Material girl

Something to go with all these coats!

2007-10-22T13:20:00.000-04:00

I love buying shoes. We've established that. Sneakers, flats, for me even flip flops are worn all year round. What one shoe category do I save for fall and winter? Boots of course! I love boots with jeans, I think it's a great look. Unfortunately my legs do not look like Kate Moss. I don't tuck my jeans into my boots. I think that looks great, but it just does not work for me. So, when I'm looking for boots they have to be roomy in the calf area. This fall there are a lot of great boots out there in different materials and styles, so no matter what you like, you can find something!

Classic cowboy style boots, Alberto Fermani (available at piperlime.com)

These little black shoes are great for wearing with jeans or dressing up a pair of slacks. Nine West Naso suede demi boot, available at ninewest.com.

Of course, boots really are intended to keep your feet warm and dry, so I'm eying these for when we hopefully get a snowy day in January (or even if we don't get one). Merrell 'Komodo Tibet' Tall Boot, available at nordstrom.com

The other great coat I need for fall...

2007-10-15T14:03:00.000-04:00

Banana Republic Wool-blend collarless coat, $218

Finally...it's fall!

2007-10-15T13:50:00.000-04:00

This weekend was the first great fall weekend we've had here in Virginia - sunny, cool days and leaves blowing everywhere! It's my favorite time of year. I don't know about you guys, but once it's fall I always feel like switching my bath and body products. I put away the coconut and summery type scents and pull out what I consider "fall scents" - apple and vanilla. In my shower right now is Philosophy's Red Delicious Apple Shampoo and Shower Gel. I'm still looking for a new vanilla scent...if you've got some you like, please let me know! What do you like to switch to in the fall?

Splurge worthy bags

2007-10-05T18:14:00.001-04:00

Coach Bleeker Tatersall Travel Tote, $398

MICHAEL Michael Kors 'Ranger Large' Slouchy Hobo

J.Crew Small suede Maddy bag $295

Boots - not just for walking

2007-10-04T14:01:00.000-04:00

I love Target. It's great being able to pick up orange juice, razor blades, and cute wrapping paper all in one trip. They also have a decent selection of clothes from cool designers like Isaac Mizrahi and Alice Temperley. The latest line they've added hasn't been for clothes, but for health and beauty. Boots is a British based company that has high quality, affordable products ranging from shower gels to skincare to makeup.

I've tried a few of their products and I've been impressed so far. On my desk right now is their Daily Hand Therapy. My big gripe with most hand lotions is an overpowering scent (Aveda) or stickiness (Bliss) so I was happy to find this one had neither!

I think tanning beds are a horrible idea, but sometimes the whiteness of my legs scares me to the point I'm forced to take action. My favorite self tanner so far is their Botanics Healthy Glow Lotion. It has a much lighter scent than a couple others ones I've tried and it does give you a nice, non orangey tan after a few days of use.

My latest Boots purchase is their 4 n 1 Quick Thinking Wipes, for those nights when you are just too exhausted to even wash your face. Their also great for wiping off makeup before working out at the gym.

Next time you are in Target, check out the Boots aisle!

2007-10-03T10:14:00.000-04:00

It's Clinique Bonus Time at Macy’s this weekend!

Whoever came up with the "gift with purchase" concept was a genius. Half the time I don’t even really need anything, but I spot the free mini lipgloss and a compact and all of sudden I'm at the counter, trying out a new eyeshadow. The exception to this situation is with Clinique. Not only do they always have a great free gift (love the travel size makeup bags), a good variety of products, but they usually offer a free 6 month subscription to a magazine too.

Clinique was the first department store brand of makeup that I was introduced to back in high school and I’m still a big fan. From skincare to makeup, their products are high quality and reasonably priced. Great staples include Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel (I prefer the tube over the big square bottle - better for travel) and their Take the Day Off makeup remover.

If you want to take advantage of the free gift with purchase, these are some great looking products which are perfect for fall:

Cream Shaper For Eyes in Egyptian. These eyeliners have great staying power and are very easy to apply. Egyptian is dark green with gold shimmer. The only drawback is that you have to sharpen it.

Color Surge Eyeshadow Trio. I have many Clinique eyeshadows but Iv'e yet to try these trios - I am thinking about picking up Totally Neutral.

Full Potential Lip Plump and Shine in Cream Soda. This is a nice, natural looking berry color. I don’t really believe in lipglosses making my lips bigger, but I do like the shine and texture of these glosses.

Aisle 3...beauty?

2007-09-29T09:14:00.000-04:00

Trader Joe's has always been known as a great place for low cost, healthy food items. On a recent trip somewhere between picking up the stir fry and peanut butter I came across the beauty aisle and discovered that Trader Joe's also has their own brand of health and beauty products. I decided to try the Mango Shaving Cream. It's a great find. It's a cream formula, easy to use, and leaves your skin super soft. It smells delicious too! A 8oz. container is only $2.99 and it lasts for a long time.

Next time you're at Trader Joe's, try it out!

Think Pink

2007-09-27T12:45:00.000-04:00

And no, I'm not talking about that silly line of underwear from Victoria's Secret. As I'm sure everyone is aware, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and as if I needed an excuse to buy more stuff, lots of companies are promoting special products that are helping out this great cause. I know it's a few days before October, but you can go ahead and scope these items out now!

Some things I may be picking up (in the name of charity, of course):

Estee Lauder High Gloss. I already have a couple of these glosses- they smell and taste really good (vanilla) and I love how they are easy to apply - you can just swipe them on in a car or at your desk without a mirror. Estée Lauder is donating $500,000 to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® dedicated to preventing breast cancer and finding a cure in our lifetime, by funding clinical and genetic research in North America. To learn more, call toll-free 1-866-FIND.A.CURE or visit www.bcrfcure.org

Philosophy Shower for the Cure. I'm a big fan of Philosophy products and this is another great shower gel that needs to be added to my collection. The website describes it as "a creamy all-in-one formula that can be used as a shampoo, bath, or body wash. Its light, clean tangerine scent and touch of milk, proteins, and fruit essences..." Sounds good to me! Would make a great gift for a friend or maybe yourself!

The best part? 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of Shower For the Cure are donated to the Women's Cancer Research Fund.

KitchenAid Cook For The Cure Measuring Cups & Spoons. Everyone can use an extra set of measuring cups and spoons (somehow I'm always missing pieces) and these are sure to stand out in your drawer. KitchenAid has a whole line of Pink products available online and at stores like Target. All donations benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure which supports breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment programs nationwide.

Band Aid- not just for boo boos

2007-09-25T18:56:00.000-04:00

As many of my friends can attest, I have a slight shoe addiction. I consider myself a pretty practical person but when it comes to shoes and comfort, sometimes fashion gets the best of me and I find myself in shoes that are very, very cute but not so fun to wear.

The clever product people at Band-Aid must have realized that there are millions of women out there facing this dilemma because they have come out with a genius product: Band Aid Blister Block. It's like a tiny stick of deodorant -you just rub it on all the spots your shoes rub against your skin - like the tops of your toes or back of your heel. When I'm away at trade shows I keep it in my bag at all times to re-apply - it's a savior when you are on your feet all day, walking all over the place, and can't wear flip flops. Try it out and your feet will thank you!

pretty, shiny things

2007-09-24T09:43:00.000-04:00

J.Crew Hand-painted thin floral enamel bangle, $58

floral triple strand necklace, $88 at Banana Republic

apt. 9 Two-Tone Drop Earrings, $14 at kohls

Fossil Pyramid ring, $28

Carrie is back!

2007-09-23T22:43:00.000-04:00

I was super excited to see these pictures from the set of Sex and the City the movie. Look how cute SJP looks!

Photos by: INFphoto.com, Roger Wong/INFphoto.com, New Line Cinema

Ebay: yay or nay?

2007-09-21T11:19:00.000-04:00

No, you can't always get want you want
You can't always get what you want
And if you try sometime you find
You get what you need..."
-Rolling Stones

Sometimes there are things out there far beyond your price range that you want very badly. It happens to everyone - maybe it's a Playstation 3 (my husband), a new Lexus (my coworker), or a new ipod (me). You want it so bad it becomes a semi obsession. So, when faced with the tough decision of either not having that gorgeous Coach bag or possibly not buying groceries for a pay period, you find yourself scouring ebay. I've been using ebay on and off for the past few years and have found that if you find the right sellers and dedicate enough time, you really can come up with some great deals. And what's more fun than hovering over you computer at 11:30 pm frantically hitting the "Place Bid" button when there's 30 seconds left on an auction?

Some of the best deals that I've scored in the past have ranged from a brand new with tags (that's NWT to you hardcore ebay users) North Face Denali jacket for only $100 to MAC makeup brushes to Yankee candles. A lot of people argue that most of the merchandise sold on sites like ebay is either fake or stolen. Sometimes I do wonder how the are able to sell that stuff so cheap....hmmm...

What do you guys think about ebay? What's the best deal you've ever gotten?

The jacket I need for fall

2007-09-20T23:02:00.000-04:00

Perfect with jeans and flats. I'm in love.

J.Crew Bella Jacket. $198 at jcrew.com

Beat the morning rush

2007-09-20T09:17:00.000-04:00

In a perfect world, I wake up everyday when my alarm rings, feeling energized and ready to start the day. Reality is most mornings start off fighting my husband over who has to shower first while the other one catches another 8 minutes of sleep.

Now that I've got a real job and people at my office at the very least expect me to be showered it's a bit more of a problem to look presented and professional when I only have 20 minutes to get out of the door. Luckily there are some great products out there designed to help us girls on the go. No matter how rushed I am I always reach for three things:

1. Tinted Moisturizer - moisturizing and coverage all in one step. Mpick is Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer. It's easy to apply, has a great selection of shades, and SPF15.

2. Eyeshadow - the secret to looking awake when you are actually craving sleep more than air is your eyes. Brighten them up with a neutral colored shadow that has a little sparkle in it. One of the best shades out there is MAC Naked Lunch.

3. Blush - brighten up your face with a little color. My latest fave: BeneFit Sheer Cream Blusher. It's a cream blush, super easy to blend, and gives you a nice, natural looking flush.

What products do you reach for in the morning when you're in a rush?

Hello friends

2007-09-19T20:12:00.000-04:00

Well, I've gone and done it. I've started a blog.

What's this blog about? Pretty much everything that interests me. As anyone who knows can tell you, if there is one thing I'm great at it's shopping. While I'm spending money and adding to my credit card bills I'll fill you guys in on what I've bought , what I've seen, and what's going on. Bear with me while I get this thing started!

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