Last chance to win this bling, and Happy Mother’s Day!

Palladium’s FANtastic sweepstakes ends today! Enter for the chance to win two $1,200 palladium 9ct blue topaz and diamond rings by Zeghani, which was voted a fan favorite in a recent poll.

Here’s how to sign up:

1. Go to facebook.com/luxurypalladium.
2. On the bar, click on the ‘FANtastic Sweepstakes’ button on the right hand side of the screen.
3. Click to ‘LIKE’ Palladium.
4. Fill out the form and submit.

The contest ends TODAY, May 13, 2012. See sweepstakes page for official rules. Good luck!

Celebrity moms that love Palladium include Ali Landry, Ashlee Simpson, Kelly Rutherford, Kristin Davis, Kyle Richards, Lisa Rinna, Melissa Rycroft, and Pam Anderson.  Ali Landry was recently spotted wearing the ring at The Palazzo Las Vegas.

Happy Mother’s Day to my own mom, as well as to all the glamorous moms out there. Hope you get what you’ve been wishing for!

H&M brings sustainability to the fashion forefront

Anyone else notice the (kind of) new Conscious Collection from H&M? Hint: it’s got a lot of lace and florals! As far as I know, there’s been a Conscious Collection since at least the fall/winter, but just in time for warmer weather, H&M’s rolled out a bunch of fresh styles. Love that this fashion giant is taking the initiative to bring sustainable style to the mainstream, breathing new life into post-consumer waste by “upcycling” it into covetable pieces. Even better, you can snag some of them for ten bucks or less.

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A lot of the styles have since sold out, but what I’m after is something with this simple peach floral print on it. There are at least five pieces with this very same print, but I’ve tried them all on and unfortunately they fit me terribly. Either way, props to H&M for setting a bold standard in the mass retail industry. Can’t wait to see what they roll out next!

Win a $1,200 bling ring from Palladium!

Howdy doo! I know, I’ve been lazier than ever about blogging, but I’m going to start posting again soon. In the meantime, just wanted to inform you of a sweepstakes in which one of two palladium 9ct topaz and diamond rings by Zeghani is up for grabs. I entered, and you should too! That deep blue color is amazing.

If you’re not familiar with palladium, it’s a luxury silver-white metal preferred by celebs like Ashlee Simpson, Kelly Rutherford, Kristin Davis, Kyle Richards, Lisa Rinna, Melissa Rycroft, and Pam Anderson. Better still, this metal is lightweight, durable, and does not tarnish.

Here’s how to sign up:

1. Go to facebook.com/luxurypalladium.
2. On the bar, click on the ‘FANtastic Sweepstakes’ button on the right hand side of the screen.
3. Click to ‘LIKE’ Palladium.
4. Fill out the form and submit.
   

The contest ends on May 13, 2012. See sweepstakes page for official rules. Good luck!

Love Is Making Its Way Back Home

Wanted to share a song I can’t get enough of. Came across “Love Is Making Its Way Back Home” by Josh Ritter on The Etsy Blog this week. Love the song, but love the music video even more. It’s entirely animated using more than 12,000 construction paper figures, no special effects! Hope this wonderfully whimsical tune/video tugs at your heartstrings, or at least inspires you to get more creative.

Handmade Valentine’s Day craft ideas from Free People

I just got an email from Free People about Handmade Love, a neat little DIY (do it yourself) pre-Valentine’s Day event they’re hosting in select stores this Saturday, February 11th, from 12 to 3 p.m. Stop by your local Free People store to pick up an outfit for your hot date, and to make a sweet little keepsake for your beloved Valentine.

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The unraveling letter

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Fabric scrap gift cards

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Embroidered card

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DIY mini book

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Every store will be featuring a different craft. It looks like all the New York stores will be doing embroidered cards. Some stores will feature live music, refreshments, food, or special raffles, so check the schedule for what’s happening at the store nearest you.  Not sure I’ll be able to make it since that’s the day of my birthday party, but this definitely gives me ideas on handmade gifts to give my guy.

How will YOU be celebrating Valentine’s Day this year? Any big plans? Nifty gift ideas?

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Where, oh where, is my birthday suit?

I have exactly one week of being 24 left. After that, I’ll be checking off a brand new age range category. I’ve dreaded turning 25 since I hit my quarter life crisis over a year ago, and now that moment is just around the corner. But time stops for no one, so it’s time to just accept facts and age gracefully. On the bright side, I still have five years to turn my 20s around.

To make this difficult transition into the mid-20s a little easier, I decided to have a birthday party and invite all the people I’ve met at different moments of my life, both big and small. If even a fraction of the people I invited show up, I’ll be meeting people I haven’t seen in one, five, ten, fifteen years, all in one night. So obviously the big question is…what on earth am I going to wear?!? No, despite, the title of this post, I won’t be making an appearance in the buff, though I might bare some skin. At least I’ve got the shoe part figured out, though.

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Recently bought the turquoise Nine West AroundTown platform mary janes I’d lusted after all fall, so I won’t pass up a chance to wear them, even if it means prancing around in painful 5 inch heels. Hey, for one night I get to be 5’5!!!

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I’d love to buy a new dress, but being that I don’t know when it is I’ll land a full time job, maybe I should refrain from  spending on something I won’t even get to wear everyday. The one rule I have for my birthday outfit is that it cannot be black. I refuse to ring in 25, a number I’m already struggling with, clad in the color of mourning. NO! I’m gonna give it some thought this weekend. Should I go with these tried-and-true pieces I’ve worn before, or raid my sister’s (decidedly way more glamorous) closet? Both of the following pictures were taken at weddings. Seems I only get dressed up for weddings, and I’m a slob the rest of the time.

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Me, second from left with my siblings, in a one-shoulder XOXO dress I got on eBay, and the red wrap I wore to prom.

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I’m wearing a plain magenta Forever 21 flower dress and Mossimo pewter sandals.
My sister, right, is wearing a gorgeous blue graphic print Alexander McQueen for Target dress.

Sparkles in the winter gloom

Like many women, I’m addicted to colorful, glitzy things. The right accessory can take a plain outfit from boring to brilliant.  I’d been lusting after these Kate Spade Crystal Kaleidoscope earrings for awhile (Kate Spade, originally $98), but couldn’t bring myself to pay almost a hundred bucks for costume jewelry. Sadly, since they went on clearance for $43, they’ve been sold out. Where am I going to get my shiny fix now?

Enter a pair of colorful gem hair clips. When it’s cold, I’m tempted to just roll out of bed, bundle up, and head out the door to get wherever I need to be. I think these clips (Charlotte Russe, $4.50) could brighten up a look without too much effort on my part. They’re pretty spectacular, and only a fraction of what the Kate Spade earrings cost on sale. Haven’t been able to find myself a pair in stores, and I’ve been watching them for months, so I might have to go e-shopping to meet Charlotte Russe’s free shipping minimum. I need a new wardrobe, right? Yes. Can I afford it? Not really. But a certain milestone birthday is right around the corner…

WANTED: more color in my life and wardrobe

Thought I’d try to get at least one more post in before winter is officially upon us. In November, I started a seasonal job at Macy’s as an interviewer/trainer, so essentially I was helping to hire sales associates. That position ended, and this week I started on the floor myself. For the past month, I’ve been wearing the Macy’s signature black-on-black and trying not to look like a funeral attendee. At least I don’t have to think too hard about what I’ll be wearing that day, but I miss beautiful, rich, vivid COLOR. I’ll need to be more creative with my weekend outfits. That’s what I said when I started this blog, and yet here I am, posting for the first time in two months. Let’s play catch-up.

I have an interview on Friday. I probably won’t be wearing black lace tights to this one. l still don’t think it was that bad, but this time I’ll play it safe and go with a pant-and-blazer combo. December 1st marked the one-year anniversary of me leaving my full time job at the newspaper. What now? I want to start 2012 off on a good note, style and otherwise, so let’s see where this all goes.

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October 28, 2011 : Didn’t even go out on Halloween night, but I did attend Yelp Queens’ Halloween shindig. The dress code was 70s/80s night. I knew my mom’s shimmery old Jump Apparel number would come in handy one of these days!

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Sometime in late October: Mossimo olive jacket, Old Navy floral midi-length skirt (purchased on clearance this season for 9 bucks!), Predictions black boots, Sonoma Life + Style scarf, American Eagle Outfitters sweater bag, Fanaberie square ring, hoop earrings purchased on the streets of NYC

Picnic perfect in the park

I live right across the street from a park, and yet in all the time that my guy and I have been together, we’ve never been on a picnic. Last Friday was the perfect New York City autumn day, warm and sunny with just a hint of breeze. We ate, we lazed, and we blew bubbles. Plus I FINALLY got to use the adorable vintage picnic basket I bought on eBay a few years ago. It was a great way to spend what was surely one of the last few days we’ll be able to walk around in short sleeved shirts. I’d be up for picnicking in the late fall and winter, though. Any takers?

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Homemade veggie and (dry) chicken pasta salad with sesame dressing, sloppy but tasty chocolate dipped strawberries, and cold apple cider (not homemade. Wish I could claim credit for that!). And nope, those aren’t my hairy legs.

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Having fun with Jelly Belly (they make stuff other than jelly beans?) apple scented bubbles. Outfit: Charlotte Russe tan crochet trim top, Kenneth Cole Reaction ombre sunglasses (my fave, in case you haven’t noticed by now), Charlotte Russe teal and gunmetal ID bracelet, Fred Flare key necklace, and a tiny silver heart I found and hung from a sterling silver chain.

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Conair jeweled bronze barrettes and antique-look blue stone encrusted heart stud earrings.

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UPDATE: Okay, summer ended on 9/23 this year, so let’s see how I did on sticking to my proposed $100 summer clothing and accessories budget. This is the first and only budget I have ever set for myself, but it probably won’t be the last. I did buy a few things after I got back from Hawaii, mostly cute tops that were on end-of-season clearance for really cheap!

Mossimo floppy sun hat ($12.34) + Maxi dress ($13.60) + graphic tee ($10.41) + two pairs of glass stud earrings ($20.83) + two Charlotte Russe tops, two belts, one necklace, and a jersey dress ($28.63) + two necklaces from Fred Flare warehouse sample sale ($4.36)

Total spent on fashion and accessory items for myself this summer: $90.17. Success!

When spotty color’s a good thing

Summer is officially over, but I’m not ready to completely do away with warmer weather colors just yet. Right now, my “thing” is nail polishes. I just ordered a bottle of the OPI Shatter in black and white today. Can’t wait to get them and start experimenting! In the meantime, however, I will make do with what I already own.

I dug into my nail polish stash today and stumbled across a Hard Candy mini nail polish set my friend gave me in high school (ages ago, obviously). The color I selected (which sadly is now discontinued) is called Static, an iridescent blue-lavender shade I never appreciated until now. The slightly sloppy white dots were created with a bottle of Art Deco by L.A. Colors. You can pick up a couple bottles of these at a local Dollar Tree for a buck each! I was inspired by a nail art post on Refinery 29 to try out an adorable spotted  trend. My simplified version didn’t come out as neat or nice as the nail look sported in the picture, but it was a fun way to dabble in a trend that’s really quite simple to do. Try it! As for me, I’ll practice til I’m perfect : )