October's Advice?

Well, I canceled yoga (and feel a little guilty). I also had a "crappy" day at work (nothing necessarily went wrong, I just wasn't feeling great)...I was happy mail arrived with a magazine.

My October 2009 Glamour came in the mail today (I only got it, because NYC Recessionista blogged about their anniversary promotion that gets me the magazine for pennies!) and offered some interesting advice regarding "recessionista" efforts. One article discussed determining whether or not, especially in this economy, we should "splurge" on items...

 

So, the test is "calculating" the cost per wear of an item, which is what I did for my favorite items below:

Cost Per Wear by uclabelle featuring J Crew

The verdict:

My beloved Louis Vuitton Trevi? If I carried it about 3 times a week, for 5 years, it would cost me about $3 a day...

The trendy J.Crew Trench (in British khaki or black)? If I wore it 15 days out of the year, for 3 years, it would cost me about $6.60 a wear.

A classic cashmere argyle from J.Crew I am loving? If I wore it 2 times a week, during winter (say, 4 months) is.........$3.70 a wear (a little bit, I think I def. will wait for it to go on sale).

Clearly some items are better expenditures than others. Like the Cartier tank that last forever!

Cartier tank retail is about $4K. I wear it (will) everyday. 365 days a year. If I were to just keep it for 5 years, it becomes about $2 a day to wear a classic! Not bad!

p.s. if the math is wrong, I blame the drink I just had ;)

"A Sunday well-spent brings a week of content"-Proverb

As I woke up this morning, I went through my typical "blues". My mother says this is a depression-like symptom many suffer. I mean, the weekend is nearing the end, and the dreaded Monday is about to begin. With my sometimes boring 8-5, it is hard to get "excited" for the coming week.

My caring mother suggested "reading a book" to relax and enjoying the afternoon. I should, as I have about three books half-finished in my living room :( however instead I did the following:

1) Shop (I know, I need to stop, but I couldn't help it!---notice the photo below of my recent finds? is there a trend?!)
2) Tan (despite the warnings, I went for the actual booth and not the spray tan---the vitamin D was good for my mood though)
3) Clean (and Mike ORGANIZED our walk-in closet so I can actually SEE my stuff!)
4) Dinner and delicious Ice Cream with our couple friends (have any of you been to Powells Sweet Shop? Hundreds of thousands of vintage candies---and unique finds---I bought my Dad some Harry Potter goodies including the Jelly Beans from the movie, and a chocolate frog!)
5) Spent the later evening searching online for handbags (my mom and dad think I need 1 nice one to add to my collection of J.Crew bags---anyone guess which one I steered them towards? oh, this may be a fantastic Christmas)
6) HBO-fest (Entourage, Hung and then True Blood)---thank god for HBO!

Hopefully the proverb above is correct? This week should be good (I have my 1st private yoga lesson tomorrow evening, and officially moving offices on Thursday and Friday!). Plus, I get to break-in the classic Cartier tank I now own :)

A Productive Saturday

Today consisted of sleeping in (8:30AM)...which started it off fantastic. After my dear Mike cleaned our condo, my girlfriend and I went out for pedi and lunch. We almost NEVER get manis BUT today we felt like we should...and what a huge mistake that was. Ever had one of those horrible jobs that make you run home and remove the nail polish? That is what had (hence our sad faces below!).

After leaving my friend, Mike and I ran to South Coast Plaza to make some returns. We bought a stamp modeled after Teddi's (I received a gift a while back, and loved her stamp ever since). I love Papyrus! It has our initials and addy. Fantastic! I cannot wait the 10 days to get it...then I am sending everyone some snail mail.

 

I finished the shopping trip at the Champagne Bakery for a danish and Perrier and saluted the evening with a bbq at my parents.

Time for Quick Style?!

I think it is time to show off my new find ;) What better way to jazz up a conservative/preppy wardrobe than a timeless watch worn by the likes of Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana!?

Yep, the Cartier Tank is all mine. After years of lust...




p.s. special thanks to Mike for helping making it happen, and for Teddi's positive reviews :)

p.s.s. I promise better pics...but I am off to get my nails done and shop with a friend ;)

An Evening in Hollywood...

I have spent my entire life (well, most of it) working with or knowing many "celebrities". It takes a lot to "shock" me. I was kissed by Sergio Garcia, hugged by Tiger Woods after he won a major tournament (and met him many times during my stint in golf---where my fellow mates are now on the LPGA---such as Paula Creamer and Christina Kim), I played at the same course as Julie Inkster (and nearly rear-ended her once), hung at her house and kiddingly lifted up her US Open trophy. I embarrassingly called Ken Griffey Jr. "Mr. Junior" and told Orel Hershiser I had no idea who he was (hey, I am not a huge baseball fan) and even had lunch with the Rockefellers.

So, last night, when Mike and I were invited to a taping of a live show, hung in the green room and met Shaq, it was cool, but not life-changing...HOWEVER, when I go next week, someone ACTUALLY shocking I get to see...



Yes, my "crush". Anything else cooler?

Well, maybe getting kissed on the head by this man:



Brian May, he is my rock god, and I have LOVED him since I was a kid. Nothing, in my entire life, will ever be as great as that day :)

The Decoration Task at Hand!

I spend over 9-10 hours a day in my office. Now, I *technically* work 8-5, but as many of you know, salaried employees rarely do :(

Anyway, the point is that while I currently still have my job (job cuts make it difficult to determine when it may end...) I want to make my space nice (since, as mentioned above I spend so much time there).

We are moving from the 3rd floor (with super nice furniture!) to the 1st floor, with used furniture---when we were told we didn't have enough desk sets, I volunteered to get my own (thank you CRAIGSLIST!). I am attaching pics of my digs and would LOVE any tips on decorating.

My slight case of OCD (not really diagnosed!) causes me to worry about the fact my door is birch, my desk is Ikea beech veneer and my diploma frames...are mahogany...I hate it when woods in the same room don't match. Nothing I can do about that (so I suppose I should stop worrying!).

Do you think large bright colorful prints framed would look good? Perhaps these:
San Francisco New York, ect (basically large color vintage prints of places I have lived!)...

I also have a larger cement wall :( has anyone had live plans work out?!

Weekday Re-Cap!

Aside from the post below, very little exciting news/events have come out of Orange County, CA as of late.

1) Still sick :( and now enjoying a new cold
2) Grandmother very ill (and was given pallative care for her last weeks)
3) Mike needs prayers :) (for my friends who know---keep them coming!)
4) Career dust is needed...

Well, here is to hoping for a nice weekend :) It will be hard to top last weekend! And perhaps I can spend some time blogging and showing off my Vegas loot.

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

Thanks to True Random Number Generator:

Round 1)
Min:1 Max:11

=2 (SHAINA!)


Round 2)
Min: 1 Max: 11

=6 (Bisou!)

Both of you will each receive a small gift set I made of my favorite Origins products. Send me an e-mail at: uclabelle@gmail.com with your full name and address!

Guess What?

Recessionista efforts paid off: stopped buying a bunch of extra magazines and canceled a phone line we never used....AND I NOW HAVE HBO GUILT FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sure, I could have gotten it anyway, but it is fun knowing extra money is not coming out of our pockets :)

Catching back up on Entourage :)

Oh true love!

Viva Las Vegas

"Las Vegas is sort of like how God would do it if he had money."-Steve Wynn

This trip, we did Vegas a little different than how Steve Wynn intended (with his two massive hotels that are home to fantastic stores like Graff). We did a more relaxed version, by staying 15 minutes off the strip in Lake Las Vegas at the Ritz Carlton (which, I might add, recently stocked Bvlgari's new fragrance shampoos, conditioners, soaps...)-

The verdict? Fantastic. We went with my parents and decided it was the perfect blend of relaxation (peaceful lake, quiet smoke-free hotel) and fun (including plenty of gambling on the strip, with wonderful cocktails, and of course both high-end AND outlet shopping). Also, because we were off the strip, our rooms were very spacious at a great price and the food at that particular Ritz Carlton was phenomenal!

We are already planning our next trip in a few months...

p.s. sorry the pics are so long (and large) and note I played the penny machines ;)

REMINDER: BLOG GIVEAWAY!

I just got back form Vegas (will blog soon about it!) to find only 5 people have registered for my giveaway!? And I am giving away two sets of my favorite products from Origins!!!!!

Please read the rules below and get you and your friends to join in on the fun! Remember, there are a few ways to have more than one entry...

The winners will be picked on Wednesday at 10PM PST by random.org!

Bad Work Day/Month + Depression=Trip to the Strip

I had the worst day in a long time (major, major work drama!). I also haven't been very spirited (and the fact I see the economy dwindle doesn't help)...the solution?

Bad Work Day/Month + Depression= Trip to the Strip (last minute)

We are not exactly sure where we are staying for our short trip (with my parents and Mike) but it will probably be The Paris & Ritz Carlton Lake Las Vegas

In the meantime, please promote my blog giveaway below (and remember that if you mention it on your blog, double-post for the two entries you are entitled to); Pics of the gift sets are coming soon!!!

MOON RIVER & ME GIVEAWAY

Okay, I wanted to do another giveaway. This time it is for items I have raved about on this blog...Origins Products (perhaps the lucky winner will get one or two of my favs listed below)!!!! The fun part? I will not divulge what is in my Origins Giveaway Goody Bag just yet... The rules have changed a little based on a giveaway I recently saw by a fellow blogger!

1) You MUST be a "follower" of my blog (I know, it is a helpless plea to actually see who is following my blog) 2) You may only post a standard entry once but....
3) If you mention my blog on your blog, say a few words about it AND post a link to my giveaway, you are enabled to post again for an additional entry (total entries: 2-but remember to POST AGAIN!)

The reason? I will use Random.org to determine the 2 winners...yes 2 winners!

The deadline is Wednesday August 19th!

Giveaway by uclabelle on Polyvore.com

Weekend Score!

Someone scored at the outlets today, and it wasn't me...

Yep, despite the long drive to get to the J.Crew outlet (in particular) I left with a pair of khaki's. Mike however left with a bag full; and despite the fact I normally don't think outlet quality is wonderful, the stuff J.Crew had a the outlet wasn't bad. Some stuff was fantastic, including a honey-glaze Scottish wool blazer...but it was $178.00 (yes, that was the sale price). I passed.

Pics of the loot are included below!

Sunday Morning Laugh

Once my medicine kicks in, I am off to the outlets in San Diego with my family (oh I cannot wait for Neiman's Last Call & J. Crew Outlet), but for now I am enjoying the view from my couch...which includes my tv. I just watched the funniest story on Today about the Pfister Hotel being "haunted"...and how a full-grown MLB player freaked out and ran down the hallway after his IPod made a weird noice & flash...

The thought just makes me laugh...I don't know, the hotel looks pretty nice, I would stay there :)

An Evening at South Coast

Despite watching the movie about Coco Chanel last night and attempting not to go against her advice, I left the house today atrocious. Sure, the outfit composed fully of J.Crew pieces would be cute, if I had bothered to do my hair and throw on some gloss. Instead, around 2PM I looked in the bathroom mirror at work and was horrified. My solution? Drag my darling Mike to South Coast Plaza for a "mini-makeover". What did I do?

1) Grab a TBM at Cosi (yummy despite my really sore throat)
2) Browse Nordstrom's Rack.
3) Cringe at thought of leaving J.Crew with nothing despite a $100 gift card from my mother (really, I left with nothing! the fall collection isn't drawing me in).
4) Have my engagement ring cleaned at Tiffany. Nothing like a clean sparkler ;) especially since it is a "high-maintenance" emerald cut diamond (word to the wise, do not get them, their facets only demonstrate light for about 5 minutes until your skin's natural oils, lotion, finger prints, dust, ect ruin it!).
5) Go to Saks and buy Jo Malone (note: I was unaware it cost $55 for 30ml...and left with my little bag of Nectarine & Honey a little shocked!).
6) Try on the Cartier Ladies Tank in SS. Pure watch love...do I sense a new item to my Christmas wish list? You bet.
7) Lust after a Milly dress very similar to one a fellow friend and blogger wore to a wedding ;) And the one I loved was on sale at 40% off. Too bad it wasn't my size :(

Now I am enjoying Vick's Vapor Rub and a Chloraseptic spray to ease my horrible sore throat.

Lula Mae's Friday Night by uclabelle featuring Cartier watches

Chanel

I am still sick at home (thanks to my poor immune system) and I am watching (courtesy of Mike) Lifetime's Coco Chanel movie. I am dying for the Coco avant Chanel movie with my beloved Audrey.

Watching this, I couldn't help but Google search her fantastic pieces of art, and while I love Karl...he is no Coco...

I should save my money for some vintage pieces, no?

However, if she were alive, she would die at the sight of me today.

“I don't understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little - if only out of politeness. And then, you never know, maybe that's the day she has a date with destiny. And it's best to be as pretty as possible for destiny.”-Coco Chanel

I left the house without a stitch of makeup and in ill fitting clothes for work today. Not a proud moment. Perhaps this will motivate me.

Future?

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment
-Buddha

Today was filled with thoughts of the future near and far; determining my new office location (from 3rd floor to the 1st floor corner), waiting to determine the stability of my current (and relatively new job) due to major state budget cuts, seeing whether or not Mike will be making a career move soon (either in the state or not), figuring out what we would do with our condo (which suffered in the real estate market crash)...my thoughts race almost constantly. And despite my best efforts (yoga, Godiva shakes, shopping), I cannot stop, just for a few moments.

Ugh...Buddha was right. I need to focus on the present and therefore my focus now is bed.

Goodnight :)

Product Review: J Crew Handbags

I love handbags, LOVE them...almost as much as much as I love jewelry! Despite my love of bags (and my year-long lust for the Damier Trevi), my collection is relatively modest, and comprised mostly of handbags from J.Crew!

Now, in no way am I saying these bags are of the highest quality, because they aren't. However, if you buy them on sale (which I have), they are pretty good, stylish (note the picture of one of my totes in "He's Just Not That Into You" and best of all, durable.

For awhile J.Crew was using leather tumbled by Borge Gaveri (which is rumored to be one of the suppliers for Hermes handbags...). Another handbag (the Jaime by J.Crew) has the same supple calf leather as the Chanel Caviar...

So for a few hundred, you get a nice bag.

Last week (using my educator discount), I bought their new tote in black patent (which was bought in a different color by Gigi)