Shalom! I just returned from a 10-day vaycay in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Paris with my husband, Dan, where we celebrated our five-year anniversary. Charlotte from The Great Fitness Experiment was kind enough to take over blogging duties for me – a special thanks goes out to her.I’ll return to full-blown blogging tomorrow but wanted to quickly share a few interesting Never Say Diet-y moments from my trip with you:

This week I am starting a new feature called “My Pick of the Week.” I wanted to start with the basics and what is sure to be a staple in every woman’s closet: “The Wrap Dress.”

We’re always looking out for our ladies when it comes to fashion, so we went to check out the first ever Ann Taylor runway show last night to give you the first look at what to expect in stores this fall at the popular chain store. Thanks to designer Lisa Axleson, the new revamped line is sophisticated chic, keeping the sophistication that the brand has always been known for and pumping it up with a splash of city chic for the fabulous everyday woman. The collection is versatile, budget-conscious and body conscious with great silhouettes. And, we love it!

"Recent box office receipts show that women have an even bigger appetite for these films than men. Theories straining to address this particular head scratcher have their work cut out for them: Are female fans of “Saw” ironists? Masochists? Or just dying to get closer to their dates?"

If I'm being totally honest, I can probably think of many ways that I am hypocritical (for example, I simultaneously hate global warming and love air conditioning) but the one that is niggling most at my conscience is music.

I recently had the opportunity to talk to one of my favorite designers, Jessica Svoboda, the force behind Svoboda Premium Jeans. Jessica designs the only premium jeans I have in my shop because they are the perfect fit for the plus-size gal! Her tall jeans are among my best sellers and she is the model of what the plus-size industry should be all about. Jessica told me that she was selected to open L.A.'s Fashion Week, quite a coup for a plus-size company. She agreed to answer a few questions for NeverSayDiet:

The obvious negative effects of overeating are extra weight and jeopardized health. Most people are well aware of these negative effects. But overeating affects so many other aspects of your life, too. As a psychiatrist who has worked with overeaters for decades, I understand that if you’re an overeater, there is so much more at stake than just your weight.

Researchers from Wake Forest University shocked the world by discovering that men agree on what kind of women they find attractive: "thin and seductive." Good thing they told me because I'm not sure Hollywood is getting that message across clear enough.

All she wanted was "respect at work and didn't want to be a fat bride." What she got instead of a better career and a dream wedding was a casket and an international scandal.

For a show that launched the careers of John Belushi, Horatio Sanz and Chris Farley - men known for being as large in size as they were in humor - it has long seemed strange that Saturday Night Live only finds skinny attractive women funny.