Fashion Collabos: The Jennifer Lopez Collection at Kohl's

Every single time I go into a Kohl's, I kinda fall more and more in love with it.

For one their stuff is always on sale, (I'm starting to think it might be a gimmick, but it works) and on top of that they always email me 15% coupons. Sometimes I feel like those folks on that reality show, Extreme Couponing, when I hand them my coupons and I see total savings of $102.00!

They also give you Kohl's cash! You get $10 for every $50 you spend. I have literally walked out of Kohl's without having to spend a single dime of my own money using their cash program.

Buying clothes and shoes is great, but it's even greater when I pay little to nothing for them!

I wasn't always a Kohl's fan, just like I'm not a Forever 21 fan, but I'm the type of person who loves clothes so much that sometimes I walk into stores just to look at merchandise. (I know that sounds a little crazy, but I can't help it.)

And other times I get these severe itches to buy things just for the sake of shopping, and if I don't have the adequate resources to splurge at a department store or a boutique, I head out to these more affordable stores and buy something small to calm that irritable itch.

Last night I had to pass by Kohl's to return some stuff I bought for my trip without trying on that didn't really work for me and I swear I was hoping to be in and out.  But I failed. I got distracted looking at the new Jennifer Lopez collection.

And folks, I was blown away! I loved so many pieces and I thought it was made with quality materials, even the faux fur jackets looked amazing.

I took pictures of some of my favorite items and I want to share them with you. I also encourage you to go check out the collection for yourselves and try on the pieces!

Jennifer Lopez has always been one of my favorite fashionistas in Hollywood. I can still recall that she was one the first woman, who made me feel okay and proud to be a big booty gal and rock curve hugging outfits. Thanks J. Lo!

Cowl neck shift dress

This  leopard print cowl neck shift dress was the first piece to catch my eye. This dress is perfect to show off your curves and because of its ruching along the midsection area it hides any imperfections. The dress feels divine!

Fitted Trenchcoat

Despite living in Miami my entire life, I've always loved cold weather clothing such as trench coats, gloves and coats. I was immediately smitten when I saw this trench coat. It has shape, it has style yet it's super simple. This looks great on top of any outfit during the cool months.

The front of a chiffon scoop neck top

The back of the scoop neck chiffon top with a black cami

There is probably no one who is as much of a sucker for anything leopard as me (well maybe the girls on Jerseylicious, but they take it overboard,) so of course this top made it as one of my faves!

The open back makes it sexy, and if you're from Miami you might want to opt removing the underneath cami and wear it with a black bra instead to show off some serious back cleavage!

White sheath dress

This is the most highlighted piece of the collection, I've seen it numerous times in the campaign ads and on Ms. Lopez herself and I think it's the epitome of chic.

It's white with gold details, and don't forget that white is a hot trend this fall. And yes, ladies you can absolutely wear white after Labor Day this year and every year.

The no white after Labor Day rule is a ridiculous and antiquated rule that was taken very seriously decades ago. There is no real explanation as to its origins, and until present day we only have theories, which range from people using white clothing to keep cool in the hot summer months, to rich snobs using it as an excuse to shun people from their social circles.

Coco Chanel was one of the first designers to make white, a year round color with her amazing two-piece suits, it looks like now J. Lo is following in her footsteps.

The Jennifer Lopez shoe collection display at Kohl's

Because of my time constraint, I wasn't able to spend as much time as I would've liked to looking over shoes and accessories, but I was able to capture this picture with my cell phone cam, which I got the stink eye from various employees, but I do what I have to do.

I wasn't too impressed with the shoes I did see, which might have something to do with my expectations not met. I loved her first shoe collection under the J Lo brand, which was sold at Macy's and I even still have a pair of espadrilles that garner a lot of attention whenever I wear them.





I did find these tan boots, which also made it to my fave pieces.

I think given the quality and look of this collection, the prices are great, but I also feel that the prices might be deemed as steep by others considering the overall lower price points at Kohl's.

Right now you can get 25% off the entire Jennifer Lopez collection and if you have coupons you can score some even greater deals.

Kohl's didn't forget the men. The store also launched the Marc Anthony Collection this month. The collection is inspired by the salsa singer's personal style.

The two collections were supposed to be launched collectively, mimicking the couple's real life marriage, but after the split this year, Kohl's decided to launch them independently.

I hope you guys enjoy my thoughts on this brand and store, and I hope you will tweet me pictures of any pieces you buy!

As always fashionably yours,

GTG!

Missoni for Target: A Great Fashion Collaboration

Yesterday, fashionistas all over the country celebrated Missoni for Target day by almost buying out every Missoni item at stores and crashing the store's site.

The good news is that today Target.com is up and running. The bad news is that most of the Missoni items are out of stock.

I spent most of my Monday tweeting and facebooking about my excitement for the line and I had some people ask me, "what's the big deal?"

And for those of you who might have not heard about Missoni--it's a luxury brand whose merchandise goes for hundreds and hundreds of dollars and this Target collection only costs a fraction of that.

And that my friends is a BIG deal!

Missoni is an Italian fashion house most famous for its zigzag and geometric patterns. The brand was founded by a couple and it's currently run by their children.

BTW: I love and respect family fashion businesses!

As saddened as I was to not be part of the frenzy that took place at Targets all over the country, I just couldn't. I had just gotten back to work from my vacation and couldn't ask for more time off. :(

So before I left work for the day, I had a game plan. I looked up all the Targets in my area and decided to visit the Target in Hialeah because I was sure not too many people in Hialeah knew what Misssoni was.

Ladies and gents, we should never assume anything about anyone or anything and that is a lesson I finally learned last night, as everything Missoni in the Hialeah store had practically sold out.

Empty accessories rack at Target.

Lucky for me, I met a woman who shared the same sentiments as I did about people in Hialeah not being so crazy over Missoni and we kept each other company, as we both realized we weren't going to walk out with much.

The young woman walked out with some baby Missoni stuff with hopes that she would one day be able to use it.

I also ran into a middle aged man, who was more desperate than me to find something Missoni. He bought the last pair of Missoni heels in a size 10.

By far, this was the strangest shopping situation I have encountered in my 16 years of shopping.

So back to my story, I had gone to Target with hopes of finding a pair of rain boots, flats and maybe a scarf, but just about everything had sold out.

As I made my way to the shoe department I was sure I wasn't going to find the rain boots.

But lo and behold a large Missoni box (large enough to carry the rain boots I was coveting) and it was a size 7.

I was thrilled!

I took the box to a seat, opened the box and checked the rain boots to make sure they were my size, which they were and tried them on.

They fit perfectly.

Missoni rain boots retail for anywhere between $200-$400 and this pair was only $34.99! I walked out feeling like a winner!

My adorable Missoni rain boots!

Let the torrential downpours begin! I'm hoping for tons and tons of rain! Sorry, if I rain on anyone's parade!

I also hope that all my fellow fashionistas can get their hands on the items they most desire from this collection and don't forget Missoni for Target will be around until October 22nd.

A few more affordable collections to keep your eyes out for:

• LC by Lauren ConradLC  available at Kohl's
• Jennifer Lopez Collection also available at Kohl's
• Kardashian Kollection available at Sears
• MNG by Mango available at JCPenney
• I Heart Ronson available at JCPenney
• Karl Lagerfeld for Impulse available at Macy's
• Sofia by Sofia Vergara available at Kmart
• Christian Soriano for Payless available at Payless

All these lines are signed off by me-- your GTG!

I love to splurge on fashion, but I'm also a fan of buying great pieces at more reasonable prices!

Fashionably yours,

GTG

"Today, fashion is really about sensuality—how a woman feels on the inside. In the '80s women used suits with exaggerated shoulders and waists to make a strong impression. Women are now more comfortable with themselves and their bodies—they no longer feel the need to hide behind their clothes.” - Donna Karan

The Ugly Truth About Keratin

Ladies, welcome back!!

Today's topic is keratin hair treatment, which if you haven't already heard of then you must be living under a rock.

As us women discover new ways to cope with humidity and other weather conditions that leave our hairs frizzy and unmanageable, keratin has become yet another must on our long list of beauty rituals.

I just had a treatment applied a few weeks ago (third treatment in the past year) and I have paid a lot of money to have my hair look shiny and healthy.

I want to paint you guys a picture, I have done all three of these treatments with different professionals and different products because I haven't been satisfied.

Why haven't I been satisfied, you ask.

Expectations!

From the beginning, I heard all these incredible things about this treatment. It almost sounded too good to be true and it was.

So today's blog is designed to help you understand what keratin is and what it can and should do for your hair.

Let's start off with the definition of keratin, which is a natural protein that is found in skin, hair and nails.

With that said, you can expect keratin hair treatments to make your hair healthier, shinier and softer.

The treatment itself consists of applying the  keratin product to your hair and activating the keratin with the heat of a blow dryer and flat iron.

Keep in mind that the very same things that strip our hair of its natural elements are some of the tools we need to use to infuse keratin.


The History of Keratin:

The treatment was developed in Brazil and made its way to the US around 2006. Since then women all around the country have been paying top dollars for 3-4 months of healthy hair that is easy to manage.

Why is it so expensive?

The treatment is expensive because the product itself is still costly. One bottle of 16 ounces can easily go for as much as $200 or even more.

Most salons will charge about $200 for one treatment depending on the length and thickness of your hair because it is a grueling process that can take up to 2 hours to complete.

Types of Products:

Since its introduction to the US, there have been many variations of the keratin mostly because of its ingredients.

A lot of the first keratin products contained formaldehyde, a colorless gas that has been recognized as a carcinogen. You can immediately tell if a keratin product contains formaldehyde because of the harsh smelling chemicals in it.

The original product that is used in Brazil is banned in the U.S., although you can find people who do the treatments from their home and have ways of getting their hands on the original product.

There are now keratin products that are formaldehyde-free, which will restore your damaged hair into shiny and smooth hair, but will not change the structure of your hair.

Treatment:

Originally BKT (Brazilian Keratin Treatments) was known as a method of straightening out your hair temporarily by sealing the hair with keratin and a flat hair iron.

However, formaldehyde is the actual chemical that straightens your hair and not the keratin alone, so if you're considering a method to straighten your hair, an original BKT is what you'd need, but it's something that I personally am against.

Besides the toxic chemicals that you can inhale, which can cause bodily harm, you also risk burning your scalp.

There are so many things said about keratin treatments and some things are true and other things are plain myths.


Truths:

• Keratin is not a miraculous product that will fix all of your hair woes.
• Keratin does provide smooth, shiny, soft hair.
• It helps control frizziness.
• Heat activates the keratin, so after every wash make sure you at least flat iron your hair for that soft, frizz free look.
• The keratin makes it easier for you to style or straighten your hair.
• Do not wet your hair for at least 72 hours.

Myths:

• It doesn't straighten your hair (unless you are using keratin products with formaldehyde.)
• It doesn't last 6 months, at the most you are looking for a good 3-4 months and remember the less you wash your hair, the longer the product  will remain in your hair.
• A lot of hair stylists will tell you to not pick up your hair, tuck it behind your ear or do anything that can cause a ripple. This is more of a guarantee for the work that  they have done on your hair, because once the keratin is applied to your hair it forms a bond with it and will not come undone just because you decided to pick it up in a pony tail. 
• Cut your ends before you do a keratin hair treatment. Again, it doesn't matter when you cut your hair (you can do it before or after the treatment) the keratin seals on the second it touches hair.

Recommendations:

• Gather as much information about keratin as you possibly can.
• Make sure that the stylist you choose is an expert and can answer all of your questions.
• About a week before doing the treatment, do a deep conditioning hair treatment (Moroccan/Argan oil work great.)
• Either wash or ask the stylist to wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo and opt to not use conditioner.
• Keratin needs to be left in the hair for about 25 minutes.
• After 25 minutes, the hair should be blow dried and flat ironed to seal the keratin into your strands.
• Use a a sulfate-free shampoo to care for your hair after any keratin treatment. There are many shampoos that now come with keratin in them, so you can also use those.
• To prevent hair and scalp dryness, perform a deep conditioning treatment once a month.

I personally enjoy how smooth and shiny my hair looks after a keratin treatment and because I've pretty much had it in my hair for the past year I can tell when it's gone and it's time for another treatment.

I hope you ladies find this piece to be helpful and please let me know about your experience with keratin.

What do you love about it?

What do you hate about it?

After

This is a picture taken by my makeup maven and hair stylist Prissy. If you'd like to book an appointment with her for makeup or a keratin hair treatment contact her via her website: prissymakeup.com.

Catch ya later fashionistas!

"The hair is the richest ornament of women."

Take a bite out of the Big Apple

I'm in love with New York City, but who isn't?

I love the stores, the people, heck I even like riding the subways. But that's only because I'm a visitor.

But perhaps my most favorite thing about the big city is the restaurants.

And just recently, I've noticed how many NY based restaurants have opened up right here in our own backyard.

So here's my compilation of restaurants where you can take a bite out of the Big Apple, without booking a trip.

The Shake Shack opened its doors in 2004 in Madison Square Garden, and since then they've expanded to D.C., Connecticut, Miami and even the Middle East.

The chain's hamburgers, hot dogs, custards and shakes are some of the best in the country, so the next time you're on Lincoln Road make sure you check it out.

5 Napkin Burger named after the franchise's most famous dish-- the 5 napkin burger, which is 10 ounces of fresh ground chuck topped with Gruyere cheese, caramelized onions and rosemary aioli.

YUM!

Although famous for its burgers, this restaurant also has sushi rolls, salads and a huge selection of cocktails.

Named after a little shoe, Scarpetta opened up inside of the Fontainebleau and it's one of the few places in Miami where you can find delicious, authentic Italian food.

Jennifer Lopez celebrated her 42nd birthday at Scarpetta.

Another great Italian restaurant that opened its doors in Miami is Il Gabbiano, which is owned by The Masci brothers, who also own and operate Il Muliano in the Greenwich neighborhood.

An American classic, Houston's is a beloved spot that has great service.

Houston's Chicago-style spinach dip is by far the best dip I've ever tried.  I always go there for the dip, drinks and a nice view.

MR CHOW is a world renowned franchise and especially popular in LA and NYC, so I was so thrilled to hear that a restaurant would open inside of the W Hotel in Miami Beach.

And because it is Miami, you can find all of their classic dishes, along with some new exciting recipes executed by the head chef.

NOBU is possibly the most recognized Japanese restaurant in the world, and I'm just glad that we have a restaurant here in Miami.

Make sure you wash down any of their amazing signature dishes with their mango martini, which is to absolutely die for.


Are there any other NY restaurants that have opened in Miami that are not on this list?

Let me know and I'll add them.

Also, don't forget Miami Spice starts from August 1st-September 30th and some of the restaurants mentioned above will be participating. Check it out: Miami Spice Participating Restaurants


Until next time!

xO's,
your GTG

"There are no better conversations than those that take place around great food and great company."--Yours truly.

A Guide to Stamp Manis

This past weekend, I hung out with my one of my besties for a Sunday filled of beauty and blogging. And let me start off by saying that if I'm your go to gal, Priscilla is my makeup maven. She is not only a licensed makeup artist, but she has an amazing understanding of makeup and all things beauty.

She also did a keratin hair treatment for me, which I will be sharing pictures with you later this week, and I'll be debunking the myths of keratin.

Below you will find a short video (that we filmed and edited ourselves) of the materials and steps needed to do your very own stamp manicure and please don't forget to check out this rad girl's blog and site.

Please note that you can also do pedicures in the same way,

Also, check out some pictures of the finished product. :)

The stencil also comes with a few other different styles, so the combinations of colors and styles you can do are endless. It's also very easy and fun.

Hope you guys enjoy this short and sweet post!

xoxo

Your GTG

"It's amazing what a little color on your hands or feet can do for you." -- Anonymous

Shapes and Shades

Hi gals and boys,

I am back with a brand new post that I hope you guys not only enjoy, but you learn from it.

Before I get to the fun stuff, I want to touch base on the importance of dressing for your body.

Style is all about confidence. And the only way you're going to build that confidence is by knowing what works on you, but even more importantly by knowing what doesn't work for you.

As a teenager, I didn't know much about body types, but I always knew that if I didn't feel comfortable in something I just wouldn't wear it.

As I got older, I mostly learned what worked and what didn't work on my body from trying on clothes. The fit of clothes is just as important as what you're buying to wear.

I have so many friends who squeeze into a smaller size of clothes just to say: I'm a size 4, rather than going up to the next size and looking and feeling good about their clothes and themselves.

Please remember that clothes are shrinking. A size 12 today is about a size 8 of yesteryear, so don't feel self-conscious about what size your clothes are. The only thing that matters is that you look good in what you're wearing.

So you've read a few paragraphs of what you thought was a guide to buying sunglasses, and all you've read about is the fit of clothing, but I did that intentionally to stress the importance of how knowing your body can help you dress in the best possible way.

So just like you should know how to dress for your body type, you should also know about your face shape, which will  help you pick out what sunglasses and haircuts look best on you.

Along with helping you determine your face shape, I'm also including a list of the hottest sunglasses for this summer season.

This week's public announcement: Wear SPF products on your face and all other exposed areas of the body when you're out in the sun. Skin cancer is NOT cute.

So are you guys ready? Here it is:

There are many face shapes, but I'm focusing on the 5 main ones in this post, regardless of your shape, you will see that some like the inverted triangle face shape is very similar to the heart face shape and therefore, will be under the same category.

Oval

Oval face shapes are considered to be the most versatile and most desired face shape, as it provides balanced proportions and these are the folks who look good in just about any style of glasses and haircuts.

Women with oval face shapes can pull off a sleek pulled back ponytail better than anyone.

Recommendations: Look for sunglasses that have frames that are just as wide or wider, as the broadest part of your face in order to maintain a proportional look. Also look for rounded square-shaped lenses, but stay away from square frames, as it may look too harsh on your face.

Jennifer Aniston is a celebrity with an oval face.

Round

Round face shapes are primarily characterized by wide cheeks and a round chin.

Women with round faces should keep their hair in soft waves to soften the roundness of their faces, instead of wearing their hair in super curly or straight hair styles.

Men with round faces should avoid heavy sideburns, but keep beards or moustaches for a more flattering look.

Recommendations: Choose frames with a rectangular shape as this will lengthen your face and make it appear naturally thinner. Rimless or frameless glasses also look good on this shape. Stay away from round and oversized glasses, as well as lenses that are too small, which can make your face look rounder.

Kate Bosworth is a celebrity with a round face.

Square

Square face shapes have a strong defined jawline and a square trimmed chin.

Women with square face shapes should have bangs, which accentuate your face shape and layers that can help soften your face.

Recommendations: When looking for reading or sunglasses, keep in mind that anything with oval frames will look best on your face, but make sure the lenses aren't too small.

Demi Moore is a celebrity with a square face.

Oblong

Oblong face shapes may look like a long oval or a long rectangular shape depending on the angle of the person's chin.

Women with oblong face shapes always look great in side-swept bangs. Men with oblong faces can pull off moustaches better than any other face shape.

Recommendations: Aviator sunglasses will work best on your shape.

Sarah Jessica Parker is a celebrity with an oblong face shape.

Triangle

Triangular face shapes are also known as heart shaped faces, which are mainly characterized by a pointy chin and a broad forehead.

Women and men with this face shape look good in either really short or really long hair styles.

Recommendations: It's all about oval glasses for people with triangular face shapes.

Reese Witherspoon is a celebrity with a triangular face shape.

Tips:

Now that you know the 5 main face shapes and the type of glasses and hair styles that look best on you, the next step is determining your face shape. 

• The easiest way to do this is by grabbing a lipstick (preferably one you don't use anymore) and tracing the shape of your reflection to the mirror and then comparing it to the images of  the various face shapes.

Hottest Shades for Women:

 Gucci Aviators in white with gold trim

 Marc by Marc Jacobs Eye Cat Sunglasses 

MJ are super adorbz, though!

 Dior Oversized Glasses

 Marc by Marc Jacobs Shield Sunglasses

Hottest Shades for Men:

Ray Ban Original Wayfarers

Tom Ford Men's Eyewear

Persol Aviators

Prada Rimless Square Framed Sunglasses

Ray Ban New Clubmaster Sunglasses

And there you have it folks!

I'd love to see what sunglasses you are all wearing this summer. I'll be updating this blog with a picture of my brand new Marc by Marc Jacobs rounded frames.

Happy summertime!

XO's

Your GTG

“Summer is kind of like the ultimate one-night stand: hot as hell, totally thrilling, and gone before you know it.” -- Cosmopolitan Magazine

Friday Favorites for 6/17/2011

Welcome back to my weekly installment. This has been a long weekend, but TGIF!

Check out my faves this week:

Favorite Gadget: I had been stuck with the same phone for over a year and it was time for an upgrade. The new HTC Sensation was released earlier this week, and I couldn't be happier to have gone with this phone. I'm an Android girl and this phone is  super blazing fast ! I <3 technology.

Favorite Dessert: Churros from El Vato in Brickell.

I'm not a huge churros fan, but this week I went to this new Mexican spot in Brickell for lunch and I checked in using Foursquare. I immediately received a tweet from the restaurant urging me to try their coveted churros dessert before leaving ( the power of social media!) I did and I was delighted. The picture above is not the picture of the actual churros, but I lost access to my previous pictures, after getting a new phone.

Back to the churros--These churros were sweet, salty and crunchy all at the same time (I love foods with different textures and flavors because it's like a small explosion in your mouth.) This is a delicious GTG-approved treat.

Favorite Summer Series: Pretty Little Liars is back on ABC Family and it's looking better than ever. I know this is a show targeted at a much younger population, but with its riveting and unexpected plots, lies, scandals and mystery--it's really the must see show of the summer.

This week's favorites is a little shorter, but I'm working hard on my sunglasses post, which will be up soon. I hope you all make the msot of your weekend.

xoxo
Your GTG

Friday Favorites for 6/10/11

Another week has come and gone by.

And these are my favorite things of this week:

Favorite Purchase: What girl doesn't love to get free stuff? I know I do, so when I got this month's coupon for a free panty from Victoria's Secret, I was there like a bear who needed some underwear. I also received a $10 coupon off any bra, so I had to take advantage of that after falling in love with the lingerie company's new balconet bra collection.

Favorite Lo-Cal Cocktail: On a lunch date with my bestie, we decided to hit up TGIF's on a Saturday afternoon and I saw a skinny margarita on the menu that only has 130 cals. I ordered one on the rocks and was pleasantly surprised by just how yummy it was, so this is now a GTG approved drink.

Favorite Discovery: For someone who is trying hard to be on a diet, I have been eating out a lot, and I mostly blame the fact that I work in Brickell, oh and that I hate  my job so much that I feel the need to go out to lunch every single day. This week I discovered Rice House of Kabob, a Persian restaurant that kicks Pasha's ass. Their meat is fresh and tender and they have awesome lunch specials that start at $8.49.

Favorite Polish: This week I was in dire need of a pedicure, so I visited my local Sally's Beauty supply store and found this orangy red color called Clambake from Essie. I really really love this color and it's great for the summer time.

Favorite New Show: He's back! Mr. Ami James is back and this time he's in my favorite city in the world, New York for the new Miami Ink spin-off: NY Ink. This is one talented man who knows what he wants and goes after it. I highly recommend this show if you're into tats.

We have less than 2 hours to go to kick start the weekend. Hope you all enjoy it. Until next week!

-xoxo Your GTG

Bloomingdale's: The Outlet Store Review

My love for Bloomies is second to none, in fact this was the store that got me into a lot of financial trouble, but hello can you blame a girl. Bloomingdale's has a great selection of everything that I love!

So when I found out last November that the department giant had opened its first 2 of 4 Bloomingdale's The Outlet Stores in South Florida, I was excited.

Sure it  took me 7 months to make my first visit, but I'm not a fan of either malls, where the stores were opened (Dolphin Mall and Sawgrass Mall--eek!)

Last weekend I was finally able to check out the store in Dolphin Mall and decided that I had to report my findings to my girls.

I was immediately drawn in by the display of L.A.M.B. shoes at the entrance (and no there was no sign that indicated that the pairs on display were L.A.M.B., but I know my shoes.)

Main entrance of Bloomingdale's The Outlet Store located in Dolphin Mall

For the most part, I have a love/hate relationship with outlet stores, but it's mostly hate because I feel these stores promise you the world, and they never deliver (such as Saks Fifth Avenue's Off the 5th, Nordstrom Rack and Neiman Marcus' Last Call.) But this was Bloomies, so I went in with a positive attitude because after all I'm a Bloomies aficionada.

I don't know if I've metioned it or not, but I suffer from chronic OCD and I can't handle messy or dirty places, especially if I'm trying to get my shop on, but my first impression of this outlet store was: "Wow this store is amazingly neat and organized, especially for being such a huge place.

After being talked out of buying the L.A.M.B. shoes that I had already fallen in love, I made my way down the shoe department, which was also surprisingly neat and spacious, but not very interesting.

Snapshot of the women's shoe department

BTW: This store does not want the consumer to forget that it is an outlet store, so they have signs posted everywhere like the one below:

You can also receive a $20 certificate off a $100 purchase just for signing up to their newsletter. 

After shoes, naturally I headed to their accessories department, which was very sad. You won't find a huge array of brands or purses or jewelry  (it was so sad, that I couldn't even bring myself to taking pictures of it.)

My girlfriend who was on a mission to find a sexy top for her outting that night, also left empty handed as there was not a huge selection of sexy.

I, on the other hand fell in love with the dress pictured below. Bloomingdale's The Outlet Store claims that everything is 35-70% off retail prices.

Hands down this was the best thing I found, aside from the pretty pair of L.A.M.B. shoes. Still, I couldn't bring myself to pay more than $100 for a brand I had never even heard of.

The front of the bright clam colored dress. This color looks great on both fair skinned and darker toned 
people.

The back of the fabulous clam colored dress that would go great with a pair of gold strappy sandals and a bold cocktail ring. What would you wear it with?

As you all know, I'm a creature of habit and visuals, if you want my attention put something pretty in front of me and I'm like a moth to a flame. The store's display tables did not disappoint. See for yourself:

Cute and appropriate for the summer season, not like some other outlet stores that highlight their winter looks in the middle of summer. 

By this time, my girlfriend and I had split up and I was doing my best to take in as much of the store as possible, but I sort of got lost in the denim section. I love denim, especially if it's premium denim.

Denim Shop

They have a lot of jeans and brands to select from at reasonable prices, and don't forget the $20 off your $100 purchase, you can walk out with a pair of cute JBrand jeans for $80--now that's what I call a good deal.

Are you planning on taking a trip to find thrifty things? Here are a few things you should remember when hitting up Bloomingdale's The Outlet Store:

Pros:

• It's a huge store with the possibility of finding a lot of great items, but make sure you give yourself a good 2-3 hours minimum to go through the merchandise in the various departments.
• The store has a good layout and virtually has signs all over the store to help you navigate through it.
• Again, I can't stress the importance of a neat and organized store, which makes for a happy shopping experience. 
•  Don't forget to take advantage of the $20 off any $100 purchase

Cons:

• Not a huge or great selection on shoes, handbags or jewelry
• There's only one fitting room section for each sex and they are sort of hidden, so you might have to ask a sales associate for direction.
• Speaking of sales associates, they weren't much of help or welcoming. The members on the floor in this particular store were too caught up in their conversations with one another to even take a minute to greet you or ask if you need help.

Now that you're in the know you are all ready for your trip to the Bloomingdale's The Outlet Store and you are armed with a plan of attack.

As for me, once again I walked away empty handed from an outlet store, but that never stops me from checking out the next one.

I'm on to the next one.

xoxo-- Your GTG

"Buying something on sale is a very special feeling.  In fact, the less I pay for something, the more it is worth to me." Rita Rudner

Friday Favorites

Friday, June 3, 2011

TGIF--we're now a few hours away from the weekend and here are my favorite things of the week:

Favorite Feather Accessory: My new handmade white striped grizzly rooster feather earrings made by Talia from Rok-it-inc. She custom makes feather hair extensions and earrings, and is branching out to necklaces very soon. This is a great way to obtain unique pieces that you won't find everywhere.


Favorite Highlight: Watching The Miami Heat take Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Dwyane Wade and co. were on fire.

SN: They also played great in game 2 it's just a shame that they lost it towards the end, but we'll be back strong for Game 3 because this is the year of the Heat.

Favorite Foods: Smithwick's Mini Burgers topped with their specialty, Guinness mayo from Fado Irish Pub. Pair the mini burgers with a Guinness draft and it's the perfect lunch.

Favorite Platforms: I'm literally running to my nearest Steve Madden this weekend and grabbing these pretty little things in a size 7. These gold Shazzams platforms are a great accessory to pulling off any 70s inspired wardrobe. And they give you about an extra 5 inches of height. LOVE!


Favorite Movie Experience: My boyfriend and I are huge fans of CineBistro in Dolphin Mall. We just love to wine and dine, as we watch a good flick. This past week, we caught Bridesmaids, which is hilarious and adorable and we had a great time. When you're there don't forget to order the white bean hummus dip or the ham croquettas with a glass of wine.

Til' next week dolls!

xoxo,

Your GTG