Zappos, the largest online shoe retailer on the planet, is sponsoring a new contest that you might be interested in. Winners are eligible to win 5 pairs of Stuart Weitzman shoes, a chance to meet the designer, and an all expense paid trip to New York City! Here are the unusual details...

"To enter, contestants will need to subscribe to the Zappos.com YouTube™ channel located at www.youtube.com/zappos and create a video depicting why they think they can beat Stewart Weitzman in ping pong – a sport champion in his own right. Entries will be judged on creativity and fun.

The Grand Prize Winner will receive an all expense paid trip to New York City to meet designer, Stuart Weitzman to play him in a game of ping pong. Besides showing off their ping pong skills, the lucky winner will also win 5 pairs of Stuart Weitzman shoes from Zappos.com and a 2-night stay at the Shoreham Hotel in Manhattan on February 6 & 7, 2009, along with a $500 stipend for meals and transportation. The total grand prize is worth $3,500.00.

Check out this video at YouTube Zappos Contest for complete contest rules. The contest runs now through January 9, 2009."

A striking timepiece makes a ::cough:: timeless accessory, especially if it has, oh, I don't know, a mother of pearl face that's encrusted with diamonds and finished with a crocodile leather wristband. In the not-so-distant past, such a luxury would have been available to only the wealthiest of men, and I suppose the real deal still is, but thanks to modern technology, any bum off the street can get a cheap, made-in-China version for just $8.50 at their local mall, courtesy of stores like Forever 21.




I find this to be quite amusing, which is why I purchased the watch you see above. It's deceptively expensive-looking (my Dad asked if it was Fossil), and after two weeks in my possession, it still maintains the accurate time. My one complaint is that the wrist band is rather stiff (what can you expect for $8.50?), so the watch itself doesn't sit flush with my skin. I'm hoping I can break it in a bit to resolve that problem.

Forever 21 has a great selection of watches under $20 on their website, so hopefully if my purchase stands the test of time, I'll buy another.

Shop it: Metallic Serpent Watch, available in 4 colors, $8.50 at Forever21.com

Have you purchased a timepiece from Forever 21? Did it break within 2 days or is it holding up?