fffabulous

deal!

Natalie (pictured here) was wearing this sweater last week and I thought it was the cutest top. And to my surprise, she got it at Target for less than $20.

Now, that's a big change for me. I usually have the -bad- habit to pick up stuff that is so expensive I can only stare at it, dream about it, or now blog about it, so I felt proud to be fashionably down-to-earth for once... And the fact that it is mix of cotton, rayon, nylon, wool and angora makes it even more attractive; how often do you get that much in a sweater? 100% cashmere sweaters kind of look boring to me now. Ha ha!

Anyway, this Juniors' Mossimo Supply Co. Stripe Crewneck Sweater in Forest Green/Gray will be perfect with a casual pair of jeans. And if you are in an Halloween-ish kind of mood (Happy Halloween!), you can get it in Wild Orange/Gray.

Okay, gotta go. Gotta get it now!

cutest stamps ever

I love nice stamps. I always ask for 'the cutest stamps' at the post office (and yes, they smile at me for asking that). Imagine how cute these stamps would be if they had the picture of your loved ones on it? Now, we are talking!

Photostamps made it and I think this is the best idea ever -and admit it, this baby face on their ad is adorable. These personalized stamps will add a nice touch to cards you send to friends and family (think wedding announcement, a new baby, a new pet, or simply I-have-cute-babies-and-I-love-it). I am myself contemplating ordering some for my not-really-personalized-holiday cards. My grandma will love it!

And just in case it's worth mentioning, these stamps are officially authorized by the US Postal Service, and can be used as regular stamps.

oops, I did it again!

Buy another pair of Citizens, that is!

As you know, I love the pair of Citizens I bought a couple of weeks ago. The lady at romi boutique sent me an email last week to let me know they received the same pair in black. Oooh! Nice! I love black! I went to the store over the weekend to check them out. I quickly noticed that they are slightly different: The model name is Citizen of Humanity Geneva Hutton High Rise Jean, and the back pockets have the black 'h' signature. Not good. And the price is also $40 higher.

I tried them on (just in case, you know) and they didn't fit: they are baggy at the knees and way too large in general. I rejoiced, thinking I won't spend money on another pair of jeans!!! Woohoo! Then, a very weird idea came to mind and I asked: "May I try a size smaller?' I tried the smaller size, and not only they fit perfectly, they also ended up being 2 sizes smaller than I usually wear, which translated into: buy them, buy them, buy them! So I bought them, and I am now richer of yet another pair of jeans (or Citizens).

And ladies: You should always try a size smaller or larger than you usually wear, just to make sure... There is nothing to lose (worst case scenario, the lady will give you a weird look; no worries, it happens to me all the time!), and you may end up with something that is a much better fit.

stay cozy

I am totally amazed by the softness of Baby Jak blankets -and yes, you'll have to feel the 2 textures (they are reversible too!) to understand what I mean.

Baby Jak offers adult size blankets that are cozy and warm for the coming winter nights. I love it that they offer the Softest Blanket Ever in leopard print with ivory plush (that matches your manolos, just in case you love your shoes so much you don't want to take them off, ah ah!) and in pony print with ivory plush. We can finally express our wild side!

And of course, Baby Jak blankets are perfect for the little ones. The snuggle baby blankets and the baby blankets are great gifts for a baby shower. I've just ordered one for my baby cousin.

being comfy

I discovered Splendid tees and thermals at the BellaRosa boutique in Los Gatos last summer. Since then, I have bought a couple of Splendid tees.

Splendid thermal tees are comfy, trendy and keep you warm; they are perfect with jeans for casual Friday or with sweatpants on weekends.

This Splendid Henley white tee is my very latest purchase (also available in navy, black, jade, sage and wine colors). It is so comfy, I will probably wear it until it has holes in it!

What's your favorite casual wear brand?

bubbly

It's Friday!!! After a long week, we all deserve to treat ourselves with something nice! How about a warm scented bubble bath tonight?

I discovered the Coconut Foaming Bath from The Body Shop one year ago, and it is absolutely amazing. Your skin will be soft and slightly scented and your bathroom will smell like candy. Yum!

Treat your fffabulous self with a nice bubble bath tonight...

thank you, ladies!

I am a sucker for thank you notes. I can write hundreds of emails a day, I am still very old-fashioned when it comes to showing my appreciation to friends. And how many times do I hear: "Who is still sending written thank you notes? Why didn't you just send me an email?" "Euh, because grandma said so..."

I noticed dewdropdesigns.com So Write stationary on the O list, the O, the Oprah Magazine 'Favorite Things' column. I fell in love with these sophisticated, yet simple letter-pressed cards displayed in a stainless steel cube. I got the Monogram Design. Guess which letter? 'f', of course!

Get this cute stationery to never ever forget to thank a friend. Or, keep this in mind next time you want to get a little something for your best friend.

SPANX it, baby!

I discovered SPANX® at Nordstrom about 2 years ago and I have to admit Sara had the best idea ever when she started her SPANX business (and the name is genius).

I realized that day that I would not have to work out for days before this black tie event. Everything looked smooth and flawless on the outside, and I felt good, serene and rested (no countless hours at the gym!) in the inside. Get the Slim Cognito Seamless Mid-Thigh Bodysuit to wear under a cocktail dress: the fact that it goes up just under the bra is great to avoid marks at the waistline. Otherwise, get the Power Panties.

Now, we can all slack and eat ice-cream on the sofa, thanks to SPANX. Woohoo!

And check out the hottest fffashion trends this Spring! All fffab!

got boots?

Tall boots are hot for the second season in a row. High heel boots, flat boots, pointy boots, you name it. You go to any department store and you'll see boots everywhere.

I bought a pair of black Chloe boots last season. Although I am now convinced 'investing' in designer shoes is worth it (you got the speech, right?), it was at the time a very difficult pill -or $900+ bill- to swallow: you should have seen me trying them out every morning for 2 weeks and wonder if I should return them or finally dare wearing them... I decided to keep them and I have absolutely no regrets! I worn my boots with jeans, knee length shorts, skirts and my black Diane Van Furstenberg dress.

This season's Chloe boots are just as hot and apparently in high demand so hurry up or go directly to the store. Oh, and the heel is 4 inch tall. I personally don't think it's a problem because I run in high heels, but, seriously, it's not that bad.

Go get them, Vicky!

great Citizens

Citizens of Humanity jeans are just the best. They fit so perfectly that I always end up buying 3 pairs at a time...

The Citizens Hutton High Rise Wide Leg Jean in Dark Paris is the most recent pair I bought -along with 2 other pairs that I'll describe in future blog posts. And I love it so much that I've worn it every day for the last 2 weeks.

It is very dark, very long (34'' inseam; perfect if you have long legs or wear high heels), and the back pocket don't have the Citizens signature, which gives it a classic look. It runs big so I recommend you choose a size smaller than you typically wear.

If you are not comfortable ordering online, I recommend you check Citizens jeans at the romi boutique in San Francisco or Palo Alto: they have the latest models, and the staff is super nice and helpful (which is why I always end up purchasing 3 pairs of jeans at once).

Louis Vuitton anyone?

Just so you know, I am obsessed by Louis Vuitton; so this is not the last time I'll rave about Louis Vuitton on this blog.

In my opinion, if you should own one Vuitton purse, it should be this Louis Vuitton monogram canvas accessories pochette. I bought mine about 4 years ago, and since that day, I wear it everywhere from a dinner with friends to a black tie (yes, I dared!), all year-round.

I am sure that you are thinking: Are you kidding me? Which woman only has so much that it fits into this tiny clutch? Well, it's true that I like to keep it simple: I only carry around my mini-agenda (Vuitton, please), a lipgloss, my cell phone and my keys. But if I need to carry more, all I do is drop my Vuitton clutch into my bigger purse. Problem solved!

So next time you want to treat yourself with a bit of luxury, go to the Louis Vuitton store nearest you and get tempted. It is chic, simple, classic and will age beautifully!

absolutely fabulous

Last weekend, Vicky and I decided to go to the brand new Barneys in the city, for research purposes of course. We checked the purse section first, but it did not take long until we landed in the designer shoes section, right on the second floor. You should have seen us amongst our best friends Manolo, Fendi, Chloe, and Prada, we were like kids in a candy store!

Next thing I know, I have one Manolo Blahnik high heel leopard shoe in my hand, ready to ask a sales person to get my size. I try them on and oh my! they are hot, hot, hot, and they make me look extra hot! Multiple reasons to buy them came to mind: They make me look hot - did I say that already?, they are so comfortable, I can run in them (like I would, right?), and they'd be perfect with a trendy pair of jeans or a black pencil skirt. Sadly, I did not buy them that day, but I fantasized for a good couple of days. I may just get them in black patent leather, as they'll be more versatile;)

I'll tell you next about the pair of fancy Chloe boots Vicky tried on.

soft(er) hands

The other day, I went to l’Occitane to buy a gift for a friend (l’Occitane sells some very cute scented candles that make for a perfect birthday present.) The lady asked me if I wanted to try their best seller shea butter handcream. I was skeptical. Living in California where the weather is so mild, one doesn’t really need to use handcream; I know I don’t. Plus I don’t like my hands to feel so sticky that I can’t do anything afterwards (including typing on my computer). I decided to give it a try. Ah ha! After a couple of hours at the mall touching and smelling my softer hands, I had to go back to the store and buy this hand-cream. Now I know why it’s a best-seller!!!

That day, I got a gift for a friend, and a gift for myself.

splurging on shoes

I have to admit that splurging on shoes has been my favorite activity lately... And I've realized that since I started to wear designer shoes, there is, sadly, no return to brands that are much more affordable. I fortunately have thousands of reasons to justify buying expensive designer shoes: I love wearing high heels and designer shoes have more stable heels:), the quality is so much better that I'll wear them for a couple of years, etc.

Anyway, long story short, I fell for these gorgeous pair of Christian Dior peep toe shoes last summer. They are absolutely gorgeous and incredibly comfy. They dress up a pair of jeans or just go along nicely with a little black dress. Plus I’ll wear them all fall and winter (the advantage to live in California!). Have I justified their price already?

PS: If you have more reasons to justify buying designer shoes, please write them in the comment section; I may use them next time I need to convince myself I absolutely need those amazing, yet insanely expensive shoes.

my all time favorite

One of my French girlfriends gave me the Huile Prodigieuse Or Multi-Usage Dry Oil from Nuxe for my birthday 3 years ago. I fell in love with it right away; so much, it has become the very first thing I will give to my girlfriends for their birthday, as a thank you for hosting the best party, or 'just because' they deserve a glow as well. This dry oil is the absolute best: it nourishes your skin, gives it a very nice subtle golden shimmer (and how perfect does it look on bare legs!) and has the best scent ever.

I have been through 3 bottles already and I never miss a chance to come back from France with a couple more in my suitcase, just in case. And if I run out, I make an order on beauty.com.

What is your most favorite thing?