New York September 11, 2008 -- More than 500 budget-conscious style mavens, including Carson Kressley and Roshumba Williams, turned out last night to celebrate Kathryn Finney and the 5th anniversary of her wildly popular blog, The Budget Fashionista (www.thebudgetfashionista.com). Prior to the opening of the doors, there was a line of over 100 people waiting for access to the first New York fashion week event to honor a fashion blogger and blog.

For over 5 years, founder Kathryn Finney has preached the gospel of looking fabulous for less to the over 2 million of readers of her blog and bestselling book HOW TO BE A BUDGET FASHIONISTA: The Ultimate Guide to Looking Fabulous for Less (Random House). Her frank advice and Midwestern charm have earned her regular appearances on TODAY, Good Morning America, E!, CNN. Kathryn was the first fashion blogger to be credentialed by the organizers of fashion week and the first fashion blogger to receive a book deal from a major publisher.

"Kathryn Finney and The Budget Fashionista is truly amazing," stated Kressely. "She provides real women with real solutions. I love her!"

Other special guests attending the celebration included FUSE TV host Dee Vasquez, HSN star and shoe expert Meghan Cleary, VH1 Glam God's Jess Zaino, and We TV's lifestyle guru Steve Kemble. Along with celebrities, there was also major media in attendance, including People, Glamour, Forbes, NBC, several members of the international press (including Czech and German TV), Kathryn's blogger friends (including BagTrends.com, Shefinds, Papier Doll, InsidetheTents) and a few paparazzi.

"My goal was to create a fun, fabulous Fashion Week party that celebrates REAL women with REAL budgets," said Finney. "Frugal is the new black, and the incredible turnout and support from my friends and colleagues demonstrated that my advice for getting the most out of your fashion budget is needed now more than ever."

Guests were fitted for Fashion Bug and Lane Bryant jeans with Right Fit technology, an innovative fitting system that offers women of every shape the right fit at the right price, guests sipped on the Budget Fashionistas signature drink provided by Chambord, while Dashing Divas provided mini-spa treatments, and IT Girl contest winner Nicoletta was on hand hosting the bloggers lounge sponsored by www.itgirl.com. Guests went home with a Payless "I Love Shoes" goodie bags filled with Finneys Favorite Things including Dearfoam slippers, Spanx's budget shapewear line "Assets", and bottles of Febreze fabric freshener.

ABOUT SIMPLY GOOD MEDIA
Simply Good Media (SGM) is an information network based in New York City that teaches the world how to live fabulous on a budget. Founded in 2006 by Kathryn Finney, Simply Good Media sites attract over 2 million impressions per month and 35,000 unique visitors each day. SGM sites have been featured in every major press outlet, including the New York Times, PEOPLE, TODAY Show, CNN and Wall Street Journal.