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I should have started my Christmas shopping a long time ago. In fact, I still haven't started, but here are some ideas.
Crafty little things are definitely something I'm a fan of. Handmade? Good quality? Yes, please! Check out these little finds of mine on Etsy. Etsy is so fantastic, you support people who create their own things and you always find awesome and wonderful creations. What better than to give a gift that's made with a lot of love? Not only is it unique and fun, it's something to remember you by!
I posted about Etsy creator Alliebeans in a post I did about my make-up. basics I can honestly say that the quality of these products is tops, it's excellent! And I also have that little coin pouch (bottom picture), it's perfect! I have already bought several to give to friends.
This is not an Etsy maker. These wrist warmers are designed and made by Sandra Juto, I found them on her blog. How adorable! They're very Victorian; beautiful and definitely useful.
Decorations! I love Christmas decorations! Perfect for a gift for someone else - or yourself! I'm about to go order the cute little needle felted acorn trees from truLuxe. And the adorable little penguins are from Skunkboy Creatures.
What could be more fitting during the wintery months than a pair of mittens? And then Moocow went to go add some pom poms. I'd be happy to receive this, and I know a lot of people who would be too.
What are you thinking about getting for your family and friends?
Image Source: Alliebeans, Sandra Juto, truLuxe, Skunkboy Creatures, Moocow, Etsy
Yes, back to holiday dresses. Going from muted tones to FIERY RED, and orange and purple...and black.
I fully approve of this dress by Theory. I don't know why, it's rather simple, not totally exciting, and I'm not huge on patterns, but I'm definitely big on this. It's like big brush stroke roses.
Clearly I'm going to like this one, and I'm going to tell you I'm in love with it because it has ruffles. I cannot stop with the ruffles, oh Lela Rose, how beautiful.
My God, and then I found THIS. Roberto Cavalli! Red! Luscious! Passionate! Most Excellent!
Oscar De La Renta - the perfect designer for a night out. I have nothing else to say, the colour just pops, and the amount of detail is just enough for it to be very interesting, but not overly gaudy.
This big rose applique on the side of the dress is awesome. Some skill definitely went into designing it. While it's a bit last season, it's not just sewn on, it's sewn into the dress. Stunning and memorable to say the least.
Just like I can't get away from ruffles, I can't get away from black. The following dress is by Abeate. Wonderful!
Another excuse to buy another dress for another occasion, when it's not really necessary, especially now with the recession... but hey, let's have a look anyway.
& we're going for ideas, not prices. Moving along, my little obsession continues with all things white/ivory/beige, within that realm of things, and of course greys and blacks; I thought the following dresses were rather interesting. Something different from the usual holiday dresses you see hung on rack after rack, store after store. Let's start off with a Missoni scarf dress.
I love the back, and especially the subtle pattern, and how the dress has been hemmed. You see a lot of scarf dresses, but this one has some character.
And then after BG's talk of her Rebecca Taylor dress, I had to go find some more because her dress was so beautiful! Simple, but so elegant! The perfect black dress.
It's definitely a piece you could dress up and down. Versatility is always a good thing. I can just imagine how flowing the material would look.
Above, a dress by Miu Miu. Usually I see things by Miu Miu and I get excited, then after a while I don't really like them. However I like this one, and it kind of reminds me of an extremely toned down version of what BG and HG called the "S" dress in a previous post. I love the pleated bottom.
And then there is Chloe. How cute! I have a dress that has a veil layer on top similar to this, and I absolutely adore it. However mine is all black, so this change hue is something I'm drawn to.
And then there is Vera Wang.
Maybe a little too generic and confined? I'm not entirely sure. But beading detail is always an extravagance one can indulge in. Something more grand and sophisticated than sequins and glitter.
So maybe this year, opt for softer tones? Whatever suits your fancy, this was just one idea. There shall be more to come!
Image Source: Net A Porter, Deuxieme Classe F/W 2008
My mom recently came back from a wedding in Sydney and she got me a dress. On the phone she made it sound really fabulous, "it is a evening dress in a pale sea green color, that goes just below your knees with a matching shawl/scarf. Everyone, even your dad, thinks it is very elegant and gorgeous!" It never occurred to me that I'd want a pale green dress, but seeing as it IS Christmas, maybe it'll be just the thing for a Christmas party!
When I first laid eyes on it, my first reaction was PROM DRESS. The whole pastel color and the jewels at the bodice, with the length ....you got to admit, it's a bit prom like. If not prom like, then at least bridesmaid like. Or just... kind of old (esp with the matching shawl). Don't get me wrong. I love my mom for remembering me on her holiday and buying be stuff out of the blue. I DO know how lucky I am and I do appreciate the gesture. And as much as I am complaining now, I will probably end up wearing it. This is just not something I'd pick on my own... I'd probably pick something more vibrant with funkier jewels, more modern. As an economist, I'm always thinking about opportunity cost.
Having stared at it for quite some time now though, I'm starting to come around to it a bit. The pale sea green color and simple bodice design can be considered as goddess-like and elegant. And while it is not modern, I guess it is classic. I can't go too wrong in a classic dress, right?
Hope everyone is having a great Thanksgiving weekend and got some great bargains yesterday! With the official start of the holiday season, the markets are also looking a bit brighter. Kind of.
On Monday, Citigroup was bailed out from its recent troubles, with a $20 billion capital injection from TARP in exchange for preferred shares and a government agreement to guarantee over $300 billion of their troubled assets. The shares went from $3.77 last Friday (as I remember, but could be a bit off) to $8.29 yesterday. It would've been an easy way to double your money quick! Citi was simply too big and international to be allowed to fail.
On Tuesday, the latest economic data were released, citing a 0.5% decline in GDP from July-September, more than the 0.3% announced a month ago. Home prices also dropped a whooping 17.4% from a year ago, a record decline. Along with this bad economic data however, the Fed also announced a new $800 billion program to support asset-backed securities including consumer loans and mortgage-backed securities:
- $100 billion to buy up debt issued by government-sponsored mortgage enterprises Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Banks
- $500 billion to buy up mortgage securities backed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Ginnie Mae
- $200 billion facility to support consumer finance, including student, auto, and credit card loans and loans backed by the federal Small Business Administration
Designed as a life line for consumers, it is supposed to help consumers get home, car and credit card loans easier. I haven't figured out all the implications of this program is. I am still astounded by the sudden $800 billion splurge. Last time they announced a splurged $700 billion, there were long congress hearings and deliberations for at least a week. Where was the hearing and deliberation here (or have I just been unaware of the politics?)? Regardless, this has run the financial crisis tab to $7.36 trillion- double what was spent on WW2 adjusted for inflation!
Overseas, the latest headline to up the pirate fiasco last week (not that it has gone away), is the terrorist attack in Mumbai, India. I thought that Mumbai and Delhi were pretty civilized and safe these days with their strong economic growth and development. That is why I was so shocked to hear that the city was attacked by terrorists who randomly shot at people on the streets and hijacked 2 of the most luxurious hotels there, the Taj Mahal and the Oberoi, and a Jewish center, taking and killing many hostages! The latest death toll as of Saturday evening was at least 183. The terrorists, were well trained and in their 20s. They arrived in Mumbai by boat and the whole thing appeared to be very well planned. They suspect that the gunmen are from Pakistan and that this may have something to do with the dispute in Kashmir.
While you wait for Thanksgiving dinner, here is something to oogle over.....
Happy Turkey day everyone!
Image Source: Net a Porter
I think I need to convert to Saks girl, because they are officially my favourite department store this season. After having walked through Barneys and Bloomies (judging from the crowd, I assume Neiman Marcus to be the same), I can officially say that Saks is offering the BEST deals this sale season! Earlier this month (when I was pondering over my pink skirt), they had that weekend of extra 40% off already on sale items. While everyone else is currently doing that however, Saks has moved on to taking 50% off already on sale items, there are also a LOT more on sale items too! This sale began last week (privately) for Saks card holders and I heard the Saks New York was flooded with customers, literally fighting over each other for the latest stocks as they unpacked the boxes. This week it is open to everyone and it's craaaazy (I believe they are having a "black week" instead of black friday, so better get there early!).
To begin with, the traffic on their website must be phenomenal, because the website is constantly down and I'm led to a "Sorry we're experiencing technical problems" page every few clicks. And when I DO get onto the page, it appears that many sizes are already out! 
Luckily for me, Saks Fifth in Chicago is not exactly the busiest department store in town (this honor belongs to Nordstroms and Bloomies) and there were still some stuff left in my size (kind of) when I visted today. So I swiped this Rebecca Taylor dress for 1/3 of the price!! I believe it was 40% off and then another 50% off. I was considering it when it was at 40% off, but when I saw it was another 50% off, it was almost a no brainer. It's not super special, but if you look at it more closely, it has mini dark purple polka dot prints on it in felt. And when you swirl, the dress swirls with you. It just feels so cute and fun! The back is also a racer back design, which I thought was very intriguing. I am super happy with this find (besides the fact that I had to get it in a 4 instead of a 2, but I figure that the dress is supposed to be a bit loose!).
What got me super psyched and smiling all the way home and then dancing around wearing them like a crazy person (in the privacy of my apartment of course) though were these Stuart Weitzman pumps (except mine are actually sling backs). I've been eying them for a week now, ever I caught sight of them on the sales rack. I asked HG what she thought and we agreed that they were very classic looking pumps and would be worth it (it was at 40% off back then). So today when I passed the shoe floor and saw that the racks (and the whole floor for that matter) was literally empty, I had to stop by and check out my shoes. Lo and behold, they were also another 50% off. I was SO psyched, I immediately picked them up and tried them on even though the store was closing then. Unfortunately they only had a size 5.5 left (I'm a 6). But since they're sling backs, I didn't think half a size mattered as I can adjust the straps. Also, I tried them on and made sure that my feet isn't sticking out the back (a big no no). While I was waiting for the sales guy to get me the full pair, I watched women all around me in a flurry grabbing and trying on shoes, furiously sweeping up 70% off Jimmy Choo boots and Louboutins in a mad rush to buy all they can before the sales people refuse to serve us. It was quite an amazing sight. THIS was what I'd imagined black friday to be- I guess there won't be much left now for black friday (we asked and they're not planning to restock, they've been on this mode all week). It's a good thing I got to my pumps on time!
It's amazing what a good bargain can do for one's constitution. As you can tell, I am still super hyped about it :D
Image Source: Saks
