Around the Oriole Blog-O-Sphere: Arbitration Edition

Sully Baseball thinks teams should beware of the Orioles in 2011.

And he's not the only one. NESN's Tony Lee thinks that the AL East will get even tougher as the Orioles and Blue Jays improve.

The Orioles will be scouring the waiver wire for players who are not tendered contracts this weekend. And they may not tender one member of their bullpen. Guess who?

If you've been living in a cave for the past week and haven't seen the Felix Pie meltdown, enjoy.

Steve Giles of the Baltimore Sports Report ponders what it will mean now that top pitching prospect Zach Britton has signed with Scott Boras. Although I think Steve's outlook is a bit of the Pollyanna treatment, Baltimore won't have to worry about Boras vis a vis Britton for a few years anyway.

Call to the Pen takes a look at his Top 100 Prospects list and feels there is a bleak outlook for Baltimore down on the farm. I disagree...a bit. More on that later.

What has 13 straight losing seasons wrought? Some October Refugees. Chris Jaffe of The Hardball Times takes a look at the best players of the Wild Card era to never play in the postseason. Baltimore is represented, as you would expect.

New York's Sweet Booths is having a contest giveaway! - more than a photo booth its video too! Fun for weddings

I LOVE Sweet Booths! Located in New York, they are not just a photo booth for your wedding or event they also have video. A bride can share her special message to her groom or her guests can share their well wishes to the happy couple and take fun picts too! Makes a great favor as well!

And now Sweet Booths are having a contest and want to include The Lela New York readers, that's you!
They want to hear your LOVE story of how you met, how sweet right?
***Don't forget to tell them Lela New York sent you***
Some contest details are below but for the full details go to Sweet Booths.

Good Luck!

Lady Gaga’s Killer Dress at the Louvre

Dolce&Gabbana is representing Italian creativity and craftsmanship with two dresses at Parisian Musée Des Arts Décoratifs. Lady Gaga’s famous corset-armor dress is the first one!

The corset armor dress in laminated leather is presented in a chic box at Musée Des Arts Décoratifs. It’s obvious that an average fashion addict would recognize the dress from New Sexy Glam 2007 collection and Jessica Stam wearing it on the runway; yet a true fashionista would smile for sure at how creative the presentation of this piece is since it was worn by Lady Gaga in the ‘Paparazzi’ video while getting her mugshots taken at the police station.
news by Swide



Wow this dress is really a scupture,when i first saw it i thought it was metal,here i learn is laminated leather, i can't resist sewing one like this by myself(i know i know, it like impossible but i like challenges!)

Dolce e Gabbana rappresentano la creatività italiana al Louvre con 2 vestiti in esposizione di cui uno è il famoso corsetto armatura indossato da lady gaga.
Questo vestito è fantastico è una scultura,avevo pensato fosse di metallo,qui leggo invece che si tratta di pelle laminata, fantastico,non so se resisterò alla tentazione di cucirmene uno simile(si lo so è impossibile ma mi piacciono le sfide!)

Welcome Back

Delco escapee, captured in Delaware, returns to jail to the tune of Welcome Back Kotter

Welcome back,
A snafu was your ticket out.

Welcome back,
To that same old place we all laughed about.

Well, the names have all changed since you hung around,
But Taaqi and Taariq, well they've both been found.

Who'd have thought we'd catch ya? (Who'd have thought we'd catch ya?)
Down there where we snatched ya (Down there where we snatched ya)

Yeah they teased us a lot, you sure put us on the spot, welcome back,
Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.

Over the sky and above:topshop shoes s/s 2011 preview

Topshop perspex wedges for S/S 11

This a preview of the spring summer Topshop shoes collection,it's all about tassels and perpex and wedges. I love the woven details but i'm not sure if i'll be able to walk in them!
We should open a discussion on perpex heels.At first they were strippers heels but then they have been revaluated by prada with her chandelier heels. I have to say perpex has a sci-fi,futuristic appeal that i love.In these particular topshop heels there's contrast,it's like past meets future because we have a leather work that evokes handcraft and the perpex heel that speaks of future.I still have to think about them.
It's fun that some of the fashion we're thinking for the future,leather,studs perpex,metallic details it's the same fashion we've seen is some sci-fi films set in the future shot throughout the ages,it's like we're living the future in the exact way we thought it would be.


Un assaggio della collezione di scarpe estiva di topshop. Intrecci,pennacci e zeppe di plexiglass. Adoro i dettagli intrecciati ma non so se sarò in grado di camminarci.
Dovremmo aprire una discussione sui tacchi di plexi. Prima solo appannaggio delle spogliarelliste sono stati sdoganati di prada con la sua proposta chandelier heels.Per quanto mi riguarda il plexiglass ha un appeal molto futuristico.Queste scarpe di topshop sono costituite dal contrasto tra passato e futuro. I dettagli in pelle evocano artigianato mentre il tacco in plexi guarda al futuro, devo pensarci un po' su.
E' divertente vedere che la moda che oggi indossiamo come quella pensata per i prossimi anni come pelle,borchie,dettagli metallici sia la stessa che abbiamo visto nei film di fantascienza degli ultimi 30 anni, sembra che stiamo vivendo il futuro proprio come l'avevamo pensato!

Filling your Christmas list:10 essentials of the season

Oh the weather outside is frightful, But the fire is so delightful, And since we've too many places to go,let's go shop,let's go shop, let's go shop.
Ok, i've been taken by the christmas mood, that is another way to say i've been taken by the shopping fever.
But to avoid impluse buys let's sit down and write our christmas list.Later on you can whisper it to your boyfriend while he's sleeping so it will turn out it has been his very own idea!
Let's look at our wardrobe: do we have all the seasonal must haves?
Christmas is the right time to grab them all.
This is my list of the season must haves, feel free to tell me yours.
I made a polyvore set for you

1. a coral (or red) maxi dress a 70s vibe for your christmas parties
2. a leopard coat (we need one anycase)
3. 70s flare jeans
4. city ankle boots
5. a pair of wedges
6. a little black dress with some character (take one decorated it will make your look)
7. a piece of Lanvin for H&M (we talked about it all autumn so you've got to have one!)
8. ruffle coral shoes (coral is one of the seasonal most hot colors)
9. structured wool sweater (one with loops or exagerated shoulders,one with some unusual decorations)
10. a brocade coat or dress

off the list but still very important

1. a 60s dress
2. a jumpsuit or a playsuit
3. a wide floppy hat

Oh the weather outside is frightful, But the fire is so delightful, And since we've too many places to go,let's go shop,let's go shop, let's go shop.
Ok, sono stata contagiata dallo spirito natalizio che in altre parole vuol dire dallo spirito natalizio dello shopping.
Per evitare di comprare la prima cosa che ci attira salvo poi non poterla abbinare con niente sediamoci un attimo e scriviamo la nostra lista di Natale. Con calma dopo la potrete sussurrare nell'orecchio del vostro ragazzo mentre dorme così al risveglio penserà che sia stata una sua idea!
Guardiamo nell'armadio: abbiamo tutti i pezzi necessari della stagione?
Natale è un'ottima occasione per completare la collezione.
Ho stilato una lista di quelli che sono i must haves della stagione, vi ho anche fatto un set con polyvore!

1. un vestito maxi corallo perfetto per i party natalizi(non ve lo mettete ai party dove andrò io però!)
2. un cappotto leopardato(non può mancare nell'armadio cmq)
   
3. pantaloni a zampa anni 70
   
4. stivaletti per la città,vanno di moda quelli stringati
   
5. un paio di zeppe
6. un tubino nero con un po' di carattere decorato in maniera appariscente(da solo farà il vostro look)
   
7. un pezzo della collezione Lanvin at h&m(ormai ne abbiamo parlato per mesi, ne dovete avere uno)
   
8. scarpe corallo decorate con ruche
9. maglione scultura (decorato in maniera vistosa con avvolgimenti o ganci o pon pon)
   
10. un vestito o un cappotto broccato

fuori lista ma cmq necessari

1. un vestito anni 60, quelli a sacchetto un po' svasati sotto
2. una tuta lunga o con shorts (non quella da ginnastica!!)
3. un cappello a falda larga
   

Your Junk is Safe with Big Sis

Ovando floral boutique - A New location in New York's Upper East Side & special interview with Lela

Ovando, Manhattan’s premiere floral boutique known for its distinctive arrangements and window displays, has opened a second retail location on the Upper East Side at 19 East 65th Street between Madison and Fifth Avenues. The space is triple the size of its West Village shop, 1000 sq. feet to be exact.

Ovando's clients range from retail, wedding, corporate and real estate to the hotel and food service industries; they provide high-end weekly and monthly installations and custom design environments for corporate and social events as well as make deliveries to individuals ordered for special occasions.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Sandra de Ovando, the creative force behind Ovando, and here is how it went:

1. What inspires you to create your beautiful designs?
Natural forms of color and structure, almost anything in it’s pure and natural state of being.

2. What services do you provide?
Ovando is a full service floral business providing in-store purchases, daily deliveries, weekly installations and maintenance for residences, corporations, fashion houses, and boutique hotels. Ovando also specializes in events, parties, and weddings- overseeing every detail from flowers, lighting, and linens to table settings.

3. What makes Ovando unique?
Being simple not simplistic.
Our belief that colors, shapes, and texture of flowers and plants are truly where beauty lies. So our designs and compositions are meant to accentuate these basic but one of kind properties. This design philosophy makes Ovando unique and sets us apart from the rest.

4. Could you please explain your process?
Ovando’s design principles are rooted in modern Mexican architecture. Artistic values are always considered when arranging the freshest and boldest flowers, unusual plants, striking cacti and carefully chosen accessories.  Keeping in touch with these principles assures the integrity and consistency of our work.

5. What can you advice brides and couples to be aware of or avoid when choosing their floral
Designer?
Choose a florist that you trust because that allows your floral designer do what they do best when it comes to creating a custom look for you.
Pay attention to seasonal flowers as they are the largest and the most beautiful in their time of year.
Be aware of how to plan your budget wisely. Allocate dollars to where your guests spend the most time such as the centerpiece during dinner.

6. Could you share with us your favorite floral design that you created?
The window box

7. What are the latest trends in floral design?
Using traditional flowers such as carnations, lilies and roses presented in a more interesting yet sophisticated and modern design.

Thank you Sandra for the wonderful interview!

xo

Dude, Where's My Bong?

The medical marijuana movement has made its way Pennsylvania. With a doctor's note you would be able get weed to alleviate whatever aches, pains and/or anxieties you have with the help of medicinal pot, you know, as opposed to the recreational kind.

A number of states have already approved doctor-prescribed pot, which is to say the camel's nose is well under the tent. This is a lot like gambling industry and how we got table games in Pa. First it was the state lottery, then slots, then craps. It was only a matter of time and taste.

There really is no good reason why pot, ought to remain outlawed when so many other quasi-unhealthy products are perfectly legal and on the market. No doubt, there will be social costs with the decriminalization of pot. The more tolerant we are of drugs, the more use there will be. But decriminalization has its benefits. Instead of wasting time locking people up and burdening our courts with these sorts of cases, we should be treating casual (and even excessive) use as a personal life-style choice to be respected, condemned or made fun of as the community sees fit.

It has always seemed incredibly odd to me that you can have a legal abortion in this country but you can't legally smoke a joint.

In Michigan, medical marijuana is legal. Nolan Findley has some reasonable thoughts on the subject.

Leslie Nielsen Dies

Nothing to see here.



Something to see here.

Beating a Dead Horse Named Victor

A few things I read in a Britt Ghiroli post yesterday have me all worked up about Victor Martinez again. (Bear with me, there's a point here...)


Orioles fans are upset about losing Martinez, and understandably so. He would have been a nice addition...


If losing Martinez showed anything, it is that the Orioles are going to struggle to sign any big-name free agents. To think they are going to solve their holes in the infield and batting lineup without making a trade --likely costing them a young arm or two -- is naive.
They aren't getting away from MacPhail's mantra of stockpiling young arms. But if they are going to keep up with the "buy the bats" approach, it will take more than opening their wallets for the Konerko's and Pena's to field a competitive team next spring. It will probably take a trade.... 


I'm not going to pick on Ghiroli here, her view is reflected by every local mainstream writer on the Oriole beat. There are a few truths that just seem to be givens concerning the Orioles' pursuit of Victor Martinez:


1. Martinez would have been a good fit for Baltimore.
2. Not only was offering Martinez $48 million for 4 years the correct thing to do, the Orioles probably should have offered more.
3. Martinez didn't want to come here because Baltimore is not an attractive destination for free agents and thus:
4. The Orioles must pay through the nose to attract even moderately attractive talent.


I won't argue the first point. Martinez playing first base over the next three or four seasons would have been just fine. The problem comes with the price and length of contract the Orioles offered to try to get him.


To address the second assumption, I will refer you back to this post and restate that while Martinez' bat is a superior one for a catcher, it is middling compared to other first basemen in the league. It ranks somewhere above Adam LaRoche and under Todd Helton over the past four seasons. Martinez was not going to catch much, if at all, in Baltimore. (Apparently, he won't be catching much in Detroit either...)


That greatly reduces his value. Period. Think about it this way: Is anybody clamoring to lock up Luke Scott to a four year deal for $12 mil per season? No. Nor should they. But over the past three seasons, Scott has posted an OPS over 20 points higher than Martinez (and has played about 50 more games over that stretch too). But Martinez is the middle-of-the-order bat Baltimore needs? Thinks about that. Not even the hitter that Luke Scott is. Closer to Adam LaRoche in production. Is this the big bat Andy MacPhail promised? (And I'm not even factoring in the 2nd Round pick the Orioles would have lost in the 2011 draft...)


Remember when Miguel Tejada was signed last offseason and many in the media (and Dave Trembley himself) penciled him in as the cleanup hitter? Seems silly now, right? It was because they remembered Tejada as he was in 2006, not as he was in 2009. Three years of declining power didn't seem to be a signal to anybody that this was a terrible idea. Fans and media alike are remembering Martinez' value as a catcher, not the value he will provide going forward as, primarily, a first baseman or a DH.


You know what other scenario it reminds me of? Javy Lopez. I'm still of the mind that the Orioles dodged a bullet when Martinez picked Detroit.


Speaking of jilting Baltimore, why is it that Boston is not being maligned? Were they not also rejected? Is anybody assuming that Boston is an unattractive destination? That their money is no good to free agents? Of course not. Baltimore is more attractive as a destination than it has been in years. Martinez didn't give Boston the chance to up their offer either. He liked the Tigers' money and their general situation. That doesn't make other destinations unattractive, not necessarily. That's just Baltimore's inferiority complex talking.


But even if that were true, why should Baltimore strap itself down to a bad, multi-year contract just to land somebody? That doesn't work, folks. Javy Lopez. Miguel Tejada. Albert Belle. Spending money for money's sake, just to land a player, doesn't solve the losing. It's counterproductive. If the right deal isn't there, you have to let it go. You can't expect the club to panic. You should hope for just the opposite. You also can't throw a big money, multi-year deal at a middle-aged, middling bat just to "do something". But that's exactly what MacPhail did. And he acts like this was a big thrust of his offseason plans.


So the fans and mainstream media shouldn't be asking why the Orioles couldn't land Victor Martinez. The real story, the real question that should be asked is this: Why were they pursuing him so hard in the first place?

What NOT to wear on Christmas day

(Bridgette Jones's diary)

Around christmas the internet is invaded by these ugly sweaters.
The strange thing is that there is a battle to make them uglier and uglier.
From what i understood there are themed parties and it seems to be an american habit.
Instead of decorating the house they decor their sweaters!!
If you're still struggling trying to decide what to wear at christmas parties here's a hint to figure out what not to wear! :P

Sotto le feste internet è invaso da questi atroci maglioni con tema natalizio.
C'è una battaglia a chi li fa più brutti e feste a tema per sfoggiare queste "bellezze".
Per quello che ne so è una "moda" americana, invece di decorare la casa si addobbano i maglioni!!
Mentre pensiamo a cosa metterci per natale decidiamo cosa non metteremo, questi maglioni credo che ricadano in questa categoria!

DIY: how to make a cheap mannequin

If you start sewing for yourself you'll soon need a mannequin to help you make some adjustments.But our houses are small, tailor mannequins are expensive and we don't know for how long we'll be needing it, we would be able to throw it into the trash when will need more room for our wardrobe, don't we?

Plus a tailor mannequin has standard measures and real people have different proportions.
How can we resolve all these problems at the same time?

We're making the mannequin on our own.
What we need?

• an old long t shirt

• duct tape

• a friend to help you

Let's go!

• Wear the t-shirt and with the help of your friend start covering it with the duct tape wrapping it tightly but not snugly around you

You will need three layers of duct tape to make a thick form

• use smaller pieces of duct tape around the bust and underarm to ensure a faithfull form

Protect the neck area with plastic wrap; wrap to form edges at the neckline and armholes similar to those you'd want on a fitted bodice
When the first layer is complete wrap the form again twice, vertically and with smaller pieces to make it toughter and to smooth any tape wrinkles that may have occured.
At the end you can mark the waist with a marker or any other crucial measure you may need
Finally cut the form at the back putting an hand between the form and the body to avoid cutting undergarments, at the end tape the cut part.
You're done. At the end you can fill the form with newspapers or plastic bags and tape the bottom.

Now you have your very own clone for less than $20

Tutorial by thread magazine, other dress forms here

Come fare un manichino per sarta a casa con meno di 15 Euro

Quando iniziamo a cucire presto ci rendiamo conto di aver bisogno di un manichino per fare delle piccole modifiche ai nostri lavori che sarebbe complicato fare sul modello ed è complicato fare da sole con il vestito indosso. I manichini per sarti sono costosi,le nostre case sono piccole e da sarte principianti vorremmo poter buttare il manichino quando avremo bisogno di più spazio nell'armadio.In più il manichino ha misure standard e noi essendo persone vere abbiamo proporzioni diverse da persona a persona.
Ma oggi possiamo costruirci da sole il manichino su misura, il nostro clone di carta in economica
Di cosa abbiamo bisogno?

• una vecchia maglietta lunga che funga da forma
• scotch telato
• un'amica che ci aiuti

Indossiamo la t-shirt e cominciamo ad avvolgerla di scotch con l'aiuto dell'amica.Dovremo fare 3 strati di scotch per rendere la forma abbastanza dura.
Quando ci avviciniamo al busto e all'ascella facciamo pezzetti più piccoli per riprodurre bene le forme.Proteggiamo con un po' di plastica il collo e facciamo una scollatura simile a quella che utilizzeremo nei vestiti.
Finito uno strato,facciamone un altro in verticale.In totale copriamo la maglietta tre volte. Possiamo marcare misure importanti come vita e busto con un pennarello. Alla fine tagliamo la forma sul retro mettendo una mano tra il corpo e la forma in modo da non tagliare i vestiti sotto la maglietta. Una volta tolta la forma risuturiamo il taglio con lo scotch.
La forma è completa!
Possimo ora riempirla di giornali appallottolati o buste di plastica e chiudere il fondo con ancora dello scotch!
Il nostro clone è completo,andiamo a cucire!

Vintage finds of the day:Color it up!

pink coat buy here


green coat buy here


red coat buy here


light blue coat buy here

The weather outside is cold and your mood is low?
Give a sprint to your look with a colored coat.
We'll be a sparkle of spring in a grey background.

It tempo fuori è uggioso e l'umore è ai minimi storici?
Diamo uno sprint al nostro look con un cappottino colorato!
Saremo accenni di primavera, macchie di colore e buonumore in uno sfondo grigio.

Best dressed celebs of the week

• Demi Moore, ok the dress is basic,well accessorized but basic.This outfit is perfect because i think that it flatters her figure perfectly, she has an amazing body!
• Blake Lively has to keep the prize Vogue has given to her of best dressed of the year and this dress is very interisting. The dress is almost the same colour of her skin decorated with tassles (even if looking at distance those tassle look like hair),thumbs up!
• Kelly osbourne, the dress is maybe too classic but her hair style is righ for her finally. I think it balances the proportions of her face, keep this style kelly!

E' il momento di spettegolare un po'.Dopo aver parlato delle peggio vestite ecco il turno delle loro acerrime nemice:le meglio vestite

• Demi Moore,vestito semplice e ben accessoriato.Perchè questo look è perfetto? Perchè il vestito valorizza il suo corpo tonico e longilineo

• Blake Lively che ha appena vinto il premio di meglio vestita dell'anno deve difendere il primato e lo fa con un vestito che copia il colore della sua pelle decorato con una frangia importante (guardata da lontano però sembra una ciocca di capelli)
• Kelly Osborne è in questa categoria oggi non tanto per il vestito un tubino nero e scarpe nere, abbinamento abbastanza scontato ma per l'acconciatura,finalmente una pettinatura che riequilibra i volumi del suo viso, spero che la scelga di nuovo in futuro!
  

Bomb Plot Foiled, But Not By TSA

From Friday's Daily Times, my print column on the TSA at PHL and one girl's trip through the security line.

Also, last week I predicted in my Wednesday print column that the next terrorist attack in the U.S. wouldn't be at an airport or against an airliner but some other less protected target.

It appears I was right.

The FBI thwarted an attempted terrorist bombing in Portland's Pioneer Courthouse Square before the city's annual tree-lighting Friday night, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Oregon.

A Corvallis man, thinking he was going to ignite a bomb, drove a van to the corner of the square at Southwest Yamhill Street and Sixth Avenue and attempted to detonate it...

...Mohamed Osman Mohamud, 19, a Somali-born U.S. citizen, was arrested at 5:42 p.m., 18 minutes before the tree lighting was to occur, on an accusation of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. The felony charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The arrest was the culmination of a long-term undercover operation, during which Mohamud had been monitored for months as his alleged bomb plot developed.

Nice work by the FBI. And notice they didn't have to search a million air travelers to prevent it from happening.

DIY:Lanvin necklace

From now on Matter Of Style will be in italian too to conquer the heart of my own country readers too. First attempt to make the Lanvin at H&M necklace available in pink and in red.
This necklace is made with opaque beads and stamped pieces we don't have.
When i first saw the necklace i tought it was a little bit eccessive, the bold colors make it look a little naive and childish. I thought: how cute if it was opaque white and i discovered that these necklace are copies of Lanvin necklaces that were in origin white.

The version 1.0 of my reproduced necklace is with pearls.

I used pearls of 4 different dimensions.
They were all in the same box bought at co.import a shop for home accessories
This is the result. I used big pearls to substitute the bigger elements.
Once done the necklace is really a statement
This is the version with pearls, now i'll go shopping for some pink opaque beads and drops and i'll try again
please let me know what you think!

Da oggi Matter Of Style è anche in italiano per conquistare il cuore dei connazionali!!
Oggi primo tentativo di riprodurre il collier di Lanvin for H&M.
Questa collana è costituita da perline opache rosa o rosse e da degli elementi stampati. La prima volta che ho visto la collana ho pensato fosse eccessiva soprattutto per i colori accesi scelti, sembra un po' un giocattolo per bambine,la sua bellezza risiede proprio nel fatto di essere un po' naif, un elemento di rottura in un look serioso. Ho subito pensato che opaco bianco avrebbe dato il suo meglio ed infatti ho scoperto che la collana non è altro che una riproduzione di un precedente design di Lanvin appunto bianco.

Per quella che io chiamerei la versione 1.0 della collana ho utilizzato perle di 4 dimensone diverse (acquistate tutte in una scatola a co.import negozio di accessori per la casa) utilizzando le più grandi per sostituire gli elementi stampati. Che ne pensate? Oggi andrò alla ricerca di perline rosa e di gocce per cimentarmi con un po' di filo di ferro in una versione più simile all'originale.

LAnvin necklace $3000

sorry for the quality of the pics, they have been taken with a phone

We have been wearing the same dress for 30 years

Hi guys,i know fashion is a wheel, what goes around comes around, have a look at what i found today.
These dresses comes from different periods of time but are really look alike.
These are high street fashion productions.

Around the Oriole Blog-O-Sphere: Turkey Day Edition

Ross Gore of Baltimore Sport Report thinks that new Oriole hitting coach Jim Presley is just what the Baltimore hitters need.

Patrick Smith of Bugs and Cranks would've like to have seen Victor Martinez in the middle of the O's lineup but wonders what position he would have played.

I guess I wasn't the only one who was surprised that the Orioles did not offer arbitration to Koji Uehara and The Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec tries to get to the bottom of that decision. The bottom line is that the Orioles were scared of a pay raise in arbitration for Koji and the belief that he will want to come back to Baltimore anyway.

According to MLBTradeRumors.com, seven American League teams recently watched former Oriole 1st round pick Larry Bigbie work out. The teams reportedly have interest in Bigbie as a corner outfielder or DH. Bigbie played last season for the Edmonton Capitals of the independent Golden Baseball League. Bigbie was named to Baseball America's All-Independent League team as the DH. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't rooting for him.

Andrew_G of Camden Chat breaks down the new members of the Oriole coaching staff.

The Eutaw Street Hooligans don't like the idea of Derek Jeter in Baltimore any more than I do. In fact, they seem to like it even less.

Craig Calcaterra thinks that the Orioles should be thankful for Buck Showalter although he wonders if Buck isn't the sentient version of Annie Savoy's garters.

Roar from 34 looks back at a political controversy involving the Orioles, the governor of Maryland and the commissioner of baseball.

The Loss Column finds some things to be thankful for in Baltimore sports...beyond the Ravens.

Kevin takes a look at the Oriole coaching changes, as he would, through the prism of baseball cards.

Lanvin at H&M: fabrics and fitting

As promised i took today some pictures of details of lanvin dresses.
The first impression is that the fabrics used are different compared with the usual h&m ones.
They are all synthetic.
I'll talk about the pieces i've bought first.

• The pink ruffle dress.

The fabric used look like satin but it's not shiny.
Hems are all unfinished but they put a rigid ribbon in the borders. There is a small black ribbon belt attached to the dress.
The ruffle part has borders exposed in the skirt.
These dresses in my opinion fit bigger than usual,i would say a size bigger.

elastic band at the belt

• The zebra trench coat

The zebra trench coat has the most particular fabric, when i saw the preview pictures i tought it was satin but it's not, the fabric has structure, a little rigid and rough to the touch, a little creased, hems are unfinished here too even lateral sewn parts have rought borders on the front part of the trench instead of being on the reverse side. It's a pity!

• The white bow skirt

This skirt is made of taffetta,no hems here too,borders are secured only by a zig zag stitch.
This one has the zip hidden by the bow, it's the only one who has the zipper hidden, all other dresses have a big black zipper exposed on the side or back.The skirt sits on hips and it's higher on the back than on the front.

My cousin bought the ruffle flower print dress. This one apart from the exposed zipper has refined borders, a rigid ribbon sewn into the borders, the straps are of tulle with unfinished borders and unthreades a bit.
The pink one shoulder dress available even in plum has a fabric like jersey,medium weight something like this
The puffy shoulder is taken together by just one stitch.
I couldn't touch the yellow dress because flew off the shelves but i would say it's the same fabric of the pink one, still with unfinished hems.
Overall these dresses are good although they could have been more refined.
I would say they fit bigger than usual h&m dresses a size bigger.
With every dress they gave me a garment cover that is nice.
I'll try to buy a couple of more pieces on ebay now that is overwhelmed by listings and i'll share with you links for some good buys! In any case the first thing i'll do is to make invisible those zippers!!