Little Luxes

Say Goodbye to Dark Under Eye Circles!

2017-04-10T08:57:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you guys, but I love makeup! Want to give me a super cool gift?.......surprise me with anything from Sephora! I live for makeup and beauty products, which is why I follow at least a zillion beauty and makeup bloggers on social media.

Here's the problem for me.....Have you ever watched a makeup tutorial and then ended up feeling like a total failure after trying to attempt the same skills on yourself? I was laughing at myself after watching a Huda Beauty tutorial, because I made myself look like a clown instead of like gorgeous Huda.

I'm a mom to four kids, but I still want to look flawless and badass with my makeup. Since I don't have camera ready lighting, or a professional makeup artist on hand daily, I'm always searching for easy ways to master the basics and still look great!

Here's a super easy and quick makeup tip that I learned from amazing makeup artist, Johnnie, at Sephora at the Bloor Street location in Toronto, Ontario. Johnnie recently immigrated from Tel Aviv, Israel, and aside from being a wonderful human being; he was so talented and skilled with his makeup techniques. I guess his artistic background has a little something to do with his magic hands?

Since I'm always pressed for time, I search to find quick and easy make-up solutions. I went into my makeover with Johnnie explaining that to him.

As a working mom of 4 who has an active 2 year old son, I'm always somewhat tired. Dark circles under my eyes are a problem for me, especially as I age and my skin loses more and more elasticity. (Sometimes I think that I have mascara under my eyes, only to realize it's actually dark circles!)

Here's the new "dark circle" concealer tip from Johnnie for those dreadful under eye circles.

Apply Becca Backlight Colour Corrector in Peach under each eye. (Note: a little product goes a long way). I usually make 4 little stripes under my eye.
Blend corrector lightly with beauty blender making sure to leave some product. Under eyes should look slightly orangish but blended.
Add Concealer of choice over top of corrector and blend to cover remaining corrector. The orange base combined with the concealer cancels out the dark circles. Currently, the concealer I'm obsessed with is Dior Skinstar #001. It doesn't cake under the eye and leaves you with a soft, dewy look.
I set my concealer with a powder. The powder I'm using right now is Bare Minerals Bare Pro Champagne 03. I take a small powder brush and gently apply the powder.

Voila! Circles are all gone!

xo,

Slide into Spring and Summer (with a hot new pair of slides…!

2017-03-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

I’m sure you’ve already noticed that the slide sandal has a made a comeback with a vengeance! (Think Rhianna’s PUMA x FENTY furry slide collab from last year) Every major fashion design house seems to have one in their spring line, and it appears that the slide is taking over as the hottest new footwear trend for this spring and summer.

I know some of you aren’t feeling this comeback trend, but promise me you’ll at least give it a bit of a chance and keep an open mind? For those of you reading this that are old enough, this is your 90’s-after-soccer practice Adidas, except on super speed!! Let me point out some of the pros of wearing these fun little sandals, in case you're on the fence about wearing a pair!

PROS:

super comfy
easy to put on
goes with everything from dresses to jeans
easy to pack
makes you look like an instant fashionista!

Let me share with you some of my faves of the season:

MY ULTIMATE FAVORITE SLIDE OF THE MOMENT….

I saw these slides and I immediately had to have them!

Pursuit Tiger GG Supreme Canvas Slides: $290 (saks.com)

I absolutely LOVE Gucci so it only took me a few seconds before I was ordering them online and having them shipped overnight to my house. The print has the traditional Gucci “GG “ brown canvas print as its pattern base, but also adds on to this shoes fabulousness by prominently featuring a Bengal Tiger and pretty pink accents. Can you say, GORGEOUS?!? (And please notice the super cute box they come in.) I knew that these slides would be a spring/summer favorite of mine whether I was in Florida, on our summer trip to Maui, or even on the city streets of fashionable Toronto. These will literally take any boring outfit and give it some instant style, which I just experienced first hand.

What I’ve worn them with: To date, I’ve worn them with my new high-waisted, Zara boyfriend-style, frayed bottom jeans and a comfy, white, v-neck GAP t-shirt. I accessorized this outfit with my vintage, mid-2000’s Gucci heart belt, featuring a black leather belt strap with a gold heart buckle. NOTE: I’ve been diving back into some of my older belts, since it feels like everyone’s doing the new Gucci “GG” belt. These fun slides took a comfy, stylish outfit and gave it a pretty and stylish boost!!

Other notable mentions:

Ferragamo Pool Slide ($195): these come in a variety of colors black/gold, white/gold, red/gold, navy/gold and pink/gold. I bought the white ones for the pool this summer and I think they’ll look great with a tan in Hawaii!

Givenchy ($) I love, love, love these super cool slides and I’ve been wearing mine to yoga and barre class. They take a workout outfit that doesn’t require a pair of sneakers and makes it feel super chic and stylish!

Gucci Heart and Rainbow Patch Leather Slide ($450): You already know how much I love Gucci, and I don’t think this pair really needs an explanation. Just look at the photo of them and well…..enough said. I didn’t buy these yet, but I’ve just inspired myself to go and get a pair today. Cross your fingers that I can still find a pair in my size!

And on a more affordable note if these above options are out of your budget:

I'm a huge believer in not having to spend a ton of money to be on trend. Remember: great style comes within. If you're want to play around with the fun slide trend and don't want to invest a ton of money, this is the perfect pair. I was walking through Free People two weeks ago and came across a $40 pair of Jeffrey Campbell black fur slides that I couldn’t resist! For $40, it was a no brainer, and I’ve been wearing them in my house as bedroom slippers. (Ok, I might’ve worn them to the grocery store once or twice too.) They’re my new take on the fur bedroom slipper of the 80’s, plus my 2-year-old son loves trying them on and walking around in them!

Cheers and Happy Shopping,

How to Organize Your Bathroom Products and Makeup

2016-08-10T07:15:00.000-07:00

Never underestimate the power of an organized bathroom! Getting ready in the morning is all about having a system and being able to access the items you need to use in a quick and easy manner.

We aren’t Kylie Jenner showing off our perfect makeup organization, and our bathroom cabinets aren’t part of a daily home magazine photo shoot that need to look camera ready and picture perfect. The following 10 tips are practical tips to keep your bathroom clean and perfectly organized.

Here's my 10 Step Process for de-cluttering and cleaning your bathroom:

1. Empty out all of your bathroom cabinets.

2. Place contents into divided piles. (For example lipsticks into one pile, eye shadow in another, shampoo in another one….(you get the picture)

3. Get rid of anything you haven't used in the last 3-6 months or anything that's old. This applies to old bottles of lotion or products that are nearly empty. Don't keep old products! Their effectiveness diminishes and most of them lose their original scents over time.

4. Buy plastic bins/containers (like you see in my photos below) to put the items that you're keeping in to. (See my photos below) You can always raid your plastic food container stash, and use those little containers if you don’t have time to run to the store right now. They make great storage bins for lipsticks, eye shadows, etc. You don't need to spend a lot of money to get organized, and little boxes work well too! I love the acrylic sorters for my lipsticks and mini cosmetics, and they can be found at any Bed, Bath, Beyond for a small amount of money. TJ Maxx's and Marshall's also sells them.

5. Organize your hair ties, headbands and clips:.

Get rid of old hair ties that are stretched out, broken or have those metal bars around them Place the good ones into their own, separate container. Do the same thing for your hair clips and hair pins. Separating them out allows you to see exactly what you have available to you when getting ready. Put your headbands into a plastic container too. I sort mine out by color and place each color group into their own ziploc bag within that bin. When I want to wear a headband, I just pull out the bin and go to what color group I'm looking for.

NOTE: I don't keep tons of headbands, so there's not a lot fussing to find the one that I need. Throw out the ones you haven't worn since high school. Headbands will create bathroom chaos and clutter by getting caught on everything, and they also have a magnificient way of collecting dust and gross hair. So, be smart and keep only the ones you’ll wear.

6. Clean out those drawers. Literally!

Vacuum out your drawers and cabinets and wipe them down: by now, you've probably noticed all of the hair, makeup and products that have built up in your drawers over time. Get a small vacuum and take out all of the hair from the cabinets and drawers. Using the cleaning product of your choice, wipe down and remove all grime and residue. Cleaning out the cabinets properly sets a clean stage for your entire reorganizing process. (You can also place liners in your drawers for future protection of the cabinet finishes if you chose to do so).

Wipe down all products that you're keeping. It's a habit of mine to always wipe down or rinse off all of my bathroom products after using them. It only takes a fraction of a second, but it helps to keep my drawers, cabinets and shower clean. Plus, the next time I go to use the item it doesn't get my hands all goopy and gross.

7. Get rid of all old tweezers, nail clippers, nail files and pumice stones.

As you prepare to place all of your clean items back into your cabinets, trash any of the old items! It seems like everyone tends to keep those used, gross pumice stones, rusty nail clippers and old nail files. Throw them out and start fresh! Pumice stones and nail files are a breeding ground for bacteria and dirt. My favorite pumice stone is the one by "Swedish Clover" because dirt and dead skin can't get trapped into it. Plus, I can easily soak it in bleach to clean it and it has a lifetime warranty.

8. Clean Your Makeup Brushes and Hair Brushes

Use this time to clean out all of your brushes and makeup brushes. This is a good habit to get into, as makeup brushes and hair brushes can build up with product and hair. There’s nothing worse than seeing a hairbrush that is loaded up with months or years worth of hair. I remove all of the hair from my brushes first, and then soak them in a hot water with a mild shampoo. I then place them in a solution of water and vinegar before rinsing them off completely. I wash my makeup brushes often with a makeup brush cleaning solution from Sephora. You can use whatever brush cleaning method you prefer. The important part is that you keep them clean!

9. Sort products on your shelves by category.

As you put back together your cabinets and drawers, place like products together on shelves. I separate out my shelves by category. One shef for hair products, one for lotions and creams, etc. Then I sort the products in rows by product type. For example, I place leave-in conditioners together, hairsprays together, face washes together. (You get the picture).

10. One Last Purge

Before we give you your “Gold Star” for organizing yourself, Skim over the stuff you've kept and see one last time if there's anything else that you can get rid of. Remember, LESS is more! Especially when it comes to keeping products and makeup.

10. Stay Organized by Putting Items Back in Their Place

Now that you're bathroom cabinets are in tip top shape and you feel back in control, make sure to keep organized by taking a few seconds each day to put your things back into the proper place and to also wipe them off before re-storing them.

Products lined up in rows by product type. Perfumes on bottom shelf

ORGANIZE BY PRODUCT TYPE: (from L to R) hair ties, eye brows, dental floss & whitener, concealers, mascaras, eye pencils

lipsticks and extra eye shadow palettes
s

eye shadows & powders!

Happy Organizing and thanks for stopping by today.

House chores on a Sunday vs. FUN?

2016-08-07T10:17:00.000-07:00

House chores on a Sunday vs. FUN?

After four kids, let me give you some good advice: on a Sunday when you have time to spend with your family, DO IT! Forget about the stupid laundry and the endless house chores. Go and relax with your family instead! It's good for your mental health, and will make you a much better parent in both the short and long run. Trust me....I wish I knew better sooner, and stopped myself from focusing on stuff that doesn't bring happiness to me or my family. Quite honestly, this might be the best parenting advice you'll ever get.

It's no secret that I'm OCD, and freak out at even the slightest hint of household disarray. So, I'm not an advocate for just letting your house go to complete and utter shambles for the sake of quality parenting. What I am advocating for is YOU, and I want you to take back your life. I've been a mom for almost 17 years now, and I've spent more hours than I'd ever openly admit cleaning and fixing up the house instead of enjoying my life. I know exactly where I learned this type of behavior: my mom. My mom has spent the majority of her life cleaning the house and obsessing over the house. I yell at my mom all of the time, insisting that she stop obsessing over that stupid house and to get out and enjoy her life. Nobody cares how clean her darn house is. (Note: we both have cleaning help that comes each week to our homes, but we clean before the help comes so that they don't think we're not clean). Do your kids a favor and teach them that life has to more offer than a clean house, or you'll turn them into people who obsess over a clean home. Hopefully, I'm not teaching my kids the same obsessive traits that I learned from my mom, but I'm sure they're getting a fair does of it.

I've begun to ask myself this question when I start to obsesses over the house: "If I knew that today was my last day on earth, would I spend it cleaning?" (I think we all can unanimously agree on this one......heck NO!). If you say yes to this, call me and I'll teach you how to have some fun on your last day!

There's just no need to be an over achiever in areas that don't count or matter. Read that statement again slowly. Nobody is ever going to remember how clean or not clean your house is. If someone is judging you on that criteria, they need to get a life and get out of your home. Get rid of them and find dirtier friends. If it's a family member doing the judging, throw them a mop and dust cloth and then go outside and sit in the sun, or go get your nails done while they tidy up.

Let's do a little exercise this Sunday, ok? Put down the vacuum and duster right now, and go outside and play with your kids. Go and do something with your significant other, or for yourself that makes you feel good about you and your family. After all, you're amazing and don't you think you've earned it? You're family will thank you for putting them and yourself first over the house.

The house and the chores will be there when you get back. Pinky promise they will.

Happy Sunday,
D

What Does Your Folded Laundry Say About You?

2016-08-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

What does your folded laundry say about you?

Well, if you're anything like me, you obsess over the way every single item of your clothing is folded. Countless loads of my family's clothing washed and folded perfectly by me. Perfectly. Every single load. Every single piece. Every single time. Every single day.

What does that say about me? Well, it says that I'm insane. That's what I am, I'm insane. There, I said it. Only a crazy person micromanages and controls a laundry room the way that I do. My laundry says that I flew over the cuckoos nest and that I'm never coming back.

Why do I freak out over something so stupid as the way my laundry gets folded is the real, burning question that I need your help with? I have this part of me, this little voice that tells me to let it go, and to stop obsessing. That it doesn't matter how the laundry gets folded, as long as the laundry gets done, right? WRONG!

I take the time to fold every single article of clothing like my house is the GAP. The jeans have to have the perfect fold with no showing of denim coming up or out of the side of the fold. (Come on, you know what I mean by the perfect jean fold? Don't play coy with me!) The t-shirts folded like they were done on a folding board. (I've thought about buying one of those things, but stop myself because I think my hand folding is pretty on par. Just sayin') Underwear......folded up like origami. Wait, maybe I should become an "origami-ist"? I have some mad folding skills in my humble opinion.

Here's a scenario that might make me a seriously horrible, bad, awful, terrible person: My mother-in-law is sweet enough to do my laundry for me. She's a great woman, and I'm lucky to have her in my life. But here's the thing........I want to kill her when I see that she's washed and folded my laundry! When I see it all stacked up on the counter in my kitchen in those uneven, non-color sorted piles, I have to tie my arms down to my sides so that I don't throw it on the floor in front of her, smack her in the head, and then refold it all while cursing up a storm and screaming obscenities in front of her and the kids and yelling, "WHO THE HELL FOLDS CLOTHES LIKE THIS??? YOU SHOULD BE SENT TO JAIL FOR THINKING THAT THIS TYPE OF PITIFUL FOLDING IS ACCEPTABLE!!! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU"

(At this point, I remind myself to breathe deeply to avoid passing out, and I thank her profusely for folding my laundry and for her help, which I sincerely mean.)

Confession: Sorry, Mamma, if you're reading this. I'm crazy, but you already know that and thanks for loving me anyhow. Once she leaves the room, I secretly throw it all on the floor and refold every piece. After my mini-meltdown is over and I've refolded the mess, I stand back to look at all of my perfectly folded laundry piles sorted exactly the way that I like them. I applaud my good work in my head, and quietly take a bow. Then I remind myself that I almost just died a thousand deaths and this is why I need a glass of wine even though its only 4:38pm.

I can breathe again.

Anyone else out there suffering from my laundry disease? The first step its acceptance, my lovelies.

xo,
D

Chanel "Chaine Or" - The New Pastel for Spring

2016-03-08T11:46:00.001-08:00

Gold is the new pastel for spring!

There's nothing like the color gold, especially in a shimmery Chanel nail polish. Chanel has always been the trend setter for polish shades, and their "Chaine Or" doesn't disappoint. It's shimmery gold color is the perfect compliment to any outfit, and it's my new color for spring. I'm officially replacing my go to spring pastels with gold!

Naturally, when I saw this gorgeous gold Chanel polish on the fingertips of my Saks Fifth Avenue Sales Clerk; I had to have it right at that second. No....seriously, she ran over to cosmetics and snatched one up for me speedy quick. I HAD to have it!

I have gold around my entire house in so many different rooms, in fact he walls and ceiling in my formal dining room are even gold. There's just something about it that makes everything it touches a perfect 10. A Rolex watch? Yep, I want the gold Presidential. Anything jewelry? Thanks, I'll take the gold piece.

Say goodbye to those spring pastels and hello, gold!

My Favorite Spring Shoe by Ferragamo

2016-03-07T10:14:00.003-08:00

I can't say enough about the Bermuda Cutout Jelly Wedge Pump in Macaroon Gelato from the spring 2016 Ferragamo collection. I am seriously obsessed with this shoe and have worn it nearly everyday since I purchased the pair last week at Saks.

The shoe initially caught my eye as I was breezing through the shoe department about a week earlier on a work collaboration with Saks corporate. I thought it might be a bit rude of me to be late because I was trying on shoes, right? So, I made a quick trip back last week and finally bought them! With 4 kids and a full time job, I can't always find the time to get the items that I need. (Notice how I use the word need.)

With their signature golden logo buckle and 1" demi wedge heel, its the perfect shoe for almost any occasion. They're so comfortable and I'm able to wear them for hours at a time without any foot pain whatsoever. Ballet flats often hurt my feet soon after putting them on, and I haven't experienced anything like that with this shoe. I hate to compromise my style for comfort, so this shoe is like hitting the jackpot.

I've worn them with a white on white combo in the form of jeans and a sweater paired with a brown Hermes belt. I also wore them this past weekend with some distressed boyfriend jeans, a white t-shirt and a tan colored, cashmere scarf for a casual evening dinner. I love shoes that double as an outfit accessory, and these Ferragamo's accomplish that perfectly. I think I just might be buying another pair as a backup!

Price: $280

Find it At: Saks, Ferragamo.com, Neiman Marcus.

Color: Macaroon Gelato*

*Also comes in black with Gold bow

Freshly Picked shoes for Baby

2015-12-17T13:14:00.001-08:00

I couldn't say it better myself! A must, MUST have shoe for your little one. I have 4 kids and just bought my 4th child, a 9 month old boy, his first pair! Thank you, baby gizmo!

https://www.babygizmo.com/review-freshly-picked-moccasins/

Birchbox vs. Ipsy: Which is Better?

2015-01-28T09:46:00.001-08:00

I have to tell you all that I love getting my monthly Birchbox in the mail. I've been a subscriber now for nearly two years, and I've never once thought about canceling my subscription. The array of products that they give me I always seem to enjoy and use. The nominal fee that I pay for my monthly box, $10, is certainly worth the little box of treasures that surprise me in my mailbox each month. I think that my 3 girls get more excited than I do when they see that I received my box in the mail. We've enjoyed using everything together from face scrubs, chocolates, BB creams, masks, mascaras, eye liners, body wash and even teas. We're like kids in a candy store every month when we open it up, and it allows for some fun girl bonding time with my children!

This leads me into Ipsy, a similar company that offers a monthly box of goodies for the same price of $10/mo. My 12 year old daughter really wanted to receive her own monthly box, and suggested that I sign her up for an Ipsy box. Of course, she wasn't just going to get one for no good reason because we can't just give our kids everything that they want, right? So for Christmas this year I decided to surprise her with a one year subscription to Ipsy! When she opened the box with the confirmation she was over-the-moon excited and couldn't believe that I remembered that she had wanted it so badly. I ordered her subscription on December 24th and printed out the confirmation so that I could wrap it. At the time of order, the site told me that I'd be "wait listed", but I could avoid the wait list by posting about their company to Twitter or Facebook. I'm rather private about my social media and I didn't want to post about an item that I've never even received, touting it as though it was the next greatest thing. I was a little taken aback by that to say the least, so i went with the "wait list" option for the time being.

Today is January 28th and we're still wait listed over a month later. My poor, deprived little girl is without her Christmas gift and keeps asking when she'll get it. I mean, come on……she's 12 and she NEEDS her beauty products, damn it!!! Oh, the agony! So I finally received an email this morning that I can get off of the wait list if I share Ipsy on Facebook. (apparently, this is the only way I'm getting out of jail, so I decide to take the bait to save face with my tween and do it against my better judgement and morals.)

I now am asked to go through a 4 part series of posting to Facebook, sharing my Facebook contacts and friends list with them, and then subscribing to all of their You Tube channels. By blood is boiling by now, because I'm being backed into a corner over this darn box. I hit send and I'm free! I'm finally off of the blacklist……we're out of jail!

Ummmmm……IPSY…….

Let me tell you a little something……First, don't bully your customers by making them give you private information just to get your darn box. I've out smarted you by logging into an unused Facebook account with only 3 friends. I would never give a company free access to my private information, no matter my thousands of Facebook contacts. If it wasn't for me giving this as a gift to my daughter, I would've told you to take your silly box and shove it!

I'm sticking to Birchbox, who is glad to have me as a valued customer. So to answer which ones better? Well, I think that my post speaks for itself.

How it Began - One Mother's Journey with Childhood Cancer

2014-09-15T07:14:00.001-07:00

A mothers intuition is stronger than any force on the planet. It was just one of those things that I can't really describe any other way. The lump that had been on her neck since April 14, 2014 and wasn't going away was like a giant pink elephant living in my kitchen. Everybody saw it, but nobody acknowledged it or wanted to believe it was anything to worry about.

Every morning when she woke up I would ask my 11 year old daughter to see the lump, hoping and praying that it had gone down overnight. Sometimes I think I convinced myself that it was getting smaller. If she pulled her hair back you could really see it, so I began telling her to wear her down when we were in public so that people wouldn't ask her what it was. Out of sight, out of mind kinda thing. After all, our pediatrician told us we had nothing to worry about since her blood counts were good when they did her blood work. It was just an enlarged lymph node that was the lingering effect of a viral infection. we could biopsy it if I wanted to. Yep, that's definitely what it was. Just a swollen lymph. It would go down soon I kept telling myself. She's a healthy kid with tons of energy. There absolutely couldn't be anything wrong with her.

Fast forward over the entire summer to the end of August 2014 and she still had the lump. That damn lump! Why couldn't it just go away?!? Her blood work was good and so I had nothing to worry about, right? I took Alana back to her pediatrician on August 15, 2014 for some school shots, and I showed the pediatrician the lump again and expressed my concerns. This time she told us that she thought it was an abscess and gave us a referral to an Ears, Nose & Throat doctor. She thought that it might have to be drained. I called the ENT office immediately, but they didn't accept our insurance. It was late Friday afternoon, and I left a message for the pediatrician to call me first thing on Monday morning to help me find another one.

Two days later: Sunday, August 17, 2014:
I woke up and for some reason I decided that I was going to take her to the ER. My ex husband had changed the girls insurance back in May without my prior knowledge or consent to an HMO, and I was having a difficult time getting her seen by a specialist over the summer. I had hired an attorney and they were helping me to get a court date to hopefully change the girls to my instance plan, which would make it easier than an HMO. I wanted to biopsy the lump and explore further treatment to fully rule out the possibility of it being something more serious. I inherently knew that I wasn't satisfied with the pediatricians diagnosis. In fact, I do recall speaking briefly with the pediatrician about a biopsy on that first visit, but I was never able to follow through with it due to the insurance issue. Our pediatrician felt good about the blood work being normal. She just kept assuring me that it would go away in time. Bottom line: enough was enough with this lump. I was done waiting for it to shrink. I waited for Alana to wake up and then I told her my plan. We put on our yoga pants and sweatshirts despite the sweltering 98 degree Florida heat and made our way over to the hospital.

We walked into the emergency room and signed in. I wish that someone would've taken a picture of us at that check in desk, because it was the last time that life would ever be the same for us. We were about to enter into a different universe. The universe of being a family with childhood cancer. My single worst fear was about to come true.

Hearts, Denim and Deals!

2012-09-20T10:05:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite ways to flex my style muscles is to combine less expensive pieces with my more expensive, designer pieces. My rule of thumb to mixing in a less expensive piece is to pair a designer top or bottom with the less expensive piece. Add in a designer shoe and handbag and you can flawlessly pull it off!

For example, I fell in love with the "heart" sweater that both JCrew and Old Navy have out for fall. Old Navy offers their version at around $25 vs. the more expensive JCrew styling at $90. I thought this was such an adorable sweater for the price that I drove around to two different stores to find it in my size.

I eventually bought the navy, Old Navy sweater with the red heart on it and paired it with a pair of JBrand skinnies, added in my Jimmy Choo, neutral toned pumps, a Louis Vuitton handbag and the result was flawless! I got compliments everywhere I went and people were shocked to know that the sweater cost $25 and was from Old Navy!

The moral of this story is that you CAN indulge yourself in the Forever 21's of the world.....you just gotta know how to work it!

Happy Shopping!

Charlotte Olympia "Blue Moon" Pump

2012-09-19T08:49:00.001-07:00

How appropriate, right? I so need these killer heels for my collection.

Kate Spade "Normandy Park" Circle Bag

2012-09-19T08:42:00.001-07:00

Here I go again, ranting and raving about all of the items that I MUST HAVE for fall.

One of the trends that we are seeing this fall is the circle bag. The last time I used a circle bag was back in 1992 when I had a red, leather Paloma Picasso one. It was given to me as a gift and I absolutely worshipped it! (kinda wish that I didn't get rid of it right about now.)

Polka Dots are another trend that we're seeing everywhere too, from jeans to scarves and shoes to purses. When it comes to trends, I like to keep it simple, using the principle that less is more, and I like to be able to wear the trendy item more than just one time. For example, I love the concept of polka dotted jeans, but I'm not sure how many times I can wear them without the look getting stale.

I fell in love with Kate Spade's "Normandy Park" polka dot bag, $298, from katespade.com. It's a patent leather black bag that features the most perfect sized white polka dots. The size of the circle bag is 6.2''h x 6.2''w x 2.3''d, so it's perfect for a lipstick, cell phone and cash/credit cards. Makes a great statement for either day or night, and it also comes in black and red.

Jackie Newgent's Slimming Tea

2012-08-23T14:35:00.001-07:00

Hmmmmmm……shall we try this lovely little recipe for slimming tea?

I was relaxing earlier today and reading through the latest issue of Health magazine. (I’ve convinced myself that if I read it from cover to cover; I will motivate myself to exercise more and to make healthier choices when it comes to food.)

I just read about this “Slimming Tea created by Jackie Newgent, author of the upcoming 1,000 Low Calorie Recipes. It’s supposed to “keep your metabolism humming”, according to Health!

Here’s the recipe:
Fill 2 quart pitcher with brewed green tea or jasmine green tea.

Add thin slices from 1 jalapeño pepper

one 1″ piece of ginger

1 lime

sweeten w a zero calorie sweetener like Stevia.

Am I skinnier yet??? Let me know what you guys think of this if you decide to make it. I’ll post my thoughts too!

Btw….here’s the link to the article:

http://www.health.com/health/m/gallery/0,,20516496_2,00.html

Wren for Minnetonka. I'm Obsessed with these shoes!

2012-08-17T15:55:00.000-07:00

I'm obsessed with Wren for Minnetonka. Seriously obsessed. Read about designer and founder of Wren, Melissa Corker, and about how she managed to partner up with the famous shoe maker. I promise, you'll be obsessed too!
Check her bio out at http://wrenstudio.com/
Here are some pics from her "Fall 2012" collaboration with Minnetonka. These killer shoes are a total must have for fall!

Frye Boots for Fall

2012-08-17T15:52:00.001-07:00

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love my Frye boots! In fact, they are a signature "style item" of mine. Me without my Frye boots is like a dirty martini without its olive juice!

With fall right around the corner, I think it's the perfect time for me to start chatting it up about my favorite boot styles. (For this particular post, I'm not going to talk about the Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Chanel or Chloe high heeled boots that I've already started obsessing over. I'm going to make this an article only about my Frye's. We can touch on all of those other amazing boots later!)

Let's start with the Frye Harness boot. This was my first love from the Frye collection. The first pair that I owned were in brown. A week later, I owned a black pair. 6 months later, I just had to have the red. I wore them with jeans, leggings and dresses. The more that I wore them, the more that I fell in love. Hey give me the comfort of a walking boot with that "I'm a total badass" kinda edginess. I'm currently contemplating buying the white ones, but I'm not sure if I'd wear them enough. Thoughts???

My friends and coworkers stared to notice me wearing them, and they were asking me where I bought them? They too all wanted a pair for themselves! For as flattered as I was by this, I secretly wanted to be the only person on the planet who owned a pair! I'd like to think that my badass personality fit in perfectly with these badass boots.

My second favorite Frye boot style is the "Paige" tall riding boot. I have this particular style in the "Saddle" color, and it looks amazing with skinny jeans or with a skirt and tights! I put em' on and feel like I'm sexy and superior all at the same time.
So, if you're looking for an amazing pair of boots this fall that are classic and timeless, go out and buy yourself a pair of Frye's! I promise you that you will fall in love ad be begging for another pair!

Zappos is a great place to buy Frye's or google "Frye Boots" for a local retailer.

Tkees......I'm Beyond Obsessed!

2012-08-17T15:43:00.000-07:00

If you've never heard of Tkees flip-flops and you dont already own a pair, you need to stop reading this and run out to the nearest store to buy a pair. Maybe even three pairs. I am seriously beyond obsessed with this line.
My very best friend introduced me to this brand by buying me a pair as a surprise for my birthday. They are the lovely pink pair from their Zinc collection and I was of course drawn right into their marketing spell when I read their punch line, "Cosmetics for your Feet". So there I go....kicking off my Gucci slides and giving these puppies a little try on right there during our lunch date. I give a little sly smile to the waiter as he notices me changing my shoes as he makes his way over to take our order. I brush him off by giving him my sweetest little smile with a quick, "you know how it is with women and shoes" line. I tell my friend that they really are like cosmetics for your feet and point out that they look exceptionally fantastic considering that I just had my toes perfectly polished with my "go to" shade of Linkin Park After Dark.
When I got home after my lunch date, I went on to their website, www.Tkees.com, and it was singing to me with all of the different styles and color combinations. I ordered two more pairs. And then another, just because I saw this color on flip flop queen, Angelina Jolie, and so I just had to have them too.

Here's a little snippet about these lovelies right from the "About" page on their website. You are sure to fall in love....!

"For Jesse and Carly Burnett, the husband and wife duo behind TKEES (t-keys), it was a no-brainer—Carly yearned for a sandal that would "disappear" on your foot. "We'd walk out the door barefoot if we could, but it's not appropriate for every occasion," she says.

Thus, in the summer of 2009, using a simple thong sandal as their base, the couple (she with a degree from the School of Visual Arts and he with a background in business and real estate) produced a collection that was divided into color categories: Foundations, Creams, Liners, Glosses and more. Branded as "cosmetics for your feet," TKEES was born, and has become the go-to sandal for easy, fresh and sophisticated everyday dressing.

Carly, the ultimate flip-flop girl, was never big on makeup, but loved its myriad color collections. She sifted through her mom's cosmetic case and traveled the world with Jesse to build their business, finding continued inspiration in makeup stores and cosmetic counters. "The categories we created are natural and organic," she says, "everything fits together." The couple has stayed true to their mission, with customers applauding the sandals for their casual elegance and ease of wear—a no-brainer indeed."

-Tkees.com (source)