2007-08 Cedar Rapids RoughRiders Erick Cinotti Jersey

July by the Numbers makes our first ever visit to Iowa for jersey #31.

The oldest hockey team from the Hawkeye State we can find records for is the 1951-52 Sioux City Sunhawks, a senior amateur club in the American Amateur Hockey League. The Sunhawks lasted but one season but had a rather successful one, finishing second. This league was a precursor to what would eventually become the United States Hockey League.

The Sunhawks would be followed in the AAHL by the Des Moines Ice Hawks (1958-1960) and the Des Moines Oak Leafs in 1961. After two seasons in the USHL, the Oak Leafs would join the International Hockey League beginning in 1963. They would make the playoff finals twice in their nine seasons in the IHL prior to changing their name to the Des Moines Capitols in 1972. In 1973-74, they would finish with the best regular season record and go on to defeat the Saginaw Gears to win the Turner Cup as IHL champions, but after one additional season, the club would fold, ending their 14 year run.

The Waterloo Black Hawks joined the league, now renamed USHL, in 1962 and won championships in five consecutive seasons from 1964 to 1968 and then another trio of titles in 1975, 1978 and 1979, the final season the USHL operated as a semi-professional league.

The Sioux City Musketeers arrived in the USHL in 1972 and remained in the league when it changed it's focus to an all junior league for the 1979-80 season and have continued to play in the league to this day, making them the longest running franchise in the state of Iowa, now at 40 seasons of play. The Musketeers have won the Clark Cup as USHL champions in 1982, 1986 and 2002 and also went on to win the Gold Cup as national junior champions in 1986 as well.

The conversion of the USHL from a semi-pro to a junior league in 1979 opened up new opportunities which led to some changes and additions, as Waterloo relocated to Dubuque and were renamed the Dubuque Fighting Saints in 1980, where they remained for 21 seasons. The Fighting Saints won the Clark Cup in their very first season in Dubuque and added titles every other year for championships in 1981, 1983 and 1985.

Future NHL Rookie of the Year, Stanley Cup winner and US Olympian

Gary Suter captained the Fighting Saints to a Clark Cup title in 1983

Waterloo was not left without hockey though, as a Minnesota franchise immediately moved into the vacated Waterloo market and kept alive the traditional Black Hawks name. This new iteration of the Black Hawks has won the Clark Cup once, that coming in 2004.

After a five year absence, hockey returned to Des Moines when the Des Moines Buccaneers joined the USHL for the 1980-81 season and have proven to be a big success, having just completed their 31st season with USHL championships coming in 1992, 1995, 1999 and 2006 and national championships coming in 1992, 1995 and 2006.

The Des Moines Buccaneers playing in front of a packed house

Mason City became home to the North Iowa Huskies in 1983 and they would remain there through the 1998-99 season, 16 in all, before relocating and becoming the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders beginning with the 1999-00 season. The RoughRiders have now completed their 12th season with a Clark Cup championship in 2005.

While not technically based in Iowa, the history of hockey in the Quad Cities must be mentioned in any discussion of Iowa hockey, as the Quad Cities consist of Rock Island and Moline in Illinois and Bettendorf and Davenport on the Iowa side of the Mississippi River. The main arena serving the metro area is located in Moline and was home to the Quad City Mallards of the minor professional United Hockey League from 1995 to 2007, who drew fans from both states.

Map of the Quad Cities

The Mallards were quite successful during their 12 seasons, winning the Colonial Cup in 1997, 1998 and 2001 as part of a run of success which included making the finals five consecutive years and six times out of seven. They also had the league's best regular season record four times from 1998 to 2002. The Mallards lasted until the end of the 2006-07 season.

Hockey made it's return to Dubuque in 2001 in the form of the Dubuque Thunderbirds as a member of the junior Tier III Central States Hockey League, two steps below the USHL. The Thunderbirds won the Hurster Cup in 2007, 2008 and 2009 and continued to play until 2010.

Also of note, the Omaha Lancers of the USHL, who were founded in 1986, played their home games at an arena across the Missouri River in Council Bluffs, Iowa from 2002-03 to 2008-09, including the first two while being known as the River City Lancers before changing their name back to Omaha and moving into a new home rink back in Nebraska.

After being without top level minor league hockey since 1975, the American Hockey League came to Iowa for the first time with the arrival of the Iowa Stars to Des Moines in 2005-06. The Stars played for three seasons as the top minor league affiliate of the Dallas Stars wearing some of the classiest jerseys in all of hockey.

Future NHL goaltender Mike Smith while with the Iowa Stars

Unfortunately, the Stars agreement with Dallas ended and the team signed an affiliation agreement with the Anaheim Ducks, which resulted in their being rebranded as the Iowa Chops, whose name and angry boar logo were among the worst to ever take to the ice. The Chops lasted just a single season until financial problems brought an end to the franchise and their dreadful identity.

That same season the Stars arrived in Des Moines, hockey also returned to Mason City with the arrival of the North Iowa Outlaws in the North American Hockey League, a Tier II junior hockey league, Iowa's first entry in the NAHL. Their time in Mason City lasted five seasons before relocating out of state.

The Calgary Flames decision to relocate their top AHL affiliate from Omaha to the Quad Cities brought and end to the first incarnation of the Mallards for the 2007-08 season. The relocated AHL team was named the Quad City Flames and played just two seasons without qualifying for the playoffs, despite a pair of winning records, before financial losses led to the team moving out of town to look for greener pastures.

It's unfortunate that the Iowa Stars/Chops and Quad City Flames could not have both survived, as their presence in the top level of professional minor league hockey should have developed into a fierce rivalry with both teams being in the same division of the AHL and located just 170 miles apart along Interstate I-80.

Also beginning play in 2007-08 were the Quad City Junior Flames, who are based in Davenport, Iowa. The Junior Flames were members of the CSHL at the same time as the Thunderbirds in Dubuque and will enter their fourth season in 2011-12 in the now renamed North American 3 Hockey League.

The loss of the AHL's Quad City Flames led to the revival of the Quad City Mallards for the 2009-10 season, only by now the UHL had been renamed the International Hockey League, which after just one season of play for the new Mallards, merged with the Central Hockey League and the combined leagues now operate as the CHL, of which the Mallards are still a part.

The Quad City Mallards playing to a full house on their return in 2009

The demise of the Thunderbirds was brought on by the return of the USHL to Dubuque when a new edition of the Dubuque Fighting Saints came on the scene for the 2010-11 season, which had a fairytale ending when they first year franchise captured the Clark Cup as league playoff champions in their first attempt, returning the cup to Iowa for the 13th time in 32 years and the first time since 2006.

Hockey is scheduled to return once more to Mason City for the 2011-12 season, as the North Iowa Bulls are scheduled to take to the ice as part of the NA3HL, meaning the lineup of teams scheduled to play in Iowa for the upcoming 2011-12 season are the Mason City Bulls and Quad City Junior Flames of the junior Tier III NA3HL, the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, Des Moines Buccaneers, Dubuque Fighting Saints, Sioux City Musketeers and Waterloo Black Hawks of the Tier I USHL in junior hockey, and the Quad City Mallards of the CHL in minor professional hockey.

One final note concerning hockey in Iowa comes at the college level, as the Iowa State University Cyclones play in the Central States Collegiate Hockey League in Division 1 and the University of Iowa Hawkeyes compete in the Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association of Division 2 of the American Collegiate Hockey Association, the body which organizes non-varsity college hockey in the United States outside of the top level administered by the NCAA.

As you can summarize from the lack of long term success of top level minor professional hockey in Iowa, especially when compared to the long term stability and success of the various Iowa based clubs in the USHL, Tier I junior hockey in Iowa is alive and well and has proven very popular with the fans of Iowa for decades now.

While the main goal of the USHL is to provide the opportunity for players to obtain college scholarships, many recognizable names have spent time in Iowa playing in the USHL on their way to reaching the NHL, including Justin Abdelkader (Cedar Rapids), Andrew Alberts, Jason Blake and Joe Pavelski (Waterloo), Erik Cole and Kyle Okposo (Des Moines), Ruslan Fedotenko and Rotislav Kesla (Sioux City) and Gary Suter (Dubuque),

Future San Jose Shark Joe Pavelski while captaining the Waterloo Black

Hawks to a championship in 2004 while being named Player of the Year

Today's featured jersey is a 2007-08 Cedar Rapids RoughRiders Erick Cinotti jersey. This jersey sticks to tradition with a colored shoulder yoke and simple stripes around the arms and waist. A shield shaped logo decorates the front with a perhaps too finely detailed logo, but it does avoid being too cartoonish.

The back features a two color name and three color numbers, the same as those used by the Vancouver Canucks as well as Nike for their international jerseys in the most recent Olympics in 2010 for teams such as the United States.

1974-75 Houston Aeros Wayne Rutledge Jersey

July by the Numbers makes it's way down to the Lone Star State for jersey #30.

The Houston Aeros of the WHA were originally slated to play in Dayton, Ohio, but never got off the ground, so owner Paul Deneau moved the club to Houston, Texas in time for the inaugural World Hockey Association season of 1972-73.

The Aeros, led in scoring by Gord Labossiere's 96 points in 78 games, had a cast of inexperienced journeymen players with an absolute minimum NHL experience, unlike other teams like the Quebec Nordiques, who could boast of long-time Montreal Canadien J. C. Tremblay or the Winnipeg Jets star Bobby Hull. Still, the Aeros finished second in the West Division and qualified for the playoffs and won a round before their season ended.

The 1972-73 Houston Aeros

Things changed, and in the biggest way possible, for the 1973-74 season. The Aeros had signed brothers Mark and Marty Howe to a pair of four-year, $400,000 contracts in early June of 1973 and two weeks later, they lured the boys' father and NHL legend, the 45-year-old Gordie Howe, who had already been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame following his retirement from the Detroit Red Wings after 25 seasons. It's safe to say that Howe's 1687 games of NHL experience was greater than the rest of the Aeros roster combined.

"My only regret is I'm sorry I'm not the Gordie Howe I was ten years ago to fulfill the goals the Aeros have in store for me. It's not too often an individual gets a second chance and that's what the Aeros have given me," Howe said. "A chance to play with my sons."

Gordie had surgery to improve his bad wrist and relished the opportunity to play with his sons. The elder Howe's well-earned reputation for toughness ensured that his son's would have plenty of time and space to learn their craft professionally, as any player who laid a big hit on Mark or Marty was sure to be paid back with interest by Gordie at the first available opportunity!

Gordie immediately led the team in scoring with an even 100 points, good for third place in the league, as the Aeros had the best record in the league by 11 points. Additionally, Gordie was also named the league's Most Valuable Player in 1974, a trophy that would be renamed in his honor in 1976, while he was still an active player! In the playoffs that season Houston swept the Jets in four and survived an all out war with the Minnesota Fighting Saints in six games to advance to the Avco Cup Finals.

Ted Taylor and Gord Gallant battle it out during the

memorable Aeros/Fighting Saints 1974 playoff series

Once in the finals, the Aeros swept the Chicago Cougars in four straight, giving the Aeros their first WHA title and Howe his first championship since 1955 with Detroit.

The original expectation in 1973 was that Gordie Howe, who also signed a four-year contract, would play one year and then move into the team's front office. That was not to be however, as Gordie returned for a second WHA season. While Larry Lund led the club with 108 points, Gordie duplicated his output from the season prior with 99 points while Mark Howe contributed 76 points from the blueline after 79 the year before.

The Aeros again won the West Division with the league's best record by 14 points and dispatched the Cleveland Crusaders in five and the San Diego Mariners in four prior to sweeping the Nordiques in the finals to defend their title and become the first repeat winner in WHA history.

Howe would once again lead the Aeros in scoring in 1975-76 with 102 points, 26 clear of his son Mark and Frank Hughes, but would only place 10th in the scoring race in the now wide-open WHA. Still, the Aeros were a solid all around team and once more led the league in regular season points with 106 points. The gap was narrowed to the rest of the league however, as Winnipeg tied them with 106, coming on one less win, and the Nordiques just two back at 104.

The battle tested Aeros knocked out the Mariners in six and the New England Whalers in seven, the first time anyone went the distance with Houston, to return to the finals for the third consecutive season in a row. The high powered Jets won a pair of one goal games in Houston and pulled away to win a pair of games back at home in Winnipeg to end the Aeros reign as league champions.

The following season saw Gordie Howe limited to 62 games and 68 points, yet once again the Aeros had the best regular season total for the fourth year in a row. After defeating the Oilers in round one, the Jets once again ended the Aeros championship aspirations in six games in the semifinals.

Prior to the 1977-78 season, with their four year contracts having now expired, all three Howes moved en masse to the Whalers and the high scoring Andre Lacroix now led the Aeros offensively. The Aeros finished third in the regular season standings and fell to the Nordiques in the first round four games to two.

Their loss in Game 6 at Quebec would be the final game in Aeros history, as the Aeros, who were included in merger talks with the NHL in 1977, were left out of the 1978 proposal and elected to fold on July 6, 1978.

While the Jets, Nordiques, Oilers and Whalers all survived to join the NHL for the 1979-80 season, the Aeros certainly can be viewed as one of the most successful clubs in the WHA, having finished with a winning record in each of their six seasons, four of which saw them with the best record in the league, and a pair of championships. The addition of the Howes gave the league a huge boost in credibility and exposure while allowing the legend of "Mr. Hockey" Gordie Howe to continue to grow.

Today's featured jersey is a 1974-75 Houston Aeros Wayne Rutledge jersey. This classic jersey combines a vintage font running diagonally across the front in the time-honored manner paired with a simple striping pattern topped off with a star on each shoulder proving less is more when it comes to an effective and timeless hockey jersey.

Today's video section has plenty of great footage and begins with Gordie discussing his coming out of retirement to join Houston with baseball great Tom Seaver.

Were very excited to share this rare footage of the Aeros winning the 1974 Avco Cup over the Chicago Cougars.

Here is some classic WHA game action between Houston and Winnipeg with Gordie scoring a goal and later getting ejected from the game!

Don't miss the exciting, miraculous conclusion of the same game between the Aeros and Jets on December 5, 1975.

Here is footage from the 1979 WHA All-Star Game, when Gordie famously played on a line with Wayne Gretzky.

Here is Gordie, along with Mark and Marty making an appearance on the game show "What's My Line?"

Finally, Gordie shows the kids how it's done.

Former Fred Leighton Owner Sentenced to Six Years in Prison

Former owner of Fred Leighton Jewelry, Ralph Esmerian, on February 19, 2007.  Photo credit: Marsaili McGrath/Getty Images

Ralph Esmerian, the former owner and chairman of Manhattan-based luxury jewelry retailer Fred Leighton Holdings Inc., was sentenced in Manhattan federal court to six years in prison for wire fraud, bankruptcy fraud, and concealment of assets in connection with a scheme to

Former Fred Leighton Owner Sentenced to Six Years in Prison

Former owner of Fred Leighton Jewelry, Ralph Esmerian, on February 19, 2007.  Photo credit: Marsaili McGrath/Getty Images

Ralph Esmerian, the former owner and chairman of Manhattan-based luxury jewelry retailer Fred Leighton Holdings Inc., was sentenced in Manhattan federal court to six years in prison for wire fraud, bankruptcy fraud, and concealment of assets in connection with a scheme to

Frugal Friday: Maxi Dresses

After taking a few Fridays off from frugality, I'm back to bringing you budget finds, all for $50 and under.

Today I set out the challenge of finding something with more fabric than most clothing items, thinking the more fabric the more it would cost. Today I tackle budget maxi dresses. It was no easy task, I'll tell you. Most I found were just big cotton tanks essentially, but I did find some, not diamonds, but cubic zirconia in the rough ;)

Xtaren, $52 @

Oasis, was $115, sale $35

Olivia Moon, was $68, sale $44.90

Oasis, was $90, sale $50 *

Urban Outfitters, was $59, sale $29.99 @

ModCloth, $49.99 *

Forever 21, $22.80

lulus, $47 @

ModCloth, $47.99

Arden B., was $69, sale $49

Audrey 3+1, $50

Charlotte Russe, $26.99

Charlotte Russe, $32.99

@Available in more colors
*EWP fave

1995-96 Cincinnati Cyclones Jeff Greenlaw Jersey

July by the Numbers returns once again to Cincinnati for jersey #29.

When the owner of the ECHL's Cincinnati Cyclones was awarded a new International Hockey League franchise for the 1992-93 season, he retained the Cyclones identity for his new IHL franchise while moving his ECHL club to Birmingham, Alabama and renaming that club the Bulls.

The new IHL club missed the playoffs in year one, something that would never happen to them again.

Center Len Barrie arrived for the 1993-94 season and led the club with 116 points (second in the IHL) while Patrick Lebeau's 47 goals led the Cyclones in that category. The team made a great stride forward, leaping from 27 wins and 61 points to 49 wins and 107 points while Pokey Reddick went 31-12-6 in goal. Cincinnati then won their first ever playoff series by defeating the Kalamzoo Wings 4-1 before losing in the next round.

Pokey Reddick

They equalled their 49 wins in 1994-95, but raised their point total to 113, led by Dave Tomlinson's 110 points, which was also good for second in the IHL. The again won a playoff round by defeating cross-state Cleveland.

Ron Smith took over as head coach of the Cyclones for the 1995-96season and would be the only coach to ever command the club from that point forward. Tomlinson again led the club in scoring as they recorded their third consecutive 100 point season, this time reaching a franchise record 51 wins. The Cyclones then went on a nice playoff run, sweeping Atlanta in three games, eliminating Kalamazoo (now renamed Michigan) in a hard fought seven game series before falling in the semifinals to Orlando in seven games, concluding with a heartbreaking 1-0 loss at home.

While the Cyclones would not top 100 points again, they would remain consistently competitive, totaling between 92 and 97 points for the remainder of their five seasons in the IHL.

The 1997-98 season saw Todd Simon lead the club with 105 points as, he too, finished second in league scoring. It would not be until the 1999-00 season that they Cyclones would escape the second round of the playoffs when they were one of six teams to receive a bye in round one and then downed Orlando 4-2 in the second round before dropping a series to Grand Rapids.

Their final season of 2000-01 saw the Cyclones raise their point total to 97, their highest since 1996, but their season came to a quick end with a 4-1 defeat by Orlando.

Following the 2000-01 season, the IHL ceased operations and six of the 11 remaining clubs joined the American Hockey League, but the Cyclones were not one of them due to the presence of the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks, members of the AHL since 1997, just seven miles up the road.

Don Biggs ended up as the franchise's all-time leading scorer with 412 points, leading Gilbert Dionne's 336 and Paul Lawless' 304. The best known Cyclones to go on to NHL careers include Erik Cole, Bob Boughner, David Tanabe and Jan Bulis.

Don Biggs

The decline of the league brought an end to the nine year run of the Cyclones in the IHL, but not the Cyclones identity, which was sold to the owners of the ECHL's Miami Matadors, who moved their then dormant franchise to Cincinnati for the 2001-02 season, where they continue to play today.

Today's featured jersey is a 1995-96 Cincinnati Cyclones Jeff Greenlaw jersey. This shocking yellow jersey was the Cyclones alternate jersey, as their main dark jersey was black in color. For their first season of 1992-93, the Cyclones home jerseys were actually silver dazzle cloth before reverting to the traditional white in 1993-94. Their road jerseys also alternated between black and also red from season to season, with red also being used for alternate jerseys as well during their seemingly ever-changing looks.

In a moment straight out of the movie "Slap Shot", Cyclones coach Don Jackson scales the glass to get into a fight with the Atlanta Knights mascot!

Bulgari First Half 2011 Sales Up 23%

First half 2011 sales for the Bulgari Group increased 23.6 percent, year-over-year, at current exchange rates to 548 million euro ($784 million). At comparable exchange rates the increase was 23.3 percent. The luxury jewelry house reported an operating profit of 15.3 million euro ($21.8) and a net profit of 9.1 million euro ($13 million) for the period.

During the first six months of the year,

Bulgari First Half 2011 Sales Up 23%

First half 2011 sales for the Bulgari Group increased 23.6 percent, year-over-year, at current exchange rates to 548 million euro ($784 million). At comparable exchange rates the increase was 23.3 percent. The luxury jewelry house reported an operating profit of 15.3 million euro ($21.8) and a net profit of 9.1 million euro ($13 million) for the period.

During the first six months of the year,

Record Sales at Swatch Group, but Strong Swiss Franc Cuts Margins

Watch and jewelry sales at the Swatch Group rose 24 percent at constant exchange rates to 2.9 billion Swiss francs ($3.6 billion) for the first half of 2011. At current exchange rates the increase was 13.3 percent for the six-month period. Total sales increased 24.2 percent at constant exchange rates to a record $3.36 billion Swiss francs ($4.17 billion). At current exchange rates the increase

Record Sales at Swatch Group, but Strong Swiss Franc Cuts Margins

Watch and jewelry sales at the Swatch Group rose 24 percent at constant exchange rates to 2.9 billion Swiss francs ($3.6 billion) for the first half of 2011. At current exchange rates the increase was 13.3 percent for the six-month period. Total sales increased 24.2 percent at constant exchange rates to a record $3.36 billion Swiss francs ($4.17 billion). At current exchange rates the increase

kinda weird but kinda fun

Disney princesses as pinups:

2001-02 Chicoutimi Saguenéens Alexandre Blackburn Jersey

Juillet par les Numéros retour à Québec pour de maillot n°28.

The Chicoutimi Saguenéens (pronounced Sheh-ku-ta-me Sa-gwa-nay-ens) were founded in 1973 and their name means "the people from Saguenay", which is a region in central Quebec.

The "Sags" have twice won the President's Cup as the QMJHL's playoff championship, first in 1991 and again in 1994. By winning the league's playoff title, they advanced to the Memorial Cup playoffs. They also participated in the Memorial Cup in 1997 as runners up in the QMJHL when the winners from Hull were hosts of the tournament, but the ultimate prize in Canadian junior hockey has so far eluded Chicoutimi.

Four times in their history the Saguenéens have won division titles, those coming in 1988, 1991, 1994 and 2002. Their record for most points in a season came in 2005-06 when they racked up 51 wins and 106 points, made possible by a strong team defense which allowed a team record low 185 goals against.

Many former Saguenéens have gone onto play in the NHL, with Marc Bergevin, Marc Bureau, Guy Carbonneau, Gord Donnelly, Gilles Hamel, Alan Haworth, Stephane Richer and Andre Roy have all played over 500 NHL games in addition to goaltenders Marc Denis and Felix Potvin to continue the tradition of goaltenders from Chicoutimi, started by legendary native Georges Vezina.

Numbers retired by Chicoutimi include Alain Cote's #14, Normand Leveille's #16, Sylvain Locas' #18, Marc Fortier's #20 and #21 for Carbonneau and #29 for Potvin.

Guy Carbonneau 1979-80

Today's featured jersey is a 2001-02 Chicoutimi Saguenéens Alexandre Blackburn jersey. We have always found jerseys done in sky blue and navy blue with white trim to be among some of the most attractive jerseys and this one is no exception. It's unique striped shoulder yoke gives the jersey an shot of adrenaline even when sitting still. It's also a hint of a classic turn of the century barberpole style without the dizzying full body effect. The choice of drop shadowed numbers also adds to the classic appeal of this very attractive jersey with is classy main crest topped with a regal crown.

The jersey also has a small #21 on the upper right chest that many will assume is a memorial to a fallen player, but it is in fact a tribute to the very much alive and well Guy Carbonneau, whose jersey #21 was retired by the club that season. In a departure from the expected, the #21 is not sewn on with twill, but embroidered directly into the team's jerseys.

Design Changes!

The time keeps getting closer for my move to Wordpress, but in the mean time, I'm making this here site more user-friendly with the links above to make things easier to find. All my reviews, recommendations, and essentials in one place. Happy reading!

Survey: Consumer Confidence Among the Affluent Drops Sharply

The top 20 percent of households by income are no longer feeling confident about economic conditions in the U.S. and are spending far less, according to a quarterly survey of the affluent consumers.

The Unity Marketing Luxury Consumption Index took its steepest quarterly plunge since the recession (between fourth quarter 2007 to first quarter 2008), falling 16.8 points to bottom out at 66

Survey: Consumer Confidence Among the Affluent Drops Sharply

The top 20 percent of households by income are no longer feeling confident about economic conditions in the U.S. and are spending far less, according to a quarterly survey of the affluent consumers.

The Unity Marketing Luxury Consumption Index took its steepest quarterly plunge since the recession (between fourth quarter 2007 to first quarter 2008), falling 16.8 points to bottom out at 66

LVMH Increases Stake in Hermès

LVMH continues to slowly add to its ownership of Hermès International saying it now owns 21.4 percent of the Parisian luxury jewelry house, up from 20.2 percent. Company representatives made the announcement Tuesday during LVMH's half-year earnings report conference call with investors and journalists.



Bernard Arnault
In October 2010, LVMH shocked the luxury and investment industries and

LVMH Increases Stake in Hermès

LVMH continues to slowly add to its ownership of Hermès International saying it now owns 21.4 percent of the Parisian luxury jewelry house, up from 20.2 percent. Company representatives made the announcement Tuesday during LVMH's half-year earnings report conference call with investors and journalists.



Bernard Arnault
In October 2010, LVMH shocked the luxury and investment industries and

Random images I like today

LVMH Watch and Jewelry Sales Up 30%

LVMH’s watches and jewelry business group benefited from sustained demand across all regions during the first half of 2011. Reported sales rose 30 percent to 576 million euros ($831 million). Organic revenue, when currency fluctuations and other nonrecurring events are removed, grew by 27 percent. It was the Paris-based luxury conglomerate’s top performer in terms of sales growth among its six

LVMH Watch and Jewelry Sales Up 30%

LVMH’s watches and jewelry business group benefited from sustained demand across all regions during the first half of 2011. Reported sales rose 30 percent to 576 million euros ($831 million). Organic revenue, when currency fluctuations and other nonrecurring events are removed, grew by 27 percent. It was the Paris-based luxury conglomerate’s top performer in terms of sales growth among its six

2002-03 Plymouth Whalers Gary Klapkowski Jersey

July by the Numbers crosses to the other side of Michigan for jersey #27.

The Detroit Compuware Ambassadors were formed as an expansion team in the Ontario Hockey League for the 1990-91 season and would finish dead last with just 11 wins. After one more season they were renamed the Detroit Junior Red Wings and their fortunes improved from 27 wins to 37 to 42 and then 44 as the club won two division titles as well as the 1995 OHL playoffs to advance to their first Memorial Cup, making it all the way to the championship final and setting attendance records during the NHL lockout of 1995 in the process.

Club owner Peter Karmanos had been unsuccessful in his attempt to buy the NHL's Detroit Red Wings and instead purchased the Hartford Whalers in 1994, which led to the OHL club being renamed the Detroit Whalers. As a result of friction between the owner of the Detroit Red Wings and Karmanos following the failed deal to purchase the Detroit Red Wings, the Whalers moved out of Joe Louis Arena and up to the Palace of Auburn Hills for 1995-96. For the following season, Karmanos built his team a new home in Plymouth Township in time for the 1996-97 season.

For the 1997-98 season, the team was once again renamed, this time to the Plymouth Whalers. The Whalers then rose to new heights beginning with the 19998-99 season when they finished first overall in the OHL with 108 points and repeated the feat in 1999-00 with a league best 95 points. A second overall finish in 2000-01 gave the Whalers their third consecutive division title and they returned to the top of the heap once again in 2001-02 with 92 points. The Whalers kept their foot on the gas for their record tying fifth consecutive division title in 2002-03 with a 97 point season, their fifth over 90 points.

After winning another division title in a decidedly weak West Division in 2005-06 with just 75 points, the Whalers reloaded for the 2006-07 season. Led by Evan Brophey's 107 points and the goaltending duo of Michal Neuvirth (26 wins) and Jeremy Smith (23), the Whalers once again won the West Division with 103 points, one back of the league leading London Knights.

In the OHL playoffs, London and Plymouth advanced to the Western Conference Finals as expected and Plymouth dominated with a 4 games to 1 win before downing the Sudbury Wolves 4-2 to win the Robertson Cup and claim their place in the Memorial Cup for the second time in franchise history where they placed third.

Several Whalers have been drafted high in the NHL Entry Draft, with Bryan Berard taken first overall in 1995 when the club was known as the Jr. Red Wings leading the list.

Bryan Berard

David Legwand (1998) and Tyler Seguin (2010) were both selected second overall and Stephen Weiss at fourth overall in 2001 completing the list of top four picks from the Whalers. Seguin became the first Whaler to lead the OHL in scoring with his 106 points in 2009-10, which which was equalled by Taylor Hall of the rival Windsor Spitfires for the top spot.

Tyler Seguin

Other notable franchise alumni include Fred Brathwaite, Eric Cairns, Paul Mara, James Neal, Justin Williams and James Wisniewski, while Pat Peake is the only player in franchise history to have his number retired by the team.

Today's featured jersey is a 2002-03 Plymouth Whalers Gary Klapkowski jersey from the Whalers record season during which they won their fifth consecutive division title.

Being a part of the Hartford Whalers family, since they share the same owner, the Plymouth Whalers used the Hartford Whalers jersey template years after Hartford relocated to North Carolina to become the Hurricanes.

Today's video feature is highlights from the Plymouth Whalers taking on their rivals the Windsor Spitfires in a exciting OHL contest featuring lots of goals and fists. The two club's rinks are located just 30 miles apart and Windsor, Ontario is actually the only Canadian city located directly south of an American city.

Here is a profile on the Whalers Tyler Seguin, the second pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Texture Tuesday: July 26, 2011

ASOS layered trapeze camisole:Kenneth Cole New York gold cuff bracelet:Alexander McQueen pleated wool-felt mini skirt: