Lululemon Hot Class Tank

I know this is a rather old item, but I've been kicking myself for not buying the Lululemon Hot Class Tank while it was in stores (I even tried it on at the store, what was I thinking?), so I've been stalking eBay for a long time.  They are not on eBay all that often, and when they have been, I've missed out on those auctions because I always "watch" the stuff I want and wait till the last minute.  Sometimes I forget to bid.  So finally I got the lagoon one this time!

This color wouldn't have been my first choice, but whatevs.  I just love this top!  The luon sheer jersey body is super soft and lightweight.  And I love that the bra is made of power luxtreme so it's more supportive.  There's also ties on each side to cinch and adjust the length of the top.  I like this style much better than the newer hot yoga tops Lululemon has come out with recently.  This one doesn't make me look prego.

Now if I see any of these colors in a size 4 on eBay, I just might have to jump on them as well!  I like to stock up on things I love.  Really can't have too much of a good thing.

Coal / Faded Zap

Senorita Pink/Black

Bold Blue

Happy Thanksgiving!

My stomach is about to explode as I am sitting here.  I always try to tell myself that nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.  But that is hard to live by, especially during a day like Thanksgiving!  My parents and their dog came to stay with me and my mom went all out and cooked so much yummy food!  Good thing I had a hard work out in this morning so I don't feel as guilty.  Though I probably have to run for like 2 days straight to burn off all the calories I consumed today.  Lol.  Oh well!  I am also super excited about black Friday!  I think I'm going to stay up until midnight so I can get the best deals online.  Last year I bought lots of stuff right at midnight or 1 am, and they were all gone by the next morning!  I don't know if I'm actually brave enough to venture out and fight the crowd tomorrow, so this might just be it for my shopping spree.  I love the internet.  Maybe I will hit up a Lululemon store tomorrow because I told my mom I would buy her stuff from there since she's been complaining that she's gained weight, and her birthday is this Saturday.  So I hope they will have some deals!  But that's probably just wishful thinking...

Anyway, this has nothing to do with Thanksgiving, but I thought it was funny!  I for one hope that I will have a fat baby if I do decide to have kids one day (scary, not thinking about it!) because they are so cute and I can probably start putting them in commercials or something and bank off of them early on!  Muahahaha

Green Dragon Knit Button-Down Tunic

I've been a bad blogger lately.  But I'm literally using all my free time to study for the damn CFA test coming up in less than 2 weeks!  It's just so much material and I need major cramming time.  Argh.  But after that I will have my life back for a couple months!  Anyway, so today I did receive my Green Dragon Knit Button-Down Tunic that I bought on Hautelook when I was sitting in my Microsoft class in Portland last week because of a very nice tip off by a reader!  I am very thankful because I love Green Dragon stuff!  I would have been so sad to miss it.  I tried Green Dragon for the first time when they were on Hautelook back in August, and I was able to grab some really good deals.  I'm in love with everything I bought there.  The materials are so soft and everything is made in great quality and in the great state of California.  Hehe.  The top I received today is no exception!

I thought that since this was a pretty simple looking cardigan, that I wasn't going to be overly impressed.  But I really love how soft it is and how well it fits!  It's made mostly of promodal with some spandex in it.  It's pretty thin, and it's just so comfortable on.  The satin front closure trim detail makes it look a bit fancier, as well as the buttons - I don't know what they are made of, but they feel more durable and they have a nice ring of chrome around them as well.  They are also sewn on securely - I hate sloppy sewing job on clothes.  

The back is very long and completely covers my butt if pulled down all the way.  I think it's meant to be paired with tights.  But I can also scrunch it up and have it rest around my hips, and it doesn't look like too much material at all.  It fits actually on the small side.  I ordered a size small, and it is pretty fitted.  The other Green Dragon stuff I have are also size smalls, but they are pretty roomy.  But on the other hand, I can wear this with the buttons completely open and it doesn't look sloppy.  The gathered details on the front and back kind of camouflages any flaws, and I think it's perfect to wear to work or yoga, or to just hang out in.  So needless to say, I am very happy with it!

I've got to pay more attention to those daily emails about what's on sale so I don't miss good stuff!!  I'm sure Green Dragon will make a come back at another time.  The deals are always really good.  I got this top for $34 when the original retail price was $98.  Hautelook is based in LA (one of my friends actually knows the guy that started the company.  I guess he's making lots of $$$ from people like yours truly and just bought a house in Malibu!) so I always get my purchase the day after they ship them out.  But also because they are based in California, I get to pay sales tax when I shop on there vs. Ruelala or Gilt!

Lululemon Run:Swiftly Tech LS - Haze

I went to Lululemon today hoping to find the Post Run Pullover that I saw on Lulumum's blog.  It's so cute, and I completely missed it and it's now sold out.  So sad when this happens!!

In lust with it

So apparently it's not in stores yet, at least not the one I went to.  I guess I don't *really* have a need for a pullover like this other than to lounge in it.  But that is what I do best!

Anyway, I did however, finally cave and bought the Run: Swiftly LS in Haze.  I have only one other Swiftly LS and that was the Silver/Faded Zap I got back in January.  I liked the color in the beginning, but then I started wishing I had a brighter color.  I have much love for the Swiftly shirts, long and short sleeves alike.  It's funny that I never understood why these shirts with no built in shelf bras should be worth over $60 for the short sleeve version (after taxes).  Until the Lululemon run club I used to go to gave me one to test out and I finally saw the light.  (See the original post about my free Lululemon goodies here.)  Since that time, I've bought so many more of the short sleeve shirts.  Every time a new color came out I would grab it.  All the sizes always sold out so fast too.  They used to never go on sale before but about a few months ago I think they over-saturated the market a bit, and when I kept seeing different colors going on sale, they kind of lost their appeal to me.  I don't like it when I see something I paid full price for go on sale for much cheaper a short while later.  Because it makes me feel like an idiot!  So I stopped buying them.  I know it's very silly of me.  Well I also had enough stocked up anyways.  Very long explanation, but that's why I haven't bought another until today.  I just fell in love with the color haze on me!

This is a very nice blue.  It's in between an Easter egg blue and a bright blue.  It's just pretty and calming.  Since I already have the same shirt from before, I knew the fit in my size but I tried it on anyways.  And it did look exactly the same as my old one, except I found the sleeves a bit looser than my silver one.  That is a good thing - the sleeves on the silver are way too tight.  This one is just right, though I would still have to wear the wrist watch of my heart rate monitor on the outside of the shirt.  I don't mind that.  It's more convenient when I'm running since I won't have to take my hand out of the thumb hole and pull up the sleeve to see the watch.  The rest of the shirt seems to be exactly the same as my other one.

By the way, the new Lululemon photos are fine, but why is this model's hair covering the back of the shirt?  If I didn't have this shirt already I would be annoyed that I couldn't see the details of the back.  Just a thought.

Oh yeah, they have a new shopping bag for the holiday season.  It's got superhero pictures on it.  I'm not really sure why they chose the superhero theme, but I really like how it has a full zipper on top!  I use these bags to store my food in the communal fridge at my work.  I don't like it when it's open and people can see inside.  Not that I eat weird stuff, I just don't want people seeing.  It's kind of like a "mind your own business" kind of thing.  I've been using the "special" ones I got around the holiday season last year that have a button on top.  But the zipper is even better!  There's also a label on top that says "what's your superhero name" and "what's your superhero power".  Naturally that's the perfect place to put my name!  Hehe.  I think I need to make more purchases at Lululemon and stock up on these! 

Trump Home Swarthmore Arc Floor Lamp

I came home from Portland to a surprise - the Trump Home Swarthmore Arc Floor Lamp!  I bought it on Hautelook like a month ago and totally forgot about it.  I guess since I've been so busy lately at work, I haven't been able to shop and have stopped expecting packages.

And I love it!  I like this arc style.  I've been looking for a floor lamp like this one for a while but the ones I've seen were either too big or way too $$$.  This one is perfect for my place.  And it was on Hautelook for $199, down from $425.  I would have thought the Trump Home brand would be more expensive since he's all about "luxury".  Maybe he's going for "affordable luxury".  When I was browsing, I actually liked a lot of their merchandise, so maybe I will get some more later on.  This was also the first time I've ever bought a bigger item like this from one of those sites, and it worked out pretty well.  I think shipping cost was like $40 though so that kind of sucked.  Anyway, I like the warm glow this lamp gives to the room, and I like the chrome rings on the shade that gives it a contemporary look.  I can finally get rid of my ghetto $10 floor lamp from Ikea that I got when I was in college.  Hehe.  It sure adds up, being a home owner!

Portland

I'm going to Portland tomorrow until most of next week for some Microsoft class for work.  Who knew being a quant analyst at a money manager requires so much IT skills?  I've never been to Portland, but I know they don't have sales taxes there so maybe I can squeeze in some duty-free shopping!  But this might hinder my plans...

Screen shot from my iphone:

And here's the weather forecast for LA next week:

Ughhhh... sad face.

I'm from LA where it lightly drizzles like twice a year, so I don't have any shoes or outerwear that would work in cold and rainy weather.  I don't even have an umbrella!  LOL!  This should make packing interesting...

Ole Henriksen On The Go Cleanser

I have been using Ole Henriksen's On The Go Cleanser for about two weeks now, and I've been really impressed with it! 

I'm pretty picky about my face wash because my face gets dried out really easily by harsh cleansers.  I've tried so many different ones, and finally settled on the Clinique Liquid Facial Soap (mild).  I've been using that for years because, well why fix it when it ain't broken?  But the other day when I was at Sephora I decided to take a risk and branch out to Ole Henriksen since I've heard great things about it.

There were I believe 4 kinds of facial cleanser that they carried and sounded great, such as the Aloe Vera Deep Cleanser.  I'm a big sucker for aloe vera for some reason.  But the sales associate at Sephora assured me that the On The Go cleanser would be best for my skin type, which is combination.  I almost didn't listen to her, because I'm not a fan of orange colored cleansers.  They just look so industrial and make me feel like they would be really harsh on the skin.  Not zen.  Lol.  But I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it's actually a very gentle cleanser!  But at the same time cleans very well.  I just wish the bottle came with a pump!

I didn't see the 7 oz for sale at Sephora, so I got the big 12 oz.  It's a better deal anyway ($30 for 12 oz vs. $21 for 7 oz).  The sales girl told me it would last forever, and I can really see that!  I've been using it twice a day for 2 weeks and haven't even made a dent in the bottle.  It foams really well, so you really only need a pea size each time.  And, most importantly, I think it cleans better than my Clinique one.  I deduced this because a few times a week, I use toner after I wash my face.  When I was using the Clinique facial soap, I would still see residue leftover from my makeup on the cotton pad I use the toner on, which tells me it didn't clean off all the makeup.  But when I do it after using this Ole Henriksen cleanser, the pad stays clean.  Since I've been using this cleanser, my pores became smaller, and my skin looks smoother.  It's awesome!  It also smells really good too.   Must be the Vitamin C in it!  The per oz price is pretty much the same as the Clinique one, so I think I'm definitely going to stick with this one from now on!  Now I can't wait to go try out other Ole Henriksen products!

Spin Shoe Testing For Fitness Magazine

I've been testing spin shoes for Fitness Magazine the past 2 years.   It's usually around this time of year that I begin to receive boxes of shoes.  Then I submit my reviews to them and it comes out in one of the spring issues.  I received the shoes I'm supposed to test this week.  I can't blog about the actual shoes prior to the issue, but I have to say that I am SO excited about one pair in particular!  They are like the most amazing shoes to spin in and I can't wait to wear them more!  It's hard because I only want to wear them from now on to my spin classes, but I have to make myself wear the other ones since I want to give an honest review based on my experience with each pair.  I'm trying to make myself go to at least 10 spin classes in the next few weeks so I can wear each pair multiple times - talk about motivation to work out! 

I gave away the shoes I've received before, because let's be honest, how many pairs of spin shoes does a girl need?  I don't even have enough cleats for them all and it's a nuisance to keep switching cleats from one pair to another.  I will be doing the same this year!  So stay tuned... that is, if you don't mind that I've worn them once or twice during my testing.

So what I really want to do next is to get on their running shoe testing distribution group!  I know I know, so very greedy of me.  Don't get me wrong, I love getting the newest spin shoes in the market to test out.  But I run more than I spin, and running shoes don't last nearly as long as spin shoes for me (I don't do outdoor cycling).  So it would be great to get a few extra pairs of running shoes.  I hinted that to them this year, but it didn't happen haha.  I hope they continue to keep me on their list so that I can maybe switch over next year!  But either way, I'm not gonna complain about free shoes! Seriously though, how great is Fitness Magazine that they give their readers opportunities to do this kind of stuff.  It always makes my holidays more exciting!  When I see a FedEx box from Fitness, it's like receiving a Christmas present and I can't wait to rip the box open!  Hehe.

Lululemon Cool Racerback - Static Very Violet / Very Violet

Yesterday morning I arrived at the gym earlier than I wanted to (I was taking a class), so I wandered over to the 3rd Street Lululemon store a block away.  I saw the Cool Racerback with static very violet front and very violet back and decided to get it since I love very violet.

It's kind of an interesting idea that it's not all one solid color.  And they did tie the two sides together by putting static edging on the back.  Though I couldn't decide if I liked the two-toned look or not.  I think I would prefer a solid all over very violet Cool Racerback tank, but the static material is very soft.  I have been using all my Cool Racerbacks as pajamas so the softness is a plus!  Seriously, these tanks are the best to sleep in!  And great to work out in as well of course. 

If they release a solid very violet Cool Racerback, I will regret this purchase though.  I guess I can leave the tag on for a while and see.  I did see the wish blue Cool Racerback in both solid and static so maybe there is hope for this one.

OT:  I just got back from my 75 min spinning class, I have to say that I love spinning to Lady Gaga's Alejandro!  It is the best song to spin to!  Bad Romance is also excellent.  This teacher besides teaching the most hardcore class, also plays Lady Gaga often and I love it.  They really pump me up!  When I was sprinting uphill for like the duration of the whole song, I got my heart rate to 175 which is really good for a spin class.  That's my normal heart rate when I run at a good speed.  Spin normally doesn't get my heart rate as high as running - usually hovers around 150-160.  So I ended up burning 650 today from that class according to my trusted heart rate monitor that I wear religiously every time I work out.  And I didn't even run beforehand like I normally do.  So I have to attribute this to Lady Gaga!

Express Sweaters

I go back and forth with Express stuff.  I haven't shopped there in quite a while until recently.  I find a lot of their stuff really great for work - they are generally comfortable, look good, and they always have deals going on.  But some of their items are rather poor in quality.  It's really hit or miss I think.  I don't like spending too much on single pieces for work, for variety's sake, but I also don't want to wear cheap looking clothes.  I really needed some sweaters to wear to my freezing office though, and Express happened to send me a spend $100 get $30 off card and also free shipping so I bought a few things from their site.  I received them a few days ago and I'm pretty happy with them.  I think I will get a lot of use out of them!

By the way, I really love the model pictures on Express's website.  They make all their clothes look so good!  They do a pretty good job styling too, with accessories or matching pieces.  Sometimes I'm really tempted to buy a whole outfit when I see a really great pic!

Shirred V-Neck Long Sleeve Tee:

I love this top!  The color I got as shown above is called midnight plum.  I like that name.  This top is very cute and flattering on.  It's form fitting but not tight, and it moves with the body since it's cotton with spandex in it.  The material is thicker than what I expected as well.  It actually reminds me a lot of my Lululemon Run:Brisk which I've been waiting for the re-release.  Even the back of the collar is ruched like the Run: Brisk!  All for only $24.  I think I may have to get it in another color.  I'm eyeing the bright red one, or even the heathered grey.  It works great for work because it looks more dressed up than a cotton long sleeve tee, but at the same time it is very comfortable.  Looks cute with pants or a skirt.  And of course I can wear it when I'm not at work as well so that's 24 bucks very well spent.  I got this in a size XS which is a perfect fit - they sure do love their vanity sizing at Express!

I also got two basic V-Neck sweaters.  One in violet, which really looks like dark purple.  And another in soft camel.

I really love the purple color!  It's just gorgeous.  This sweater is on the thin side, which is to say it is the perfect weight for the weather here.  The V neck does have a wider opening than I thought.  So I guess I need to layer a cami underneath like they did with the models.  I don't really mind that, since I normally layer under sweaters anyway.  Otherwise they can get scratchy.  I also got these in size XS and they fit well.

This sweater is selling for $39 each, but with my discount cards I got all 3 tops for $80 after taxes.  So that's like $25 a piece.  Can't beat that!  I still have 4 other discount cards, so I may have to make another purchase soon.  I'm thinking another color in this sweater would be great too.  It's just a great basic!  So I think I've figured it out - I should only be shopping at Express for basics like these, or work pants / jackets, etc.  All the casual tees and stuff I've bought from Express I haven't been too happy with after a few wears.  But I still wear their Editor pants almost everyday!  They still look new and fit well after many wear and washes so they are a keeper for sure!

Betsey Johnson Earrings

I'm not that big of a jewelry person, but I do love earrings.  I feel like they can dress an outfit up instantly and they can show a lot of personality.  I'm a big fan of Betsey Johnson earrings, because they are so funky and fun!  To me they are kind of like Juicy Couture jewelry, but with a darker edge and not as teenage girl-like.  I love all my Betsey Johnson earrings and always go back for more.  The price point is usually $30-$50 a pair, so I can get tons of different ones and not feel overly indulgent.  A lot of her earrings are mismatched which I think is really cool.  I have these asymmetrical dice / key / bow and other dangley earrings that I love to pieces.

I went to the store again, mostly to get a present for a friend's bday coming up.  She likes skulls and monkeys and things like that, but she's also girly at the same time.  So I figured Betsey Johnson would be perfect.  And of course while I was there, I had to pick up a pair of earrings for myself.  I tried them out and I think they might be a new favorite!  They are very light so it feels like I don't have anything on.  Sometimes when I have heavier earrings on, my ears hurt after a few hours.

Anyway, they are called the Tulip Hook Earrings:

I love how she always combines feminine touches with darker edge.  Too bad I can only wear Betsey Johnson earrings when I go out.  They are just too much for my work.  Boooo

I got my friend the Rhinestone Skull with Rose Drop Earrings which I wouldn't wear personally, but I still think are really fun:

I think these are the absolute perfect thing for her so I'm pretty happy with this little find!  I also was able to get 10% off my purchase because I'm in their system and have signed up for email distribution.  So I ended up paying like $80 for both after tax, which I can't complain! 

Lululemon Halloween Costume

Since I go to the Lululemon store so much, I am facebook friends with a bunch of girls that work there.  I know.... it's very much a sign of addiction!  But to my defense, I was a regular member at the run club, and when you run a 10k every week with the same group of people, you get to chat a lot and become friends.  So, the point is that one of the girls that works there posted a picture of her Halloween costume and I just had to share with all you Lulu addicts out there because only you would understand!

Sorry, had to blur out her face - I know it looks creepy.  But isn't it cute that she was mac n' cheese for Halloween and the color name of the Hills pullover and wunder unders she has on are called mac n' cheese??