Because I couldn't sleep Part 2

LILO

1. What is your first name? Lilo

2. What is your favorite food? BBQ Ribs

3. What high school did you go to? Pope

4. What is your favorite color? Sky blue

5. Who is your celebrity crush? Daniel Henney

6. Favorite drink? Green Tea smoothie

7. Dream vacation? Vienna

8. Favorite dessert? Ice cream

9. What do you want to be when you grow up? A Disney princess :)

10. What do you love most in life? Bumming around

11. One word to describe you. Daydreamer

12. Your flickr name. non-existent

1. Lilo & Stitch Cake, 2. Ribs, 3. I'm the Pope? (Rome), 4. Just hanging around, 5. daniel henney, 6. Green Smoothie...yum!, 7. Wien, 8. Good News Ice Cream!, 9. cinderella, 10. just hanging around, 11. "DayDreamer", 12. One Post

Need your advice...

Shasha,

I really wanted to see you this past weekend so you can give me honest advice. When I ask JW for opinions he only asks about the price and makes his decision on that :P. Is the Botkier Sasha in medium too small, big or just right on me? I was thinking of using it as an everyday bag, so it has to hold alot of junk. I had wanted it in the large size, but couldn't find it in stores to compare. And I'm nervous about keeping it because I'm worried if the curling of the straps would annoy me too much. But I'm not sure if I want the cheaper BR version because it brings up our whole conversation around faking/imitating a brand name/style. Am I going around in circles over something so inane? LOL. I even asked for advice on tPF...check out my deliberation: http://forum.purseblog.com/botkier/advice-needed-on-botkier-sasha-359338.html

Am I goth or not?

Hi T,

So I got this dress in Taiwan like 5 years ago. I last wore it to church 3 years ago, and a girl sitting direcly behind me was whispering to her boyfriend, "that lady is so goth!" I remember thinking a) who you calling lady? b) goth? what the heck, I thought this was kinda classic/Audrey Hepburn-ish.

So I held off on wearing it for many years, fearing I would get goth comments again. Anyways, I decided to wear it anyways to church today. The funny thing is I saw a stylish granny and her little grand-daughter in completely black/white today too, with checkered & polka dot patterns. K was pointing out to them, saying "hey look, you guys match!"

Coffee Prince

Shasha,

After talking to you about kdrama, I went to dramabeans.com and read her recap of ALL 17 episodes last night. And even though I was only reading the summaries, I still cried!! Sigh...such a great drama. I now want to watch it all over again just to see my crush - the music producer. Here's my favorite song from the series:

Saturday recap. . .the perfect day for a homebody :)

Hi Thao,

Since we didn’t get to go to the big city this weekend, K and I decided to eat lots of tasty Jja Jang Mein today! We got 3 orders. . .1 order of super spicy, and 2 orders of non-spicy to balance out the spicy one so that it was edible. K spent the whole time sweating while we were picking out the tiny green peppers.

We also went to the bookstore, where K spent his time flipping through watch magazines. . .I on the other hand, flipped through Dwell, Fast Company, Vogue, and Women’s Health. I’ve realized my attention span is SUPER short now!! I couldn’t stand reading entire articles, and instead scanned through them, wishing they had bullet points for the highlights.

This is what I wore today:

As part of my goal to wear stuff I never wear, my outfit today included a tank top I bought 5 years ago but wore only once, and a blue cardigan I brought 2 years ago and maybe wore twice.

Hey, do you remember these shoes I got on ebay like 6 years ago for like $50? I’ve never worn them because I always thought they were too high, but after taking them out a couple weeks ago, I realized they’re not so high anymore! They’re a little tight though, so I was planning on ebay-ing them. However. . .the pics of your oxford below are inspiring me to keep them. . . what do you think – keep or sell?

I think I’m to the point where I can handle ~3 inch heels. I think if I wore 4 inch heels though, I would end up stumbling like the models at the Prada Milan show – check out video below!

Roll Tide!!

Shasha,

Here's Caleb cheering for Alabama! Did Ervy watch Michigan defeat Wisconsin today? You should get him a Michigan jersey :)

Saturday Evening Post

Hey S -

Here's the outfit I wore today to my friend's party:

(JCrew dress, Old Navy camisole, Banana Republic cardigan)

And though this isn't a recent purchase, I've only worn them a couple times. I really love these shoes, though my feet get super tired by the end of the day since they're so high!

(Circa Joan & David black oxford peep toe pumps)

 

American Pie

Hey Shasha,

I'm so sad that we didn't get to go shopping today...boo to the gas shortage! Well, I went shopping online and decided today's theme is everything American. So, to start it off, you have to listen to my new favorite song, American Boy by Estelle.

Ok, so I was on the Neiman Marcus website and was looking through Michael Kor's 2008 fall line...and it's beautiful! He's classic, simple yet interesting, polished and has a throw-back look that reminds me of the 50s (I can totally see the characters of Mad Men wearing some of this stuff). I think as a designer, he's as great as other American icons -  Norman Rockwell, Aaron Copeland and apple pie!

(Photos from www.neimanmarcus.com)

Images from the Sartorialist. . .

Hi T,

2 images stuck in my head as I was scrolling through the Sartorialist archives today . . .

Here's #1:
Now doesn't that shirt above bring back memories of something? Like when you, my mom, and I went shopping at Zara over a month ago, and me and my mom tried on the same shirt -- that funky long, gray, thin, and oversized sweater? The sweater that was so cute, but had huge saucer things somehow exactly positioned over the boob area? Sigh, I still think about that shirt - if only it didn't have those booby saucers! Anyways, maybe I should have listened to my momma instead of myself, and gotten it - maybe this trend will be cropping up everywhere. Her facial expression seems to say "now don't you wish you got that UFO saucer booby shirt when you saw it! Maybe then you'll be captured on the Sartorialist!"

I may have to add UFO booby shirt to my list of fall "must have" items :)

Onto the next one - here is #2:
This chick is wearing like 5 colors, but in like 2 shades each! I was drawn to her shoes at first, then realized how cool the rest of her outfit is. Seeing her make those tights work, makes me want to get purple opaque tights too (and in sapphire and gray)! I want a beanie too. and some 2-tone oxford flats. and that cool blue dress.

*Photos courtesy of thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

I wanna be like Mike

. . .like Michael JACKSON, that is!

Thao, remember I was ogling the RM Matinee, but laughing over how the Purse Blog was pointing out that it looks like Michael Jackson's Thriller Jacket? Well, I think I may have found the perfect complement to the bag - check it out.

Here's the bag. . .(pic courtesy of www.Purseblog.com)
Here's Michael in action (pic also courtesy of www.Purseblog.com)


Now here's the jacket to pull it all together! (pic courtesy of www.shopbop.com)


hahaha, someone has been watching some 80s music videos!

This Weekend

Shasha,
Can't wait to see you this weekend! Did you see the posts from childhood flames where she went shopping with her friend at Barneys? We should totally take a camera this Sat to the mall.

Hey, I found this amazing color wheel of bags in a past post from Melanie's blog: http://www.platinumblondelife.com/. Also, on her tuesday post she found some really cute oxfords, which reminded me of what you're looking for the other day...we should check out Payless this weekend too!
You can check out the post for all the bag names: http://www.platinumblondelife.com/2008/04/bright-is-new-black.html

Tuesday Fuglies

Random musings today.

1. Our internet/cable was out earlier tonight, so JK and I went to watch Wanted at the dollar theatre - it was hilarious - I was laughing 70% of the time even though the action scenes probably weren't intended to be funny.

Angelina Jolie is a hottie, but she was way too skinny in this movie :( she seriously looked scary, like a skeleton.

2. Meet the Fuglies - yeah, they're ugly, but I like them!



3. Even though JK didn't support me getting the travel wallet we've been contemplating, he did say that maybe he'll blog on our website! Here's JK and the alien. JK's wearing his church clothes, and the alien is wearing his pug disguise.

4. I want to go to Austria to visit this outsider art museum -- Gugging. It's tied to a psych institution where a number of its artists are housed. . .

Shopping For...Coin Purses

Hey S,
Since you mentioned that you're looking for a coin purse, I thought I'd help you along by going shopping for the cute little doo-dads. Though I usually don't have any coins to put in them...they are addictively collectable. I want all of these!

New Toy!

Hey S,

After having a laptop for years (provided by my previous job) it has been a very difficult transition to go back to a desktop computer now that I'm no longer with the company. After 2 months of having to fight JW for access and time at the desk, I decided to get my own laptop. Here it is, my new shiny black Asus EEE 1000H. It's tiny, only 10 inches and 3 lbs...so cute and super cheap!

Now here's my next dilemma. Should I keep this green clutch from BR? I love the color because I think it would pop with any outfit. I got it on sale for less than $50 (was $120 at full price)...but what do you think of embossed/stamped leather? Does it look nice enough for a dinner out...or too cheap (in the bad way)?

Faking It

Shasha, how do you feel about fakes? I admit, that in college I was totally up for buying a fake purse, because I had no money and thought it's a good substitute until I could afford something real. And I kept trying to find one...in NYC's Chinatown and on the streets of Taiwan...but I was never able to find something that I liked. I was SO jealous when friends came back from their trips with the cutest Coach purse or Prada wallet...all fake and cheap!

Then, when I started reading on the Purse Forum and everyone on there decried and denounced buying fake bags, I started to ponder...is buying fake bags that bad? Some claim that buying fakes will fund organized crime and terrorist groups (kind of a stretch) and robs the intellectual property rights of the designers (this I can understand). But since there is actually no consequence for buyers (only sellers) the only downside is if you try to pass something off as real and then someone called you out for it - oh the shame of it!

So, I have a thing for LV (as you may know) and if you asked me a month ago if I would buy a fake LV, I would cringe and say...goodness no! But lately, I've seen some really really good fakes out there. I like to read up on all the tips on how to authenticate a bag (date code, heat stamp, etc.) and I make sure to get everything authenticated before I buy on EBay...but there have been times when my step falters and my mind starts to wander. Could I get a fake? Would I? Should I?

Oh who am I kidding? In this day of excellent fakes and bad economy, I'm not one to judge. I certainly wouldn't be struck by lightning if I buy something "designer inspired," and I definitely do not look down on others buying fake stuff...each person has their own prerogative on how they spend their money. In some ways it might be better to get something obviously faked (like the LV "Fake" Speedy) than something trying very hard to be real. But the question is, where is my line drawn in the sand? Where's yours?

Photo is from an exhibit called "Wake Up Andy Warhol" at the Ssamzie Gallery by Korean artist Zinwoo Park:

putting in some effort. . .

T,

remember this shirt I got from BR like 6 years ago?
It's been on the chopping block like 5 times since then - I'm always on the verge of donating it! I had only worn it maybe a total of 2 times, so I decided to force myself to wear it on Sunday. At one time they were too short to wear with lower rise pants, so I guess good thing higher waisted stuff is back.

Here's the outcome of me putting in a little more effort (skirt! tights! all unusual for lazy ol' me).

It still needs some accessories to make it more interesting, but at least I'm trying. . .slowly but surely, hopefully.

anyways, we recently discovered what the Erv does when we're not looking - check it out. We think he's actually an alien with uncommon intelligence :)

staring at shoes

Hi T,I really want some oxford shoes, but am debating between high heel (hell) oxfords and flat oxfords. The campers on the top right are flats- I'm thinking it may look a little frumpy because the front isn't too sharp - what do you think? Realistically, the Franco Sartos on the bottom right is what fits my budget. . .

I think I've yet to spend >$120 on a pair of shoes. I guess if I had to pick between an expensive purse or shoes, I'm going with the purse! Shoes look nice and all but at the end of the day, you can't hug them - dirty ;)

S

Lazy Saturday

Hi Thao,

Long live sleepyheads! I was feeling especially sleepy today, and woke up around noon - I guess it wasn't that bad considering I went to sleep late last night. However, I took a nap at 3:00pm today :) I amaze myself sometimes.

Regarding your Saturday morning revelation. . .I agree that we don't push the envelope in terms of what we wear – we are definitely not as fashionable as chictopians or people captured on the Satorialist! The ironic part is that we do actually like the unique items out there, and aren’t that conservative in our taste - it’s just that our taste doesn’t get translated to what we actually end up wearing.

• I know I gravitate towards unique items, but my problem is that I just end up pairing it with jeans or black pants, etc. Perhaps I hate being “matchy-matchy” because it can draw attention and because it may looks too commercial, but I definitely need to put more thought into what I wear instead of falling back on the basics to complete a look. I also need to stop shying away from accessories such as belts, scarves, different necklaces, etc.

• I’ve noticed that my work clothes are really not my style at all! I just end up buying whatever is durable, easy to take care of, and cheap. . .I’m not a big fan of 75% of the clothes/shoes I buy for work. . .

I say we stand up to our self-consciousness (and perhaps laziness on my part), and start to put more effort into what we wear and be bold enough to wear what we really like!

Weekend Shopping

Hey Shasha,
I went to Anthropologie to look for that bag you recommended, but they didn't have it at the store...sniff. So, I headed over to LV and finally got an extender for my Epi pochette. Here is Cleopatra holding it:

While at LV, I saw a really cool new wallet called Insolite. It's like a travel wallet, the outside is monogram while the inside is a bright color (ivory, purple, red or green)...so cute!

Then, I picked up two things from Banana Republic. What do you think...keep or return? (Ring is $24 and long sweater is $60.)

Saturday Morning Revelation

S -
On some Saturdays, I like to sleep in late sometimes even to noon! But this morning, I had the house to myself so I got up early to do some of my favorite things...eating cereal in my pjs and reading magazines while watching VH1's music countdown.

I was reading a great article about Isaac Mizrahi and it spoke to how I feel about fashion. I feel that some are born with style, others achieve stylishness and some will keep trying and fail miserably (the latter is me!). In Mizrahi's new book, How to Have Style, he helps ordinary women find their fashion personalities by developing an inspiration board of their favorite images, ideas and inner yearnings. He says that, "You can't have style without being inspired."

It makes me think...how am I inspired? What inspires me? Sigh, I dunno. These days I'm just happy to be a passer-by in life...not wanting to be noticed by others. Stuff I wear is passable and coordinated...but what makes something fashionable and chic? When I was younger I took more chances in life, willing to try and fail and even wanting to be seen as different! Once in junior high, I went to church dressed in loose black pants, white shirt and a pretty pink/blue/yellow plaid tie because I saw it in a mag and loved the preppy juxtaposition between men's clothes on girls. Was I crazy? Daring? Still can't believe that my mom let me out of the house that day! LOL...I miss that girl.

Ebay Loot

Shasha,
Nice wallet! It's too pretty to be sitting at home...you need to take it out and let it see the world. I really like your new purchases, especially the bright blue Botkier. Makes me want one too!

JW agrees with JK regarding the purses...basically not worth the money. But I think each person has their own poison, because doesn't JK have a thing for watches?

As for my loot, it just came yesterday. This is only the third time I've bought clothes from ebay. The first time I struck out with an ill-fitting shirt...but the second time I got my beautiful wedding dress for a steal! This time I was bidding on a whim and didn't think I'd win.

I got 6 new items from BR for $70!!! Here they are: purple and blue lattice blouse, green silk blouse, black stretch short-sleeve button up, purple short-sleeve sweater and a white linen jacket.




And guess what happened tonight? I hit my chin while working out with a weight bar! It got scraped and bruised along with my collar bone. Check out my battle scars...oh the things I do for purses!

Recent Loot!

Hey T,

Just 3 weeks ago my affinity for shopping reared its ugly head again, after being dormant for almost 2 years. What set it off was the shopping trip I went on with you and my mom. Is there an epidemic going around? I now find myself strangely obsessed with purses, but am relieved that there are fellow purse addicts out there even crazier than I am!

Let's take a look at my recent loot.

1. Here's my Botkier Shasha in Sapphire - I kept staring and staring at this online, but what prompted me to finally get it was the 20% off deal, as well as the free return shipping should I need it.


When I was trying to decide whether I should get it or not, JK asked me to stop obsessing and to just go check it out at a store. However, this was not an option since I live out in the frontier where there isn't a Nordstrom/Neiman/Saks! By the way, JK doesn't understand the appeal of purses - he thinks they are nothing special. Is this the deal with JW as well?

2. On my recent trip to the outpost/big city, I came across this Cynthia Rowley Martha at 75% off:

I think this one fulfilled my convertible obsession.

3. My momma got me a wallet! It's my first expensive wallet, and I don't want to put money in it - I only want to put clean, new things in it :)


So this all started with purses (I blame Thao for the bad influence!), then slowly, but surely, migrated on to shoes. I think I'm basically done with my purse obsessions (no funds basically!) and I've managed to hold off any any recent shoe purchases, but I don't know how long I can keep my guard up!

S

David Yurman Candy

Hey Shasha,
Is it a sign of me getting old if I'm starting to like David Yurman? JW calls it old lady jewelry...but I don't care. David Yurman rings are pretty little pieces of candy...one is not enough! I want a ring in every color - a rainbow of baubles.