i call this my shanghai flapper look

Despite my own awareness of how annoying it is to come up with a New Year's Eve outfit at the last moment, I didn't really plan too well. The day before NYE, I was moving into a new apartment so I was shopping for pillows and duvets rather than showstopping dresses and accessories. But in the end I was able to throw something together by merchandising up a basic black tube dress. I call this my Shanghai flapper look. I was channeling Dita Von Teese ... in, um, a very Asian and fully clothed kinda way.

I had all these long strands of black freshwater pearls since they cost maybe less than $10 in the Philippines, so I just wore them in a big pile. All I had to buy was this hat by EEK! by Eugenia Kim at Urban Outfitters. For just $34, it really makes a difference to the whole look. I wish they'd had the white one; seems much cuter!

I think I'd love to throw a Shanghai flapper party one day. Any excuse to break out the pearls, fringe and feathers sounds good to me. Check out these pictures from the Nylon blog about Indochine's flapper party last November. Feathers, sequins and burlesque dancers ... now that's a party!

i made some great new friends yesterday

Meet Love, Lil' Angel, Baby and Music in their Snow Bunny attire:

My incredibly sweet friend Jenny sent me a message on Facebook the on Monday, asking when I was free to meet because she had to give me something. We agreed that I'd join her and her amazing friend Kate on Tuesday for a Club Monaco shopping session. When I met her last night, she handed me a big bag saying, "I read your blog ... " I took one look inside the bag and started jumping up and down for joy. It turns out that the über talented Jenny is part of the design team that creates what I feel are the most adorable perfume bottles in the world. I am so excited to see what else they're gonna come up with for the Harajuku Lovers line!

In other news, we went all out shopping in Club Monaco. They were already on sale but we got a wee bit more of a discount with Kate's magical powers. I got a sweater that I love but is currently shedding rabbit hair all over my black cords (you're right Jen, only wear them with jeans), a 3/4 sleeved gray shirt with a low scooped back which was on sale (I've been wearing the black and white striped version of it to death), and a pair of black, perforated leather driving gloves:

So happy with the gloves in particular because I've been searching for gloves that fit my teeny tiny hands for AGES. These fit perfectly, and I kinda feel like a glamorous 50s actress while wearing them.

After shopping, we went to Havana Central for some fresh tableside sangria, yummy corn on the cob, tamales, stuffed peppers and seemingly endless great conversation. Such a fun night! You're never gonna get rid of me now Jenny & Kate!

black friday haul

For the first Black Friday in three years, I actually had a pretty good shopping haul. I hit up the outlets in Monmouth, NJ and got some good deals. First, I finally got those black toothpick cords that I've been wanting from J.Crew for a grand total of ... $19.99! They're $49.99 on the website so this was definitely a steal.

The other buy that made my day was this Theory puffer coat, which I got for just $190! That is an amazingly low price for a Theory coat, and it was in a petite size that fit me perfectly. I love that I can cinch the waist so I don't look like a shapeless walking marshmallow. Also love the high funnel neck and the ribbed sleeves that I can pull over my hands to keep me extra toasty. I've been on the eternal hunt for a feminine puffer coat, and I think I've finally found one.

I hope you all had a fruitful shopping sesh last Friday, as well!

love-hate

That's the way I feel about some things in my life these days. Part cornball, part angst, and all for less than $50, I just had to snap these up when I saw them at a random store in La Foret mall in Harajuku. One of my favorite finds for this trip.

shopping for cognac

Don't you think getting the best deal when you shop has gotten more complicated with Internet shopping? You would think that an item's price in the store and on the website would be exactly the same, but that's not always the case. These Steve Madden boots are priced at $199.95 on the website but they're just $129.95 at the Soho store. BIG price difference!

And if that's not enough, the store gave an extra 30% off (The website's giving a 25% discount and free shipping for purchases over $125). The final price on my boots? $90.96! Massive discount from the website's $199.95 price. You never know where you'll get the best deal though. I've had experiences when buying via the website saves me a buck, and others when stores gave the better deal. They say shopping aint rocket science, but sometimes it does take major research!

Hope you're having a great Saturday!

keep your pants on

I guess you could say that I'm easily distracted. Last night, I was quite convinced that I would give the ole' plastic a workout by getting myself a cute little velvet blazer. This morning though, I went to work in a pair of wide legged trousers that I've owned for at least 4 years now and thought, "Why don't I own more of these?" Now that temperatures are cooling down in NY, trousers are really good for work. Plus several people have said that I look taller when I wear pants for some reason. Good enough reason for me. So after work, I walked over to Express and got myself a couple of pairs:

I really did mean it when I said a couple. I only got the Editor Pants in black and in denim. I really wanted the boucle pair in the center too, but the deal was you get 50% off the second pair of Editor Pants so I stuck to two pairs. I like buying trousers from Express because they make short sizes and the 00 short is perfect on me, no hemming needed! Tis an extraordinary thing for a not-so-tall chick like me to be able to wear pants straight off the rack (thus my preference for skirts). I also finally gave in and got the Express store card today to get an extra 15% off. So I ended up paying $84.36 instead of $129! I feel a little guilty for spending again, but knowing I will get lots of wear from these babies quiet my conscience a little bit ...

shopping haul

I'm starting to wonder if it's counterproductive for me to work on Saturdays. I said yes to a few weeks of overtime work in an attempt to recoup my camera and London vacay money. But what do I do? I get out of the office and start shopping ...

It's weird. I can go for weeks on end without shopping and then wham! In one day I seem to find all these things I must have. My favorite purchase of the day was this dress from Express:

It was impossible for me to zip it up without assistance, but once I got it on it fit perfectly. I love it. I plan on wearing it for one of the many days of festivities that we're attending during the London wedding. But afterward, I figured I can wear this to work with a cardigan. Perfect for those days when I've got to go straight from work to a night out. Best part of the purchase was that it was 25% off. So instead of $88, I just paid $66. Yay for discounts!

My other purchase was two sets of earrings from Aldo: green and black chandelier earrings. I only have a picture of the black ones because, well, I'm lazy. They go with everything and they only cost $18.

My last purchase was something I've been hunting down forever: a cognac-colored belt. I finally found the perfect one at Banana Republic: skinny, double-strap and studded. The most perfect part was that it actually fit! You don't know how hard it is to find a small belt in Manhattan. It's freakin' impossible. Thank you Banana Republic for stocking small belts. Thank you.

So that was my shopping haul for today. Hopefully the last for awhile, my credit card's getting tired ...

another gap purchase!

Two in a year! Wow ... who would've thought? I bought one more thing in Gap yesterday, bringing my Gap shopping total to two pieces after what could've been a 10-year dry spell. This Vena Cava-designed dress was just $28.99 (original price was $88). On the website it's still priced at $69.99, but at the Gap store on the corner of 42nd and Third Avenue, the prices were slashed even more. I would get a lot of use out of this for work, and at that price tag it's a very sweet deal! Yay Gap sales!

found my dress!

Update on my shopping adventures. I sobered up about my momentary fixation with the Jimmy Choo/Hunter boots and realized that perhaps it's not fiscally responsible on my part to blow all that cash on rubber boots, no matter how gorgeous they are. So I called up Saks and cancelled my order. I will have to love you from afar, pretty boots.

So that made me feel a bit better about splurging on this dress today. As you know, I have a wedding to attend next month (Thank you so much for those who gave such great advice!). I considered hunting down the traditional Indian garb that Shar suggested, but in the end I decided that I would get more use out of a cocktail dress. I've stayed away from long evening dresses so far because I'd rather not pay extra for alterations and with miniscule self, I would surely need at least hemming. During my lunch break, I took a peek in the massive BCBG flagship on Fifth Avenue and found this dress in an XXS. It fit, so I got it. I would've liked to pay less than $258 but it's next to impossible for me to find cocktail dresses that fit off the rack so I was willing to pay full price. Just having peace of mind that I finally have something to wear already is worth the few extra bucks ...

i think i'm gonna faint

I cannot remember the last time I wanted something so badly. I don't care if these Jimmy Choo/Hunter wellies cost $395. I will never buy another pair of wellies again if I had these. I probably won't even buy regular flat boots if I had these. They're already sold out at Net-a-porter but I found my size at ... I'm not telling until I order it! But first I need somewhere to ship it to ... oh dear doorman, I'm missing you badly right now ...

UPDATE: My dear friend Che let me ship my Choo Hunters to her apartment so I ordered it! It was a pre-order though and I'm not entirely sure when exactly I'll get them ... which is good, I suppose, because I can save up for them until they arrive. So now that I've secured myself a pair, I can divulge the source: Saks! They're still available in sizes 4, 5 and 6 so if you're a wellie freak like me, click click click! Ahhh nothing like shopping to start off the day ...

buzzkill

So, last night I was determined to buy a pair of sandals. I love my ballet flats but now that it's starting to swelter in NY, I really needed sandals. I wanted simple gold T-strap sandals from Steve Madden but my size was nowhere to be found, so I finally settled on these blinged out sandals from Aldo. I was merrily prancing around in them today until I went to the Aldo website and saw that gasp! On the website they're just $34.98 when I paid $69.98 for them in the store!!! GRRRR. Way to ruin a girl's shopping high ...

my first gap purchase since high school

I might be exaggerating but it's been awhile since I found something at the GAP. It's not that I haven't liked anything they've produced, it's just that I've found GAP to be such a vanity sizing whore for the past few years. Size 0s would be practically falling off me! So I stayed away. But yesterday as I was walking home, I noticed a rather attractive display for the new CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund-GAP collaboration. Last year's winner (Alexander Wang) and finalists (Vena Cava and Albertus Swanepoel) created collections inspired by the classic GAP khakis. I'm partial to the Alexander Wang and Vena Cava collections since I'm not really a hat person.

The first time I passed the GAP window, it was the Vena Cava collection that drew me in. I love those two printed dresses. I tried them on and they fit perfectly, but I couldn't part with $88 today for a dress. I'll risk it and wait until they go on sale. If I'm lucky maybe I'll get my hands on that zip front khaki dress. It has a racer back and is so super adorable! I like the chic capsleeve dress too. I'm sure I could get a lot of use out of it for work. Drop, prices, please!

What I did end up whipping out the plastic for were these shorts by Alexander Wang. I've been searching for shorts that I can wear on a night out with heels without looking hoochie, and these are definitely it.
They look pink in this photo, but they're actually khaki. I love the pleating and the A-line-ish shape. Not the cheapest shorts at $49.50 but I would kick myself if I missed out on these. So happy with them! Thank you, GAP, for selling something in a size 0 that finally fit me.

on target

I couldn't take it, I ordered a bunch of stuff from Target. Gotta rein myself in though because, well, I don't have a doorman anymore so I have to send stuff to my office instead and I don't want everyone at work to be privy to my shopping habits (says the girl with a blog! I dazzle myself with my own brilliance). Anyway, I figure the "I just moved into a new apartment and need to buy stuff for it" excuse can only last so long so I might as well utilize it. What I bought from Target:

I snuck an adorable little flowered bubble dress from the Tracy Feith for Target line into my "home" order. So excited to see this! Some reviewers commented that the dress is way too short, but that means it's perfect for a little munchkin like me! Only $39.99. There is a very tempting white dress too but as it is, there'll be hell to pay when the Visa and Mastercard bills come (plus that *gulp* loan I'm now paying for) so, Celine, hold 'yer horses.

My other purchase was a couple of throw pillows from the DwellStudio for Target collaboration. I've been loving these pillows for a long time. They're only $24.99 each, which is a nice price when compared to the $100-pillows DwellStudio actually sells.

When Target gets its designer collaborations right, you can really get some of the best deals ever!

i cheated

I wasn't supposed to shop, but I walked into Forever 21 and saw this top in 10.5 seconds so I just HAD to get it.

It's not SO bad though, I mean it was only $19.80. And I had a free lunch c/o KFC so I could afford the top, I think. I can never resist a white shirt with great details. I love the pleating and the black buttons (even though my Parisian friend Vanessa says black buttons on white always make her think of waiters). I'll probably ditch the black belt though.

On a separate note, I saw this picture on the shorts page of the F21 website and I want that top! But it's bloody impossible to find on the website. Don't you hate it when you see something totally awesome on the model but can't actually buy it? Argh.

Ok I'm exhausted from Bikram and just grumpy so I should get off the net and sleep. Ciao bellas!

Finally, some McQueen

I finally got something McQueen from the darned Target collab (I'm still sour about my zig zag dress cancellation, can you tell?). I received the harness bikini top last night, and I'm pretty happy about it. I got it to use as a sportsbra, not a bikini top—girl, I shiver to think the horrid tan lines one would get from using this as a bikini top! I'll use it for Bikram today, but as of last night it already got good reviews from the boyfriend who went, "Whoa, sexy" when I tried it on. It's definitely my sexiest sports bra right now. If they still have it in XS when the collection goes on clearance (retail is $19.99 so not that cheap), I just might get a few more.

Update: Holy cow I LOVE this bikini top-turned sportsbra! It stayed perfectly in place during class and looked damn hot too! I couldn't tell you about wicking capabilities as this is Bikram yoga and you're just plain old drenched in sweat the whole time. But I absolutely love it, and now kinda wish I didn't spend $$ on random sportsbras from Amazon, and instead just bought 3 of these. I hope, hope, hope they stay in stock til the clearance sale so I can get a few more without guilt!

Gilty Pleasures

Gilt Groupe is definitely my favorite online sample sale website right now. They just seem to have the most amazing finds! Today I bought a white jean mini from Habitual for $58, heavily discounted from the original $187 pricetag! I had a $10 credit too (I don't really recall why ... I guess someone I sent the link to bought something) so it was like getting free shipping. Amazing!

The Maltese crosses on the pockets got me. But I'm sure I'll get a lot of use out of these in the spring and the summer, so I'm really happy about this purchase.

I was totally coveting these pieces from Alexis Bittar too but since the necklaces were $150 and $195, and the earrings $125, I thought I'd restrain myself. But these turquoise pieces would be perfect for summer. I'd love to layer these two necklaces:

I'd probably wear these earrings separately cos I don't like wearing jewelry on every part of my body all at the same time. But I love the delicate vermeil on the clear quartz.

Latest Buy: Zigzag dress by Alexander McQueen for Target

I am shopping too much, I know. I always go through these phases, it seems. I'll go through a whole month without buying anything and then suddenly, wham! It's like there's a neverending stream of things I need to have.

At least I can take solace in the fact that everything I've bought so far has either been at a big discount or is something totally affordable. Take today's purchase: the Alexander McQueen for Target zigzag print dress. When else would I be able to get my hands on a dress that McQueen laid eyes on for $69.99? I am honestly not too crazy about that little bow thing on the waist, but I might just sew the sash so that it's just flat across the waist. I do love the other details though: the tulip skirt, the draping, the one-shouldered silhouette. It's got to be the most intricate dress to come off the Target assembly line. The collection dropped today so there are still lots of sizes. Order while you still can!

Latest Buy: Fox Fur Earmuffs

I know, winter is almost over, but if you've been walking in Manhattan's streets for the past couple of days and suffered from the painfully frigid wind blowing through the city, you'll understand why I had to buy these fox fur earmuffs from Neiman Marcus.

I figured, there's no better time to get them than now, price-wise. I got them in black fox fur for a sweet, sweet price of $49.00 (retail price was $75.00). With my luck, these will probably arrive on my doorstep right when spring arrives in New York, but I don't care. I'm just happy to know that when next winter's brutal winds blow, my ears will be cozy in some lovely furry earmuffs!

Steal: DVF wrap dress at the Intermix Warehouse Sale

Savings, shmavings. I couldn't stay away from the Intermix Warehouse Sale. I had some time to spare yesterday between leaving work and meeting some girlfriends for dinner so I stopped by the Metropolitan Pavillion and popped my DVF wrapdress cherry by buying this cutie:

This wrap dress is from Diane Von Furstenberg's superhero-inspired cruise collection. It's called the wonder woman wrap dress, and if you look closely you'll see stars and flourishes that'll remind you of the superhero. This dress retails at $385 but I was able to get for—are you ready for this—just $79!!! I was so thrilled. I was not-so-thrilled that I fit into a size 2 perfectly (gasp!) but whatever. (Edit: I just realized, thanks to the Anonymous comment, that this sentence was a douche-y thing to say. Let me clarify that I only feel that a size 2 is not a good size for me because I am very, very, very short girl with small bones. Size 2 is perfect on all non-munchkins not named Celine.) Next week, I resolve to start taking bikram classes to resolve the chunkiness matter. But today, I am just super happy I got this awesome bargain!

Spotted at the Intermix Warehouse Sale: a small boned Asian chick the same size as me walking off with an Hervé Léger. Grrrrr ... I had crazy shopping envy. I only saw one on the rack that looked like a tangle of bandages for about $800 so I guess if I'd seen the dress first I wouldn't have bought it ... or would I? Arrrrrgh. Next Intermix Warehouse Sale, I am so lining up on the first day to get mine!

Customize It!

I'm one of those people who's seen perpetually digging in her handbag in a futile search for keys, Metrocards, checkbooks, and what have you. I always have mounds of crumpled up receipts tangled up with my iPod earphones and random pairs of chandelier earrings. Utter madness.

I realized sometime last year that I seemed to be the only person who had this problem among my co-workers. When I investigated, both ladies excitedly showed me how they kept their belongings stashed in these sleek color-coded, croc-stamped purses. (They didn't buy them together, mind you. They had ordered these custom-made bags through different sources in Manila.) I checked the label, and then it was my turn to squeal in delight! The purses were made by Buffet Bags, a line that my very good friend Nina Cruz established with her mom when we were still in school. She started out doing these amazing reversible canvas hobos and eventually moved on to more sophisticated satchels. The amazing thing with Buffet Bags is that they have a full range of different materials for you to choose from if you want a specific bag made. Check out the swatches below, for instance, that can be used to make a checkbook holder:
Pretty cool right? And the designs of their bags are really clean and classic, which I love.Of course, since the products are made in the Philippines, prices are quite good. This bag above comes to just about $18.75. Those checkbook holders? $6.25 apiece. Crazy right? I don't know if Buffet Bags ships internationally (shipping would cost more than the product, I'd imagine) but if you have family in the Philippines, ask them to bring you one of these babies!