Blog Posts by CNBC

By Christina Cheddar Berk, CNBC.com

What do Fashion Week and Toy Fair have in common? Barbie.

An installation at Lincoln Center allows Barbie fans to step into her pink bejeweled closet.Each year, buyers descend on New York in mid-February. Some have their eyes fixed on the runways of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, looking for fashion's next big trend. Others race around the city from showroom to showroom and all throughout Toy Fair at the Javitz Center, looking at toys of all kinds, trying to find the brands they expect will delight children next holiday season.

Mattel has often looked to be part of the buzz around both events with its iconic fashion doll Barbie, and this year's no different.

The toymaker is kicking off a new advertising campaign for Barbie, "See What Happens When You Play With Barbie," that will try to play up the doll's fashion credentials, and at the heart of the campaign is Barbie's Dream Closet.

Playing off of this idea, the company is hosting an event at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center during Fashion Week that allows fans to step inside

By Katie Little, CNBC.com

In an industry known for extravagance, simpler designs with a ladylike twist will blanket the Lincoln Center runway at Fashion Week for the Fall 2012 season, industry experts predict.

Color blocking dominated the BCBG Max Azria collection during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York on Thursday.The recovering economy is one reason that consumers are drawn to classic looks that will be able to transition through multiple seasons. Kate Middleton is another.

"We as consumers - especially with what's going on in the economy right now - are experiencing a return to classic items that also have a sense of specialty," said Maren Hartman, trend analyst at WGSN and director of content operations.

But in a sign that the economy and consumer confidence may be poised for a rebound, designers are splashing the runway with bursts of color.

At BCBG Max Azria, the second show of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, color blocking using hues such as teal, coral and dark green dominated the looks. The collection, which drew inspiration from the Bauhaus art-school style, used bits of fur and

By Laurie Davis, contributor for CNBC.com
Founder of eFlirtExpert.com

Searching for love online has gone mainstream. But as dating goes digital, singles are confronted with new challenges that don't exist with in-person flirting. How do you attract the right person with just a few paragraphs? What red flags should you look out for? When do you get offline and go on a date?

Searching for love online has gone mainstream.As an online dating coach, singles reveal their hurdles of the heart to me. One by one, I help them overcome their profile woes, avoid email disasters and create date night butterflies. But there are consistently five mistakes that I see online daters make in the wink wide web that are avoidable.

Here are the top five things you might be doing wrong ... and how to fix them before dating disaster.

1. Being a negative nelly. Too often, online daters type what they do not want in a match in their profile, rather than focusing on positive traits. Listing your turn-offs can give the impression that you're jaded and

By Michelle Fox, CNBC.com

Westminster's Top Dog Breeds and Their Prices

For 135 years, breeds of all shapes and sizes have vied to be named top dog at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. This year, 185 breeds and varieties will be competing for the title Best in Show. Some breeds have grabbed the coveted title more times than others.

Here, we look at the breeds that have won the most Best in Show awards and how much it would cost to purchase a puppy in that group. Since several factors affect the price of a potentially award-winning pup, each breed has a price range. Those factors include pedigree, location of the breeder, age of the puppy and whether it was bred to be a pet or a potential show dog. To purchase an older show dog, especially one that has won awards, expect to dig even deeper into your wallet.

See the slideshow: Westminster's Most Successful Dog Breeds


PekingesePekingese

Number of wins: 3
Price: $500-$2,000

The Pekingese, named after the ancient Chinese city of Peking, was

By Katie Little, CNBC.com

Gifts for Every Type of Valentine

Love may be blind - but it's not free. In fact, Americans are planning to spend big bucks this Valentine's Day to show their significant others that they care, according to a new report.

The National Retail Federation forecasts that love-struck consumers will spend 8.5 percent more on Valentine's Day this year, bringing the average spending to $126.03 per person, or a total of $17.6 billion.

Men will once again be the big spenders, shelling out almost twice as much for women in the elusive hunt for the ideal gift, the NRF said.

But once Cupid has helped you snag your true love, where do you buy the present that will make your other half swoon. To help you out, we've found a variety of "his" and "hers" gifts - for whatever type of sweetie is in your life.

See the slideshow: His and Hers Valentine's Gifts


For the Jewelry LoverThe Jewelry Lover

For Her: Gold Octet Key Pendant Price: $700 for Key, $175 for Chain

Jewelry spending is expected to

By Ellen Lee, CNBC.com

Cities Wired for Dating

This being the era of Facebook and Twitter, it only makes sense that online dating has become one of the main sources for meeting new people.

Online dating sites, from top contenders such as Plenty of Fish, to more niche sites such as Christian Mingle, drew nearly 626 million visits in January, according to Experian Hitwise.

But where are the best cities locations for singles to take the online dating plunge? Look at cities with the biggest pool of online daters, according to eHarmony, Match.com and the up-and-coming HowAboutWe, where people meet their match based on the types of dates they propose.

See the slideshow: 12 Best Cities for Online Dating


New York CityNew York City

New York's population of more than 8 million - with transplants from around the world arriving by the minute - means there is always someone ready to find love online and off. The city tops eHarmony's list for male and female singles, ages 18 to 80.

Best of all, with the

By Katie Little, CNBC.com

Jenne Lombardo, W Hotels Global Fashion Director, picked each of the designers for the fourth season of Fashion Next.High thread counts and high fashion go hand in hand at one luxury hotel chain.

W Hotels announced this season's roster of Fashion Next designers at its kickoff of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week on Monday.

For the first time since its inception four seasons ago, one of the program's designers, Bibhu Mohapatra, will stage a runway show at Lincoln Center. The group's four other designers will present their collections at the Box at Lincoln Center.

Through the initiative, designers receive financial and marketing support along with exposure on the hotel chain's website, said Carlos Becil, W Hotels' vice president of brand management.

"As W Hotels continues to transform into a global design powerhouse, we are committed to providing a platform for supporting and showcasing what's new and next in fashion to guests and locals alike at our hotels around the world," said Eva Ziegler, W Hotels' Global Brand Leader.

The company has been involved with Fashion Week for

By Samantha Daniels, guest contributor for CNBC.com
Professional Matchmaker and Dating Expert, Founder and President of Samantha's Table Matchmaking

How to Date a Wall Street ManAs a professional matchmaker with an office in New York City, many of my clients are very successful, high profile Wall Street men.

I have spent the better part of 12 years learning all of their habits, their likes and dislikes when it comes to dating, women and relationships and what they want specifically from me, when I am matching them with women.

Hence, I know, better than anyone, what makes Wall Street men tick.

Here are a few tips for the women out there who are dating or would like to be dating a man on Wall Street:

1. Be prepared to charm him out of talking about work when he first arrives to the date. Unfortunately, a lot of guys on Wall Street have a hard time leaving work at the office; it's your job to get his mind on you and off the S & P.

2. Learn a little something about the financial markets and notice if something huge