Gift Giving Greatness

With Christmas fast approaching, I thought I would give my blog followers a little help in the gift giving department. With working in retail for the past 7 years, I have seen it all. Oprah's favorite things anyone?? With that said here are 10 CLASSIC gifts that will never go out of style.

TOMS! You pretty much have to be living under a rock to not know that Toms are just the best shoes/. They are comfortable, stylish, and charitable! (For every pair you buy, one goes to a child in need). For men, women, teens, and babies! My favorite are these new laceless ones.

Pomegrante Scent Collection from Pottery Barn. The Diffuser scents are so beautiful and smell just as lovely.

NFL glassware from Pottery Barn. Personalize the sports lovers Beer Mug! Or Popcorn Dish!

Barefoot Dreams Blanket! They are a little pricey, but I promise they are the coziest blankets around! They also have baby blankets, and robes.

Williams & Sonoma Hot Cocoa Set! Chocolate Shavings & Marshmallows! Comes in 3 flavors (peppermint, chocolate, and salted caramel NEW!)

Golf Club Beer Openers for the Golf Lover. (Dad, Husband, Father in law, Boss, the list goes on) $65
Jo Malone Pomegrante Noir Gift Set. Seriously every time I wear this scent I get stopped by people with tons of compliments. Easy & Luxe!
Chanel Nail Polish! My absolute favorite brand of Polish. I treat my girlfirends every year with these goodies! This year's holiday color "Graphite" is perfect for the "Chic" girl on your list.
Ugg Slippers! Okay, I have like three colors of these, and Trevor owns two! They are so cozy, and they have rubber sole so you can wear outside as well! These unizex slippers are TDF! (to die for)

A calendar! Everybody wants to stay organized for the upcoming year. Great for an office gift. Love this Vintage Barbie one I found at Z Gallerie.

"Fall"ing in Love with Fashion. My TOP 10

Fall is one of my favorite times of year for many reasons.... Decorating the house, the yummy comfort foods, red wine, horror films, but most of all; I love Fall because of the CLOTHES! Its my favorite time of year for all things fashion.

Not only does the Fashion Bible come out (the september issue), but it is the time of year that Designers truly bring their A game. Nothing is more important than a Fall Runway show to a designer. If I could I would buy all things right from the Runway. But hey... I live in the real world. So I have done what any budget friendly girl would do. Invest in 10 pieces to complete my wardrobe for Fall.

These are my TOP 10, favorite pieces for the season. Although they are current, they are classic pieces that I will be able to incorporate in my wardrobe for many years to come!
Leather Jacket.....This little guy just keeps coming back! I have a Vince leather jacket just like this one, for two years now. The cost per wear on this jacket is probably down to $5. I definitely will be sporting the relaxed leather jacket, whether I'm throwing it over a tee, a romantic blouse, or even a girly mini dress... this is the most important piece to my Fall wardrobe.
The PONCHO. Love this for my days off. This is a great piece to throw on with some skinny jeans and some boots to wear to D.land, or a casual dinner, or just hanging out at the In.laws. Found this guy for only $80! Cheap & Chic :)

The Maxi Dress... I love wearing Maxi's in the summer... but now there is a new Maxi in town! Thanks to Alexander Wang, I can strut a maxi in the fall :)
LBD... I mean you need one every season! This lady like number is so perfect for work, a shower, dinner, an absolute easy go to piece. This one by Theskens theory is 100% silk, with an assymetrical hemline & mini shoulder-pads. Lady like & Edgy :)
The Printed Blouse. Loving the mustard yellow with Black splatter print by ALC. Here are three ways I would wear this blouse:

A. Pair with Leggings and a moto bootie for a cool/ edgy look

B. Pair tucked into a black high waisted pencil skirt some black wolford tights, and some pumps for a professional & ladylike look

C. Pair it with some Black wide leg denim trousers & a pair of pointy toe flats for a casual look.
Camel Sweater Coat....Oh Camel! I have a color crush on you this fall! Living in so cal, its a little to warm for a heavy coat. A cashmere coat is a great way to stay warm as it cools down! Its like getting away with wearing a blanket!

The Kimono Blouse... DVF just came out with this beautiful ruby red kimono blouse. The neckline is super flattering! A little bit of sexy without being over the top.
The Sweater Dress... Seeing Stripes!!! Oh how I love Missoni!!! The knits are just unbeatable. Anyone who knows me also know I love a mini dress. So this one is going to be my splurge of the season :)

Wide Leg Denim Trouser... JBrand makes the best ones! They are so perfect to pair back with tees, blouses, leather jackets, vests. These are my go to pants for Fall.
Silk Mens Blouse... Equipment Blouse. These come in a million colors, but the Rose is my absolute fave. Loving the relaxed look of this.

So lets Review the top 10 pieces of the season (in my eyes). Hey I'm no Rachel Zoe, but I am absolutely in love with fashion. I studied it, its my career, and well my first love. I was hooked from the second I played dress up in my Grandma Rose's Vintage Halston closet.

1. Leather Jacket

2. Poncho

3. The Fall Maxi Dress

4. A LBD.

5. The printed Blouse

6. Anything Camel.

7. The Kimono Blouse

8. Sweater Mini Dress (preferably Missoni). Can't splurge on the real thing? They are making an amazing collection for Target this year!

9. Wide Leg Denim Trouser

10. Equipment Blouses

And just for fun, here are the 5 trends I will be passing on...

1. The Middi- really? Hate this hemline. Hike it up! Show those legs

2. The fur vest... I'm over it. Lets try something fresh. Like a fur chubby!

3. The leather dress. Its beautiful, but not very practical.

4. Printed Pants... it didn't work in the 80s so why revisit?

5. The Puffer... ew! Totally reminding me of Fubu or when Tommy Hilfigger went Hip Hop.

HERE'S TO A FANCY & FASHIONABLE FALL SEASON <3

Orange County Designer Preview

Designer Preview.... arguably the most important night in fashion in the "Nordstrom" world. I started my new job June 27th. In 2 days I will be hosting my very 1st preview in Orange County. Which means a whole lot of work in just 4 weeks. Although I hosted one in Portland, OR; the OC event has always had a special place in my heart. I remember attending my first preview event. I was 22 years old, and in complete awe. I was told to show up to the event, to "wear designer", and be a runner. Basically my job was to clean the boutique, run go backs, and say hello to customers.

So I showed up to the event wearing a black cocktail dress (because at the time I was so new to the designer world didn't own any designer, but I knew that black was always stylish), and an M Missoni purple & grey scarf. I was scared to death, and beyond intimidated of the dazzling salesgirls, and super stylish women decked head to toe in designer. I remember thinking, what an amazing event. I felt lucky to just be a "runner".

Fast forward to 5 years later, and I would be hosting the the event...

This year I will be wearing runway Alexander McQueen, "running" a sold out preview event. See picture below...

Its amazing how much things can change in just 5 years. I am now happily married, living in a beautiful townhouse, and at the top role in designer apparel management for my company. I am so excited to host the event, and even more excited to see what will happen in the next 5 years. Some people measure success by how much money they have in their account, others measure it by what they own... I measure it by what's hanging in my closet (lol)... JK!

I truly feel successful, and feel I have accomplished so much. Every once in awhile its okay to pat yourself on the back. Today is that day.