Tag Archives: shopping

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…

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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…

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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…

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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?

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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

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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

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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?

I Never Meant To

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go so long without posting…You see my camera is still out of commission and I thought…who wants a post without pictures? [not I]

But then you started texting me and tweeting me and emailing me…mainly wondering if I had died but also if I fancied blogging anytime soon.

So, after far too much ado, here I am!

I thought I’d do a little round-up on what’s going on, what’s on my mind, what perhaps should be on your mind…that sort’ve thing!

1. Carine Roitfeld liked my post on instagram. Call me shameless for mentioning it here, fine. But better yet just call me a fan…and maybe give a thought to all the ways that social media has shrunk the distance between us and our idols.

2. This scarf…it still isn’t mine and I’m not sure why [my bank account, however, laughs at my ignorance]

3. The time for twinkling lights is upon us. Expect countless similar photos over the new few months [assuming my grubby little fingers find a camera to hold onto]

4. My middle- and high-schools were all-girls affairs…I played a division I women’s sport in college [volleyball]…and now I work at a predominantly male publication in a city where I don’t know so many girls…it’s been a dramatic [on my part] adjustment and all I’ll say is: I thoroughly miss sleepovers and endless reruns of The Holiday.

[from Caroline's Wedding in June]

5. I read The Casual Vacancy…[y'know...JK Rowling's new tale].

I’ve got a lot of thoughts. I actually worked very, very hard to shield myself from anyone else’s prior to reading, so I’ve got a little internal debate raging about whether or not to proffer mine..

But I mean…alright, I will. Going in I was undeniably guilty of expecting an aged-up, magicked-down Harry Potter…something showcasing Rowling’s strengths (meticulous plot creation, inventiveness, love of mischief, likable characters, a penchant for visual spectacle) and weaknesses (a profound love of adverbs) as much as HP did.

But this isn’t that. This book is big, enormous really. It’s ambitious and brilliant and funny and upsetting in, really, very eloquent ways.

It’s a novel about contemporary England (largely a satire of the small-town English life). The characters are tangled in a complex (but well conceived) web that reminds you of the delicate hand that built Harry Potter’s world–a world an entire generation (self-included) has pretty much chosen to live in.

Ultimately, her interest is in the emotional and social holes dug between us and the abominable wounds we constantly inflict on each other, always in the belief that we’re acting in righteous self-defense. In Pagford (the town) everyone believes they’re the story’s hero…but as the points of view shift relentlessly, each character is recast as traitor, villain, victim, fool, lover, and friend.

And so in some weird way…as much as it isn’t…it is Harry’s world…just without the magic. It’s a painfully arbitrary and fallen world that, without the helping hand of Albus Dumbledore, sags and cracks under its own weight.

6. That went on much longer than I originally anticipated…

[source]

7. Me, my kitchen, and I [but not my waistline] are finally ready to start testing out thanksgiving dessert recipes — feel free to link to your own favorites!

What happened in everyone else’s world? Do tell!

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

I Had Almost Forgotten…

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…just where I am.

Lost in the hustle and bustle, the new (and ever-changing) work schedule, the stress; I almost forgot.

I moved to New York City.

The place of endless amusement. The greatest city on earth.

Earlier this week, needing to decompress, I went for a walk. At my halfway point, I turned around and faced this.

Everything.

Who knows how long I’ll live here. Maybe forever, but most likely not. So I need to enjoy it a bit more, wouldn’t you say?

Go to a few more baseball games, like I finally did the other night.

Pop into a few more of the unique shops along my street. I finally paid Fishs Eddy a visit yesterday afternoon and couldn’t have been happier with the hour “wasted” there.

(I cannot tell you how many friends I thought of buying one of these for…)

And carrying on in this spirit I took my workout outside this morning.

3.2 miles done along the Hudson River.

10 minutes sitting on a park bench.

And this workout from the Tone It Up Girlies.

All while staring at the water, buildings, and frequently passing boats.

It’s certainly been putting things in perspective!

I’m off to a much-needed shower and then venturing out into the jungle (of the “concrete” variety!).

Have a wonderful Friday!

 

 

 

 

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!

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!