Saturday, July 26, 2008

Class Reunion Attire

Just for fun I go through these "no shopping" periods for 2 months or so, and right now I'm in the middle of one of those challenges. Its a great way for me to find other things to do with my spare time when I would normally be walking around Macy's or Nordstrom Rack. I've got a spa day planned tomorrow and I'm looking forward to reading a few new books once work slows down a bit. In the meantime, since I'm not shopping for myself until September, I get my fix shopping for friends when I get the urge to browse around.

A few of my friends are attending their 10 year reunions this year and have approached me about potential looks so I went surfing the net. I attended mine last year and while I was initially a bit hesitant, things worked out and I had a great time. Here's a couple of pics from our 2-day class reunion in Detroit. Beautiful families, food, fun and lots of memories!

Class Reunion 2007 023Class Reunion 2007 118

So to those of you going to your reunions... here are a few looks to check out. Bluefly has an extra 20% off all dresses, Macy's has the EXTRA Clearance Sale going on, Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale lasts one more week and dozens of stores are having sidewalk sales over the next couple of week (Chicago girls, check out the West Loop shops on Lake or Madison this weekend). I tried to give you plenty of options, as I know not everyone will opt for the mini dress like I did! LOL... Here are some ideas for that big reunion dinner/gala...

The "Remember me? The girl in glasses and braces??" dresses...

ralph lauren wrap halter 072608donnar rico stretch satin sheath 072608stretch satin 072608 

The "Most likely to succeed, and my corner office says I did it" dresses....

ABS satin sheath 072608abs knit sheath dress 072608black halo jacket dress 072608

The "Class Sexy/Legs/Body/Cheer Captain... and I still got it!" dresses....

twelfth street mini dress 072608kova and t 072608tart aphrodite dress 072608

The "I wanna look classy/sexy but not show too much" dresses....

alice and olivia beaded dress 072608theory analoba dress 072608robert rodriquez shirt dress 072608

For those who insist on bringing "dates" (spouses and fiances not included), stick your man in a nice suit like one of these...

boss suit in light gray 072608boss black passoloni suit 072608hickey freeman madison suit 072608

or check the fashion pages of GQ magazine or the Style website for a more laid back look, if the event isn't semi-formal or black-tie.

Have fun at your summer events! I just got a text that my cousin is in labor so I gotta run. Need to find some cute baby stuff for my new girl cousin! Watch out Gabbi!! I'm already looking into which purses I'm going to get for us... so on the weekends when I keep her we will be just like Angelina and Zahara.... :-)

angelina-zahara-valentino-bags

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Two years later...

I saw something that mentioned my first blog entry being two years ago in June 2006. Wow. I can't believe I've really been running my mouth (fingers) for that long. Its kinda cool. I actually went back and read some of the stuff from back then just to see what was going on in my life. SO much changes in such short periods of time. So to those of you who are still coming back to share in my life's journey - thanks for your support! :-)

Cherish on jet skiI hope everyone had a holiday week as fun as mine. The weekend before the 4th, Sharifa and I met up in Miami for a super fun girls weekend. We started our trip with a spa day at Ugo Di Roma Salon and Day Spa in Coconut Grove. After the weirdest massage on earth (I refuse to believe Carlos is a professional masseuse) we chatted it up with a few patrons and nail techs about Miami nightlife and compiled a list of their recommendations for fun and food. A few hours after we landed, we emerged from the spa with freshly painted nails and toes, hopped into our convertible rental and began our weekend of fun. Over the course of the weekend we managed to see a comedy show at the Miami Improv, spend countless hours catching rays and eating Pineapple IMG_0050Coconut Haagen Dazs on South Beach, eat the worlds best lobster tail at The Chart House (the service was impeccable!), rub shoulders with a few celebrities over dinner at the elite restaurant Prime 112 and "party" (i.e. stand around in amazement) at Mansion until we were yawning our eyes out (which sadly began to happen just after midnight). Our spare time was spent at the resort pool swimming and lounging poolside with tasty Mango Pina Coladas. The Marriott Villas at Doral were nice accommodations and the nearby, world famous Doral Golf Resort and Spa resort (to which full access was given to all Villa guests) was top notch in every way. Pic of me on South Beach and a pic of the view from the Villa balcony...

Diane Von Furstenberg halter bikini 071208My other South Beach pics have... uhm... bystanders in the background who are not... shall we say "properly clothed" for web viewing. Welcome to Miami... LOL... and for the record I settled on a Diane von Furstenburg swimsuit I found on sale at Saks Fifth Avenue (same as pictures but in an orange and fuchsia print). It turned out to be perfect! Sorry guys, I'm not posting pics of myself in the bikini so you'll have to settle for the website pic ;-)

 

 

 

For the actual holiday weekend I had a fun Chicago Style 4th of July. Mikyra showed me all over the town... and when I say that I mean ALL over the town. LOL. We checked out the annual Old School House Music Picnic which was WAY more fun than I expected it to be! My parents brought me a bicycle on their visit and my Dad convinced me to bike ride up and down Lake Shore Drive with him. It was a hilariously rough journey as he rides regularly and this was my first time on a bike in over 15 years. But now I'm hooked, I want to ride my bike all the time! We also managed to fit in a Segway tour through the parks and the Taste of Chicago. Some photos I captured on the tour...

IMG_0087IMG_0095IMG_0094IMG_0103IMG_0104IMG_0121IMG_0115IMG_0090IMG_0120

Item of the day... I'm so obsessed with the Marc Jacobs Viva la Val hand bags. Then two I like are in the $400-$500 price range... hence, not in my current range... but I'm working on that! I saw this bag in the Miami Nordstrom store and almost lost my mind. Since then I found a reason to stop in the Chicago store and drool some more. Can't find it available for purchase online anywhere but here's a camera phone pic I took of the Medium and Large bags in Chocolate... perfect for a professional woman's handbag that is stylish and yet functional!

marc jacobs viva la val marc jacobs viva la val chocolate