Whether your style is preppy, classic, whimsical or hipster, plaid can fit into your wardrobe perfectly. Plaid is back in everything from ballet flats to skirts to headphones. "Everything that goes around comes around again," says fashion consultant Barbara Glass.• Photos: Plaid is back!
Mad for plaid Holiday marketplace Miss Oops: Products counter those pesky slipups
A lot of us are in a sad financial state, and as a result we've had to cut way back on our fun. Fewer dinners out on the town, fewer visits to Wrigley or U.S. Cellular Field and definitely less shopping. Blog: Shopping with Jessica Sedgwick
He's known for making such seminal documentaries as "Grey Gardens" and "Gimme Shelter," but the venerable filmmaker Albert Maysles will be in town today -- not for a movie, but to launch his eyewear collection based on his own iconic look. The documentarian has worn the same style of glasses since the 1960s.
Looking for a $3 gift deal on small home appliances? Target may be the ticket. The retailer's Black Friday specials include $3 coffee and sandwich makers, toasters and slow cookers, according to gottadeal.com.
You can have fun shopping for holiday gifts without overspending. One west suburban husband and wife talk about their strategies, which include sticking to their budget and writing down what they've purchased for everyone. We still have a really nice Christmas, but at least I feel like its in control now, says Cindi Duncan.
Don't let your face get stuck in neutrals; stand out in the crowd with dramatic eyes that pop, with the latest in mascaras, shadows and liners, or lips that look luscious, either glossy or creamy. Create your own look this season with a dazzling array of new products.
• Photos: Makeup stand outs
What's hot right now
The new Pumpkin and Yam Facial at Mitchell Dental Spa, 845 N. Michigan (Water Tower Place, ninth floor), is offering 50 percent off for all of November. The botanical treatment moisturizes, supplies nutrients to the epidermis and provides antioxidants and age-defying benefits. Regular prices -- before the discount -- are $95 for 60 minutes and $55 for 30 minutes.
Thirty-two years is a long time. It was long enough for Jan Sabey to fall in love with nursing, then watch her beloved profession change right before her eyes. "It became all about profit," the 53-year-old former nursing administrator from Frankfort said. So Sabey, who drives a bright blue Volkswagen Beetle, made a bold decision: Leave the profession she had known for more than three decades and open her own business. Standing in Evilena's Red Dresser, her own store, Sabey has no regrets.
