Holy crap, where do I sign up? No, wait....

Apparently Bravo Network is looking around D.C. and seeing married hos. Yep, according to the DCist, the Real Housewives Of D.C. ain't that far away. Yawn. I got burned out on politics and D.C. social climbing when I worked as a Government cog. And there are only so many women dressed in power suits trying to look sexxy that I want to see. I've never been more thankful that I'm (1) out of the D.C. social loop and (2) no longer married than I am today. Thanks for the heads-up, DCist; one more show to avoid like the plague. Next!

To wash the taste of Neiman Marcus out of my mouth, here's my latest blog obsession: Palacinka Beauty. Really great blog, and way more professional than I ever could be than the average blog or the sub-average blog you're now reading. Really loving her Memorial Day post on Low Budget Ways to Organize Your Beauty Essentials.

Oh yeah, shopping! Thanks to Daily Candy, I found out that Moxsie is donating 25% to a charity of your choice. Yes, your choice. Nice! Loyal Army's hoodies are awfully cute (and pretty affordable at under 50.00), Meggie's jewelry is wire-wrapped awesomeness. And okay, okay! My not-so-inner geek is loving the Mimoco Star Wars flash drives! And the Golden Panda ain't bad either.

Wow. You mean I'd get *paid* to shop, right? Oh, and 5 buck Urban Outfitters!

As a lark I decided to try out for Examiner.com as a DC Budget Fashion Trends Examiner. And today? I got the tap. They like me, they really like me! Or they're really hard up, either way.

But hey, that means I can blather on and on about shopping like it's my job. Because in a way, it will be. Huzzah! I figure if I can put together a few decent articles a week I'll be happy. And, of course, I'll still rant and rave over here. Because a gal has to let loose somewhere, right? Why not here?

So paid writer, me! And with sentences like that, I'm sure to be around for a long, long time. Drop those awards right into my Inbox, people.

Guess I'd better get out there and hit the bricks. Because shopping? Doesn't get done all by itself. No matter what I say about my laptop being sentient and doing all the buying around here.

First stop? My I <3 store, Urban Outfitters. They're having a 5 buck sale through the 31st (which is Sunday for folks like me who have to look up the number date to figure out what day of the week it is). It's actually a 4.99 sale, which is better still, right? And their 4.99 Silence & Noise Coated Jean won't last long....

Lazing around the holiday weekend...

...and trying to accomplish some stylish stuff on the final day, just to prove I've done *something*.

I've tried my best (okay, my best half-ass best)to clean up my closet and figure out my personal style. Which seems to be "whatever is on sale at Target or Filene's" at the moment...but I'm working on it! Some girly mag said "figure out your style icons". Okay. After some thought I actually came up with a few. Score! Mine are:

* Willow, from BtvS (okay, after season 3)
* Lorelai Gilmore, from The Gilmore Girls
* Naomi Watts, just walking down the street
* Rachel Bilson, ditto

So yeah, pretty much the boho/casual-comfort look. The stuff that looks like it's thrown together but would take me YEARS to accomplish on my own.

And the work continues. At least now I have a few folks I can look to (or pull pics of) for inspiration.

P.S.: got my 6pm shoes in the mail today! They fit perfectly and are darn cute. And y'know, I think I kinda like the red flats. Who knew?

Memorial Day -- and the shoppin' is addictive.

You've probably been inundated with "Buy Me Buy Me Buy Meeeee" flyers this week, from scads of stores hoping you'll (bump up their profit margin) come on buy and spend some of your hard-earned cash. Macy's has it's usual Memorial Day Sale, with coupons all over the Post (today's paper should hook you up). I may head over to my favorite store, Urban Outfitters, to see what they have for 9.99. A tip? Grab the clearance section stuff you like and have a checkout clerk scan it; often it's selling for less than what the markdown tag price. I once scored a Tweezerman mini-tweezer for 1.00 when the 4.99 pricetag was shown to be incorrect. Score!

But mostly my budget-savvy self will be saving money the old-fashioned way this weekend, by not heading out to shop. With the Jazz in the Sculpture Garden series starting up today and the gorgeous 80+ degrees we're supposed to get, I'll be out and about. And, hopefully, BBQ'ing my brains out. Is there anything more Summertime good than something freshly grilled? Nah, didn't think so.

Enjoy!

Sites I love: 6pm.com

This site gets my Forever Love because it gave me my Hunter Festival wellies for 49.00. But 6pm.com always has something on sale, usually 75% off.

The only problem I have with this site is the rapid response of their slavish followers. For example today I logged in on my trusty laptop at 7am, saw they've got something on sale, but most of the colors and sizes are already gone! Yep, at 7am. And their e-mail got sent at 3:00am.

Still, I managed to snag a few shoes this morning. Hey, Indigo by Clarks? Gotta do it. Hydrangea and Pallino are MINE. Though I would have rather had the Pallino in purple suede, I can see myself rocking the red suede with jeans or a casual skirt. And Clarks are made for walkin', so my travels 'round DC will be done comfortably.

Head over to 6pm.com and sign up, whydo'cha? Just remember: the early girl gets the shoes.

Flipping through: The Pyramid Collection's new catalog

Wow but I love to leaf through this catalog! Yes, it's mostly known for the large selection of naughty bits they have for sale (which I strongly suspect are out of my league since even looking at a few of those items makes me feel like I've sprained something). But the dresses? Ohhhh, the dresses! The separates! And the jewelry! And.... Okay, I'll stop.

The Huntress Tank Dress and the Tube-Top Forest Dress are my absolute favorites, but I also can't help but stare at:

* Peacock Marble Dress
* Faerie Fire Cotton Dress
* Renaissance Sequined Top
* Steampunk Buckle Jacket (and I'd wear it everywhere. My friends would be thrilled. Yet, ain't it kewl?)

Apparently I'm also into band rings, because this and this need to be in my jewelry box. Of course, I'm also prone to daydreaming; maybe one day I'll be presented with something like this or this? A gal can dream, can't she?

The only trouble with this catalog is though the silver/silvertone band rings aren't bad price-wise, the dresses are pretty damn expensive (I just can't shake the feeling that dresses like this can be found for alot less....) But every so often they go on sale (the Purple Haze Dress is about half-price, and would be perfect for the warmer weather.)

So the search for similar dresses, on the cheap, begins!

Things I love: plastic flats

Sure, I could call 'em jellies. But then I get flashbacks to junior high, with those clear plastic sweat-houses-for-feet shoes I spent months begging my mom for. Only to stash 'em at the back of the closet when I realized that after about 20 minutes in the Summer heat they'd be almost impossible to keep on because feet + no air = sweatiness = shoes that flop off every 7 seconds.

Now? Well, last year Crocs came out with really cute Prima ballerina slipper flats that I had to have, but put off because I *knew* I could find 'em cheaper someplace else (wherever that may be). Lucky for me my laziness/miserly behavior paid off, because apparently those cute flats turned out to be just the same sort of sweatboxes those ancient jelly shoes had been. But this year they've come out with a revamped Malindi style, with plenty of airholes in the front and a slingback for maximum airage. Cute! Plus, the fact that Crocs are antimicrobial? Bonus. (They have another flat/slingback style, Olivia, but the Malindi are a bit more open and don't have the crocodile button snap that theh Olivia does. Potato, po-tah-to, but I still like Malindi better.) Avon has a one-off in Campaign 12 for 9.99, but they're only available in purple and brown, plus they have rhinestones across the front. And that's great for 20-somethings, but I'm not rockin' it. They aren't online yet, but you can find 'em in their current flyer.

But Crocs ain't the only place you can score plastic flats. ShopSyle has several styles, including several pairs of Tory Burch Jelly Revas; a ringer for their original Reva flat but totally plastic. There are a few holes here and there, but I have a sneaky suspicion that as wonderful as the Tory Burch line typically is, those are gonna be another throwback to those original jellies. Mark Jacobs also has Jelly Mouse shoes, but the idea of paying over 100 bucks for plastic shoes makes me giggle. J. Crew, Hot Topic and other stores all seem to be getting on the bandwagon. And that makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

Why am I so obsessed with cheap (or not-so-cheap) plastic shoes? One word: thunderstorms. When its Summer, we get evening rain every so often. Usually without warning. So a cute pair of plastic flats lets you wander around confident your shoes aren't gonna get ruined. Puddle splashing is optional, but highly recommended.

What's on TV: Laura's Wardrobe Cam

Good morning! My lazy coffee-sipping morning got me sucked into yet another trend; neon-pink dresses. How? Laura's Wardrobe Cam has a great Look For Less spot that was originally shown on Wednesday, but that I caught on today's The Insider. She took a Banana Republic pink neon dress (that isn't bad at 159.00, but ain't exactly a bargain either) and found a duplicate at Charlotte Russe. Nice! The down side? Neither dress seems to be available. Oh well; the search, as always, continues!

(What I really want to know? Where did Lara Spencer get her cherry print robe?)

So, after a bit of Web surfing, it looks like there's pink everywhere this season.
* Target's smocked dress for juniors
* Express' Tunic Tee Dress (VERY cute!)
* Talbot's Pique knit roll-neck dress (their Pique knit long polo dress is also cute, and probably a little more versatile for casual wear)
* Freya Swim Coconut Grove cover-up/dress at Figleaves
* And the one dress I almost don't want to share because I wanna hog it for myself, Martin + Osa's Inverted Halter Jersey Maxi-Dress. For $99.00!

The trick to wearking neon pink (or neon anything?) Getting the right shade that complements your skin tone. I'm not a fan of the whole Summer/Fall/Winter/Spring color system, mainly because it doesn't take into account people of color (or half-breeds like me). So my advice? Hold up different shades of pink to your face, and see what compliments your skin, and what washes you out. That's how I found out that no matter how much I love pastel pinks, I look better in bright fuschia. Hey, I'm a child of the 80's, it works.

Wow.

Okay, so this isn't about fashion, but it *is* about something girly; the final episode of this season's Grey's Anatomy. I wanted to put this hear so I would remember it, and to share it with anyone who doesn't watch. Because it's a fantastic closing soliloquy. And it's something I think all too few of us do, with our schedules and deadlines and whateverallelse. We put things aside. So, without further ado, the Grey's Anatomy closing voiceover:

"Did you say it? 'I love you.' 'I don't ever want to live without you.' ' You changed my life.' Did you say it? Make a plan. Set a goal. Work toward it, but every now and then, look around; Drink it in 'cause this is it. It might all be gone tomorrow."

Back to more lightheartedness tomorrow, promise! Now go call someone. ;)

Howdy!

I've been spending the past few days cleaning up around the house...and found a crapload of teeny-tiny torn pieces of paper just about everywhere.

Why? Because when I see something I like in a magazine, I tear it out. To remind me. The problem is, I forget. Because a teeny-tiny torn piece of paper gets lost. Apparently tons of teeny-tiny torn pieces of paper get lost too. And I'm stopping this paragraph right here or else the continuing alliteration will signal the apocalypse.

So here goes; a blog that will (hopefully) contain all my teeny-tiny torn pieces in hyperlink form. Stuff like:

* Cute stuff I've seen in magazines
* Ugly crap I think is hilarious
* DC-area stores I absolutely must explore
* Sales I've found and wanna crow about to as many folks as will listen
* Expensive stuff I'd like to try to duplicate on the cheap (and places where I can do it)
* Super-easy recipes that I can whip up when I'm home and not shopping or gadding about DC
* Cool things to do: hey, a gal's gotta wear her new outfits *somewhere*, right?

Wanna peek? Feel free!

P.S.: Might as well start now: Target in Wheaton Plaza (aka Westfield Wheaton. Whatever.) has dumped a WHOLE LOTTA stuff onto their clearance shelves. Think body & bath stuff, makeup bags and tons of clothes I swore I saw on the regular priced racks not two weeks ago. And the 5 for $5 socks they're putting out front & center? A great way to cute-up your gym sneaks! I'd guess all of the Targets in the area are doing similar clearance purges. Bon Appetit!