Missoni for Target....

Sorry this is getting to you so late, but I've literally been camping out in my local 4 target stores waiting for anyone to return or put down this AMAZING line.... Missoni and Target NAILED it.... I love Missoni but lets face it, its not like on a random Tuesday the average person is hitting up Neimans for a new Missoni Dress. Target had everything from housewares to shoes.... stationary,kids clothes, bedding, tights, luggage OH MY!! I was like a kid in a candy store. With that being said, every store was wiped out in hours...enough to crash the Target website....

Scents, cents, sense.....

With fall just around the corner, it may be time to switch up your fragrance. I have to confess, when I fall in love with a perfume, I use that and only that until its gone and then move onto something else. My current obsession is Chanel Mademoiselle...I've been wearing it just over a year. My girlfriend Ashlie wears it and I loved the smell of it so much, I went out and bought it. It still makes me think of her when I put it on, so that is a bonus, plus it smells amazing!!! Its CHANEL...they do everything PERFECT!!!!

That being said, I had a few sephora gift cards burning a hole in my wallet and I decided that I'd switch it up a bit for fall. I smelled probably 30 things and was over it. As I was leaving I picked up Chloe. I put a little on, went and got whatever else I needed to grab and as was walking to the counter i noticed a display with "roller balls"... these are GENIUS!!! Think the old deodorants from the 80s or loves baby soft perfume!!! They only had about 10 different ones and I was lucky enough that Chloe was one of them. For those that may not know, Roller balls are little perfume bottles with a little ball top to apply. They are purse sized which means the price point is much lower than a full sized bottle. The Chloe was $25(the bottle was $65-80)...SCORE~ I grabbed it... I am hooked. I mean literally smell my wrist all day....

For those who haven't smelled Chloe its a fresh and feminine fragrance...a bit sweet with a hint of floral...theres nothing better than smelling good!! Enjoy the sunshine (if you have it!!) ... xo P

August Blues.....

Its inevitable.... every year at the same time, just before Labor day, I get the same feeling. Fall clothes are in the stores, preseason football is on TV, baseball is winding down and of course back to school is here. Its a love/hate thing for me. I love summer, I'm truly a summer baby BUT I hate shorts...as I get older I appreciate them a bit more but have always been a Jeans girl so fall clothes are my weakness. The fall 2011 fashion is AMAZING...wide leg jeans, color blocking, ponchos and capes, chunky heels.... delicious, all of it!!!

I can remember every year school shopping with my mom. Getting all of these amazing things...maybe 10 outfits which I now realize is a TON!! I'd be so excited to wear them that I would rock that perfect outfit the first day and sweat my butt off all day because early September is really still summer!! I've learned over the years to stretch that summer wardrobe... pick up a fantastic new pair of jeans...This year do a wide leg or a fabulous pair of color denim. I have my eye on a pair of bright blue! Tons of designers are making them, from forever 21 all the way to some of my favorite premier designers. Get a new pair of jeans, put on one of your summer tops and pair it with a scarf or a shrunken jacket to give it a more seasonal look. By the time your ready to wear the fall clothes, they will be on sale! Don't snooze on the jeans...in my years of shopping I've learned that jeans are something you need to pay full price for. Its really ok... if you don't think so average out the amount of times you wear them by how much they cost and you'll see... every pair in my closet has been worth every penny!!!!

Enjoy fall shopping and remember, go easy...fall is a short season, and before you know it you will be wearing sweaters and boots, so shop smart!!!! xoP

I am loving Stella and Dot....

What girl doesn't love Jewels???? Affordable luxury, unbelievable style, spot on trends and half of the line under $50.... Just a few things about Stella and Dot jewelry. I hosted my first party for a friend last spring... thought it would be fun to get my girlfriends together for coffee and mimosas one morning while our kiddos were in school...in 2 hours, we achieved her largest show ever. My friends recognize style and VALUE... The style is NY based so they NAIL the trends.... plus with the pieces being custom made, it all looks like a million bucks!! I get endless compliments every time I wear the jewelry. I love the fact that there is something for everyone... the children's jewelry is ADORABLE....perfect birthday party gift...My 4 year old got a couple pieces for her birthday last year...she wears it for special occasions and will have it forever because of the quality. I love that if you want to splurge, you can get a statement piece of a lifetime... stuff that you see on celebrities...I went on vacation a couple weeks ago for 4 nights... 2 of the 4 nights I wore a statement piece from the spring line and the compliments were endless!!
One of my favorite things about this company that makes them stand out is that you can order it online... I love this... If you see a piece at a show and are still thinking about it a month later, you can go online and order it!! I just went to a friends party a few weeks ago and 3 days later my new AMAZING necklace and bracelet were in my mailbox... for busy moms with style...I'm hosting another party in a couple weeks and I can't wait!! The perks are endless if you host... If your interested in shopping or hosting a party,Don't forget Mother's day is in a week... you still have time!!!!!! check out ... www.stelladot.com/ginakhal
Happy Shopping... xo P

A fabulous Royal affair...

I had to wake up at 4am hoping to glimpse at the bridesmaid/maid of honor dress thinking if may give a hint as to who designed Kate's dress... How wrong was I...Pippa graced the screen in a stunning Calvin Klein...I have to say, I'm growing to LOVE Calvin Klein. Her dress was perfection, however so is her body!!!!
Then there was KATE.... OH my.... I said if she wore McQueen she'd be my hero!! Well she did...Sara Burton for McQueen...and it was PERFECT...modern day Grace Kelly...
I was 9 when I watched Princess Diana...this is so much better...worth my lack of sleep... Love this couple... beautiful wedding, beautiful day, beautiful McQueen!! xoP

what girl doesn't LOVE a sale....

So a few months back, our UPS guy which you can imagine visits quite often, says, "hey did you ever hear of Lenora Dame?"...Me feeling defeated that this guy in brown had one up on me in the fashion world humbly answered, "NO, what is it? "....he then schooled me on one of my newest obsessions.... LENORA DAME jewelry... OMG... I fell in love. They have a couple of sales a year, right near where I live in Chester springs... the last sale was in the fall from friday-sunday I went every day and bought every day! So I'm sharing my secret and inviting you to check out their spring sale this weekend.... http://www.lenoradame.com/news.asp
Enjoy girls and happy shopping!!! xoxo P

Spring has sprung!!!

Tomorrow is FINALLY spring... if your an east coaster like me, then you get where I'm coming from.... finally get to put away the boots and pull out the sandals... get a pedicure and enjoy the warm weather!!! Spring is by far my favorite season... this year the trends are irresistible.... think 70's with a nautical twist... loving so many of them, I need to stop shopping!

If you haven't started updating your spring wardrobe start with a great new pair of jeans. Always my favorite way to update my wardrobe... flare/bell bottoms are so in... Through this weekend Bloomindales has 25% off if you buy 2 or more pairs of jeans...

Another must have is NAVY...if your not one to invest in trends, buy a navy tank or tee and mix it into your wardrobe... Navy is really timeless but every few years it comes back strong... Nautical inspired scarves and jewelry are everywhere... definately trendy and seasonal, so try Target and Forever 21 to mix this trend in...

Red Carpet Heaven :-)

Sorry I've been in hardcore mommy mode for the last couple of weeks... I will get myself back on track... Hope everyone is enjoying awards season... Tonight is up... Loving the red carpet... Will catch up this week... PROMISE~~xo P

I LOVE MY JOB!

I have no idea how it happened, but over the past few years, friends and family have turned to me for fashion/beauty advice. I love every question I'm asked and want everyone to know I am so flattered that anyone feels as though me or my style are trustworthy enough to ask for advice. Keep the questions coming, after I that was the point of this blog! I love to answer them... whether its here, email, text or facebook, I'm happy to help!!! Thank you all 14 of you who read my blog!! :-) My shopping is my "work" as I call it... I love every minute of it!!!! xo

tempted to temptu....

HI... I've been so bad this week...sorry, I've hardly been online...tough week as mommy! But I'm back and have a very interesting story for you all ....
I ran out of foundation this week. I'm a Chanel girl, have used the same makeup for a couple of years, I switch off with bare minerals in the summer. One thing about me, I'm very simple with my makeup, same eyeliner since the 90's, love bronzer, and blush...total Nars girl, and nude lips, I don't go out of this "box" much. I decided to go to Sephora. LOVE Sephora...its like a toy store for me. I love makeup and although I'm boring I love to buy it all! I wanted the "Temptu airbrush makeup system"... I knew it was around $200 and I'd thought it through so I decided to go bite the bullet. I walked in completely make-up free.... fresh faced (or not so much), I hardly got a "hi"... hmmmm I thought. I'm here to buy one of the most expensive things in the store and i hardly get a"hi"...had I been decked out in makeup they would have been all over me. This PISSES ME OFF!!!!!! This was a "Pretty Woman" moment!!! So I approach whom I later found out was the manager. She was all done up and I asked about the system which was placed right in the front of the store. She said "Tiffany" would do a demo on me... I told her I was between that and another brand of foundation. So Tiffany comes over starts the demo... it was really so cool, a machine to put my makeup on! WOW!!! She finishes and I get up to look in the mirror and was like, "No, I know me, this isn't my look"...very pale and ghostly... so she sits me back down puts bronzer on with the machine... etc... still not good. I say to Tiffany that I need to move on to other foundation options...we start and she gets me a basket and I'm shopping away... 2 glosses, a primer set, foundation, a Nars boxed set, and a lash set. I'm in makeup heaven and completely buying "me"...my style... but totally not what I came in for. At this point Tiffany is awesome...she is enjoying helping me "think out of the box" and I'm enjoying the whole experience minus my sickly pale face!!! About 20 minutes into my shopping the manager rejoins us and tells me how "beautiful" I look.... BAHHHHHAAAAHAAAA.... I tell her no, its not for me and she literally put her hands over her mouth and was like "WHAT?"... i said "yeah, i know me and its not for me".... she was SO mad. I said to Tiffany, "Is she mad at me?" She said, "no, shes mad at me... I probably didn't do a good demo"....this whole thing was insane. I spent the same amount anyway and she was glaring at Tiffany for helping me so long. WHAT??? The moral of the story is, its makeup... why stress?? Its such a fun thing...the store was empty, the sales girl was amazing and her manager was so mad that she was helping me and so mad that I didn't buy the Temptu.... insanity... I spent my life in retail stressing over sweaters... If I could go back in time I would have done a much better job if I enjoyed what I did and didn't worry so much about "corporate visits and numbers"... that would have been easy if they let us do what we loved... This manager at Sephora was so brainwashed and stressed it actually broke my heart... I was there.
My point.... If you go to Sephora in King of Prussia...ask for Tiffany...she is so talented and amazing.... and don't sweat the small stuff.... life's too short... also if you decide to be a vampire for Halloween?! Get the Temptu...it will be perfect!! :-)

slacker!!!

I was a slacker today...just crazy busy with the kids and no ME time which means no time to write... tomorrow I will tell you why I am obsessed with HALSTON HERITAGE.... its my thing for spring... have a great night xoP

Spring Fever

With over a foot of snow on the ground, I can't help but daydream about spring. My FAVORITE season... jeans, a t shirt a cute scarf and a pair of chunky clogs... love the look, love the feel and in 51 short days I can wear it and not freeze!

Time to think about updating the spring wardrobe... as I said a few days ago, the trends are all ready in place but staple pieces are a must. Trends aside, you need to update the wardrobe and its not to soon to start preparing! Get a couple cute new t shirts... Express is a good place to get these if your looking for a trendy twist on the your everyday t shirt. If you like timeless plain t shirt than I recommend Banana Rebublic. They make the best every day t's and tanks. My favorite "wife beater" type tanks are american apparel.. again you will pay a little more but

snowed in!

Its literally a blizzard where I live, and since I have everything I need, I don't really mind being snowed in. It gives me time to go through my email on my laptop, rather than my usual quick look on my blackberry. Needless to say other than the couple of personal emails I get daily, most of my emails have something to do with shopping. I belong to blogs, shopping websites and every store out there. I want to make sure all of you know about all of the members only websites that can save you lots of money on great designer clothes, shoes, housewares and even vacations.
Some of my favorites are Hautelook, Ideeli, Gilt Groupe and Beyond the Rack...These are members only type sites that send emails daily with sales...Hautelook is a personal favorite of mine, its easy, they have amazing prices, the only negative is they ship a little slow...so if your in a rush, its not your place. Gilt Groupe also has great deals, the shipping is much faster and the deals are AMAZING! Check these out... if there are any that you need invitations to join, let me know and I will send you one.
There is another website that I just heard about. This one is bittersweet for me because this is kind of what I do. Its called "Shop it to me". This is a website that you put in the brands you like and it finds you the deals. I have to tell you, I find better deals... I'm not just saying it, I do!! So join them, try them and if you still don't find what your looking for, let me know! I'm always up for a challenge!!! Stay warm tonight...the best thing is you don't have to leave your house to shop!! ENJOY!! xoP

buyers remorse???

Today I got some much needed time to myself. I truly believe that shopping is my job, you will hear me say it all the time. To the point that if I'm on my laptop, my 4 year old thinks I'm working. I went to Saks today...I had to do a return from Christmas... yes I still month old returns sitting around my house. I was on the fence about a pair of boots I got as a gift and finally decided that if I hadn't worn them by now, they needed to go back. I planned my attack perfectly, I would return the shoes first then walk around the store and either get another pair of shoes, an outfit or a bag. As soon as I walked into the shoe department a pair of Chanel Boots caught my eye...AND they were on a sale rack... hmmmmm I picked them up to check the size and they were a half size too big... this could work. The price was literally IRRESISTABLE. One of those situations that whether I like them or not, I had to buy them. I tried them on, wasn't really into them, but they were CHANEL and they were well, CHANEL!!! LOL!... Like I said last night, 5 years ago I would have bought them and never looked back... Today as the mature shopper that I've become, I put them on hold and walked around the store, I browsed scarves, handbags, tryed on sunglasses, clothes and about 40 minutes later I went back to "Mark" in the shoe department and asked to try them on again. It always cracks me up... the sales people in the higher end stores look at you like your crazy for not jumping on the deal... really?? They were a great deal but considering the regular price was average Americas monthly mortgage payment, the sale price was probably most peoples car payment, so although it was a good price for Chanel, it was still a small fortune and I was looking at sacrificing Valentines day if I went for it. I tried them on and they weren't flattering...they were a bulky tweed and fur boot... gorgeous but a little big and just not a must.... I walked away... I left them for someone else... and I have no regrets... like I told you

Retail therapy...

So I've made it a point not to talk much about my kids on my blog...this is ME, not Mommy...just me, BUT its been a rough week as Mommy (oh my its only Monday!)... Tonight when hubby got home, I needed to escape. My plan was to hit Old Navy for some long sleeve staples since it FREEZING on the east coast. Old Navy isn't a happy place for me. Its messy and a lot of the merchandise isn't good quality, all that I wanted was long sleeved T's and the piles weren't sized...just annoying...NOT what I needed. After texting hubby to see if the kids were asleep, I drove slowly toward home and when I got no answer I pulled into TJ Maxx which was on the way home. I always start in the home section. Its what I do...and tonight, nothing. Its rare that I look in the women's section but tonight since I basically was killing time, I decided to not only look, but to dig. My husband laughs at me because I feel like I have a gift, I can find a deal like no other...I feel like its actually a talent! I really believe this and reading it back, I guess it is a little funny!
So here goes... I first found a round rack of all "designer" clothes. The top of the rack boasted a sign with several brand names on the sign... I decided to look through and much to my surprise a beautiful Halston Heritage blouse, hmmm I keep looking then I find a Joie dress. Now I'm feeling a buzz...it was better than 2 Cosmos for me. I was so excited. This is when I should tell you that neither of the things I found were my size but they were super cute and priced even cuter :-) ... Then I start through the clearance rack ...this is a first for me, but ...I wanted to see what I could find! This is when the fun started....a Theory blouse with a scarf attached for $30, Juicy Couture sweatpants for $20, Halston Heritage blouse in 2 colors $34 and a couple of tops that I recognized the brands from Nordstrom and Anthropologie. These were $10 and $12... I bought one of these tops and another shirt also $10~ $20 total spent for over $100 worth of shirts....SCORE!!!! 5 years ago I would have bought every single piece just because of the names but I've matured as a shopper.. I know its about quality not quantity! The moral of this story is if you enjoy digging through the racks, give TJ Maxx a try...I thought it was a blast... I was in my happy place!! Like I said, better than 2 cosmos...and that's saying a lot...I'm a girl that loves a cocktail!! Give it a try for me its therapy... Enjoy the night xo P

You get what you pay for....

Being in the fashion industry half my life (almost literally!) winter for me literally starts in august and spring/summer (resort) right after Christmas... one of my little secrets is to check out what will be in for the next season then hit the sale racks to see what can stretch into the next season. I've learned over the past few years that higher end brands can work into a few of seasons for a couple of reasons. One being the quality is usually a little better, mainly the fabric, and also they are ahead of the game trend wise. I've had a few instances where I've gotten a great shirt 1/2 off because I love it, not because it trendy or "in"...sure enough within next year or so the style is all over the place.
A couple of patterns in particular that are timeless are... leopard (my fave!!!) and polka dots... both go in and out of stores but they are TIMELESS!! Anytime your spending on a higher end label...consider it an investment. The little trick I told you about yesterday, LADIES its January...get shopping those sales!!! Oh and PS... i will be giving lots of tips about shopping at Forever 21 and Target too...stay tuned..
A few big trends for Spring 2011....
coral everything coral from jewels to shoes to tops and dresses...springs RED...get on it!,
floral prints, this is something that's been in for a couple of summers so pull out something in your closet and make it new with an new long necklace (another spring fave) or a last years flat sandals...they are back huge for spring!! White wardrobe which is something I stock up on every year at the end of the summer... its a huge staple and timeless...
Warm weather is just around the corner...if you don't believe me, go shopping, the stores are full of beautiful spring merchandise!!!! Enjoy the day...smile xoP

You Gotta Start Somewhere....

I remember cutting out a picture of a pair of Burberry pink plaid open toe slides... I was OBSESSED with these shoes... It was about 8 years ago I think... I was a Nine West and BCBG girl. I always loved shoes but these Burberry shoes seemed so far out of my league. Needless to say, my boyfriend at the time (now my husband) gave in and bought them for me! They still have a special place in my heart and in my closet. Girls love shoes... its a fact.

Now my wish list is full of Christian Louboutins, Brian Atwoods and an occasional Manolo Blahnik and my closet is full of the same. I call it my jewelry since I LOVE shoes than Jewels! The moral of this story is to share a HUGE secret... If you want to start a fabulous designer shoe collection but aren't ready to pay those designer prices read further!!

January and July are the best times to buy designer anything.... all of the upscale retailers have HUGE sales... With Christmas in December and a June birthday, every year I say a gift card to use the following months would be the best gift ever... Barneys, Saks, Neiman Marcus to name a few all are in major sale mode! I check them every day... remember its my "work"... I say it all the time, anyone can pay full price... Its so much more rewarding not to!! There is nothing better than a "score"...

Did My Jeans Shrink???

How many of you get new shoes and think of what jeans you have that are long or short enough to wear them? With sky high heels in style and not only going no where but getting higher by the season(thank goodness :-)...Denim lengths can be tricky....
I did all of the work for you to let you know lengths (long and short) of my favorite brands....
I'm a jeans girl...always have been and always will....here you go:

Most Regular length jeans are 34-34 1/2 inch inseam... back when 7 for all mankind came out, I remember regular was 32"... somehow in the past 10 years 2 inches has been added on to regular length jeans...Good for some not so much for us short gals....thankfully several premium denim companies are putting out a petite length jean. They fit just like the regular jeans but with a shorter inseam anywhere from 30-31 1/2. Paige, Joe's jeans, True Religion, 7 for all mankind, Citizens of Humanity all have recently added petite jeans .... look at the inseam before you buy online... and remember if you are wearing a great platform, you still may be better off buying the regular length jeans and getting them tailored... ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS have them replace the ORIGINAL hem. Nothing is worse then paying all that $$$ for jeans and having them look hemmed.... I STILL say it to my tailor... you never know... even if you get them shortened at Nordstrom or Saks...SAY IT... regular hems are easier and if they can get away with it, why wouldn't they?!

For you talk drinks of water, ugh i secretly am so jealous of tall girls... anyway...for you girls...I, YES, the short girl did some research... mostly because my sister in law keeps telling me she needs longer jeans, so she inspired me! Here goes... Paige, True Religion and Rock and Republic all come in a 36" inseam... IN my shopping experience, Rock and Republic are the longest jeans out there... I'm almost positive that their regular length is 36" but if your not a fan then get online and hit up Paige and True Religion.

Hope this helps... I have to admit...both of my kids are screaming right now so I really have no idea if any of this makes sense! I'm gonna post it anyway...after all this is just me being ME~ Enjoy and happy Saturday! xo P

Lets Try This Again...

My whole purpose in starting this blog is because I have such an itch to work... its hard going from having a career to being a stay at home mom.... Don't get me wrong, I love staying home with my children, but my brain is always working.
My dream is to own a boutique... I can't give away all of my secrets but this blog is to share a few of them... From being a bit of a shopaholic, I've educated myself on brands, prices, trends etc... I've been helping girlfriends find things on their wish list and drive my sister in law nuts with too many texts and emails of things she should buy! I have an eye... I can fit you in jeans by just looking at your butt!
I'm really going to try to take an hour a day to share with YOU my findings... I have a routine... I call it "my work"... This morning... I emailed my gf a pair of Prada boots I knew she needed...the price was 65% off... I loved her response and YES she bought them... Husbands hate me and that's ok... mine doesn't and that's all that matters... anyone can pay full price...follow this blog and you never will again! xo P

Happy New Year!

I keep saying that 2011 is my year..... not sure what I have in store for myself but apparently I have high hopes! What I will say for sure is that this is my year to downsize... I am a bit of a pack rat... sometimes it does come in handy, for instance... everything comes back in style and since I save everything, I'm always ahead of the game!