A Sale for the Ages

Saturday morning I met my mother for the most wonderful local shopping event a girl could ask for!

This did not take place on February 12th!

I love this sale! Repeat, LOVE! It only comes but twice a year.  All the local shopping boutiques in town that choose to participate mark their lovely merchandise down to AT LEAST 50% off and bring it to one convenient location, our Oleika Shriner's Temple.  It's almost a tradition with my mother and I.  Our routine is flawless (at least we'd like to think so) and can take on the crazy crowd of ladies.  Trying on clothes at this event however is uncomfortable for newcomers.  You basically are in one big room and have to undress in front of everyone!  My first visit I was scared and unsure, but now I just don't care!  I wear a tank with a built in bra and underwear that is comfy, but also doesn't expose my entire behind!  I've seen 80 year old ladies in the "fitting room" so we are all very hardcore in scoring designer clothing at a great price. 

Link here

I was able to score some lovely things from Bella Rose.  A shop that has been in Lexington for over 30 years and carries wonderful labels (including two of my favs, Milly & Tibi).  The best deal I got by far was from here and it was a beautiful gray dress originally $130, I snagged for $36!  I also picked up some beautiful designer $10 scarves.  Gotta love it!

Link here.

Another great store was present, Worlds Apart.  I scored a beautiful sweater here.  Their selection at this sale is my first place to hit up.

Lily Pulitzer c/o The Peppermint Palm

The past two years I have had wonderful luck in the shoe department from the retailer, The Peppermint Palm.  I was able to nab these Little Knotty Wedges from Lily Pulitzer at 60% off! So cute and can't wait to wear them this spring/summer.

This event will not come again until after the summer.  If anyone wants to join me to get the insider training and low down just let me know.  As I am shopping this event, I can hear ladies all around me saying, "Gosh, this is crazy!", "I am overwhelmed!", "I've never seen anything like this!".  Those people are not prepared like the regulars!  HaHa! It is so much fun and is quite an experience for any Lexingtonian.
XO
Carey

Too late to change my major to Anthropology?

I've still got the shopping fever and so I thought I would share more items I am looking at.  On of my favorite retail stores of the moment is Anthropologie.  The stores atmosphere is lovely and almost everything in the store is just beautiful and intricately detailed.  For Christmas I just asked for gift cards to this store.  And Santa delivered! So I cannot wait to go on a shopping spree and actually shop at Anthropologie (meaning, buy more than one thing, and buy something not from the sale rack for once!).  We unfortunately do not have one in my town, but I am very familiar ordering from them online or just taking the time to go up to Cincinnati and visit.  Here are some items that I have my eye on:

Link here

One of my favorite time periods is actually the 30s/40s.  I love the style of clothes, hair and history of the world during that time.  This tuxedo jacket reminds me of that time and I think it's divine.

Link here.

paired with these beauties.

I love this sweet polka dot dress paired with these delightful coral flats.  Just lovely.  However I am not sure if i could pull off this dress for I have hips, major hips.  I don't think this dress would accent them well, but I still love this look!

Link here.

I love this romper! This reminds me of the 30s so much! I have to have it, I must have it, by gosh I think I might just get it!  I would like to try this on.  Like I've said before I am busty and hippy so I could look dreadful.  But, I think this is classic, elegant and detailed to the point of not overdoing it. 

xo

C

Hot Rolls

My first memories of hot hair rollers were from childhood on picture day.  My mom would put my hair in the plastic and piping hot rollers, held in place with what I thought was a ginormous paper clip.  After they had cooled off, she would take them out and tell me to flip my head upside down to release the curls and add volume, then hairspray.  It was very cute and I liked being made-up, especially for important days such as weddings, school picture days,etc.  

I have never actually owned a set of hot rollers, for whatever reason, and for the past few years I wanted a set and never actually bought them.  What set do I get? Which one will achieve the look I want?  What look do I want to achieve!?! So many questions.  To achieve the waves that are everywhere right now, I would either use a curling iron and curl every strand (and with my thick sometimes long hair) this can take an eternity.  Or use a clever non-heat method, such as sleeping in a sock bun.  A working girl that has to be at the office at 8 a.m. needs ways to save precious time in the morning.  So, I thought hot rollers would be a great way to get curls/waves all over and save me a ton of time. 

I bit the bullet this past weekend, and after years of wanting to buy some, I did!  I watched some YouTube reviews of women that had tried two different sets to see what they like and what styles they achieved, this helped a lot.  I recommend to check out YouTube videos of makeup reviews, hair product reviews and styling tips.  It helps to see the products in action and to get an opinion.  The state of my hair currently is: just below my shoulders, growing out my Zooey Deschanel blunt bangs (which means they will be pinned back in some form for the next two months!).  I was worried that large rollers in the 1.5" to 2" range would be too large and my hair wouldn't curl, I was afraid that it would just curl under and look like I round brushed it.  I can get a set with large 2" rollers once my hair gets to a long length.  For now, for my length, and style I want I decided a medium roller of 1.25" would be adequate.  So with this worry in mind, and after YouTube watching I landed on:

Remington's T Studio, Set of 20 (12 - 1.25", 8-0.75")

The set runs around $35, and with a 4-year warranty.  The curler's are heated horizontally as opposed to the traditional vertical coil and each roller comes with it's own clip to hold in place, which warm up with the rollers as well.  Some reviews complained about the clips leaving marks on the hair.  The clips leave marks on my hair, but I want loose curls and I only wear the rollers for about 2.5 minutes and the marks quickly leave as I work through my curls.  The rollers are velvet covered which help hold the hair and not burn my fingers.  I like this set and I am happy with my purchase, so happy I rolled my hair Saturday, Sunday and Monday! It takes so little time that I just love it!  The rollers also only take 90 seconds to heat up.  Here are a couple of pics of how it turned out.

So that's my UN-sponsored product review for today. Haha! I just wanted to share what I thought and what look I achieved and it only took 5 minutes, which is wonderful for a busy professional!

Spring A'Peel with Banana

Well, it's official.  After buying 5 gallons of Amazing Gray paint in September we officially started to paint inside our home! Don't ask what has taken so long, I cannot even answer.  Yesterday for a couple of hours we began to just paint the edges so later we can strictly focus on rolling the large portions of wall space.  However as my father-in-law (who so graciously volunteered his time) and hubby were painting I was thinking to myself how blue-gray the paint was looking.  But then, I thought, well maybe because it isn't dry all the way yet. 

He doesn't even need tape!

Now after looking at it this morning, it is definitely not the color that we had picked out.  Since I am an interior designer I selected a color from my Sherwin Williams paint deck and took it into Lowe's.  They said they can match the color and so we got a such a great deal on paint during their Labor Day special we went ahead and bought our paint and supplies.  I'm hoping its the fact that my hubby and his dad didn't stir the paint prior, but we'll see.  I might paint a portion of wall tonight after stirring the paint to see if that's the case.  If that's not the issue I might have to go back to Lowe's to see if re-mixing/coloring is possible! Oh well, nothing worth doing is easy right?

But on to more enjoyable desires, like shopping!  I have a need, no a hunger, wait....a desire to go shopping!  As a newlywed we are on pretty tight budgets and shopping sure doesn't happen like it used to.  I remember my single days (and I do love my husband sooo much!) when I would just go shopping and by amazing clothes/shoes/jewelry for the hell of it. One of my favorite stores is Banana Republic.  I love their quality, classic style, and the fact that we have one in Lexington.  Another great thing that I love about shopping at Banana is that most pieces work great going from the office then out at night, and that flexibility is wonderful to me.  I also get great discounts being a cardholder, which is fantastic since every little bit helps.

Link here.

Link here.

Link here.

This trench with beautiful pink blouse and polka dot skirt would look amazing at Keeneland spring meet this year.  Look back at October for more on Keeneland here in Lexington, KY.  

I guess my style is mostly class and preppy, however I do like to have fun with several trendy pieces.  One rule I like to shop by is to purchase statement pieces.  A piece that reflects my style, the times and something that most people don't have (so in that case I have to shop at stores not located in my town or specialty local boutiques).  Happy MLK and Monday everyone!

Home-made Holiday

Feeling a little more crafty than usual this holiday season when it comes to your gift-giving?  Like I said in yesterday's post, it focused on more of the store-bought items.  These below take a little more time, but a great result in the end when you see the person's face when they receive that home-made gift.

Check out this link here to make these yummy hot chocolate truffles.  I think these are great for that person that loves to stay in when it's cold and snuggle up next to the fire.  The truffles can be frozen until you're ready to enjoy them.  Just place in a mug with milk and heat away!  For gifting you can place several truffles in a cute Christmas mug, wrap in clear plastic and tie with a ribbon.  

Gift Basket.  But how is this home-made you say?  With all the thought into compiling a person's favorite things, shared memories or common items that they've been wanting, it's a great way to show someone that you care and love 'em. This website has so many wonderful gift giving ideas along with free printables, see link here.  If you have a friend who loves movies, create a movie night basket: popcorn cups, candy, DVD, theater gift card, popcorn, blanket or whatever else you want to add!  

How sweet is this?  If you like to give custom scrapbooks, why not make one with a twist? 

Dabney Lee makes these super cute and trendy phone cases.  This is an awesome customizable gift, a little on the pricey side but my goodness aren't these gorgeous iPhone cases?  They are also available on some blackberries.

This was a great idea I found at Clover Lane Blog.  A custom cookbook that hold your family's favorite recipes and favorite photos.  Kind of a recipe scrapbook.  This project you might have to give someone next Christmas, in order to compile your favorite recipes and photos, but I thought this was a wonderful idea.  Make one for your family, but I think grandparents would enjoy it as well!  We have a few cookbooks from local churches and organizations, but this cookbook is all about you and what your family loves to eat! I hope to do this one day and can pass this on to my children.

Today is my last work day of the week, hooray!  Tomorrow I'll be preparing the house for the holidays and maybe helping my dad clean out the basement storage that is full of stuff from high school/college/childhood!  I hope everyone has a fabulous Turkey Day!

For the Woman who has Everything

I hope your weekend was a great one!  Our Interior Design Thanksgiving went off without a hitch and we were up until 1:30 laughing and talking! It was wonderful.  Now I'm preparing for Thanksgiving coming up with our families and the official start to the holiday shopping season.  I've talked about some stocking ideas for the men in our lives, now I'm going to switch gears.

We all have one in our lives, the hard to shop for lady.  She has everything, and if she doesn't have it, she'll just go out and get it tomorrow.  Whether it's our mother, sister, best friend or co-worker......it's just plain hard to find the perfect gift for these people sometimes.  We exhaust all thought, energy and time into trying to get something we think they would want/use/need/love! 

My goal is to hopefully help out a clueless shopper to come up with a Christmas dilemma when it comes to shopping for the gal that has everything! 

Birchbox

I have talked about Birchbox in earlier posts and this is a great gift idea for the make-up lover in your life.  A box of 4 to 5 mini samples are delivered right to there door for as many months as you give.  This gift runs about $10/month, purchased in 3 month increments.  So this gift will be at least $30, keep in mind.  But it's a gift that will keep surprising them.  Ask about products that they tried out and fell in love with to put in your back pocket for her next birthday or something.  It's a pretty unique gift idea that no one else has gotten her.  When you present the gift you could include some samples (which you can easily get at make-up counters or Sephora) so that way she has something to open.

Capri Candles from Anthropologie

For the scent-obsessed gal pal in your life, these candles from Anthropologie are wonderful!  These Capri candles are also available for local Lexingtonians at House (located on Delaware Avenue) and Joseph Beth Booksellers (located at Lexington Green).  I find there scents much more mature and beautiful than other candles.  When you walk into a space with these burning, you can't pinpoint what that luxurious scent is, but you know you love it!  These are my favorite candles and are hard to find compared to Yankee or something comparable.  Also, these scents are much more mysterious and spell-binding than Cucumber Melon!

Mag Rack

I think a magazine subscription is a great gift, for the right person.  Last Christmas I got the hubby a subscription to Bourbon Review and he loves getting that magazine every quarter.  If you have a fashionista friend, perhaps Vogue or Vanity Fair.  The workout-aholic might enjoy Women's Health (which I love!) or Fitness.  The curious traveler would like National Geographic, while the dining connoisseur would love Food & Wine Magazine.  Interior Designers like myself enjoy Hotel Design magazine and Interior Design magazine.  Entertainment hogs can catch up on gossip through People and InTouch, while reading movie reviews in Entertainment Weekly.  Subscriptions are actually moderately inexpensive depending on the magazine and the number of issues.  To show them the subscription, wrap the latest issue in a gift wrapped box and place the subscription order in a card.

The cutest porcelain dish from Anthropologie

Does this person have tons of great entertaining dishes/napkins/glasses?  Or do they love fresh produce and visiting local markets?  I found this at Anthropologie and thought how stinking cute is this dish!  It resembles berry crates from the farmer's market, except this will last forever!  It is dishwasher safe, awesome, and comes in white or blue.  Too cute.

from J. Crew

Infinity Scarves are very trendy right now and if you find a great basic pattern or color, they can integrate into anyone's wardrobe.  I just really really want one and I think my mindset is, "if I blog about it, it will come."  Haha!  But seriously, these are great for the trendy girl in your life.

Drink up! via Pinterest.

Coffee-Lovers Unite!  This is a cute way to give someone a Starbucks gift card.  Ask the barista for an empty cup, top and straw.  Stuff with brown and white tissue paper to resemble a frappucino and place gift card inside.  Place gift tag to the top and you're set!  Gotta love the creativity! Thank you Pinterest!

I hope this sparked some imagination when it comes to the hard to shop for lady.  This post is talking about store-bought/ordered items, I hope to do another gift post to talk about custom/handmade/diy gifts too, stay tuned! 

Stocking Stuffers for the Dudes

So when it comes to filling up those Christmas socks of joyful surprises for the husband I always challenge myself to top the year before.  Trying to remember any little thing he has said in the past about items he enjoys using or would like to try.  That way when he sticks his hand in the stocking, he will be pulling out thoughtful and useful gifts!  And I'm sure he puts the same amount of thoughtfulness and time as I do (yeah right).  

Man + Stocking = Mocking

I thought I would share some ideas to help spark some stocking stuffer inspiration when it comes to shopping for the man in your life.

Whiskey Stones

For the whiskey bourbon drinker in your life.  These handy stones are made in Vermont and allow the bourbon to be enjoyed minus the watered down effect from melting ice cubes.  These are for true consumer's that do not want their whiskey tainted with water.  Just place these bad boys in the freezer for 4 hours before using and place in glass, pouring whiskey over.   Follow up with cigar and discussion of manly ideals and politics.  Us little ladies must stay in the kitchen. 

Mini Bottle of Woodford Reserve

To go along with his new stones, a mini-bar bottle of his favorite booze perhaps.  My hubby loves Woodford and Knob Creek.

Burt's Bees Men's Kit

My husband loves Burt's Bees Natural Aftershave.  Problem is, we cannot find it ANYWHERE!  So I'm going to order online to put in his stocking (from Amazon or Macy's).  While looking for the aftershave I came across this great kit that includes body wash, soap, shave cream, cologne and aftershave.  Great for traveling or everyday use.  These natural products are great for sensitive skin too.

BR's Black Walnut Cologne

Small versions of their favorite colognes are great for stockings.  When my husband travels he reaches for the small cologne bottles to put in his shave kit bag.  He also likes to keep one in our "catch-all" by the door so he can dab on some smell good on his way out the door.  I also like to add some samples of new scents for him to try throughout the year.  That way if there are any you both particularly like this gives new ideas for birthday presents and future Christmas gifts.

The building blocks of life.

My husband is a lot like a kid still, we don't have any of our yet so I'll buy the fun toys for him for now.  I like to put little toys that take him back to his childhood.  Like a Ninja Turtle action figure, hot wheels car or our favorite Lego's! Lego's makes small kits to build cars, airplanes, etc. that come in small bags or boxes and these are great for stockings.

iPhone Case from J. Crew

Or how about a super new and cool AND manly iPhone case.  

From soufflebombay.blogspot.com

Candy is a big hit at our house when it comes to stockings!  My husband's absolute favorite is chocolate and peanut butter (Reese cups are his passion) in any combination.  I'm thinking about making home-made chocolate and peanut butter bars to put in his stocking as a little personal touch.  I truly believe the way to a man's heart is through is stomach, although don't let that stomach get too big.  haha!  But I think if you make their favorite candy, they'll love it so much more than if it were store bought.  The trick is to make it without you eating every morsel or having him find it!

There are also great "go-to's" that I keep in my back pocket every year, such as: iTunes gift cards, chewing gum, trouser socks and chapstick.  But it's those presents that show you listen and know what he likes and what he loves that make the stocking.  Happy Holiday Shopping!  I'll post more on gift giving ideas soon!

Mis-Mantled

I love fireplaces and mantles in homes.  They create wonderful areas of warmth and focus for the home.  It's fun to decorate for many seasons and occasions. I am lucky enough to have a mantle in my own home, but I am not satisfied with how I have decorated it.  Our ceilings are 14', so I feel everything looks teeny on my mantle with all that height up above.  What is a poor little interior designer to do???

My goal is to find something large in scale that would work, but there in lies another struggle: mirror vs. store bought art vs. I paint vs. photography, etc.  Another problem, I would like the mantle display to be adaptable for seasons and holidays, like a place to hang a wreath/garland.  I also do not want to spend a lot of money in my attempts at decorating this important focal point of my living room (and also kitchen).  So, I looked to Pinterest for help.  Here are some of my pins that sparked some ideas!

Lots of photos.

Good mix of tradition and rustic.

Piece of art to center inspiration.

Large mirror resembles window pane.

Mixes of texture and media.

I like everything about this.

Like the round mirror w/ letter.

Large framed photo w/ greenery.

I like both the idea of having a large mirror with smaller photos, plants and candles surrounding.  But I also love the idea of using the mantle to make an artistic statement, but I just can't find a piece that the husband and I both can agree on.  I'll need to definitely think further on this.  And also this past weekend the husband and I thought of placing the television above the mantle to give us some more breathing room where we sit.  Decisions, decisions.  I'm keeping my eyes open though for any piece or beautiful mirror that just seems like "the one".  It sure is fun to look at decorating ideas on Pinterest, helps any cases of the Mondays!

Samplicity

Whenever I come across something like this I'm like, "Why didn't I think of this!?!"  Birchbox is a Monthly Sample of designer beauty products that come directly to you!  I am thinking of joining and also getting my mother a membership as a Christmas gift.  Let's face it, my mother goes crazy for samples at Sak's or Nordstroms!  So here's the deal: 4 to 5 handpicked products from Nars, Redken, Carol's Daughter, Keihl's and more will come to you in a Birchbox each month for $10/month.  The more months you commit to, the price will go down and shipping is free.  If you love to try new products and love free beauty products, you should definitely give it a whirl.  Or maybe give it a whirl to someone else as a creative and unique gift this holiday season!

Also, if you fell in love with one of your samples and need more.....Birchbox sells their samples in full size and you get free shipping for $50 or more of full size products.

Xmas Sounds

I know it is WAY TOO early to be even talking about Christmas.  However, every store and advertiser doesn't seem to think so.  As soon as Halloween is over, the holiday commercialism train is turned up to 10 and we haven't even carved a turkey yet.  Oh well. I suppose complaining about it isn't going to help.  Let's either embrace it or ignore it and move on. Haha! 

I'm not going to be putting up my tree until the weekend before Thanksgiving (which my husband still thinks is too early). But I think this way I can really enjoy my tree longer.  And as soon as I return home with a belly full of Thanksgiving goodness I can gaze on my tree and think of the upcoming holiday season! So, I thought I would talk about my favorite tunes (which is one of my favorite parts of the season!) so everybody has plenty of time to track them down in order to be prepared.  Now these are albums that I love to listen from start to finish.  There are other songs that I love, but they either do not come from an entire Christmas album or I don't like the rest of the songs, hehe.  So here are just some of my holiday album staples...

Amy Grant - Home for Christmas

I grew up listening to Amy Grant in the 90s.  This album was constantly playing (mixed with my mother's Mainheim Steamroller, Celtic Christmas Tunes, etc.) throughout the house and especially Christmas Day.  This CD actually holds a place in my husband's holiday heart, his family listened to this as well.  So it floods our minds with memories and comforts us when opening gifts in front of the tree.  

Maybe This Christmas Tree - Various Artists

This album consists of Death Cab for Cutie, The Ravonettes, Jars of Clay and more.  It was released when I was in college and I loved it.  It sounded so different than the music playing throughout the house.  It was modern and fun.  I enjoy it a lot at holiday parties.

NSYNC - Home for Christmas

This CD I have been listening to since I was 15!  This was one of the first holiday albums I ever bought.  So there is a mix of nostalgia and childhood that comes back when I listen to it.  It is a great pop album and if you have a sweet tooth you might get a toothache due to the sweetness! 

Jack Johnson & The Brushfire Family - This Warm December

This compiles some of my favorite artists all on one album.  And 25% of the album's proceeds went to charity, talk about Christmas Spirit!  It has Jack Johnson, Mason Jennings and Matt Costa just to name a few.  It is a great album all the way through and is a nice modern twist to some old classics.

Mariah Carey - Merry Christmas

You can't talk about Christmas music and not mention the great diva Mariah!  This is a great album and I can listen to "All I Want For Christmas Is You" over and over and over!

A Winter's Night - Various Artists

Another great compilation album with Sarah McLachlan, Barenaked Ladies and Sixpence None the Richer (just to name a few). 

She & Him - A Very She & Him Christmas

I have talked about some oldies and some newbies for holiday tunes.  This album is very new! Just released at the end of October.  My favorite group She & Him (which consists of M.Ward and Zooey Deschanel) have come out with a Christmas Album!  My husband bought it for me on iTunes this morning and I am so excited!

And farther along into the season I'm going to talk about my favorite songs/versions! yay holiday music! Start downloading people and get your playlists ready! Have a great weekend!