It’s 115 degrees. I suggest we receive a fashion stipend from our government. You know, to compensate for tricking us into living in a place that is literally as hot as hell. Here’s the free goodies I demand: Smocked Sur Dress by Fei, Gold and Brown MOP earring from viv&ingrid, Leather Thongs by Dolce Vita, and Serena Square Sunglasses by Tom Ford. And if they’re feeling extra generous, throw in a case a Berto’s mango sorbet!
Add comment July 5th, 2007 nicky
One of my favorite sites to discover modern, stylish accessories and jewelry is viv&ingrid. The designers are childhood friends from the Bay area and together they have created items that are fun, flirty and not so pricey that they will kill my budget! I happen to be obsessed with hoop earrings and viv&ingrid have some of the loveliest ones I’ve ever come across. I adore their layered hoop styles, you can chose from double, tiered or multi layers in 3 different sizes and shapes. Or if you want something simple, go for the single hoops! They also have gorgeous brown mother of pearl hoops with various discs or stone drops that I must have. Beautiful! Beside the huge array of earrings, viv&ingrid feature adorable necklaces, bracelets, headbands, and cute little bags. So whether you are looking for the perfect gift for a friend or ideas for little splurges on yourself, make sure you check out viv&ingrid!
Add comment July 3rd, 2007 nicky
Not that I am turning this into a blog about sales but I couldn’t forget to remind you about Kate Spade’s Sample Sale either! This sale is four days only, so if you wait until this weekend, it will be all over! There isn’t a HUGE selection but there are HUGE discounts, up to 65%. (FYI: You have to register to enter the website.) I am sooo tempted to pick up one of the bright and shiny ‘Fulham’ totes, I love the handle and cut of the leather! Plus, it’s $166 off! I also spied one of my favorite Kate Spade bags in my collection, the ‘Geneva Suzette.’ The fun apple green croc leather, the supersoft lining and adorable feminine shape make it a fabulous handbag. And now that it is $236 off, you would be crazy not to buy it! Anyway, let me know if you find your new bag at the sale!
1 comment June 12th, 2007 nicky
Remember this feature I did a couple months back on super cute, super affordable, super unique handbags? Well, I just received word that Freddy & Ma is having their biannual sample sale where you can purchase their custom designs at amazing prices! Here’s what they say, “Get your credit cards ready. Freddy&Ma, a designer of custom handbags and accessories, would like to announce the beginning of their summer sample sale. These customized handbags were created for marketing and press purposes and have been marked down up to 70%. We wish we could keep them for ourselves, but there is only so much room in our little NY showroom! With prints and leathers matching the summer fashion trends, these bags will make a great, and inexpensive, addition to anyones wardrobe. Each bag is a one of kind, so act fast before the perfect bag disappears. Sample sale begins June 8th and lasts until every bag finds a loving home. Online at www.freddyandma.com.”
1 comment June 8th, 2007 nicky
One of the best parts of my brother’s wedding was that my best friend, Emily, flew in from grad school to visit. She is like comfort and stability for me during busy times so it was wonderful to have her here. And of course we got to throw in a little shopping therapy to blow off some steam in the midst of all the family activities! We made a quick stop at DSW one day to see if they had any good bargains and I was ecstatic to find a pair of Michael by Michael Kors slides marked down to half off in my size. They are so cute with a wooden heel, black leather straps and gold ring detail. I couldn’t find an exact picture on the web but the pic to the left is similar, just with a criss cross strap and sexier than those. I snapped them right up and took them home! The day after Emily left, I went to the nearby Chandler Fashion Center (again!) to meet up with some relatives from out of town, wearing my cute new slides. BAD IDEA! Within an hour, the strap was cutting into the one side of my foot and the gold ring was digging into the other side. I was wincing in pain but trying to look stylish while doing so! But then I couldn’t take it any more and had to leave early to save my poor feet. I was horrified when I took them off to see my injuries and I now have scabs on each side of my feet to remind me of my pain. Ugh, I guess they are a pair of shoes reserved only for light walking situations, because there is no way I will ever suffer that much for fashion again!
3 comments May 30th, 2007 nicky
Since we have already established that I am a girly girl, it will come as no major surprise that I love bows. No, not the big, stuck-smack-in-the-middle-of-my-butt-on-a-bridemaids-dress bow but sweet, simple, classic, bow details on various products. Whether it’s a handmade card, packaging, jewelry, sleeve or belt, I don’t care! I just think they are too cute and hard to resist. And now that I am way past the age where I can tie a ribbon in my hair without looking completely ridiculous, I have to find more appropriate bow choices. Thank goodness that lately there have been so many wonderful shoes with bow accents to admire! I thought I’d share a few of my favorites with you. From the top: Unlisted by Kenneth Cole ‘Play List’ Pump, Report ‘Lola’ Flat, Bettye Muller ‘Gazebo’ Pump, and Miu Miu Leather Wedge Pump. Whether they are heels or flats, casual or dressy, there are so many choices that it’s hard not to embrace the fun and flirty bow!
1 comment May 7th, 2007 nicky
Sometimes when I’m walking around the mall, I get really jealous of the people in the “Build A Bear” store. You know that store I’m talking about? Where you get to customize a bear into wearing any crazy outfit you desire, complete with underwear and even a heart? If that store was around when I was a little girl, it would be an obsession! But the reason I get jealous is the creativity and the imagination behind it. Because I don’t even want the bear, I would give it away. I just want to make the bear! But that would be so embarrassing to be fighting with 7 year olds over the last pink tutu in the bear clothing section, so I’ll just have to wait until I have children and live vicariously through them. UNTIL I saw this handbag designer mentioned in two magazines this past month, Freddy & Ma! I can create my own unique handbag by choosing the leather, fabric, bag style and hardware! I’m so over “Build A Bear” now! Freddy & Ma has pages and pages of fabrics and seven different bag styles. They have done such a wonderful job- the site is very easy to navigate, you see every change you make to your bag and you have so many choices it may be difficult to decide on one (here are some of my final designs!) Freddy & Ma bags vary in price depending what style you choose. Have fun!
2 comments April 17th, 2007 nicky
Usually, I gravitate towards very classic, simple styles. It is very, very rare that you will ever find me wearing prints or going crazy with accessories or layers (for more on that, check out this cautionary post from Daddy Likey.) But lately I have found myself loving nature-inspired designs with a beachy feel. Maybe it’s watching too much Planet Earth on Discovery Channel (you MUST watch it if you haven’t yet, it’s AMAZING) or simply San Diego weekend-getaway-withdrawal but I can’t get enough! I am loving these wood clog sandals from Rafe with a gorgeous tropical print fabric and also this affordable beach tote from Urban Outfitters. Investing in a few accessories that are different than my norm is a safe way to try out a new style and easily changes the personality of any outfit. Just don’t overdo it with more than one ”theme” item per outfit or pretty soon you’ll find yourself wearing T-shirts with palm trees and flip flops screened on them, along with pineapple earrings, a shell necklace and a straw tote. Which would then create a fashion disaster and who wants to be that?
3 comments April 9th, 2007 nicky
I just had to share with you all my awesome shoe find today! I fell in love with this Dolce Vita wedge when I saw it on shopbop.com. I love the Dolce Vita brand and I am looking for something comfortable to walk around in during my trip to Chicago next month. I don’t want to wear my Pumas up and down Michigan Ave. but I don’t want to kill my feet either! I think a cute canvas wedge will be a perfect balance between style and wearability. But I was a still a little nervous to buy them since they were $95.00 and I obviously couldn’t try them on. I did a little bit of research online and found the exact same shoes in my size at Nordstrom and they were priced at only $79.95! An added plus is that they had free shipping and I had a $25 gift card that I could apply to the final cost. It ended up only being $60 with tax, so I feel so proud that with a bit of work I saved myself $35! It’s also nice to order from Nordstrom since I can return items easily to the store and exchange sizes if need be. This seriously made my day!
7 comments March 21st, 2007 nicky
I made the mistake of going into Neiman Marcus this past weekend “just to look” at their handbags. Bad idea of course since I loved a dozen of them and was trying to justify to myself why spending $2000 on a bag is really not THAT much. Even though I love looking at expensive things, I really don’t overspend. Everything more than $200 that I buy is analyzed, budgeted and thought over for awhile. I mean, even though I heart Michael Kors, Chloe and Hogan, I don’t own any (yet) and it would be a HUGE deal if I could actually justify laying down my debit card to get one. Which got me thinking…okay, so annually I buy 2 handbags in the $400-$500 range, but what if I only bought one handbag this year and made it something extra fabulous? I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before! As soon as this idea miraculously implanted itself in my brain, I did a little squeal and booty shake in the store, (I think the Gucci counter girls were staring at me) felt proud of my plan, and fell in love with the Marc Jacobs Christy Hobo. Now each time for the rest of this long year I see a handbag calling my name priced around $500, I am going to tell that sucker to shut it because I am a logical, discerning, and very picky girl with a plan!
Add comment February 19th, 2007 nicky
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