BDB

BDB, also known as Billion Dollar Babes, is a wonderful shopping organization that holds various invitation-only events (basically members only sample sales) throughout the year. Members are divided into three levels; regular membership is free, gold membership is $100/year, and platinum is $200/year. All members get email updates and invites to the various events but there are perks to paying for membership. Platinum members usually get about a 3 hour head start before all other members, a gift bag for the annual fall sale, priority check-in and check-out, and 4 guest invites. Gold members get about a 2 hour head start before regular members, priority check-in and check-out, and 2 guest invites. DZ and I joined last year and we split the gold membership (worked out great so its worth trying if you want to save some money!) but this year we both decided to upgrade to platinum :) While there are about a dozen events (most complete with free refreshments and manicures) held each year, the spring and fall sales are the two events that are most worth your time and money. Racks and racks of clothes from various designers and most are under $100!! There are also handbags, shoes, jewelry, and sunglasses for sale. I've come to make it a habit to buy my fill of Oliver Peoples sunglasses during each sale...$300-400 sunglasses for $100-150!!!

From the spring sale this year...


Sorta like the Oliver Peoples I got during the fall sale but I dont have sunglasses with light frames so these are a great (and cheap) addition to my collection :)

Finally!

So after much (way too much...) whining about the YSL Muse...I F I N A L L Y got myself one :)




I could've waited a few more months for the fall colors to come out but the mint green (large size) was on sale for about $500 off and so I thought, heck...this is good enough for meeeeeeee!! Plus, I was missing green in my bag collection :D

Oh yea...I also decided to buy yet another pair of shoes...BUT I got if for about $200+ off even though it actually wasn't even on sale!! Looove it when stores mis-mark items ;)


The straps are detachable so its like 2 shoes in one for an incredibly good price!!

So now I can finally stop talking about how I should buy a Muse...next target?? Reissue!!! Okay yes, I need to get a grip on things...*DEEP BREATHS*...

Burberry Montgomery Quilted Shoulder Bag

I dont think I've ever blogged about a Burberry purse before. Its not that I have anything against Burberry purses but I think the whole plaid thing is a little bit cheesy when its plastered all over a bag :P So when PC (kekekeke) told me she had gotten a new Burberry purse, I was almost scared to see it. However, I'm happy to say I was pleasantly surprised by PC's choice :) The Montgomery quilted shoulder bag is as far removed from the plaid bags as you can get!! Sturdy, pristine white leather with the quilted pattern and so spacious too!! I dont think I've ever seen another shoulder bag with so many different compartments on the inside. This bag would be a perfect travel bag since I can't imagine anything more convenient with this much room for all your travel necessities! Best of all...PC got it on sale!! Gotta love this time of year...

This Is What Happens When I'm Trying To Enforce A Bag Ban...

Yep, thats right...I go out and I buy five pairs of new shoes! After my Mulberry, I decided I should rest a little before September but I got antsy and had to find something new to obssess over :/ I chose shoes just cus they're the next best thing after bags and within 7 days, this is what I've managed to collect:


Louboutin Somewhere in black leather. This style is new and I haven't seen it anywhere else other than BNY. If you haven't already gone to the BNY summer sale this year, dont bother cus it sucks! I'm not sure what happened but perhaps BNY decided they gave out too many good deals last year and decided to pull back a little :( I was totally bummed last week when I realized just how much their selection sucked and to make myself feel better, I purchased these even though they weren't on sale :P


Louboutin Declic in blue suede. When I first saw these at BNY, I thought they were eye-catching but I wasn't completely sold. Then I started seeing them everywhere and began to fall in love. As luck would have it, when I went back for them, they were all gone! I whined and complained to DZ and she did some magic with the shopping angels and BAM...managed to find a pair in my size!! This again reaffirms why we all must have a reliable shopping buddy!!! Thanks again DZ :)


The next three I got during the Saks pre-sale event last week:


Louboutin Fontanete Suede Taupe. I got totally lucky with these shoes cus someone had tried to hide these behind all the other Louboutins but too bad for them, I was looking extra hard that day! I also love these shoes in black suede with pewter leather but those weren't on sale :(


Louboutin Lola Pump in black patent. I have two pairs of shoes with this similar style but the combination of the patent leather and that sleek heel was too much for me to say no to. Super duper sexy but a bit hard to walk in :/ Also comes in electric blue but it was a bit too "bright" for my tastes...


Chanel black patent pumps. Yes, I have a weakness for black pumps. I had momentarily considered not getting these since I realized I probably didn't need two new pairs of black patent leather pumps but these are so cute and comfy I just couldn't resist!!

And as always, Libby got quite excited over my purchases as well...


I'm pretty much in love with all my purchases thus far and I'm curious to see just how much more damage I can cause before the summer sale season ends...STAY TUNED!!

Dior Soft (???) Babe

I blogged about this bag when it first came out on eluxury and finally got to try it on today and IT SUCKS. Like it sucks really, really bad. Who in God's name decided to name this the "Soft" Babe?!?! The leather chosen for this bag is probably the hardest leather my hands have ever touched. It looks slouchy and soft in pictures but let me assure you that this bag is FAR from being slouchy and soft. Its more like rigid and ROCK HARD. I mean it looks okay when you hold it but why are you going to pay thousands of dollars for leather thats of laughable quality?? The people at Dior TOTALLY deceived the public when they chose the name for this bag and yes, I am very PO-ed about it >(

So Many Bags, So Little Time (And Money...)

I've been MIA for awhile since 1. I was busy studying for my microbio final 2. I've been trying to clean/organize my closets 3. My photographer has been on vacation and 4. I've been totally engrossed with all the sales that are currently going on. So far I've managed to channel all my shopping energy on shoes since it hasn't even been a month since my last purse purchase BUT I can feel myself getting weak :( Here is my current shopping plan/wish list for purses (well, I guess its better to say these are my more urgent must-haves since my capacity for purses is basically endless...) :


Patience is a virtue. I'm really trying to refrain from making any more purchases before September since thats when my Bottega Campana in Turbulence is scheduled to arrive :)


And of course, I'm also waiting to get the Bottega zip-around wallet in Turbulence in September as well...


Members of the purse forum have proven that a girl can never have too many Chanel flap bags and I desperately want another Reissue...just looking at this picture is making me salivate.


Okay, this bag might be a little "mature" for my age-group but I'm seriously obsessed with the Uptown right now :( It looked great on a lady I saw a few months ago at the movies and today I tried it on at Saks and well, it looks great on me too :P


I really should just go ahead and buy a Muse just so I can stop trying it on every time I see it and then consequently blogging about how much I love this bag...





Dior has been pretty disappointing for the past couple of years but this bag has grown on me...tried it on at Dior today and its just as cute in person as in pictures...

What in the world is a LV bag doing on my wish list?? I know I usually talk a lot of crap about LV but I really do like the Mahina. Too bad I dont want to pay $3000 for it :P


I hate my love affair with purses...the torture of always wanting a new purse...I seriously should look into therapy or finding a support group!!!

When I'm Pregnant...

I want to look just like Angie!! Brad is also welcome to come hold my hand at that time :) I mean you all know that I absolutely adore Brangelina and usually have a hard time deciding which one is hotter but seriously, Angie is one helluva pregnant woman. The boobs, the belly, the dress, the hair, the skin, the baby daddy, so on and so forth. I know many of you hate on her cus she supposedly broke up a "happy" marriage...whatever, I still love her :P And plus, you have to admit, not just anyone can look so frickin radiant when they're pregnant! Maxi dresses seem to be the hot IT item for this summer and I for one give Angie credit for starting this trend with her Hermes gown at the 2008 SAG Awards :)

Natalie & Lanvin Part 2

Gosh dangit Nat! Shes done it again...shes managed to pull off another ruffled Lanvin dress in another stunning color. I was just talking to DZ earlier about how Lanvin dresses only fit a certain body type...I've seen plenty of celebrity pictures where the gal looks completely awkward in her Lanvin dress (its easy to get lost in the draping and whatnot) but I have to say, Natalie was born to wear Lanvin. Or perhaps its just cus shes stunningly beautiful with a nice petite frame :P Anyhow, though I still like the purple dress better, I think if I had thousands of dollars to spare on one dress, I would probably opt for this blue number since its more demure and hence more suitable as a day dress :) *Sigh* Please ignore me as I sit back and daydream about me walking around wearing this dress...

Attn: Balenciaga Lovers

All you Balenciaga lovers (*cough cough*)...I have GREAT news. Wait, before you get too excited...no, there is no big sale going on BUT shopping for Balanciaga has just gotten a whole lot easier!!! Balanciaga finally created a e-store for its loyal consumers and now, you are all free to click and oogle (and spend) away in the comforts of your home or cubicle :) I was so excited when I found out, I immediately started this post and haven't even had the chance to go oogle myself :P So please excuse me as I go drool...


BTW...I think Chanel fans should ban together and write a letter to KL to beg him to ask the web people to do a e-store for Chanel!!

Kate's Ostrich Mulberry

While I have nothing nice to say about her taste in men, I'm glad Kate and I share the same tastes in handbags :) Here is Kate's ostrich Mulberry. I'm sure she has this bag in every color at home :P I think Kate will have a lot to do with Mulberry becoming a hit in the US since her paparazzi pictures usually make it onto every website and magazine there is. In fact I think I first took notice of Mulberry after various bloggers raved about her croc Mulberry and I'm sure there are plenty of suckers like me out there :D My advice? Consider buying one before the prices start increasing and you can later be the envy of all women when you say "Oh when I bought my Mulberry, it was only $900!"

Hello Yellow

My parents left today so I have some time to blog now :) Last night ended up being way longer than expected so I totally did not have any time to post about my outfit so here is what I wore yesterday:

Sorry about the picture...I was in one of those moods where I hated every shot taken and had to resort to cropping out all body parts :P

Dress: Geren Ford...I love the color and the ruching around the neck but was hesitant about how this dress is sorta see-through. I decided to buy it anyways and to play around with the possibility of making it into a shirt. When I got around to trying it on again, I realized I could just slip on another dress underneath to take care of the possibility that my ass might be out in the open for all the world to view...hence the extra layer of black you see in the picture :) I still haven't erased the possibility of making this into a shirt but I think that'll come after I'm sick of wearing it as a dress.

Other dress: Forever 21...totally worth it to buy some plain and cheap black dresses for the sole purpose of wearing them underneath your more sheer pieces.

Its Just Not Fair!

There are a lot of things that are unfair about life but I really think its unfair how many things Georgina Chapman has going for her...

1. Shes beautiful
2. Her dad is a millionaire who owns a coffee company
3. Her husband, though not the greatest looking chap (if he cuts beer from his diet, it would be a vast improvement), co-founded a little company called Miramax
4. Shes a former model and actress
5. And oh yea, shes one half of Marchesa

...and she managed to do all this when she was only 28...

Yes, its okay...go ahead and feel inadequate cus in this case, its understandable...

Purple and Ruffles

Okay its official. My new fetish is purple with ruffles on beautiful women. Here is Charlize in Dior. The end.

Soft Chain Chanel

I've been swamped this weekend with a little thing called cleaning :) My parents are visiting for 2 days and to avoid my mom screaming about how dirty my apartment is, I decided to take some preventative measures. This is turning out to be a good thing since its given me a chance to throw away some of the junk that I've been hoarding since their last visit almost a year ago :P I've also been eying my closet the whole weekend cus I know it needs to be cleaned out and organized but I just dont have the energy for such a daunting task. So anyways, in the midst of me envisioning a more organized closet, I realized I never blogged about my soft-chain Chanel. I bought this about a year ago and the main attraction is the leather. I dare you to find a bag with softer leather...really, go ahead, be my guest. I've yet to have a person touch this bag and not say either "whoa" or "ooooooooooooh". Ideally I would've liked the black version but since at the time I sorta felt like I HAD to go home with it that very same day, I settled for the peach. The color and the nature of the leather make it very easy for this bag to get dirty and hence the reason I try to avoid using this bag for extended periods. The chain is very heavy compared to the rest of the bag so the top of the bag sorta automatically folds forward unless its on your shoulder. However, you might be surprised to know that the chain does not sit uncomfortably on your shoulder. I'm still undecided about whether the bag was named for the leather or the chain...probably both huh?

YSL Mary Janes

So you know by now that YSL is one of my favorites. I usually remember to stalk their selection at least once every other week. Ever since I bought my Tribute MJs, I haven't really seen anything too drool-worthy (I guess minus the Tribute T-Strap Sandals...) but today I was pleasantly surprised by the addition of these patent MJs :) Since the Louboutin MJs are about $400 too much, these are perfect for my price range since they're $400 less than the CLs. Great platform height, sexy heel, patent leather, whats not to like? I'm extremely tempted to pre-order them right now but I'm thinking of holding out till the summer sales are over...dont want to do too much damage too soon! I really hope bored, rich housewives dont get too excited over these and buy them by the bundle...I'm going to hurt someone if these end up becoming like the Tribute MJs >( *Sigh* Can't get over how sexy they look from the back...

Color + Details > Wrinkles

Sunny weather with a low wind factor usually means picking something more thin and delicate from my closet and today was the perfect day to try out my recent NM purchase :D



Dress: Gold Hawk. Okay, I bought this dress mainly cus it was on the cheap side ($75ish) but it actually ended up being WAY cuter than expected. First of all, I love the color. I'm really picky about the different shades of red, green, and yellow (I like my reds and green dark and my yellows bright) so not just any red hue will do. Second of all, the details on the collar of this dress are pretty eye-catching, I'll have to remember to put my hair up the next time I wear this out. The things I find annoying about this dress are: 1. since its 100% silk, it basically wrinkles the minute it touches your skin...I need to invest in a steam iron soon and 2. its a bit on the short for me...I know, I've become more of a prude :P

Tights: The usual Spanx

Shoes: BCBG


Okay, time for me to go to bed...way past my usual bedtime :(

Tricky Weather

I didn't get a chance to post my outfit from yesterday so here it is in all its glory!

Stupid weather, tricked me again! I know the sun was out yesterday but I thought I saw some wind and decided to be cautious since it gets pretty darn windy in Torrance...but of course it wasn't windy yesterday. In fact, it was the perfect weather for some of my more flimsy dresses and yet, I walked around in a sweater dress :P No worries, I've learned my lesson and will soon make it a habit of checking weather.com before walking out the door :)

Dress: Catherina Malandrino. I first tried this dress on at Shaya and was in love but not so in love that I was willing to fork over $400 (might've been $500...I forget). Good thing I'm practically an expert at stalking sales and was able to find this dress on shopbop at a ridiculously good discount price :) Moral of the story? When in doubt, wait for it to go on sale!

Leggings: Arden B

Earrings: LN

Shoes: Can't see 'em but I wore my Stephen Venezia pumps

Natalie & Lanvin

Purple was my favorite color growing up but up until recently, I never really thought of it as a easy color to wear. Well, 2008 is the year of purple! Purple is the bona fide color for fall/winter and its starting to slowly saturate the market. Just about every major designer is pushing their own purple hue as the IT color for 2008. I think one of my favorite purple pieces so far is the strapless purple dress by Lanvin that Natalie Portman wore to the premiere of Blindness at the Cannes Movie Festival (probably second on my list after the Costume Gala of "Events that JJ would attend if she was rich and famous"). Such a vibrant color on such a frilly but classy dress!! I guess it also doesn't hurt that Natalie is so beautiful :P I'm seriously in love with this dress and this is coming from a person who normally doesn't like strapless dresses!! Natalie has also just moved up about 10 notches in my book just for wearing it :)

Reissue Fever

For some reason I decided that I wanted a new Reissue yesterday. Now I am completely obsessed with Reissues of all sizes and colors. While I still think my purple Reissue is one of the greatest bags ever, its a bit small for everyday use. Hence, I think I should invest in another Reissue of bigger size in perhaps a metallic black or dark silver. Hell, lets be real...I want them ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL. I've been oogling at pictures of Reissues on TPF since yesterday and I'm seriously in love with all of them. Its gotten to the point where the Reissue Mademoiselle lock is officially winning over the CC lock. Yea, I know! I'm trying to plan out when it would be the most strategic to stick a Reissue into my shopping plans...currently it looks like the end of '08 since I'll be able to pass if off as a bday or xmas gift :) Okay, back to oogling...my right arm is getting tired from all the scrolling but my obsession is not allowing me to rest :P

A Case of the Mondays

Today was just one of those days. Even as I was getting ready for work, I could feel my bad mood setting in. My sour mood reached a peak midday when some middle-aged idiot (I'm being nice with my word choice here...) decided to test my hide and seek skills but we won't waste our time on that. So whats a girl to do?? Go on a chocolate break of course!! After our break, I was able to coerce the girls into a fun photo session :)




Cardigan: Club Monaco. Is it a cardigan? Is it cropped? Say no more, I'm sold!

Dress: Banana. I wore this dress to my 1 year anniversary with Kent and I remember him asking me why I was wearing such a conservative dress...LMAO... I guess it is a little on the funeral-ish side of things BUT this dress is great cus its simple, has pockets in the front, and has a awesome silhouette!

Tights: Take a wild guess...

Shoes: YSL...my infamous sky-high YSLs. Love them to death and no, they are not impossible to walk in. Due to the high platform, these are super comfy :)

Jewelry: LN

I'm glad today is over but I need a serious vacation soon.


**Note: I do not in any shape or form have anything against middle-aged people. I just have a thing against this one particular MIDDLE-AGED, DRIED UP RAISIN :)**

A Girl Can Never Have Too Many...

BLACK PUMPS!! DZ is always telling me that I dont need another pair of black pumps but I just seem to be drawn to them. Black pumps go with just about everything and I seriously believe that a girl can never have too many pairs. Classic black pumps of course does not refer to peep-toe pumps, sling-back pumps, MJ pumps, or strappy sandal pumps. The classic pump is the high-heel shoe in its most simple and original form and this explains why they are so timeless. While it is good to diversify your closet, it is also nice knowing that a classic black pumps will always be a good investment since you can wear it with anything and it will never go out of style. Every girl should look into investing in a pointy pump and a rounded pump. I decided to see just how many pairs of classic black pumps I have and my final tally comes out to 2 Louboutins, 1 Prada, 1 Charles David, 2 BCBG, 1 Stephen Venezia, and 1 Steven by Steve Madden. These 8 pairs of shoes get the most use out of all my shoes and I probably would not part with any of them unless they got worn to the point where they are no longer wearable.

Skin Care

Thus far in my life, I've been lucky enough to have had relatively decent skin. I think my mom credits that to her good genes. Anyhow, even though I've never had acne problems, I've been using practically the same skin care regime since probably middle school. When I was younger, one of my favorite past-times was going through my mom's beauty products and as soon as I was old enough, she got me my own set. My mom is big on Shiseido and I've more or less followed in her footsteps. My creams are no where near as expensive as hers but they'll do for now :P So without further ado, here are my helpers:

1. Shiseido Pureness Cleansing Foam...used it ever since middle school. Probably going to switch to the Shiseido Skincare cleansing foam soon since everyone's telling me the Pureness line is for teenagers...so kill me for trying to bring back my youth :P BTW, Kent has been using this ever since we've met and I have to say, his skin has improved by great leaps and bounds!!

2. Shiseido Skincare Balancing Softener. Up until about 6 months, my balancer was the Pureness line but the SA at BNY convinced me that I should move up to the Skincare line...haven't really noticed that much of a difference...

3. Shiseido Skincare Day Moisturizer with SPF 15. Same story as the balancer 'cept this moisturizer is noticeably "heavier" than the moisturizer from the Pureness line. BTW...its really important to have SPF in your moisturizer since the sun is one of the skin's worst enemies!

4. YSL Lisse Expert Anti-Wrinkle Serum. Yes, I know, I'm only 23 but hey, never too early to start the prevention process ;) This stuff is EXTREMELY awesome and it also smells good too... Kent was using it just cus it smelled good and I didn't have the heart to tell him to please stop wasting my precious anti-wrinkle serum, I'm hoping he doesn't notice the new bottle :P

5. cle de peau Beaute Eye Cream. I'm big on eye cream cus I basically have a vendetta against the skin underneath my eyes. I've tried MANY, MANY different eye creams. Still haven't found THE eye cream yet but I'm hoping La Mar will live up to its hype. But first, I must finish using my clea de peau Beaute :) This eye cream is aight...its very, very moisturizing but again, not a miracle cream (I realize there may be no such thing but hey, I still have my hopes up). cle de peau Beaute is often described as the beauty industry's best kept secret. It is made by Shiseido but is more expensive than regular Shiseido products. My mom is really into this stuff but for now I'm happy with just plain, ole Shiseido.

Burberry Private Sale

About 2 weeks ago, I was browsing through TPF and came across a thread about Burberry's private sale online. One of the girls was nice enough to forward me the email link and I was lucky enough to find some great deals. Most of the jackets and shoes were sold out in my size but I of course still managed to spend money...theres something about stuff on sale that I just can't say no to :P I know its practically summer and a scarf really wouldn't be appropriate for this time of year but how could I say no to $100 off the large cashmere scarves?? I also took the opportunity to buy something that I probably wouldn't have gotten if it wasn't on sale...the Check headband. I dont wear headbands that much but the Burberry Check headbands always catch my attention when I see it on other girls and plus, IT WAS ON SALE :) If you keep up with this blog then you might be asking yourself, WTH ever happened to her shopping probation?? Yes, I have broken it quite a few times but I'm gonna try to really stay true to it til the end of May...lol, weak sauce, I know.

Making Adjustments to Jumbo Chanel Flap Bags

In an earlier post, I briefly talked about adjusting the length of the straps on Chanel bags. Chanel flap bags tend to have longer straps than most shoulder bags out there and the length can be somewhat awkward. When I bought my mom her jumbo Chanel, the SA briefly showed me how to shorten the straps since I was complaining about their length. I finally tried it out for myself and here is a quick tutorial on this simple trick:

1. Open the bag and adjust the strap until you get your desired length


2. Pull a ribbon/string/shoelace/etc. through the two loops


3. Tye the ribbon


4. Place the extra straps inside the bag


*Before*


*After*

I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to adjust the length of the straps and now I'm totally excited that I can make about three "different" purses out of just one!! There are other ways of adjusting the straps but this one is so easy even I can do it :)