When I was little, I use to think that Boxing Day was called Boxing Day because it was the special garbage day for all the holiday wrapping and boxes. Now I’ve learned that not only do the city sanitation workers have the day off, but the people who camp outside stores waiting for it to open are completely crazy.

I remember doing the whole Boxing Day thing with my girlfriends in high school. We live a stone’s throw away from Metro so that would always be our #1 destination… but it was the biggest gongshow ever! I think the most successful shopping year was when my friend brought her boyfriend and we sent him ahead to line up to get into the store, the change room, and the cash register. Poor guy.

My point is, I’ve done the early mornings… I’ve even worked 2 Boxing Days at Metro… and I’ve also been snowed inside my house on Boxing Day… And being snowed in and shopping online was probably the best thing ever.

This year I took some “how to shop online” advice from one of my favorite blogs, demicouture, and her post “13 Ways to Never Pay Fill Price for Your Clothing.”

So here’s a round up of discounts from my favorite e-tailers!

• Aldo – extra 30% off sale items and free shipping for purchases over $100
• Asos – up to 50% on selected merchandise. While I (naively) spent close to $40 on shipping last year because of the volume I ordered, they now have international flat rate shipping! $6 to Canada!
• Calvin Klein Underwear – 25% off regular priced items; free shipping for purchases over $75
• Dorthy Perkins - up to 50% off on selected merchandise.
• Forever 21 – (Canada website only) Selected sale items starting at $1.00!! Use BOXINGDAY09 at check out for free shipping
• Gap – extra 20% off w/ promo code “GAPEXTRA20″
• Guess – 25% off regular priced items, 50% off sale items
• Victoria’s Secret – 40%-60% off on selected VS Pink items, and 25% off selected bras. Once again if you can ship to a US address use FREE100 to get free shipping on orders over $100

That’s it for a quick and dirty scour of my inbox and regular clicks.

I would definitely recommend checking out demicouture for a more completely online and in-store (Vancouver specific) discount guide!

Happy shoppings everyone!

I had a perfectly lovely Christmas, and I do hope you did as well. Today is also Nikon and I’s one-year anniversary (no camera cake though, but I’ll still be grateful if anyone is willing!).

I got:
Seasons 8, 9, & 10 of Friends (completing my collection)

Seasons 5 & 6 of That 70’s Show (starting that collection)

Wonderful clothes and things from Forever 21 (I can hardly stand to shop there for myself, so many cute and cheap options!)

A Barbie Fashion Model Collection Calendar

and moneyz : D
What did you get?

Salutations from Strike Force Oregon,
Dacoda.

If you’re a budget shopper (like I try to be), Forever 21 has some suedette pumps for only $10! They come in black, red, and blue. I ordered a pair, but they haven’t come in yet; so I’m not quite sure if they look as cheap as they are. Hopefully not, but for ten dollars I won’t be too disappointed. They’re perfect for somebody who doesn’t wear pumps often and wants a cheap pair to wear every now and then.

Clicking the photo will take you to the site!

When it comes to fashion, I’m like a Magpie; I’m instantly attracted to anything that sparkles or shines. And then I buy it. In four colors.

Lucky for me, metallics have been all the rage for the last few years and the fashion gods have decided to keep it around for yet another season! And I can see why; a metallic piece adds instant glam to an outfit. And you don’t even need much. A little shine goes a long way, whether it’s on a shoe, in a bag, or across an entire dress.

Of course, metallic pieces are perfecto for New Year’s Eve. There’s no better way to start 2010 than with a hot metallic mini-dress or a slammin’ metallic skirt. If that’s a bit too much for you, there’s a wide variety of shiny accessories out there that can add some heat to any look. And with retailers slashing their prices big time, many of these fabulous pieces will cost pennies, putting a very small dent in your Christmas money (and leaving enough for overpriced New Year’s tickets).  Lookin’ for a little shine? Here’s some of the best out there.

It was a a dark and wet Sunday afternoon buoyed by bourbon and cigars. The forecast had been for a rainless, but cloudy, sky. Lies. So we bivouacked on a small covered deck and watched the light grow dim, catching up on recent news, and scheming future projects. When the cigars had been extinguished we moved inside around the fire to continue plotting for 2010.

This is my second pheasant tie in a week! That day it also occurred to me how common, at least among my tie collection, the green and purple combo is. Since, prior to my descent into obsessive neckwear collecting I hadn’t noticed this pairing, I began to wonder more about it. Was there a precedence for it in nature? Were they some ancient national or institutional colors? I vaguely remembered that wearing an all purple toga was reserved for Roman kings and emperors. Was there a green component to their regal ensemble too?

More bourbon is required to pursue this topic correctly, but to start us off I did find a white paper from Hewlitt Packard (The Opposite of Green is Purple? by Nathan Moroney): “However for the red-green axis it is more like a purple-green axis due to a consistent, significant bending of the red-green axis.” And later “It was not possible to compute in closed form red as the opposite of green.”

Very interesting. Art and design students take note.

Tie: Lands End

Shirt: Jacques Britt

Cardigan Vest: Forever 21

Jacket: Old Navy

Trousers: BDG

]]> http://vancouverlimousine.wordpress.com/2009/12/22/christmas-is-definitely-coming/ Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:49:36 +0000 limodriver1 http://vancouverlimousine.wordpress.com/2009/12/22/christmas-is-definitely-coming/

People say “Christmas is in the air” but when Christmas day comes along with our Christmas day dinner, i would say “Burnt turkey is in the air”. I can already predict how our Christmas dinner is going to be like. Although the dinner isnt really great, the presents are awesome (that is because they are bought and not home-made). I love my family and I cant wait till spend the Christmas with them.

Ps: Mom and Dad if you are reading this, my favourite stores are Garage, Urban Behavior, Chapters, Sakura Media, Best Buy, and Forever 21. Its really convienent because there are all located in Metrotown. See, I think about you guys!

I’m a happy girl  Got the mail and my check was inside!  That took a weight off of my shoulders, can finish my little bit of xmas shopping and now have enough for my student loan payment Jan 4th…WOOO.  Not only that, of course with each check I have to go out and to the health food store for more hair products! lol, it’s a sickness, I know.  Bought $30 worth of stuff, 3 items:  Virgin coconut oil, Joie African Shea Butter Superlite, and Giovanni Direct Leave-In organic conditioner.    I will give product ratings once I try them out, will wash my hair on christmas eve so that it’s pretty and fresh for the holiday.

Then I got home and was relaxing, doorbell rang and VOILA, my beautiful accessories from forever 21!!!!  Yay, they all look so pretty  Some of the headbands, well the sparkly silver one in particular, is so tight on my temples…will have to try to stretch that out a bit, can’t get a headache trying to be cute!  no ma’am, not this girl.  Here’s a photo show of my hair accessories like I said I would update

New little Oliver Swift shoes with plaid interior and Studs!

Yes, I wear lace socks…my new favorte thing to do. Not a huge fan of socks period but a New England winter doesn’t really care what you like. So, since I have to wear socks – they’ll be lack on top, coming just over the ankle region.  Like the idea though and will probably continue throughout the spring.  I make them!

Oh and a necklace

I also got a ton of frabric yesterday so I can start this collection for Isabella Lous.  I took pics at the fabric store and have pictures of the fabric, I’ll show you later. Buttt “Paranormal State” has a marathon on (don’t judge me – its entertaining) and my room looks like this…

I can explain though… I went Christmas shopping yesterday and I’m still not completely unpacked from school.

• So you know when you grab out your Vogue or Nylon and you see this AMAZING outfit that you think would look amazing on you?? Like all the vivid colors match perfectly and you know this is the “outfit”? Of course you have to buy it; it looks perfect on you. But there’s one big, big problem. Yes a really big one. The only problem you might have unless you are some megamillionaire, is the price. I know everyone does this; i admit it too. Yoo go to the little white small print words in the far right corner and see if anything is under $200. Nope. Sorry mostly the Chanels, LVs, Vera wang, Moschino take over the page. Those names are what I call the 1000s. Then come the Alexander Wangs, Jimmy Choos,new deisgners, Thakoon(sometimes 500 but usually over), and others. Those? the 500s. Then I would let out a huge sigh because i cant afford any of those. Luckily humans have a natural ability to copycat others and have cheaper versions of the outfit around. cough H&M and Forever 21. lol

so first off we have a really cute outfit with a bold print skirt and statement jewerly..

estimated total cost for photoshoot:$600-$2000(depends on the price of jewelry)

Lipstick. LOreal Colour Riche Lipstick True Red Walmart $6.95

(or you can just use your mom’s old lipstick or just some of your own that you already have. I took my mom’s Chanel lipstick that was to bright for her)

Shirt: just grab a simple black shirt with no details on the shirt. Low cuts are a total nono. Also try not to buy tshirts with ribbons,a different shape, etc. I would just hit up Old Navy or Gap for a shirt like this. J Crew would also be nice..

Skirt: A highwaisted blue skirt thats not too high…. I recently saw one at forever 21 for about $20

Jewelry: H&M and Forever 21 have the latest styles of jewelry. And it’s cheap too yay

I know I am not exactly telling you where to get some actual copycat clothes lol I’m too lazy but after this post I will post 50 outfits that r less than $75. Okay let’s begin…..

It’s been a hard year for a lot of us.  However, we still want to look nice when we go out to celebrate the holidays.

Here are a few fabulous but cheap pieces to add to your holiday style.

From Target: Women’s Mossimo® Irina Dress Sandal – Gold.

Women's Mossimo® Irina Dress Sandal - Gold

This cute gold sandal will cost you only $22.99.

From Newport News: Faux fur clutch.

Faux fur clutch

This clutch has a glittery rhinestone brooch on a satin bow. It also comes with an optional chain should strap. It has a snap flap close, an inside cell pocket and measures 5×10″. It will cost you only $39.99.

From Forever 21: Satin Bustier Dress.

Satin Bustier Dress

This sexy convertible satin dress has optional adjustable spaghetti straps, a bustier-style bust with padded cups, and its own elastic band waist belt. It comes with interior silicone coating to prevent shifting and slippage. It comes in red, teal, purple, and black.  You just can’t beat the price: $13.50!

From Shockboutique.com: Black Sequin Boyfriend Blazer.

Black Sequin Boyfriend Blazer

Need a hot blazer to top off your look? Try this black sequin blazer which comes with a one button closure with ruched 3/4 sleeves. It’s $82.00.

From Max & Chloe: Blu Bijoux Turquoise Concentric Ovals Cocktail Ring.

Blu Bijoux Turquoise Concentric Ovals Cocktail Ring

This ring is totally cute.  It’s made out of concentric rings of turquoise resin and shimmering Austrian crystals.  It will cost you only $20.00.

We’ll hit you back with more for sure. Now get to shopping and put some great looks together for the holidays.  Make sure to upload your style pics to OpenFashion.com!

This has been a huge year for rock inspired fashion.  Rihanna, the most notable rocker chick of 2009, has inspired many of us to incorporate edgy elements, like studs and exaggerated shoulder pads,  into our wardrobes.  Below, please find some affordable options for the rocker chick in your life.

1. Stud Shoulder Peak Cardigan, $27.90 – If you can’t afford the gift of Balmain, this cardigan is the next best thing.

2. Swarovski Hybrid Clip Earrings, $60 – These earrings are the perfect accent for good girls gone bad.

3. Aldo Beynon Boots, $140 – The combination of buckles and studs take this mid-calf boot to the next level.

Michael Kor’s recent pre-Fall 2010 runway show featured models in furs of various dye colors. Originally serving a a source of clothing for hominoids including the Neanderthal, fur has become a stable in modern society.  However, the fashion of wearing fur is something that I have wrestled over for the past decade.

Before the turn of the 21st century and at my young age, I primarily associated fur with R&B artist “J-Lo”, with her seemingly excessive and over the top lifestyle.  Lopez’s heavy gold jewelry, white based outfits and heavy furs certainly did not suite my fancy, for instead I was a frequent flyer at the innocent yet over priced Limited Too.  Needless to say, the pop star was not an inspiration for anything on my Christmas list at the time.

Years later I began watching old films and realized that I had at come to link fur with a contemporary famous person, rather than the women who epitomized classic glamour.  Dripping in diamonds and oozing in gumption, actresses like Ingrid Bergman and Katharine Hepburn sported fur shawls, coats, and wraps.

My deep seeded bias of a mink coat as a R&B style has internally battled that of America’s mid century leading ladies.  The other day, while fighting the holiday crowds and feverishly skimming through the racks of Forever 21, a relatively affordable (faux) fur vest caught my eye. I whipped it out and held it in front of my beige lace top. Goodbye gaudy, hello chic!

I decided to cowash my hair only and not use the shampoo, see if that made any change.  My hair didn’t feel much different, I think because that shampoo is SO mild, such natural good ingredients.   Anway, just cowashed by smearing in the shea butter conditioner in and massaging my scalp a bit.  Rinsed that out, poured in some olive oil and added coconut milk conditioner to that.  Let that sit and marinate while I did normal showering, rocking out to the always present iPod on my handy ipod stereo.  Michael Jackson, Gucci Mane, Duffy, all fun shower buddies, lol.

I think that I used more olive oil last Sunday when I washed my hair, it felt more silky then.  I’ll have to try that, not be stingy with the extra virgin olive oil.  I’m looking at the bottle now and it doesn’t look like I even used any, dunno why I’m acting like I have to hoard it, we’re in a recession but I think I can manage to stay out the poor house if I use a little more oil   Rinsed that out, finished and finger combed Kinky Curly Knot Today through for softness and as a leave-in conditioner.

Faced with the wet mop on my head, I decided to finger coil the front half again with fantasia ic gel. Sprayed with Frank Juice afterwards.  I don’t know why, I try to do them tightly, but it never sticks tight at the roots  womp womp!  So it appears puffy at roots but smooth spirals the rest of the way.  I’ll have to figure it out next time

bought fun new headbands from forever 21 online !! can’t wait until they get here, will post pics wearing the headbands when I get them, but here’s what I bought:

clip for side of hair

hair hero:  this great style is awesome! I want to rock it one day

Hey, loves.

Last night my girl friends and I had a christmas dinner that took FOR.E.VER  to plan, because everyone wanted to do something different and bring whatever they wanted.. so yeah.. it was chaos. Thankfully everything came together at the end and we had a lovely evening after all. Sadly I forgot to charge the batteries of my camera and couldn’t take that many pictures =’(.

The 14-year-old half-sister of the famed Kardashian clan, and daughter of Kris & Bruce Jenner, Kendall Jenner, is now a model for Forever 21:

The Jenner sister, who is actually the tomboy of the two younger siblings, is now modeling for Forever 21’s Twist collection,  called “Rocker Babes with a Twist”. The 5′9″ cutie pie had this to say about being the new face of the line:

“‘I love Forever 21. I’m glad I got to do it. I was nervous and excited. It was super fun.”

When asked which sister inspires her the most, she says older sister Kim:

“They all give me really good advice. Kim just tells me: ‘Work it.’ I want to emulate her career the most because she does all the modelling-type stuff.”

Can’t wait to see what becomes of the younger siblings.

Did you know that it is a myth (in terms of sales) that Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year? While foot traffic is certainly very high, many people do not buy on Black Friday. The trend in recent years, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers, is that the Saturday before Christmas generates more sales for retailers than Black Friday. That data is relevant for the years 1995 – 2002. In the years 2003 and beyond, 2003 and 2005 were anomalies and did see Black Friday as the big winner.

Anyway … I’m not foolish, brave, insane enough to go shopping today (nor do I on Black Friday), but I still have some last minute errands to finish before the holidays are upon us. A perfect excuse, if you ask me, to wear my new faux fur Juicy Couture jacket.

On a whim, I stopped in the Juicy Couture store to see if their “Couture Couture” line was still in production (it’s not, I’m sad to say — such a pity, it was amazingly well made and so adorable) and instead saw the most darling tiered faux fur jacket. This was on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and I have been dying to wear it ever since. I also wear a Chloe top and Forever 21 skinny pants.

Check out the thick pile of the faux fur …

And, I break out my new Miu Mius from Resort 2010 to wear …

Well, I’m off. See you soon. — Carole

Forever 21 (F21 www.forever21.com) is one of those stores that people seem to either love or hate.  I will admit, upon entering my first F21 store, my first reaction was, “This place is cheap, and I’m not just talking about the prices.”  However, after perusing numerous stores & websites for a particular style in fashion at the time (to no avail), I decided to give F21 a second chance—and I’m glad I did!  While some items are better delegated to costume party wear, there are some real fashion gems, if you look hard enough.

Why F21? F21 is a great place to find trendy runway-inspired items that will likely only be in style for a season or two.   Since you only spent $30 (instead of $300) on the neon skinny jeans or high-waisted skirt, for example, you will not feel obligated to wear them two years after they are no longer in style.  F21’s clothing is often so similar to its runway counterparts that some designers, including Gwen Stefani’s Harajuka Lover’s line in 2007, have actually sued the company for copyright infringement.

Helpful Hints: As mentioned previously, the quality and style of clothing is variable, thus contributing to customers’ either devotion or disdain for the line.  While the brick & mortar (B&M) store provides customers the opportunity to try on items, I prefer shopping F21 online, because the selection of clothing is broader & more organized.  Additionally, while all in-store sales are final, items purchased online may be returned within 30 days of shipment, thus allowing you to match items with everything in your closet before deciding to keep them. To avoid spending more than the average gasoline costs of driving to the store, I recommend ordering the required amount (currently $40) necessary to obtain free shipping, so you only incur return shipping costs, if you need to return an item.  The appearance of items in-person sometimes differs, for better or for worse, from how they look online.  I have placed some orders in which I fell in love with every single item and other orders in which I kept only one item.   However, I receive more compliments on F21 clothing than apparel from just about any other mainstream store.   The selection is huge & updated daily (see “New Arrivals” section online), so you also have a much lower risk of seeing one of your friends with the same outfit.   To maintain the quality of your F21 clothes, follow the washing instructions carefully, with hand-washing and/or delicate cycle (on cold) almost always recommended.

F21’s lines: F21 currently has five major lines on its website, including Forever 21, Twelve by Twelve, Heritage 1981, Love 21, and faith 21.  Forever 21 is the original line, and its uber trendy styles are geared primarily toward teens & young adults.   Twelve by Twelve has a more mature couture style, while Heritage 1981 has a preppier look similar to American Eagle but with a little more spunk.  Love 21 has a more classic and modest fit and is appropriate for women beyond the mid-20s age group.  Finally, faith 21 is the trendy line for women wearing extended sizes.   F21 offers a wide range of items-including shoes, accessories (hats, jewelry, fashion tights), and, of course, clothes.

Costs: Few items, aside from winter coats, are priced greater than $40, with some basics such as t-shirts, priced as low as $3.50.  The “Fabulous Finds” section highlights particularly great deals on the site.

Chic Cents’ picks: While I highly encourage you check out the site for yourself, as there are items-from punk to preppy to super trendy-to meet anyone’s style preferences, these are Chic Cents’ personal recommendations (click image for link):

Festive

Fun

& Charming

Festive

1. Pleated Bubble Sheen Dress (red): $29.80
2. High Sheen Dress (purple): $22.80
3. Draped Tie Dress (black): $29.80

Fun

1. Comfy Heart Slippers (white/rainbow): $12.80
2. Fringed Shawl Cardigan (cream/purple): $36.90
3. Circle Colored Beret (purple/pink): $8.80
4. Spotted Babydoll Dress (black/cream): $22.80

Charming

1. Kaila Cotton Coat (cream): $37.80
2. Ruffle Front Strapless Top (magenta): $29.00
3. Pleated Woven Skirt (navy): $15.80
4. Gale Patent Wingtips (black/white): $22.80

If you like Forever21, you may also like…. H&M (www.hm.com)

I’ve never actually been to an ugly sweater party but the appeal is lost on me. Parties are the best excuse for dressing up, so why would you trade a perfectly good opportunity to look fabulous for an ugly sweater party? Shrug.

Tonight some of my dear friends are hosting our annual holiday party and the theme is–no not ugly sweaters–stripes! In my opinion this is a much better, playful yet still aesthetically pleasing theme for a party.

Here are some stripe-tastic pieces:

Citrus Stripes

Classic Black and White Stripes

Dark Stripes

It’s always refreshing to see celebrities putting their famous names to a great cause like the Starlight Children’s Foundation. This foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life of kids who are diagnosed with chronic illnesses. They focus on providing resources and programs for children and their families to help them get through and cope with their difficult times.

Stars like Nicky, Paris and Kathy Hilton, Colbie Caillat and Audrina Patridge were given a blank canvas, paint and markers to create their very own t-shirt design inspired by “stars” and “light” to be sold for the cause. These shirts are being sold at Forever 21 and 100% of the proceeds are being donated to the Starlight Children’s Foundation!

The shirts are super cute (I bought the ones designed by Nicky Hilton and Colbie Caillat) and they are only $12.80! It’s a great way to raise money and create awareness about  an amazing charity! Definitely buy one and support the Starlight Children’s Foundation.

I bought a pair of gray tights from F21 on Tuesday, I didn’t have very high hopes for them considering they rang in at $6.80 and were one size fits all. However, I wore them yesterday and was pleasantly surprised. The material feels thick and sturdy enough to survive more than 1 season, they actually kept my legs decently warm ( although that could have been the 2nd pair of sock I was wearing under my boots) and best of all the one size fits all didn’t sag on my smaller frame.

savings over comparable brands: at least $3.20, if not more.

available in charcoal, purple, and navy.

* photo courtesy of Forever 21 website.