If you saw my review on my kitchen sink, well, it's pretty much the same problem.

These lavatories have flat bottoms, and flat surfaces do not drain well. This is problematic because draining and removing whatever is in the sink is kind of the sink's primary function! Now, for me, the poor drainage is not as big as a problem here as in the kitchen sink because I am only using......

Smika says "Square sinks LOOK cool, but most sinks are round for a reason!" about Blanco Precision Series - Super Single Bowl

Smika — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:06:45 GMT

Okay, so I admit, I am a sucker for modern design in general, and especially modern furniture, appliances, and gadgets for the home. But....the thing I've come to appreciate is that beautifully designed items need to be functional as well.

Take my kitchen sink. Blanco's Precision series of sinks is gorgeous. They are big, deep, square, and bold. Ours really is the perfect aesthetic for our modern home. When we picked ours out we got the large single bowl and laughed and said it would be the perfect sized sink for bathing a baby (keep in mind we only have a dog so far!). But until kids come along, we need to use our kitchen sink for the far more mundane daily task of washing dishes and rinsing things off.

And in this regard, well, our sink is square and flat bottomed. There is the slightest angle down to the drain, but overall the slant is minimal. As it turns out, flat sinks don't really drain very well! It's a constant hassle to have to do 2-3 extra rinses everytime...

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Smika says "Instant gratification for all of your shoe desires!" about Zappos.com

Smika — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:17:18 GMT

I spend a lot of time shopping online. And I buy a lot of shoes. And I am not always the most patient person in the world. Therefore, Zappos.com is a perfect website for me!

In terms of the site, navigation, and shopping cart process, Zappos is comparable to other ecommerce websites - although their "Larger Image and Alternate views" are fantastic. You really get a sense for what you are purchasing. However, what truly sets them apart is their selection and service. Others have mentioned it here and I cannot agree more.

In terms of selection - it's just so extensive. You can find everything from high-end brands to everyday options. Also try their search functionality - you can find specific items very easily (try 2 inch heels, wide calf boots, etc).

The beauty of Zappos really begins when you place an order. First of all, it arrives within 2 days. So if you have a weekend event and it's Wednesday - you are fine. Second, you don't get charged some crazy fee...

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Smika says "Amazing service & competitive prices-without going to the burbs!" about Grand Appliance & TV - Chicago, IL

Smika — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 05:50:20 GMT

In a 2 year gut rehab project that tried my patience, budget and relationship, I can say that Grand Appliance & TV is the ONLY vendor I can wholeheartedly recommend now that the whole process is fully over and done.

We bought our major appliances a few months into the project, and spent a ton of initial time researching online, and then spent countless hours at Abt, and even shopped at Direct Buy (we were members) but weren't overwhelmed with any of the options. And then a friend recommended Michael at Grand.

I can't tell you how nice it was to work with someone who KNOWS THEIR PRODUCTS, who can answer all of those little questions that are specific to your project, to interact with the same person every time you came back, and generally work with someone who is nice, personable, and actually remembers you and your situation when you return.

That alone is very worthwhile to me, but even better, we got better pricing than Abt or Direct Buy (when you added in delivery, etc). AND all of...

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Smika says "PERFECT when you need last minute color" about Philosophy The Big Skinny Tinted Body Shaper

Smika — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:28:06 GMT

It's important to understand what Philosophy's Big Skinny is...and is NOT. It's not a sunless tanning product. Therefore, it does not come out gradually, it is not waterproof, and it does not last for days. It's a tinted lotion that you rub on (just like moisturizer) for instant color. Howver, when you use it in the manner it was designed for, it's amazing!

I am a paleface (yup - red hair, blue eyes, freckles) and so I have tried almost every product out there for sunless tanning, from the moisturizers where the color gradually appears, to the full-on spray tan application by a pro in a spa. I believe that different occasions call for different sunless tanning products.

The Big Skinny is great for last minute occasions where you don't have days or even hours to wait for your sunless color to arrive. It's also my go-to "lazy" option - you can apply it just where you need it in the same amount of time it takes to put on lotion (and a few extra minutes to let it dry). Finally,...

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