Ga Ga for Gaga: Lady Gaga's Workshop at Barney's NY

So last week I went to see Lady Gaga's Workshop on the 4th Floor of Barney's NY. A brilliant collaboration between the retailer and the entertainer selling Gaga-designed accessories from bubble bath to iPad cases. 25% of the proceeds goes towards charity so customers can feel good about overspending on tchotchkes.

The floor is supposed to be an interpretation of "Santa's Workshop" but is probably more reminiscent of "Beetlejuice's Workshop." The floor design leads you effortlessly through merchandise and allows the consumer to explore while weaving through passage ways and tables of trinkets that you don't need but you want to possess anyway.

The collaboration was brilliantly displayed on boutique bags and in the store windows along Madison Avenue. You couldn't help but want to go through the Gaga archway on East 60th Street with the excitement of a kid entering an amusement park.

From a retail standpoint, Barney's brought excitement to the holiday retail space through a well-timed collaboration, selling merchandise at an affordable price point ($15 Light Up Yo Yo) that would make perfect stocking-stuffers, while aligning with a cause (The Born This Way Foundation). The website they built is engaging and I'm sure this will prove to be a very successful holiday season for them.  I know that I went to Barney's to see the Gaga Workshop and left the store with a new coat in tow!

My Adventure in Natural Childbirth: A Birth Story

It's important for women to share their birth stories with others...Not only does every birth story help another woman through her journey but it also helps express all the emotions one went through and it is a great release.

My first sign of pre-labor was seeing my bloody show on Thursday morning. Friday, at my OBGYN visit I would find out I was already 1cm dilated - I felt that my labor was imminent.  I had mild contractions or slight cramping all weekend (there was a major snow storm in NY and NJ and I was happy that I didn't go that weekend). By Tuesday, I had more cramping throughout the day. I stayed home, but by 5pm I had to get outside. I decided to take a walk on the river - I quickly knew I was in early labor as I slowly walked along the Hudson, stopping to get through a mild contraction. By the time my husband, Lawrence, got home at 6:30pm and made dinner, I was already bending over my birthing ball. I couldn't stomach the dinner he made. My sister, Ires, at that moment called me and said she was coming over (I wondered if she heard me wail all the way to NJ!).  Lawrence drew me a bath and I got in - it felt amazing...At this point he was trying to utilize his iPhone app to time my contractions which got annoying pretty quickly as he wanted me to say "start" and "stop" at the beginning and end of each contraction. My sister arrived at 11ish (I think - I lost track of time at this point) and I was again in the bath for the second time relaxing. She drew out her essential oils and encouraged me to breath them in. She then told me to start vocalizing my contractions. What emerged was this sound from deep inside me that appeared out of nowhere - Lawrence recorded it if you are curious to hear it. I would make this sound for the next 14 hours with each contraction. It was my mantra, it stabilized me and helped me ride each wave.


Lawrence had shut all the lights off and burned dozens of candles while playing Baroque music. We moved from my bedroom to the birthing ball in the living room, to straddling my dinning room chair - we tried many positions and each contraction got more intense. I then threw up - the force of my vomit woke me from what my sister would describe as "labor land" and I wondered if it was time to go to the hospital. My sister reassured me that throwing up is normal and a good sign that my labor is progressing. We decided to labor at home a bit longer.

By 3am we decided to head to the hospital. As we pulled up to the Emergency entrance, the bright neon lights of the hospital corridors startled me. We headed up the elevator to triage - I was being taken out of my soothing, dimly lit home to the waiting area of the hospital where the nurses were playing Rhianna (a far departure from the Baroque music I was listening to moments ago). My sister urged me to vocalize even in the waiting room with strangers beside me, and I did, trying to stay in my "labor-land."

My sis would title this pic "The Rock Star in Triage"

A nurse got us a bed in triage and wanted me to change into a hospital gown (which I refused to do - afterall if I wasn't far enough along, I wanted to go home). The nurse asked me a bunch of questions that my sister answered for me. I asked Ires to hand me sunglasses as I was hooked up the the Electronic Fetal Monitor (EFM) and waited for the resident to check me. A young resident finally came - I can remember her black painted nails (remenants of her Halloween weekend costume I assumed) and I cringed as she began to check me - she said I was 6-7 cm dilated (wahoo!! I was so excited). She then wanted to do an ultra sound to check the position of the baby (I refused this as well since I was just at my doctor's on Friday and knew my baby's head was down). I got up quickly from the bed and suddenly my water broke at which point the nurse yelled "stop" trying to put down a mat to catch my water - my sister yelled back at me - "Shiri, don't stop, your water is breaking- keep going..."

We then got an L&D room. The whole triage experience was jarring - who tells a woman in labor whose water is breaking to "stop???" I think this really did "stall my labor" as my doctor would later express to me.

In the L&D room, the nurse wanted to hook me up again to an EFM. We tried to argue this one but to no avail - we were under "hospital orders." I would spend most of my time laboring in L&D on the birthing ball the hospital had. Ires and Lawrence kept fueling me in between contractions with gatorade, coconut water, jello, pieces of apple and granola bars. I could only take the smallest bites of these as I couldn't stomach much at this point but they urged me to do so in order to keep my stamina up.

When I laid down on the hospital bed, my sister would count me down into a deep sleep using the hypnobirthing techniques...these naps in between my contractions were only about 3 minutes long but felt like a half hour- they were incredible, and helped me get some much needed rest.

My doctor came back in the room, frantic, saying that I was still at 7cm and I wasn't progressing - she was going to have to intervine. My sister argued with her for more time (which worked the first time) but the OB was adamant that it was time to help my contractions along. I knew we were "on the clock" even though I tried to stay present and not look at the hands ticking away.

I would get the mildest dose of Pitocin to help my contractions get stronger. I was worried about getting the Pitocin because it usually speeds up your contractions so much that you ask for the epidural.  I call it a "gateway drug..." because one hospital intervention often leads to others.

My contractions surely sped up and I threw up again. As I hurled, my sister reassured me once again that this was good and that I was probably in transition.  She said you probably have another 2hours- I told her, breathlessly, that we need to stay present (I didn't want to think about two hours from now- afterall I had no idea what time it actually was).

My contractions got so intense at this point that I eventually did scream out for the epidural. I had been laboring for so long I honestly felt this baby would not be coming out.  Dr. Teaiwa came in like a beacon of light (she was from the clinic but not my actual OB). As the anesthesiologists made their way to my room with their demanding questions and even more stern demeanor, I asked to see the Dr. before we went any further. She came in and did a check - I figured if I still was at 7cm I would give into the epidural, but I was hoping to be further along...and luckily I was. Dr. Teaiwa said I was 9 and a half cm and that we could start pushing.  Ires and Lawrence would later tell me that my face at this point lit up and I got a surge of energy - we were really going to be getting this baby out!  The anesthesiologists in the room even started to scream "PUSH," at which my sister gave them a look and told them that no one needed to tell me to push - they scurried out of the room and Lawrence exclaimed that we "psyched out the anesthesiologists!"

I felt every push as Dr. Teaiwa guided me with her fingers, focusing each push on that exact spot.  Our baby came out in less than 40 minutes of pushing (at 3:45pm on Wed) - a beautiful baby boy. He was thrown onto my chest immediately and he started breastfeeding shortly after that. My husband cut his umbilical cord and I couldn't believe that my baby was actually in my arms.

My sister and husband were incredible partners during my labor. They stuck with me the entire time,  laboring with me through food and sleep deprivation. My sister fought for me to have the birth I wanted - she advocated on my behalf when the hospital, doctors, nurses and anesthesiologists kept advocating for "pain relief" and tried to rush me during my labor.  My labor "stalled" because of the hospital. I probably could have gotten my baby out a few hours earlier if we had stayed home, but the bright lights, harsh voices, and ticking clock at the hospital changed my course.

My sister and I with baby the first weekend home

I'm happy I didn't have the epidural - my recovery was swift - I could feel my baby making his entrance into the world, he was alert and feeding, I could walk immediately after the birth and I had an incredible amount of adrenaline immediately following my labor. Even though I was physically exhausted, I wanted to talk and hold my baby in my arms. This was the best part of delivering my baby naturally - the "high" I felt afterwards.

Daddy with his Baby in Post-Partum Room

At the end of the day, we had our baby in our arms and that is all that mattered...

Birth Marathon- My 9 Month Plan

I viewed my pregnancy as preparation for a "birth marathon" I was about to embark on at the end of 9 months (coincidentally, my son was born a few days before the NYC Marathon). I knew this would be one of the most difficult things I would do in my life and like the "straight A" student I always was, I decided to study and prepare for it.

I began prenatal yoga classes in my first trimester- I was the skinniest one in the room and almost felt embarrassed by my non-existent baby bump (I kept puffing out my belly to fit in with the other women that were closer to their due date than I was).  I knew that learning how to move my body at this early stage in my pregnancy would be beneficial.  I would later buy a Prenatal Yoga DVD by Gaiam and practice in the comfort of my own home (a snow storm would not stop me from getting some movement in).

I also cut alcohol and caffeine immediately after finding out the news. I know some women indulge in the occasional drink during the 9 months - but I had been drinking since I was 12 years old- if I could not quit now, I knew I had a problem...Plus, why take any chance with your newborn baby developing inside of you? I've never smoked, so this was not a factor. Other than that, I continued to eat healthfully the way I always had and added more red meats to my diet (Iron is so important!) and less fish and seafood (beware of high mercury fish and seafood!). 

I do not believe in "pregnancy cravings" - I think women indulge in foods they always craved because they somehow feel that they can. This is a recipe for disaster.  If you craved chocolate cake before you got pregnant but didn't indulge then, you shouldn't now just because you are pregnant. Your belly is expanding as is - no need to expand your butt and thighs!

I became an avid reader about pregnancy. The one book I avoided was "What to Expect When Your Expecting" - a pregnancy book that has a Hollywood film in the works was not what I wanted to expect...so this book did not end up on my reading list. Instead I read great positive birth stories... Ina May's Guide to Childbirth is a must read! Wonderful stories of positive birth experiences - did you know there is such a thing as an "orgasmic birth"!

While popular culture would lend you to believe that all birth has to be "painful." The idea of pain was totally obliterated from my mind as I prepared for my birth.  The books I read discussed "pressure" "intensity" but not pain. Another great book I read was called Adventures in Natural Childbirth by Janet Schwegel. This book shared some wonderful birth stories as well as one's that had been had using Hypnobirthing. I decided to take a hypnobirthing class as a result.

In addition to eating a healthy diet and yoga - my last two months leading up to my due date I began swimming. This was a fantastic form of exercise especially as my belly got bigger and even some yoga poses were getting to be a bit more difficult.  Swimming completely relaxed me, got my heart rate up and gave me a feeling of weightlessness- which was wonderful to relieve pressure on my legs and back.

My husband also bought me a birthing ball. I sat on this constantly to open up my hips and keep myself in a position that promoted gravity (versus reclining on the sofa). Daily squats and sitting on my birthing ball helped open up my hips and pelvis.

Kegels are so essential - I did these beginning my first trimester and continued to do them throughout my pregnancy - The proof is in the results - I only had two stitches after delivering my baby vaginally.

My mother always taught me that "Prior Proper Planing Prevents Piss Poor Performance" - these words I lived by throughout my schooling and my career - I took these words to heart during my pregnancy as well. You can't just "wing it,"you have to prepare for it mentally and physically. I know many women that write their "birth plans"  - but just writing a list of things you want without working towards them does not work in the real world and it won't work in your L&D room. Sure, I want to make millions but how am I going to accomplish that goal? You need to get specific ie I'm going to get an MBA and work at a top firm for 10 years etc .... or I want to fit into a size 6 dress - I will go to the gym 4 times a week, eat lots of fruit and vegetables, limit my alcohol to one glass of wine a day etc...

I viewed my pregnancy as preparatory time to get informed and get in shape (I started off my pregnancy in good shape as well). I felt positive throughout my pregnancy and worked until a week before I gave birth. I had the energy and the support team I needed to help me through one of my most intense days of my life that ended at 3:45pm on Nov 2, 2011 with a baby boy in his mommy's arms - it would also be the beginning of my new life as a mom...

(I will share my actual birth story in my next blog post).

Finding Religion in a Manicure?

According to today's NY Times, a young female rabbi inspires bible teaching through a manicure. Now  I know the manicure craze has been increasingly off the wall. Recently, on editor desk-sides, I kept remarking on the crazy nails young editors were sporting from glitter, neon, tie-dye, and even nail piercing - I really wanted to ask them - how old are you???

But sporting Noah's Ark on your digits takes nail art to the next level.

"Midrash Manicures" at Schechter, a Jewish day school in Westchester, has over 20 girls signed up to play with base coats, lacquer and top coats in a way to get them interested in Torah, or old testament, studies. Rabbi Yael Buechler, the 25 year old recently ordained Rabbi, even has her own website, midrashmanicures.com.

I'm sure it won't be long 'til the Bible Belt gets a hold of this - Jesus at one's fingertips anyone?

Sephora Fragrance Pop-Up Store NYC

So last night, I was invited to see the Sephora Sensorium - a collaboration between Firmenich - one of the foremost fragrance houses - and Sephora - the beauty retail giant. The pop-up fragrance experience is located in the Meatpacking district on 14th Street bet 9th and 10th avenues and is going on from Oct 7-Nov 27.

I traveled through a series of rooms that were supposed to take me on a fragrance journey. The first was a long corridor with a fragrance timeline as well as fun facts about fragrance like "do you know why your pee smells after you eat asparagus?"

Then I entered an isolation room that was all white with a headphone set in it. I listened to stories of people that do not have the sense of smell and how that effects their sense of taste. One gentleman said he stuck his tongue in an ashtray once to see if it tasted any different from food to him - sadly it did not. The stories illustrated how the sense of smell is such an important part of the way we experience the world.

The next room contained various displays surrounded by projector screens. When the display lit up, fragrance emitted with images that reflected a sensation such as "summer vacation," "6:00am," and "bacon dinner." The exhibit enveloped me and transported me to that sensation.

                                                    (photo credit: theinspirationroom.com)
We then were led to a mock "fragrance laboratory" where the perfumers of Firmenich were able to experiment with interpretations of feelings like "Addiction," "Fun," "Comfort," and "Confidence" - the fragrances were presented on roller balls besides adjectives and images that went along with these feelings. The perfumers had no cost restrictions and as such non of those fragrances will ever see a Sephora shelf.

                                                        (photo credit: beautyhigh.com)
The last room, however, was a "Fragrance Bar" that I was able to sit and "blind sample" fragrances that were sold at Sephora. I went through trays of fragrances and discovered I did not like any of them. When I found out which were the fragrances I knew why - Kate Walsh's Boyfriend fragrance would never be something that I would purchase - blind or not!


Firmenich allowed access to an exhibit that they normally would put on for the industry and allowed consumer access to it - a behind the scene's so to speak. However, it was still mainly industry people walking through the exhibit (I was trailing a group from Colgate) and the Sephora "market" I think would do better if one were actually able to purchase a fragrance after you smelled it at the bar.

It's a positive step for the fragrance industry but they still have to find a less pretentious way of connecting with the consumer....

Baby Bump Cream Review

So this weekend we went to Buy Buy Baby- The Temple of all Baby stores.
You can literally get everything and anything you imagined at this store from liquid detergents (Dreft is Pediatrician recommended) to cribs to bath toys and things you never even knew existed (am I really going to have to put a lock on my toilet seat in the near future???)

We went in to pick up the infant car seat off our registry (they won't let you out of the hospital without one- so this is the one thing we decided to buy prior to the arrival of baby).

While waiting for this to come up from the warehouse, I gravitated towards the Mustela display as I've been curious to try these products for awhile now and most stores did not seem to have the "mommy" collection. Being 2 weeks away from my due date, I wasn't sure if I should get the postpartum cream or the Pregnancy 9 months cream. The sales person said I could try it and return it if I don't like it and since I don't have stretch marks she recommended that I try the pregnancy cream.

I returned home and could not wait to lather my belly with it. The fragrance was abundant and reminded me of "old lady cream" (fragrance is listed pretty high up on the ingredient listing). I also didn't like the lotion-like consistency. I kept rubbing and noticed that the cream started balling up - this is a BIG "no no" in the cosmetic world and a cue that the formulation was not perfected.  Overall, I was not impressed with this product and will be returning it to Buy Buy Baby. 

The Hair Show

So this weekend, Repechage had 4 hair shows to attend: Ft Lauderdale, Long Island, NJ and NYC. I attended the prestigious Intercoiffure Fall Atelier. Intercoiffure is an organization representing top salons around the world including Ted Gibson Salon, Oribe, Maximus, Christie & Co Salon Spa and others.

Repechage is the only skin care company invited to be members of this organization and we have been working with many of the members ever since joining in 2008.

We took a table this morning to schmooze with "A" members while they were served a light continental breakfast. It was after a late night at the Waldorf-Astoria Ballroom where Sarah Jessica Parker presented Oribe with the ICA Visionary Award.

Needless to say, facials and eye treatments were in order (the perfect post-party rescue). We had a swarm of stylists and owners at our booth getting in line to try our new Biolight Reveal & Renew Express Treatment and many inquiring about the new range.

Besides the new Biolight skincare collection, my belly seemed to be an attraction on its own and I think I got rubbed by more members than the esthetician was able to treat. This is the phenomenon of the third trimester growing belly - it is buddha-like!

Trade Shows are always a great way to network and meet new, potential business partners. The key to any successful show is follow up!!! So be sure to collect as much detailed info on everyone you speak with so that you may follow up with them.  I've been to so many trade shows where vendors do not follow up and I don't understand why they even bothered to spend the money to attend if they are not going to call each and everyone of their leads. It's just not good business.

Until next season....