Fashion's Night Out with Neiman Marcus and Guerlain

By happy accident, I received a phone call from the lady at Neiman Marcus in the Guerlain counter.  I wanted a lipstick the last time I was in the store during Bellevue Fashion Week.  I use my Guerlain lipsticks until they are just tiny nubbins of color.  It was time to buy one but they were out of the color that I wanted.  In addition, since it was the beautiful Le Rouge G lipstick, they were about to have an engraving event in a few weeks.  Laurie urged me to wait.  I went home with goodies anyway that day though - a Meteorites refill.  If you have never used Meteorites, please do.  It's just incredible.  But moving on.  Lori (I hope I have spelled your name right - it is not on my receipt!) asked if I was coming up there for Fashion's Night Out.  I hadn't stopped to consider where I was going since I'd been swamped at work that week.  She mentioned a fashion show, cocktails, and treats and there she had me - hook, line, and sinker.

The Crowd on the Main Floor

It would seem that the Neiman Marcus staff may not have been the best prepared for the onslaught of people to enter their store.  They had set up a lovely area with silver mock bamboo chairs for the fashion show.  Complete with a contrived runway, it was ready to go at 7:30 as scheduled.  But it would seem that the people were ready to go by 6:00.  When I arrived, late due to traffic, the place was not yet standing room only but many of the chairs were reserved.  Cards or bits of accessory paraphernalia were laid out and it was tough for even a single girl like me to squeeze one seat.  I didn't manage to get a seat and it wasn't for lack of trying.  I decided to wait in the wings but wanted to wander the store before that.  Lori had mentioned artists' created fashion night t-shirts but they were gone by the time I arrived (or at least I never found them) There was plenty of action in the beauty department as it is the Beauty event.  I didn't wander too much as my primary goal was to have the Guerlain counter fix my make-up.  In my rush, I'd slapped on a lipstick that was much too awful for my dress.

John Paul - The God of Guerlain

Let me say that everyone at the Guerlain counter of Neiman Marcus are fantastic.  They are sweet, considerate, and some of the most talented make-up artists that I've had work with me.  Every time that I have been there, John Paul has been gracious and receiving.  The last time, I met Lori and this time, I had the privilege to meet Andrea who as John Paul says, has the most amazing talent with eye shadow.  This was the most fun that I had all night other than when my hubby and son stopped by to pick me back up.  The Guerlain people are so lovely and friendly.  John Paul introduced me to the Guerlain Aqua Toner and changed a few perceptions that I had about toners.  The Aqua Toner is not abrasive, softens my skin, and adds extra power to my moisturizer.  I am IN LOVE with this toner. He also introduced me to the Precious Light Illuminator which I swear I could be in love with but haven't quite developed the knack for using it yet.  Thanks to Andrea who not only made my eyes look fabulous but had a light touch so I didn't walk away and feel brutalized.  I missed you, Lori.  John Paul said you were swamped.

Me - Minus Eye Circles - Plus Better Lip Color!

Neiman Marcus had waiters with trays of hors d'oevres.  For sampling, there were shrimp kabobs, onion, tomato and goat cheese on bruscetta, and prosciutto wrapped asparagus (which I was sad not to try).  They were in rare supply as I think they were trying to squeeze them out over the evening.  They also offered cups of popcorn drizzled with truffle oil (delicious, I might make it this way at home!) and a tiny chip which I didn't get to try.  The drinks were plenty - a gimlet which I enjoyed, champagne, and water.  I had heard there were to be desserts but since I couldn't get a seat at the show or even a peek, I didn't stay.  By the time that I arrived back from the Beauty counters, it was more packed than before (and there were still people arriving).  I wore my bright purple Merona dress from Target.  I like the ease and simplicity but even for Target, it's a good quality.  I received many compliments on it.  Very few people were wearing any color.  It was a sea of black which made me sort of sad because there are some beautiful colors in the fall lines.  I thought I'd see more purple and red but it was not to be found.

C O R S O N

I did stumble across a trunk show in the back of the store for the C O R S O N clothing line for Derek Andrew.  It's a beautiful minimalist line of clothing designed by two Bellevue designers.  Even though it seems simple on the surface, the materials and design give the line a practical, sleek edge.  I took a picture of the models.  My favorite pieces were the tan sweater and the tie pants (to the left).  The tan sweater was made out of thick chain knit but was deconstructed enough to be street worthy.  You can see it has tears in it.  But it seriously looked so soft that I found myself touching the model.  I'm sure she thought I was crazy but I did ask before I touched the sleeve.  The pants were a tie front baggy pant but they don't look baggy in the least which made them very sexy but comfortable.  The material was a black knit.  For a knit though, it had a finish that looked professional.  I could easily see wearing these to the office.

When I'd exhausted myself at Neiman Marcus, I made my way to Sur La Table - a delightful culinary refuge and then on to Hermes.  The Hermes store in The Bravern is relatively new so I had not been inside since they opened their doors.  It's a rather awkward store, small and divided into tiny areas.  By far, my favorite area was the scarf section.  The sales associate was already showing a few ladies (one of them with an adorable Dior Cannage Bag) how to use their newest scarf accesories.  I hate to simplify these and say that they are clips.  Really they are more like slides.  The horsebit slide was the current one that she was using but I liked the square ring.  Both were clean and modern and would add just enough flair to your Hermes Scarf.  I even learned a few new scarf techniques which is saying a lot since I worked in Accessories and have tied scarves almost EVERY way there is to tie them!

For a night out, it was fun.  I met great people along the way.  My husband and son enjoyed the Bellevue Collection while I was over at the Bravern.  I did try to make it to Nordstrom for the 'tweet up' but missed it as well.  By the time, I made it back to the Bellevue Collection, it was late and I was fading.  The highlight of that little side trip was that I met the owners of the new shop in the Collection called, "Oh! Chocolates".  I will be going there more often!  It was absolutely divine.  I have been subsisting off the honey chocolates that I purchased.  Not only that, the two gentlemen who helped me select chocolates are the most delightful and friendly assistants!  Thanks, guys!  Maybe we'll have to do an interview for the blog sometime!  I know I will be following yours avidly!

Overall, a night full of fun people, lots of goodies,and a few bumps along the way.  Can't complain!

Fashionably yours!

Quilts! Quilts! and MORE Quilts!

As the weather begins to turn cold and blustery (especially today), I begin to put my thoughts to a cozy bed to curl up in during the day with a 90210 marathon or at night with the hubby, kids, and animals.  What can I say, we have a full house!  I have been in particular looking for some quilts to put over the bed.  With their beautiful colors, awesome graphic patterns, and variety, quilts never lose their charm to me.  I am a huge fan of the quilt collection at the National Quilt museum and hope someday to see it in person.  But for now and practical reasons (I can't have a work of art on my bed!), I am lusting after these quilts!

The Pottery Barn has a wonderful selection of quilts and in particular they have some beauties for the fall.  Take a look at this incredible American Folkart museum quilt in a spectacular sunburst pattern.  It only comes in a queen size and would definitely blow my budget out of the water.  But that doesn't stop me from drooling over it both in the store and on the website!

I haven't ever ordered anything from The Company Store but I've slept under their duvets plenty of times at my Mother-in-law's beach house.  So I have a healthy respect for the quality of the product and the wonderful sleep I get.  But I have nearly ordered a few things this week because they have a lovely selection of bedding for the fall.  I love the unusual colors in the Potpourri quilt.  In addition, the geometric simplicity is appealing for a bedroom that is already pretty busy visually speaking.  Plus the cost of this quilt might be more in my price range.

The Gianna Scallop from The Pottery Barn

But I love the Pottery Barn so much that I could go for the Gianna Scallop and be perfectly happy with the lovely colors.  The neutral brown would coordinate with more of my bedding choices.  The red would add a punch of color to a palette that already might have too much blue in it.  And the pattern again is simple but rich. 

However, I am a huge fan of the handmade quilts and so I went on Etsy and found some gorgeous quilts, especially the ones by Pieces of Pine.  Or the gorgeous Figgy Pudding quilt by Life Quilts which would be wonderful to drape on my bed not just at Christmas.  And my absolute favorite, by The Bobbins Nest, the Birds of a Feather quilt.  It's so whimsical that I just wanted to snatch it up!  The Bobbins Nest makes quite a few adorable crib quilts that I would love to see in larger sizes like the Oliver LiL Hoot! 

Birds of a Feather Flock Together!!!

The problem is that I have to make a choice. And I didn't even show you the Hawaiian quilts that I love so much.   It's hard to pick just one!  But in the meantime, stay warm!

Fashionably yours!

Tag/Garage Sale Finds of the Week - Givenchy and 1928

It was a strange tag sale weekend.  Usually I see things right away and snatch them up, but this weekend I stood in front of tables for several minutes picking through items before I found the goodies.  It was more like browsing but with curiosity.  I must have spent a half hour at one sale just picking through things both in the garage and out in the yard.  Another sale, I went back to the next day and picked around again!  But with dogged determination I came up with a few delights and spent very little money.

Look how LONG it is - Givenchy

My first find is by far the best.  I was halfheartedly lingering in front of a table at this tucked away lake cottage.  My husband was finding quite a few goodies but we'd been to a few sales and I wasn't really finding anything.  I am a patient person but it was getting to be bit bleak and it was only Friday!  The lady had some jewelry sitting on the table - various Avon pieces and unmarked vintage items.  Her sense of style wasn't bad but I just own quite a bit of jewelry so I'm picky.  Just as I was about to turn away from mulling over some vintage rhinestones in a lush copper color, a tag caught my eye.  At first, I wasn't sure but as I picked up the necklace off her hanger, it was confirmed that indeed this was the jewelry tag of one of my all time favorite designers, Givenchy.  It's so incredibly long that I had to photography it doubled.  It has open roses and buds alternating.  I did clean it before photographing but it was nearly in flawless condition except for some surface dirt inside the deep folds of the rose petals close to the fastener of the necklace.

I tend to prefer the vintage Givenchy pieces.  It appears by the hang tag that this may have been a parfums item but I'm not sure.  I love the squares in the circle logo.  I haven't measured it but it could be used for a belt except that it's incredibly fine and delicate.  Price for classic, versatile style: $1 (yeah, no kidding) 

1928 pendant

I went back the next day to get the rhinestone necklace and it was gone.  Of course, but again just as I was about to turn away, I found a beautiful contemporary pendant made by 1928.  Not a high price point, I like 1928 because of their classic designs and quality product.  Their jewelry can go with anything but is not so trendy that it dates easily.  It's hard to tell by my picture in the center is a star of olive glass cabochons.  The lighter green dots are sparkling rhinestones.  I wear quite a bit of green so this will go nicely in my wardrobe.  Price: $1. 

Coasters - Aren't they gorgeous?

It was a green weekend because I ended up at two other sales where I bought the linens that I photographed the necklaces on.  The cross-stitched backdrop of the 1928 necklace is a set of linen coasters.  I purchased the flawless set for a quarter each.  Price: $1.50 for six coasters. 

And at another sale, I dug around for awhile in a box and came up with the towel that I photographed the Givenchy hang tag on.  It is a beautiful linen towel with an Amish or German print with a boy and girl.  The design is intricate with bold use of green, yellow, and red paired graphically with black.  I just love the boy and girl holding the vase! (Down below)  I don't think that my picture does it justice.  Along with a 50's apron, bistro table cloth, third towel, and two pairs of still in the package/never used Calvin Klein hosiery, I spent $2. 

Vintage Style - Total $5.50

Have a Fashionable Day!

Bellevue and Vogue Fashion Week

Front Row at Vogue Fashion Week in Bellevue

For the past few years, a friend and I have been attending fashion week in Bellevue.
We buy All Access tickets to get goodies such as front row seats or valet parking (one year we lost our car! It was a nightmare so valet parking was an awesome perk.)  The Bellevue Collection and various partners get together to put on a benefit fashion show, announcing the beginning of Fall/Winter Fashion.  The benefit was for the Moyer Foundation!  What a deal!  We get to have a girl's night out, an incredible fashion show, and help out children.

My friend and I pre-funked the show with a trip to Neiman Marcus at The Bravern.  It's an hour plus drive to Bellevue from where we live.  Since this is the only Neiman Marcus in Washington state, I was going to take advantage of our drive to refill my Meteorites compact and get a Fresh Soy Cleanser.  We also stopped at one of my favorite cupcake bakeries, Trophy Cupcakes for a before fashion show treat.  Check out the lemon cupcake!  It was a delicious way to start the adventure.  

The Hyatt Regency was our host for the second year running.  A beautiful hotel with gorgeous modern sculptures and a lush interior, it is the perfect backdrop for Fashion Week. Complimentary valet parking was included on the ticket price this year.  I was excited to take advantage of this deal because of our SNAFU last year.  We entered right into this room from the side street where the friendly valets took my Miata.

Here I am in front of the Vogue/Bellevue Collection Fashion Week sign.  I wish you could see my shoes.  They were glorious J. Renee's that I bought for a wedding and wore that evening too.  My shirt is my favorite, bought at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, it is a gorgeous pink that hovers between pink and taupe depending on what you pair it with.  I happened to put it with the dark olive Halogen sweater which sounds odd but worked (I had a Tim Gunn moment in my closet prior to coming to the show).

 

 

 The staff of the Hyatt and the Bellevue collection welcomed us with drinks and hors d'oevres.  Special for the night, the bar offered a drink titled Sexy Stiletto, a mixture of champagne and possibly pineapple and grapefruit juice with a raspberry garnish.  It was delicious.  While we wait for the doors to open, waiters took around trays of small bites.  There was mahi mahi on a wonton chip (not my favorite btw because of it's lack of seasoning), veggie quesadillas (too spicy), chicken wraps (delicious!), onion quiche (also yummy).  One waitress who was responsible for the tomato artichoke cups only went down one side of the room.  Somehow we did get a taste of that offering and it was great but after that we couldn't get her attention to get another one! 

Anne Vincent, Vogue

Now to get to the good stuff, the clothes!  The show was divided into themes; Fur and Feathers, Under Wraps (coats for Washingtonians - LOL - We are always on the hunt for fashionable outerwear!), American Sportswear, Urban Luxe, Animal Magnetism, Sweater Girls, and A Night on the Town.  The show was opened by the lovely Anne Vincent of Vogue.  I have a few pictures of her but they are blurry.  She was wearing a gorgeous skirt of deep blue feathers.  I'll include it anyway but here's my disclaimer.  I was using my I-phone for pictures which took some getting used to and didn't always take the greatest pics.  So in small form, they look ok but larger not so great.  However, check out the blue on that skirt....it was to-die-for!

From Nordstrom - Fur

The great clothes in the show were provided by the shops in the Bellevue Collection; Nordstrom, Banana Republic, Macy's, White House/Black Market, Boss Hugo Boss, Vince, Aritzia, Ann Taylor, and more. I enjoyed the Fur and Feathers theme more than I thought I would.  It's so easy to go wrong with both elements.  However, the stylists pulled it together with thoughtful consideration to this fact.  You can see in the picture of one of my favorite outfits from the fur/feathers theme that the Joie fur vest layered with a Michael Stars sweater and lace leggings has a sense of urbanity and modernity that made the whole look work.

Some of the name brands/designers work featured in the show were Haute Hippie, Joie, Diane Von Furstenberg, Rachel Roy Rachel.  I liked the Kate Spade jeweled cardigan.  My picture (in the slide show) makes it look yellow but it's a lovely bright pistachio.  Another favorite item was actually the tights, especially the orange ones.  They added a great punch of color to the outfits.  Unfortunately, the accessories weren't listed but there were some fantastic shoes, handbags, headbands, and jewelry.  I loved the rhinestone ball necklace featured with a few outfits but couldn't get a clear picture of it (seriously that is the story of my life.).  The menswear was to drool for with suits by Boss Hugo Boss.  The models themselves made nice eye candy too!  I loved everything from Banana Republic (as per my usual modus operandi).  


Each guest received a swag bag with great items such as OPI nail polish, a cosmetics bag from the Bellevue Collection, samples from Sephora (who donated make-up stylists for the show), Obadiah Salon (hair stylists), and other assorted delights.  Plus there were plenty of coupons, gift cards, and shopping treats to encourage a whirlwind of shopping madness in the mall afterwards.  I took advantage of the Banana Republic coupon to buy a cardigan.  Inside the mall, after the show, the models posed on picture frame stands to get a closer look at the clothes.  You will see a picture of this at the end of my slide show.  But the best part besides the shopping was the dessert spread and free goodies from some of the participating stores such as Crabtree and Evelyn where we scored a little gift bag of samples.  The dessert spread in the mall consisted of the most delicious shortbread thumbprint cookies with fruit (one was mango and I don't know what the other was) sprinkled with sugared rose petals.  I could have eaten about a dozen of these but restrained myself to trying the two flavors.  In addition to these goodies, Z'Tejas and PinkaBella offered samples upstairs.  There were more samples along the way such as Cinnabon but we didn't make it to those.

At the end of our whirlwind night, we walked back to the Hyatt Regency and found our car through the helpful services of the valets.  A note to the Bellevue Collection staff though - a paper voucher would have assisted the valets at the desk in retrieving our car.  They wanted to charge us unless we could show proof that we'd been at the show.  I showed them my arm band but the gentleman was reluctant to take it.  A minor hiccup in the process though.

Check out my next post for the slide show of my pics.  I am struggling with a soundtrack for the movie of the Fashion Show so today it's basically an add your own soundtrack moment.  Have a fashionable day!  And enjoy!

My Favorite Kate Spade in the Sweater Girls Theme

Garage Sale Finds of the Weekend! Mad Men Style

I have been in awe of the incredible Mad Men style. It took me several tries to get into the show but the sets and fashion are so impressive. I must have gone garage saling this weekend with that in mind because several of my scores had Mad Men style! I know on the east coast these sales are referred to as tag sales. My family and I go to all no them no matter what the name. Sometimes I find neat, interesting things and sometimes not. However, when I do find stylish fashionable items, I've decided to share. After all what's the fun of a score if I can't SHARE?  Ok, I liked show-and-tell in kindergarten!

I have an itsy bitsy martini shaker. It's really an individual size. Recently I had been thinking that if I wanted to make lavender cosmos for a party, it was going to take me awhile. But this weekend, I scored a party-sized martini shaker. A steal at $2.50, this martini shaker has a tilted pour spout with it's little removable lid and strainer. The top half is clear glass with a few minor imperfections such as a bubble in the glass. There are different sized silver stripes that match the shiny lid. The bottom is a textured glass so that gripping the shaker while preparing a drink won't be a dangerous experience!

Shot glass and wine bar set

Rarely do you go from sale to sale and find coordinating items but down the road at the next sale, I found a matching shot glass with a silver rim for 50 cents! And to complete my bar saga, later on in the day I found a wine opener, corkscrew, and stopper set for a quarter.

Add the cost of the crisp white linen that I photographed on and my total to update my bar was $4.25!  Now that's a thing of beauty!

Autumn Desires

Autumn Goodies by CadenceRyanne featuring Anthropologie shoes

Over The Moon Booties
$198 - anthropologie.com
More Anthropologie ankle booties »

Safari Clutch
$490 - aspinaloflondon.com
More Aspinal of London clutches »

Benefit Cosmetics So Hooked On Carmella 1 oz Eau de Toilette Spray -...
$36 - sephora.com

Amazon.com: ALPHONSE MUCHA POSTER - AUTUMN 1896 - RARE ART PRINT: Home...
$5.99 - amazon.com

Martingale Cross-Body Bag - Shoulder Handbags - RalphLauren.com
$148 - ralphlauren.com

Michael Kors - MICHAEL KORS Darrington Shoulder Tote, Vicuna
$995 - michaelkors.com

Square RL Sunglasses - Sunglasses Women - RalphLauren.com
$210 - ralphlauren.com

Falling Star Fairy, Wall Words and Decals by Trading Phrases
$27 - tradingphrases.com

CHANEL Les Khakis de Chanel : TalkingMakeup.com: Daily makeup and...
talkingmakeup.com

A Spoonful of Honey - Featured Product Honees

I am starting a regular feature on this blog.  This means blog commitment so I hesitate to say that it's going to happen every week or every other week.  But I am committed to expanding this blog so here goes!  I grew up in a time of fads and fancies where living by the land was appreciated.  Big skirts and bonnets were popular.  Floral prints abounded.  That was simply the fashion.  The style of living was made equally simple with homemade goods and natural products becoming a consumer focus.  I remember a time when regular supermarkets didn't have a "Natural Foods" section.  My mother shopped at special organic markets or 'cooperatives'.  It was a strange time.  For years I didn't taste a Hostess Twinkie.  I grew up with no white sugar in my house.  And corn syrup was kept as a staple but I don't remember it being used EVER.  In fact, it had a layer of dust on it that rivaled a mud flow. But we did use honey in all forms.  I didn't sweeten drinks with sugar.  I did it with honey.  Baked with it.  Healed with it.  Used it for skincare and hair care.  As a result of this, I developed a passion for different types and forms of honey.  I will buy anything with honey in it.  But the reason I started this little feature is to share some of the great and surprising products with honey!

The product this week is my all time favorite from when I was a child; Honees.  Made in Italy by Ambrosoli, these candies are little nuggets of honey happiness.  Recently they became difficult to find in my town.  I used to buy them in the natural foods section of my local Fred Meyers but they stopped carrying them.  But thanks to Amazon, I have restocked my supply. 

For years I have carried a pack of these in my purse.  They are non medicated but when you have a sore throat, I find that they are a sure-fire relief inducer.  Featured at the right are the Menthol ones in the green package and the Milk and Honey flavor in the blue and gold package.  I don't currently have the third flavor which is the regular honey flavor.  On Amazon, a box of these goes for anywhere from $15 to $21.  However, you get a supply that will last you for months.  I give them out to my friends.  They make great gift basket additions.  No one complains at all! 

Honees are a great pick-me-up when you are hungry and on the go.  A total of 5 grams of sugar per drop and no fat, they are delicious and relatively painless if you can only keep yourself down to one!  My favorite of the three flavors is the milk and honey because it's softer than the others.  When you bite it, the milky honey just slides out on your tongue.  Absolute heaven in a drop.

Camping for the Fashionista - Waterless Style

Being out in the wilderness presents itself with many challenges for the fashionista.  The concept of the 'elements' rings a different tone to the fashion conscious.  Sure I was concerned about bears and cougars but I was also concerned about packing lightly for hikes and keeping my hair and skin fresh and beautiful.

But camping in a campground with limited water sources brings about even more challenges.  This is the situation that I found myself in for two days.  In the sprint up until Labor Day, I am certain that many other fashionistas will find themselves in the same situation.  Here are some tips to accomplish a few goals;

1.  Stay clean day to day.

2.  Come out of the camping trip with hair and skin minus damage.

To do this, I targeted a few areas.  There are some realizations when camping that you are not going to be a goddess.  I could accept this and move on.  

Target one - Hair

My water supply!

Products to pack - Dry Shampoo - I picked up a can of Psssssst.  Other great dry shampoo options include; Batiste Dry Shampoo and Frederick Fekkai Au Naturel.  I wasn't sure that any water would be available for hair washing since this campground was in the mountains and sometimes it's difficult to do traditional plumbing.  But if there was I also packed a backup of conditioning shampoo.  We were lucky when we arrived to find a pump from which to draw cold water.  But it was nice to refresh with the dry shampoo.

Target two - Body

Products to pack - No Rinse Cleansing and Deodorizing Wipes - I found a version of these at Target in the dollar bins with cute wrappers so I had been storing them in every bag or vehicle that we own just so that I would feel fresh on the road. I wouldn't necessarily say that these are a substitute for a shower (very little is!) but it helps you live with yourself for a few days.  And they are light and easy to pack on a hike!

Perfume rollerball - I have several at my disposal so I always have one on hand.  It may seem like a strange thing to take camping but there was an odd use to it.  I originally thought (like the French during the Age of Kings) that I would cover up my body scent with a bit of perfume (they didn't use it in bits though. HA!).  In the end, it covered up the unpleasant scents such as the campers next door!

Makeup wipes - again with the wipes but these were great for oil removal after we'd been hiking in the morning.  I used some from Sephora but these look wonderful from Korres - Pomegranate Cleansing and Oil Control Wipes.  

Sunscreen - Don't forget a great sunscreen.  Since we were hiking, lightweight packaging was in order.  I didn't want to be carrying around bottles of everything.  My favorite product of the season are Tocca's Sunscreen Wipes.  I carry these everywhere.  My daughter carries them everywhere.  We stash them in our purses and vehicles.  They smell like the ever popular Stella fragrance by Tocca and pack a powerful wallop with 30+ sunscreen.  Each towelette goes quite a ways.  I always use these on both myself and son.  Between the two of us, we can get through one wipe.  The sunscreen melts into your skin and doesn't leave you feeling greasy.


Target Three - Pest Control - No sense in coming back from a camp out covered in bug bites!  We used to ways to control the pests.  Both were nose and child friendly.  When my son did get a bite on the back of the leg, I grabbed my Benadryl Itch pen - the coolest invention ever - this easy packable pen gets right to the spot of the irritation with a dose of Benadryl. 

But to even go back farther, we escaped bug bites by spraying with Cutter Skinsations which does contain DEET in small doses.  I also purchased a DEET free version but I can't remember the brand and we didn't use it because the bug quotient was high.  We were lucky though because we spent the night in the lovely camp cabin that you see here.

Camping can be a great family experience!  When presented with foreknowledge that I was going to be without a shower or sink, I was able to prepare with some handy and innovative products.  With careful planning,  camping can be a beautiful experience without the stereotypical issues that go along with roughing it. 

Lower Wallace Falls

Forever 21 opens in Olympia!

I am not a huge Forever 21 fan.  Not because I dislike them or hold any great antipathy to affordable fashion.  Forever 21 is just relatively new to my state.  I am also not their target audience - perhaps too old (ahem).  But that said, they remind me of the old Jay Jacobs and a frilly Fashion Direction (for which I spend a great five years working in the 80's).  Trendy and inexpensive, Forever 21 will provide some healthy competition for the other stores in our mall, including Charlotte Russe which is my daughter's favorite store.  Both my daughter and I had been driving past the spot in the mall where construction was happening and ogling the chandeliers as they went up.  Excitement was building along with the new store. 

So today, on opening day, we trekked over to the mall.  No we weren't first in line - perhaps this post should be on badfashionista.com (if there was such a thing!).  But there was plenty of eye candy and great deals.  Most of what I bought was for my daughter.  She found a great ruffle skirt and some leggings to go under them.  My daughter found aviator sunglasses for $1.50.  She recently lost her dollar pair that she'd found on clearance somewhere else so this was a major score.  I focused on the accessories areas because that's typically my forte.

However, I bought HUE corduroy leggings in forest green at Nordstrom's a few weeks ago during the anniversary sale and was also on the hunt for an over-sized shirt to go over them. 

Trends seemed to be on point with the pre-fall line up.  As you can see by the pic, lace sprinkled tops all around the store, providing cut outs, layering options, or frills.  Tons of pearls and rhinestones spilled over the baskets and display tables.  A Parisian theme peppered the store with chandeliers and fake moldings around inset accessory walls.  But also several of the jewelry pieces featured bicycles, the Eiffel tower, Victorian birds, and cat's eye glasses - also lining up with the trend point of the early fall - Glam Victoriana.

I desperately wanted a glittery silver thread shot scarf but both daughter and I agree that it might be a bit early for a cover up.  I am still searching for where I might have misplaced my favorite Eddie Bauer scarf that STILL has the tags attached so I was loathe to buy another.  This is definitely my favorite part of the store with gobs of handbags, scarves, and jewelry.  I had several necklaces in hand, having a hard time trying to pick just one.  I'll be back for more!  But I did buy bird with a gold finish (somehow I ended up with two pieces of bird jewelry) and his name is Roadie.  He looks like a roadrunner to me.  With his gold tone finish and brown wings, he will look great on nearly anything that I wear. 

The store was busy with a line up at the dressing rooms.  There were plenty of great sales consultants on the floor.  My daughter had a friend who was just hired by them and she told us that they stocked to store in four days.  We were asked if we needed help more times than we could count. 

Off to the right, you see my favorite score of the day!  Meet Percival (so named at the register).  He sits right on my hand as a ring.  That isn't a great picture of him but look at how BIG he is!  I will try to get another pic later.  He was one of the more expensive items that I purchased.  I did manage to find a shirt with a deep rose print on it.  The dark forest leaves will match nicely with my cord leggings.

 
    The end of the mall has been greatly improved by this store front!  It's clean and bright.  Just beautiful.  We had a hard time getting a picture where there wasn't someone standing or walking in front because it was that busy. 

Tommy at the register was a little taken aback when we told him that I was going to blog about it.  But here we are at the register.  Thanks, Tommy.  We thought you were adorable!  We'll see you later!

Single Cup Coffee Machines - Truly a Thing of Beauty

For my birthday, I asked my husband for a Tassimo.  This was not a decision that I came to suddenly.  My coffee drinking days consisted of filling a twelve cup coffee maker with grounds and filters and tons of water.  Every morning I would dump the disgusting grounds into the garbage, clean out the thick dark brew left over, and start again.  Think about the waste.  And as I evaluated this ritual that I'd been in for years, it occurred to me that I was a coffee connoisseur who was treating coffee more like an everyday commodity.  I only drink two cups a day.  The coffee aisles at the stores are a collector's paradise.  I savor good body in coffee.  So why was I wasting it? 

One of my favorite places to do shopping research is Amazon and so that was the first place that I went.  The world of single cup machines is fantastic and varied.  Do you want a machine that can make many types of drinks?  Should it be able to handle your commuter mug?  Do brands matter to you?  What about the flavor of the coffee?  The first single serve machine that I tried was actually in a Sur La Table in Seattle.  Unfortunately, the brew was bitter and lacking in depth.  So it turned me off for awhile.  But it certainly made me think about the reviews that I was reading.  I enjoy dark coffee.  If the single cup maker in Seattle had not been able to satisfy my taste, I wanted something that would.  These musings led me to to the Tassimo.  This machine offers a coffee stand experience but the flavors are limited.  I was sacrificing range for quality.  The Tassimo line offers Starbucks and Gevalia coffees (among others), a variety of hot chocolates, and tea.  Not only could it be a machine for myself but for the family as well.  When it arrived, I eagerly read the directions, there was some moderate wait before I could enjoy a freshly brewed up.  The machine looks impressive on my countertop.  My counters aren't much to look at since they haven't been updated.  But the machine seemed to instantly modernize my tired laminate!

Bosch makes a quality product.  Every cup of coffee that comes out of my Tassimo is ideal.  There are a few things that I wish for now and again such as an extra foamy setting and not to have to hold the button down when I want a larger cup.  What I appreciate is how easy it is to have a fresh cup of coffee!  And the clean up is simple.  I just remove the disk and toss it in the garbage.  However, I didn't realize that this was just a gateway machine into a larger world.  As I began to explore single cup machines, even after I had chosen the Tassimo, I realized how deep of a lifestyle change it was.  This was not just a cup of coffee but a true passion as evidenced by the blog, Single Serve Coffee which is the most AWESOME blog by the way! 

I began to explore even deeper I devised a grand coffee scheme.  Why did I have to sacrifice?  I could have a few machines!  This crazy thought occurred to me one day and it was so asinine that I could barely voice it.  I still had the 12 cup coffee maker sitting on my counter taking up space.  Why not replace it with a little K-cup brewer?  Fate dealt a hand in a strange manner.  One day shortly after I had this thought but before I could really entertain it, I was perusing Target's clearance shelves when I stumbled quite by accident across an out of box Keurig Mini brewer.  It had been marked down a few times and according to the cashier there was nothing wrong with it.  How could I resist?  Forty dollars for a hundred dollar machine?  I snapped it up, feeling giddy as my plan came together (yes, you can make an A-team reference here).  Not only that but it was an adorable red color!  How could that lovely cherry red go wrong with a fashionista like me?  There were a few problems with it when I got it home.  Someone had used it and left it dirty (oh cruel world!).  I didn't have a manual and found purely by accident there is a drip pan which had not been cleaned.  A new one would have come with complimentary k-cups.  I had to spend a little extra to get a box of them. After some cleaning and experimentation with different k-cups, I have now found some delicious blends and great satisfaction in the options that both brewers give me.  The mini brewer does not crowd my counter either.  I had serious doubts about having two machines in my tight coffee corner.  But my doubts were put to rest as the Keurig really is mini and slides nicely under the countertop. Now to the fun part of buying lots of flavors.  I perused online and there are many buying options but eventually I discovered the nirvana of K-cup stores, Bed, Bath and Beyond!  While their online shopping is disappointing, the selection of both K-cups and Tassimo disks in the store is impressive especially considering I am not a huge fan of that particular home store.

There are pros and cons to each machine.  Depending on my mood or taste, I find myself going for one or the other.  Either way, the convenience and modern technology make my single serve coffee machines things of beauty.

Neiman Marcus Passion for Fashion Contest

What's Your Passion for Fashion? Challenge - Round 1 Sponsored by Neiman Marcus