The fruitstripe plus limited edition bracelet by – reware by emiko which retails for $240 is made from repurposed LEGOs, with patented sterling silver tubing and synthetic rubber corundum set in 14k gold.

Dee and Ricky pixel heart pin for $20 dollars. This pin is soooo cute that it’s sold out for now.

Dee and Ricky, who happen to be twins, design jewelry and recently had their pieces featured on the Marc Jacob runway (below).

Jacqeline Sanchez’s Forever One Collection is an elegant version of LEGO jewelry. I love her pieces! Here are four of my favorites:

1. Cufflinks in sterling silver and colored plastic for $150 dollars 2. This cute Forever Young Cuff Bracelet is photo etched sterling silver with plastic and sterling silver rivets for $350 3.This Forever Young Ring No. 02 is photo-etched sterling silver with plastic, 14kt yellow gold and a sing diamond for $250.00 4. Forever Young Bracelet is a 7″ sterling silver bracelet with plastic for $350.00

Etsy also has a great collection of LEGO jewelry. I especially like these translucent LEGO earrings for just $5.99. Each one captures light and are hanging from hypoallergenic French hooks.

What are your thoughts on the nerd chic trend?

Ego Lifestyle’s new laptop collection entitled Ego for Bentley includes elegant, car-inspired pieces made for glamorous gigabytes. Even the handle of this laptop and the doors that cover access ports are luxurious. The color options match Bentley’s exterior paints and the outside is trimmed with Bentley leather and crossed over with hand stitching just like the inside of a Bentley. Winner of the Microsoft Fashion PC Award, you can bet the inside is just as lovely as the outside.

Lenovo also has great fashion laptops with it’s U Series offerings. Their tagline, “beautiful technology”, doesn’t describe the funkiness of these fashionable laptops. The new IdeaPad U Series blends design and technology while winning best-of-show honors for notebooks at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show. Some highlights of the series include high gloss colors, a “Frameless Screen” that extends all the way to the edge (kind of like those infinity swimming pools), hidden multimedia buttons across the top of the keyboard, and a thin design.

My absolute favorite is HP’s new Pavilion Artist Edition Notebook PC’s are really cool especially if you appreciate art. Each design is inspired by images, travel stories, or lifestyles. My favorite is Asian Odyssey. The design was inspired from the HP-MTV “Take Action.Make Art” global notebook design competition in 2007. A 20 year old, Joao Oliveria of Portugal won the competition with this amazing design that features oriental influences.

So the next time you head to the nearest Best Buy never forget that technology is a part of your overall fashion statement.

Happy Shopping!

Needless to say, it was a match made in heaven! Straight off, the site stated that it was “created by a working woman for other working women who refuse to settle for anything less than fabulous business cases, laptop bags, handbagsand travel accessories”. To make a long story short, I contacted the working woman who owned Career Bags and Ellen Hart, aka bagguru, is the one of the most enthusiastic lovers of fashion and technology I’ve had the pleasure to meet. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, she is president of CareerBags.com, the leading online e-tailer for laptop bags, luggage and handbags for women. With a personal goal to help every woman bring out her personal style in her business life, no wonder CareerBags Fall 2008 selection is just what I needed…here are my favorite pieces:

1. McKlein – Fratti Laptop Tote – Cherry Red: This fun and chic bag combines function and fashion with Euro-influenced design featuring a top zipper allowing easy access into the main compartment; compartments separated by a secured zipper pocket; a padded laptop compartment that fits and protects most laptops up to 15.4” in size; quick, accessible front pocket with magnetic claps for pens, business cards and small devices; and flat, leather straps.
2. Jack Georges – Andrea Small Dome Handbag: This cute little bag is handcrafted from Croco-embossed Italian calf skin. Features include fixed shoulder straps, three-way zip, closure nickel hardware, two inside zippered pockets, and a cell phone holder.
3. Mcklein – Serra Laptop Tote – Cherry Red: Another chic bag that features compartments separated by a secured zipper pocket, interior organizer for pens, business cards and small devices, interior zipper pocket for documents, front and side pocket for small miscellaneous items, padded laptop compartment fits, and flat, leather straps.
4. Clava – Rectangular Zip Shopper: I love anything with shopper in the name and this bag is no exception. It combines style and accessibility by including a zip closure and a full length exterior zip pocket. Comfort is a huge consideration in this bag, which has an interior that’s fully lined, zip pocket with cell phone pocket, and double sided shoulder straps with a 10″ drop.
5. McKlein – Buranco Duffel Bag – Chocolate: I love this bag! It combines function and fashion featuring, quick, accessible front pocket for pens, business cards and small devices, interior organizer for pens, business cards and small devices, main zipper compartment with a magnetic clap for additional security, main compartment featuring an interior zipper pocket for documents and storage space for personal items, and stylish, tubular arm straps all wrapped up in Italian Croco Leather.
6. ACME Made – Slim Cargo – Ecostripes: Be environmentally friendly with this fab bag made of 100% recycled materials. In order to provide for functionality and storage, the Cargo possesses a large outer cargo pocket that is roomy enough to carry most additional accessories and it’s lined with “cashmere-finish” micro-suede lining! This “green” bag features large outer “Cargo” pocket w/ multiple accessory pockets, removable, adjustable shoulder strap, closed cell foam padding on 5/6 sides, hi-impact plastic inserts on 5/6 sides, top grain leather handles, and quilted satin lining.

When I say I’ve just tipped the iceberg on the goodies on this site I mean it. But below is my favorite bag of all… what’s yours?

You see, usually when I buy ridiculously high priced gadgets, the guilt quickly leaves when I hit the office, a family function, or a party and someone says “OMG, where’d you get that?” or “That must have cost a fortune”. But this time everyone had a phone like mine… my nightmare had come true… everyone had an iPhone! As the resident Gadget Hound at The Tastemaker Diares, and in life, my number one fashion rule is to stand out with my gadgets. I’m not a trend fanatic, I’m more of a classic, like Jackie O meets couture. My gadgets, however, are usually over the top, Kimora Lee Simmons, f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s.

So how do you stand out from the crowd? You pimp out your iPhone! Here are ways to stand out with yours.

Add Some Color

At ColorWare you can customize your iPhone the way you want it. Change the iPhone, the rim of the iPhone, the SIM card holder, the earphones, and the docking station to make a fashion statement all your own. To customize all of the above you’ll probably spend about about $250. Basic customizations range from $20 to $150.

Be Yourself

Visit Skinit and add your own picture and colors to your iPhone for $39. This is a picture of the first (and last) fish I caught on an abandoned high rise off the Mississippi River. (I say last because my fiancé will never take me again. Maybe because of the three hour shopping trip the day before to get the perfect fishing attire… complete with fishing boots, a green cargo jacket, a fishing t-shirt, Baby Phat Jeans, and a pink pole. Maybe because of the pink Barbie tackle box I insisted on carrying…which held my lip gloss, cell phone, and a fingernail file. Or maybe it was the horror screams that had him running to kill an attacker, which turned out to be a bug…not my proudest moment). Anyway, Skinit has some awesome skins that allow you to join a cause, be political, or just be yourself.

Be Luxurious

Okay this is a dream, because even if I had a million dollars I wouldn’t by a $20,000 iPhone. But a girl can wish can’t she? Below is a stainless steel iPhone encrusted with white diamonds, did I mention it was $20,000? But if you feel like splurging like a regular human being in this economy, you can purchase a $255.00 iPhone chain case. Both of these are by the over the top designer Amosu. Visit the website for more outlandishly luxurious phones as well as pictures of celebrities who love them.

As always feel free to contact me by commenting below on more ways to customize your iPhone, for some general tips on pimping out your gadgets, or to tell me how you stand out in the iPhone crowd.

Happy Shopping…

The Socialite / Trendsetter
The Dell Inspiron 1526 comes with an AMD Processor and 2 GB of hard drive, which come in handy for the socialite with millions of pictures on her computer. The DVD burner is filled with features so you can burn your favorite (cough) decent movies in style on a 15.4 Wide Screen LCD. Just enough features to keep you happy no matter whose coast you’re on.

Check out matching attire on my StyleFeed: 1)Ribbon Trim Dress 2)Prada Cervo Lux Shoulder Tote 3)Butterfly and Heart Earrings 4)LG enV Vx-9900 Transparent Pink Crystal Snap On Cover Case 5)Ladies Laptop bag KYDD – Black And Raspberry 6)Lock & Key Necklace 7)Dell Inspiron 1526 8 Studded Slippers

The Rich Glamourista
For those of you with a little more cash in your pocket, check out the Toshiba Transformer Laptop with its 17-inch flat screen. It’s called The Transformer because it transforms from the utility of a laptop computer to the fun of a flat screen home entertainment center. Unfortunately, this is a concept laptop, but money talks…

Check out matching attire on my StyleFeed: 1)Toshiba Red Transformer Laptop 2) Floppy Hat 3) Sweetheart bustier dress 4)Marcia Moran Rings 5)Gold ladder bracelet 6)Chinese Laundry “Willy” Evening Sandal

The Rocker / Artist
Artists need music, photos, movies, software, and many various files of different types. They need ports to hook up their cameras, amps, guitars, light boxes, etc. The Macbook is an artist’s best friend because of the 2GB of memory and the ports in the back… you can hook up anything to this baby!

Check out matching attire on my StyleFeed: 1)Zipped hem jeans 2)Graphic Tee 3)Black beaded necklace 4)Handbag Notting Hill Design5)Anna e Alex Nero Earrings 6)Black silver twist bracelet 7)Crystal Icing – Swarovski Crystal Laptop, 8 Apple Powerbook G4 Laptop 9)Black Vest 10)Guess ‘Morticia’ Pumps

From one Tech Geek Fashionista to another… Happy Shopping.

1. USB Lighted Mirror

This little baby is pretty cool. It’s surrounded by light, making lining your eyes that much easier, and you can put your picture on the mirror to make a personal photo frame. It’s powered by USB and has four feet of cable. Very cool, very chic, and very cheap… only $15 dollars from USB Brando.

2. The blu_ray™ Collection by Cargo

Okay, it’s not a gadget… but the technology is amazing. My worst two fears in life are ending up in the emergency room wearing an old pair of underwear, and inadvertently getting my 15 minutes of fame looking a hot mess! Now with high definition TV, looking good doesn’t even cut it anymore, you have to look perfect. Cargo made this makeup line especially for makeup artists shooting in high-definition situations. The technology used includes photochromatic pigments, optical blurring, and hyaluronic spheres…in layman’s terms, the technology prevents your pores from looking big enough to drive a truck through. Shown from left to right are Lip Gloss, Blush/Highlighter, Pressed Powder, and Mascara… And don’t worry about being on TV, you can use this makeup in everyday life, especially if you’re prepping for your wedding day, special events, or a photo shoot. You can only buy the line at Sephora. The entire collection is $130.00, but it’s on sale now for $59.

3. Safetox Beauty

Sorry if this description is too scientific, but Safetox packs a lot of technology into this little gadget in order to provide alternatives to botox or surgeries. The device acts on the causes of wrinkles on the muscular level through five minute sessions each day for a number of weeks. Safetox relaxes the muscles in the front of the face altering the muscular balance in favor of the muscles in the rear of the head which open up the face and uplift the skin. For about $410 you can get your own. Check out the website for more information or check out the video on YouTube; it’s not in English but the action is enough for you the get the picture.

3. MiniTISSUES

I love, LOVE, love this product. I purchased these last month, and because I travel a lot, they come in handy in airports and anywhere you have access to water. Just take these mint-looking products and add water…and presto, you have a full-fledged, heavy duty wash cloth. I show people these all the time and they are truly amazed. And the best part? They are great for foreign countries and travel abroad because they are individually wrapped to be germ free and bacteria free while also being natural, disposable and biodegradable. When you purchase MiniTISSUE you get 96 individually packed tissues, 8 in a bag for convenience. Personally, the thing I love most about MiniTISSUE is that it is lint free, so feel free to wipe a black skirt with it. Visit minitissue.com and check out the video on YouTube to get a up closer look.

I took a look at a few ultra sleek, small, and stylish devices that could be incorporated into any fashionista’s style without sacrificing either technology or your wallet.

One of my favorite sites, ThinkGeek, features a Credit Card Size Digital Video Player for $99.99. It’s cute and sleek and big on power with an 8 hour battery life, heat-sensitive glowing buttons, 2GB of storage, expandable memory card, FM Radio, audio and voice recording, and much much more.

This next small and very cool gadget I ran across is my favorite. It’s called the iStraw and you have to check out the website to really get a good feeling for how awesome this small product is. iStraw is a “straw fitted with a special membrane, which uses Micro-filtration technology and is suitable for personal use to protect against water borne bacteria and protozoa found in tap water and ice in many countries.”

Wouldn’t you love this if you were a contestant on Survivor! It kills 99.9999% of germs and only cost $39.99!

If you are really a tech star then you know that Mobiblu is a company known for the cutest and smallest gadgets. I like the Cube3 which is available everywhere, even Wal-Mart, and packs a lot of power for it’s size. This media player supports multiple extensions, is podcast ready, can view digital images, holds 1,000 songs, has a full color LED Display, and can fit between your finger and thumb, all of that for $99.

I guess sometimes good things do come in small packages.

The Global Woman
Spring 2008 brings in a global theme that focuses on tribal-like patterns, bright colors mixed with earth tones, and natural but strong makeup! Every global woman needs a multilingual electronic talking dictionary. Try this one, the E15C800, by Ectacto which includes a car charger, headset, microphone and power converters for any country. Pair it with this cute global-inspired dress from Etro’s Women Spring 2008 Collection and you’re ready for any tribal adventure.

The Greek Goddess
Last year’s gladiator sandals have now inspired an entire goddess vibe this spring. The look is almost whimsical and is a great trend to incorporate into your wardrobe if your trouble spots include your tummy! Try this dress from Marchesa’s Spring 2008 Collection and pair it with the new Chanel Choco Phone designed by Fred de Garilhe. Too bad the phone is still a concept; hopefully the real product will follow soon after.

The High-Waisted Career Chick

Fashion and the workplace are probably the highlight of my 9 to 5! I love career-minded trends like the high-waisted pants shown below by DKNY. To make this look work, add a ribbon or skinny belt with a tucked-in tank and cardigan or a cute button-down boyfriend shirt and you’ll look sophisticated, especially if you check your emails on a Samsung Blackberry Pearl II in a delicious red wine color.

The Safari Diva

Go down under with this cute trend, best represented below in Michael Kors Spring 2008 Collection. I love the way he incorporates the trend with a look of sophistication that balances trendy with glamourous. Pair this look with the new ultra slim and stylish Optio M40 digital camera by Pentax. Specs include a 8.0 mega pixel image quality and high-quality extended movie capture in QuickTime motion.

Hope you are as excited about Spring 2008’s new trends as much as I am. Are there any Spring 2008 Trends that you are planning to incorporate into your wardrobe this year?

After coming home from St Louis around Thanksgiving of last year, I decided that I had had enough of the whole theory that fashion and technology don’t mix. Why are women in technology afraid to show that they obsess over fashion? From experience, it’s just too stressful to hide your true self, not to mention just plain stupid. I decided that I would pave the way for a new kind of woman, the Tech Geek Fashionista (TGF) by starting my own blog, The Technology Starlet, and proving that my audience, readers like me, should be taken seriously. This was supposed to be a great hobby, but then something weird happened. After a month of emailing and networking, people in the industry and readers started to respond. They did want to know what cell phone a fashion addict would choose, how to customize their laptop, and what web application would help them shop online and find their inner TGF.

So, from one TGF to another, I hope you stay tuned in as I promise to deliver information, reviews, and my personal obsession on the latest gadgets, the coolest laptops, and the best of the mobile world, from a TGF’s perspective (of course), right here on the Tastemaker Diaries. I hope you remember that your laptop, your mobile phone, your desktop, and your cute bags and covers should represent your style. Below are a few definitions that describe a TGF and I encourage you to ask yourself, what makes you one?

Tech:(tĕk ) n. A technician or abbreviation for technology or technical work

Geek: (gēk ) n. A person who is single-minded or accomplished in scientific or technical pursuits but is felt to be socially inept.

Fashionista: (fa-shə-‘nēs-tə ) n. designer, promoter, or follower of the latest fashions

Tech Geek Fashionista: (tĕk gēk fa-shə-‘nēs-tə) n. A designer, promoter, or follower of the latest fashion who is accomplished and single minded in technical pursuits and is known for being a socialite.