Boot Envy

We had our second snowfall for this winter this past weekend.  Refusing to be defeated by the weather and the road conditions, I set out for the gym in my new "rain" boots.  I call them rain boots but they are good for the snow and slush as well.  My trusty new Tretorn Plask boots was a purchase made on Gilt Fuse. 

These boots are fashionable and functional.  I have worn them only a few times but I have received so many compliments - at the gym, yoga studio, airport, just walking in the street - that it warranted a plug.  So ladies out there in the urban jungle, Tretorn Plask fits the bill.

Ring in the New Year Part II

I pulled the trigger, happy sparkly birthday to me!

Ring in the New Year

Happy 2010!!!  The new year always brings mixed emotions...excitement for what's to come and some sadness since the holidays are over.  No more vacation or holidays to look forward to until Memorial Day!  Fortunately for me, my "holiday" is always extended due to my birthday.  Yes, yours truly is a Type-A Capricorn and with a January birthday, it means the shopping season extends an extra month.

This year I am contemplating a gift to myself from David Yurman and never mind the fact that I started buying things for myself and called them early birthday presents starting in November.  Bailey Banks and Biddle was having a going-out-of-business sale and I scored a pair of real diamond earrings (my first pair) in late November at 40% off.  That, I said to myself, was going to be my birthday present.  Then, I bought myself a new coat with Thinsulate from J. Crew during one of their online "additional 25% plus free shipping" promotions and called that a "must-have" for the cold weather ahead of us.  Lastly, I scored a pair of earrings on Etsy that are similar to the Me & Ro pair that I had been eyeing for a couple of years at a lower price (skull studs with diamond eyes by Michelle Chang) calling them a nice weekend alternative to the diamond studs.

But a month and a half has past and I forgot about all those other self gifts when I saw some of the really cute David Yurman crossover and confetti rings.  I have the DY petite albion with a prasiolite stone that I wear on my right hand.  I thought a bigger ring on my middle left finger would be a nice complement.   The question is which one?  Surely I am worth it right???

(starting from the left - four row confetti ice ring, large pave crossover ring, pave crossover double x ring)

Scottish Charm

Rowallan of Scotland is an awesome site.  I found this through my trusty Lucky At Your Service iPhone app.  Everyday they post a new daily lucky break deal.  Today's deal was for this awesome travel jewelry roll.  I put in the code to get 50% off and after I submitted my payment information, the amount grossed up to the original.  I quickly called the site's customer service number and a charming Scottish woman answered the phone and double-checked my order and confirmed that my card was not charged the full price.  I may call back just to hear her accent "...over and over and over and over again..." [excerpt from Camera Obscura's Honey in the Sun].

Hungry Like the Wolf

I found this great tutorial on making your own screen printed T-shirts.  I actually enjoyed it mainly for the humor, its allegiance to the wolf pack, and the fact that they added LED lights and a small device that plays sound onto the T-shirt.  Leave it to guys to beef up a shirt like that.  Enjoy!!!

Camera Obscura

I'm a little behind on posts but right before Thanksgiving, Gil and I had the opportunity to see one of my favorite bands in Norfolk, VA. Camera Obscura was finishing up their North America tour with a small gig in this little town.

Camera Obscura is a small band out of Glasgow, Scotland. They fit a genre of inde music called indie pop or "twee". Their first album was produced with the help of Stuart Murdoch from Belle & Sebastian, another favorite of mine. Camera Obscura usually sells out their shows, but people in Norfolk just don't know much about them. In fact, Camera Obscura doesn't know much about Norfolk. They were part of a Discover Music series organized by the local NPR station. They performed in a small performance hall that seats about 400 people tops. There was probably only 200 people there so it was a real treat and we got to see them up close and personal.

Here are a couple of my favorite songs they sang in succession...YES!!!!



Here is "Razzle Dazzle Rose", I love the trumpet.

At The Intersection of Great Design and Gift Giving

It's one thing to shop for the sake of shopping; it's another to shop for beautiful pieces and design.  There are few sites I like to go to when I want something that can be a statement piece (whether it's home decor or salt shakers) or a unique/not your typical run-of-the-mill gift for friends and family.

SCAD
I am probably the last one to realize that one of the strongest art and design schools resides in Savannah, GA.  The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is has some of the best up and coming artists and designers across different ranges - photography, architectural design, art, fashion design, etc.  I found their Shop SCAD store in Savannah (such a cute town for shopping and antiquing) when visiting my dear friend Marcia.  Here students can sell their designs and it's your own opportunity to own something different.  I bought some cute baby things for a friend that just had a little girl and a quirky T-shirt with a Boston Terrier for my sister.  The store itself is so cute I could scream.  The last time I was there, back in August, I saw a beautiful hand-painted dress.  It was a white smock dress with an impressionistic field of flowers painted at the bottom and faded as you progressed up the dress to the neckline.  It was too beautiful to wear but it would have been such eye candy to have displayed on a dress form at home. 

MoMA and SF MoMA
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) is no secret for great designs, but did you know it is a great place for gifts as well?  I think they have more selection online than in the store, plus if you aren't close to either New York or San Francisco then it's much easier too.  Fashion and shopping mags will sometimes refer to these sites for gift-buying ideas and I don't think they will disappoint so check out the main store MoMA and the SF MoMA.

This Is Auto
I can't remember how or when I found this site. It's definitely from one of the gazillion fashion mags I read, but This Is Auto is NYC-based and another site to go to for beautifully designed gifts.  At one point, I found a really cute Hannukah card with bendable candles that you could fold up for each day of Hannukah and personalized match boxes.  I think the site has grown up since then and now they offer more refined pieces.  It's not the most practical in terms of prices - they feature some designers like Missoni - but you can splurge once in awhile depending on how much you like the gift recipient ;-)