Steal of a Deal - 2010 (Outerwear)

Basically, we all know that I love shopping, and I have a lot of clothes. I am just going to put that out there so we don't have to talk about it after this, right?!?

But, here's one thing you all probably don't know. I will ALMOST NEVER pay full price for any of them. I am pretty much a bargain shopper.

So much so, that I am wanted to brag about it.

I decided to post the best steals I got in 2010, by category. And, today's installment will showcase last years steals in outwear.

Anthropologie - $20

Victoria Secret - 1/2 off

Old Navy - 1/2 off

Anthropologie - $60

Anthropologie - 60% off

Old Navy - $25

Anthropologie - $28 (well, that's how much it cost, but I got it free with a gift card from my fabulously fantastic friend Keri).

Talbots - $35

Gap - $27

Anthropologie - $40

Anthropologie - $40

Clearly, I bought way too many coats/jackets this year. But, you see, I didn't really spend all THAT much money on them.

I know... I am talented.

Steal of a Deal - 2010 (Skirts)

I think the best deals I got were skirts, or maybe shoes. But, I got a ton of skirts in 2010 for wicked cheap.

Here are some of my fantastic finds.

Talbots - $25

Loft - $20

New York & Company - $25

New York & Company - $25

Anthropologie - $20

J Crew - $30

Gap -$16

Anthropologie - $20

Anthropologie - $30 (but, actually free with a gift card from Jean).

Obsession Confession: Hair Products

I have combination curly/wavy hair. It's really curly underneath the moderately wavy top layer (weird right, I know).

So, it takes a lot to tame this mane of mine. That is how I justify the obscene amount of hair products I own. Really, it's bad.

But, there are only three hair products that I would sell a kidney for, without them I look like a polygamist (it's true).


Rockaholic Dirty Secret. It's dry shampoo. LOVE THIS. The very low-maintenance core of my being hates to wash my hair. Though, usually I give in and do it daily. But, sometimes, I just CAN'T. And on those days, I spray this at the roots. It smells divine and soaks up any oils. DIVINE.


Morrocan Oil. This stuff is so yummy. It smells SO SO SO good. But, I just use a little bit and run it through the middle to ends of my hair when it's wet. It takes away any frizziness, so that's good!



Frederic Fekkai Luscious Curls Wave Spray. There aren't even words to express how deep my love is for this hair spray. It's super light. But, when you spray it on curly hair it produces the most lovely curls. It's super amazing. And, you can brush your hair to dumb down the curls before you spray it too. It basically is what everyone wants in a hair spray.


And, that's our lesson for today kids. Now, go play.

Obsession Confession: Birds

I LOVE birds. But, only in theory, not in reality. Please keep me away from any breathing, flying, crapping, crowing, real, live birds. But, in jewelry, on clothing, as art, or for decorations, sign me up - I.AM.IN.

I have taken my bird obsession pretty far, seeing as I own all of these things:

Blog Rehab

It's 2011 - time to start anew. Change is in the air. And, it's time for a make-over - a blog make-over.

Originally I was going to use this blog to publicly document (a.k.a. make you people enforce) my desire to shop directly from my closet in lieu of purchasing new clothes, shoes and accessories. But, that was never going to happen and we all knew it. So, I am revamping it - mostly starting from scratch.

When I started this blog in August, I started searching fashion blogs that other people created in an effort to glean ideas on styling to make my closet more versatile. It worked for a while, until I hit a wall and HAD to go shopping. But, as I looked at other people's fashion blogs, along with the fashion inspiration came style inspiration which was often not limited only to fashion, but also to design, and other domestic creations. I have a list of my very favorites in each category, which I fully intend on sharing with you as soon as I figure out how.

One of my best friends, Miss Claire Monkey Manville (I added the Monkey) is really into design, more specifically reconstructing and vintage shopping for design elements she can use or refurbish and then use in her own space. And, let me tell you she has a real talent for it. For the past few years, under her tutelage, I have been totally interested and occasionally dabbling in it as well. I am inspired by everything she touches. It's all so creatively genius to me. Someday, if she allows it, I will take photos of the inside of her house and you will all be super impressed. I started having her teach me years back and have been addicted to reconstructing, refurbishing and vintage shopping at the world's most disgusting swap meet (in Huntington Beach) ever since.

One of my other best friends, Jody Ann Lyman (I didn't add the Ann) is a really good seamstress, as is Meridith Rockstar Sebra (I did add the Rockstar, though she truly is). And, some of my very favorite days include doing projects with them (or Carly and Jean). And, so I decided that I would dedicate this blog to all my style misadventures. Not that I am any Anna Wintour OR Martha Stewart in the making, but I love the idea of creating.

And, my other blog will be devoted to the misadventures of my not-so-creative life. Not that I am about to feign diligence at posting daily or even weekly on either, let alone both.

So, even though the name of this blog may be a tad misleading, or at least not all encompassing, I decided to keep the name the same, because well... (1) I don't really know how to change the name and keep the same website yada yada yada) and (2) the only other name my creative juices can come up with is Ilovecake.blogspot.com, but wouldn't you know, that site is already taken (by a poet who may or may not have died at the end of 2000).

Looking "All Businessy".

Today I got dressed. For real. First there was rain in California, which lasted a while, then there was a blizzard in NYC, then I came home to more rain... and, well, I didn't feel like getting dressed, I just wanted to hang out in sweats, which of course I didn't, because you see at my office you can only wear sweats if the boss is gone AND you pair them with a t-shirt that is entirely too little and says "Free Hugs". And, well, I don't have one of those.

But, today is a beautiful day. And, I felt like getting dressed for work. So, I did. And, my co-worker told me I looked "all businessy", which I know isn't a word. But, I took that as a compliment, which I am sure was not what he intended it to be, but oh well! Also, Jackie told me I look like a "man-slayer". And, even though I have no idea what that means, of course I also took it as a compliment. That's how I became so self-assured, what can I say?!?

The Truth.

Last night I went to a party. It was all fun and games until Pete & Megan's "white elephant gift" chewed out of it's box and went running across all the other gifts. And, so Pete picked up the mouse and decided that he and Megan didn't bring two gifts after all, they only brought one gift to share.

Anyhoooooooo. As I was leaving the party I met a girl named Amy. (Well, actually, I had already met her before, but I re-met her). And, she said, "I blog stalk you." And, then she asked about this fashion-ish blog.

And, so I told her the truth. My mom got brain cancer, and so I went to the mall, A LOT! And, that's the truth.

Remember when I was supposed to buy nothing for a year? And, then I was only supposed to buy one thing a month? You see where it all went down hill? It always turns out poorly the moment I start getting crafty. (My diets all end the same way).

Remember when no one thought I could do it. You were right. All of you. I am REALLY not good at abstaining from South Coast Plaza or Fashion Island or the Irvine Spectrum, or....

But, here's the thing. That's what I was taught to do. It's how I learned to cope. It's a creative outlet for me (that may sound like an excuse).

It's a true story. The day my mom found out she was sick, she wasn't able to balance really well. And, her talking was a bit labored. She'd just returned from the Neurologist, who informed her she had a brain tumor. My oldest sister was over to check on her. She asked my mom if there was anything at all she needed, anything to eat, a ride to the store, anything cleaned. My mom denied all of her requests. But, she did mention that she needed Kimberly's help with something else. She said "I have these three purses, I just bought. I need you to help me decide which one to keep." My sister looked at her in what I can only imagine was sheer disbelief. After which my mom said "I know, I have a brain tumor. I should probably keep all three, right?"

See, it's genetic. It's in my blood. This love of shopping. And, I am a lot like Beyonce. The shoes on my feet, I bought them. The clothes on my back, I bought those too. And, I can afford it. So, I say there are far worse coping skills.

And, 2010 was all around rough.

So, I am contemplating whether or not I want to pick up my goal again next year!?! I think I will try it. The buy-only-one-thing-a-month version, though.

We'll see.

Meanwhile, I thought I would share that I am begininng to look a lot like... a Christmas present, right???

Sometimes I brush my hair. Sometimes I show up for work nearly on-time. But, I never do both. I mean never. And, today I did neither. So, Happy Monday!