Here’s the deal, I have a barely used Kate Spade handbag, the Grand Street Cami to be exact. I bought it at Nordstrom at the beginning of the year but just don’t seem to be using it as much as other bags in my collection (makes me feel kinda guilty!) So instead of selling it on Ebay or something, I want to be generous and give it away! It retailed for $195 and is made in Kate’s signature black nylon. It’s a medium sized bag, you could fit quite a bit in there and it has a really cute leather bottom embossed with “Kate Spade New York.” It’s interior is fully lined with green dot noel fabric, has interior pockets and a cute green logo tag too. Like I said, I’ve gently used it so it is in excellent condition, I still have the dust bag and card that came with it! The Grand Street Cami is a great bag and I think it can find the perfect home with one of you! To win this handbag, simply go to my Giveaway page (click the link or click on the menu), enter your email address and submit. A winner will be selected at random and the contest will run until December 15th. After that I will announce the winner and send the bag on its way, free shipping and all! Let me know if you have any questions and good luck!

Here’s a few of the items I would love to find wrapped under my tree or in my stocking this year (hint hint Adrian!) I’m trying to be realistic to our budget and not list things like my most wanted handbag or diamond anything! Enjoy:)
1. A always classic, go with any outfit, Tiffany’s sterling silver bracelet.
2. Coach Allie Sunglasses in tortoise, I have been wanting these forever (they fit my face shape perfectly!)
3. Cross pendant from Electric Bling, I love the unique shape and it’s sparkly!
4. “I Like You” by Amy Sedaris, a witty, fun book on entertaining.
5. Rachel Leigh Eagle Ribbon Charm, too cute and girly, love it.
6. Stila Celebration of Color set, I mentioned this a few weeks ago, the ultimate makeup gift!
7. While we’re on the subject of beauty, a giftcard for a pedi at my fav spa Dolce. I’ve been cutting back and doing them myself since it’s an expensive habit.
8. Charlotte Ronson Speckled Henley Tee, so cute and half off at Shop Intuition.
and finally 9. A sister for my Lily girl. Doesn’t she look lonely?
So what are some of your holiday gift wishes? I want to hear about them whether small or big!

Today is the first day I have turned the AC off in my house. Hooray for low pressure systems! (Finally!!) I am ecstatic, I even got a little severe weather alert for a cold front on my weather desktop thingie. Yes, I am a little obsessed with this topic but anything below 70 degrees in AZ is cause for celebration people! Just wait until the summer when I will be groaning and griping about 115 and sun so hot I burn myself with my seatbelt. Anyway, all these chilly breezes got me to thinking about how fun it would be to come home, change into some snuggly loungewear, drink hot cocoa and read a book. So much more relaxing than my usual household chores and watching Tivo-ed programs.  Unfortunately all my sweats are pretty tattered and either have paint splatters, holes, or bleach stains. And my wear-at-home tees have suffered the same fate, I don’t think I’d even want to answer the door in them! Yippee, here’s another excuse to buy some clothes! I obviously love Anthropologie as I have mentioned before but I have never talked about how awesome their loungewear section is! Feast your eyes on the beautiful Sun Salutation pants, the stylish Four-Poster lounge shirt, the fun Crazy Quilt pants, and the softest Touchable tank. And if you prefer boyshorts, babydolls or chemises, they have you covered!  Time for a lazy night and my fav part? The Ghirardelli Double Chocolate hot cocoa, YUM!

Go To Pieces Jacket

was $179.00, $71.60 on sale

Nine West

Suede peep-toe wedge

$48.00

Gap

Crystal Fleur-de-lis pendant

$33.00

Electric Bling

Branch embossed dessert plates and platter

$19.00-$36.00

West Elm

5 bar assortment

$20.00

Charles Chocolates

So I know that guys can either be the easiest to shop for or so difficult that you’re at a loss for words. In my case, my hubby is very easy to please and likes most everything I get him, but he will NEVER tell me what he wants and if he does it’s something hugely expensive like a 52 inch HDTV or something really boring like, “Well, I need new socks.” But maybe the men in your life let you know exactly what they would like, if so, count yourself lucky! For the rest of us, here are a few ideas for our other halves, amazing fathers, crazy brothers and the male species in general! When it comes to men’s fashion, usually comfort is number one. Keep it simple with a graphic tee, check out these sections at GuyShop, Nordstrom or the even more unique and one-of-a-kind designs at Threadless. We all know that guys love gadgets, here are a few techno savy options: the USB beverage chiller, the iDJ, or the Solio solar universal charger. For the businessman in your life, how about uncommon cufflinks like paperclips, a stylish workbag from Kenneth Cole or a cool desk accessory like the Atomic Bonsai, Rorshock cards or Swiss pen. Men also can be sports obsessed and besides tickets and merchandise from their fav team, a couple options are the statistical nirvana of the book Best by Number, the NYC map baseball or Table Foosball. And when all else fails? Buy him some meat!

Hey all! I will be on a little break until Monday for the Thanksgiving holiday. Time for family, cooking with mom, board games, football watching, eating and of course Christmas-izing my house till I drop from exhaustion!  And don’t forget next week, I will be putting up my Kate Spade giveaway:) Here’s a few great blogs to tide you over until next week:
Daddy Likey- she’s witty, stylish and she’s having a giveaway!
Hip Candy- awesome style verdicts, fashion no-nos and she interviews the cast-offs from ANTM!
Ask Fashion Kitty- style advice, fabulous ideas and always interesting!
Karina XOXO- fun and fashionable, I check it every day!
and of course
Go Fug Yourself- it is just hilarious!

Happy Thanksgiving!

My newest handbag obsession:
kate spade varenne veeka, $695

 
 

Reasons I love it:
1. Inspired by a boulevard in Paris (where I went for my honeymoon!)
2. Made of caramel eelskin so it can go with almost any outfit I wear.
3. Not too fancy, not too casual, so versatile!
4. Love the light gold chain detailing on the shoulder straps.
5. Roomy on the inside with dividers, pockets and pink satin!!

And finally, 6. Kate Spade! Have I said yet that I love her? (and her stylin’ bags too)
If only she knew how much I adore her designs and invest in her company, maybe then she could give me a discount? Haha, I can wish right? This is seriously what I am saving for though, so for now I will just visit it at her store while I’m doing my Christmas shopping. One more thing on Kate Spade, very soon I will be having a giveaway of one of my very own, barely used, authentic Kate Spade bags. Check back for it soon! 

Clio Crop Sweater

$58.00

Fossil

Cloisonne Bead Drop Earrings

$41.00

Girlshop

Fireside Slipper Socks

$59.50

J.Crew

M’A'C Beaded: 3 Red Lips

$32.00

Nordstrom

Tree in a Can

$16.00

Aunt Sadies

Here’s the second installment of my gift guide for the upcoming Holidays. This week will be devoted to finding unique presents that won’t burst your budget!  Maybe you’re trying to cut back on spending or have so many people to buy for that you can’t shell out a ton on each person. Whatever the reason, I hope these ideas get you in the shopping mood!  For coffee lovers like me a wonderful gift would be a classic stove top espresso maker and a set of artistic coffee mugs. At the online shop of Typhoon, you can choose from different colors and designs that are a welcome change from the ordinary. I also love the Beveled Mirror frames and boxes from West Elm, they are so elegant and go with almost any decor. A nice detail is that you can monogram them with your recipient’s initial too! Another unique option is the variety of themed journals available at UnCommon Goods, they are an awesome way to organize and document info on interests and hobbies. Choose from: Wine, Recipes, Film, Restaurants, Readers, or Dinner Party. If you’re looking for something more focused on fashion, the cable knit cowl neck sweaters from Gap are so cute and affordable. I also like the Lace Boyshorts from Hanky Panky, pairing them with a soft tee or cami would make any homebody happy!  A couple accessories that make perfect presents are Rachel Leigh’s Ribbon Charm, Uptown Studio’s Leaf necklace or any one of the trendy fabric headbands from ShopIntuition. As for beauty gifts, you already know that Sephora has the ultimate gift guide but don’t miss items not available at Sephora like the LaLicious Holiday Set, H2O Plus Spa Set or Jemma Kidd’s Glamour Palette. That’s all I have for this week, check back next week for another gift guide feature!

When I was little, I refused to learn to tie bows because I wanted people to do it for me. You could say I was a bit of a princess (more honestly? a big one!) and a true girly girl.  And I love feminine details like satin bows. It’s amazing how a plain jane cardigan can be transformed into a luxurious piece by adding a simple ribbon.  I am drooling over this adam+eve Wrap Cardigan made with 70% super-soft baby alpaca yarn. The beautiful knitting, cute shawl collar and of course the pretty satin bow to tie it all together- it is gorgeous! At $395, unfortunately I’ll be stalking it until it goes on sale. I did find a much cheaper alternative at Alloy, of course it doesn’t compare in quality or design but it has all the essential elements. On sale for $29, it can satisfy my craving for a feminine cardigan for now.  I’ll just have to assign someone else to bow tying duty for me!