Perfect for spicing up the blah black suit!

Tomorrow marks the start of some big vendor visits. Given the formal environment of my office, I'm sure I'll get strange looks if/when I opt out from wearing the standard black suit.

I've decided to conform on the unwritten rule requiring the black suit (at least for tomorrow, it is a Monday after all), but I've got to keep it fresh and these new red patent mary-janes are just the perfect piece to keep the look a little more me.

Le Due by Due Farina is a new brand to me, but I stumbled upon these at a killer 65% off at the perma-sample sale boutique, Treat (in Alexandria). Super comfy, no toe cleavage to be concerned with, and just the perfect shade of red. Not to mention, the shopping experience was so fun and I really think that the concept behind this store tempts me to someday open up something similar back home.

A new favorite designer: Heidi Merrick

I'm not sure how I even stumbled upon these designs, but I'm loving Heidi Merrick's style.

I think I was googling sewing patterns for my sister and just came across Heidi's "About Me" section that mentions how her mother used to sew all her clothes. Is a sewing machine in my future? I haven't touched one since I was maybe 9 years old?--well, except for that 1 long afternoon last year where I decided to make a beach bag from scratch, and then proceeded to add some swarovski flair. Ay, what was I thinking? I finished it after like 10 hours of labor.

Classy, chic, with a great talent for just a little ooompf to make it unique. Her pieces are in the $300-400+ range, so it's not as budget-friendly as our one-income household would like...but rest assured that you won't step into a crowded theatre, restaurant, or bar and find 5 sorority girls or MDALs wearing the same thing. And no, waiting the season out in hopes for a killer deal at Nordstrom Rack isn't going to help you either. A handful of boutiques carry her line, including Pink November (which shooed Summer and I out of there last weekend in a not so nice manner, a simple No dogs allowed would have been sufficient) in Georgetown.

I can't really justify anymore dresses, let alone another black dress. I need Spring to hurry up because the grey & black dresses are starting to take over my entire closet.

But man do I lurve these dresses/coats, a girl can dream right?

**Thanks to LadyLicorice.com, I found this out: "*Heidi Merrick discount: get 10% off your purchase when you contact Yolanda by phone (323-717-2153) or email (sales@heidimerrick.com) before placing your order" and/or order via Le Train Bleu using DAILYCANDY for 25% off!

Keeping the boot hunt exciting

I figured why not throw another set of boots into the mix. So once they all arrive, I can really treat it like a cutthroat try-outs session. Kinda like when 2 girls from our Freshmen class didn't make it onto the tennis team, and they just hung out for too long and didn't really get it? Like, goodbye try again next season.

I'm going to have to do the same with these 4 pairs. Pick one, two maybe at most. The rest of you are cut! It's 2 LR vs the 2 Delmans, stay tuned! UPS has some special deliveries coming on Monday :)

Is it bad that I just want the weekend to be over so I can compare all the boots?

Here's the last contender: (yay to ActiveEndeavors for the coupon code!)

Love this look

I think this JCrew cardi is a little thin for my liking, but I'm addicted to ruffles! (can you tell yet?)

Whatcha doing next Tuesday?

That's what I thought...Head over to Beauty Fixx '07 for a night of ::you guessed it:: drinking and shopping, and even a little pampering :)

Complimentary cocktails and chocolates! Mmmm, how can you say no to that?

Love Rocks Boutique will be featuring their clothing and accessories, and there will be $15 mini facials, $10 mini manicures, $15 scalp massages & blowdries, as well as PR accessories and products (love the lip gloss!).
Make sure you RSVP to BonnieLove@PRScene.com if you plan to attend! (That way they can save a goody bag for you)

It's the season of giving...

Boots dilemma

A scary glimpse (if you're my husband or any male on this planet for that matter) into my inner monologue as I ride the metro to work on a not-so-cold Monday morning:

This is what I call a boot dilemma.
There once was a pair of foxy boots:
That I fell in lurve with a long long time ago (think months and months...that's a long time for someone with Erg-DNA).

But to resist the evil lemming (and save the wallet from torture), and because I couldn't get my hands on them to even try them on, I settled upon these (still quality, and probably a more "useful" color):

and these

So while the Delman Dharmas that I scored on 2 separate awesome sale occasions (Shoes.com's 25% off back in September and Bloomies 40% off a few weeks ago) are sitting in my closet *unworn* at the awesome find of a 2-for-1 price...I think I rather have the Loeffler Randalls up top. Hmmm, the thing is I don't need 2 pairs of "Robin Hood" boots (as Jeremy would say) in my life. Though I did justify the first 2 pairs: 1 for inclement weather (the goatskin Delmans) and 1 for sunny fall/spring (suede Delmans) weather.

So what does an Erg do? Well, the LR are sold out everywhere, unless you are a size 9 and want them in black (then hit up the Purse Store in Bethesda). These rarely go on sale (supply and demand, duh) and they just came up for presale in my size in that awesome tan color at Neimans, so my finger slipped on the order and hit submit. I'm hoping they arrive sooner than later, but expected ship date is "no later than January 20, 2008". Happy new year feet!

Let's hope they don't actually fit :P and all can stay as originally planned with just 1 pair of Delmans in my closet (but then which ones would I send back?). I'm actually scared because I read that the LR run about a half size small, so I should've sized up (but I couldn't in this color, wah!). I'll bind my feet if I have to! But then, what if the LR are the perfect fit? Well then, I'll need to keep at least one pair of the Delmans to round out my flat boot wardrobe right?

Moral of the story, never settle. Why? Well, I should've bought that pink tank ring at Cartier in Paris back in December of 2003 but I didn't and now it's discontinued and sold out and I would've need it custom ordered to my size...and the sales lady offered but she was a snoot and ::sigh:: I never got it.

Stay tuned for the boot dilemma follow-up...

Candles!

So while I told Summy we were headed out for a short Saturday afternoon stroll to upper Gtown, we were really going to Sugar to fill our void of the Grapefruit scented Makes Scents candle. Mmmmm, really love this candle. And oddly enough, so does the Mr.

But that reminds me that I've found another great scent, it's season but still so yummy! Slatkin & Co (I found this one at Cusp, but also sold at Saks and Neimans) has a Holiday scent out and it's just the perfect blend of pine, with spice, and you can almost imagine a holiday pie baking in the background. It definitely brings together all things tied to Christmas in a scent and I highly recommend this one!


Next weekend, I'll probably have Summy in tow to get a backup Holiday candle (at Cusp, gotta peruse the replenished sale rack too) in case we run out before December is up.

Head over to Gtown!

Our adventures

Last night we went to Avenue Q at the National Theatre. Love, love , love every song and the whole show just rocked. Such talent!We also splurged a teeny bit (Jeremy's only study break from the hell that is law school finals) and got some nice seats :) I'm such a needy person that I don't think movies cut it in my life, but shows like this...really really rock!

See you there!

I definitely need my bubbly.
Click on the image to RSVP and for more info!

My inbox was cluttered w/ NEW Codes

I'm making an extra special effort to get the blog back up and running, but for now I wanted to share some Holiday love (coupon codes!). It's almost Black Friday, so all the retailers are ramping up sales with their Friends & Family codes. Enjoy!

Bloomingdales.com Free Shipping ($100+): FS1121

Saks.com 10% off: SHOPSAKS10, Free Shipping (HOLIDAY7)

NeimanMarcus.com Free Shipping at any price: WINTER

Sephora 20% off: FF2007, Clutch1 (for an awesome gift set)

Nike.com 20% off: 2PCTH7E

Ann Taylor Loft 25% off: 10701080 (11/15-11/18)

OverstockJeweler.com 15% off: PRESALE2 (exp 11/26)

Nordstrom.com Free Shipping w/ $100+ order: HOLIDAY07 (exp 12/19)

Kiehls.com complimentary gifts: PEARTREE, 20% off: FRIDAY

Urban Outfitters: 10% off (exp Nov 30th) CODE:MYSTATE109

Linens N' Things: 25% off (exp Nov 28th) CODE: FFOCT07

flight001.com 25% off code DAILYCANDY07

Banana Republic 20% off w/ no min purchase: BRHOLIDAY (exp 12/25), 15% off MYBRGIF...YOU CAN STACK THESE! but you have to use a visa for the 2nd code to work

Revolve Clothing (big giant sale going on right now! And this works on sale items) 25% off: Lucky4

JCPenney 30% off: CHEER

RunningSkirts.com 30% off : Skirthanks (exp 11/30)

luckybrandjeans.com code: 7FFEM (11/14-11/17)

L’Occitane 25% off: FNF25

Restoration Hardware 20% off: HEMFF701

WeTaketheCake.com 20% off: early7

Club Monaco: Coupon below

Ack so busy, but had to share!

Sephora F&F time!
Enter FF2007 for 20% off your entire purchase! This code is only valid online, for 20% off in store you have to be friends or family (duh) of a Sephora employee :P

Pumpkin Patch Report coming soon!

Almost too good to be true

Antica Farmacista is 25% off the entire store (you can't really understand how exciting this is unless you've been waiting for some store, any store, to give some kind of break on these awesome diffusers for like 4 months)!

I'm squealing with excitement! Yay! Now to widdle my order down.

Enter DAILYCANDYANTICA at checkout :)

It's Friday! Go workout before you do your thang!

What a cool concept for runners!

WalkJogRun is a site that you can map out running routes on, save them for later reference, and share with others. I know that USATF and Nike's Plus program both have varieties of this nature, but I always like having more choices.

My favorite aspect of this particular version is that after you enter the zip code of interest, you can then filter runs based on distance, duration, and even difficulty level. You can even tell it your intended walking or running speeds and it recalculates based on that! Cool tools!

Loving this look

It's times like these that I wish we lived in NYC.

Don't get me wrong, I've grown very fond of D.C. but we never seem to get the cool exhibits. Grumble grumble. I want to tour this place.

Don't give me the credit for this find because I stumbled upon this picture on another blog, and to be honest I'm not sure how I stumbled on that blog to begin with (but I love it).

Without further ado, a gorgeous bedroom! A little vintage, alotta chic, and just overall cozy and perfect for the upcoming Winter (do we even get one? it's like 80 right now...blegh!)

Without this inspirational picture, I may have passed on the rug, instead it's made its way to my froogle wishlist:

Got myself a lunch pail, well bag

I feel like I'm in 2nd grade again, but the lack of healthy, affordable, well no, just healthy food options near my new office has forced me to resume my bring your lunch routine.

While the standard small shopping bags (I consider them more like mementos or trophies) from Sephora, Neiman Marcus, and the like often work, I saw someone on my commute carrying the cutest and seemingly most practical lunch bag. They're insulated AND machine-washable.

I bring to you BuiltNY and there awesome neoprene-designed bags. I was browsing their online store and recognized a lot of the beer and wine carriers, so go figure that I'd find their lunch bag assortment to be full of character as well.

While I thought about sincerely channeling my inner youth with one of the Munchler designs:

I ended up with a slightly more sophisticated (shall we call it that) Getaway Lunch tote:

Also, my sandwiches are pretty stylish as well. I carry them in this Wonderbread samich holder :)

Catching up on blogging, stay tuned

No time, no time :(

Right about now, I really need cloning technology to hurry up.

I need at least 2 more of me between work, travel planning, (pretending) to workout, photography class, grocery list making, menu planning, ordering my chef (JDogg) around, being sick, visiting friends, etc.

Don't get me wrong, my favorite hobby is being busy.

We were out of town for the past 2 of 3 weekends, and so I'm still playing catch-up.

That being said, the new job is making a dent in my blogging :( But I am still an avid blog reader (is that even allowed?). I have to stay current/ahead with the technology blogs in my new role but that means that Google Reader can still feed some nice little fashion and fun stuff tidbits in between the portable DNA and touch-enabled screens I'm researching.

Check out my "shared" links on the Google Reader heading to the right. It's my favorite stuffs for the hundreds of posts I read each day :)

As time permits, I will try to highlight my very favorite links over there as unique posts on here. Tata!

hair research & ideas

cut:

Color:

If only I had patience

I'm battling the same cold that it seems everyone else on the metro, at the gym, and even message boards I frequent seems to be battling. Joy!

Combine that with the embarrassingly chipped and summery pink toe nail polish I'm sporting, and we've got a pedicure emergency!

Since J has class late on Tuesday nights, my incentive to go home in a rush isn't quite the same as most other work days. As much as I loved my previous pedicure (and yes, really it rocked), getting up to Adams Morgan on a weeknight all the way from my job in suburbia VA and it just isn't going to happen. In my desperation, I decided I didn't have the patience to wait until the weekend to walk up to Adams Morgan.

I consulted my favorite Yelp resource yet again for another "more local" salon within a reasonable walking distance to our place. Ibiza Day Spa had about 20 raving reviews on their services and I was convinced/desperate enough to try it out.

I had a little trouble finding exactly where on 24th/Pennsylvania they were located but with the help of my Crackberry's mapping features, I was pointed straight to the McFadden's building. It's in that building but on the 24th St side of it, tricky if you're not paying attention :P

Anyway, they carry only Essie colors (can't complain about that), and I found one of the fall colors I had been desperately "craving" at my last pedicure. (My toenails were too short and it was still too hot out, so I was talked out of it last month)

The pedicure itself was short (very short) and sweet. For $45 I would've hoped for a little more than a 30 second lotion/massage. I basically soaked my feet in a lukewarm tub for 10 minutes, had my cuticles pushed back, 35 seconds on each foot with the pumice stone, a little lotion, and then had my nails painted. I think this woman was as tired as I was, and not really rushed but definitely just not into the pedicure =/

Oh well, such is life. I "cheated" on my favorite pedicure salon (remember how happy I was last month?) and as a result I ended up with an overpriced mediocre pedicure experience. I knew I should've waited until the weekend. On the plus side, I didn't have to walk as far and my nail color rocks: Decadent Diva by Essie :)

Another one to add to your favs

After 3 years of using the excuse, "sorry I'm not from around here"...I'm realizing that while I am a proud Cali transplant (the part about being proud to be from Cali more than being proud of being a transplant, I think) I am pretty resourceful on providing directions to suburbanites having trouble navigating this city's wonderful circles. At the same time, that's a little sad because my brain's database for distinguishing VA from MD depends heavily on metro-stop names.

I'm easily amused and thankful for the basic website that helps me get from point A to point B, figure out what point B is, and even enable a pit stop along the way.

Hopstop was brought to my attention by a local style blog I lurve at DCStyleMag. Now you have a dandy little tool that helps you figure out the most optimum route (not just driving directions) based on your public transportation preferences in certain cities. While limited to just 8 cities in the US so far, this is a pretty helpful little site for my old friends in SF and those in DC as well. The database has been setup to include Chicago, Boston, NYC, and a few other surrounding areas. Take a look!

New addition to the accessories

A little glitch in the gift-giving/receiving around here, but enough explaining (and I'm definitely not complaining--crap, that rhymed, ugh!).

I introduce you to my new enamel bracelet from Hermes! I love that they (Hermes people) were thoughtful enough to design these in 2 sizes, so that I can finally wear a cuff without worrying that it'll fall off. Yes, I've lost Tiffany's bracelets that way (but it was from my ex-bf so who cares :P )

While the story is a little overdue, Jdogg and I went to the secret opening of Bloomingdales up in Chevy Chase. Truth be told, I pretty much dragged him but it was one of the last free afternoons I knew I would have for a while and you received a $25 giftcard each for you and your friend for attending that day. Clearly he had no choice :P

On our way to Bloomies, I had a return to make at Neiman's and I casually walked by the Hermes boutique to see if they had any orange signature enamel bracelets in stock (they didn't when I strolled through the week before). Lucky me, they had one in the smaller size and J loved it on me. Given that he wasn't aware graduations might be a gift-giving event (or that birthdays deserve cakes :P ) he convinced me to take it home as my MSEE graduation gift :) Better late than never, yay! I love him for not making me feel materialistic (although this blog certainly makes me look that way...yikes)!

FOXY

Thankfully my new laptop (work issued) is teeny and doesn't force me to invest in a monstrous manly laptop bag. Not that I should be investing in any bags at the moment, because... ::cough cough:: someone finally got their dream Chanel flap bag! (she deserves a dedicated post, but due to my newly limited leisure time, that will have to wait)

With the dressy conservative environment, come the suits and the fancier (fashionable large leather purses posing as laptop cases not so acceptable) or should I say, more sophisticated, laptop bags. This playing dress-up and grown-up suits me well I think.

I've got my eye on you, you pretty little bag. And it has the classic feel meets a little fashion (thanks Marc Jacobs) as well as the functional shoulder strap that adds a little old school feel to it.
Thumbs up!

I'm an Auntie!

I now present you Mr. A.J. McG :)

I'm so proud of the new parents! They really make this baby-stuff look easy :)

Everyone is healthy and doing amazingly well. Aiden was a whooping 8 lbs 7 ozs and Mom was tough enough to go au naturel! She's my hero!

He's too cute for words or pictures, but be ready for many more pictures to come. We'll be visiting him again next weekend.

Another pair of shoes that deserves to be owned in all 3 colors

Nordies strikes again:

Sitting at home, enjoying my new candle

I'm sitting on the couch and getting ready for Day1's workout recommended by Jillian Michael's Making the Cut, but I got distracted and had to share.

I'm so loving my new home fragrance (candle) and I really didn't expect to like it so much that now I'm torn between not lighting it in an effort to prolong its life and of course using it because it's so yummy. Perhaps it was the rest of the ambiance of my new favorite boutique, but my sister and I walked into Sugar two weeks ago and I immediately was drawn by the clean, warm, and inviting scent of their Grapefruit candle. It was the Grapefruit Tropical candle from MakesScents. Their website shows that they only sell wholesale :( so I hope you can find them at a local boutique.

At almost twice the price, I still wanted to share my other favorite candle scent. Tocca's Feu de Touch is the perfect combination of romance (sweet) and spa (relaxing). I'm the worst at describing scents or tastes, but trust me on this one it's fab!

However, if you're looking for something to last while providing a continuous lovely aroma, props go to my best friend C for getting me what is now my favorite, the Antica Farmacista Tuberose Home Diffuser. It took three other failed attempts at finding a diffuser that a.)worked as in provided any scent, b.) didn't need daily flipping of the reeds, and c.) didn't reek after a while. The diffuser lasted us a good 3 months, and I placed it near our entryway so as to be greeted with it's welcoming scent. Absolutely love and recommend this for everyone!

Some lovely clutches

Lauren Merkin Metallic Lambskin Louise Clutch (in gunmetal), BCBG Leather Clutch, Lauren Merkin Lambskin Louis Clutch (in black)

I'm not shopping, but if I was I would get...

Development Inverted Pleat Cami:


Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent Crew Neck Blouse:


Theory Liza Short-sleeve Turtleneck:


Nanette Lepore San Michelle Top and Cappella Top:

Wine Tour!

I'm too tired and lazy to do a write-up right now, so click on the picture for Colleen's. We totally agree on all the winery evaluations :)

and the slideshow of course:

Work bag possibilities

(l to r: Rachel Nasvik Tabitha Tote, JCrew Luxe Leather Maddy Bag --I see a Miu Miu bow satchel inspiration--, Banana Republic Somerset Croc-embossed Large Satchel--very YSL Muse inspired--)