An ongoing love affaire with all things fashionable, tasty and fun

Posts tagged “Gift guide

Valentine’s Day Guide

Are you a lover of Valentine’s Day? I feel like enjoying Valentine’s Day is something of an art. Whether you have a significant other or are spending the day solo – There ARE things that you can enjoy about this “holiday.”

While I’ve had a boyfriend on a few Valentine’s Days over the years the most memorable one was actually a few months post-break up. I was with my Aunt and Uncle for a fun weekend of champagne, laughter, and too much chocolate – My uncle got me a giant heart filled with chocolates that was so big I couldn’t get my arms around it! To this day I keep a picture of my Aunt & I laughing so hard we’re nearly in tears from that night on my bedside table.

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Was I miserable because I was single? No. Was I wallowing over my recent breakup? No. Was I wearing pink? Hell no! 🙂

If you’re one of those lucky people who can ignore or even forget that it’s Valentine’s Day than congratulations, you’re much more evolved than I am. So, whether you’re looking for the perfect gift to surprise your partner with, deciding on a date night outfit, or just looking for a way to get through this in one piece, here’s a great collection of links and some of my own fool-proof ways to have a good Valentine’s Day!

Tips for enjoying yourself:

Make it a group thing! Another incredibly memorable Valentine’s Day was spent with my friend Lauren, we got all dressed up & went out to dinner just the two of us. Not only did we have a great meal and exchange fun, girly gifts, we laughed ourselves breathless listening to the date at the table next to ours.

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Suggestions For Solo Survival:

Pamper yourself – Spend a day giving yourself some much deserved attention & indulge yourself. Trust me, you’re worth it. 🙂 Head out for some shopping & get that killer pair of heels you’ve been eyeing. Get a fabulous mani/pedi or a soothing facial. Treat yourself to a relaxing massage to help reduce stress & tension.

Gift Ideas:

For me, the card is the most important part of a Valentine’s Day gift. I’ve gotten flowers, fancy dinners, and jewelry, but a sweet handwritten message in a card means more than any of the rest of that in my book.

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Another time saver___begin with Oreo Cakesters_  Roll edges in sprinkles, put into a cute bag or box, DO

And if you’re a classicist and want to give your lady love – Or yourself – Some killer jewelry for Valentine’s Day than check out Sasha Maks Vintage and get 20% off through February 14th with the code LOVE2013. You can email her and set up a private showing or order fabulous, one-of-a-kind pieces online.

Dress It Up:

Whether you’re planning to make dinner in your PJs, get dolled up for a fancy night out, or you just like to celebrate holidays in style check out these fab posts to help you get a look that you’ll love.

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What are your plans for this Valentine’s Day? Are you going to get all dressed up?

Want more Valentine’s Day goodness? Check out IFB’s Season of Love project for other submissions that’ll get you ready for Valentine’s Day this year!

Be sure to follow my New York City adventures for pictures & updates:


Holiday Gift Giving Guide

Last year’s Gift Giving Guide separated out the types of individuals we tend to shop for – Host & Hostess gifts as well as presents for the fashionistas, health & fitness nerds, and foodies on your holiday gift list. This season so many of the bloggers that I follow have already put together great lists so I thought it would be fun to collect all of their fabulous suggestions and put together a master list.

Enjoy!

Carolines Mode’s Christmas Gift Ideas is the perfect list for an oh-so-stylish sister or girlfriend and includes notepads, designer lingerie, chic jewelry, and perfume.

Feeling extravagant? Moda Operandi’s Gift Guide: Extravagant Gestures isn’t for the faint of heart – believe me – and includes unbelievable gift ideas like custom designed snowboards, couture dresses, jewelry boxes, and one-of-a-kind homewares.

If you’re not sure what to get that special woman in your life – whether it’s your wife, your sister, or your mother – Harper’s Bazaar is here to help. Their Editors’ Choice: The Best Holiday Gifts is a great collection of ideas including clothing, jewelry, accessories, beauty products, flowers, art, and even chic china patterns!

If you have a friend or family member who is a gym rat or health obsessed than check out FitSugar’s list of Best Fitness Gadgets of 2012 which includes great finds like eco-friendly water bottles, new fitness gear, workout DVDs, and high-tech headphones & monitoring systems.

Could I Have That? has put together a great list and her Holiday Gift Guide: Black & White includes pillows, piggy banks, and fabulous moustache adorned coffee mugs – perfect gifts for one and all.

If edible gifts are more your style be sure to look through the list that Teen Vogue put together – 12 Gourmet Gifts for Foodies – and charm your friends with specialty desserts, quirky cooking tools, and creative cookbooks.

Not sure what to get your host or hostess for an upcoming dinner, holiday party, or weekend away? Check out Moda Operandi’s Be Our Guest for a fabulous collection of gifts that will fit the bill perfectly.

For a well-rounded collection of ideas check out The Subtle Statement’s Holiday Gift Guide – This list includes everything from accessories and electronics to pajamas and serving dishes. You’re sure to find something for that special someone!

And fear not, if you’re on a budget, there are still plenty of choices out there that your friends and family will love. Check 0ut Freckles In April’ Gift Guide: $5 and Under! and Cupcakes & Cashmere’s Holiday Gift Guide – Under $25.

What’s on my holiday wish list? To be honest, I did so much shopping over the past week that I cannot think of a single thing that I actually need let alone want. If you’re curious about what I’ve picked out for myself – See below! 🙂

{Top Left: Betsey Johnson Faux Fur Lined Belted Cape from Macys, Top Right: C-Label Elaine 6 from Piperlime, Bottom Left: Shift Dresses from BCBGeneration & Bottom Right: Boxes coming in from ASOS, Saks, Bloomingdale’s…}

Happy shopping everyone!


Voyage To Marrakech

A big Thank You to The Factory and The Evans Group for the unbelievable trip to Marrakech last week – Who knew that in the streets of SOMA you could escape to the market stalls of exotic Morocco?

Voyage To Marrakech is an evening inspired by Yves Saint Laurent’s glamorous 1970’s lifestyle in Moroco to showcase their Spring 2013 Collection. An illuminated nighttime Marrakech marketplace, with cocktails, food, and music, and live photoshoot presentation, featuring live vignettes inspired by iconic YSL iconic photographs.

Stylish San Franciscans flocked to our own personal Marrakech last week to celebrate The Factory’s new collection inspired by the love affaire that YSL had with Marrakech.

{The looks that evening ran the gamut from ultra modern to vintage inspired to came-straight-from-the-office}

{Cocktails, mannequins sporting Yves Saint Laurent-inspired frocks, friends reuniting, fortune tellers…}

{And the models showed off a phenomenal Spring 2013 collection filled with sleek, shimmering fabrics, vintage patterns & prints, luxurious metallics, faux fur, relaxed silhouettes, and fun accessories}

{I wore a long-sleeved, high-neck vintage shift dress, Zara ankle strap heels, and a fabulous gold necklace from Sasha Maks Vintage}

{Check out more photographs from this event here – Just log into Facebook to view}

This was the fifth event that I’ve had the honor of attending at The Factory, check out my posts on the previous events below:


Sasha Maks Vintage – Holiday Trunk Show

Last week I was honored to attend the Sasha Maks Vintage Holiday Trunk Show at the oh-so-stylish Michael Page Style Lab. The night included a gorgeous, tres chic location, stylish men & women, and more amazing vintage jewelry than you could believe.

But since a picture is worth a thousand words, I’ll let the photos speak for themselves…

{The fabulous all-white interior with mirrored walls & dramatic silver light fixtures – Michael Page Style Lab}

{Stylish women in full shopping mode ALL night long}

{Tables & tables of phenomenal vintage jewelry to browse through and try on}

{I wore a pearl-trimmed vintage shift & carried a chainlink quilted handbag, and spent close to two hours that night trying pieces of killer jewelry on}

{Ultimately narrowed it down to these two pieces – And then ended up with the oversized elephant pendant on the right – J’ADORE!}

{Check out more photographs from this event here – Just log into Facebook to view}

If you live or work near the Bay Area and are interested in checking out some amazing vintage jewelry I highly recommend checking out Sasha Maks Vintage – You can even email her and set up a private shopping session! 🙂


MCLV Style: Factory Girl

This outfit is an oldie, but a goodie!

Things have been so hectic and non-stop since the beginning of September that I never got a chance to share with you the outfit that I put together for the pre-Fashion Week Fashion Mixer at The Factory in lovely SOMA.

{You can shop similar pieces by clicking these hyperlinks: Floral Blazer – Pim + Larkin from Piperlime, Pleated Black Mini – Zara (one of my favorite pieces in my wardrobe, true story), Ankle Booties – Rebecca Minkoff from Shopbop.comFloral Top – Anthropologie, and Jewelry – All from Sasha Maks Vintage

 {You can view this outfit on both Lookbook.nu and Pose}

{Check out more outtakes from this shoot here – just log into Facebook to view}

Despite the fact that I put this outfit together over a month ago it actually looks pretty Fall-ready with the black accents and these too cute Rebecca Minkoff booties. I love wearing skirts and dresses during the Fall with layers on top and cute tights on the bottom. I’ve got a pair of black & grey skull-print tights that are in my closet begging to be worn!

Do you like printed or colorful blazers? Are you strictly a pants person once the weather turns colder or do you like to wear skirts & dresses in the Fall?


Factory Fashion Mixer

Before heading to New York at the beginning of September I was lucky enough to start fashion month out right with a trip to The Factory for a Fashion Mixer with the lovely Sasha of Sasha Maks Vintage.

I was beyond thrilled to wear some more amazing vintage jewelry courtesy of Sasha Maks Vintage – Oversized pearls,  thick gem encrusted golden strands, and animal head bangles {see other phenomenal pieces from this shop in the collaboration series Styling 101}.

{Check out the MCLV Style: Factory Girl post for more on this look!}

The evening was fun and festive with a DJ, open bar, photographers, and a group of people ready to enjoy themselves and learn a little something about The Evans Group’s Collection Developement Packages.

My favorite part was, per usual, the oh-so-cool atmosphere of The Factory – I love the exposed brick and being surrounded by racks and racks of gorgeous clothes while I’m socializing.

Such a great start to Fashion Month!


Sasha Maks Vintage Jewelry Trunk Show

You had me at vintage jewelry…

Amirite?

I’ve mentioned The Factory in the past, I attended an opening last spring where I purchased one of my all time favorite coats, and I also joined them to celebrated the April Howard Capsule Collection this past December.

The setting is great – an airy, brick-walled loft space in SOMA, and this past Thursday it was once again crammed to the rafters with beautiful clothes. And swoon worthy jewelry.

{Oh, there were people there too. I think. I was busy.}

A special trunk show featuring Sasha Maks Vintage jewelry and all designs featured June 24th in Dior: A Life in Pictures. Shop the unique vintage costume jewelry collection that includes the best of 20th century designs by Dior, Chanel, Schiaparelli, Lanvin and a myriad of unsigned statement pieces.

Unfortunately I had been unable to attend the June 24th Christian Dior exhibit so this was a great chance to catch up on a few of the designs that I missed out on earlier. Beautiful clothing, vintage magazines and photographs, and a phenomenal layout.

I walked down to SOMA to photograph the event and browse the trunk show. And what does a girl wear to a trunk show?

{You can shop similar pieces by clicking these hyperlinks: Striped Pocket Sweater – Everyly via the seriously adorable North Beach boutique Annabella’s, Pleated Black Mini – Zara & Studded Peep-Toe BootiesVince Camuto}

{Black & white + vintage jewelry, of course!}

After admiring the eye-candy and taking pictures, I dove head-first into the gorgeous collection of jewelry. I tried on Chanel charm bracelets, costume jewelry earrings, animal cuffs, giant enamel pendants… And then I was lucky enough to stumble upon a phenomenal tassel adorned lariat necklace designed by Jean Vendome.

It was love at first sight!

I couldn’t wait to take it for a spin so I threw together an outfit on Friday so that I would have an excuse to wear it immediately. I wanted something simple so that the drama of the necklace would be the central part of the look.

{You can shop similar pieces by clicking these hyperlinks: Maxi Dress – BCBGeneration, Nude Sandals – Vintage, Wrap Ring – JewelMint, Gold Wrap Bracelet – Forever 21 & Necklace – Vendome}

You can even check out my new necklace in this Elle Girl Japan editorial below.

Do you like to wear vintage jewelry? What’s your favorite vintage piece that you’ve collected over the years?


The Factory Presents April Howard

Have you ever seen the bolts of fabric that are used to make the clothes that you love? Or gotten a chance to look through the black & white sketches that become your favorite pieces? Or sorted through the jars  of buttons that will be sewn onto your favorite coat? A dear friend has given me the unique opportunity to witness this initial stage of the clothes making process as he works with the talented Jennifer Evans of the The Evans Group.

But, what do you do when the clothes are made? You celebrate of course! And to celebrate The Factory and CODE Salon hosted a cocktail party to show off their new collection in collaboration with April Howard.

Debuting in 2010 during New York Fashion Week at the Lincoln Center, April Howard earned praise from national press including WWD, Seventeen, and The Bristol Observer.

“My organic shapes and details are representative of discarded items, melting plastic, and rubber found around us in these urban wastelands we find ourselves in,” Howard says of her aesthetic.

So what’s a girl who loves fashion to do when she receives an invitation like this one? She gets all dressed up, finds a taxi, and drags her extremely accommodating  boyfriend to SOMA for some eye candy.

Oh, and she takes LOTS of pictures.

{I mean… Gorgeous clothes, a chic salon, beautiful models and vino? I’m there!}

The clothes from April Howard’s collection of original pieces under The Factory label were phenomenal {seen above in sketches & photographs} and the young ladies modeling them were stunning. The Factory is on the ground floor and filled to the brim with sewing machines, dressmaking mannequins, and rack upon rack of clothing. While the second floor of the building is occupied by CODE Salon, a cool SOMA loft space that last night was filled with models, make up artists, hairdressers, photographers, patrons, and one hardworking DJ.

Overall it was quite an evening. As a fashion lover I can say that I was not disappointed by my first chance to get up close and personal with the photographing of a collection. A big thank you to The Factory and CODE Salon for including me last night!

{You can see my initial post about The Factory here if you’d like any additional background}


The Factory

No, I’m not talking about Edie Sedgewick and Andy Warhol.

This Factory that I’m talking about is a retail and design space located in the SOMA district of San Francisco {Here’s a brief summary from the website}

The Factory is an unrestricted retail space in San Francisco, featuring collaborations with The Evans Group’s clientele of independent designers, made to keep its seamstresses working year-round. The Factory label is sold in the retail space and throughout the wholesale accounts.

The Factory is recognized locally and nationally, for preserving domestic work, and providing an exception work environment, The Evans Group Inc. is acclaimed for restoring the humanity and quality behind manufacturing clothes, while promoting design and craftsmanship.

In plain words, in addition to selling clothing under an eponymous label, The Factory offers clothing produced by up-and-coming and local designers, tailoring and design services, all the while employing local seamstresses (rather than outsourcing cheap foreign labor).

{Beautiful clothing. Amazing, rustic SOMA space. Talented and enthusiastic employees. Ethical practices.}

{Totally sold!}

{And speaking of sold… Meet the new love of my life! One of a kind and tailored just for me. Sigh. When will it get cold again?}

If you’re a Bay Area resident or visiting San Francisco I highly recommend stopping by The Factory and taking a look at these beautiful clothes. They’re located at 370 4th street (between Harrison and Folsom) behind Pete’s Coffee and across the street from Whole Foods!