Auld Lang Syne.

A boring post, my darling lovies.

1. ENTER MY GIVEAWAY! TELL YA FRIENDS! YAY! :)

2. Thank you to all my readers, old and new, and thanks for making this (half of) 2009 so fun for me every day. I seriously look forward to posting daily (which you should be able to tell with the amount I post!) and look forward to hearing what you think about my style, my picks, and the fashion world in general. You've all been an inspiration to me, too, and as old and cliche as it sounds, it's totally 100% true. I can't wait to start off 2010 with the blogging community!

3. I'm hoping this coming year will bring some changes to my blog, maybe a makeover and some extra goodies. I'd also love to hear more of your suggestions-- I know I said it before, but don't ever hesitate to contact me with your thoughts or questions. I don't find emails annoying-- I find 'em fun. Oh, and expertise is always appreciated. :)

4. SEE YA ON THE OTHER SIDE OF 2010! Have a safe and fun holiday!

Love and gratitude,

Justine

One last one of the day, I swear.

Remember those Steve Madden's I posted a while back? The crinkle metallic with the bow? The ones that are so super old and not found online? I found this on Urban Original's site and thought they were a good look-a-like for those still interested. They're cute! And cheap! And yay!
Also, Chloe? Sorry... I'm coping you fo'realz. I NEED THESE SHOES.

Liliana Bardor D'Orsay heels

And enter my contest! Do it! :)

This is big! GIVEAWAY big!

NOTE: Thanks for the entries; the giveaway is now closed.

This isn't a normal outfit-of-the-day-type-post, no no no...


(Even though I'm diggin' this boyfriend blazer, yes'siree.)

This is a veritable, true-to-life, no lyin' GIVEAWAY!

Yay! Two items for you, lovies:

First up for keeps is this super crazy cute F 21 necklace with a Parisian flare. It pains me to be giving her away as I spotted this pretty in the store today and grabbed it up. I think it will be in a better home with one of my lovies, anyway. :)


Ohh, but that's not all. I also swooned over this pretty wallet/clutch and also want to give it to you. It has a pretty floral print with a shimmery overlay to add some glam. Again, a tough choice for me, but hey... maybe I'll just get one for myself, too. :)

You can see both sides of the print in the first two photos, and the inside with accordion pleating to keep your goodies. Obvi, both of these items are new and never been worn-- bought today at Forever 21 (except for my modeling them!). Although I couldn't come through on the Rodarte belt (dagnabit), I actually like these two babies better. Believe it or not!!

Here's how to enter:

1. Leave me a comment (or email me) with your name and email address so I can contact you. Unfortunately, those who forget to do so will not be able to win (cuz I won't know how to tell you, derrr).
2. Please do not leave me a message in the CBox, as it might get overlooked.
3. Tell me how you might style these pretties! I'd love to know how you'd incorporate them into your wardrobe.

This giveaway will end on 1/2/2010 (that's Saturday, folks!). Get your entries in by then, please! And one entry per person. Merci.

NOTE: I am not affiliated with F21 and their products; these were not provided by the company. They were provided from the bottom of my heart. Oh yeah, and a shopping trip. :)

Oh how I love a new find...

Lookie here at what I was alerted to, mes lovies: www.eshakti.com It's a website that features really cute clothes at great prices, and get this-- all custom to your exact size and specifications. In Dallas, there are a lot of custom men's shirts stores in town, but I've never seen a women's store that will basically tailor to your every need (heh, pun is intended there, yep). The fantabulous Jennifer of eshakti.com emailed me the other day. I have lots of reservations about working with companies on product reviews, because quite frankly, if I wouldn't have reviewed it otherwise, I don't think it's fair. But when I perused the site, I was kinda shocked I hadn't found out about it sooner. When I saw this little beauty, I just knew I had to try it out.
So cute, right? And that's not all. Check out this top-- Wavelet Blouse, anyone?

The best part is that the prices are pretty dern good. For example, our little Anthro look-a-like goes for $49. Oh! and the jewelry is super-fun, too. I'm thinking about ordering this aaaaaand this...


I'll let you know when the jacket comes in how it measures up (heh, more puns, sorry), but if you're already sold on the idea, Jennifer told me they're doing 20% off site-wide just until tomorrow. Check it out!

(OK, and just one more 50's-inspired frock, for all you Mad Men lovers out there):

(Drool.)

Flattered!

Although I've been a spazz about this before, I guess there's no harm in having a little fun and passing it along, no? :)

1. My television is always blaring HGTV. Even right now. I'm a little addicted. (shout out to Color Splash! Love you David, you're my gay boyfriend k thanks.)

2. I'm six years younger than my husband (ohhh jail-bait).

3. I love fashion, but I hate makeup and undergarments (no worries-- I wear both daily). I never spend good money on either, even though they are some of the most important things to spend money on.

4. I know Tim Gunn. Oh wait, you knew that?! heh.

5. I grew up with cats and would love a pet, but the hubs is allergic. I ask him when we can get a pet every day. My mom owns a talking bird. Not my idea of a pet, but whatever.

6. I don't like ice cream. You know, I think I admitted this waaaay back in this blog's inception. But some of you may not have read that, so this counts as something you didn't know, right? Right.

7. I've lived in several different states and went to a total of nine different schools between Kindergarten and 12th grade. Whew!

Here are my nominations for those bloggers who want to participate.
1: Fashionista Diaries
2: Natalie at Fashion, Food and Other Assorted Frivolity
3. The lovely ladies at Shopping the Closet
4. Veronika's Blushing
5. Adored Austin
6. Kansas Couture
7. Last, but certainly not least: Gigi!

Thank you, Jen, for the nomination!

OOTD: what's black and white and spotted all over?

I love getting packages in the mail, especially when I wasn't the one that ordered them. Yesterday, my sister's Christmas package came in the mail. I don't care that it was slightly late-- it makes for a nice post-Christmas surprise! I was super excited to find some of the Forever 21 goodies I wanted, including this awesome corset top from the Twist line (now unavailable online). Slightly kitschy, yes, but I am crazy-pumped about the fun, odd-ball styling options it gives me. I just had to try one out today...

Top: Forever 21 Twist Rosette Corset top (similar here!)
Skirt: Anthropologie's Declarative Skirt
Belt: random?
Sweater: NY & Co antique button Ruffle sweater
Shoes: BCBGirls red patent pumps (similar to these)
Necklaces: Simply Vera Vera Wang flower necklace
Random faux-pearl strand
Express baubles necklace

I plan to wear this with jeans, too... and a boyfriend blazer. I don't think this is the last time you'll be seeing this leeeeettle corset, no no no. Thanks, Bernadette! :-*

In other news, I'm going to try and go to the Aveda Institute to get my hair done. New budgets mean cutting corners... so we'll see how this goes. Honestly, I'm frightened as hell. Eeep!

OOTD: Abstract Art

I have about 5 gagillion pieces in my closet that generally go unused. Some for good reason, some I don't quite understand. Take this awesome Pencey jacket, circa Fall 2008. I got this on super-sale from Shopbop and was totally in love with it... then it sat in my closet forever. Maybe a part of the reason for this is the fringe-- although super-cute, strong winds make this jacket a little hectic. My apartment has no wind. So I thought it was a great time to commemorate it's fantasticness. With another generally unused piece, a dress from Francesca's boutique dated a few summers ago.

Dress: Francesca's Boutique

Jacket: Pencey Fringe Blazer
Necklace: Simply Vera Vera Wang
Shoes: my beloved Steve Madden Tristano

Newest obsession: Bellbottoms

Although this is not a new style, nor is it a new desire of mine, it's recently hit me that I really want to try it. For real. Not just in theory anymore. Of course, I had some stints with the bad boy bellbottoms in the past, but this time, I want to make it streamlined and chic. Here will be my rules (I know, ack, rules, but with a new trend, it's necessary to set some initial boundaries, yes?) :

1. Wear with simple, elegant top. Maybe even something neutral at first, something flowing yet structured. Ohh, like this.

2. Wear with heels, preferably platforms.

3. Find a simple, non-distressed, non-whiskered pair.

Here is the pair I have on my mind:

J brand's lightweight Lovestories

Of course, this is a huge departure from my mostly-skinny denim wardrobe. But maybe that's a change I need. And for sure a nice, new challenge. I like those.

**P.S.: I added a CBox chatter at the sidebar... over there... yep. Don't know if this will be thumbs up or thumbs down, but leave me a message! Lots of 'em! :)

OOTD: Rosey hues

You may be seeing many an OOTD this week. Here are the reasons why:

1. I have this entire week off from work, paid vacation. I'm jealous of myself.

2. I have a tripod. I like it.

3. My time off will allow me to take pictures when there is light outside.

4. I have a lot of cute new things I'm excited about.

5. Photoshop is my lover. (even though I'm still learning how to use it)

I am pretty excited about this outfit. As I put it on, I realized it is very Kim a la Anthroholic. Well, minus the animal print and boots. Otherwise, very her. :)

Dress: Anthro's Bold Boutonniere Dress
Cardi: J. Crew's Rose Corsage Cardi in buff (color not online, in stores only)
Belt: Rodarte for Target Bow Belt (grey leopard; as far as I know, the yellow leopard was almost not available)
Shoes: Go Jane booties in grey
Earrings: Francesca's, long long time ago.

Let me say how much I love this cardigan and especially in this color. It's the perfect "nude" for my skin tone. Although the roses don't stand up as much as the site shows them, they seem to still create a great ruffle. Gigi did a review on this, too, but I get the sense we have a different opinion on this cardigan. Maybe I'm wishing for Spring with this outfit, but I don't care. The airiness makes me happy. So there. :)

Holiday OOTDs and my ACS scores!

Hi lovies! Hope you're all recovering from food/drinks/shopping. I know I still am. I thought I'd share my Christmas outfit, ACS shopping outfit and what I got today. I'm rather excited about my newest closet additions, and most of them were a departure from my initial shopping lookouts.

Here's what I wore on Christmas: the Texture Study dress (thanks, Husband!), a Limited cropped cardigan, Juicy Couture tights, Chinese Laundry shoes and a ModCloth necklace (another present from the hubs, picked it out all by himself. Good job.)--

Taken at MIL's house with the new tripod. I love that thing... going to make my life a whole lot easier.

So I was very pleased to see that most stores had decent sales going today. One of the best ones was Banana Republic's 50% off already reduced merch until noon. Thank God I went to bed early last night. I also took advantage of J. Crew's final sale (extra 30% whereas it's only 20% online) and Urban Outfitter's 50% off sale. LOFT and Ann Taylor were also doing sales, and I even saw my beloved chartreuse top and pendant necklace... but I refrained. Since they're new arrivals, I think I can get away with waiting. Here's what I wore on my mini-spree:

Top: BCBG blouse (similar here)
Jeans: AE super-skinnies (and on sale!)
Jacket: Juicy Couture capelet (OMG I actually found it!)
Shoes: Anthro's Reptilian Oxfords (by Sam Edelman)
Necklace: Free People statement necklace (EDIT: here it is on ModCloth in the pink color, love!)

And now for my scores... I'm pretty excited about all these, and using my new pretty tripod to take lots of pictures of them. :)

Clockwise: Urban Outfitter's Chiffon Wildflower Dress, J. Crew's Rose Corsage cardi, Banana Republic's Silk Rosette Dress, Anthropologie's From Monet skirt (ahhh yes I did), Urban Outfitter's velvet camisole (can't seem to find this anymore online), Forever 21's embellished tee (argh not online either).

There are still two things I plan on getting when my funds reload. We'll see how that goes. Did anyone else score big today?

I'm on the lookout...

As materialistic and shallow as this sounds, one of my favorite things about the holiday season is the ACS (code: after-Christmas sales). Usually, I'm in NJ with the fam shoppin' at the King of Prussia in PA (hollah! wish I could be there with you this year!), but I'll be at Northpark instead. Which will be just fine with me. Here are some stores and items I'm on the lookout for come tomorrow (sales or no sales)--

Anthropologie:

Although that first pick isn't a newbie, I've come to realize my need of the Flipside Blazer. I see it in the stores and always love it, but haven't yet tried it. Tomorrow will be my day...

Free People:

The first skirt (Summer in the City Skirt) is so pretty in person. Love. The middle skirt (Ruffled Tiers Skirt) is rather barf-tastic in the hot pink, but is insane in the mauve (works double time as a tube top, short skirt or long skirt!). The last dress has been spotted on a few blogs and is so much prettier in person. Let's hope one of these three things ends up on sale...

Nordstrom:

I lurve this Weston Wear top; I'm surprised Anthro didn't pick it up. The colors are so pretty! There will be no sale here (a new item, and Nordies never likes to put new things on sale). But still. A possibility!

Urban Outfitters:
I still want this Lucca Couture dress. Still. I think UO already announced its sale (50% off all sale! yay!), but again, here's to hoping.

Ann Taylor:

Umm... how crazy pretty are these new arrivals? The statement pendant necklace is so awesome, and would be about $45 on sale. Sigh. Plus that gorgeous chartreuse color on the ruffled top? So pretty. Chloe, stop posting all the time about AT because I now check it frequently and my bank account is pissed at you. :-P

Forever 21:

Surprisingly, my wishlist is rather bare at F21 right now, but this skirt is top on my list. With a few gift cards in tote, I'll be a "Forever-twenty-oned" clad woman soon. Not that I'm not already. But still.

Happy holidays, and happy shopping to all tomorrow! Hope you score well, online or at the mall. :)

Lusting for Leopard-- a fashion-find

I understand that many people do not like animal print. And in a post not too long ago, I revealed my premonition about becoming a spinstress decked in head-to-toe leopard print. Yet, I still have a serious addiction to it. Serious. I was at my tailor today (last minute alterations before NYE'10) and both pieces were leopard print. Although the girl next to me said, "Cute!", her eyes told me the truth. YOU THINK I'M TACKY.

Whatevs.

Because of this particular problem, I saw this and "eeeppped!" a little. Actually, a lot.

Gianni Bini Zahara Dress: $44.40

You may not agree, but I actually think animal print can be classy and elegant. And it's something that never seems to go out of style. This dress has got that element of timelessness that I adore. For $44.40? Yes, please, thanks.

Don't get me wrong, though. Leopard has a fine line. And when it goes bad, it's nasty. Here's my proof, and my desire to show you that I'm not crazy and I'm really just like the rest of you: I believe there are some things that should never, ever, EVER leave a fabric store.

Audrina Patridge? Is that you!? No, no... but seriously. NO.

Although I've been tempted to give some leopard leggings a try, this is not what I had in mind.

I don't care if you're single and never want to be married-- these are not even appropriate for the sheets to see.

Babies, seriously. What were you two...?... oh no, wait. THIS IS FRIGGIN' ADORABLE.