Posts filed under 'Gifts'
Mondays are my favorite day to shop, the weekend rush is over and I could use something fun to start the week ahead. If you’re in my neck of the world in Arizona, I urge (even demand!) that you come to the fabulous boutique, Electric Ladyland! The owners (who are mother and son), Penny Long and Ashley Mutrus, opened the original location in North Scottsdale back in 2002. They have been so successful that they have already opened 2 more locations this year and one right by me in Chandler!! Electric Ladyland is a gorgeous shop (the ceiling is covered in chandeliers), featuring tons of accessories from designers like Kenneth Jay Lane and Tarina Tarantino and a HUGE selection of premium denim lines such as True Religion and Frankie B. They are also stocked with stylish tops, handbags, shoes and home accessories. If you can’t make it here to enjoy our sunny winters, beautiful mountains, southwest culture and of course Electric Ladyland, then head on over to their website and have fun browsing!
November 6th, 2006
nicky
Well now that Halloween is over, full on Holiday madness is about to erupt (at least at my house it is!) I’m sure you are all in eager anticipation of my Holiday Wish List but it’s a little early for that… However, it’s not too early to start thinking about it! I am a serious (and a little neurotic) Christmas present shopper. I intensely research gift choices, create my budget and organize all the info onto an Excel spreadsheet broken down by person. Okay, now that I read what I just wrote, I do sound slightly crazy. Anyway, one of my favorite things to give and receive are gift sets, they are one of those things that you rarely buy for yourself but are always fun. I noticed Sephora has a new feature, “The Greatest Gift Show on Earth.” It is a creative, circus inspired guide to a variety of beauty treats for you or your loved ones. My picks so far are Stila Perfectly Kitten, Benefit Best of Benefit, and Smashbox Swingin’ Scene Ultimate Beauty Collection. One of the best parts is that they are all under $100 and with Sephora’s awesome online shopping, they come with free gift packaging and shipping on orders over $75. Let the countdown begin, 54 days left!
November 1st, 2006
nicky
Today’s post will be short and sweet, my grandfather is in the hospital and it is very serious so it is a scary time for me and my family. To take my mind off worrying, I baked Banana Nut muffins and took a bath. I found a really cute and practical bath soak from Davies Gate. It is the Bath Fizz Pop with Body Oil Filling and is sold at Bath and Body Works. It comes in 4 scents- Peppermint, Pink Grapefruit, Sweet Orange and Cinnamon. It is described as, “two spa products on a stick. Drop the Bath Fizz Pop in your bath water and enjoy an effervescent pool of nourishing oils. You’ll find a special treat attached to the stick a fragrant pillow of hydrating body oil. Allow this pillow to warm up in the bath water and gently massage into skin after bath.” What a unique idea with skin soothing results! I tried the Peppermint version, with its scent of Peppermint, Bergamot and Freesia combined with Water Lily and Honeysuckle, it turned my bath into a very calming and stress reducing place.
October 25th, 2006
nicky
Not only has Hollywood been baby crazy lately, my own little life has erupted into a full on baby epidemic! No, not for me personally (I wish!!) but for about 7 of my family members and friends (bring on the ice cream and pickles!) With all the upcoming maternity clothes shopping sprees and baby showers I will be attending, I thought I’d pass along a few places that can help both the moms-to-be and us girls who will be participating in the rituals that go along with this exciting time. First off, maternity clothes. Who wants to look like a tent or wear sweats for 9 months? Not me! I also wouldn’t want to spend an arm and a leg on fashion that I’m not going to wear for more than a year either! Although A Pea in the Pod is super stylish and has amazing quality, it can also be very costly. But they do have great sales so don’t count them out! For stylish, more affordable clothing a couple great websites are Imaternity and Kiki’s Fashions. They have all the basics, career wear and dressy items you need mostly priced well under $50. For those of us who will be looking for unique gifts for the future mommies and little ones, try browsing at bellablu or Baby Box, they both have huge selections of gifts including personalized clothing and all the toys you can imagine. For designer and upscale gifts, try TuttiBella or Baby Browns. They have the cutest baby clothing, special gift ideas and accessories for mom!
October 23rd, 2006
nicky
It’s simple, I’m a girl and I love pink. Pink lipgloss, pink high heels, pink handbags, pink nail polish, pink tops, pink anything! One more great thing about my favorite color pink? Pink tourmaline gems apparently make the best technology for blow dryers. They are ground into a powder and used to create ”tourmaline ceramic technology,” which basically means they mix or bake the stuff into the actual hair dryer components. This process improves the daily hair drying ritual by leaving your hair softer, shinier and cutting down drastically on drying time. There are quite a few options when it comes to these high tech tools from the oh-so-pricey T3 brand (around $200) to the more affordable Conair Infiniti line (around $40). But the one I love the most is the Hot Tools Fighting Breast Cancer Edition (around $65), Not only is it double the pink factor, because of pink tourmaline technology + pink color, but a portion of the proceeds go directly to breast cancer research. After all, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. If you’re on the hunt for a new styling tool, this is a wonderful choice for an even more wonderful cause!
October 18th, 2006
nicky
I remember when I was a little girl and my mom would dress me in this monogram sweater from Lands’ End and I hated it. What’s funny is now I see those little sweaters and think, “how cute is that?!” Since we all know that everyone’s favorite word is their own name, monogram gifts are a sure thing for almost any occasion. A wide variety of items can be personalized beyond the traditional sweater. Instyle magazine’s website has a feature this month on personalized gifts that are perfect for birthdays, anniversaries or the upcoming holiday season. A few standouts from their selections are a set of 25 customized Post-It notepads (I use those things like crazy!) or decoupage trays made with keepsakes like old letters or photos (great anniversary idea!) If you want an even bigger selection of personalized gifts, Red Envelope has an enormous collection from home accessories to jewelry. Have fun shopping!
October 16th, 2006
nicky
I am so happy because today I hung my fall wreath on my front door and the high is now below 100 degrees in Arizona (98 isn’t so bad), welcome October! Since I have to create the feeling of autumn in the sunny desert, I am making a stop at my favorite candle retailer, Illuminations, tomorrow and picking up fall fragances to fill my house. I love the smell of their pumpkin pie candles and on their website they have a few new scents such as oak forest, spiced orange and cinnamon sugar that I am excited to try! Illuminations is great because they are not too pricey (I would love to buy Diptyque and Jo Malone candles but can’t justify spending $60 on something I will burn!) Large glass jar candles are around $20 and burn up to 100 hours, they also have tons of pillars and votives with very stylish holders. Besides the great price, they are very well made and smell so good you’ll want to eat them! (okay maybe not) So even though I cannot bake a pumpkin pie, my house can smell like one and that makes me smile.
October 4th, 2006
nicky
I’ve decided this week that my coffee table is lonely. In search of a interesting yet visually appealing book to keep it company, I stumbled across the book section of Anthropologie.com. They have an array of books that are good enough to read and display! Broken into types such as Art, Travel, and Home Decor, there is sure to be one perfect for the barren glasstop I stare at everyday. In fact, my favorite so far is “Humble Masterpieces: Everyday Marvels Of Design.” by Paola Antonelli, curator of the Museum of Modern Art’s Department of Design and Architecture. Let’s just hope that after it makes its home on my coffee table, I am careful not to spill my Diet Coke!
September 7th, 2006
nicky
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