How to be a Budget Fashionista

Recently I met author and blogger Kathryn Finney, while she was giving an energetic and inspiring speech about her evolution from blogger (thebudgetfashionista.com) to published author. She later sent me a copy of her book How To Be a Budget Fashionista in a bright pink envelope to review. I started reading it that day and already felt that I was on my way to being a budget fashionista. After all, I did receive the book for free ;)

I actually didn't know what to expect from her guide to looking fabulous for less and was surprised to see that the book's advice definitely ran the gauntlet, extending to areas of beauty and personality, not just fashion. Inside are tips on how to care for clothes like a stylist, home products that you can use for beauty care (honey is apparently good on zits), a list of best budget-friendly places to buy lingerie, the staples everyone should have in their wardrobe and how to figure out your personal style with a fun quiz (I'm a trendy romantic).  I especially liked that it wasn't a book that I had to make myself read, since I'm not usually a how-to fan. Its format though allows readers to skip around and read the parts that interest them the most and clearly highlights the most important information for even the busiest of readers.

My favorite lesson that I learned, which will now become my shopping mantra is: Love What You Buy. It seems simple enough but it's an idea that I don't always keep in mind, since I often buy stuff that's just OK because it's a good deal. It doesn't help that I'm also a big impulse buyer--internet sites and catalogs were made for customers like me. After reading this tip and trying to commit it to memory, I actually prevented myself from buying three extra outfits while on a shopping excursion at Lohemans discount store. I kept asking myself 'do you love it? will you wear it often,' etc. Since I was unsure I decided I that I probably didn't really need it and left the clothes in the fitting room rack and felt less guilty and more confident about the rest of my purchases as a result. For example, I bought a Ben Sherman blazer for work, originally $139 and I got it for $49.99, but even better it looks like it was tailored already for me.

Final Sale: I feel like I'm a more educated shopper after reading Finney's quick guide and can now retire my amateur shopping status and become a professional...on a budget that is.  Karen, I'm passing it on for you to read too. 

Friday's Fragments

Because none of these are developed enough to become a post on their own.

·         Shouldn’t my horoscope be the same in every paper? I mean think about it. But no, one has me being careful of a friend’s advice the other says I should entertain tonight. 

·          I’m liking the song that plays in the back-to-school JC Penny commercials. It goes “She was born in an electrical storm...come on, come on.” I start moving to it whenever it plays. I googled it and the song is called “Do What You Want,” by OK go from their album Oh No.  

·          So I didn’t take my own advice from my Downward Facing Thong post. Nope, I forgot to bring a change in undies to the gym yesterday, so this time I took the advice from my commenters and went commando. I have to tell you it was pretty thrilling. Although, I only giggled harder when the instructor but his hands on my thighs. I bet he thinks I have a crush on him or something 

·         After the gym, I headed to NYU J-School--my graduate alma mater (it was weird being in the building again, especially empty handed, I felt like I forgot my assignment or something)--for another Bloggers Who Brunch meeting. This time, instead of brunch, we had a round-table discussion about the care and feeding of advertisers & advertising when it comes to blogs. New bloggers that I met included: Just Jared and eye4style.

·         Lastly, Dennis Quaid is hot. That’s it. I briefly caught a glimpse of his smile this morning in the remake of The Parent Trap as I was getting ready for work and I practically melted on the spot.  

·       Check out biggerBaubles. Back in January I ordered a red heart bauble that read "onto the next." It's fun.

The new self-tanners

So I'm a tanner, not the over doing it type but I love lying out in the sun and soaking up those vitamin D rays. Yes, I know there are health risks to tanning. Don't worry though, I don't over do it and luckily because of my Italian skin I hardly ever burn (unlike my mother) and if I do it's usually on my face. Typically I only use an SPF 6 lotion, the idea of which has caused my friends to balk and say that I might as well put oil on and nothing at all. But 6 does the job for me, although I've recently moved up to an 8 to get my friends off my back a bit--it didn't help.

Anyway, I've never had to use those orange colored self tanners that my mom has tried over the years, but I've been loving the new glow lotions that are out on the market now. It seems that every brand has come out with their own version, which allow for a subtle tanning look just by moisturizing with natural botanicals and a skin darkening complex that provides a tan without the downside. After all, why not get a little extra oomph out of your everyday moisturizer? I've now tried them all thanks to having had received bottles over the last few months in gift bags at events and for product reviews. Otherwise I don't think I would have originally bought them and would have been missing out. Here's my take on each--using the ones made for medium skin tones:  

Dove Energy Glow ($7.99)- This one smells the best with its citrus grapefruit scent. I found this lotion less likely to streak compared to the others, but it doesn't work as quickly as Jergens or is as pronounced in its glow. On an aesthetic note: I like the look of the Dove bottle the best. In another opinion: My friend Karen who has lighter skin has been liking the sample we received in the gift bag at Sheckys.

Jergens Natural Glow ($5.00)- Provides a really nice natural glow that works quickly, but has a weird odor. Although it's not unpleasant it's just  something you wouldn't usually have on your skin or find in lotion fragrances. I feel this one works the fastest though and produces the quickest result, you just have to deal with the not so sweet scent. In another opinion: This one is my mother's favorite for all body use, but my friend Heather from Toronto said she found this one to be sticky and took awhile to dry.

Olay Touch Of Sun ($11.99)- Olay makes a similar sunless tanner just for the face but with another added benefit, it's a moisturizer like the others with just a hint of self-tanners AND also includes SPF. Thus, this brand provides a subtle tan, while also protecting your skin for when you want to sun bathe or are out and about. Since I'm bad about putting on SPF, especially on my face, this one is ideal. The self tanning aspect is subtle though, which I suppose is better for your face's coloring. Jergens also makes a similar face tanner but without the added SPF.

Application Tip: After applying remember to wash the underside of your hands to prevent a yellow stain there. Also, don't forget to apply to the tops of your feet and hands for an even look.

Burgers & Cupcakes

A couple of months ago while in a taxi leaving Hell’s Kitchen area, I saw an eatery called, Burgers & Cupcakes on 458 Ninth Ave (between 35th and 36th). My head practically did an exorcist turn to keep the establishment with its cute orange, brown and pink sign in my sight as the cab drove past it. I kept meaning to try it, because after all, I like burgers and I like cupcakes—can’t go wrong.

 

I finally went last week after work. Inside, the cupcakes (vanilla, chocolate, blueberry, and carrot cake) are on display in a window in front of the kitchens and dinette chairs and tables fill the small restaurant.  Since I had a big lunch and wanting to save room for the cupcakes I wimped out and ordered a mushroom burger, which was very tasty and juicy though and the fries were just how I like them, nice and crispy like frites. The menu is pretty simple listing different kinds of burgers (Veggie, Turkey, Salmon, Lemon Grilled Chicken, and Portobella Mushroom) and breakfast options.  The prices are reasonable too. Our waiter, a self-proclaimed George Michael’s fan club member, was super nice and made our meal even more enjoyable with suggestions and conversation.

The cupcakes however, were just OK to me. They are on the small side and the frosting is shaped like cone heads on top of it. I guess because we went later the icing was crunchy and not fresh. The cake part was nice and moist though but the frosting was way too sugary that it sort of upset my stomach even. My friend liked hers though, but agreed that the frosting wasn't fresh.

 

Here are two photos from the meal:

 

 

 

Speaking of burgers, I finally went to Shake Shack in Madison Square Park for a super yummy cheeseburger a few weeks back. There burgers have been voted the best in the city and are only available in the summer season. However, The Amateur Gourmet reports that Shake Shack has failed its health inspection, with a score of 140, "putting it in the company of many of the uncleanest venues in town."  No wonder why they tasted too good to be true :(

 

PS: Will be in Boston for the next few days for my office's annual off-site.

Off the offsite

I'm back and am now beat from the trip to beantown. It's weird traveling with work, never mind with your whole office. Looking around the plane and seeing 15 people that you know is eerie enough. Just take a look at the difference in our luggage. Can you spot mine? I guess the question should be how can you NOT spot mine. But that's the point of it--hard to miss it coming off the belt. It's also from American Tourist, so some pretty sturdy stuff for a bright magenta bag. 

 

The annual offsite is a chance for employees from the different offices to get together, brainstorm, team build and participate in workshops for professional and corporate development. Plus, have some fun as a group. For one event the company hosted an interesting Lunch & Panel--Media in a Post-Media World with Bruce Richardson of AMR Research; Sam Whitmore, Media Survey; Dave Berlind, ZDNet; Martin LaMonica, CNET; and Bill Hewitt CEO of Kalido.

Sam Whitmore compared the change in traditional media newspapers to online news with the music industries transition and evolution from records to cassettes to CDs and MP3s, which I thought was a neat parallel. On his site he is currently discussing why tech PR attracts so many women (like me), he also reminded me of Sam Waterson from Law & Order.

Meanwhile, Martin LaMonica, a reporter at CNET who a colleague and I both thought looked remarkably like a cross between Keanu Reeves and a young Bob Saget, brought up a good point too, one that as a blogger I hadn't really thought about. He briefly said that news aggregators and RSS readers, which filter in text from blogs to their own application are preventing traffic to the actual blogs. Instead of going to the actual post, interested parties can read a blogger's post externally and away from the originating blog. This then effects a blog's visiting statistics and possible ad revenue even, plus it dilutes the full experience of that blog. There are RSS aggregators like those on Google homepage that alert readers of new blog posts but directly link to the site's entire environment though, which is what I use to track the blogs that I read.

You can read more about the panel and see a photo at Kyle's blog Engage in PR.

PS: Coincidence that the Yankees spanked the Red Sox in three straight games while I was on their turf? I think not! Also, if you are in Boston be sure and check out the bar & lounge, Sanctuary.