February 9, 2011

Online "Window" Shopping

I just want to share some fun items I've been looking at happily online.


I've always wanted a pair of Cynthia Vincent wedges and I totally missed out on the whole Target collabo a few season back. Anyhow, Target has been carrying some amazing affordable wedges.
I just picked up the following two pairs "Tawny Wedge Sandals"
The photo really does not do them justice, they're way cute in person on the feet and also incredibly light and comfortable!
I bought them last week online for $22 / pair, and I also shopped at Target through Ebates so I got 3.0% cashback on my order : ) I cannot believe how much these cashback purchases ADD UP! Sephora through Ebates offers 8.0% cashback..spend $100 at Sephora get $8 back (that's a pretty darn good deal!)

I like em! They're pretty high but there's something about them that make them feel effortless to walk in. I would recommend these to everyone if you're into this kind of style. I know not everyone is, but I love em!
Wally's like WTF Mom? lol What the Tawny wedges look like from the top. The fit is really nice, I would say I have wider than normal feet and I had no problem with the fit.

If you don't use Ebates, you should. I didn't "get with the program" until years later. I remember my cousin telling me about it 2 years ago lol. It went over my head. It wasn't until I kept seeing all blogger after blogger talk about how awesome Ebates were lol.
I guess now it's my turn to freak out and express my love for Ebates!
I love the black pair best, I don't know why but the stock photo makes them look so not classsy lol. But hey in person, they look good :D Marisa and I were at Target earlier today as well checking out & trying on the new shoes :D

I feel like I want to wear more white..or at least lighter shoes and bags for Spring this year. I dunno! I just feel like lightening up ;D

My friend Marisa came over yesterday night at 11pm to help me with DSK stuff (she's only 21 but I swear she takes care of me like a TIGER MOM sometimes) lol. I love having her as a friend because I love her innate Chinese-American characteristics lol. I just see them shining through as she gets older. I met her when she was under 21. lol She has typical motherly caring instinct. Back when she worked for me she noticed I didn't eat much rice..so one day she brought over plain steamed rice for me. LOL. It's just the little things that make her so damn caring lol. I see her as a little sister now-a-days. I have to understand that she's newly 21 and loves to go out. While I'm more excited about catching Oprah and Dr. Oz on TV at 23 (turning 24 in 2 months).

She's very responsible when it comes to maintaining a clean home. She will be over here hanging out (not on work time but friend time) and would just randomly start cleaning my dishes (she handwashes them b/c she says NO to dishwasher b/c they waste water LOL that's how my Mom thinks!!). I was the same way until Minh introduced me to the wonders of a dish washer. She would start cleaning and scrubbing the sink, oven, and microwave while yelling/lecturing at me like a TIGER MOM would lol. She's like YOU NEED TO BUY THOSE SCRUBBER THINGS. STEPH, YOU SHOULD CLEAN YOUR STOVE AFTER YOU COOK EACH TIME OKAY?

Anyhow, if she gives me too much ishh, I TIGER MOM her back and get on her case about school lolllll. If she even dares talk about slacking at school or wanting to skip class I verbally smack her lol. She's in her third year of college and I just try to encourage her to make a stronger effort. I think she knows better than to even mention wanting to skip class in front of me anymore. :D

The whole popularity of the WSJ article and book Tiger Mom has become such an inside joke between Marisa and me. She even went out and bought the damn book. haha marketing works on her!

Anyhow..I get my act together and tidy the apartment a bit before she comes over or else I won't hear the end of it. haha : ) Except..she didn't approve of my microwave today. : ( *sad/SCARED face*) lol

Marisa used to help me often back in the day until I moved into the city. She was pretty much my right hand assistant for the longest time (I prob drove her to madness lol). I'm very disorganized, while she is super organized!

Anyhow, she spent the night and we spent over 24 hours together! It's always nice to reconnect with someone after not seeing them for months at time. :D It was nice to have her company. Timmy and Wally get WAY too excited when Marisa is over. She was actually with me and Minh the day we picked out the puppies! : ) So I guess she's their Auntie lol. Inside joke..AUNTIE.
AUNTIE... reverseeeeeee reverseee reverse, reverse, reverse! lol

You need to watch this Youtube video. This Youtube video really brought Marisa and me close together when we first start working with each other.

"Auntie Reverse Parking Fail"
If this isn't one of the best "Asian" videos on Youtube, my name is not Stephanie. :P
I also picked up Rooney's first album haha b/c I needed to qualify for free shipping over $50!! The two pair of wedges came out to be around $44 or $45 lol.
I have the Ronney album back home in Michigan..but I've been falling back in love with Rooney's music so I just had to get it : ) I forced Marisa to listen to the album on repeat in the car while we went out and about today. She thinks I'm so "white" because I grew up in the Midwest. It's true..but I can teach her what it's like to have friends who don't know what the hell sushi is..and she can tell me about her experience growing up with mostly all Asian friends (oh the drama). It's so so rare to have ALL Asian friends in the rural suburb parts of America. You'd be lucky to know of a few Asians at your high school.

More things I look at almost everyday, sighhh

I just read Elle's comment and I'm on it girl! :D
I've already contacted my sales associate at Nordstrom Flagship here in Seattle to see what bags they will be getting this Spring. Here's the list :) Remember Nordstrom can ship mostly anything to your local Nordstrom store or directly to you aka you can buy over the phone.

Hi Stephanie!

Thanks for thinking of me. I’m your girl for Balenciaga.

Here is what I have for both Resort and Spring.

Resort 2011
Giant City (choice of Black, Praline, or Militaire) with Rose Gold hardware
Giant Town (choice of Black, Militaire, or Grenadine) with Rose Gold hardware
Giant Hip (choice of Black, Militaire, or Grenadine) with Rose Gold hardware
Giant Day (choice of Praline or Militaire) with Rose Gold hardware

The other styles for Resort are from the Milky Way Collection. If that is of interest to you, please let me know and I will provide the information necessary.

Spring 2011
Giant City (choice of Dark Night or Bianco Light) with Rose Gold hardware
Giant Velo (choice of Black, Bianco Light, Grenadine, or Praline) with Rose Gold hardware
Giant Day (Grenadine) with Rose Gold hardware
Giant Town (Bianco Light) with Rose Gold hardware
Giant Hip (choice of Dark Night or Bianco Light) with Rose Gold hardware
Classic Town (Ardoise) with the Classic hardware
Giant City (Anthracite) with the Giant Nickel hardware
Giant Velo (Anthracite) with the Giant Nickel hardware

I am here tomorrow till 5pm if you want to chat over the phone and discuss your likes/dislikes. I can put you down for one of these bags, since many are not yet released.

Thanks in advance.

That's how amazing Nordstrom's customer service is right there! :D
I have two bags on reserve so she'll let me know when they arrive so I can be one of the first to run on over and check them out in person. Ahh, I'm so excited for Spring!


As of a few days ago..LV had a price increase. LOL
So funny I took a screen shot the other night for my blog..and then I check it today.
ROFLLLLLLLLLL

Online browsing is really amazing, except it's depressing when you just cannot own it all.
I have a semi-shopping problem, but I'm trying to grow out of it. I want to save more than I do now..but it's so hard! My tips for saving? Send the money home to your parents to hold onto (that is if you trust your rents!) lol. Usually they'll hold it hostage for your own good.

My homegirl Jennifer and I spent a good hour talking about budgeting lol.
It's all so foreign and new to us. I was just happy to relate to her : )

I made my first Gilt.com order today! : ) <-- lol so against my imaginary budget. Special thanks to my friend Jean for the tweet this morning. You rock @PetiteAsianGirl
I would have not known about the sale since I delete all my Gilt.com, Hautelook e-mails before I get tempted to looking at them lol.

They had Deborah Lippmann (not the glitter) nail polishes on sale starting this morning at 9AM!
I've been interested in trying more of her polishes as I already own most of her famous glitter nail polishes. It was nice to see the prices at buy 1, get 1 free - ish deal at Gilt.

For those of you who don't know of Gilt, it's very similar to Hautelook, ideeli, etc.
Gilt.com is known more for carrying the higher end brands. I honestly have tried to steer clear from Hautelook & Gilt just because I know I do get sucked in because of the "exclusivity" of the sales. Competition in shopping helps Hautelook & Gilt customers make quicker shopping decisions. They think, "If I don't check out now, someone else is going to buy it!" Hautelook has done an amazing job at making their shoppers become "faster" shoppers. The pressure really is on because you can't help but feel overjoyed when you have secured a purchase and to know that the item(s) you have bought will be sold out soon.

The following is Boring Business / Retail Talk from Steph's Paradigm

If you ever are bored, you should definitely look into learning about Hautelook's business model and company history. The creator is quite fabulous and not that old of a guy. You'd be very surprised how these types of "exclusive" sale websites have become so successful in such a short period of time. I'm somewhat proud to say I'm a very casual "business nerd." My hobbies have always included listening to lectures by CEO's of company x, y, and z (I went to a ton of 6-8pm lectures at MSU..some famous CEO that graduated from my degree program include the Former DOC / Lens Crafter, Bath & Body Works).

I love to learn and understand successful business models to the best of my ability. I was proud that I was ballsy enough to raise my hand and take advantage of the Q&A after their presentation. I look back and I'm so proud of myself for applying my knowledge of their company and asking them interesting questions. They usually are excited to answer questions since that's why they came back to their Alma Mater to "give back" and pay it forward to the future. It never hurts to shake someones hand and maybe get a business card and contact of out it : )

I also really enjoy reading success stories as well! I really admire and respect those who can build a business from ground up on their own using the proper resources. I really admire the husband and wife team that created Modcloth.com. They built a 50 million dollar company in a matter of 8 years. Did I mention they're both still in their 20's? Their business started out of a college dorm. :D


But back to online retailers such as Hautelook. This is how I see it (well how I have read and interpreted this business practice), designer merchandise found at Hautelook is really just designer finds at a discount retailer such as TJ Maxx, and Marshalls (except it appears much more fancy but at the end of the day same concept..designer goods at a discount). The reason Hautelook has gain such popularity is because they make the sale items look more "not so last season." They just market it well (exclusive daily e-mails, only available online, sale start/end dates, etc). But also now-a-days, since the popularity of e-retailers, designers have come to make amazing business deals with vendors such as Gilt and Hautelook. I haven't kept up on my interest in their business models, but as you can see..there's still so many new ideas out there to capitalize on.

Minh's family once owned a discount retail store in Washington State (they sold it because they were already running multiple successful businesses) so it's always fun for him and I to discuss the flaws & achievements of his family's business as well as my family's businesses. Anyhow, at Minh's parents "surplus discount store" it was all about buying overstocked items for cheap (sometimes buying palettes of mystery stock at $5,000/palette -- you never know what you're going to get sometimes, and then you re-marketing them to resell items individually for a profit. That's what retail is all about : )

If you ever wondered why TJ Maxx always has such random stuff it's because of this reason, they have buyers who make these decisions to buy these palettes of overstocked goods. Of course the items from those palettes would be distributed (most likely through their distribution centers) among all the TJ Maxx stores in the US for example. Quite fascinating to you?, it is to me!? I'm such a weirdo I know. I just really miss having business educated friends to talk to ... As much as I felt like everyone was a prick in my business classes it was still fun to being around others who got super excited to talk about the ins and outs of retailers for example.

I'm going to just write it all down here on my personal blog (for later reflection lol).

Anyhoo, Minh's parents have an amazing business sense, as well as my Mother (and pretty much all 4 of her sisters lol They all own successful businesses). Minh and I both learning from their examples (whether it was the good or the bad. I myself try my best to understand it all so I can apply the good to my own business or suggest the advice to someone else if it ever came up. All in all, I've learned that most businesses are all about high risk taking. If you're ballsy, strong willed, and are willing to lose it all over night .. you are business owner material lol.

But always have a back up plan! I think that's why many Asian families own successful small businesses (liquor stores, hair salons, nail salons, beauty supply, dry cleaners, restaurants). Usually it's one spouse who holds "real" career (for health care, 401k, etc etc), while the other spouse runs a business. Small businesses are amazing, but I feel like many who do own small businesses (especially the older immigrant generation ex. my parents). It's fair to say most immigrants have a strong work ethic. However, many small business owners just limit themselves from expanding because they're in such a comfort zone.

My Mom's hope for me is that I am able to apply my "American" education with my "Asian hard work ethic" mentality and use that to my advantage to grow a successful business.
I am still exploring and finding my own business model and mentally noting the next few steps I take for both DSK Jewelry and helping Arrow Law Group along the way. ^_^
It is really hard at time to balance a life and business. My life get consumed by my work very often and I have mental breakdowns lol. But hey don't we all?! Haha I had a mental breakdown over high school, but I got through it. I had a mental breakdown in college.. I constantly have breakdowns over Seattle weather.. but hey look at me now, look at me today I'm writing this blog post for you to read about my experience. I don't see anything wrong in freaking out and stressing out as long as you can find the power and will in yourself to pick yourself back up. (Having a support system is also vital to life in general). lol I love my family, my boyfriend, and I love all of you. You all give me the energy to snap out of being overly depressed or dramatic and better the situation.

Minh studied political science in his undergrads years so I love that he praises me for my business mindset : ) He tells me all the time how much he appreciates me. I miss my partner in crime. I never realized how long 2 weeks really is!

But back to small business owners!

I can see why many small business owners fall into their own traps of settling. "I live comfortable, life is good, lets just play this on repeat." What drove me nuts about many of my friends and families' small businesses is the fact that they don't make it more presentable! For example, think Chinatown grocery store...why do they need to take a million fliers to a bulletin board? Sometimes I look and things have been on there since year 2001! What the heck..as the owner don't you think throwing those out would make your business look more "clean." lol
It's my pet peeve. I cannot stand it when a window with finger prints on it goes uncleaned for weeks, months, years!?! Foggy glass is SO not attractive lol.

I don't want to be like that, I want to take the opportunities I have to expand and grow, grow, grow. I don't fully believe in a career where your potential earning is capped. Minh feels the same way. Money should always grow more money. (That's why investments are so so good. Minh and I have been talking more each day about our future. We've come to the shared goal of investing in property (one day).

So here's our game plan,

Work on our businesses > Save profit > Invest in properties. We want our money to work for us.
We know so many amazing people who own a home where they pay $800/month mortgage and rent out their home for double that! You can hire a property management company to manage everything for you for roughly 10% monthly fee. (Completely worth it if you're going to be pulling in a large profit off your rental property regardless.)
I understand that I have readers from all different stages of life, but if anyone can relate to what I'm talking about please feel free to share your thoughts on this topic of investment properties.





Thanks for stopping by and if anyone reads all of this, eprops lol. Apologize for any spelling, grammatical mistakes always. I'm not the best writer, but I just like to keep it real ;D
It's just my 4am ramble. Time for sleep! My laptop battery is almost out!

Steph : )

25 comments:

  1. shame on us for not going to bed at a decent hour! your passion for business is definitely inspiring. i always respected it but your examples make the whole thing more fun. and bearable! lol i feel like i took the boring way out by being a bio major! lol its so "safe". i like to think of my purchases as investments though! haha i'm very careful about the things i'm serious about purchasing. for example: Louis Vuittons - although they're not my absolute favorite, its popularity results in a decent "return" when i eventually sell it (i don't like to keep bags when they start to age). of course that depends on the bag! like the newer styles (neverfull, delightful) bring in more money vs getting a speedy. you can get speedy's for cheap since they've been out for so many years and so many people have them. i love the speedy but unless my financial situation resolves itself any time soon, i can't lose the money when i want to resell lol

    there was a time i purchased a LV Palermo on Craigslist for $110 because the bottom piping was a little messed up. i took it to the store and they fixed the piping for free since it was still under the 1 year warranty. sold it for $800+ after i played with it for a few months haha ;)

    i also buy everything i need to buy with gift cards i buy from other ppl. ppl are always selling gift cards for less money than they're worth just to get rid of them. sephora, Tiffany's, LV, etc. combine with sites like Ebates & Mypoints, the savings definitely add up!

    /ot but the Trevi is my all-time favorite bag! sensible, convertible, classic but not to the point where so many people have them, etc. <3 and ugh you posted the Velo!!!! more and more celebrities are carrying them now! and personally, i think the Chanel flats are the way to go. what do you think of them?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm always interested in business and reading about business. Your perspective on business is really cool and makes a lot of sense! :)
    Presentation is sooo important since people make their first impression in the first seconds they see a product.
    Balenciaga... sighh.. so dreamy. I think the reason I love Balenciaga is that their quality and leather are superb! Plus, they don't have any logos screaming off of it.. if you know what I mean. One day, you have to get the Velo. It's the perfect bag!! ^o^

    ReplyDelete
  3. the "Auntie Reverse Parking Fail" is hilarious! I almost spat out my drink while watching it.

    Also, since you're a fan of Balenciaga, just wanted to let you know that some stores are also receiving a limited edition one with GGH. The color should be an aquamarine/blue! I know that the store in Las Vegas is receiving it and you can put your name on the list!! Will definitely be something special, as they are discontinuing GGH :(

    www.elleovely.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh Steph... -_-" I know you love me ^_^!! It was fun spending so much time with you! <3

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow you have so much energy at 4am! I'm not complaining as I highly enjoy your longer post! Lol--gives me more reason to not hit the books :)

    The trivoli is just so cute! Though i wonder if lv will come out with different prints anytime soon. I love their ebene demier but so do craploads of other purse fanatics. Lol

    Ps. I still read ur blog often just lost the time to sit down and write a decent reply lol :(

    ReplyDelete
  6. @Gjee I think I need to consult with you before I make any bag decisions. I completely am disappointed in myself or picking up the heart graffiti Burberry tote. Even thought I got it at a deal ($500 instead of $800 retail..) there's seriously no resale value in the back. I know I couldn't even sell it for $300 I don't think. >.<

    I really think it's awesome that you don't believe in holding on to a bag for too long (way to stay fashion forward!) You are very savvy in that department. I love that! I always enjoy reading your comments & blog posts when I stop by.

    I haven't tried on a pair of Chanel flats yet! Is the shape flattering? I just feel like it's so much more pointed than any other flats. Maybe I'm so used to the round toe. hmm must look into this!

    ReplyDelete
  7. @Mindy I've learned a lot about Balenciaga from you :) Thank you! I do love the fact that it's distinct, high quality without being overly flashy. I love the more casual "grunge" look anyways. I love a bag that I can throw around, but also look at and smile! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. @Selena N. I hope they would make a speedy, neverfull, or trevi in the damier graphite (but they have just marketed that so much towards their men's line).

    ReplyDelete
  9. @Elle I'm on it girlfriend! :) I already contacted my Nordstrom store for a list of the Spring bags they'll be getting :D!!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. @x0marisa I love it how we watch a movie together and we're both on our laptops..and then when we shut our laptops to focus on the movie -- we both fall asleep AHAHAHHAA

    ReplyDelete
  11. LOL Marisa seems like such a sweet girl! Have we seen a photo of her (or you guys together) before? :D It's great that she's keeping you company while Minh's away. : )

    The customer service at Nordstrom seems fab! I'm not that familiar with all the Balenciaga bags, but I've been lusting over the Giant City for a while now. I just searched up the others and it looks like I need to be adding Giant Town and Classic Town to my "lust list"! LOL The LV Trevi is gorgeous! Speaking of LV, another one on my list is the Palermo..BUT I think I'm getting tired of seeing it everywhere now... haha

    omg you're obviously into business..you own one!!! I love business...it was the only "elective" I took in high school. Marketing, international business..whatever..I'm on it! I was even in DECA and everyone thought I was going to this "top business school" in Canada, but I actually went into soci/psyc because I'm really poor in math. I AM at the university where the top business school is though. ; )

    I soooo agree with your statement about small businesses making their stores presentable. I always tell my family to clean this, decorate that, etc. just so that customers have a good atmosphere to receive their goods/services in. My parents don't really care though because "life's good", etc etc. lol My boyfriend's family bought two houses in Florida and they're renting it out to college students because it's near a university. The houses in the States seem SO cheap compared to here..no wonder they're investing in those homes! My parents are thinking of doing it too, but they don't have the time because of business things. They'll probably do it when they retire..but they're currently looking at houses in the Toronto area right now to invest in, and when I'm a bit older, pass it on to me.

    Holy crap, can't believe you wrote all this at 4am Steph!! LOLL

    xx The Little Dust Princess

    ReplyDelete
  12. ahahaha I love the video so funny xD
    You're so lucky to have a friend like Marisa. Good friends are really hard to come by nowadays.

    I'm guilty of doing online window shopping all the time. It makes me more depressed but more determined to own all the things I want..but at the same time, I really need to learn how to save and spend wisely.

    I really want to open a small business and I'm trying to figure out what type of business, something original and useful, but it's so challenging because of the risks and competition out there. It seems like almost everything is out there in the business market. I guess that's what makes business fun haha

    Hard work and long hours bring the money..unfortunately, personal life has to be sacrificed. Which sucks, but you can't always have everything :/ and I agree that presentation is key! Nice looking things are more attractive, so everything has to look nice..even the workers and owner.

    I think investing in property is a smart move because regardless of the cost, people need a place to live in and will pay to stay there. Even if it's not much, you'll still be making a good amount of money.

    ReplyDelete
  13. haha life of us two asian girls attempting to watch a movie when we have our hands glued to the laptop!

    ReplyDelete
  14. aww yeah Burberry is one of the toughest brands to resell just because the amount of fakes are ridiculous. its just too hard to tell if its authentic since they're known for the flannel design. LV is smart in the sense that you can tell immediately if its a fake bc their canvas is unique (fake ones tend to be shiny), their vachetta patinas so it looks and ages in a certain way, etc.

    thats why Prada breaks my heart. i think so many of their designs are classic, gorgeous, etc etc but their resale value sort of sucks. their leather is amazing also. plus i like that it says "Prada" haha! there are so many ppl out there that think LV and Coach are on the same level T_T

    i spoke to someone that was an expert in just Burberry and he said that 90% of the Burberry scarves on Ebay were fake. thats just how many there are! plus, they keep changing their flannel print designs so if you get one that was in season vs their classic design, ppl will just assume its a fake! =\ so ALWAYS GO WITH CLASSIC DESIGNS! you won't get tired of them as quickly and they're always in more demand! Chanel Jumbos for example! ;) speaking of which, apparently their Seasonal bags have been getting cheaper. there was supposed to be a price increase in Feb but they didn't go through with it most likely because the August 1st increase faced such a backlash. i think LV is the only brand where you can benefit from buying a "limited edition" bag. Stephen's Graffiti collection is selling for nearly double right now.

    I know you mentioned you like to give your mom the bags you don't want but does that count for the Burberry tote as well? I think its cute but I would have preferred the Balenciaga flats since they're so similar in price :( Since you live in Seattle, I would still try to sell it. there are Burberry fanatics out there who might be interested! all the designer stuff i've ever sold were all bought by crazy wealthy people. the rich stay rich by shopping smart. they resist impulse buys, which are the most fun haha.

    always keep receipts. lots of ppl refuse to buy pre-owned bags without receipts!

    sorry my comment is all over the place. i always get really hyper late at night instead of getting sleepy but sometimes i can't think straight haha T_T.

    lets look at Chanel Flats!
    http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/8105/chanel03.jpg

    http://forum.purseblog.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1145925&d=1278187664

    http://forum.purseblog.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1252558&d=1290100642

    http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx104/Miche_050/SaleStrawFlats_edited-1.jpg

    personally, i prefer how the pointed toe LOOKS, but the round toe is more comfy. lol i just think they're so classic but now that i'm comparing these with the Balenciaga, the Balenciaga look more durable. pros/cons of Chanel: more ppl will recognize them but some of their designs have become too mainstream so there are lots of cheaper versions

    round toe! but they're wtvr to me haha
    http://i580.photobucket.com/albums/ss242/jaxtong/DSCI0539.jpg

    more:
    http://forum.purseblog.com/chanel-reference-library/post-your-chanel-footwear-here-156597-19.html

    for your future bag purchases: i approve of the Trevi & the Velo for sure. not only does Balenciaga resells really nicely but they sell DAMN quickly lol.

    oh and hold off on buying Burberry scarves until Bloomingdales has their 20% off coupon codes again. were you able to snag some Burberry when Nordstroms had a ton of it on sale? did i tell you my story?

    ReplyDelete
  15. @Gjee girlfriend I am in love with you! Tell me your Burberry story! I don't think I remember hearing it. You tell me that while I go through all these amazing links you've shared with me!

    I don't think I will resell the Burberry bag (I think I will gift it to someone I know loves it in the near future). I can't make it too obviously haha it would ruin the surprise for them. Anyhow! I don't think I could ever sell my Balenciaga bag ever! I just love it too much. I just feel like it's definitely one of those bags that don't look terrible when they're old and been used often. At least..that's what I try to tell myself lol.

    It is a bit sad that LV monogram especially is compared to Coach. They are quite mainstream. I fell out of love with my Coach bags half way through college. SO MANY PEOPLE HAD THEM!? They just became less special. Add in the fact that I studied retail in college and Coach was really studied in detail. I really don't like that they marketed and banked on their factory store (they had lines made especially for the factory stores)..so those prices tags that get marked down..were meant to be at the mark down price. You know what I mean?

    ReplyDelete
  16. I've been eyeing the Cynthia Vincent wedges on Shopbop for quite some time. Just can't see myself spending $400 on a pair of wedges. And just like you, i misssed out on Cynthia Vincent's wedges for Target and i'm still kicking myself for that. The Xhilaration Tawny wedges are cute, but they're not as high as i had hoped. I'm planning on ordering the black pair online as well as the Dolce Vita Cork wedges in the color black and gold. What do you think of the Cork Wedges? I heard they're super comfortable!

    ReplyDelete
  17. @Quynh I do adore the Dolce Vita Cork wedges, but I was too lazy to try them on in person the last time I was at Target. If I remember right you'd have some buckles to deal with lol. I'm very much into slip on and go! I might have to find my way back there and try them on soon :D

    ReplyDelete
  18. BAHH i totally know what you mean about Coach! yeah their sales associate flat out told me that they have a separate line created for JUST their Factory bags. i almost purchased a bag for school but i couldn't go through with it knowing it was made specifically for the factory line. =\ My first bf bought me a $400-$500 Coach purse in high school and I saw it at the outlet 2 years later. i was like, "ok.. not carrying this anymore". way too mainstream.

    my burberry story! lol so a few weeks ago, I was at Nordstroms browsing through the sale section and BAM, 10+ Burberry scarves all marked 40% off!! NICE cashmere and silk ones! i got a little crazy and started grabbing some and this girl is like, "oh these are mine" but she had 6-7 of them in a pile. i was like, "no way is she going to buy 6 Burberry scarves, she's just a college student". so i grabbed the rest and i started walking around waiting for her to put them down. i was legit being such a creeper! she spent nearly 40min at the mirror trying them on. can you imagine me walking around in the same department for 40 min trying not to look suspicious? lol i can only look at so many bags! one of the sales associates started to look at me really weird probably thinking i was trying to steal something. i end up telling her what i'm doing and she was like "i know right?! that girl loves checking her self out in the mirror!" lol and she offers to get me when the girl leaves so i could walk around the rest of the store.

    of course right when i leave, so does the girl (to 3rd floor). except she didn't buy anything so the sales associate freaks out cuz half of them didn't have security tags! so they're calling security so the whole store could watch her every move! lol she eventually went to a register to pay for them. she purchased 3 and put the other 3 on hold :(

    the sales ppl were so funny about the whole thing. after she left, they let me play with the scarves she put on hold lol!

    one of the ones she grabbed was the one you twitpic'd! i was so angry lol i wanted that one as soon as they came out! angry face >:( lol http://www1.bloomingdales.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=494479&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results

    so i ended up picking 2 silk ones for my mom. they had some on the website on sale also but they weren't nice. my bf decided to buy one for his mom and when it came, the quality was SO bad. and ugly. lol whats weird though is that this was one of the ones marked down at the store:
    http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/burberry-degrade-check-print-cashmere-wool-scarf/3143625?origin=category

    but i guess it was a mistake since its full price now haha

    do you have a bloomingdales card? they give out SO many discounts!! i told you before that if you're ever going to buy a Chanel, do it through Bloomindales because you can open up a credit card and get 10-20% off (they offer 20% every few months)so you could be saving hundreds of dollars just from that! plus if you buy one out of state, its tax free. when my aunt bought me one, we ordered it on the phone to Massachusetts haha. but yeah its good just to have also. i was buying these bracelets for my friend's wedding (to give to her bridesmaids) and they were $50 each, used the 20% off coupon, plus got another $50 off for spending over $200 with my Bloomingdales card! so i saved $100!

    so you could get a Burberry scarf for around $210! not bad yo. lol

    did you know that the only Nordstroms that sells Chanel is the one in Seattle? i *think* lol but pretty sure!

    and ugh i can't believe LV raised their prices by SO much!! My goal was to get my mom a Trevi one day and its just that much harder now =\ even the Delightfull GM is over $1K. wth.

    everything seemed so much cheaper now, doesn't it? =\

    would you ever get a seasonal Chanel bag? i think some of their seasonal bags are completely worth it! and not only are their starting prices cheaper than the black jumbos but they go on sale too!

    ReplyDelete
  19. its so sad that my comments to you are longer than my blog posts hahahahah T_T

    ReplyDelete
  20. @Sam I hope you're taking good care of my sister <333 :P

    ReplyDelete
  21. @Gjee! http://forum.purseblog.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1145925&d=1278187664 I loveee those! I tried on a pair with that same chain detail but the heel version. They were so gorgeous! I wanted them so badly but they didn't have my size at the time. That's when I bought my CL New Simple's. Wow..if only I can hunt down these gorgeous Chanel flats!

    I can't believe how many styles there are out there. I wish Chanel would just document and log everything they've ever made into a book.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I have those MK shoes in black with spandex straps and let me tell you, THEY hurt like a beezy! I don't know what it is about MK shoes (I have two different pairs), but it seems like comfort isn't a priority, they're cute but I can never wear them too often.

    Mango

    ReplyDelete
  23. The Dolce Vita Cork wedges don't have buckles. They have the zipper on the back. They're very similar to the Xhilaration Tawny Wedges, except that the zipper is on the back, and not front. I ordered both of the wedges in black. LOL! Was going to order the cork wedges in gold, but i think the gold is too gold.

    I'm planning on getting the cross body bags from Nordstrom. I'm torn between the Chanel and Marc Jacobs. They're both pretty, and the Chanel is $1K more. Which one would you pick?

    ReplyDelete
  24. @Quynh Both sound amazing, but I would pick Chanel!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comments!