500th Post

Last week I wrote "What to do for my 500th post" as my Gmail status and I got a ton of feedback from friends. Some honorable mentions:

WK: Tour of my closet or a "shopping with Jenny" video - the closet idea is an obvious choice but too time consuming for my schedule right now (need to clean and organize and then take 1000 pictures) and I would rock the video idea cept I need a camera crew...

RP: Take pictures of 500 people and critique their outfits - would LOVE to do this but I should've started this WAY ahead of time...

ND: Evolution of a shopaholic - a lot of the things I used to collect are long gone but if I was to take pictures of all my current collections, I would need about two days and right now, I barely have 2 hours...

DA: Buy something really fancy and write about it - any sponsors??

IC: Go around looking for people with really good and really bad purses - again, would love to do this but no time!

All great ideas but sadly, I just can't afford to spend that much time right now on a blog post :( When I get all my studying and what not taken care of, I'll def look into doing at least some of the stuff suggested by my dear friends. In any case, I've been playing around all day with my new Nikon SLR camera and so I decided to do a shorthand version of ND's "Evolution of a Shopaholic":

I started getting into clothes and shoes when I was in the eighth grade but my obsession with collecting odds and ends began WAY earlier. I was in the first grade when I stated my first collection. It was a sticker collection that had the ability to make any six-year-old weep with desire. I collected stickers from just about everywhere and I had a box FILLED to the rim. Sadly when I was in the third or fourth grade, I killed my sticker collection. I thought I needed to make a sticker book for show and tell and stupidly pasted each and every sticker onto a crappy notebook. Sad, sad, sad, sad..stupid, stupid, stupid.

After my sticker collection, I got into erasers and pens. Whats currently in my possession is maybe a quarter of what I used to have. Heres a sample of my current eraser collection:





Yes, these are all erasers. Pretty cool, right? I also used to have a pretty awesome collection of pens but again, these have dwindled down in numbers over the years. A peek at whats left:



After erasers and pens, I moved onto Sailormoon cards. It was a big Asian thing to do. My card count is probably in the thousands - some are gold and silver plated. I still have these somewhere but bc of all the moving we've done over the past few years, my mom doesn't know which box she packed them in. Other memorable collections from my childhood: video tapes - my brother and I had a video library that included almost every movie made in the 90s for kids; Lip Smackers lip gloss - I had just about every flavor; Bath and Body lotion and body spray - I had just about every scent.

Then in 2003, I walked into Louis Vuitton and my purse addiction began. Obviously, my purse collection has faced some recent competition from the shoe arena but I also dabble with dresses, sunglasses, jewelry, shopping bags (if you shop a lot, you will of course end up with a lot nice shopping bags) and makeup - eyeshadows to be exact. I didn't have the patience to take pictures of everything but heres a pic of the Louboutin half of my closet:

It Took 498 Posts But Balenciaga Is Finally Back On The Map!

My very first entry for this blog was about the Balenciaga Weekender. You all know the story...girls sees bag online, girl falls in love with bag, girl uses lunch hour to go purchase bag, girl tries on bag and realizes she actually isn't all that crazy about the bag, girl goes back to work disappointed. Ever since trying on my first Balenciaga in 2007, I've stayed away. Although I've always liked Bbags on other girls, time and time again, I find that I just dont LOVE Bbags when I try them on for myself. A few weeks ago, I was taking a quick inventory of my closet and the idea of looking into Balenciaga and Prada popped into my head. I started doing some research; Prada sorta dropped off the map cus I realized there really was anything out there that I wanted but Balenciaga lingered on. I began the daunting task of trying to figure out the different styles and colors and sizes online. Slowly but surely, I began to become more versed in Balenciaga-speak and felt comfortable enough to take the plunge. I stopped by Balenciaga when I went to pick up my Maxi and tried on a few styles. The style I ended up picking was definitely not what I had expected to buy...it wasn't even on my list of styles to look out for. In any case, presenting my first Balenciaga:



09 F/W Pourpre Twiggy with classic hardware. Its the perfect size, casual but not boring, and the color is great. For the longest time, I only liked Bbags with the giant hardware. I didn't care so much for the classic style (small hardware with tassels) but at some point, it just grew on me. I went in knowing that I wanted something casual, something in the classic style, something not too large, and something in a eye-catching color. I thought I would be getting the First but that little guy is just too small. I then went for the City but for some reason, hated the way it looked on me. Just when I was about to admit defeat, I tried on the Twiggy and knew that I had F I N A L L Y found the Bal style for me.

Since purchasing my Twiggy, I have spent every waking minute doing more research online. I bow down to the Balenciaga lovers. This sh*t gets complicated. Since colors are in for one season and one season only, it gets VERY technical. I'm too much of a newbie to worry about colors...right now, I just want to make sure I get the styles down. I've narrowed my faves to 1. Twiggy 2. Day 3. Step 4. Brief 5. Purse 6. Part-time and I'm willing to give the City another go (I'm also not 100% clear on the what the difference is between the City and the Part-Time...). Sadly the Step, Brief, and Purse are all discontinued but I'm discovering that half the fun of buying Balenciaga is treasure hunting for styles and colors from previous years. I'm a bit scared to go back to previous seasons for color research - God forbid I fall in love with a color thats no longer available! I think for now, I'll just patiently wait for new colors - good for my bank account, good for my peace of mind. Seeing that I have yet to wear my Twiggy out, I can't say I'm a complete Bal addict but lets just say I foresee myself collecting colors, lots and lots of colors...

While researching, I saw a lot of talk online about lazy Bbags, squishy Bbags, chewy Bbags, and smooshy Bbags. I had no idea what the deal was but I guess its all about the leather. I'm still not 100% clear on squishy, chewy, and smooshy but lazy is just slouchy. I guess some girls really like their Bbags to sorta flop over it self. Here is my Twiggy being a little lazy:



In conclusion, if you are looking into buying a Bal bag, here are some pointers from a newbie:

1. Know the styles. There are many and they tend to all look the same upon first inspection. Its helpful to see modeling pics or you can just walk in and start trying them all on. I was lucky and had the sweetest SA helping me out...I had a million questions and she answered them all. When I went to go pick up my Twiggy, she was impressed at how much homework I had done but I still had a hundred more questions to ask her :P

2. Know which colors you like. Make sure you know the season and year.

3. Classic vs Giant hardware.

4. Pull out the CC and skip happily home with your new purse!


PS: All you Bbag addicts, please realize this is my first attempt at trying to speak and understand Balenciaga...feel free to correct me if you see any errors or would like to clarify anything :)

MAXImize Your Chanel Pleasure

Har har har...I'm so witty :P I'm pretty sure you guys already know what I'm going to be gushing about. I mean, I've only talked and dreamed and fantasized about it for two months...throwing it into practically every post and scheduling all other purchases around it!



FINALLY got my hands on the Fall 09 Act I Dark Blue Caviar with GHW Maxi!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay me :) Most places should have all the colors in by now but of course, not everyone ordered all the same colors. To my knowledge, the Maxi for Act I includes only brown, black, blue (slightly brighter than the previous navy), fuchsia (similar to S/S 09 fuchsia...very tempting), gray (very similar to my dark silver reissue), and baby pink (GORGEOUS anthracite hardware).

The black arrived almost a month before all other colors. When the black first arrived, my SA double checked with me to make sure that I didn't want the black and I told her I would probably end up going for the blue. Over the next few weeks, I stalked my SA and the Chanel forum to make sure I would be on top of the arrival of the other colors. Last Monday, someone on TPF got the dark blue and I became 100% sure that I wanted the blue. I immediately called my SA but sadly SCP was not expecting this color. No fear! My wonderful SA located one for me in SF and yea, I GOT WHAT I WANTED :P When I went to go pick up my new baby, all of the other SAs came over to oogle at it and I'm pretty sure some of them called their clients right away to alert them about the color. Uber excited and can't wait to wear her out.

For comparison, my Jumbo and my Maxi:


My Jumbo and my 227:


My 227 and my 225:





Note: The Maxi seems to have awakened my purse addiction (minus one current CL lust item, my shoe addiction is somewhat in check...). The same day I picked my Maxi, I ordered another bag (not Chanel). I talked to the SA today and she said to expect a call from her Monday or Tuesday. I think my choice will surprise a lot of you...

A Long Overdue Shoe Post

I've been holding out on you guys for weeks now. I realized I had one too many posts about shoes and so I thought I would leave some time in between my shoe posts. Seeing that I wasn't even 100% successful, I dont think theres any reason to wait any longer. About 2 weeks ago, I literally drove up and down LA county for the sake of new Louboutins.

1. Acquired during my lunch hour (Thanks DZ and T!): Black Pigalle 120 Paillettes:


Sequins are like a more expensive alternative to glitter. The Paillettes are pretty hard to come by (BUT SCP currently has the Paillette Decolletes!) so I consider myself VERY lucky. I love how sparkly these are on and Pigalle 120s are some darn sexy shoes. The only problem...these are more painful than my Alti 160s. Yea, I didin't even think that was possible but it is. I've been practicing wearing these around the house but I have yet to gather enough courage to actually wear them out. Perhaps one day I'll drink myself silly and then go out in them :) Until then, these will sit in my closet and look pretty. I have also decided that the next time Msr. Louboutin does a signing in CA, I will get these babies signed. After they are signed, I wont feel as bad for not wearing them.

PS: I know this may sound crazy but even though I know Pigalle 120s are absolute feet killers, I still would love the Pigalle 120 Silver Paillete :P


2. Very complicated process/story of acquisition: Green Watersnake Altadama 140:


So remember when I got the nude Ron Rons?? While I was waiting to purchase them, DZ tried on the green watersnake Altadamas and I nearly cried. I tried my best not to love them too much cus the price tag wasn't so cute and walked bravely away with my Ron Rons. For the next week, I was plagued with the memory of the Altadamas. Finally, I realized it wasn't worth it to save money on Ron Rons that didn't really excite me. I decided to return the Ron Rons and put in more money for the Altadamas. The WONDERFUL people at SCP let me do the exchange even though I was already over the 10-day period. There was a catch, SCP only had the gray version. I bought the gray version, prayed all night to the Shopping Gods that BH would still have the green, and sweated bullets until BH opened the next morning. As luck would have it, BH was out of the 37 but still had a 36.5. I weaved through LA traffic for an hour just to get my ass to BH but IT WAS SO WORTH IT. These are by far my most favorite Louboutins. They've also inspired me to get more Altadamas and more watersnake :)

Once Upon A Time

I saw a Christina Aguilera interview where she talked about how awesome her shoe collection was because its filled with Louboutins. After some research, I decided $600 Louboutins were absolute heaven. Too bad they were so expensive. I used to go to BNY during my lunch hour and just pet and sigh at the Louboutins on display (I'm 100% serious). Then one day, I decided to show a co-worker some of my favorite Louboutins online. Clicked on BNY and OMFG...LOUBOUTINS ON SALE?!??!??!!! I rushed there after work (I miss working in Century City...) and bought my first three pairs. The rest is history - most of which has been documented on this blog :)

I remember after my first pair, I told myself that I would only get new ones during sale season. As the addiction grew, that rule went out the window. I also used to limit myself to $700 and under. I've now crossed over the $1000 mark and would put my new limit at $1500 (for exotics - esp ostrich and lizard and I can only dream of one day owning a pair of croc CLs). Then comes the number of CLs. At first I bought with no goal in mind. Then I got it into my head that I should have 25 by my 25th bday. I still have about three more months to go and my goal has now grown to 40 CLs by my 25th bday. I think after I hit 40, it'll go up by increments of 10 until 1. I grow sick of CLs (not likely) 2. I become completely satisfied with my collection (also not likely) or 3. I run out of money (somewhat likely).

Like any newbie, I used to buy just based on aesthetics. Fast forward to current day and I am well versed on all the styles ever made by Louboutin, how sizing varies between the different styles, what makes seemingly identical styles and colors different, the different colors and styles that come out each season, and which stores/boutiques are carrying which styles and colors. At any one time, I could probably tell you immediately what style and color someone is wearing. My addiction has become very technical and at times I wish it could go back to the mindless shopping that it once was but then again, my collection probably wouldn't be as extensive and well-rounded.

Rolandos defined Louboutins before I started buying and after 38 pairs, they are still my #1 choice. I love my CLs completely and entirely and would probably never sell any of them. Even if I dont wear them. I have worn all of them at least once. Some have never been worn more than once but at this point, its more of a collection rather than "just shoes".

A big thank you to my buddy DZ (fellow CL addict) and all the wonderful girls on the TPF CL forum for helping me with my addiction. By "help", I mean helping it grow :)

PS: I love my purse collection just as much but it takes A LOT more work/money for a purse collection to grow than a shoe collection - spend $400-800 couple times a month for new shoes vs. spend $1500-3000 couple times a month for new purses.

Its About Time You Guys Learned A Bit More About Purse Addict

About Me

Age: 24

Occupation: Professional shopper…for MYSELF!

Favorite color: Purple, blue, silver, black.

Favorite snack/food: I wish my answer to this question was carrot sticks but sadly, I LOVE Cheetos – regular and flamin’. My favorite restaurant is Sushi Zo in West LA.

Shoe size: 36.5-37 (and if need be, I’ll pad my way to a 37.5)

Clothing size: 4

(Now that you guys know my shoe and clothing size - please remember to keep an eye out when you're shopping!)

Favorite scent: Ralph Lauren Romance – I’ve been wearing this since 1999.

Favorite makeup brand: Mac – eye shadow, lip gloss, Dior – mascara, lip gloss , YSL – concealer/highlighter. I’m kinda infamous for wearing black eyeliner. A lot of people ask me what brand I use and most are surprised when I say “The cheapest one I can find at Walgreens”. I’ve used “expensive” eyeliners before and they just don’t go on as black and don’t stay on as long. L’Oreal has been keeping my eyes lined for the past few years and I probably won’t be changing anytime soon.

Favorite skincare brand: I only speak Shiseido.

Favorite TV shows/movies: I’m kinda wishy-washy about TV shows but my current faves are True Blood , Hung, America’s Best Dance Crew, The Office (I love Jim!) and The Amazing Race (haven’t kept up with past few seasons though…). I have too many favorite movies but I will never grow tired of Dumb and Dumber, Clueless, Hocus Pocus, Shawshank Redemption, Home Alone, and Bridget Jones’ Diary. Yes, I am really into the classics.

Favorite magazines/books: Magazine – Harper’s Bazaar. Books – Kite Runner, A Prayer for Owen Meany, and Harry Potter (although I can’t really remember any of them, I just know I loved them when I was reading them…).

Hobbies: Shopping (duh), reading, writing, napping, and eating. HAHA…lame, I know.

Dream vacation spot: Maldives (I’m not a big beach person but how can one say no to Maldives??).

Personal style: I’m very dressy. I’m usually always in a dress with heels. When I’m in jeans, I’m usually always wearing heels with a dressy top or a black tee and cardigan. My clothes aren’t provocative but they’re not conservative either.

Kids: Do cats count?

Pets: LIBBY AND OLIVIA!!!! If you haven’t caught on yet, I’m a crazy cat lady who loves her cats to death. The only reason why I don’t have more cats is cus I would still like to get a date at some point in my life…

What do you dislike: Indecisive men, copycats, people who fish for compliments, people who are cheap, liars, backstabbers, weirdos, coconuts, people who can’t drive, traffic, hypocrites, stalkers, people who don’t give others a chance, people who try too hard, and self-righteousness.

What do you like: The smell of winter, chubby kids, the feeling I get when I find that one hard to find item, the feeling I get when I find a good deal, a nice drink after a long day, having my friends over, the way my cats look at me, after-dinner chit-chat with my dad, boy-talk with my mom, watching movies with my brother, and people watching.

This or That?
• Something Sweet or Something Savory? I’m a salty kind of girl.
• Full-Price Fancy or Dog-Eat-Dog Sale? I’m pretty good at shoving people out of my way during sales but I def go full-price when I feel like it’s a must-have that will either sell out or won’t go on sale.
• Gym Girl or Jog Chick? I plead the fifth.
• Vacation or Staycation? Staycation – I don’t like living out of a suitcase and I usually end up missing my closet…unless I’m busy shopping for new additions to my closet!
• Saver or Spender? Hrm, which do you think??
• Eat Out or Take Out? Eat out but sometimes theres nothing better than having take out at home in your sweats, with glass of wine, and a good movie.
• Hostess or Guest? Hostess.
• OCD or CBB (can't be bothered)? OCD – I’m organized almost to a fault.
• Five Star Suite or Tent-tastic? Five star suite…I’m really not an outdoors kind of girl…
• Good Girl or Bad Girl? Somewhere in between.

• Mac or PC? PC.
• Rulemaker or Rulebreaker? Rulemaker.
• Beach Getaway or City Splurge? City splurge.
• Sparkles & Glitz or Animal Print? Sparkles and glitz although I’m slowly warming up to animal print.
• CLs Everywhere or Destination Only? EVERYWHERE!
• Night at the Ballet or After-hours Jam? Ballet first then jam :)

• Winter Wonderland or Summer Paradise? Winter wonderland.
• Rock or R&B? I listen to everything.
• A Night at Home or Out on The Town? I think a good mix is the best way to go.
• SUV or Coupe? Coupe.
• Action or Romance? Romance.
• Song or Dance? I wish I could do both but I cant sing to save my life so dance.

10 Random Facts:

1. I’m 5’2 but if you ask most people how tall I am they will say 5’6. Its cus I’m ALWAYS in heels.

2. I’m scared of heights but it’s a goal of mine to go sky-diving sometime in the near future.

3. I have a weakness for white boys.

4. I believe everyone needs a good cry every so often.

5. I get annoyed easily.

6. I’m so competitive, I hate competing.

7. I’m fascinated with the life and death of Anne Boleyn – possibly one of the bitchiest people to have ever walked the Earth but she was also a total bad-ass.

8. I was in the second grade when I had my first crush on a boy, Billy ‘twas his name!

9. If you haven’t noticed, my grammar is terrible.

10. My shopping problem started when I was in the 8^th grade

Note: Most of the questions were taken from TPF.

Why, Leighton, WHY?!

I dont keep up with GG but Blair is pretty kick-ass and I adore Leighton. With that said, everyone is entitled to one meltdown on the red carpet:


1. Cut-outs are slowly making a comeback but I'm still not sold. Its just too easy to look trashy and cheap. Leighton's dress isn't exactly what you would call trashy and cheap but the "I'm wearing my training bra" look is also not so cute...

2. Some of the most gorgeous dresses have very simple cuts but beautiful print. I think Leighton's print was going for the ethereal look (perhaps pretty clouds during sunset??) but is it just me or does it look more like a volcano threw up on it??

3. Leighton's skin looks amazing :)

A-tempting...

It didn't even occur to me until just now that its been awhile since my last post! I could easily make this another post about my shoe closet but I'm trying very hard to maintain my namesake...P U R S E A D D I C T. It really isn't my fault. Blame it on Chanel...they're taking way to long to get shipments in. Anyhoo, I've been browsing the usual sites and I feel like I shouldn't like this purse but I do.


They call this "mustard" yellow on Saks but I swear its more like a pretty metallic gold. The YSL Easy has been on and off my list ever since it came out. Theres nothing not to love but then again, nothing to go crazy over. Definitely looks better worn than sitting all by its lonesome in pictures.


LL and Kate have the larger version...Kate's bag is kinda making me want to stop by SCP...


PS: The studded version has also been calling to me but I just keep telling myself that studs will soon be out of fashion...PLUS, I can save $800 and just glue studs on myself :) Kiiiiiding....

Most Prized, Most Used

Last week when I was at the BH CL boutique with DZ, we were chatting with the SA about how many CLs we own, what our CL goal is, TPF, you know...all the important stuff in life. When I told the SA my CL count, she asked which ones were my favorite. I kinda drew a blank. So after thinking about it for a week, here are my top 5 CLs:



From left to right:

1. Black Jazz Alti 160s: When I first saw the Alti pumps, I had to run out of the SCP boutique in fear of falling in love. I eventually caved when tried them on at BNY. Sadly these hurt like a bitch. I can walk in them but not for long. They are simply just too high and the platform is just too small. Although these have only seen the light of day once, I still love them to death - 160mm...HEEELLLLLOOOO :)

2. Rouge Patent Bianca: I wore these for the first time last week and kept thinking "I have AMAZING shoes on!" How can you not cherish something that makes you feel great the entire day???

3. Blue Patent Rolando: I have perhaps one too many pairs of Rolando pumps but for some reason, out of all my shoes, these come to mind the most often - literally, I'll be watching TV and next thing I know "Sigh, my blue patent Rolandos are really pretty...". This is characteristic of a true CL addict.

4. Fuschia Very Galaxy: Besides being my most expensive pair, these were perhaps the only shoes that literally took my breath away.

5. NP Glitters: I think I've talked about these enough already but lets just say on the days when I have my glitters on, I'm always double checking my own shoes out...yes, no shame.


I also extended this concept and came up with my top 5 most used CLs:



From left to right:

1. Black Kid Decollete Zeppas: These were the 4th pair of CLs I bought and they have been worn to death. Probably the most out of all my CLs.

2. Black Kid New Simples: The New Simples are one of my most favorite CL styles - probably the most comfortable. I initially ordered these as black patent but Saks made a mistake and sent the black kid version. I was too lazy to make an exchange but in the end, it really doesn't matter (and um, SCP just got the black patent version so I could totally make-up for the Saks mistake...).

3. Grey Kid New Simples: Grey goes with everything and pops a bit more than black. I would kill for a pair of grey patent NS.

4. Electric Blue Declic: I LAH YOU DZ!!!!! She was a total CL angel and bought these for me when she saw them at a BNY. The declics are just as comfy as the NS (for me) and I love pairing these with some skinny jeans and just a black tee.

5. Marpoil Wedges: The only pair of CL wedges I own and realizing how much use I get out of them, I'm inspired to invest in at least one more pair of wedges.


Finally, the 2 most loved kitties in the entire world:




PS: I was going to include purses in this post but that'll have to wait til tomorrow bc the pics came out crappy.