Every Girl Loves a Brand New Bag

Remember my post last week when I made you wait to see what what was inside the black satin dust bag from Riki Handbags? Well the wait is over...mama's got a brand new bag!

{handbag: napa rose, riki handbags; top: emilio pucci; jeans: j. brand; shoes: ysl}

I debuted this Riki handbag yesterday, when I met my girlfriend for some girl time and lunch. The bag got a number of compliments from people passing me by on the street.

When I saw the handbag for first time, the hardware straps were one of the things that caught my attention. I love how they enhance the bag and give it that "Chanel-like" flair. The great thing is that the bag is not as heavy as one would think with the chain straps and the leather is amazingly soft.

This is a great classic handbag that every girl should have in their closet, and one that will last through the years...a true investment piece. I am excited to offer Riki Handbags in my shop as they are a great addition to the other fabulous products I currently carry. Browse around in my shop or purchase your own Riki Handbag by clicking on the icon below.

{OpenSky Project} New Frontier in Online Shopping

The past few weeks have flown by and so much has happen. After getting back from New York I was home for a few days before heading off to San Francisco for another whirl-wind trip. I'll do more on that trip later.

Before heading out of town again last weekend I was able to spend the afternoon with Ted Rubin, Chief Social Marketing Officer, for OpenSky Project. He was in town to host a meet-up with local area OpenSky shopkeepers and bloggers that I was not able to attend. As former Chief Marketing Officer at e.l.f Cosmetics, he helped grow sales using social media and is now using his expertise and doing the same at OpenSky Project. To say he is an expert in the industry is such an understatement. I learned more from him in one afternoon then what I would have, figuring it out on my own over the next few months.

Ted met me for lunch at The Standard in downtown LA as soon as he got in from the airport. He is full of energy online and I wasn't surprised it carried over in person. The thing that struck me with Ted, is that he is an extremely busy executive but it was like meeting an old friend and catching up all afternoon. I had a blast all day. It makes sense that he's at OpenSky Project because that is exactly the same feeling that is felt with everyone at the company. After lunch we headed over to the De Lacy & Michelle Roy Designs showrooms, which are both suppliers for OpenSky and featured in my shop. I was the first person to see the DeLacy fall collection with Ted, and excited to talk more about it in the future!

As most of you know I have an OpenSky shop, which you can view here. For those of you who don't know about OpenSky, it's a new way to shop online. Each shop is run by a shopkeeper, who is an expert in various fields such as fashion (of course), cooking, parenting and many more. Shopkeepers choose products for their shops that they love and use in their everyday life. Instead of shopping at other online sites and relying on ratings from people one does not know, shoppers can purchase products from bloggers, celebrities and authors (the shopkeepers) they follow and trust. Each shopkeeper offers a personal recommendation and/or review for all of the products in their shop. The shopper then gets to purchase items from a trusted source and know what to expect when the item is shipped. OpenSky manages the back end so the shopkeeper does not need to physically house the merchandise. It's a great new way to shop as it adds that personal interaction to your online shopping experience.

When I returned from my trip over the weekend this is what was waiting for me when I got home from another OpenSky supplier, Riki Handbags. Check back later in my shop to see what is inside of the bag.

{Fun In The City}...New York

I'm finally back from New York and just trying to play catch up now. It's amazing how much work can pile up being gone for such a short amount of time. I love New York, especially the energy of the city but was so happy to come home to sunny California. I've gotten used to living the "beach life" and consider myself a full fledged beach girl.

We stayed in upper Westchester county most of the time but managed to make it into the city twice while I was in New York. I realized I need to get better at taking pictures of all of my experiences. I missed out on taking pictures of the cobblestone streets while shopping in Soho or me meeting everyone at the Opensky Project headquarters. I have set a goal after this trip to better document my excursions with more photos and videos. I did take some photos of my trip. Enjoy!

{my darling tyler}

{amy from the bee dot in her new coat we shopped for...love that twitter connected us for lunch}

{yummy oysters for lunch}

{outside bluewater grill}
coat: burberry, top: h&m, jeans: j brand, shoes: lanvin, bag: balenciaga

{me in front of soho house}

dress: anthropologie, belt: ysl, sweater: j. crew, bag: balenciaga,
shoes: red soles - christian louboutin

{rooftop lunch at the fabulous soho house...thinking about a membership here in LA}

{lindsey of saucy glossie, i had so much fun with her...}

{cynthia rowley shoes I got on bleeker street, after magnolia cupcakes of course!}

Shopping in the City

I'm playing in the city today, New York city that is...come visit me here if you miss me!

Some More News

Good morning my lovelies, I'm over at Chic Shopper Chick again today so come stop by and say hi.

Now for some other exciting news...

I am excited to share with you all my recent partnership with OpenSky Project, an online community of shopkeepers. OpenSky is full of people like me who are "experts," (if I do say so myself) and are passionate about their areas of interest. Can you say I never meet a pair of Red Soles I didn't love?

Through my shop, I get to recommend and offer the things I personally love and can't live without. There are so many different shops to check out, there is truly something for everyone. Come stop by my shop and visit some of the other ones as well.

http://redsolediary.theopenskyproject.com/

Holiday Gift Ideas for the Kids

I can't believe it's December already, and the holidays are here. I know I haven't been posting as much as I would like, so thank you for still hanging around during this crazy time. Your sites give me so much inspiration and I am reading them even if I don't leave comment love. It has been a busy time for me and there are so many new changes coming that I can share with you in the new year! Very excited.

The next few weeks will have us all finalizing holiday plans, shopping for the perfect gifts and hopefully reflecting on what we have to be thankful for this season. Over the next week I will be posting some of my holiday gift guides. Today we're starting with the kiddies. They can make you laugh or cry whether they are yours or not...but there's nothing better than seeing their face light up opening presents.

Create your own holiday traditions with this fun set, $29.95

Custom Converse shoes for the fashionable ones, $45

A new bike is always a great gift, $79

Playing with their food will never have been more fun, $10.95

Celebrate Sesame Street's 40th Anniversary with these stylish tees, $68

Laughter is the best gift ever, create some with this Tickle Monster kit, $34.95

Get Shopping, Fashion's Night Out

On Thursday, The Council of Fashion Designers of America and Vogue are hosting Fashion Night's Out a global event meant to inspire consumers to spend money all in the name of helping out the fashion industry. The worldwide event is the brainchild of Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief at Vogue. Expect champagne to flow, yummy nibbles to be passed and other fun surprises to happen all with the hope to stimulate shoppers to loosen their grip on their wallets.

Here is a list of some of the events that are happening around the Los Angeles area.

3.1 Phillip Lim Los Angeles
6 to 11 p.m.
631 N. Robertson Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 358-1988

Phillip Lim is re-imagining five signature pieces from his archives with today's fabrications and embellishments. Get there early as the special edition archival items are available in a limited-size run on Thursday night only.

Fred Segal Feet
7 to 11 p.m.
8100 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 655-9500

There will be cocktails and live music adding a festive spirit to the event. Artist Michael Norice is rumored to be on-hand creating crystallized custom sneakers and album covers.

Fred Segal Flair in Santa Monica
4 to 7 p.m.
500 Broadway
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 393-4477

Hoping you'll be one of many shoppers deciding you can't live without both outfits, there will be free gifts to those who spend $75 or more.

Moods of Norway
6 to 11 p.m.
113 S. Robertson Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90048
(310) 271-7172

With 75% off everything in the store it'll be easier to hand over the credit card especially knowing it's for a good cause. Champers and music will be on-hand to help the process along.

Neiman Marcus
6 to 9 p.m.
9700 Wilshire Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(310) 550-5900

Lisa Love, West Coast editor for Vogue will be on-hand with a trend presentation at 7 p.m. The store will have a New York City vibe that evening with Nathan's hotdogs and Factors New York cheesecake served. Jazz music and runway shows are also set to happen.

Rock & Republic
6 to 11 p.m
105 S. Robertson Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 285-0486

Makeovers, giveaways and limited-edition leggings will be for sale at their Robertson's location. Rock & Republic's creative director is set to be guest DJing for the evening.

Ron Herman at Fred Segal Melrose
7 to 11 p.m.
8100 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 651-4129

There will be a plethora of designers, stylists and photographers on-hand for the evening. Some of the designers attending will be Chan Luu, Rory Beca, Paige Geller, and Whitley Kros designers Sophia Coloma and Marissa Ribisi. Limited-edition T-shirts and free gifts with purchase are also being offered that evening.

Roseark
6 to 10 p.m.
1111 N. Crescent Heights Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90046
(323) 822-3600

Head over to Roseark if you are looking to attend a more upscale event with fine art, music, bubbly, tarot cards and a ton of shiny, sparkling jewelry.

Open those wallets and spend even if it's just a tube of lipgloss...you'll be helping to boost the fashion industry and economy. If you don't live in Los Angeles visit the official Fashion Night's Out website for a list of events in participating cities. This will be the one time that your significant other will support your shopping habit since it's all for a good cause!

Fashion Night's Out

Window Shopping

Dying to discover amazing shops and boutiques in other parts of the world but your funds won't allow for the around-the-world shopping spree?  Then indulge yourself or your loved one with this beautiful coffee table book. One can tour the spectacular shops featured, without leaving the living room sofa. This book is sure to be a treat for the eyes without the post-credit card spending remorse. Get your list of must-see shops ready for when that unexpected inheritance checks shows up in your mail.