My Second Home: Viva Las Vegas!

 "get nailed" salon off the strip in vegas. marissa and I got a mani/pedi that we will be able to tell stories about for the rest of our lives.

photo courtesy of Will Mann Photography

 first day of hofu at a new venue - Aria. 7th hofu for kiki. dvf dress made an appearance.

Photo courtesy of Will Mann Photography

hofu day 2. with marissa, andrea. big hair and lots of black outfits.

 meeting the Tuohy family....the movie Blind Side was based on their lives....we dripped them in diamonds for their appearance on our hofu stage



Photo courtesy of Will Mann Photography

  at XS (club at Encore/Wynn). working with total babes. check out the bcbg dress - I wore it!

Photo courtesy of Will Mann Photography

 trisha and marissa.....and red bull/vodka (of course)

Photo courtesy of Will Mann Photography

 day after. having to be on in front of 1000 retail partners after a long night of partying. the only way to get through is by having fun....

what a way to end an unbelievable hofu, meeting Magic Johnson. charming, kind, smart, and lovely.

all in all, although a very long 8 days, coming back to boston with "vegas voice" (aka scratchy and barely there), and great memories makes it all worth it.....

missed you all and glad to be blogging! Yeay...

xoxo

kiki

THE ALVIN: Sam Edelman, Mission Impossible

 mission impossible. the alvin in leopard by sam edelman.

 this all started with my great quest to replace a pair of fabulous gold Sam Edelman flats that I literally wore until I could see the pavement thru the holes in the bottom.....but they were perfectly comfortable and went with a base outfit of black, brown, or navy. well unfortunately it was not an easy task to find perfect gold flats. so I gave up. I know - I am a quitter.

 until the Alvin . or so I thought. when I couldn't find gold shoes I jumped on the animal print train and found the above leopard smoking flats. yes, smoking flats? what do you ask makes these "smoking flats"? think hugh hefner meets east coast chic. this type of flat means an easy transition from silk robe, silk pjs, and a pipe to a dark pair of cropped or cuffed jeans (in my case old Hudsons with holes in the knees). characteristics include the little cutouts, the round toe, the quilted comfy inside, and the small heel that goes "clack, clack, clack". for me it equals love....but finding them was another story.

it started w/ Zappos where I ordered these beauties expecting them to arrive early this week. at work I diligently checked the tracking on the precious package and on Monday when it said "delivered, left at front door" I could not have been happier!

 got home. searched the porch. no Alvins to be found. I called UPS. they were no help - said to call Zappos. when I hung up w/ them my doorbell rang. a policeman standing there. he says, "package was stolen off your porch along w/ three of your neighbor's. woman across the street watched the whole thing go down....ups dropped package, car pulled up and grabbed it, squeeled off to next house and did the same thing. police were called." okay, so that explains that. leaving for Vegas, need the shoes, not happy, but at least it explains the mystery - I did feel violated though. called Zappos they immediately refunded me. WOW. amazing customer service.

determined to get these shoes I ordered them from another site. yeay! they can still get here before I depart. next day: email in my inbox....shoes are on backorder! really??? luckily this story ends well - I was able to order these IMPOSSIBLE to find smoking flats from a fantastic little site called Eve's Apple. they overnighted them and provided perfect customer service.

definitely my new obsession and I will be wearing them w/ everything. Mission: accomplished.

off to Vegas in the morning for a week and guess who is coming w/ me? Alvin....

xoxo,

kiki

Fave Things: Dreaming of the Weekend Past....

BFF trip to FL.....love you two.....

4-Eva 31 (similar) cat eye sunglasses in tortoise.

tiff's (of Brideonicles) dog jack attack...always chillin' and so scrumptious....   

a beautifully delicious roobios chai tea latte found at the best little sandwich shop - stay tuned for a recipe using ingredients found.....

zero security lines on the 10th anniversary of september 11th? thank you country for protecting us so well.....

 coming home to boston and finding gorgeous heirloom tomatoes fresh from the garden...yum!

packing for my next adventure - las vegas on friday.

xoxo

kiki

Love Anthropologie? You will Looooooove Ruche!

do you love anthropologie? yes? you will love Ruche!

The philosophy is the same, the flirty feminine style is the same, but the prices are extremely more friendly....see some of my fave picks on their website right now.....

how cute is this shirt? Find it here for $28.99

this is a fabulous tribal looking long maxi skirt that converts into a dress....find it here for $36.99

WOW. in love with this dress. it really reminds me of a cute little Marc Jacobs print/color scheme. here for $36.99

scarves, sunglasses, shoes....oh my! loving the color of these sunglasses for $12.99, polka dot scarf in soft colors for $13.99, sweet grey mary janes with bow detail and small platform sole for $38.99, and last (but certainly not least) the gorgeous $16.99 long watch pendant

happy shopping and have a great weekend! I am off to visit my bff in FL!

xoxo

kiki

One Skirt, Two Ways

Ikat Swing Skirt from J.Crew - on sale for $29.99

Mixed bead/bauble silk sleeveless blouse from Bloomies (similar one at Banana)

Love the way these contrasting designs just kind of work....in an unexpected and girly way.
Layer with a cardigan for warmth on these cooler September mornings.

Beautiful floral button earrings from Sequin in Palm Beach (similar found here for only $9 at Kohls, Lauren Conrad)


Similar to tie dye, "ikat" is a dyeing technique used to pattern clothing or textiles....this process warps the fabric in a way that produces an uneven and interesting look...

Silver STEVEN by Steve Madden flats with peep toe and accompanying bow (similar @ Macys)

Add a classic white button down and twist in a knot at the waist. Look for one that's longer in the front so when you tie your stomach is not exposed.... Isabella Oliver has the perfect one! I am also a true believer in the "popped" color on a button down - it's a classy finishing touch! So pop it, baby!

Finally wear it with your hair down with soft curls or pulled back in a tight bun to really accentuate your accessories.... play with your season transition colors and integrate oranges, creams, neutrals, and mixed metals (including shoes)...

xoxo,

kiki

ADVICE NEEDED: To BCBG or Not to?

Help ladies! One of the bigger events my company puts on every year in Vegas is coming up and I am scrambling to get my outfits ready. I have two weeks, but they are jammed with commitments and a FL trip, so my process of packing (will come in a post soon) needs to start now. Two of the evenings events are a little on the "Vegas Chic" side which has a fun and slightly dressy flair. Now let me get to the point.....I NEED ADVICE.

I received this BCBG dress in the mail from Bloomies yesterday and I am not sure what to think. It is completely out of the norm in terms of the pattern which happens to resemble a Jackson Pollock painting. I love the fit - it has a drop waist with kind of a high neckline and flowy in the mid-section, but short and tight in the lower region with fab pockets and pleating in all of the right places.

I think I can work it with heels or flats - added bonus - but will I wear it again? One place to wear a sassy dress is definitely VEGAS!

To keep or not to keep? That is the question. Tags are still on....could send this one packing!

Kind of loving the black/white splatter flowing into color in the lower region and tied at the drop waist with a same fabric belt.......

So, how do you guys make these decisions? Do you think that being outside of your element every once in awhile is really important?

Desperately Seeking BCBG advice....

xoxo kiki