Sleepy Moshi!
After coming home after a long shift and your legs are so tired, and you’re so hungry of which you realized you haven’t peed all day…she only makes you smile. I see she has put a hard day in too. As in chewing my beautiful wedding shoes. Dropping her bone bits on our new rug. And chewing up the foam of her bed.
And how about my poor hubby...poor guy. This was 2 minutes after changing out of scrubs and sitting down.
Top Shop!! Omgosh!!
Ha! You go shopping with the best of the best in Soho! Seriously, they put a guard on my card because they thought it was stolen. Not only was I in a different state, I was spending a pinch too much in a 2 hour time span. A pinch I say. Ha! You can only imagine RMK’s text to me when I tell him to call the company to remove the guard. Hey, I rarely pay retail, and I promise I don’t go around buying a $3000 Armani dress!
Oh the damage!!
BUT, NYC has amazing, AMAZING shopping. Omgosh, forget all the other cities of my lifetime. Hands down, girls here are so fashionable yet comfortable…well most of them. The newest lines show up here first, and there is so much competition. We went to so many boutiques that I lost track of their names. You need almost 3-4 days just to shop. We only touched on Soho and a few stores in the financial district. So in summary, these were my biggest suggestions.
Uniqlo: Awesome Store!
WHERE HAS THIS BEEN ALL MY LIFE. I spent a record 3 hours in this store and went through the line 3 times. Omgosh. It was crowded, pushing and shoving, the wait to try on is horrendous, but so, so worth it. There is only one in the US: NYC baby. It’s a Japanese brand that basically is a Gap-ish type store but SO much better. You know how I am sunblock/UV crazy: their clothes for the most part is UV Cut. They’re all graded SPF 25 or greater. Their shirts run about 7-10 bucks but their quality is unbelievable. Forget the Old Navy plain t-shirt. Their shirts a sweat-proof, SPF graded, and seamless for the most part. They put these high-quality seams, and their $25 collared shirts are wrinkle-resistant. Premium cotton, wool, and linen. BTW, their wool suits run about $75-$100 but get this: stain resistant and MACHINE WASHABLE. They swear their shirts and sweaters don’t pill, don’t change shape, don’t lose their color of years of washing. SOLD. I bought at least 15lbs of clothes. Yes, my arms were sore. I love their fit, and I wish I had time to try on their jeans, but the line was horrendous. The girls were raving about their pants. LOVE.
Its several stories and several blocks. Ahhh!
I thought I hit the jackpot at Phoenix, AZ Last Chance, but this is comparable though you are going to spend more money. Their stuff is the high end stuff: YSL shoes and ties, Vera Wang flats, Oakleys and Rayban sunglasses, Tory Burch purses, etc. All for about 1/8th of the price. A YSL tie I bought Ramesh runs about $25, and the Raybans were $49. If only I liked aviator glasses. I bought this cute chain purse, and they have so much unique stuff. All 7 For Mankind, Paige, Alice + Olivia, Armani, Gucci, Chanel, etc. etc. Not that huge of a jean selection but tons of Juicy Couture outfits and I loved their Micheal Kors and Tory Burch flats. Oh and amazing bra/underwear/lingerie selection. Calvin Klein underwear, which is my favorite for about $3 bucks a piece. Word of the wise, it’s packed, it’s busy, there is pushing and shoving, and the wait is long. But I thrive in this environment.
So cool! Top Shop Finally!
Okay, so this is the store that might kill your credit card. With my current budget, I couldn’t get anything here. BUT if you are one of those that buys a few special pieces a year and splurges on them but are still on a student budget…I highly recommend. It’s relatively inexpensive for what you’re getting: designer-ware of silk, cashmere, hand beaded all at the edge of fashion. Amazing pieces that can be classic or crazy. The quality is impressive for the price of around $75 to $120 for a 100% silk, lined dress. They push the limit on shoes and accessories, which is how it should be. I was dying to buy this simple red silk dress, but it was $88 I didn’t have. Still, I can see it in my head 
Literally, there are hundreds, all worth exploring. I wish there was more time. Ton’s of unique stuff, some expensive, some cheap. I loved the street peddlers. Really interesting, unique jewelry. Great maternity clothing, though I am not pregnant. But just looking at it made me swoon at the delicious fabrics and styles.
Happy Shopping Day!!
My closest girlfriends and I hit up the streets of NYC this last weekend, and let’s just say, most of what goes on in NYC stays in NYC! But I CAN share all the food and shopping fun we had. The danger started with food and spread to shopping and well then…into the night.
Just a little preview:
Only just the beginning of Day 1...
Nothing like a hilarious transvestite show to start the night!
El Cocotero...worth all the wait for delicious Venezuelan food.
Rooftop drinks...Mango something rather...
Yvonne in her $800 chair spinning in circles...
What?! Delicious fruity candy for all...
And the party begins...
Nothing like penis popsicles (which were delicious btw) to end a party!
I haven’t done one these in a while, but my girlfriends are planning the most awesome bachelorette/wedding shower weekend ever. Muah! Anyways, white is back, according to Redcarpet Fashion (who I am a fellow addict), and it’s really nice to wear white during the partying, though you don’t have to. I love the new vintage Parisian white. A collection of $100 and under!
Parisian White by aggiemed2007@gmail.com featuring hair bows accessories
Prepare yourself...bring water and snacks...and those elbows.
I am not joking. Phoeniz, AZ. Two words: Last Chance. A resident introduced me to this store, and I was skeptical. Basically, it’s Neiman Marcus Last Call and Nordstrom Rack on STEROIDS. You cannot being to fathom what goes on this store. First of all, this is where Nordstom, Saks, and Neiman Marcus dump what is the last chance from their main stores and from Rack and Last Call.
Adrianna Papell Dress Orig $126 still at Nordstrom for $87. I got it for $12!
Vera Wang shoes orig $350 for $45 (if only I fit a size 8!!). LV purses, LAMB purses, and Cole Haan bags for less than $100. Women are literally screaming when they unload the bins every hour. Mass chaos. And totally in love. Michael Stars shirts for less than $2, cashmere galore, and I almost bought Cole Haan pumps with that Nike Air, orig $220 for $18. No joke. If you like Danskos, they have hundreds of them for around $30 to $40. They do sell used good, but I didn’t find any other than the boot aisle and the jean aisle.
Suzi Chin Blue Satin Dress
I bought all my bridesmaid dresses that are STILL in the stores for around $85, brand new for less than $20. They are shown above, and I really like them. I hope they do too! I bought myself a new cashmere sweater from Max Mara and a BCBG dress I completely loved, both for $10 each. Did I tell you I am in love? So now, RMK is about to kill me because our luggage is beyond stuffed with shoes, 3 suits for our groomsmen, and 4 dresses for the bridesmaids.
Pecan Encrusted Tofu Salad. Yum.
We went from 50-60 degree jacket/fleece weather to 90 deg 100% humidity. WOAH. RMK is tired of living out of a suitcase, and I am really starting to miss our bed. However, Florida has been very welcoming to us. Everyone, and I mean everyone, bikes or walks here. Think blond/tan/in-shape people. Which reminds me, awesome yoga here. I am going to try to do an unlimited month pass while I am here. Everyone is friendly and lots of gorgeous people. Have I said that yet?
Sweet Potato Fries. The best ever!
The University of Florida campus is HUGE. HUGE. I got lost a million times just walking from the parking lot. We live about 8-10 miles away from Shands Hospital with lots of traffic, and RMK decided he was going to mountain bike it. Let’s just say, he almost vomited after the 1 hour ride. Needless to say, I drive him to work.
Our first day here, we arrived after a long 19 hour drive straight from landing at the DFW airport. We took a shower and scavenged for food. Tops is a highly ranked hole in the wall here. Awesome vegan/vegetarian food with the most coolest selection of rare beers. RMK was in heaven.
Time to start a new month. Ciao.
Vegan Beer. Who knew?
I have NOT been keeping up with my beauty news. I finally broke down and bought Instyle and Lucky for the long plane ride, when I really should be reading about HSV hepatitis but still, could not be helped. And I look at all these wedding websites rather than catching up on fashion. However, I still got a finger on the pulse.
1. HELLO JCREW OUTLET online! Every weekend, and only on the weekend. Go to Jcrew.com and click on the outlet link. I got an email in my box but haven’t got a chance to explore. Tell me how it goes!
2. Bobbi Brown for Sephora. YES!! I can use my giftcards now for Bobbi Brown! I highly recommend her long-lasting eye gel. I wear it sometimes from 5am to 5am the next morning, and it’s still there. Though you shouldn’t wear your makeup for 24 hours, sometimes you just don’t have time to wipe it off.
Deep Set Cream
3. GoodHousekeeping just gave our their beauty awards. Their tests are usually more strenuous than Allures. They test over 3000 women who use it routinely for 6-8 weeks. Suprisingly, who made the cut? L’Oreal Revitalift Night Cream. It beat out Chanel and Clarins. Hmmm.
Ahh, have I told you how much I love RMK! And I adore the ring he designed. It’s a modern take on the Legacy ring from Tiffany’s. But the BIG question I get asked is WHERE did he get it?
He was so very proud about his quest for blood-free, conflict-free diamonds. It was LONG 3 month search, and he states it’s nearly impossible to find a ring via a standing store. He and the girls cleaned up Houston, Austin, and parts of Dallas to no avail. One store in Austin, Calvin’s, went out of their way to try and accommodate his needs for eco-friendly diamonds and metals, but in the end, they could not find the smaller pave diamonds from Australia or Canada. RMK tells me they showed him the perfect ring for the perfect price, but he stood by his ethics. He does want to say they tried very hard and educated each other along the way in finding a conflict-free ring.
Jin practicing already! It's a recycled wood box with water ink!
RMK states that once salespeople figured out that he and the girls were beyond their average buyer, some got mad that their practiced answers were not answers his questions. They visited a private diamond dealer in Austin, who gave them a great deal on a larger carat size, but according to RMK, he was a “douchebag.” Once the salesperson realized his answers and sometimes outright lies were not meeting RMK’s standards, he just quit trying. He realized he had lost the sale.
So what did he settle on: a San Francisco based company, Brilliant Earth. You probably have seen their advertising all over the place, but they used recycled metals and mine from ISO standard mines in Canada where the diamonds are traced from the mines and throughout the cutting process. Gloria Chan at Brilliant Earth was amazing to work with, completely open, and informative about the entire process.
Yes, you will pay more per carat weight, so in the end, we sacrificed carat size to meet our budget, but we didn’t sacrifice on our ethics and values. And by the way, I didn’t think he sacrificed anything. The ring is beautiful, and I am so proud of him in being so persistent. And I thank all my girls for sticking up for what I wanted and now bring Amnesty International experts!
This really unclear. I need to get my macro lens which I left in TX. Sorry!
RMK would also like to note he tried the hybrid route and the moissanite route. He stated the moissanite is just only a little less expensive than a good diamond, so relatively they’re still expensive. And the hybrid route may still be an option on those with a very small budget. We have never tried any jewelry from any synthetic diamond stores, and it’s such an important buy that it wasn’t worth the risk.
I can do it! I can do it!
Our in-house cowboy here ordered boots to go pick up some chicks this weekend. They arrived in the mail, and just to give you some perspective, the first pair were too small for him. So Johnny Walker here decides to attempt to cram his feet in. Now that they’re both ready to enter a saloon brawl, the girls will come swooning.
Do you like it? Do YOU like it? Does it make my butt look big?
They will flock to us in legions.
I just bought my first one-shoulder dress, and I really love them!! Now if you have a lot of armpit chub like me, you have to be careful at where these dresses hit because it can really accentuate one-arm fatness.
They are so elegant and Grecian looking, and pretty much look awesome one anyone. Buy high quality fabric because several companies like Forever 21, Target, and Macy’s clothing lines have made them look really cheap.
Can’t afford any of these dresses but I adore!! The Karen Millin is my favorite!
