shop for designer duds at red cross rummage sale

looking for designer duds on the cheap? ya, well you'll have to run faster than me then (p.s. i'm a marathoner - i'll at least attempt to out-run you all day long).

i'll be shopping at the american red cross' rummage sale put on by the greater palm beach area chapter in jupiter tomorrow morning. like any good rummage shopper, you'll have to get there early - the sale opens at 9 a.m. - to get the best of the goods (and beat me to them!) that are said to include designer clothes and handbags.

the proceeds from the rummage sale benefit the american red cross greater palm beach area chapter, which for more than 90 years has provided relief to victims of disasters at home and abroad, teaches lifesaving skills, and supports military members and families.

not only can you add to your wardrobe while giving back to the community, but you can also snack on some tempting treats as you shop because the event also inlcudes a bake sale. sounds like my kind of day out. anyone who knows me will tell you, shopping and sweets are definitely my two downfalls...ok fine, that was an understatement...addictions.

i'll try to post pics of some of the hottest finds at the event, and you can follow me on twitter for live updates, but if you want to come shop the rummage sale with me - or race me for the prize picks - here are the details:

saturday, aug. 1, 2009
9 a.m.-2 p.m.
north county service center
2074 w. indiantown rd., jupiter, fl 33458

for more information, call: 561.746.1532 or visit http://www.redcross-pbc.org/.

see you at the finish line!

i wear my sunglasses at night

friday night the prêt-à-porter girls & friends headed out on the street to do some of the latest "product testing." we picked up some of this season's hottest sunglasses - wayfarers - to get the public's feeling on the shades made cool by audrey hepburn in the 60s, again by tom cruise in the 80s, and most recently by edward cullen. in reality, here's what our night of "product testing" at rum bar actually looked like...

rather than purchasing the brand that made this style famous, we picked up these pairs for only $5.50 each from forever 21...because not everyone has the funds to spend $125 on ray-bans that will probably go out of style by the end of the year. forever 21 had plenty of colors to choose from, but the two i liked best - both shown below - were a white pair with green cracking designs, and a pair in purple houndstooth.


a lot of my friends joined in the fun, but there were also a few others i met along the way to answer the important questions in life, like: "would you wear these, and if so, with what outfit?"

1. brian said "i'd wear them with my birthday suit;" & nelly's answer was "everywhere."

2. the fab bartender casey said she'd wear them with "jeans and a t-shirt, of course!"

3. ashley (with isaiah) said, "i'm not usually a white person, but i'd wear them as beach glasses or driving glasses"

4. the bachelorettes: maid of honor christine said, "i'd wear them with this dress!" & bride lisa said she'd wear them with a bathing suit, as much as i tried to convince her to wear them with her wedding dress!

5. julie said, "maybe with a glamorous gown or a nightgown..." & lizzy said she'd wear them with "either a with bathing suit or out for nightlife"

6. probably the only time the auburn student will ever be caught in houndstooth, sammy would wear them "with comfy jeans and a v-neck;" & lacey said, "with skinny jeans and a v-neck or tank top"

7. when asked if he'd wear them, dru's answer was "hell no," but his gf said she'd wear them with everyday clothes

8. megan said, "i'd wear them with anything purple - it is the color of the season!" & bryn said she'd wear them with boat shoes

i wore mine with a gray tank tucked into a hot pink mini. so, tell me...would you wear these? and, if yes, then how so?

also, don't forget to check out the full photo shoot on facebook, and let me know if you think of any fun products to try out next, or if there's a place filled with fabulous fashionalities we should head to next!

fab find: tory burch accessories

this past weekend i attended a junior league conference in macon, georgia. while back at home our jl meetings are typically a sea of pink and green patterns thanks to our lilly pulitzer sponsorship, i noticed a different brand accessorizing the ladies of the other southern states...

the tory burch logo was everywhere - on the shoulders of ladies travelling on the trolley to the so chi gallery, covering feet on heated walks through mercer's campus, and on wrists of girls eating peach ice cream and chatting up the air force pilots on the pool deck of the hotel. so in honor of all the glamorous girls i met this weekend, here are a few colorful tory burch fab finds you can create your own summer memories with:

tory burch "cluny" multi-tone pump in camel and cracked metallic silver with
pink patent leather strap from footcandy.com, found through shopstyle.com
$197 (marked down from $395)

tory burch "kerry" resin clutch in teal ball from bloomingdale's
$234 (marked down from $335)

tory burch "daniela" perforated flat sandal from footcandy.com,
found through shopstyle.com
$125 (marked down from $250)

tory burch degrade t tote in party fushia from bloomingdale's
$276.50 (marked down from $396)

what's your favorite item?

update part ii: wellington gets all american - romper edition

the awaited american apparel store opened at the mall at wellington green last week. i couldn't make it down there the first few days of its opening, but i still found a way to get my new retail fix. 

i'd been eyeing the piqué cross front-jumper ever since i wrote about it in my fourth of july post, and when i saw how cute a similar jumpsuit by aqua looked on jillian harris on the bachelorette, i knew i had to have it. rather than ordering online, my boyfriend who lives in wellington was nice enough to stop in and pick up the black romper on his way home from work (i only wish i could have seen the look on his face when he first walked in. typically a khakis-and-polo-type guy, the tight male v-necks and super short shorts probably resulted in a bit of culture shock!).

i just got back into town from a junior league conference in georgia and was almost as excited to see the jumper as i was the bf today (shhh don't tell him i said that!). i'm liking black with brown right now, so unlike jillian who kept her outfit simple, i paired it with a brown woven hollister belt, my betsey johnson faux peacock feather necklace and my fav pair of black kino sandals from key west. check out the styling below:

the bf would probably call me a hypocrite for pairing black & brown since i always get on him for mismatching his belt and shoes, but i think it's ok to accessorize black with brown, as long as all the extras are consistent and there are not a lot of other colors involved. for example, don't wear brown shoes with a black belt and purse.

back to the new aa store now - have you stopped in welly world's american apparel yet? if so, tell me what you think because i'm planning to stop in this weekend. what'd you buy and how are you styling it? details please!

clothes for bros: nike id

clothes for bros - a spin off of brooke's clothing line name from "one tree hill," but a completely different meaning. men have style too, you know.

so if you were this guy, what would you wear?


ew, gators, i know. but my good friend and my sister's best friend, jon, is looking to us prêt-à-porter girls (and guys!) for fashion advice, so even though he kicks for uf i gotta lend a hand.



he bought the sweet twisted sister shirt shown above from 80stees.com, and through nike's fun "create your own" web site - nikeid.com - is trying to pick out just the right shoe design to match. what do you think?

or...

i personally like the second option because even with the touch of pink and silver, they're mainly black and still masculine. i want to give him a broad opinion though, so list your comments below!

will you accept this shoe...oops, i mean rose?

besides blair waldorf, the bachelorette's jillian harris is probably the best dressed girl on tv. from her adbundance of scarves and flattering high-waisted skirts, to the hot pink maxi, black romper and super short, feathered lbd she wore last week, jillian always keeps her dates fashionable. but what do i look forward to each week besides hot and buff kiptyn now that jake's gone? her selection of shoes.

my obsession with her shoes set in during the second episode, when she stepped out in her fun yet sexy red boots for the line dancing date. the boots are aldo's "flosand" and originally only sold in canada until their popularity grew from show. they are a perfect option for summer boots and sold like crazy after their debut on the bachelorette. though most other sites are listing them as sold out, they can actually still be purchased on the web site with the aldo clearance code received in the aldo promotion e-mails: 5489548. when that style is finally sold out, here is another similar option, the farylrobin hydra boot at endless.com.


maybe it's because i can't wear them much in florida, but i seem to gravitate towards jillian's boots more than her other styles. in addition to the red pair, i'm also a fan of the black fringe boots she wore in whistler and on other dates. though it's only july, you can get a pair of your own at delia's to get a head-start for the fall and winter.

last week it was jillian's yellow patent leather shoes from the scooter date in spain that caught my eye (maybe because i'm still upset about missing my opportunity on the neon yellow louboutins severely on sale at saks couple weeks ago). i read on seenon.com that these were jillian's two-year-old david dixons. you may not have your own kiptyn, but if you want your own yellow pumps, check out the very feminine miss sixty nabilah heels on overstock.com.


so i've decided that it's officially not fair. jillian gets hot guys and a wicked wardrobe. i wonder what shoes she'll break hearts in tonight...

behind the seams: house of lavande

whoever said "out with the old, in with the new" must have never worn house of lavande. from sweetheart bracelets and victorian lockets, to cocktail rings and museum pieces, house of lavande's vintage costume jewelry collection is not only "in," it's all over the red carpet and covering the pages of the world's top fashion mags.

kristen bell wearing house of lavand at the 2009 mtv movie awards

so when a few weeks ago i had the chance to stop in hol and pick the brain of director of operations vanessa nedvins, i jumped on it to learn more about the collection...

...it all began about three and a half years ago when jewelry connoisseur and palm beach native tracy smith took a look at her personal collection and realized she possessed so much that she needed to buy a display case just to view her own jewelry. since then she has scoured tons of antique fairs, flea markets and estate sales across europe and visited private dealers all over the united states and abroad to create a curated collection of more than 9,000 pieces priced between about $300 to several thousand dollars. the collection is currently housed in four locations - including harrod's, henri bendel, on pedder and, of course, palm beach - with still more stockists coming soon. the first and main hol spot located on royal poinciana way in palm beach resembles a lavish paris boudoir...just look at the shot of the gorgeous shop below.

i felt as though i could spend hours and even days browsing the shop, which mind you, is not all that big, and still not view every piece. it is easy to see how one could get (joyfully) lost while shopping. the staff is more than knowledgeable though, and happy to help navigate through the thousands of vintage treasures. though there are no set standards for vintage, the individual pieces are chosen based on a "wow" factor - those that bring out some kind of emotion. each piece is tried on and checked for how it sits, who it's by, when it was made, etc. before it's added to the collection. hol was designed to take the labor out of finding something special.

czech purple bracelet~ $1,800

there are exciting rarities from huge names like yves saint laurent and chanel included in the collection, as well as unsigned masterpieces from the early 20s through 70s. there is czech jewelry composed of faceted crystals, the remants line made from several necklaces clasped together creating one piece, and contemporary pieces that use vintage stones, clasps and other findings from the 50s, 60s and 70s. i even found some 80s pucci sunglasses in the mix! most are statement pieces, but there are finds across all spectrums.

middle eastern unsigned ring ~ $348

not only are the pieces stunning to view, some have pretty amazing histories. hol once visited the estate of a boca woman who had begun performing at the age 14. every piece she owned had a story - there were plumes from when she was 16 performing as a lounge singer, display boxes from her great aunt, and even jewelry from the estate of old hollywood star ann miller from the 1940s. it's accessories with stories like this that make the outfit all the more thrilling to wear.

now that you have heard the initial story behind house of lavande, be sure to check back in the next couple days to get my inside scoop from vanessa on who's wearing it, how you can wear it, and what trends you should capitalize on in the upcoming months.

update: wellington gets all american

saturday i gave the initial scoop on american apparel coming to the mall at wellington green, but yesterday i actually did my research and found out a little more...

i saw that american apparel will be opening next to delia's - a good match - in the lower level of the nordstrom court. it just says "coming soon" on the storefront, and the mall's web site has no mention of the store's upcoming opening. anyone with any details, please let me know!

until then, get your american apparel fix online, at the town center at boca raton, or if you're in a summer traveling mood, on duval street in key west.

wellington gets all american

in honor of independence day today, i thought i'd let you in on a little local and somewhat patriotic retail gossip. the other night i heard that american apparel is coming to the mall at wellington green. though i haven't read any other news stories about it yet, there are a bunch of job postings - or "open calls" as the company calls them - posted on the aa web site and others for a store in wellington that is "coming soon." no details on the date yet.

though i have been known to boycott the provocative brand in the past (mostly-nude, drugged out looking models in scandalous poses, paired with claims of ceo dov charney holding meetings in the buff - among other worse accusations not to be mentioned here = not the ideal company i'd like to hand over my money to), i actually think adding this is a good move for the wellington mall. the mall i called my own in high school has severely gone down in the past few years and the only reason to go there over cityplace or gardens anymore is the giant forever 21. a hip brand like american apparel will put it back on the style map around palm beach county.

adding the store to the mall mix is good from a fashion sense, but especially on a day like today, i can think of a few other reasons to bring it to the area. the shop known for it's comfy tees and other knits sticks to its name and is 100 percent all-american, with all garments completely created in its downtown la facility. the company also offers workers pay rates above minimum wage, as well as esl classes, company-subsidized lunches and affordable healthcare for employees and families. with pro-america standards (and pro-earth since they do not abuse labor systems in other countries), it's hard not to appreciate american apparel.

so while celebrating the fourth of july today, consider outfitting yourself in red, white or blue from american apparel. here are a few festive options that will make you cause fireworks:

polyester micro-fiber tulip skirt, $28

sheer jersey bandeau dress, $43

nylon spandex micro-mesh long sleeve mini dress, $42

(use as a coverup, or create a bandage-style dress by wrapping white ribbon or thin pieces of fabric around, as seen on mystyle.com. add red shoes and you're ready to go).

piqué cross-front jumper, $38

stear clear of the gold leotards though (or any leotards for that matter). the 80s might be back in style, but there are certain things that should be left in their place at 25 years ago and not brought to the fourth of july picnic.

sweet tweets for summer treats

if you're not already on twitter, you probably should be. besides the addicting process of posting what you're wearing today in 140 characters and digitally stalking @heyismeashley or @officialchace, a handful of retailers, designers, daily newspapers and others are now announcing some fantastic giveaways through the site. some ask followers to retweet something or answer a question to win movie tickets or a free sample, but there are a few others that are really worth your time.

take @rachelnasvik for example. through her twitter account and her simple, yet eye-catching "thrill of the chase" blog - http://www.wherethenighttakesyou.blogspot.com/ - the designer staged a pretty inventive campaign to put her name and handbags on the style map. over the course of a couple weeks in june, more than 90 of her limited edition, hand-printed alice bond bags were "lost" somewhere in nyc and clues on their whereabouts were then tweeted and blogged. bags were left in abandoned shopping carts at dean and deluca, on a hot dog cart, in club restrooms, on a subway car and even hanging in my nyc lodging of choice, the hudson hotel.



any lucky wanderer to engage in the bag hunt, whether on purpose or by accident, also found a note that read: "you did not find this bag; this bag found you," and became the rightful owner of the purse. the bags were stocked to prepare the "finder-keeper" for more than just a night on the town: a mix of tunes, bobby pins, tarot cards, lip gloss, matches and other - some unmentionable here - accessories added to the already-exciting find.

since we were not able to get our hands on the bags in palm beach county, @cityplacewpb is giving away some sizzling summer swag closer to home. launched last week, cityplace is tweeting every wednesday between noon and 2 p.m. until july 22 with instructions for locals to win prizes from some of the area's hottest retailers. the first lucky follower to check in at the day's selected store and repeat the tweet will go home with something sweet.

last week's winner - who happened to be my friend chrissy! - arrived within six minutes of the tweet to receive $300 worth of laura mercier and issey miyake products from sephora, including a new summer fragrance and a nude color palette of bronzer, waterproof mascara, light mineral shadows and other makeup perfect for the sunny weather.


i hear that today's prize will be a victoria's secret bathing suit of choice, just in time for the fourth of july. but who will be today's winner...will it be you?