Austin Fashion Week

Austin Fashion Week has begun! This is the first year for this event, and I love the concept--local boutiques and salons host designers (most of them local designers), with complimentary cocktails, food, and beauty treatments. Several of the shops are offering discounts as well. They have a great website, with a really easy to use calendar, so you can plan which events to go to. The hard part is picking between events. This is a great way to support our local retailers and maybe check out some shops you haven't been to yet. Did I mention free cocktails?

My trend obsession for fall

I'm so over summer right now, it is just waaay too hot outside, so my thoughts have already shifted to building my fall wardrobe. And I am pretty much obsessed with buying some dark skinny jeans and tall riding boots. Yes, I know I am jumping on this bandwagon incredibly late. In all fairness, I wanted on last year but the thought of maternity skinny jeans made me more nauseous than pregnancy itself.

I don't want to spend very much on the skinny jeans, since I will not be wearing them with anything but the aforementioned boots (in my opinion, girls with hips cannot get away with skinny jeans and flats). So I'm thinking about this pair of dark wash Diva skinny jeans at Old Navy.

They have a little spandex so I'm hoping they'll keep their shape for a little while at least. And they're only $29.50, which means I can spend more on boots!

Embroidered Top

Love this pretty embroidered silk top from Juicy Couture.  It's on sale right now at Bloomingdales for $195, off from $278.  I LOVE the green, so fresh and summery.  Don't love the price though.  I know it's silk but I'm not prepared to drop $200 on this right now.  I'll just sit back and hope it makes it to the clearance racks!

Embroidered Tshirt

I am loving this cute embroidered tshirt from Gap. Why is this sold out in small in this great deep gray color? I'm going to hit the stores to see if I can find one in my size.

Yes, I realize this looks similar to the gray tshirt I blogged about from Jcrew a few weeks ago. No, I do not care. :)

Denim Sale at Shiki

If you're looking to stock up on premium denim, Shiki is having a sale starting tomorrow through Sunday, May 17. If you buy one pair of jeans, you get a second pair half off. Skiki carries amazing brands, and I love shopping there because they have a very edited selection, so it's not overwhelming.

Mineral Powder

So, I love my bare minerals makeup, but it's so messy! It's not the best designed system I've ever seen. And forget about traveling with them (although, my friend Shelly is so smart and puts scotch tape across the top of the container when she travels which keeps the powder from going all over the place). So I was on the lookout for a new mineral makeup.

I ended up buying Smashbox's Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder, which is $59 at Sephora. I know it's expensive, but it's really big, so I think it will last a long time, and I really love the color and coverage. It's very sheer, so if you're looking for heavy coverage this isn't for you (although if you keep layering it on you can get heavier coverage). It is so lightweight, but it makes your skin look glowy and pretty. It claims to be anti-aging--I'm not sure about that, I haven't really noticed a big difference. But it is very hydrating and won't dry out your skin like a lot of powders. Wear it with a foundation primer for the longest wear.

And the packaging is so ingenious. You just turn the base and shave off the amount you want--no mess!

It comes with a little brush, but I ended up buying this amazing brush as well ($52 at Smashbox.com). I know it's super expensive so it's definitely a splurge, but I have to tell you I LOVE this brush, it is so soft and delivers perfect coverage and I'll have it for a long time.

If you like the packaging of the makeup but the Smashbox version is too expensive for you, Elizabeth Arden has a mineral makeup in the same type of container for $37.50. I haven't tried it so I can't vouch for the makeup, but may be worth checking out.

Cutest T-Shirt

I bought this shirt from J.Crew this past weekend, and had to share it with you guys. It's made out of something called "slub cotton"...which I have no idea what that is, but I can tell you it is incredibly soft and lightweight and has a really cool texture to it that is much more interesting than regular cotton. The fit is very forgiving and flattering and it's just a little bit dressier than a regular old t-shirt. They only have a few colors left online, so hit your nearest store for a better selection. $39.50 at J.Crew.

My New Favorite Deep Conditioner

If you color your hair, your stylist has probably told you that the sulfates contained in drugstore brands of hair products will strip your color and leave your hair like straw. This in turn has probably frightened you into leaving the salon with $30 bottles of shampoo. No more! Finally there's a drugstore line of products that contains no sulfates, the L'oreal EverPure system.

I tried the EverPure Smooth Deep Control Mask last weekend, and I really love it. It is really thick and rich, and left my hair smooth, shiny and super soft. AND it's under $10 AND it smells really great, it has a rosemary mint scent that is very spa-like--I promise you will not miss your salon products one bit, and you can use the money you save to buy something much more fun than conditioner. $8.99 at drugstore.com. I'm going to buy the entire line.

I'm back!

I can't believe I haven't posted since last year!! I do have a really good excuse though, I had a baby in February and have been completely wrapped up in enjoying being a mommy. But I have almost lost the baby weight now, and inevitably my thoughts have turned back to shopping! So I'm going to try and start posting again more regularly.

With the economy in the state it's in right now, I've definitely cut back on my clothes and cosmetics budgets, so my goal is to keep an eye out for bargains and value pieces. So if you have a great beauty bargain, email me!

Christmas Slowdown

I know this might sound kind of crazy, but I'm sort of liking the effect that this economic downturn is having on the holiday season. I think maybe more people are stopping the spending frenzy that usually characterizes Christmas, and are more focused on spending time with their families and creating meaningful holiday experiences. I really like this article from msnbc.com, talking about a new trend this year in a more simple holiday.

"Although it’s still early in the season, many others say that they, too, are
seeing more than just a financial benefit to cutting back. Harris, the
mother of three in Colorado Springs, remembers a time years ago when her husband
had just gotten out of the military, she was volunteering full-time at a church,
and “we were broke — dead broke,” she said. Using a small donation she had
received, Harris bought each child a laundry basket and filled it with their
favorite junk food. Then she gave them a cleaning tool along with a coupon
giving them a weekend off from cleaning. Even today, the family still has a
tradition of giving their boys a bottle of soda for Christmas, and she said all
of her sons still have the cleaning tools from that Christmas years
ago. “They remember that Christmas far more intricately than any other
Christmas we had,” Harris said."

I love the renewed focus on the non-material elements of the holidays. When you can get the focus off trips to the malls and long gift lists, you have the opportunity to enjoy being with your family and friends and celebrating the season in a much more meaningful and less stressful way.

Cute Striped Sweater

I love this adorable black and gray striped merino wool sweater from Banana Republic. The peacoat styling is so cool, and I like the extra long sleeves. And it's on sale right now for $119.99 off from $175.

Holiday Dress

If you're looking for a dress for your holiday parties, check out the Ann Taylor website, they're having a final sale on a bunch of cute party dresses, including this pretty sequined dress (I don't recommend replicating the hair style though!). It's on sale for $59.44, off of $289. Hurry, the sizes are running out as we speak.

UPDATE: This dress is even cheaper now! You can get it for $41.61 by using code 104007059 at checkout. What a great deal!

Spending Spree

I have to say, I was shocked at the news that Black Friday spending was up this year by 3% over last year, especially as news broke yesterday that the U.S. is officially in a recession (which is not exactly a news flash to anyone who has been paying any attention to the economy).  

Personally, I have lost a lot of my love for shopping lately, as I'm sure you've noticed from my recent lack of blogging.  I just haven't been shopping lately, and haven't even wanted to.  Instead, I've been doing something radical--saving.  I've been shopping for the best c.d. and savings account rates instead of shoes and clothes.  My reaction to all the bad economic news is to withdraw from the spending cycle and institute a bit of a spending freeze.  It makes me feel better to have no credit card debt and money in the bank than a closet full of new clothes or a pile of Christmas presents under the tree.  Maybe some people's reaction is just the opposite--maybe spending more in the midst of this economic crisis somehow makes them feel better.  If so, that smacks of some serious denial to me.  Or maybe the crisis just hasn't affected them--yet.  

While I haven't been personally affected by the economic downturn (other than the free fall of my 401(k)), my instincts are to cut back on spending and increase my savings.  I have a set budget for Christmas presents, and I stay within it.  I hope most people are doing the same.  I find it scary to think about people going out and charging a lot of expensive electronics and gifts on their credit cards right now. I hope that this economy will make people focus less on spending and more on saving.  This New York Times article seems to indicate that at least some people are cutting back, even though for the people profiled in the article it appears to be by necessity rather than by choice.

Ugg-like boots at Payless

My friend Paige had these adorable boots on this weekend, and I could not believe she got them at Payless--on sale no less! They're $29.99, on sale from $39.99, and come in a light khaki color as well. Perfect cozy winter boots!

Calling All Brides!

For all you brides who are looking for a dress, Neiman Marcus last call (in the Brodie Oaks shopping center at S. Lamar and Loop 360) is having a sample sale from November 13-November 16. The gowns will be discounted as much as 85% off, and will be priced from $500 to $1500. Designers include Vera Wang, Monique Lhuillier, and Carolina Herrera. If you have a Neiman Marcus credit card, you get an extra 5% off. Finding a designer gown at these prices would be a major score, so go early and good luck!