Jetsetter

Posted on | Wednesday, November 18, 2009 | 1 Comment

I've visited the Jetsetter branch of Gilt Groupe a few times and it really makes me want to plan a romantic getaway with the hubby. I know... we just got back from Istanbul, but that was traveling and exploring... not relaxing. Next trip we go on, I want to kick my feet up and relax with my honey. There are some very good lodging deals on Jetsetter. Luxury hotels with deep discounts. Still spendy, but if you're going to splurge, might as well get the discount. If you're more into splurging on travel than clothes, Jetsetter might be the ticket for you. Here are some current sales:

Hotel de Crillon in Paris

The Lodge at Torrey Pines, Southern California

Some upcoming sales:

I think this would be a great place to get deals on romantic getaways for special occasions, a honeymoon, anniversary... or just to escape. I'm telling the hubby. *wink*
You can join through invitation HERE.

This dress is perfect

Posted on | Tuesday, November 17, 2009 | 6 Comments

I just love this dress:

By Elizabeth Dye

If you are ever in the Salem, Oregon area...

Posted on | Friday, November 13, 2009 | 2 Comments

Visit Cinebarre. Matt and I went last weekend on opening night. It is located in the old Regal theater next to the Salem Mall in the downtown. They have a handfull of locations around the U.S., and I was surprised that they would pick Salem, OR of all places. We had been frequenting "another" theater down the road from us for the dining theater experience, but Cinnebarre is the newer, flashier version. So far, we've had a great experience... Good food, good service, clean theater. You can order from your seat, so you don't have to climb over people in the dark to get a drink refill or dessert. Last week, we watched The Fourth Kind, and my only gripe was that the sound was really quiet. They have some vegetarian options on the menu, which is nice too! Anyhow, we'll be visiting tonight for 2012. See you there? Or another time, yes?

Just realized it's Friday the 13th

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So am I supposed to step on a banana peel or something (oh gosh, I've actually done that before because I'm such a goober)?

Happy Weekend!!!

Gilt Groupe

Posted on | Wednesday, November 11, 2009 | 1 Comment

It's been a little while since I did a Gilt Groupe post! If you haven't heard of it, Gilt Groupe is a great place to get huge discounts on designer brands. I love great fashion, but either don't have the funds or feel so guilty buying expensive apparel so Gilt Groupe is perfect for me! You need to be invited and can join HERE. You can also build credits by inviting your friends and after their first purchase. I've gotten amazing discounts on Hunter boots ($26!), Lauren Moffatt, Paige Premium Denim, Anlo, Banfi Zambrelli, and more. Aw~ a guilt free way to indulge in my guilty pleasures. Friday, there will be a Monique Lhuillier sale and on Sunday, Carolina Herrera. Enjoy!

Shabd Simon-Alexander :: DIY Tie-Dyed Leggings

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Did anyone get a chance to watch the Martha Stewart segment last week with Shabd Simon-Alexander? I love everything Shabd creates. Her tie dye is the best. Plus, her Martha Stewart segment shows you how to make your own tie dyed leggings. I can't wait to try it out! View the instructions HERE.

New mini hat in the Etsy shop

Posted on | Tuesday, November 10, 2009 | 4 Comments

Just added an uber fabulous vintage inspired mini hat to the Etsy shop... lots of feathers, crystals, lace... the works:

View it HERE.

1 week+ :: Vegan* diet

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Some funny/interesting/cool things I've noticed since cutting out meat, dairy, eggs, processed sugar and white flour:
1. My teeth feel incredibly clean. When I brush my teeth, my teeth feel clean before I start... no gunky stuff. My tongue stays clean too... no whitish crap.
2. I don't crave sweets. I don't crave much actually. I used to crave bad food, but I feel less excited about snacking.
3. I've lost fat all over. In particular, I noticed a happy loss of almost an inch on my waist... down to 24"!
4. My skin is incredibly clear, smooth and soft. I have tried so many topical gimmicks, but this diet trumps them all. Matt says I have a radiant glow.
5. The whites of my eyes are brighter and whiter. Yay!
6. I get over sickness faster. This one is funny. I have only been on this new diet for a week, but Matt got sick all last week and through the weekend. Pretty bad. Over the weekend, we stayed in and watched 5 seasons of The Office while he was recovering. On Sunday afternoon, I started feeling sick after spending literally every waking minute with him... real sick. Just like his symptoms. Less than two days later, my sore throat is almost completely gone.

Aw~ So happy with the side effects thus far.
Oh! I also drank some Kombucha on Sunday and yesterday, and that *may* have helped. I think it tastes like vomit (sorry if you like the taste), but I was ready to try everything because I can't afford to be sick again!

Such a great movie :: 500 Days of Summer

Posted on | Friday, November 6, 2009 | 4 Comments

Matt and I watched 500 Days of Summer last night and I really loved it. For sure, I'll be getting the soundtrack... but if you haven't seen it, please do! It came out a little while ago already and I'm sure most have seen it, but I was being cheap and waited until it came out at the $3 theater. Of course, Zooey Deschanel was as charming as can be...
Spoiler alert:

I was completely surprised at how refreshing and cute this movie was and loved the nice balance of artsy. Normally, I'm not a big fan of artsy films (I just really like good movies that are enjoyable and suspend my disbelief for 2 hours, blah blah), but this film did the best job of infusing bits of artsiness (if that's a word) throughout, which made for a very memorable film. I loved the karaoke scene and leaned over to tell Matt that, "it is so awkward, I think I'm going to vomit." Not many a film can achieve this feeling in me (the TV show, The Office, is great at doing this). Matt and I really appreciated the scene when they go to the art gallery and were looking at very modern art (that was literally sh!t), giggled, and were like, "you want to go watch a movie?" You see, we love really good art, but don't always understand super abstract and feel like it's for a secret society and we're not in the club. We also appreciated the very end when the main character looks at the camera after the girl says her name is Autumn. Impeccable timing. Genius. Don't we all have those moments where we have a huge realization? So much of this movie is so raw and funny and it really just isolates every ridiculous thing you do when you find yourself falling in love. Go watch it!

The official trailer.

Cute music video.

I like... no, I love this coat

Posted on | Thursday, November 5, 2009 | 3 Comments

I discovered Soia & Kyo coats today through for me, for you blog and I am in love with this one:

Cali. On the "want it" list.

Day 4 :: Vegan* plus

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I was describing to the better half how I've been feeling great... a new kind of "great". I'm still at the very tail end of my sickness (just a touch of a runny nose) and I'm detoxing a bit but beyond that, I feel this new "lightness" in my body and mainly my head. It sounds so goofy and out-there, but it is so hard to describe in words. I was likening it to my head having emptied weight. If before, there was crap in the empty spaces or this general heaviness... that's now gone. Really weird to describe. I suffer from migraines. Sometimes not for weeks, but other times for days... it is/was miserable. So far, my head is feeling better than I can remember. I'm still feeling really tired in the morning, but after I pass that, I feel energized. I think the morning blues are the detox symptoms, but they are diminishing.
Just a sampling of what we ate yesterday:
Morning: Toasted whole wheat bread with organic peanut butter and Earth balance spread.
Lunch: Homemade thin crust pizza (whole wheat) topped with organic tomato sauce (home seasoned), tons of mushrooms and colorful peppers, a drizzle of olive oil and vegan cheese.
Dinner: Seasoned and lightly boiled broccoli, a slice of whole wheat and flaxseed toast with Earth Balance, a side of whole wheat pasta with tons of veggies and light tomato sauce to coat. For my super patient hubby, I made a side of chicken to add a meaty protein and I made my broccoli portion bigger.
Snacks and dessert: homemade granola crispy treat (organic granola, agave syrup, carob chips, organic peanut butter)

That doesn't seem too bad, yes?

A few new pieces in the Etsy shop

Posted on | Tuesday, November 3, 2009 | 1 Comment

View them HERE. Enjoy!

Day 2 :: Becoming a "vegan" and more...

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I won't post everyday about my vegan adventure, but I thought I'd add a touch more on yesterday's post. I totally forgot to mention that I would be vegan by diet plus a bit more... but I still need to work on carrying that over to clothing and items. I love, love animals, but choosing a vegan diet is mostly for selfish reasons of improved health (I totally respect true vegans that forgo all things animal including what they wear).
So by "a bit more" I mean that I am going to cut out processed sugars whenever possible, foods with preservatives, white flour, heavily processed foods, vegetable/canola oil, and some other things in addition to the typical meats, dairy and eggs. I think that sometimes you'll see some "vegans" that eat tons of potato chips, fried noodles, and other high fat and high calorie foods. There isn't anything inherently wrong with this if your main motivation is for animals. I'd like to take the "kind diet" approach and really work at getting my body in the best state of health as possible. The Kind Diet takes vegan to the next level, toward macrobiotic or "superhero" as coined by Alicia. I'm somewhere between vegan and superhero as defined by the book (the book has three levels: flirting, vegan, superhero).
So what about iron, vitamins, and protein? According to the book (which I recommend), you can get all of these if you vary your diet enough and focus on the grains and vegetables and include some form of protein in the day - beans, tempeh, etc. Also, soy is not pushed in this diet, which is nice as too much soy is not good either.
Supposedly, your body might go through a "detox" of sorts when you make the transition and so far, I haven't felt sick, but I was really sluggish and tired this morning... I will let you know how it goes.
If anyone has any great vegan recipes they'd like to share, I would love to hear about them!
oooh... and I'm excited to follow Alissa on her vegetarian adventures...

SimplyBloom Photography :: just lovely

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I stumbled upon SimplyBloom Photography's blog and just fell in love with the gorgeous photos... they are so calming and they give me those good feelings looking at them. Here are a few favorites:

Aren't the ladies at SimplyBloom Photography ridiculously talented?
Photo credits: SimplyBloom Photography

Day 1 :: Starting a Vegan diet

Posted on | Monday, November 2, 2009 | 4 Comments

I don't know how long I'll be able to stick with it, but today is my first day as a vegan. Remember when Alicia was in town? Well, after reading her book, I decided to give it a go. I feel like I've always been talking about it with the hubby and others, but for some reason, I never took that leap myself. My dad, for health reasons, eats mostly grains and vegetables and eats minimal amounts of sugar and meat. At my old job, I felt like half the unit was vegan or some derivative. Everyone has their reasons, but for me, it's for better health. For the past couple years, I've been eating less and less meat and it wasn't for animals... I just stopped enjoying it. I got severe dehydration a few years ago after a hike and that night ate pork chops for dinner while in the throws of a migraine and nausea... after that I couldn't eat pork anymore. Slowly, I lost the appetite for beef.... and then chicken started to follow thereafter. I don't know why... it just happened.
So here goes... I'm cutting out meat, fish, dairy, eggs, processed sugars, coffee, and some other "nasty" foods (according to Alicia's book) and I'm going to assess how I feel in a month. The meat I can live without, but the thing I'll miss most is cheese, mainly in the form of pizza and in salads. So sad. I think that sometimes, I might give in a touch when I'm visiting family, but all the rest of the time... pretty much vegan. I'll let you know how it goes. Hopefully, I can go a month, but I'm worried I might cave at the sight of good pizza, lemon cake, or a mocha. Oh! I should add that I hope that by blogging about it, I'll be more honest with myself.

Boyish Charm :: New design for fall/winter

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I LOVE androgynous fashions... I don't know why. It must stem from my younger tomboy days when my dad used to pick my outfits for grade school (often boys clothes). Nowadays, I find that there's just something about a little bit masculine meets feminine... so sexy! I created a fun new ribbon scarf/tie for the Etsy shop and I have lots more lovely ribbon to whip some more up later this week. It is super unfussy and has a snap closure so you can whip it on or take it off without having to mess around with tying anything. Great for accenting your fall and winter outfits. And gingham print, come on!:

Super cheap, cheap too! View this design HERE.