Esprit is back at the West Coast with a nationwide contest "How We Met" starting tomorrow, April 2nd. Go online at Esprit.com to participate.

Here's more information about this contest:

ESPRIT KICKS OFF NATIONWIDE "HOW WE MET" CONTEST ON APRIL 2nd IN CELEBRATION OF ITS RETURN TO THE WEST COAST

International Lifestyle Brand to Give Away Trip to Europe and Shopping Spree!

Santa Monica, CA – After more than a decade of absence from the West Coast, Esprit is returning home to its roots in California with a new store on the legendary Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. To honor Esprit's founders, Susie and Doug Tompkins, who met more than 40 years ago in California, Esprit is launching a nationwide contest to find the best "How we met" story, with its own dedicated website at www.esprit.com/howwemet. One lucky pair will win a trip for two to an Esprit Flagship store in Paris, Barcelona or Berlin, a $500 shopping spree and $500 in spending cash.

The contest will begin in Santa Monica on the evening of April 2nd with a grand opening celebration in the new store. Beginning April 3rd through April 23rd, the contest will be open nationwide. Participants can log onto www.esprit.com/howwemet to tell their own "How we met" story, upload a photo and then pass it along to their friends so they can vote. Additionally, participants from the New York or Los Angeles area can grab their spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend or best friend and stop by Esprit Rockefeller Center or Esprit Santa Monica over the weekend (Friday – Sunday) during the contest dates to have their photo taken in store and enter the contest.

The winner will be chosen at the end of April 2009 and will win a luxurious trip to an Esprit Flagship store in Paris, Barcelona or Berlin. The perfect pair will win roundtrip plane tickets to one of the three cities of their choice, three days and four nights in luxurious hotel accommodations, a $500 shopping spree and $500 spending cash.

Leaving the US retail scene in the late '90s, Esprit has since returned, starting with the opening of a New York store in 2004 in the chic Manhattan Flatiron district. Today, the international lifestyle brand has 26 stores in the Northeast Corridor, including New York’s fashionable SoHo district and the legendary Rockefeller Center, and now its first on the West Coast in Santa Monica. Like all the Esprit stores, Santa Monica will offer a wide array of men's and women's clothes, created by Esprit's international team of designers. The designers bring their worldwide inspiration together to create sophisticated, fashionable styles, ensuring up-to-date and fresh looks.

In the 2007/2008 business year, Esprit Holdings Limited generated a worldwide group turnover of around EUR 3.25 billion (as of 30.06.2008). The net profits increased to around EUR 600 million. Esprit operates approximately 770 directly managed retail stores worldwide and distributes to more than 15,150 controlled space wholesale point-of-sales internationally, occupying total selling space of over 1,100,000m2 in more than 40 countries. The company is one of the five largest vertically integrated clothing distributors worldwide. The unique combination of three distribution channels via retail, wholesale and franchise is the key to the brand’s international success. Esprit delivers 12 product lines annually on a monthly basis. Esprit clothing appeals to men and women of all ages, because it's about the attitude - not the age. For more information please visit www.esprit.com.

ESPRIT - THE WORLD IS OUR CULTURE"

Dog owners out there will find the article Love Lessons from Dogs? right on target. In case you're wondering what your dog can teach you about love, read the article to find out more. I can only agree with it.

Have you tried online dating? Are you thinking of joining an online dating site? If you are, then "Internet Dating Is Not Like Ordering a Pizza" is a must-read for you.

Find out "how to write an eye-catching profile, search for, and meet the right person online". This book speaks directly to you, as if you're listening to an adviser, a confidante, a best friend, a mother or a sister. It's loaded with common sense tips and recommendations. At the end of it, you'll find out that yes, your love life is well within your control. And that there are so many people you can meet online. Go for it.

Here is the rest of our interview with Cherie Burbach, author of Internet Dating Is Not Like Ordering a Pizza.


What makes internet dating different from...well, the typical dating scenario?
For me, Internet dating was much easier than the "typical" way of meeting someone in a bar or through friends. I was the type of person that didn't "get" when someone liked me. With the Internet, I didn't have that problem. Everyone on the system was looking to meet someone, so it took the guesswork out it.

Imagine those times when you are in a bar and see a cute guy. He comes over to talk to you and your friend, but you aren't sure if he's single, if he's talking to you because he's bored or if finds you cute, or if he's talking to you because he really wants to get to know your friend. With Internet dating, there's none of that confusion. If you get an email from someone, they're interested! (And presumably single.)

The other thing that sets Internet dating apart is the ability to email each other first. This can set up a false sense of familiarity that daters need to be aware of. Until you have actually met someone and spent some time with them, you don't know them.

What's the funniest/craziest/scariest thing that happened to you when you were internet dating?
I've got quite a few stories I wouldn't want you to print, so I'll give you a tame one instead:

I had a coffee date set up with one guy, and carried his profile picture with me so I would recognize him. I walked into the coffee shop, and one guy smiled at me and started to stand up. He was bald and didn't look anything like the guy I was supposed to meet. I smiled back but just headed to the counter to get a cup of chai.

I still didn't see my date so I picked up a paper and started reading. At one point the same guy said, "Are you waiting for me?" I looked up, said, "Oh no. I don't think so." I went back to my paper. A few minutes later he said, "Cherie?"

I pulled out the picture I had printed off, which showed a full head of curly dark hair. I held it up to him and he said, "Yeah, sorry. I just shaved my hair off for the summer." I said, "What did you do that for?" (Rude, I know, but I was taken aback - he looked so different!)

We sat and had a lovely cup of chai, and he informed me that every summer he shaves his head. I told him he should update his profile.

Any advice and tips for those who are thinking twice before trying internet dating?
If you haven't tried Internet dating, I ask you this, "Why do you have to lose?" Give it a try for six months and see if you don't meet at least one very nice person. I'll bet you do. The key is to go in with the right attitude and right profile.

What's next for you? Do you have another book coming up?
I do. I have a diabetes-related book coming out and at least one more dating book in 2009.

CURRENT PROJECT: A couple more books and many more articles.
FAVORITE ROMANTIC MOVIE EVER: Return to Me
I WON'T GO ON A DATE WITHOUT: A cell phone, a car, and money


Thanks Cherie for taking time out to answer our questions!

Coming up: The Love Knot review of Internet Dating Is Not Like Ordering a Pizza.

Coming soon: Giveaway of a copy of Internet Dating Is Not Like Ordering a Pizza

We at The Love Knot had the chance to interview Ms. Cherie Burbach, the author of Internet Dating Is Not Like Ordering a Pizza. Ms. Burbach is a relationship and dating expert who has written three poetry books - A New Dish, The Difference Now, Father's Eyes. She also wrote At the Coffee Shop dealing with internet dating. You can find her online via her website The Difference Now and at Suite 101.

On to the interview...

First of all, how did you come up with your book "Internet Dating is Not Like Ordering a Pizza"? Who thought of the title?
Over the last several years a lot of people have written me about their frustrations with online dating. My heart goes out to them, because I know it doesn't have to be that way. I wanted to write this book so they can put their best possible impression out there for the online dating world. There's more to it than just putting up a random paragraph or two and a photo.

As far as the title, I was talking with my husband one day about how many daters have the impression that you can just punch in your desires (blue eyes, brown hair, college degree) and "order up" your perfect mate. From that point the subject fell to various things we could order. I joked that people can't order a mate like they do a pizza, and my husband said that would be a great title for the book I was writing. (I think he's right. And besides that, who doesn't like pizza?)

You wrote the book based on your experiences. What led you to try internet dating?
I was in my mid-30s and just hadn't met the right person yet. Several of my friends suggested I try online dating. At first, I was VERY reluctant. But then I thought, "Why not?" I quickly realized that Internet dating was a great way to meet people, especially if you were busy. I was working a lot of hours at the time, and liked the fact that I could log on whenever it suited me and schedule dates when it was convenient.

If "internet dating is not like ordering pizza", what's internet dating really like?
It's like being set up by a friend. Your friends set you up with people because they know you and think they can find a match that's suited especially to you. Internet dating is like that, but only if you put up the right kind of profile that will show the online world your true personality. The Internet is essentially a means of introduction just like your friends are.

How hard is it to date online? What are the biggest challenges in internet dating?
I think it's easy to date online. The hard part comes in finding the right person for you. I think the biggest challenge with online dating is putting a profile up that accurately depicts your personality so you can attract the right person. Many daters get frustrated because "the wrong" type of people might be emailing them, and part of the reason that happens is because they don't have the right profile up.

The other challenge is knowing when to spend time getting to know someone and when to move on and meet someone else. That's a challenge with dating in general.


More on our interview with Cherie tomorrow! Don't forget to check out her book Internet Dating Is Not Like Ordering a Pizza!

What is a kiss-and-tell?

A kiss-and-tell is someone who reveals private information. This someone divulges blow-by-blow accounts of situations, events, conversations, etc. that are best kept under wraps between two persons. Behind the scenes. Hush-hush.

So what happens when your boyfriend/husband is a kiss-and-tell? You might feel that he betrayed your trust and confidence in him. That's normal. Now go and tell him. Explain why you'd really rather keep certain things private. The last thing you need and want are his friends winking at you knowingly. If he refuses, tell him how it makes you feel. If he still doesn't agree, ask him how he'd feel if you told everyone what goes on between the two of you. If he still doesn't get it, stop giving him stuff to kiss-and-tell about. That ought to put a stop to it.

Now, if you're the kiss-and-tell, what motivates you? If you think full disclosure is in the public interest, sure, go ahead and continue. Be warned, your man might not understand, especially if he's private and reserved. Learn to know when something is off the record. He might not understand why you're always telling everyone what goes on between the two of you.

It's always exciting to be in a relationship. Even more when it's going so well. It's easy to go and tell everyone about how perfect your relationship is. But remember, not everyone likes or understands kiss-and-tell behavior. So just kiss. Stop telling.

Here are three simple reminders to all of you who are in a relationship right now:

Be polite. People usually put their best foot forward for other people. Why not to the one person you've sworn your love and life to? Don't reserve your best behavior for everyone else.

Say "thank you" and "please". The more you say thank you to each other, the more reasons there are to say thanks. In fact, being able to say thank you keeps you aware of the good things being done to you.

Open your eyes. See the good that your partner does. You'd be surprised and amazed at how much there is.

I had a boyfriend that a friend of mine abhorred. She thought that he was wrong for me. No sense of humor, she claimed. What happened was, she made a joke in front of him and he didn't laugh. In fact, he just stared blankly at her and looked away. A very awkward silence ensued. From then on, she disliked him. Intensely. I almost told my friend, "you just don't like him because he didn't think your joke was funny." Ho ho.

But I didn't say anything. I mean, I was the one in the relationship, not her, so frankly, why does it matter if she thinks he's not funny? Or if he's the sort who doesn't recognize funny even if it smacked him in the face? Of course, I didn't end up with the guy. But it wasn't for lack of a sense of humor. If anything, he was hilarious. He made me laugh.

The lesson in this little tale now is this: you like who you like. If a friend or two doesn't like your honey, then that's their problem, not yours. But if you have other friends from different circles who do not like him, pay attention. They might be seeing something that you're not seeing.