Open Letter to Coach

Dear Coach,

We've had a really good run together. The years I've spent with you have been really special to me. I remember when we first met, over a medium black leather tote that I bought on sale in college. Over the years, our relationship has grown so much. Your small signature hobo saw me through law school, I carried your signature briefcase to my first job, and I'll never forget the white leather trimmed satchel from Spring 2006. But lately, I feel we've been growing apart. I love this metallic clutch, in fact, it's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. But $498 for an occasional bag the size of my hand? Seriously Coach. I'm beginning to think you're out of my league. How am I supposed to pay my mortgage and keep you in my life at the same time? I still love you...I just don't know who you are anymore.

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If you are looking for a metallic clutch and can't spend $498 on the gorgeous Coach bag above, check out this (okay, a little less glamorous, but still cute) version at Target. This is a bad picture of the bag, it actually has gold metallic thread running throughout. Best of all, it's on clearance right now at Target for $13.99.

Cute rain shoes

I think these jelly flats from J.Crew are so cool. I wish I had them on a rainy day like today--much cuter than rain boots. I especially love this green color. They're $48 at http://www.jcrew.com/ .

Softest shirt

I bought this shirt at the Gap full price--now that it's on sale for $15, I may have to go back and get it in black. This is the softest, most comfortable shirt. I especially like it because it's sort of a trapeze style top, but isn't as voluminous as most.

I also saw that this cute striped top was on sale for $18. My friend was wearing this shirt the other day, and it is adorable. Again, I like that it's a little more fitted.

www.gap.com

Enamel Jewelry

I love all the enamel jewelry I see everywhere right now, but sorry J.Crew, I'm not paying $25 for one bracelet when I can pay $5 at Old Navy. Check out the enamel jewelry collection Old Navy has on sale right now. I love the bracelets, they have some great colors- I especially love the aqua. I'm definitely stocking up on these.

Shop Review: Girl Next Door

Today I went to Girl Next Door, a boutique that recently moved from 500 North Lamar to the 2nd Street District. Eh. I wasn't blown away. I will say that they have some pretty fashion forward pieces, but most of the items in the shop are over $250. They carry very cute, but very expensive, denim from Rock & Republic (around $275) and Genetic Denim (around $220). They had a small sale rack, and I did see some really cool chocolate brown cords by Anlo for $70. They also carry some less expensive basics by Splendid and Erebelle.

They had some really cute pieces by Ella Moss, including the tank above which is $80.

I'd say this would be a good place to shop for a special outfit that not everyone else will have-- if you have the money to spend.

You can check out their website at http://www.girlnd.com/ .

Shop Review: Sana

Today I went and checked out Sana, a boutique in the Second Street district (237 W. 2nd Street) . I was really impressed with Sunny, the owner of Sana. She was incredibly nice, friendly and helpful (which, sorry, but there's not always too much of that in 2nd Street boutiques). Sana is a small store, so it obviously doesn't have as much selection as a department store, but they had a really well edited selection of clothes and accessories. They had some really cute BCBG tops, pants and cocktail dresses. They had a nice collection of pants, including some really cute cropped pants and shorts. They also carry Calvin Klein and Michael Kors. My favorite thing about Sana though was the jewelry. They carry fashion jewelry by a local designer named Donna Lee. They have a really pretty group of earrings (which seemed to range around $20) and necklaces (around $30). They had some really cute mirrored bangle bracelets for $12 a peice. I bought a really beautiful silver chain link necklace for $30 (I'll try and post a picture later).

I really loved this store, particularly the personal attention from Sunny. Her obvious enthusiasm for clothes is infectious, and she seems to take real pleasure from helping customers. My only suggestion for the store is that they add more merchandise, but I will definitely be back.

Best makeup ever

I'm pretty much obsessed with bareMinerals makeup. I always wear full makeup--foundation, powder, the works. So I was very skeptical when my friend was raving about bareMinerals, which always seemed to me to be some sort of glorified powder. But she insisted that it had great coverage and lasted all day. I decided I had to try it.

I bought the Starter Kit from Ulta for $60. That's pricey, but it does come with a lot of stuff:

-three brushes (an overall face brush, another face brush that provides a little heavier coverage, and a concealer brush)
-two foundations, each a slightly different shade
-one "Mineral Veil", which is kind of an overall finishing powder
-two all-over face colors: "Warmth", which is kind of like a bronzer, and "glow", which is a soft rose color

It also comes with a dvd showing you how to put all this stuff on, which is helpful, because I admit I was a little overwhelmed by it all when I opened the box. After a few tries, I had it down though, and now I absolutely love it. I guess it's ground up minerals, in sort of a powdery form. It's very natural looking, it really blends into your skin well and doesn't leave any foundation lines. It feels really lightweight, and it amazingly lasts all day, even through work-outs. I got talked into buying the "PhotoFinish" foundation primer from Smashbox, which is $36 at Ulta, so that might be part of the secret to making it last all day.

Supposedly you can use the foundation as a concealer also, just by using the concealer brush. Personally, I still use a cream concealer under my eyes, just for extra coverage. And I don't really use the warm or glow powders. Even so, I think it's a really good deal-- the brushes alone would cost more than $60 if you bought them individually.

The sets come in light, medium and tan, and each set comes with two slightly different foundation shades. I bought the light, and I can wear either of the colors that came with my set, one is slightly more golden than the other and maybe a little darker.

I highly recommend this make up and I think the starter kit is a great way to try it out. You can get it at http://www.ulta.com/ .