Attention all the ladies – no begging, borrowing or stealing these bags

I’m a bag girl. I love them; I buy them frequently; I owe a million; I have one in every color (because I habitually match my coat to shoes to earrings to bag). I just don’t like the expensive ones. My taste wanes much to quick and boredom sets in far to early for me to spend $200 plus on a purse.

My inexpensive bag dreams have come true.

Target recently launched their Hayden-Harnett for Target line. Ooh boy is it cute. Hayden-Harnett is a designer duo, hailing from Brooklyn New York. Their handbags, accessories and clothes have been featured in everything from Marie Claire, Shape, Lucky and In Style, to Oprah and New York magazine. I checked out the prices on their sites, and their bags average around $600.

But lil’ ole Target’s new Hayden-Harnett line is fan-TAS-tic and cheap! (About $50). Granted we’re talking real leather vs. man-made material, but they’re cute just the same. The bags have fantastic hardware detailing, and the best part – they don’t look like cheap knockoffs.

I asked for this black bag for my birthday; it arrived in the mail yesterday and I LOVE IT. My favorite part is the bright silky interior that just looks and feels expensive. Anywhoo, just thought I’d share it for all my fashionista loving ladies. Cheers!

Currently Feeling: A food hangover from my eight-course Chinese dinner last night.
Currently Anticipating: Getting the gossip tonight at happy hour with Kristen and Noah.
Currently Hating: My hair. I need a hair makeover.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

This Christmas I wasn’t necessarily as spoiled as last years gone past – chalk it up to the economy and my parents’ paying for my sister’s college. But it was one of the best Christmases I’ve had. I, myself, personally made a decision to purchase really good gifts for an elite group, and not every extended family member. The extendeds received homemade fudge and caramel corn, placed on metallic plates and tied with sparkly ribbon and an ornament. What transpired with my limited gift giving this year was the first Christmas that I’ve felt really into. Perhaps it’s because I wasn’t stressing out about not having money for millions of presents. I just enjoyed the season, the festivities and the traditions. I gave a few great gifts…

…and I received a few great gifts. Here are some of my favorites this year:

A hot pink Chi flat iron (to match my pink Chi blow dryer). Pink, pink and more pink! I can’t get enough! (And my boyfriend is secretly groaning inside). Seriously though, I’ve wanted one of these babies since my receptionist days at the J.C. Penney’s styling salon, and it came out as the new “IT” flat iron. And even more so when I had my hair straightened at a salon last spring. I felt like such a sexy bitch, I tried to do it myself for the first time with my $14.99 Revlon flat iron. FAIL. I looked like I had stood in the rain, gone to the beach, then baked my hair in the oven. See these two pics: they do not match. You might not be able to tell, but the right one is smooth and silky, the left, not so much. Anywho, I tried out my new flat iron this weekend, and it worked like a dream! Finally, at nearly 27, I might learn how to switch up my style a bit since in the past I’ve stuck to being a Curly Headed Woman.

Billabong “Timeless” Jacket, which the punchline for says “plaid is timeless!” I could probably argue with that one. But, Nordstrom did list a plaid jacket as one of their “must haves” for Fall, and I’ve been eying all the cute plaid jackets in stores since; I just haven’t found it very practical. So, leave it to my BF to gift me with a cute splurge. (He did a great job, didn’t he?) I wore it today with my grey calf-length boots. Not only is it WARM, but I think it’s a great replacement for that red Billabong jacket that has graced every pic I’m in for the last three months. I do love me some fur-lined hoods!

Tarte’s Limited Edition Vanity Palette from my fashionista lil’ sis. I am a make-up feign. I have a three-tiered storage drawer set in my room, labeled respectively “Face,” “Eyes” and “Lips.” You can guess what’s in each drawer. But, my collection is getting a little ridiculous. I already cleaned it out last spring, but it’s still overflowing. (Especially the bottom drawer, how many lip glosses can a girl really have? I’ve talked before about my unhealthy obsession with it.) I think I need to put a kibosh a little on makeup gifts and buying, but I just LOVE everything about expensive makeup – the packaging, the smell, the texture, the pigment. This palette is super wonderful. It’s jam-packed with everything you need, and look at these colors. Tell me those aren’t to. die. for!

Hot Pink Cherry Blossom Lights, which appeal to my love for all things pink, as mentioned above. The BF was ecstatic about his find here, “I got the last pink ones; they were the display set!” he exclaimed when I opened them. They are oh so pretty, and whimsical and match my bedroom perfectly, which is decorated in hot pink and orange. Something about Christmas lights just make everything look better…so now I’ll have pretty pink, flower lights year-round to light up my room.

A lifetime supply of AA batteries. (Okay, not really lifetime supply, but a really, really large pack of them!) Read this post, and you’ll understand why I received these…now all my remotes will have batteries once again. A girl’s gotta have priorities!

Stella’s Gift, came from not me, oh no, my BF. He really does know the path straight to my heart – through my cat. He bought her a hot pink feathered catnip bird, because I had mentioned that I thought she’d love a feathered toy when we were at a pet store. It’s just so dang thoughtful; it melts my heart. The only thing Stella cares about though is that she’s gettin’ her druuugs. Am I the only one who thinks it seems greatly wrong to get your cat stoned against its will and laugh at it?! Either way, she’s been enjoying getting high, and has carried it around in her mouth – taking it with her on the couch and my bed – not letting her stash out of her site. I guess every junkie needs a fix sometime.

And that wraps up the top gifts of 08… what were some of your favorite gifts this Christmas?!

Currently Feeling: Like Monday I’m going to want to kill myself for all this slacking.
Currently Anticipating: Dinner tonight with Bestie Amanda, and the rest of the week off!
Currently Needing: A majah diet and exercise overhaul plan for the new year.

Hanky Panky

A personal – and extremely important – mantra I’ve tried to follow through my life is: Never run out of underwear or socks.

Because I only do laundry about once a month, sometimes even longer, this has led to a ridiculous amount of socks and underwear. Except, I just keep buying and buying, never purging through the outdated or worn-out ones. Which, in turn, has just allowed me to go even longer without doing laundry. It’s a vicious cycle, I tell yah.

Because I mostly wear heels, my socks tend to be in fair-to-good condition. But, some time this year, I realized that I have some SKANKY underwear that are just. not. appropriate. What if I were to fall down a flight a stairs, land in a sticker bush, and they had to snip off my pants to free me? OR here’s an applicable one – what if I woke up, in a nightie and skanky underwear, to a room full of firemen who just busted my apartment door down?

No bueno. One must be prepared, at a moment’s notice, to flash a cute pair of undies.

So, I started an Underwear Overhaul mission–I buy 20 pairs, I throw 20 pairs away, in shifts, until my entire SKANKY underwear collection is replaced with Come And Get Me Tiger underwear.

Except, I failed my mission in a major way. First off, I started and never finished. Secondly, I started to feel so CLEANSED from my anti-SKANKY underwear mission that I just kept throwing away and throwing away. Because of this, I’m short of underwear during my lengthy periods of not doing laundry, and recently I’ve been on a majah underwear shortage.

I don’t even know who I am anymore.

This week, it’s got real bad. I failed to do laundry last weeked since lying on the couch, nursing my wine headache, seemed like a far better option. During the week I’m too lazy to do laundry after work, and even I were forced to in these desperate times, I don’t have quarters. So, for the first time in eight years, maybe NINE, I have to resort to my granny panties.*

And it’s been awful, just awful. All week, I’ve turned to the side on the escalator, scurried quickly ahead of someone in the hall and tugged on the back of my jacket, thinking that everyone behind me is staring at me because there’s a HUGE red neon sign on my back, blinking:

“PANTY LINES.”

“PANTY LINES.”

“PANTY LINES.”

I tell yah, I don’t know how women lived in the years before the thong was invented.

So tomorrow is payday, and I’m heading out to buy lots o’ new silky drawers. Cause that makes SO much more sense than doing laundry, natch.

*By granny, I don’t mean white or flowered. I just mean “full butt.” I am strictly a thong wearer. If you’ve seen my bubble butt in person, you understand why, in now way, am I interested in adding another layer of fabric under my pants. I stuck by my thong guns even when an ex kept begging and pleading for me to wear full butt underwear instead of thongs. Now THAT contradicted everything I was taught about boys up to age 18.

Currently Feeling: Like I’d rather just not face reality.
Currently Anticipating: The yearly pre-Turkey Day drunken festivities tomorrow.
Currently Loving: eRewards. I’ve earned $16 that I can redeem in Borders Bucks by just filling out the occasional, annoying survey!

My glitter-loving self grows up

Yesterday I decided to drag my lazy wine-headached butt out of bed and head to The Glitter Sale with my roommate.

Since both of us live car-less in the city, it took us nearly an hour to bus to The Goodwill in South Seattle. We arrived to a line, snaking around the building. A middle-aged lady with worn Reeboks, tomato lipstick, and a diamond crown and earrings soon came walking down the line with a box of Krispie Kremes for those of us who were waiting. “Woo! You’re at the Glitter Sale!” she shouted down the line. “It won’t be long now ladies! Almost there! Want a donut?”

I stopped her and asked just how long, “it won’t be that long now” is.

Approximately an hour and a half wait.

I don’t know how I made it through it—my feet and back felt achy, and I had a headache and a hang over, but I was bound. and. determined. to see this Glitter Sale that I’d heard so much about (and read that women from out of state actually fly in for).

Here’s the problem. When someone mentioned the Glitter Sale as a once-a-year event that The Goodwill puts out their “name brand” stuff, they forgot to tell me that “name brand” stuff really meant name brands from the 80s and that Glitter Sale really meant GLITTER literally, not figuratively.

It was one freakin’ glitter puke all over every item in that room.

Even though I dug through racks of heavy glitter tops with shoulder pads, racks and racks of prom dresses and bins of junk that every other one had an owner who’d bombard me with, “THAT’S MINE,” and shoved my way through the throngs of older women in spandex, bathing suits or see-through tights because there aren’t any dressing rooms—I didn’t find really anything of worth to talk about.

I guess I can come to grips with the fact that I don’t love glitter and sparkle as much as I used to.

All the shows were metallics

All the clothes had glitter or sparkle

All the ladies were wearing spandex (do you love my Paparazzi shot)

Currently Feeling: Crazy that it’s been about a year now with my and Baby Daddy. Where has the time gone?!
Currently Anticipating: A little housework, errands and TV today to wind down my weekend.
Currently Loving: The bright pretty flowers the BF gave me.

All that GLITTERS!

My coworker alerted me to this fabulous event that takes place in Seattle once a year–the Goodwill Glitter Sale. Apparently, every time The Goodwill receives designer shoes or clothes, they put it aside (not out on the floor) and save everything all year long, until the annual Glitter Sale. Women fly in from all over the nation, and lines are around the block for the designer duds and dollar prices. Woo hoo! I’m planning on going, want to join me?

The one-week countdown begins.

Currently Feeling: Glad that I helped Mike out with tearing out his bathroom. It’s a start!
Currently Anticipating: My work party tonight with all I can drink wine and all I can eat hors d’ouvres.
Currently Loving: French onion dip.

Picturesque glimmers of my weekend

At work on Friday, we had a celebration lunch scheduled after our four-hour marketing meeting. We arrived at Purple Wine Bar & Café on 4th Avenue (one of my all-time favorite places) at 1:30 and our Global VP of Marketing announced, “Cancel all your meetings – we’re not going back to work.” We then proceeded to order appetizers, lunch, dessert, wine, wine and more wine until the boyfriend finally picked me up at 5:30. Boy was I BUZ-ZED. Purple Café has “wine flights,” which is four glasses of wine pairings that are brought to you in a cool little wine rack with a card that explains each wine. I feel in love with Gunn Estate Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and drank about 14 glasses—a perfect start to the weekend.

After sobering up from my all-day lunch, the two of us met up with Adam and Kate to attend a Halloween party at The Baltic Room—all you can drink for the small fee of $25. I have never attended a Halloween party at a bar before, and the array of costumes was completely awesome. My favorite was a female Waldo—jean skirt, red and white striped tank, red scarf and beanie and thick black-rimmed, round glasses. I’m totally stealing it. An hour or so into the festivities, the boyfriend looked at me and asked, “Do you feel weird around all these Asians?” (There were a lot of Asian people at the bar). “What the hec are you talking about? Why would I feel weird around Asian people?” “Because you’re dressed as a Geisha?” Hmmm. Never thought of it that way. Is being a Geisha totally un-P.C.?! I had no idea.

Saturday, we went to Discovery Park with a picnic lunch, and afterward grabbed ice cream at Cold Stone. (Is there anything better than their Sinless Sweet Cream!?) The boyfriend went his direction (boy’s night out), and I decided to have my own sexy and exciting Saturday night—I stayed in, rearranging my closet. I bought these fantastic closet saving hangers, since my closet is the size of Anne Frank’s hideaway with enough clothing to dress the entire Third Reich. Looks like I’ll need about 80 more of the hangers to complete the transformation, but at least it’s a start.

Sunday I went over to my parent’s house, so my mom could finish my Halloween costume. My little sister was in town from WSU, so we took a sisterly shopping trip to Alderwood where I bought the most perfect scarf in black, brown, cream and green—it should literally go with everything. Next to skinny jeans with boots, printed scarves are my new favorite fad. I think I’ll buy one in every color.

I also encountered some sort of insane new fad—the Butt Booster! I couldn’t believe it; stores are actually selling underwear shorts with butt padding in them. I certainly don’t need them, here’s an image if you don’t know why, but for all you butt-deprived girls out there, you can find the Butt Booster at Love Culture. Hurry before they sell out. (Weird).

I wrapped up my weekend with some girl time at Amanda’s and Vanessa’s where we discussed next weekend’s Halloween plans, watched Amazing Race and Desperate Housewives (my favorite TV night!), and ate popcorn and Vanessa’s homemade chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting.

MMMMM.

All in all, a successful weekend!

Currently Feeling: Violated and annoyed. People should mind their own business.
Currently Anticipating: Haunted tours and houses! New scary movies! Halloween parties! Pumpkin carving! This week is my favorite week of the ENTIRE year!
Currently Loving: My new Volcom fuzzy, insulated turquoise gloves!

What can I say, I’m a bit of a girly girl

Lots and lots of fall-time events this past weekend.

I went to a pumpkin patch with the boyfriend, the new roomie and friends on Sunday.

My friend’s older sister expressed her concern to my friend before I showed up, “Does 20-Something know how to, you know, dress for the pumpkin patch? Will she know to wear tennis shoes?” Apparently because I’m almost always dressed up and in heels when my friend’s sister sees me, she thinks I’m one of those dumb girls who would wear heels to a pumpkin patch. Well, I never.

Friend and I had a good laugh about this.

The funny part is, I was without a car and stayed at the boyfriend’s house on the Eastside all weekend. I left my house Saturday morning, without any clothes, change of underwear, make-up and hair product—a dumb move I cursed all weekend. So, I actually did go to the pumpkin patch on Sunday—not by choice or plan—in wedge heels.

I guess I am one of those girls who shows up at a pumpkin patch in heels. How embarrassing.

After the pumpkin patch, I spent hours with my mom at the fabric store, selecting a pattern and fabric for my Halloween costume. (Aren’t you just dying to know what it is – don’t get too excited, it’s not that great. I fear that I out-did myself forever with my costume last year.) We waited in line with about 30 other mothers and their broods of loud, crying children. Half of them were talking to a mystery person on their Blue-Tooth-enabled headset. Perhaps the sixth child, waiting behind a Swinger sewing machine for bolts of fabric to be brought back home, their fingers bandaged and bleeding? Who knows. I overheard a comment from someone working at the store that more people seem to be making their Halloween costume this year. I could chalk it up to the economic crisis, since everything seems to be linked to that these days. But, that theory was blown right out of the water when I rang up the list of items I needed to make my costume–$30 worth of red fringe later (plus all the fabric, zippers, etc.), and I spent just as much as a store-bought costume. No wonder they don’t give those things away.

At least with my red-fringed mystery costume, I won’t be ridiculed for wearing heels in public.

Pickin’ my way through the pumpkin fields in heels

Currently Feeling: Really sick of pulling myself out of bed in the dark.
Currently Anticipating: Picking up the last costume needs tonight at Redlight on Broadway.
Currently Loving: How fantastic our fall weather has been thus far.

Curly Like Jessie Spano*

I am a curly headed woman.

I know, I know. You all have to peel yourselves off the floor in shock from reading that line.

BUT, as a curly headed woman, I’ve spent years, probably 1,000s of dollars and countless hours using, purchasing, researching and gathering recommendations for THE PERFECT CURL hair product. I’d like to think that I’m somewhat of an expert. In fact, the commission I made on hair product sales while working as a receptionist at a salon during college supported my college drinking habit.

So, it really just frosts my cookies when I see really great curl potential walking around in light-socket, mad-scientist frizz. Come on people – put some product on that head of hair of yours!!

That’s my thought of the day.

*Jessie Spano

Currently Feeling: Like a fatty.
Currently Anticipating: “Dexter,” wine and boyfriend on the new couch tonight.
Currently Wishing: I was going to the Goldfrapp concert tonight at the Showbox. No money, there’s never any money!

Holy cheap makeup, Batgirls!

Remember when I introduced you, all my lovely lady friends, to that ridiculously cheap and addictive shoe Web site nearly two years ago? Well, I have another little tip for you, if you haven’t dipped into it already.

I received an email two weeks ago from a friend, which said Nordstrom’s was changing the packaging of their E.L.F. makeup brand (Eyes, Lips, Face) and therefore selling everything for $1. Upon further research, apparently this email is a scam, and E.L.F. is no way affiliated with Nordstrom. BUT, it’s not a total scam–E.L.F. says they weren’t involved in this email rumor, but they do in fact sell nearly everything for $1, claiming that the makeup industry is overpriced. They’ve been recommended by Oprah and a number of fashion magazines.

So, I scowered their Web site and ordered away. They have everything from lotions and shower gel, to makeup, brushes, tweezers, eyelash curlers, nail polish and more.

Today, I received my shipment, and I have nearly only positive things to say. It is an inexpensive product, but I wouldn’t say that it’s any worse than Maybelline or some other drugstore makeup brands, and you really can’t beat the price. There are certain things I’d jump on, and certain things to pass up.

Out of nearly 30 items, only about three came back in the color I wasn’t expecting. It is a little tough to tell exactly what you’re going to get with online pictures. Their Luscious Liquid Lipstick has a great consistency and flavor (not sticky), and their mineral eye shadows and face makeup are FANTASTIC at only $3 a piece. (Mineral makeup is the latest crazy and usually pretty expensive, so this really is a steal. I’d specifically recommend the Celebrity and Wild mineral eye shadows.) I’d probably pass on ordering their mascara again; I’ve yet to try the nail polish for quality, but dig the bronzer (super shimmery!) and especially their Elements customizable makeup palettes. (Great for throwing in your bag when spending the night over at a guy’s house.)

All-in-all I say check them out. What’s $1 these days anyway?

TIP: If you enter CAROLINA at check-out, you get $7.95 off an order over $15! That’s half off! And, if you spend more than $20, you get a free subscription to Vogue.

Happy shopping, gals!

Currently Feeling: Cute in my favorite summer work dress.
Currently Anticipating: Picking up my new couch tonight.
Currently Wishing: I could transport myself to San Fran tomorrow.

A Simply Genius Dress

Every day on my lunch hour, I walk past American Apparel on my way to the gym. The store has never really interested me much since it’s a bunch of plain t-shirts, sweatshirts, etc. Not really my thing. But, for some reason I stopped in a couple weeks ago, and found the most genius clothing item ever–I had to purchase it.

It’s their new Le Sac dress. It’s really rather simple–a long, plain cotton dress with a very long ribbon through the neck. But it’s totally awesome. The dress can be tied and worn in numerously different ways–as a halter, strapless, shortened as a top, Grecian style, with a belt, etc. You can even buy new ties and swap them out to update the dress. Here are some of the examples:

There’s even step-by-step guides to tying it on the Web:

Anyhoo, I’m pretty much in love with it. So much that I bought TWO–a red one with a dark denim ribbon and a bright pink one with a hot pink ribbon. Now the weather has to just get nice again so I can get some freakin’ use out of them before fall…

Currently Feeling: Needing coffee cup number two.
Currently Anticipating: Hmm. Not sure. Plans for the weekend are rocky.
Currently Loving: Goldfrapp. I want to go to her concert September 17th!