{Giveaway} Glogover Convertible Tights

LEAVE A COMMENT 2012 March 6


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Bonnie Glogover of Glogover Hosiery is giving away a pair of her Convertibles–tights that can be worn three ways: closed toe, open toe, or at ankle-high length. Enter to win by answering in the comments below: Would you wear tights with open-toe shoes?

Can’t wait to find out if you won? Now, you can buy Convertibles tights in the FOF shop.

Bonnie Glogover thought up these clever tights while getting a pedicure. Watching women at the nail salon cut their hose in order to expose their toes, she thought “there must be a better way.” Bonnie and her dad, Stanley Glogover, inventor of nursing and maternity bras, whipped up a prototype for tights with a convertible toe flap. Two years later the product was granted a patent. Investing $100,000 of her own money in the idea, Bonnie took her first batch of manufactured tights to bank cafeterias in New York City, Connecticut and New Jersey to see if they would sell. When she sold out of all 30,000 pairs, she knew she had a winning product on her hands…and feet!

Your have inventor genes! Your dad was a successful inventor–what about your mom?
My mother was the hostess of Romper Room, a television show where she taught kids manners and their ABCs. She was a very proper woman and always dressed me in pantyhose from the day I was born.

Wow–so pantyhose never bothered you?
I wear them every day, even under jeans. However, the seam at the toe was always bothersome to me. I always thought it would be great if it could be eliminated. That was one of the inspirations for Convertibles, which feature an ‘invisible’ seam.

Tights with seamless toes that can be worn for pedicures–genius! What other uses do they have?
When they are converted open, they can be worn with sandals, open-toe or peep-toe shoes. You can wear them barefoot when you go dancing or if you are going to the foot doctor.

That’s great–but did you have to sacrifice anything when you added all the ‘extras’?
Not at all–I shopped my prototype around and settled on a manufacturer in North Carolina because of their excellent quality control. They are made from 20 denier nylon–this premium quality would normally cost double in the department store…without all the bells and whistles.

Enter to win by answering in the comments below: Would you wear tights with open-toe shoes?

Can’t wait to find out if you won? Now, you can buy Convertibles tights in the FOF shop.

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One FOF will win. See all our past winners, here.) (See official rules, here.) Contest closes March 15, 2012 at midnight E.S.T.

Thank you for entering. This contest is now closed.

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{Giveaway} Pure Inventions Trio

LEAVE A COMMENT 2012 February 15

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FOFs Lynne Gerhards and Lori Mulligan are giving away three bottles (approx. 180 servings) of Pure Inventions, their flavored water enhancer. Enter to win by answering in the comments below: Next to water, what do you drink most?


Anyone who has been on a diet–whether to lose weight or get healthy–knows what the beverage options are: water, water and more water. So healthy! So boring! That’s why FOFs Lynne Gerhards and Lori Mulligan, two nutritionists and friends, created Pure Inventions liquid water enhancer, a calorie-free, chemical-free, sodium-free, nutritious water enhancer. The drops–which are portable and can be added to any flat or carbonated water–range in flavor from vanilla creme and pineapple coconut to peach and chocolate cocoa. And they actually taste delicious…we tried them. “If you replace one 20-ounce sugary beverage a day, you’ll cut 9,000 calories of sugar per month,” says Lynne. We’ll drink to that! Here we chat with Lori and Lynne about Pure Inventions and staying healthy after fifty.

What did you two do before you created Pure Inventions?
Lynne: Lori was raising a family and I was running a country club. We got our certified clinical nutrition degrees and opened up a practice in September 2001.

Lori: We wanted to create something that would get our clients to drink more water.
We worked with scientists–giving them the concept that we wanted–and they figured out how to fit it all in that little bottle. In addition to flavor, the drops also provide antioxidants, fruit extracts, green tea extracts and other nutritional benefits.

Do Pure Inventions extracts contain sweetener?
Lori: Yes. Many of our clients wanted to go off diet soda, but were still looking for something sweet tasting. We use extract from the Lo-han fruit. It’s nicknamed the ‘longevity fruit,’ because it grows in countries that have an unusually high number of residents who live past 100. It’s also low glycemic, has zero calories and is one hundred times sweeter then sugar. It’s used in Chinese medicine for digestion, respiratory problems and regulating blood sugar. The other sweetener we use is Stevia. It’s from the Stevia plant, has no chemicals, and there’s no processing. It’s also great for digestion and blood sugar.

Why is Pure Inventions important for FOFs?
Lori: With menopause, your metabolism slows down, and you gain weight. You can age quicker if you’re not eating well and exercising. This can at least solve the drink issue–to get you off soda, diet soda and sugary drinks.

Do you have a favorite flavor?
Lori and Lynne: The vanilla creme. When you add it to sparkling water, it tastes like cream soda! We also like using our fruit extracts over plain yogurt or oatmeal or as a cocktail mixer.

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Enter to win three bottles of Pure Inventions (approx. 180 servings), flavored liquid water enhancer by answering in the comments below: Next to water, what do you drink most?

One FOF will win. (See all our past winners, here.) (See official rules, here.) Contest closes February 23, 2012 at midnight E.S.T.

Can’t wait to find out if you won? FOFs receive 35% off all Pure Inventions products when you enter code PUREFAB50 at checkout. Valid from February 16, 2012 to February 23, 2012.

Thank you for entering. This contest is now closed.

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{Giveaway} Fancy Magnifying Glass by Twig Terrariums

LEAVE A COMMENT 2012 February 1

Katy and Michelle of Twig Terrariums are giving away this fancy magnifying glass. They use it to create their own miniature moss worlds, but you can keep it in your purse and use it on that oh-so-pesky, tiny type. Enter to win by answering in the comments below: Do you ever use a magnifying glass when you read?

Cool company alert! Terrariums are making a comeback, but we’re not talking those dreadful aquarium-style science projects. Instead, two Brooklyn, N.Y. FUFs have built their business building miniature worlds inside vintage apothecary jars. Here we chat with Katy and Michelle of Twig Terrariums. Plus, their terrariums are now for sale in the FOF Shop!

Is this a full-time gig for you guys?
Oh yes, for both of us.

What are your backgrounds?
Katy: We both were Brooklyn College students; Michelle was there for design and photography and I was there for creative writing.

How did you two meet?
Michelle: We’ve known each other since I was 15 and Katy was 12. We lost touch in our teen years when Katy moved away. We met up at my 31st birthday party. A friend brought her as a surprise guest. The friendship was rekindled, and we liked to get crafty together ever since.

When did you start getting interested in terrariums?
Michelle: I spoke with my college chemistry/biology teacher on how to make a terrarium, and we started experimenting with different vintage jars. They looked like little gardens, and we added people to them. Before we knew it they were all over our apartments. So we had a choice: Sell them or give them to our friends for Christmas.

So you started selling them! Fabulous. When was this?
Michelle: About 3 years ago.

Do you teach others how to make terrariums?
Katy: We have regular workshops all the time at our studio in Brooklyn and around town. We also do private workshops with people who want to work one-on-one with us.

How do you take care of a terrarium?
Katy: They’re moss terrariums so it’s very simple. You mist them with water every 2-4 weeks and keep them out of direct sunlight.

Very low maintenance!
Katy: That’s our goal. We are busy urban dwellers without access to acreage, so our terrariums are our backyards.

What’s your favorite scene you’ve seen someone make or made yourself?
Katy: In a workshop one woman did a medieval scene–with a knight slaying a dragon. That was cool. We have so much fun making custom pieces, like a skydiving couple we did recently. We also did wedding centerpieces and each terrarium represented a different memory in the couple’s life–from one with them having dinner by a lake, to one with them riding on mopeds.

Your business was recently featured by the New York Times. Why the sudden interest in terrariums again?
Katy: They’re so low maintenance, and we’re all so busy. You don’t have to hoe and rake and prune, and you have a petite little garden that you can potentially put your family in. Or enjoy your grandchildren in your little green world. There is a very peaceful aspect to them–yet they add a nice bit of life to any home.

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Enter to win a fancy magnifying glass by Twig Terrariums by answering in the comments below: Do you ever use a magnifying glass when you read?

One FOF will win. (See all our past winners, here.) (See official rules, here.) Contest closes February 9, 2012 at midnight E.S.T.

Thank you for entering. This contest is now closed.

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{Giveaway} Win tights with underwear woven in

LEAVE A COMMENT 2012 January 25

FOF Hallie Peterson of Leg Luxury is giving away two pairs of her one-of-a-kind tights. Enter to win by answering in the comments below: Do you always wear nude stockings with skirts–even in the summer?

Most mornings, FOF Hallie Peterson partakes in a ritual she calls “dressing from the bottom up.”

“When I get dressed, I start with my tights. I decide which ones to wear [based on] my attitude,” says Hallie. “If I’m feeling sassy, for instance, then I put on something like my ‘Wild and Fun’ tights or my ‘Feathery Lace’ ones.” If she’s feeling more conservative, Hallie opts for her ‘Little Dots’ or ‘Elegant Scrolls.’

Hallie has the luxury of choosing from dozens of styles, because as owner of Leg Luxury, Hallie takes multiple trips to Asia each year to find the most unique tights.”I’ve had women literally chase me across parking lots to ask me where I got my tights.” She doesn’t sell basics opaques or sheers because, well… “you can get those in Target,” says Hallie. On her buying trips, if she doesn’t see quite what she’s looking for, she works with her manufacturers to come up with something truly one-of-a kind.

“A client came to me and said ‘look, I’m 42 years old, I hate panty lines, I’m single and I take my clothes off in front of men.’ So I worked with my vendors and we created tights with these lacy French cut panties sewed in,” says Hallie. “It gives a sexy, elegant feel and it removes the question of whether to wear panties or not.”

Prior to launching her tights business, Hallie, a San Diego-based FOF, worked in marketing for Radisson Hotels and Northwest airlines while launching multiple side endeavors, including selling popcorn in Russia. “When I write my biography, it’s going to be called ‘From Popcorn to Pantyhouse–Living the Frivolous Life,’ she jokes. But, all jokes aside, Hallie describes herself as an “entrepreneur with great purpose, background and foundation.” “I’ve reinvented myself a number of times but I think I’ve found what I’m sticking with,” says Hallie.

Hallie sells her tights online and to boutiques across the United States and Canada. They range in price from $20-$26.
“We don’t have the legs we had when we were 20,” says Hallie. “We may have vericose veins, sun spots or cellulite, and when you cover your legs it looks a lot better than leave them bare.”
Enter to win a pair of Leg Luxury tights by answering in the comments below: Do you always wear nude stockings with skirts–even in the summer?

Thank you for entering. This contest is now closed.

Two FOFs will win. (See all our past winners, here.) (See official rules, here.) Contest closes February 2, 2012 at midnight E.S.T.
Can’t wait to find out if you won? Now, you can buy Leg Luxury tights in the FOF shop.

{Giveaway} An FOFoolproof scarf from Liscaro

LEAVE A COMMENT 2012 January 18

Lisa Devereaux of Liscaro is giving away one of her FOFuss-free scarves. Enter to win by answering in the comments below: What is your favorite way to wear a scarf?

In 1987, when FOF Lisa Devereaux was a young commercial production assistant, she came across an idea that stuck with her. “A company had produced a square scarf with a slit on the end of it, so you could pull it through and not have to fuss with tying it,” said Lisa.

Years later, remembering what she had seen, Lisa sewed something similar for her grandmother, who had arthritis. “She’d always wore scarves, but was having a hard time [tying them]. I made it less square so it had a softer look and added elastic to the hole.”

Lisa showed her prototype to a few store owners in the Dallas area who put in orders right away. She brought it before QVC reps who ordered 5,000 on the spot. Shortly after, in 2010, Lisa put her interior design business on hold, hired a seamstress to help her, and began working full time on Liscaro, the new name for her scarf business. “I had a waiting list of clients for interior decorating, but I farmed them out to other decorators and make this my sole focus.”

“All you do is thread it through,” is the catchphrase for Lisa’s FOFuss-free scarves, which have an elasticized “eye” at the end for easy tying. (Watch this great video tutorial, where Lisa demonstrates all the ways to wear them.) The scarves come in silk and silk-blend, but primarily polyester, which Lisa says is wrinkle-free, good for traveling and washes well.

Lisa is already hard at work on her next product: the Riviera Wrap. “It has the same elasticized eye, and you can wear it as a cape, pareo, sarong, shawl, dress and a shirt,” she says. “Everything I create has more than one use. Lisa tells us something she hears over and over when people see her scarves is…’why didn’t I think of this?’…begging the question…why didn’t we think of this?

Enter to win an FOFuss-free scarf from Lisa Devereaux of Liscaro by answering in the comments below: What is your favorite way to wear a scarf?

Thank you for entering. This contest is now closed.

One FOF will win. (See all our past winners, here.) (See official rules, here.) Contest closes January 26, 2012 at midnight E.S.T.

Can’t wait to find out if you won? FOFs receive 30% off all orders of Liscaro scarves when you enter “FOF” at checkout.

{Giveaway} 3 stackable rings from Marie Bruns

LEAVE A COMMENT 2012 January 4

Marie Myers is giving away three stackable rings to one lucky FOF. Enter to win by answering in the comments below: Do you like to stack your rings, or wear one per finger?

Thank you for entering. This contest is now closed.


Twelve years ago, almost-FOF Marie Myers, a finance executive, started a side business making jewelry. “I was always interested in fashion–my grandmother and mother were both dressmakers but encouraged me to do something more lucrative, which is why I went into finance. For my corporate job I traveled often and collected new jewelry wherever I went,” says Marie. “When I started creating my own pieces, my friends encouraged me to sell them.” Marie began selling jewelry from her home in Texas–at first, she received mostly bridal orders, and eventually her line got picked up by a local Saks.

But, as many FOFs would attest, life didn’t follow an uninterrupted. The birth of her first child put her jewelry business on hold for a few years. (“I couldn’t keep beads and small pieces around my home with an infant,” she says.) In the meantime, Marie got a masters in business (her fourth degree), wrote a formal business plan for her jewelery company and redefined her market as the economy tanked. In 2010 she relaunched her business as Marie Bruns Jewelry (Bruns is her married name). She sells her pieces online and through trunk shows.

Marie says her line is based on the “eclectic layered look” with signature pieces such as her multi-strand “messy” pearl necklace and stackable rings made from real gemstones set in gold Vermeil. “My line is for professional women who want to be able to buy new pieces every year to add to their jewelry wardrobe at an affordable price,” says Marie.

Her jewelry business’s second coming is already seeing success. Marie was named a 2011 “Texas’ Next Top Designer” and her pieces will be featured in InStyle magazine this spring. Meanwhile she still holds her finance position, and this February, 43-year-old Marie is expecting twins. Move over Sarah Jessica Parker–we don’t know how she Marie does it.

Enter to win three stackable rings from Marie Bruns Jewelry by answering in the comments below: Do you like to stack your rings, or wear one per finger?

One FOF will win. (See all our past winners, here.) (See official rules, here.) Contest closes January 12, 2012 at midnight E.S.T.

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{Giveaway} A festive bag by Betty Audish

LEAVE A COMMENT 2011 December 20

Betty Audish is giving away two of her “quintessential holiday” handbags–a bronze, leather clutch and a gold evening bag with a bow. Enter to win by answering in the comments below: Are you the kinda gal who thinks wearing bows is a go–or a “no?”

In 2001, fashion buyer Betty Audish’s mother passed away. The event made Betty realize just how precious life is, and she decided she couldn’t waste any more time before tackling her lifelong dream–designing her own handbag line. That year, Betty Audish handbags was born.

The first bags in her collection were luncheon-style, in honor of her mother. “My mom was very classic and carried small luncheon bags like the ones in Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” says Betty. “She always had trouble finding them, which made me realize there was a real whole in the market.”

Since then, Betty’s line has expanded to bags of all styles–day bags, totes, evening bags and clutches. In 2006 she introduced bags made with exotic skins–now her bestsellers. “Python is the new black,” says Betty, who manufactures bags in 19 colors of python and 13 colors of crocodile.

Betty’s warehouse and company headquarters is in Pearland, Texas, but her bags are sold in high-end specialty stores across the country. Betty’s bags were recently feature in Houston magazine and chosen as the “Item of the Day” in  Accessories Magazine who called them “timeless pull-it-out-in-10-years-and-it’s-still-as-amazing bags.”

To find a retailer of Betty Audish bags in your area or order one of the bags featured above (ships nationwide) call: 281-300-3202.

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Enter to win one of two leather bags by Betty Audish by answering in the comments below: Are you the kinda gal who thinks wearing bows is a go–or a “no?”

Thank you for entering. This contest is now closed.

Two FOFs will win.(See all our past winners, here.) (See official rules, here.) Contest closes December 29, 2011 at midnight E.S.T.

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{Giveaway} Win a custom, embroidered locket

LEAVE A COMMENT 2011 November 22

Jennifer Shingelo is giving away a locket embroidered with a letter of your choice from her Etsy shop, Stella Saves the Day. Enter to win by answering in the comments below: Whose picture would you keep in a locket?

Lockets, all the rage during the Victorian era, haven’t quite fallen out of style, but they’ve fallen out of style. Let us explain. A recent search for “locket” on Google, turned up a most uninspiring collection of trinkets. That is, until we found Jennifer Shingelo’s Etsy shop, Stella Saves the Day. After we stopped oohing and ahhing of the hand-stitched designs, we wondered just who is Stella? And how does Jennifer craft these gorgeous, one-of-a-kind pieces?

Her collection is named after her great grandmother, Stella. Jenn was inspired to create lockets after years of adoring her grandmother’s jewelry box. “I opened my Etsy shop in 2009 and sold my first piece in 2011,” says Jenn, a trained sculptor. “In sculpting, you also make items that hold memory. I did that for a ten years but wanted to do something where I’d be interacting with people more. This business has been very touching and personal.” Jenn says her customers often share their personal stories. “A man just sent me pictures of his baby twin sons,” she says. “He wants them represented by two embroidered acorns in a locket for his wife.”

An advisor at the Pratt Institute of Design by day, Jennifer crafts the jewelry in her Brooklyn kitchen at night. (“Some day I’ll have a studio,” she says.) Her lockets are sourced from a small, father-daughter owned company in New England (“I actually have to pick up the phone and call them to place orders!” she says.) Jenn hand-embroiders inserts for the lockets using patterns she finds in antique Victorian books about locket making. “For me, it’s all about the history,” she explains.

Enter to win a locket embroidered with a letter of your choice by answering in the comments below: Whose picture would you keep in a locket?

Thank you for entering. This contest is now closed.

One FOF will win.

(See all our past winners, here.)
(See official rules, here.)
Contest closes December 1, 2011 at midnight E.S.T.

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{My Story} Only when this FOF retired, did she find her dream job.

LEAVE A COMMENT 2011 November 17

[Editor’s note: The essay below, by FOF Linda Lindsay, is part of a series of personal blogs from our readers. Have your own story to tell? Email your idea to geri@faboverfifty.com.]

I’ve been called the ‘accidental vintner.’

Never in a million years did I think I’d end up in the wine industry, a predominantly male business. Instead, I spent most of my life as a realtor, selling houses in and around Southwest Portland.

On the weekends in the 80s, my husband and a group of our friends would visit another friend’s gorgeous property in McMinnville, Oregon, about 35 miles southwest of Portland. It was beautiful, pristine and private–one of those special places you visit to escape the hustle and bustle of your daily life.

The Oregon wine industry was in it’s infancy, and we thought, ‘hey, maybe we could grow grapes here.’ So, each weekend we started planting vines and before we knew it, we had created a vineyard.

In the early 90s, my husband and I began our search for a retirement home with more property. We looked high and low, and even as a realtor, I couldn’t find anything just right. Then, in 1996 our friend told us he was looking to sell his McMinnville property, thinking we might buy it. We did. We built our home there and along the way, bought another vineyard. We named them Stone Wolf Vineyards, a compromise between our two favorite name ideas, Stone Bridge and Little Wolf.

Since we purchased the property, I’ve spent my days running the vineyard and producing, marketing and selling wine. Living among the vines is romantic, but it’s a lot of hard work too. Your partner is Mother Nature who can be unpredictable. Plus, the competition is fierce. But, we’ve been lucky–we sell every drop we make. Despite the recession, we’ve grown our business to include three labels–Rascal, Stone Wolf, and Lindsay Cellar and are the first winemaker in the U.S. to offer wine in a fully-recyclable keg. Our wine has won many prestigious awards.

The wine industry is still male dominated, but there’s increasingly more and more women at the helm. I’m not treated any different because I’m a woman. I’m one of them. A few years ago, I released a ‘matriarch series,’ of wine, a tribute to mothers and grandmothers. That label rocked.

I still have my real estate license and do a couple deals a year–mostly dealing with vineyard acquisitions. I can’t give it up.

It’s funny, years ago I was a realtor searching high and low for a great retirement home. Now, I own the best real estate on the planet, and maybe I’m not “retired” in the traditional sense, but I love what I do. I’m getting ready to go into my 16th vintage and this year, we’ll produce about 35,000 cases of wine. I’m Queen of the Vineyard.

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{Giveaway} W.H. Petronela python-skin wallet worth $200

LEAVE A COMMENT 2011 November 2

FOFs Peggy Patterson and Judy Vojtech are giving away this stunning python-skin wallet from W.H. Petronela. Enter to win by answering in the comments below: Have you ever lost your wallet?

Thank you for entering. This contest is now closed.

Two Cleveland-based FOFriends, Peggy Patterson and Judy Vojtech, started a non-profit called H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Everyday) in 2008 with the mission of giving support to 18-22 year olds coming out of social services or the juvenile justice system. “Peggy and I were never blessed with kids, so our hearts were set on helping children. There’s one girl I’ve taken in as my ‘pretend daughter.’ She was born a heroin addict and she recently told me she finally realizes she has to be the one to take the stop and will do whatever it takes. It’s been very rewarding.”

Peggy and Judy ran the non-profit for a year, powered by their own money and some outside donations, but soon realized they needed to come up with other ways of fund-raising to truly fulfill their mission. “It’s tough to always count on family and friends for donations. We really need to do something,” says Judy.

In 2009, Peggy and Judy launched W.H. Petronela, a handbag label featuring timeless leather bags and accessories made from exotic skins. Peggy had always been an avid handbag collector, and Judy graduated from L.I.M. fashion school in New York.

They decided initially 10% of the profits from the handbags will support H.O.P.E., and they will up the percentage as they grow.

And my, are they growing! Last year their handbags were ‘discovered’ at a Henri Bendel open call for new designers. “We stood on line for three hours in the freezing cold and everyone was getting rejected,” says Judy. “Then, when they saw ours, they asked us to do a trunk show. They liked the price point, the impeccable quality and the real exotic skins we use such as crocodile, sting ray, python, lizard and ostrich.”

Since the trunk show at Bendel’s, they’ve received international orders, a boom in business and even got the opportunity to display their bags in the window at the Henri Bendel store on Fifth Avenue. “They said it was the highest grossing sales from a window display they’ve ever had,” said Judy.

“The bigger we get, the more we’d be able to donate to H.O.P.E.” she says. Doesn’t this story just tug on your purse-…er…heartstrings?

Enter to win a stunning python-skin wallet from W.H. Petronela by answering in the comments below: Have you ever lost your wallet?

(See all our past winners, here.)
(See official rules, here.)
Contest closes November 10, 2011 at midnight E.S.T.