super scores! — Painfully Hip

bovine beauty: the elusive leather jacket

July 12, 2007 – 5:07 pm

my husband recently bought one damn sexy motorcycle, a beautiful collector from 1971. he was elated of course, but my first thought? finally an excuse to invest in THE PERFECT leather jacket!

sounded like fun, but it wasn’t easy. i had major monetary restrictions to deal with, and after losing an eBay auction for this lovely Allen Schwartz at only $25:

and then missing out on this Bebe one at $49:
bebe leather jacket

[actually, i’m gonna have to pause a moment here for a public service announcement regarding why i lost that first one. did you know that if you place a bid that is under the reserve price and then the seller lowers the reserve price to under your top bid, that eBay will automatically lower your top bid to under the reserve and you will have to reconfirm your bid before the end of the auction?? does that make sense? no? well i had no idea that was the case and it sucks, and i got screwed. ok, i’m done now.]

… the planets then aligned and the eBay clouds cleared and i finally scored this one by I.N.C. for only $22 including shipping!!!

it’s not exactly the skinny bomber style i was hoping for, but it’s totally adorable and much more timeless. and at that price? i can buy 3 more if i wanna.

By amber | Also posted in ebay, shopping | Comments (1)

these sailor shorts be floatin’ my boat

June 11, 2007 – 4:41 pm

i went vintage shopping in seattle this weekend and scored some amazing high-waisted cuffed sailor shorts, beautifully altered from authentic wool US Navy pants! they even have the original tag with the sailor’s name inside, a lace-up back and all the buttons on the front. they fit perfectly.

(sorry, my camera is still lost, no photos)
my friend and i almost got in a catfight over them when i yoinked them off the rack. then i almost had a score-gasm when i saw the price tag. only $7!!

ok, so maybe it’s not quite as good as eve’s “love” accessory, but who needs drugs when there’s the thrill of the bargain hunt?! maybe that’s why all those filthy rich celebri-whores, even with their ginormous chanel and dior-filled wardrobes and never-ending charge accounts all end up in rehab eventually. perhaps their retail therapy (or simply paying their Zoe-bot) just doesn’t work quite as well as it does for us bargain-istas. we have to work, save, scrimp and endlessly search, and be creative to look good, but it sure can pay off!
then again, i guess pretty clothes are my prozac, i’m just that shallow.

EDIT: really truly photo here.

By amber | Also posted in fashion, shopping, trend alert | Comments (3)

BADGERMANTIS

June 5, 2007 – 8:40 am

Hello, I’m back from IEP hell, I apologize for my absence.

Although I’m sure my power animal is a whale, I love obscure animals on my clothes and my husband got me this amazing handpainted badger necklace from Etsy and my mom got me this beautiful embroidered Praying Mantis Tee from Nordstrom Rack for $16 for my birthday. The necklace is my talisman from evil and the shirt is so soft and cozy (and I’ll bite your head off if you try and steal it from me).

I paired them with my new mauve twill city shorts and my chocolate mary jane Crocs (I know there are those out there that hate Crocs, but they have obviously never owned a pair. These are the first model that are actually aesthetically pleasing. I feel like a futuristic Wednesday Addams hippie farmer in these and since I like to garden AND cook, I can wear these all day brewing beer, pulling weeds and cooking a ginormous meal and they are no worse for the wear. So with this cute new style, Crocs have gone from “functional: yes, stylish: no” to “functional: yes, stylish: YES!”. Ok, now just let me step down from my soap box….) and voila, I feel like I could snatch a humming bird out of mid-air and use my spiny left foreleg to impale it through the chest.

UPDATE: I found the tee-shirt here but unfortunately, unless there’s a Nordstrom Rack in your town, it’ll cost you $44.

By Eve | Also posted in check me out, etsy, fashion, i totally recommend, shoes & accessories | Comments (1)

check us out: we almost dropped

May 24, 2007 – 10:38 am

thank you so much for the birthday wishes, oh stylish readers! we had a great one. a birthday present-funded shopping spree, and a birthday party to follow. i think we spent about 3 hours saturating the Nordstrom Rack Outlet with our twin drool. Eve went with quantity, while i opted for quality. of course you can’t really lose with Nordstrom’s quality.

Eve scored a sweet royal blue tunic (pictured), a wicked black tee with a preying mantis design embroidered on the front, a hoodie, a stupidly sexy brown sweater dress (she and her husband mysteriously disappeared when she tried it on for him), a pair of adorable dark wash cropped jeans with button details (pictured), some brown tweed bermudas, and a pair of white hot linen short shorts.

I got only a few classic investment pieces: a sultry green Michael Kors keyhole maillot with gold hardware, a divine cotton mini shirtdress with trench styling and a drop-waist, and an amazing tan linen swing jacket by Mac & Jac which i completely fell in love with and finally decided to whisk away with me despite the “sale” price of $60 (i heart birthdays). it’s just one of those pieces that you know you’ll still love in 6 years, something that could class up the laziest of outfits and make you feel like audrey every time you throw it on. i also grabbed a cotton pinstriped pinafore top and a pair of aviators. and then we raided payless shoes for sandals.

so here we are being silly downtown on the most temperate and beautiful birthnight a pair could ask for…

here’s what we’re wearing:

on amber ( i decided to go strawberry blonde with brunette lowlights for my birthday. i rather like it, but now we look slightly less twinish)-

chiffon babydoll with geometric pattern, a gift from the mother-in-law.

brown nylon short shorts, army navy $15

eve’s Enzo flats, my $2 thrift store bracelet and $3 target necklace (once again)

on eve -

blue tunic and cropped jeans, nordstrom rack, a gift from mum (under $30 for both)

paisley 70’s stewardess scarf worn on head, thrift store 50 cents

my steve madden peeptoe flats, $26

on both - handmade person pins, Niece Sophia originals, priceless.

our birthday may be over, but the party has just begun. we can’t WAIT to get to the coast. it’s hot in the valley!

By amber | Also posted in check me out, go shopping already! | Comments (3)

Haand Them Over

May 22, 2007 – 6:55 pm

Loafers are the new flat. I love loafers! So hot with knee highs and a skirt, so coy with capris, so geek chic with skinny jeans. And now I am the proud owner of a pair of vintage Cole Haans! Check it:

I found these at the thrift store for $3.99.

I pictured the previous owner as being a Diane-Keaton type. She had a loafer addiction and decided to leave her plumber husband to run off with her accountant to Fiji and write her first novel. She only had time to grab her Enzos and her Coaches before her flight (Besides, she’d worn them on their honeymoon to Paris back in ‘84). Her husband couldn’t look at them and tossed them onto a thrift store parking lot on his way to an AA meeting.

(All prices include shipping)
Crocodile penny loafer $24.99

Coach Sig. Driving Shoe $74.87

Miraculously, Eve, who was about to turn 3o, had been wanting to feel classic and luxurious but was also broke. Her feet happened to be the same size and have the same contours as Diane’s. So the Cole Haans and Eve lived together, through beaches and brewfests, happily ever after.

White Driving Mules, $31.49

I just feel so hip in these, I don’t care that people will say, “Haha, I had a pair of those in high school. I used to wear them with my paisley vest and my bunchy sox…with my jeans tucked in!!!”

Happy Birthday to me!

By Eve | Also posted in ebay, fashion, i totally recommend, shoes & accessories, too rich for my blood | Comments (4)

Naked Lady Party: Like an all-girl pillow fight minus the pillows.

May 15, 2007 – 8:47 am

My dear friend Angie threw a naked lady party the other night, have you guys ever BEEN to one of these? SUCH a great idea. Unfortunately, my arms were so full of bags of clothes and shoes when I left my house that I completely forgot my camera to document this frantic and ecstatic event.

Basically, what a Naked Lady Party consists of is a bunch of ladies bringing their old clothes, shoes and jewelery to the party and swapping with their friends (that is if you consider a bunch of half-dressed, inebriated girls, “ladies” and the process of flinging mounds of clothes all over the place whilst giggling and squealing, “swapping”). Well, I tell you what, even if it was just sitting around awkwardly and civilized (aka., baby shower), it would be worth it because I SCORED hardcore on Friday night! I must thank my mother for my quick snatch skills, as she birthed my 4 siblings.

Here are some of my favorites:

Tank top with buttons (Forever 21): FREE

Silk 3/4 sleeve turtleneck (Ann Taylor): $0

Corduroy a-line skirt (Zinc): a hay penny

Military zip-up (Stussy!): a few brain cells

Red button-up with mandarin collar (Vintage): years of searching

Sleeveless print top (Sele): ~~$$$~~

Grey hoodie with tiny stars (Forever 21): Nada

The coolest thing about a Naked Lady Party is that you don’t feel as guilty getting rid of some of your cuter stuff that you just can’t bear to give to some anonymous, nameless face. Instead you are giving them to your friends, seeing them look radiant in them, and with the other eye, scoping out their pile of treasures. AND, you’re saving the environment and a few little sweatshop hands.

Everybody get NAKED!

By Eve | Also posted in fashion, i totally recommend | Comments (9)

check me out: the cropped vest

April 23, 2007 – 8:51 am

cropped vests are great because they can be ridiculously flattering (giving the girls a boost and hitting right at the smallest part of the waist) and can bring an otherwise drab outfit up a few notches. lazy? throw on yer jeans, a t-shirt and a teeny vest…

spring is starting to work itself out. but winter won’t go down without one helluva fight. i swear everyday has been a monkey’s wedding. big ol’ voluminous clouds, a bit of an icy breeze, scattered showers and the sun just fighting its hardest for a peek-through. casual friday, on the other hand, was gorgeous. finally a well-lit shot:

long blue tee w/ ruched sleeves: $4 at Hanger’s Discount Store
cropped vest (with an adorable satin bow at the back): $2 at Target
wooden necklace: $2 at Target
grey skinny jeans: $16 at Target
tan peeptoe wedges: $10 at Zeller’s
beer gut: priceless (it takes hard work and determination)
total: $34

and here’s a menswear-inspired office look:

black cap-sleeve tee: $7 at Target
cropped navy vest: $1.50 at Value Village
navy pinstriped trousers: $24 at Reitman’s
black peeptoe sandals: $3 at Value Village
silver bracelet of the gods: $2 at Value Village
cheapass camera: more trouble than it’s worth

total: $37.50

By amber | Also posted in check me out, fashion, seasons change, target | Comments (3)

my wrist is upstaging me

April 19, 2007 – 4:48 pm

i’m in love like i’ve never been in love before. this is the prettiest little baubly thing i’ve ever owned. lookit! it’s beautifully made from teardrop-shaped silver mesh with tiny delicate flowers and leaves! it lives comfortably on the narrowest part of my wrist. it was forged from the garden of freaking earthly delights! it’s constantly trailed by faeries and woodnymphs! it cures cancer!

i thought i deserved a gift. it’s almost my birthday. so i dug deep into my shallow wee pockets and shelled out my…

TWO DOLLARS at Value Village.

BOOyah!

By amber | Also posted in fashion, shoes & accessories, shopping | Comments (2)

attacking that strappy black flat

April 14, 2007 – 8:21 pm

i had a very successful thrifting mission today. i’ve been looking at too much wardrobe remix and so i got The Urge. once i get The Urge, i can’t deny it. outta my way…

so, i found these wicked strappy braided leather peeptoe sandals for $3 at Value Village. unfortunately when i got home and tried them on again, i started to think they looked a tad frumpy…

is it just me? well anyway, 4 snips later i’m wearing my favorite new $3 sandals. here’s a before and after:

yay me!
a few of more things i bought today:

oversized damask print tank (this is long and will look sweet w/ my new brown belt): $3
black mini jumper (originally from le chateau): $5
red & white shell necklace: 99 cents (man, do you remember the good ol’ days when everything at the thrift store was less than a dollar?)
mutilated black strappy sandals: $3

i also got two dresses (one is this wicked navy and white striped chiffon pleated number with eagles on it EAGLES! which i’ll need to size down a few sizes before i show it to you- believe me, it’ll blow your mind), a gorgeous pair of pointy leather cut-out oxfords, 2 pairs of earrings, a yellow bangle, some navy cords, a cropped vest, an adorable Zara top with puff sleeves and another tank and spent less than $50. and i didn’t even have time to make it to the bags and belts section!

stoked.

By amber | Also posted in check me out, fashion, go shopping already! | Comments (6)

oh snap!

March 8, 2007 – 6:45 pm

this necklace reese witherspoon is wearing looks vaguely familiar. how much you wanna bet it didn’t cost her 25 cents?

i’ll bet you 25 whole dollars.

By amber | Also posted in celebrity style, fashion, shoes & accessories | Comments (1)

Category Archives: super scores!

bovine beauty: the elusive leather jacket

these sailor shorts be floatin’ my boat

check us out: we almost dropped

check me out: the cropped vest

my wrist is upstaging me

attacking that strappy black flat

oh snap!

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