My favorite finds, steals, buys, trends all in one place
// LAST MINUTE GIFT IDEAS FOR ALL YOUR FRIENDS #style //
12.18.18
December is always stressful because of the holidays, family get-togethers, traveling, to name a few. And then there’s the added stress for all the gifts that need to be bought. Here are some last minute gift ideas for your friends, #girlgang, and favorite people. The best part? Most of these are on sale so you can score on getting a cool gift and save some money for your wallet.
// JCREW SALE PICKS #style //
12.13.18
‘Tis the season of sales, sales, and more sales…. especially as we get closer to the end of the month. Everyone’s been marking down early, and with promo on top of promo, now’s the time to start shopping. But with all these sales, it’s hard to keep up and even harder to sift through all the crap to find the good ones. J.Crew is having an insane promo right now, where everything including sale is an extra 40% off. But as with any online site, you have to go through at least 30+ pages and hundreds of items to actually find the few things that are worth buying. And….that’s where I come in. I did all the heavy lifting, spent the time to go through 22+ pages of their sale to save you time so you don’t have to. I skipped the full-price items and went straight to the sale section because hello! sale on top of the extra 40% off? It’s a no-brainer. See below for the best of J.Crew’s sale items to get before they run out. The only catch is that it’s all final sale, so choose wisely. The deals are too good though…..
“Beach Bum” swimsuit
Velvet bodysuit
Flaunt facewipes
Lilac Ruffle skirt
Artifact Skin Co. hair mask
Corduroy blazer
Red Earth boosting base
Seevees sneakers
Playa Newport swimsuit (a personal fave of mine, the cut and fit is amaze. size up)
“Fashionably Late” tee
Velvet tank (loooooove this, and comes in so many good colors)
“No, Yes” sweater
// BEST OF SALE #style //
12.10.18
Snow, Christmas, NYE, and end of year sales are what make me love the month of December so. You can get the insane pieces that you’ve been eyeing all season at insanely good prices during this time of the month and it makes me so happy to see them slashed at 40-60% off. I always try to avoid buying full-price at all costs because, hellooo just wait until it goes on sale! And 80% of the time it will, but the sizes might be limited or there’s always the chance that it will sell out before it hits sale. In that case, I tell myself that it wasn’t meant to be and move on (to the next piece I’ve been eyeing). And oh how good the sales are right now. Balenciaga, Isabel Marant, Margiela…. there’s enough designer for everyone. But as great as it is that so much is on sale, it’s def overwhelming to go through it all and browse the 80+ sale pages….which is why I’ve done the work for you. See below for some of my favorite sale picks and where to get them. Buy now before they’re gone or add them to your cart and wait for the prices to go down even more, as some are only still at 40% off. Either way, you won’t have buyer’s remorse on any of these steals.
Champion Puffer Jacket $160 @ SSENSE
JW Anderson Shearling Collar Coat $1309 @ LAGARCONNE (extra 20% off sale happening now)
IRO Fringe Denim Jacket $374 @ FARFETCH (extra 20% off with code F20D)
Isabel Marant Sweater Jacket $591 @ LAGARCONNE (extra 20% off sale happening now)
Balenciaga Sweatshirt $690 @ MATCHES
Margiela Clear Clutch $498 @ SSENSE
Balenciaga Slides $ @ SAKS
Common Projects Combat Boot $535 @ SSENSE
Levi’s Oversized Denim Trucker Jacket $64.50 @ Levi’s (extra 40% off today only with code GREEN40)
Margiela Black Clutch $372 @ SSENSE
Balenciaga Crystal Pink Pumps $834 @ SAKS
MM6 Margiela Black Tee $184@ SSENSE
NIKE Red Cropped Hoodie $47 @ SSENSE
Saint Laurent Shearling Sandals $417 @ SAKS
IRO Fringe Denim $155 @ FARFETCH (extra 20% off with code F20D)
Isabel Marant Pointy-toe Booties $465.50 @ SAKS
// HOW TO: THROW A FABULOUS PARTY ON A BUDGET #style //
11.28.18
Last night I threw a small party in celebration of my blog launch. Something I had been thinking about doing for so long, but never had the time or the courage to see it through, until now. With so much love and encouragement from my #girlgang (sorry, but I have the best one), I finally ‘finished’ the blog for it’s unveil and decided to celebrate by bringing my favorite people together.
For those that know me, I love to host and throw parties, and must always have a theme. I love planning and creating an ambience that is 100% warm, inviting, and fun; where no one has to worry about anything but to enjoy themselves at the party that I’ve thrown. But no matter what the occasion or where the location, there’s always one other goal: to do it on budget as creatively as possible. TBH, that’s the part that is the most fun for me- to figure out how to go all out, but on a budget. And last night’s party was no different. After spending hours looking up and comparing all the sites that did customization ie stickers, coasters, buttons, etc, I found the best ones, at the best prices. See below for tips and tricks on how it all came together.
Custom everything…
For me it’s all about the details, so I really wanted to create my own custom ‘merch’ for the party. Who doesn’t like a good button or sticker? Before actually looking into it, I thought it was expensive to customize things, but if you find the right companies it’s not bad at all; it just looks like you spent a fortune.
Buttons
I love to collect buttons to pin on things like backpacks, denim jackets, and sweatshirts. So I wanted to make buttons for the party that would both promote the new blog but also pins that I would actually want to wear too. Stickermule does the most amazing job creating buttons, and it’s so easy to do on the site. Just select the size, shape, upload the image, and you’re done. Shipping is super fast too. The quality is really great for the price.
COASTERS
Custom coasters is a detail that I love. How chic and fun to create your own coasters for guests to use and appreciate. (A few of my friends loved them so much, they took them home.) And again, it’s so easy. Find images that you like, select the shape, and upload them…it’s that easy! Vistaprint does a good job and the price can’t be beat. The more you order, the lower the price. 20 paper coasters came out to be about $1 each, which is pretty great and they almost always have discounts on the site. The only thing is that the quality might not be the best, the print can come out a little grainy and the ink smell quite strong ( just air them out when you first get them), but for the price and fast shipping, it’s a great option.
STICKERS
Stickers are always fun to have at a party. Although I thought Stickermule would be the best place to get stickers made (hello the name), it was pretty expensive. Depending on the qty ordered, it was anywhere from $0.50 to $1 per sticker. No thanks! And then I found Vistaprint, who does them for so cheap, about $0.15 per sticker and they turned out really great quality-wise. Alot of places will do stickers but you’ll find when you get to the checkout page, that it could take a few weeks for shipping. Vistaprint ships in a matter of days. And again, the process is super easy online with lots of options to choose from.
NAPKINS
Custom napkins are another great touch and super easy to order. I found that The Stationery Studio had the most color options to choose from and their prices were great; I ordered 100 pieces for $0.35 each. Prices start at $0.11 each and can go a little higher depending on how much you order and the design options. I loved the way it turned out and the quality of the napkins were so much nicer than I expected. Super chic.
Decor details…..
Flowers, cutlery, and chic plating presentations are all necessary at any good party, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune to make them look nice.
FLOWERS
If you don’t need specific flowers, Trader Joe’s spray roses are hands down the best option for pretty flowers on a budget. At $4.99 a bunch, you can get so many spray roses for your buck and it looks beautiful. Bunch them up and display in one large vase, or split them up into different sized vases, small and large, and display them all over the place. I like to put them in large vases as a centerpiece but also put them in little mason jars or small mini vases and place them near the bar or in the guest bathrooms. If you are looking for specific flowers, Chelsea’s flower market (in NYC) is the best bet for the more expensive flowers that are in season, at a decent price.
CANDY
Store-bought candy is a great, inexpensive way to inject pops of color into the space without dropping lots of money. And the best part? It serves dual purposes: It acts as part of the decoration and the guests will love eating all the candy. Fancy it up by displaying them in nice bowls or large glass jars and place them around the space. For my party, I bought pink Starbursts to go with my color theme.
CUTLERY
Sure, there’s an endless option of cheap plastic cutlery for parties. The dollar store will have the usual lineup of white plastic, clear, black, etc for your fork, spoon, and knife options. But the thing is yes they’re cheap, but they also look cheap. If you’re wanting something that looks nice and doesn’t break the bank, Target’s private label party supply brand, Spritz, has some great options. My favorite is their gold cutlery box which is a 60 ct of spoons, knives, and forks divided into 20 of each. They actually look really nice; the gold is a nice modern looking gold, not cheap or tacky looking at all and adds the perfect gold accent to any party. The best part? It’s $5.
DRINKS
There’s lots of way to set up the drinks for a party. Bar carts, punch bowls, beer tubs, etc. are just a few options. I like to dedicate a space and let guests help themselves. Gather all the wine bottles together and place them next to some nice plastic drink cups with some florals for decoration, and allow the guests to mingle and help themselves to a glass, or three. For non-alcoholic drinks like water or juices, pour them into nice glass carafes or bottles. Target always has nice ones and for great prices. It looks so modern and much nicer than keeping them in their original jugs or packaging. I’m all about the presentation and it’s so easy to go out and buy large glass carafes and bottles in different colors for when you have guests over.
MARKERS
I like keeping markers around at a party for a few different purposes. They’re a great way for guests to keep track of their drink cups by writing their names on (plastic) cups. Another great ideal is to cover a large dining table with brown craft paper and have guests write their notes or wishes with the markers. This is fun for any holiday party like Thanksgiving or Christmas or for baby/bridal shower celebrations and it gives something for the guests to do while they mingle and catch up with one another.
PRESENTATION
If you decide to go the custom button route, then a great way to display these are to place them in bowls and plates vs just setting them out on a table which can look a little messy. I also like to display things on clear acrylic trays which creates an elevated look. Either way, it’s easy to show these off these nicely by using the things you already have around the house like jars, large bowls, clear vases, etc. If you have gift bags or takeaway items for the guests, try and place these near the door so that guests can easily grab them on the way out. This is a nice ‘help yourself’ option so you don’t have to worry about handing them out to each guest as they leave.
GIFTS/GOODIES
It’s always nice to have small gifts or goodies that guests can take with them when they leave. It can be anything from baked goods to printed pictures from the party that they can take with them as a small ‘thank you’ for attending. And surprisingly, it doesn’t have to cost alot. There’s lots of funny, quirky tchotchke things that you can pick up at the dollar store and do a grab-bag type option. One of my favorite stores to pick up fun takeaway items for parties is the Flying Tiger store. I think to think of this store as our generation’s 99 cent store. Originated from Copenhagen, it’s modern, the items are well designed, the prices are great, and there’s an insane assortment of things from homeware to coloring books, and everything in between that you could think of. They have a great selection of notebooks, pencils, pens, pins, etc which I bought for my party and put custom stickers on them for a nice touch. So fun!
PLATES & NAPKINS
I really try to stay away from bland, boring options for paper plates and napkins when throwing a paper. There’s so many other cute options, that there’s really no reason to go stick with the boring ‘white paper plates and napkins’ route. I love H&M, and many people don’t know that they have a great home collection at insanely good prices. Most of the items are chic, well designed, and the quality is actually pretty nice on things like dinnerware, frames, rugs, etc. They also have a nice selection of fun paper napkins like the cheetah ones pictured above, which I got on sale for $1.99. And again, Target’s party line, Spritz, carries the cutest assortment of paper plates for all occasions.
// STACKED NECKLACES #style //
11.27.18
11.27.18
Stacked chains, necklaces, and rings has been quite the trend in jewelry for some time now, and I feel like it’s one to stay. I personally love stacking my jewelry, whether it’s to dress up or down. A few of my favorite looks and inspo above.
Below are a few places where you can the get the look for a lot or a little $$$.
Foundrae
This bespoke, insanely gorgeous jewelry line started was started by a husband and wife duo back in 2015. Basically a line of modern heirloom pieces that include pendants, chains, rings, and everything else you could want in a jewelry line, they have it in the most beautiful pieces. The beauty of it is that each piece stands for something like power, wisdom, etc and you can mix, match, and add on as many pieces as you like. LOVE LOVE LOVE. The only downside is that as insanely amazing as this line is, it is equally insanely expensive, with a necklace easily costing around $6k for a few pieces. ($$$)
chinatown nyc
New Top Jewelry was fashion jewelry lovers’ best kept secret until Vogue decided to do a write up about it back in 2016 and blow up its spot. Downtown IT girls and street chic hipster dudes alike, all come here to get their 14k, 18k, and 24k gold fix in the form of chains, pendants, earrings, and rings. From rapper style pendants as large as your hand to small, dainty chains, this is my favorite spot to come and make custom jewelry. The prices are reasonable, the options are endless, and they always try to accommodate whatever style you’re trying to go for. I got my necklace made here, and they were able to attach the different pendants on the actual chains so I could stack them. ($$)
VINTAGE
I love the hunt, scour, and digging that comes with vintage shopping. The feeling of finding one-off pieces in this mass retail world of today, always feels like a great sense of accomplishment knowing that no one else has what I’ve just scored. One of my favorite things to shop for at vintage flea markets are jewelry trinkets and pendants. Yes, you’re not going to find real gold but if there’s charms and pendants you find, you can always take it to a jewelry store to add it a real gold necklace chain or you can DIY and buy some hooks at a craft store to assemble onto one of your gold necklaces. ($)
// SPORTY SPICE #style //
11.23.18
Ugly sneaker trends may be all the rage now, but fashion has always had a love of athletic, sporty pairings with feminine looks or pieces and making it become ‘designer’. And the industry loves it… Everyone from Balenciaga to Off-White, Vetements, etc has done collaborations with the likes of sportswear giants such as Nike, Adidas (hello Kayne), Champion, and North Face to name a few. And it’s not just the huge European designers leading the way; the Japanese line Sacai did a collab with Nike a few seasons ago and came out with RTW and shoes. I, for one, love the sport trend, pairing oversized sweatshirts with pointy heels or mules, or pairing a sweatshirt with a super girly skirt or slipdress. And hello? The comfort level is 100%.
Currently craving the copper collection from North Face. It looks amaze and there’s some really good pieces in there that would look dope dressed up or down- heels or with sneaks, tight black skinny jeans or with a flow-y skirt. Into it all. You can find it on NF’s site or there’s a few retailers that carry some of the styles, but not the full collection, like Macys. Try and get it when they’re having a promo or additional % off (which is almost always), you can score it for cheaper than on the NF site. Here’s a few of my favorite pieces:
// FLEECE COATS #style //
11.21.18
I love these 2 coats from H&M, like love. I bought the short coat last year and its been my favorite everyday coat to wear for the fall/winter season. It’s super durable and warm; I’ve taken it on upstate hikes, worn in almost every day, and thrown it in the wash a gazillion times, and it’s still standing strong. Pretty damn good for H&M quality. I’ve gotten tons of compliments on it and it goes well with pretty much everything. Coat #1 is pretty much the same coat as #2 but longer and a darker beige, but honestly with these prices, just splurge and get both. I tried to buy 2 of each as backup just in case I ruin my current ones, but they’re already running out of sizes.
In the wintertime, I love going all Patagonia-granola style fleece. So imagine my excitement when I found these bright colored Polartec fleece jackets and pullovers at the J.Crew stores. Super soft and warm, these are the perfect fleece items that are both stylish and different from the other boring fleece jackets. Try and get one when they have an online or in-store promo which they’re doing every other day it seems like, ie 25% or 30% off. The original retail is a bit high but worth it if you can get it on a promo deal.