Blog Posts by Claudine Zap

By Claudine Zap

Gift cards seem like the perfect present: They're great for last-minute procrastinators. But if you're on the receiving end, getting one may be more of a chore or a bore, depending on the card you receive.

The problem is that like any gift, it can reflect the taste of the giver rather than the givee. And so the fate of many gift cards is a long, forgotten life in a sock drawer. But consider this bright idea: Exchange it for cold, hard cash.

Here's how to works, according to a story in the San Francisco Chronicle: You fill out a form at an online gift-card exchange site like Plastic Jungle, Cardpool, or Gift Card Rescue. You send in the card -- or at least ones with no expiration date with at least a $25 value. The companies then send you cash, usually about 80 to 85% of the card value. These sites turn around and sell your gift card -- at a discount -- to someone who wants it (or wants to give it away).

This is no small problem, if searches on

Squinkies: A top-searched gift. (Image from Amazon.com)

By Claudine Zap

'Tis the season to frantically search for the perfect presents. Hey, you're not alone. Plenty of shoppers are hitting the Web to find their favorite things -- to give. Here, we lay out the list of top searches on Yahoo!.

If there's a kid or two who have been mostly nice, there are plenty of toys to choose from. Some very happy children may get a set of "squinkies," the squishable, affordable tiny toys that come by theme so your favorite tot will want to collect them all. A chenille "pillow pet," part plush toy, part head rest, is also a popular pick.

For the more automotively inclined, "john deere toys" may be the way to go. Playful lookups also include "yo gabba gabba toys," "how to train your dragon toys," "toy story 3 toys" and traditionalists searching out "back to basics toys."

For the gadget geek, the e-reader "kindle" is a popular pick. Bookish searches were also big on the

Sexy Big Bird Costume (Source: Amazon.com)


By Claudine Zap

Sure, Halloween is weeks away, but those who like to dress up are thinking about what to wear - and the "sexy" searches are heating up on the Web.

By far our favorite costume search on Yahoo! this year: "Sexy sesame street costumes." What does that even mean? Big Bird in a skirt? (Actually, yes.) Elmo dressed as Katy Perry? (Hey, that's not a bad idea - you're welcome.)

Other odd concoctions: "sexy clown costume," which sounds like something out of a bad horror movie. And "sexy mad hatter costume." Alice, watch out.

Mad as a Sexy Mad Hatter Costume (Source: Amazon.com)

Here are some more top "sexy costume" searches. What will you do for Halloween? Will you have a "sexy" costume?

Top "Sexy Costume" Searches (past month)

By Claudine Zap

While Halloween is still a few weeks off, the searches on Yahoo! for the perfect costume are heating up. Still drawing a blank on what to wear on the fright night? We thought we could inspire you with some of the trends we're seeing on the Web.

While popular terms like "witch" and "princess" (not to mention "sexy witch" and "sexy princess") are perennial favorites, this season's lookups are spookily high on one performer who seems to celebrate Halloween every day: Yep, "Lady Gaga Halloween costumes" are topping the list.

(Image: Amazon.com)

Others want to take on the larger-than-life look of the "jersey shore cast costumes." Sure, the Snooki pouf can be had - for a price.

(Image: Amazon.com)

What, not your bag? How about switching out the goblin suit for "vampire costumes." Not a bad choice. Who would really deny you anything dressed like that? Other popular get-ups this year are "Alice in Wonderland," "Glinda the Good Witch" from "The

By Claudine Zap

Over the past 7 and a half seasons of "Project Runway," through the petty feuds and bad design, one man stood above it all. A pale, bespectacled, suited Tim Gunn. Part mentor, part therapist, all class. He was the one constant -- the soothing yin to Heidi Klum's "auf wiedersehen" yang.

Even "The Daily Show's" Jon Stewart, who looks at fashion as a foreign language, has eagerly invited back Tim Gunn for a chat and a dish.

But Tim Gunn, who was the standard bearer of all things tasteful, has totally, completely lost it. To pimp his book, "Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making It Work," the claws have come out. On "The Daily Show" he went for easy target Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue, saying he saw her carried down the stairs because she couldn't work a Manolo. Or at least walk in them. Really? The man who never takes sides back stage at a "Project Runway" show went straight for the fashion royalty juggular? The new Tim had

By Claudine Zap

FitFlops? So last year. The new "it" flop is the SwitchFlop. The thong sandal has a removable, interchangeable strap - and it is creating a stir on the Web. As creator Lindsay Phillips puts it, "Change your look, not your sole."

Word of the clever design sent fashionistas running to the Web to look up "switchflops," which stepped up 3,200% in one day alone. Lookups on Yahoo! also included "switchflops.com," "switchflops ballet flats," and "lindsay phillips switchflops." In fact, the SwitchFlops site, promoted on AOL, seems to have been unable to handle all the added foot traffic.

[Photos: The ugliest shoes of all time]

The brains behind the operation, Lindsay Phillips, dreamed up the concept at the tender age of 16 in art class. The prototype was a ceramic shoe with straps that were interchangeable. When guests in her parents' house started trying them on, the Florida native thought she could make an actual sandal. Relatives advised her to seek out

By Claudine Zap

The 11th season of "Dancing with the Stars" has named its cast. And just when it had outdone itself for oddball pairings, the show did it again. Where else could you see Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino going toe to toe with Florence "Brady Bunch" Henderson? The lineup of fading luminaries includes Michael Bolton and David Hasselhoff -- and Sarah Palin's daughter, Bristol. But they're still not the buzziest of them all. The castmember to generate the most excitement: "Dirty Dancing's" Jennifer Grey. Finally, Baby is out of the corner.

Fans who can't wait for the two-hour premiere on Setpember 20 are hitting the Web to seek out their favorite new contestants. Here, how the "DWTS" castmembers shake out in search.

"Dancing With the Stars" Top Searched Castmembers

1. Jennifer Grey She's not exactly Baby anymore. But at 50, the "Dirty Dancing" star is a good bet. After all, Patrick Swayze taught her some sweet moves on camera. After neck surgery for

By Claudine Zap

Madonna: Pop diva, yes. Style icon, natch. But film director? Well, why not? Apparently, the blond bombshell planned to meet up with famed photogs Mert Atlas and Marcus Pigott on set while they were filming a fashion video for Miu Miu.

Instead of doing dinner, Madonna offered to direct. That's an offer nobody could refuse, although apparently she was refused payment for her trouble. (When told she wouldn't be paid for the spontaneous gig, she just laughed.) So the unmaterial girl who did a "Material Girl" line for Macy's now has a Miu Miu film shoot to add to her list of accomplishments. According to the model Ginta Lapina, who was one of the models on the shoot: Madonna "put on her iPod and taught us moves and we shot the video for two hours." Rest assured, the ol' girl can still "Vogue."

You can check out the video below -- it's full of Madge's signature moves in Miu Miu's adorable floral-covered fall frocks. While Miu Miu is getting all kinds of buzz for its