My collections complete~~

I just got back from a lovely week in LA.  Although Zach and I didn't get to see much of Arnold we had a blast with my folks, sister, and friends.

My sister took me shopping for my b-day and I decided to complete my charm necklace collection from Helen Ficalora.  I already had one w/ both Arnold and my initials (A and T) ... though I kinda wished I could switch my 'A' with a 'Z' due to the steep price tag on the charms...oops did I just say that out loud?   I ended up getting the 'Z' in rose gold so that it would stand out a bit from the other two.

I was also able to sneak in some shopping during my lunch breaks @ work and picked up this demin chambray shirt @ Madewell.  I've tried on a few chambray shirts in the past but they all made me feel boxier than I wanted. This one is different. It's called the Perfect Chambray Ex-Boyfriend shirt and yano what..it is pretty perfect.

Early B-day gift : Helen Ficalora Z charm in pink gold

Out on the town w/o the kiddos. I've been wearing this Zara blouse pretty religiously since I got it!

I've been diggin' a lot of Zara and Madewell pieces lately.  Ever since Zach came along, I started to gravitate towards more affordable-hassle free tops.  Maybe it's due to the fact that he'd projectile spit all over me that shirts made of 100% silk no longer appeal to me as much as the Zara blouse above does (100% polyester baby!)

Bloomies Friends and Family official starts tomorrow so I'll be perusing the store this week.  Happy Shopping!

TGIF.. Boom, badoom, boom bass !!

Wow... this has been one of the longest work weeks ever.  I've been with MTV for almost five years now and I thought I had everything down to a T.  Boy, was I wrong~  Since I came back from my maternity leave I had to relearn several aspects of my job and had to hustle to meet every deadline.  Sleeping in 3-4 hour segments every night didn't help my focus either.  I struggled throughout the last few weeks and put in a few late nights at home after putting Zach to sleep but somehow got through it.

It's finally Friday and I feel all right.  Feeling kinda proud of myself, I decided to get a manicure during my lunch break.  (My first mani in well over a year I might add!)  It's been raining non stop everyday for the past 5 days and will continue to do so throughout the weekend so I decided to go with a punch of color as a pick me up:

Behold: OPI's Pink Friday from the Nicki Minaj Collection

Oh, and here's little Zachy on our way to the nanny's in the pouring rain:

I am counting down the days until next week.  I'll be in LA for a week on business and will be celebrating my b-day early with friends and family.  I'm so lookin' forward to my mama's home cooked meals and checking out some legit LA grubberies.. oh and to see my adorable niece again!

I just die..

eemo's coming to see you soon~

Meet my new friend~

After much contemplation, I finally decided on what my husband's b-day gift to me should be (I realize how ridiculous that may sound) Meet the newest buddy to my bag collection:

Givenchy - Nightingale in crinkle leather

It's simple, basic, and I'm diggin' the crinkled black leather.  I was entertaining the idea of a lighter colored bag but knowing how accident prone I am, I opted for the black.

Bluefly, you've come through for me again! I check this site every few months and the last time I bought a big ticket item was almost 5 yrs ago:

YSL - downtown tote in patent leather

I use it everyday now as a mini diaper bag when dropping off/picking up Zach from his nanny's.  I was able to snatch both of these bags for 30% off + additional discounts found while scouring the internet.  Hey, it's the little things in life that make me feel like I'm WINNING!

On a side note...Happy Friday~ My baby boy is 6 months and 1 week old already.  He's becoming such a person.  At times, he'll stare out the window and ponder as he lets out a big sigh.  I'd love to have a glimpse into his mind..

I crack up every time I see this clip!

What goes around comes around..

So last week I made the horrible mistake of leaving my iphone @ a cafe.  I was trying to entertain Zachary with a Pororo clip on my iphone and forgot to pack it up as I was leaving.  When I  went back to get it.. it was too late. Someone had snatched it up! I even tracked the punk who stole it (using the MobileMe functionality) as he was heading down 'O Farrell into the dark depths of the Tenderloin.

My blood boils every time I imagine him perusing thru my iphone and looking at pictures of Zachary or going thru my emails.  I ended up remote wiping the phone that same night which in turn, prevents me from locating it.  So just like that, the hunt for my iphone came to a depressing end.  Hopefully, karma will get 'em one day.

After 1.5 hours of begging ATT customer service I was able to get an early extension on my contract and an affordable upgrade to the 4s.  All in all, I got an incredible deal but I'm still sour about my old iphone and the case that I invested big bucks on.  O well..new year --> new upgraded phone --> new case! (managed to find a 20% discount code)

If you're looking for a sleek & cool iphone case that's not too bulky I highly recommend Uncommon. They showcase several artists' designs that you can upload or you can opt for your own photo.

http://www.getuncommon.com/

my old case cover

My new one..I applied some color effects so it wouldn't look so raw!

Latest additions~~

The other day I received a nice little surprise from a friend who does PR for Tory Burch.  She sent me a pair of the Eddie Patent flats in Navy (the 2nd pair that she graciously gave me after I had raved about how comfy and classic they were).  I walk up to 40 mins to and fro work so a pair of comfy flats is essential to my day to day.

Patent Eddie flats in Navy 

Eddie flats in Nude Leather  (I've been tromping around town in these bad boys for the past year)

Also, I've been eyeing Theory's Josetta sweater for several months now so when it went on sale @ Neiman Marcus' last call I snatched it up as soon as I could! This sweater is simple in design but it makes me feel ultra feminine in it...for once :)

 

So many choices~~

My husband asked me the other day what I wanted for my 30th birthday.  I didn't realize that it was just a few months away and so I immediately started drumming up the perfect gift.  A pair of diamond stud earrings has been on my wish list for a while now but my husband said he'd consider buying them for me as a 3rd push gift. Basically,  I won't be getting them for a while~~

The next obvious choice was a new handbag..of course! The following are my top contenders:

Givenchy - Pandora in shiny black

At first, the boxy look of the Pandora bag didn't appeal to me since the single handle makes it hang at an awkward angle but then I tried it on and it was a different story.   The bag has a casual feel to it but the shiny black leather adds a touch of cool.

Givenchy-Antigona

Givenchy-Pandora
(I love the cream color but I have a tendency to throw my bags around so I need a bag that can handle some wear & tear)

Tory Burch City Messenger Bag

The Tory Burch city bag is about 1/5 the price tag of the Givenchy's so I keep telling myself it's the better overall bang for my buck. But then I realized I haven't splurged on a bag for a few years now...you only turn 30 once, right?  My biggest concern is that these bags are a bit too trendy and I'll get sick of them by next year. What to do...what to do..

Happiness is a small thing you nibble...

I've been looking for a plain statement bracelet for a while now.  The one I've been eyeing is way over my budget so I was pleasantly surprised when my sister-in-law bought me one from her recent trip to Paris.  It's simple, understated, and meshes well with my watch and ring.  I usually prefer gold over silver but I'm starting to have a new found appreciation for the latter!

"Happiness is a small thing you nibble, sitting on the ground in the sun"

I looked into the designer and Marc Deloche is an architect turned jewelry maker.  Although I have difficulty pronouncing the phrase in French (no matter how hard I try, I sound like I'm speaking Spanish!) it actually does bring me a bit of happiness everytime I look at it.  Starting tomorrow, I'm probably going to be staring at it all day as I'm going back to work.  My 4.5 months of maternity leave has run its course and my stomach drops every time I think about leaving Zach! Hopefully I'll get over it in a week or two...or three.