Over the last year or so I’ve developed quite a liking for Kate Spade jewelry and accessories. I like the colors, clean lines and palpable sense of whimsy all her stuff, but the prices? Not so much. Luckily I’ve got two KS outlet stores near me, where prices are much more realistic and I can usually find some funky little frivolity to perk up an outfit.

Case in point: this amazing cuff. I fell in love with it the moment I saw it, and at $25 dollars (discounted from $125), buying it was a no-brainer. I wear it with a plain black or white three-quarter sleeve T, and I can’t tell you how many compliments I get when I do.

But the Kate purchase to trump all others has got to be this Poppy Fields pendant. I’d snapped up the matching ring on sale in the “real” KS store a few weeks before.

It was still more than I wanted to pay, but it was around Christmas time and what can I say?  My price-resistance was low. But I balked at paying $116 (on sale!) for the matching necklace, even though I knew I’d be able to rock it in so many ways.

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago. I’d planned a trip to the Orlando outlet malls with my shopper-in-crime Allyson and mentioned to her that I wanted to check KS on the off-chance that they might have the necklace – which is from the current collection, mind you – in store. Well, as I pushed the door, what did I spy on the display at the register? Yes, fellow shoppers, a single Poppy Fields pendant suspended from the display. In nano seconds I pounced, inhaled as I turned over the price tag and could hardly contain myself when I saw what it read: $27.99!

Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is a deal and a half!

Mmmm .... Marmite

So I’ve just flown halfway around the world to visit my family in Wales, and I thought nothing could eclipse my joy at seeing them again after many months apart.

But I was wrong.

What could be better than a family reunion? I have two words for you: Marmite cheese

I can’t believe that no one ever thought about putting these two tasty treats together before, but thank God they did. For the uninitiated, Marmite is a savory dark brown spread made in England from brewers yeast. It has a distinctive smell and salty taste and it’s one of those things that you love if  you had it as a child, but which you’re pretty much guaranteed to hate if you encounter it for the first time as an adult. I grew up having it spread thinly over butter on toast (which Mummy would cut into inch-long strips or “soldiers”), and as a college student, my housemates and I often made Sunday breakfasts of toasted Marmite and cheese sandwiches.

Which brings me back to this black waxy wheel of tasty goodness, made from Somerset cheese laced with eight percent Marmite. It arrived on UK supermarket shelves late last year and has been hugely popular – particularly for grilled cheese on toast (or Welsh rarebit, as its called over here). Supper the night I arrived at my parents’ place was a platter of smoked salmon, strawberries and homegrown cherry tomatoes accompanied by a truckle (a wheel of cheese in fromageur-speak) of Marmite – OMG!!!

It’s 100g of heaven that clocks in at 405 calories  – and trust me, it’s worth every single one.

I never leave the house without some bold bauble perched on the middle finger of my right hand, and over the years I’ve amassed quite a collection of dramatic digital decoration. (I blame my mother, who gave me a stainless steel and stone ring about 15 years ago, propelling me towards my ring-obsessed destiny.)

But last weekend I found the ring  – actually two  – that have since become the crown jewels of my collection. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Exhibit A:

I scored this Kenneth Jay Lane beauty at Saks Off Fifth at Orlando’s Prime Outlets, marked down to $40 from a whopping $90. People have told me it looks like a TV screen, candy, or a weapon, but to me it just looks like ten types of awesome rolled into one. And I love the nifty adjustable doohickey inside, which allows it to fit fingers sized 6 to 9  – why don’t all rings come with these?) I love this beauty so much that it brings me a little frisson of pleasure every time I look down at it on my hand (at least 1,000 times a day). And I love it so much that I couldn’t resist buying its “sister,” Exhibit B:

I’ve been lusting over this ring ever since I spied it in a fashion feature in the latest issue of O, The Oprah Magazine. Come on, who wouldn’t be enchanted by it’s turquoise and coral loveliness? KJL’s website is for wholesalers only, so it took me a lengthy Google Images search before I found it, for sale only on this website. The list price was more than I wanted to spend, but with a quick “Revolve Clothing coupon” search I snagged a 30% discount on all first-time orders. Score!!

Are you ring-crazy, too? Do you hoard handbags? Have you run out of space for your shoes? Or are you enslaved by some other accessory addiction? Confess your sins (and share your sources) in the comments.

But what I wasn’t expecting to find was a pharmacy, filled to the rafters with shelves of medication and jam-packed with shoppers. I noticed a huddle of men circling one particular corner of the dispensary and when I managed to jostle my way through the crowd, here’s what I saw:

Front-end lifters, no scrip required

Yep, apparently the erectile disfunction drugs Cialis, Viagra and Levitra are available over-the-counter down Mexico way at prices lower than in the U.S.. Evidently, the airport pharmacy does a roaring trade with outbound Casanovas who need a little help “putting the lead in the pencil,” if you know what I mean.

Most readers of this blog are female, but I thought this info was worth passing along, nevertheless. You know … just in case.

I’ve been enchanted by these angelic wood carvings ever since I first saw them on a trip to Mexico last year. The hotel I was staying in had huge ones – maybe three feet-high – on the walls and they really made a bold statement.

Fast forward to yesterday, when I snagged one of my own in a tiny Tulum craft store. Full disclosure: the one in the photo isn’t the one I ended up buying but I liked this one so much that the owner let me snap a pic, since I couldn’t swing buying both.

I’ve been trying to find out the story behind these traditional carvings and why the angels are always depicted with their lips pursed as if they’re blowing something. No luck yet, so if you happen to know, please do clue me in. In the meantime, I like to think that they’re sending a warm breath of health and happiness on everyone who sees them, and I can’t wait to get home and find a special place for mine.

If you’re ever in Tulum, be sure to stop by Mixik and browse their colorful and eclectic collection of folk art, craft, jewelry, furniture – and these adorable angels. Sure, you could always pick up one on eBay (search for Mexican angels)  but you’ll have a much more interesting story to tell if you hop south of the border and get yours there.

Call me crazy but when I travel, I love going to drugstores and supermarkets. Somehow even the most mundane supplies seem more interesting when they’re colorfully labeled in a foreign language, and I find it fascinating to check out unfamiliar local brands and packaging.

Case in point: I was in a supermarket in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico on Monday, hunting for deodorant (there was an unfortunate mishap with the Dove stick I brought with me, but the less said about that, the better) when I spied this adorable Weeble-like purple Garnier roll-on and a petite Dove roll-on, the likes of which I’ve never seen Stateside. Both are made in Mexico and come in carry-on friendly sizes, and the Garnier “Pure Fun” scent is surprisingly – and deliciously – fruity. Needless to say, I bought them both.

Let me tell you: sitting here  in 97-degree Tulum, I’m sure glad I did.

All dressed up and nowhere to go

I can’t say that I ever really pay attention to store mannequins – I’m usually transfixed by the merch itself – but this one, captured at Nordstrom in Aventura, caught my eye. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a black male mannequin before (and such a good looking one, at that), and I was really impressed to see a little diversity in the display at one of my favorite stores. And no, the dummies weren’t decked out in any kind of hip-hop, urban (ie: stereotypically black) gear either; my guys were rocking the preppy look hard, complete with bow ties and tailored jackets. Amen to that.

I tried doing a little web research to find out what this particular model is named and came up empty handed. But wouldn’t you know it: I called Nordy’s and was immediately connected to Visual Manager Jerrell Thorne, who gave me the scoop.

Apparently Nordstrom uses mannequins of all ethnicities: white, black, Asian and mixed. They even have petite versions (at 5’ 6” tall they’re “short” by mannequin standards; a regular mannequin is 5’ 11”) and plus-sized forms, which are size 14.

Jerrell told me that the object of my affections has no real name, only a style number: IG1B. Apparently the staff affectionately calls him Michael. Perhaps I may be so bold as to suggest a surname for this luscious piece of fiberglass hotness? Let’s call him Michael … Fine.

Tim tells the audience how to "make it work."

What’s better than meeting your fave celebrity in the flesh? Meeting them and finding out that they’re just as wonderful in real life as they seem on TV.

Such was the case last week, when I met master sartorialist (actually, he calls himself a fashion therapist) Tim Gunn, of Project Runway fame. He was making an appearance at my local Kate Spade boutique (Tim left Parsons for Liz Claiborne about a year ago, and LC owns the Kate Spade brand), promoting their cute, colorful and very spendy accessories, and I stood about five feet away from him throughout his presentation. Be still my beating heart!

He was every bit as dapper as he appears on TV, impeccably turned out in a slim-fit suit and looking very trim himself. The crowd of about 70 fans was rapt the entire time, and completely enchanted by his presence. Tim was polite, stylish and knowledgeable – just as he is on TV. Gotta love him.

Dropping $100 on some Kate Spade merch (which bought exactly two key rings!) earned me a place in line to take a photo with The Fashionable One, and you know I had to engage him in some convo. Turns out he hasn’t had a vacay since 2000 and has never been to the Caribbean. Luck would have it that this was the one time I didn’t have my business cards with me, otherwise you know I’d be emailing him right now and offering to show him around my part of the world!

He was kind enough to sign my talking Tim bobblehead (I didn’t forget the Sharpie, though) and appeared to be completely engaged  in our  brief conversation, even though he must have talked to a gazillion strangers that day. Now that’s classy.

I can’t wait for PR’s return in August, even if it is on lame-o Lifetime. For a weekly dose of Timaliciousness, it’ll be worth it.

My favorite milliner, the lovely and charming Guillermo Jeffs

If you find yourself in Old San Juan with a retail itch you just have to scratch (pretty much my constant state of being), resist the urge to follow the hordes to the jam-packed Coach, Guess and Ralph Lauren Polo stores and make a detour to 105 Fortaleza Street instead.

There, the delightful Guillermo Jeffs has been selling Panama hats out of his tiny store, Ole, for more than 30 years and will custom-fit one of his collection of 5,000 lids to your size and taste. Choose a jaunty variegated style in vivid red, yellow and blue or go traditional and accessorize a cream-hued fedora with a woven cotton band in the color of your choice. On a recent visit, Jeffs measured me and told me, much to my dismay, that my head is the largest standard hat size – seven and three quarters, thank you very much. Nevertheless, I left Ole with a capacious scarlet-ribboned Panama of my own and a functional and stylish souvenir of a great trip.

What off-the-beaten path retail opportunities have you discovered on your travels?

Ole's toppers start at $45 and go all the way to a whopping $4,000!