Category Archives: Shopping

Lust List

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When I moved to New York, I thought my days of online shopping were over. I pictured prancing off to any store, anytime I wanted — scooping up baubles and weighing myself down with shopping bags.

Turns out, I was wrong [for the first time EVER].

My online shopping addiction habit is here to stay, to the dismay of mailmen everywhere.

Here’s what I’ve got in my various virtual shopping carts:

1. Papyrus Beaded Necklace, from Threadsence

Screen Shot 2013-04-17 at 12.22.19 PMI picture wearing it with this dress that has just been purchased…[can we ignore the semantics for a minute and keep it on the lust list? it's still in the mail after all]

2.  Ladakh Ray of Sun Dress from Swell

Screen Shot 2013-04-17 at 12.30.09 PMAnd, it’s not that I hate the shoes in that picture, I just prefer these:

3. Seychelles Lunar Sandal — on sale on Gilt!

Screen Shot 2013-04-17 at 12.41.16 PMDid I say ‘prefer’ earlier? Because what I meant was ‘need’. Definitely, need.

4. The Morrison Fringe Short at Free People

Screen Shot 2013-04-17 at 12.43.20 PMDon’t tell me they’re ugly…I simply couldn’t bear it.

5. And finally.. Black-on-Black Ray-Ban Aviators

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Note: MOM STOP READING!!

Remember my Matthew Williamson sunglasses that I so, so dearly loved? Cherished? Adored?

They seem to have…um…gone missing. Which brings me here. To needing [am I over-using that word today?] these Ray-Bans. It’s a race between my friend Angie and I as to who owns them first — so I’m off, credit card in hand!

 

Hair To-Do’s

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So…it’s been a bit since the last time we met…

It’s my fault, I know.

I’ve got a good excuse this time, I swear it!

For the last several days [actually quite a bit longer] if you had dared step foot in my apartment, glancing around corners, peeking down the hall, and calling my name…this is what you would’ve met.

photo-84Me. Asleep.

Not lightly dozing. Not drifting off into a nap. But sleeping-sleeping. Drooling-sleeping. Puffy eyes, sheet-marks, the whole bit.

I can’t be left unattended…slowly I shift, piece-by-piece, into a horizontal position and it’s light-out and deep breathing soon thereafter.

Why?

Well, as we’ve discussed I work for a little magazine that puts out a little swimsuit issue each year. We go to Vegas for launch week and between working all day and, y’know, not working but staying quite busy in various clubs all night…I’ve been a bit out of sorts.

It was hectic. And overwhelming. But each day, when my blood pressure crept too high and my email inbox filled too full, I’d sneak off here…

photo-82The hair and makeup suite for a little pampering.

The artists took pity on me, let me rest my weary self, and did their damnedest to make sure I didn’t embarrass myself with haphazard mascara applications at any of the parties.

It was a treat, to say the least. I garnered a few new tricks, but most importantly, a whole list of products I no longer can live without. The Swim Daily Blog [its own guilty, little pleasure] audience was curious as well and let me do a post on the homepage, interviewing SI Swim’s resident hair-expert and contributing editor, Peter Butler, on his favorite products–check it out here! 

photo-85 photo-86 photo-88

I sampled all the products listed in the post and have subsequently ordered them each online–I highly recommend you do something similar!

The [Requisite] Gift Guide

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You’ve gone and done it, haven’t you?

You’ve pushed and peddled from store to store, slowly filling the underside of your bed with presents for all your loved ones, weeks ahead of time…haven’t you?

No? Excellent! Let’s be comrades, then, in the endeavor to catch up and finish off our lists with a few nicks and knacks.

- Prove you’ve got a pinch of humor by sticking these in her stocking…

Screen Shot 2012-12-04 at 11.40.00 AM

Fogal Ballroom Red Net Tights ($40), Fogal Soul Tights in Black ($62), Fogal Classy Turqouise Sheer Dot Tights ($85)

- Or go for the Russian Stacking Doll experience and stuff the stocking bag with bags inside of bags…

Screen Shot 2012-12-04 at 11.44.18 AM

Carolina Herrera for Target + Neiman Marcus Cosmetic Pouches (~$40)

- Perhaps you want something with a bit more punch? People are getting a lot of gifts this time of year and they’ll need something to properly showcase the depths of their appreciation…

Screen Shot 2012-12-04 at 11.50.31 AM

Terrapin Stationers for Bookmarc ($30) — Available at all Bookmarc Shops

- Or what about the complete collection of the best show ever?

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Friday Night Lights Box Set ($100)

I feel like a lot of you haven’t seen this…probably because you think it’s going to be as depressing as Tim McGraw’s drunk, abusive fathering or the second-place finish in the movie…but you would be wrong, and that would be unfortunate, so go on and strip it from you preconceptions now.

Scientists have proven that 100% of people who watch an episode become obsessed, which is just a fancy way of saying it’s amazing and you need it [so give it to someone who'll share].

- Booze?

Screen Shot 2012-12-04 at 12.22.17 PM

Hellfire Club Bloody Mary Mix ($16)

This is for my sister [she hates surprises, anyway]. Few love a Bloody Mary quite like the eldest Miss Vain and therefore few deserve the amount of research I’ve put into finding the perfect bottled mix.

It’s yummy, holds the unique ability to burn your lips off [family preference...], and tastes just as good as a Bloody Mary [vodka, for her] as it does a Bloody Maria [tequila, for me].

- iPad Case

Screen Shot 2012-12-04 at 12.36.11 PM

Kate Spade iPad Case ($50)

Can gift lists even exist sans iPad accessories anymore? I don’t even have one and want this…

- An Excuse to Bake

Screen Shot 2012-12-04 at 12.42.04 PM

Meringue ($24)

Everyone loves meringue. But…no one would ever…in their rightest of right minds…buy themselves a book solely devoted to creating the perfect pie topper.

That is why we do it for them at Christmastime.

Of course there are many more things…facials, sweaters, perhaps even a proper Christmas onesie…but I think that’s enough for now…don’t you? I’m tuckered out from mentally spending all these dollars and stacking high my online shopping carts. Any little to-do’s or must-have’s I’ve missed?

Fallen

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Boots clipping down damp stone walkways…

Hot oats taking the chill out of the air…

Now I’m well aware that the official start to fall is still days away, but I’d like to amend the rule and say that the day you strap on your favorite suedes and button your trench all the way to the top, wind whipping and rain drizzling…well that day is the true, first day of fall.

What else serves as a proper fall-awakening?

Fashion.

Fashion Week has since come and passed (I’ll miss the parties, but appreciate the sleep). But there’s a new fashion mag in town and if fantasies of clothes and models and shoes are your thing…you’ve got a purchase to make.

CR Fashion Book is Carine Roitfeld‘s newest gift to the masses. She ran French Vogue from 2001-2011 and has spent the time since her departure on this creation. It follows a unique, and quickly addicting, format.

The Book ($15) comes out twice yearly. It’s big, it’s beautiful, and it is simply bursting with goodies: essays from our favorite celebs (Kirsten Dunst and Anne Hathaway, this go-around), photos of the most beautiful clothes (fashion week’s stolen moments), and charming little diddlies you won’t find anywhere else (Tom Ford writes and photographs his own fairy tale…)

And you need not worry about that pesky 6 month interim between issues!

The Website updates throughout the day with all the short, fun columns generally reserved for the first pages of a magazine.

It’s the best of both world’s really. We get a pretty magazine to snuggle up with on a lazy afternoon, but we also get a website we can cast furtive little glances to throughout the day.

I highly recommend both; the magazine has been had from cover to cover, with me adoring each page, and the website…well let’s not discuss the number of page views I’ve contributed.

Stick It To Me

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I found a gem on Pinterest…I mentioned it last week, remember?

A genius idea, really. Turning beloved Instagrams, those little photos I trouble over so incessantly, choosing the right filters and frames, into magnets destined to adorn my fridge…I love it.

Obviously, I ordered some.

And then I waited. I checked my mail each afternoon, turning my little mailbox key, holding my breath, hoping just hoping, to see a little StickyGram envelop poking out from the usual fodder.

And then there it was!

My 9 favorites (talk about a tough choice), just begging to be slapped against my fridge door.

Which they quickly were.

An Instagram of magnets, and magnets of Instagrams. The circularity they provide that sentence makes them worth their weight in gold already.

But really, I do love them. They’re a great personal touch on a rather dull door and I highly recommend you go this route if you’re looking for something a bit unique to guard your favorite snacks.

Buy yours here. And use this code for $2 off your first order: FRIEND9XGP

Wish List

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It’s 11:42. Can I even call this a Monday evening post? I plan on trying despite the fact that most of you won’t read it until sometime tomorrow.

You see, I work 9 to 11 on Mondays… which means I come home proper crabby, just shy of midnight.

Tonight is no different. The only thing tempering my mood? The paycheck coming my way at this week’s end. In light of that ohsowonderful fact, I’ve got a bit of a “wish list” dancing between my ears (you know, where my brain is).

A book scarf! I’ve been lusting over this little biddy since I saw a Harry Potter version draped about my friend Alex‘s neck a few weeks ago.

There’s currently wonderful Jane Eyre, A Tale of Two Cities (for which my love knows no bounds), and Pride & Prejudice excerpts in-stock…though the inventory changes along with the seller’s mood, so check back often!

This mug. Honestly, I need it.

I really hoped to compile a list that would have everyone drooling over each item (and not to mention, my tastes)…but this probably appeals to a rather select population. So perhaps instead of convincing you that you need it, one of you kind, kind souls will just procure it as swiftly as possible, and mail it my way.

Customized Nike trainers. Now, I need another pair of tennis shoes like I need a hole in my head (cue my mother nodding along in affirmation).Unfortunately, such reasoning has never stopped a woman from dreaming, especially not this one!

How could you not? Seriously, they’re too cute.

I first spotted them on Rosie The Londoner’s Instagram, but she’s mentioned them on her blog today, along with where to go to get our grubby little fingers on them!

What’s on everyone else’s list? Hurry, before I realize I need to pay rent!

 

What a Combo

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Books and clothes. Does it get any better? (excluding the food partnership detailed in my last post, of course).

You could have knocked me over with a feather at the Book Expo today, I was so numb with happiness and surprise!

And apparently I wasn’t the only one excited for an invite…

Really the most appropriate word for the three hours I spent bobbing and weaving between publishers, publicists, buyers and sellers is… overwhelming. 

So, so many books. So many names, titles, stands, booths, things and people to see (not to mention Kirstie Alley, though who knows which category she falls under).

For one who loves words as much as I do, I’m having a bit of trouble coming up with the proper way to communicate just how lovely it was to be surrounded by so many who are equally attached to the book industry and the prospect of new reads. It was a new experience and I’ve got my fingers crossed that it happen again.

What else did I love? This one is slightly more obvious.

Swag bag.

A few blocks, a train ride and one exhausted shoulder (from carrying the books!) later and I was home for a quick nap and wardrobe change to dart off to a Johnny O’s Pop-Up shop.

It was tiny and crowded and quite literally overflowing with every color polo and beach towels known to man…this is not an exaggeration.

If “west coast prep” is your thing, click here and enjoy shopping! Unless you’re in NYC and are an undergrad or grad student, then by all means…wait!

This isn’t the last pop-up of theirs and you’ll get a 50% discount off with a proper I.D. at the next one. Check in for updates!

One margarita later and it was, once again,  time to pop back on the subway…this time for home. Plotting tomorrow’s outfit and a bit of homework were nipping at my heels and I’ve been doting on them ever since!

What’s the plan for this weekend? I know I could use a break!

Primed

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I haven’t written about beauty products before. It’s not like I don’t use them, or don’t have my little favorites I replenish faithfully. It’s just that it feels a bit presumptuous to take photos of myself using one and exclaim things like “Look how pretty it looks!”

But I’ll trudge through the discomfort to tell you about this set because I’m pretty sure it can’t be lived without. It’s bare Minerals Prep & Prime Creams. One is for all over the face, one specifically for the eyes. It doesn’t make any of the crazy promises of a lot of beauty products, making it infinitely more reliable, seeing as how 98% of those I’ve tried appear to be lying…to my face… literally.

I’ve got several friends as attached as I am, all ready to pounce and proclaim its glory. So take me seriously!

It gets applied before any foundation or powder. If, like me, you have a ginormous face…it’s okay! don’t fret!… you still only need about this much…

It’s impossibly lightweight and adds an almost imperceptible sheen to your skin ( JLo glow? ). Most days I throw it on and forget the bronzer and blush altogether. I love how it evens my skin tone and brightens me up all over. If I’m feeling fancy, I use it as a primer and then dust the other products on top. The eye cream boasts a great sparkle which means it does its job and holds any eyeshadow strictly in place, but is equally great for wearing all by itself.

And that’s the regime. You wake up, gasp in horror in the mirror, feel haggard, sweep this on and viola!

You’re fresh-faced and ready to go!

The products are always sold in the Bare Escentuals stores,  but if there isn’t one near you the eye cream is  here and the face cream, here.

Anyone else use these? Do you love?

We Meet Again

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Just shy of a year ago, I hopped the pond and visited one of my best friends in London. It was a ten-day adventure I’ll never forget and while I’d love to relive it with you, I’m only here to recap one five-minute memory of our shopping day in Notting Hill. While meandering the many shops and sidewalk venders I found the most delicate and wonderful necklace. I loved everything about it, it was a dangling orb that contained the most perfect vintage clock.

The only thing I didn’t love? The price sticker of eighty-pounds (~$130). After ten-days of eating, drinking and touring London and Paris I promise you would groan upon seeing it as well. So it was left behind, but it has popped in and out of my mind many times since.

Fast forward to my excitement a few weekends ago when, during my shopping trip in New York City’s SoHo district, I happened upon this gem,

There is a chance that my eyes literally bugged out of my head and a shriek of delight slipped out of my mouth. I had been thinking about this necklace for too long! Now was my chance.

Again… I didn’t love the price. But $50 for something I spent a year lusting over was considerably more reasonable than the previous tag. So after careful thought and just little encouragement from my girls…it was mine at last!

I’ve worn it a couple of times since; sometimes to fancy-weekend occasions and sometimes, like today, to casual endeavors like sociology class.

And when it just doesn’t seem to fit… it hangs here: front and center on my jewelry stand.

If you find yourself drooling over this as much as I did, no need to worry! They are currently for sale here.

Also, please head over to a favorite blog of mine, Carrie Bradshaw Lied, because yours truly is doing a guest post today!

Shady-Lady

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Sometimes…just sometimes…happiness really can come in a box. I say this because I literally squealed in delight when this little guy appeared on my doorstep.

Matthew Williamson Aviator Sunglasses that were an absolute steal on gilt.com recently. I’ve worn a pair of Marc Jacobs for a couple of years and sometime in the last month they up and walked out of my house, never to return. So when this sale popped up (almost 75% off) I was a kid in a candy store.

I think I’ve worn them every day since…

And just couldn’t be happier!

Matthew Williamson is an English fashion designer. He’s relatively new to the U.S,  his flagship store in NYC opening in 2009, but has dressed fashion favorites like Sienna Miller, Cat Deeley, and Whitney Port for many events (see an entire gallery here). Aside from being a fairly good-looking man himself, his clothing is to die amazing. I peruse his site regularly so that in the event that I win the next Powerball I can finally click the “Proceed to Checkout” button fully prepared.

Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened, and I am left to scour the likes of gilt.com in desperation. Gilt is an invite-only shopping site  providing designer goods at amazing sale prices. My love for it probably deserves a post of its own so let me cut myself off and say if anyone would like an invite, I am happy to email you one! You (male or female) won’t regret it, I promise!

While the Gilt Group sale has sadly ended, these sunglasses can still be found here for a relatively good deal! Happy shopping!