Diesel & ZOA Stuff

I don't know what it is lately, but Ruelala and Hautelook keep having these blow out deals of stuff I like!  So I've been spending money there.  I ordered some stuff from Ruelala last week, and they arrived today already!  Very happy with the shipping speed with my few Ruelala orders.  When I made my first purchase with them back in January for my Koolaburra boots, it took at least a month to arrive!  My last three orders all came super fast so I'm glad they have been improving!

I got the Diesel Faccyo black shorts and Diesel Tafy Singlet top.  Love them both!  So I basically bought this whole outfit, for $29 each piece!  The retail price for the top is $80 and for the shorts is $95.

Here's the detail of the tank.  I love the print.  In person it looks exactly as I expected from these pictures.

I like the V neck style on both front and back of the tank.  I got a size XS and it still fits pretty loosely.  But it's a flattering fit, not baggy.  The material is soft and light weight.  I guess it was designed to be flowy!  The bottom of the tank has a gathered hem so it's designed to be cinched in.  I was wondering if that would be the case or not when I ordered it because I couldn't tell from the pictures if they styled it that way or the tank was made that way.  I really like it.  This way the tank doesn't bag out on the bottom.  It looks really good with the shorts and some high heel sandals too!  But it can also be dressed down of course.

The shorts are pretty awesome.  I ordered one size up because I didn't want them to fit too tight, or have my butt half way hanging out.  And it turned out to be a quite perfect fit.

It states that these shorts are made of 95% cotton and 3% spandex.  Wonder what the rest of the 2% is??  They are softer than I had thought.  They are not as tight on me as the model since I sized up, but not too big either.  I kind of think they fit too tightly on the model because you can see the fabric stretch marks on her butt cheeks and digs in on the bottom of her butt!  I just don't think that's a good look for me.

It's interesting that the front zipper goes diagonally across.  I don't think I've seen bottoms made like this before.  The side seam details of the gun metal toned grommets and ribbon trim is really cute.  They are on both sides.  You can't really see on the pictures, but along with the regular side pockets, these shorts also have a zipper pocket on the front right side.  And it's a pretty decent size too.  The zipper pull of that pocket has some really fancy graphics carved in and it's really different.  I like these little details!  The cursive Diesel logo is a hard black plaque on the back waist.  The waistband also has belt loops so that is always a nice feature to have.  I think belts can definitely add distinct looks to an outfit and make it look more dressed up.

The length of these shorts are perfect too.  The inseam is about 2.5 inches which is still short, but long enough to prevent the unattractive look of riding up in the middle of the inner thigh area.

I love these shorts so much I now wish I had bought the white ones too!  They were also on Ruelala for $29.  Grrrr!  Seriously you can't really get Diesel shorts for this price anywhere else.  I should have just grabbed them!  They are made so well too with all these details.  Definitely kicking myself in the butt right about now!

I also got a ZOA Antigua Print Silk Tank.  I wasn't sure about the print exactly, but it's a 100% silk tank that was priced at $29 from $117.  So it's a pretty good deal too!

So yeah, this is definitely an interesting print and I wasn't sure if I liked it or not.  Then I decided that it would be cute to wear under a jacket, even maybe for work under my suit jacket.  I will have to try that one out.  As I'm sitting here looking at it, it's growing on me!  Either that or I'm trying to make myself fall in love with it.

I got this tank in size S because I figured silk doesn't really stretch and I didn't want it to be too tight.  I like the looseness of the tank on the model.  The S fits me well, but perhaps XS would have been fine too because the scoop back has elasticized ruching to adjust level of fit.  But no worries, I like the flowy-ness of this tank.  It's also interesting because the back half of the bottom hem is lightly cinched in while the front half is not.  I don't know if it was on purpose or it just happens to fit me that way.  I actually kind of like it since without the control on the bottom, the tank would probably be flying up when there is a breeze. 

Anyway, the exaggerated drapping of the tiered bust is ultra feminine.  Almost a little too feminine for my taste.  But once again, I think it will be cute under a jacket.  

On a side note, I also ordered a hoodie for my boyfriend.  It's from the brand called Original Penguin which he really likes.  They have some really nice looking stuff that would work great for a put together, cosmopolitan type of guy in his 20s or 30s that cares about how he looks without being "metrosexual" or too avant garde.  This brand appears on Gilt once in a while, but the prices are normally still not that attractive.  However, Ruelala was having ridiculously good markdowns, but since I was focused on shopping for myself right when the sales started, by the time I got to the men's section, the Damarion Hoodie was the only thing left in his size that wasn't sold out!  And it was going for only $29 as well, down from $89.  I guess everything on Ruelala that day was $29?  All the sold out Original Penguin stuff were cheaper though.  You could get shirts and jackets for $10-20 and shorts for $15ish.  That's like cheaper than Target prices.  Lol.

I really like the look of the heathered cream colored textured thermal knit pattern.  The lining including the inside of the hood as well as the strings are light gray.  The Original Penguin logo is embroidered light blue on the left chest.  It's super soft and comfy and yet sophisticated at the same time.  My boyfriend loves it and I really like it too!  I even tried it on and it's actually pretty cute on me!  Works great as a "boyfriend hoodie" look.  Very cozy!  Hmm... might have to steal this one some time!

Anyways, I love all the stuff I received from Ruelala.  What a great feeling when your online orders all look great and fit well!  Sometimes I just have the complete opposite experience!  It makes me even happier that I scored such great deals too!

Yoga and Running

Right after I graduated from college, I had moved to LA and got a "stepping stone" type of job that required lots of hours of work work work.  I'm talking 8am - midnight M-F, and 8am - 5pm Sat and Sun.  The pay was good for a fresh college grad, but when divided out by the number of hours I put it, it was a meager amount.  I had no life, lost touch with a lot of my friends, barely had any time to sleep and definitely no time to work out.  I was moving around like a zombie everyday.  The firm also paid for all my meals so I would order whatever I wanted from any restaurant and eat at my desk everyday.  I would go through months of not seeing the sun!  It was a horrible experience and I was rather depressed.  After I pulled myself out of that hell hole almost 2 years later and got a new job, I had gained at least 15 to 20 pounds and was way out of shape.

The first thing I did to bring myself back together was to join Equinox.  I worked out religiously when I was in college, so I was no stranger to the gym.  But I was nervous to get back into it after treating my body like shit for so long.  I had no confidence in my athletic abilities anymore and I wanted to avoid high impact or any cardio work outs.  I thought I'd go back in nice and slow.  At the beginning, the membership fees at Equinox seemed pretty high, but after looking at their schedules of yoga and pilates classes, I figured it was worth it.  And that was how I would get back to being in shape again.

So I did yoga or pilates for about a year with minimum cardio training (eliptical machine for a few minutes at the most).  It was not a great way to lose weight but I did feel stronger and I could tell that my body became more toned.  The number on the scale stayed pretty much the same though.  But I started to love going to my yoga classes.  I would go at least 3 times a week.  I went to different instructors and different types of yoga classes.  I decided that I liked power yoga or vinyasa yoga the best because I liked the constant movements and they were challenging!  I wasn't one for meditation since I get bored easily.  I guess I need to work on that! 

Holding different poses was so hard for me at the beginning.  Gosh I couldn't even do a real push up back then.  I had to constantly move out of my poses for rest.  I wasn't all that flexible either so I wasn't good at the stretching and twisting type of poses either.  So basically I wasn't good at anything!  It was frustrating watching everyone else do things I never thought I would.  But I kept on going to my classes because I always felt great afterwards.  The benefits were worth the pain.

As time went on, I became better and better.  Slowly, but surely.  I was able to hold most of my poses without having to take breaks.  I was even able to do more advanced levels and my flexibility had improved greatly.  It's amazing when you actually SEE the difference.  I almost screamed and cheered for myself when I first accomplished a real push up during my vinyasa!  I think that was when I really started to believe in myself and the power of change.

So after going to the gym and practicing yoga regularly for about a year, I wanted more from myself.  And I had the confidence back that I COULD do more.  So, I signed up for my first 10k with a month of training time.  I was never a runner before, and when I first started with 1 or 2 mile runs, it was the most uncomfortable experience.  I got bad cramps, my face would quickly turn bright red from all my efforts, and shin splints made it almost unbearable!  I hated it.  And I was only running at 4 miles an hour pace!  That's like someone else's fast walking speed!

Well perseverance overcame my discomfort once again.  I think I definitely should have trained longer than a month because I almost died during the last 2 miles of my 10k race.  My boyfriend literally dragged me through the last mile, no joke.  I finished in an hour and 15 minutes.  But I finished it.  Then I swore I would never do it again.  Then I got back into it. 

That was almost exactly 2 years ago.  Today I can easily run a 10k and maintain at least 8 min a mile speed.  I went on a 10 mile run one Sunday just because I felt like it, and I did it easily without any type of training - that's almost a half marathon!  I don't get cramps and shin splints anymore, and my face stays the normal color because I can breath easier.  I also got into all sorts of other cardio work outs such as spinning and boxing.  Heart is a muscle too right??  I'm proud to say that I've trained it to be in top notch shape!  I can also lift more with my arms and legs, and I'm just much stronger overall!  I went to a nutritionist and started really learning about food and healthy eating.  I've dropped all the weight I had gained during my years of corporate slavery and more.  Most importantly, I've dropped my body fat percentage, and that's what I care about most of all.  I'm a picture of health nowadays just from eating right and exercising.  I am extremely happy at how far I've come..............  But, and here's the big BUT, I also stopped going to yoga regularly.  I had decided that I needed high impact, sweat inducing type of work outs in order to stay in shape, and just don't have time to fit yoga in my life anymore.

Last night, I decided to take a yoga class because I figured I needed a good stretch.  It was my first time in a long time attending yoga.  And I was horrified to discover that I can no longer hold the same poses like I used to when I was 25 pounds heavier!  My muscles were burning and I was once again coming out of my poses early for breaks!  I guess since I've been focusing so much on my "boot camp" type of work outs, I've let go of my muscles that support isometric movements.  Holding the same pose for an extended period of time is really no easy task!  Case in point, I woke up sore in many different places today.  I've always heard people say that yoga is great for runners, but I've never paid much attention because I thought they were referring to the stretching part, which is obviously good for runners.  But now I understand!  I need yoga to balance out my running and other types of cardio and strength training.

Last night's yoga class wasn't all bad news though.  I was able to accomplish a hand stand which I was never able to do before!  And that's definitely due to my increased strength in my arms and core.  So, I guess I got better at some things while neglecting others.  Balance is always hard to achieve.  But now, my goal is to supplement my work out routine with yoga once a week.  That way I can reap the physical as well as the mental benefit of practicing yoga.  Funny how things work - I am now going back to the old routine I had when I first started to work out!  It's humbling to know that there are many facets to everything we do, and things aren't always what they appear to be.

Laura Mercier Illuminating Blooms Shimmer Bloc Compact and Lip Plumper in Persimmon

The other half of my Laura Mercier order from Gilt finally came today.  I got the Illuminating Blooms Shimmer Bloc Compact just because it's so pretty!

There are different shades of shimmery pink, silver and gold colors and the flower blooms shapes are so cute!  This thing works extremely well - may be too well.  It adds a soft, illuminating glow to the face or cheeks, and the color blends very evenly with the complexion to give a natural, beautiful, sun-kissed skin.  I literally looked like I just got in from a day out at the beach.  The shades of pink are nice to add some life and color over my everyday foundation or powder.  I say it may work too well though because I think it's pretty easy to over apply.  I just used my big powder brush and went over different parts of my face.  I looked just a little too shimmery and shiny, which can also be interpreted as having oily skin.  So I would have to be very careful when I apply it next time, and I think I need to avoid applying it on my nose.  Just the cheeks will do - a little will go a long way!  It's like a natural blush!  

I also got the Lip Plumper in Persimmon color.  

The color was described as a coral pink shade.  Sounded pretty.  But it looks a little bit orangey in person.  This is what I hate about online shopping!  The color on different monitors always look a little bit off.  The color is not bad, but not my favorite.  I'm used to more natural or more pink type of colors.  I don't make statements with my lip colors.  I don't know, maybe this color will grow on me. It does look better when I wipe off the excess color with a tissue as well.  I don't know why I bought this thing.  I must've been just so happy that Laura Mercier was on Gilt and made an impulsive purchase.  It wasn't even that cheap.  Most lip plumpers just numb my lips like crazy, I guess that's how they make your lips swell and look "plumper"!  But the numbing factor with this lip plumper is not bad at all.  It also doesn't really plump though.  I guess it's more like a regular lip gloss to me.  Oh well, I hope I will be able to get some use out of it!

Lululemon Run:Team Spirit Crop - Black

I got the Lululemon Run:Team Spirit Crop in black today for $50.  Pretty good deal me thinks!

I own these in coal/chirp, and LOVE them!  Actually they are my favorite running crops.  I love everything about them - the fit, the length, the ruching on the thighs, the color, the material, the performance, etc. etc.  They are great for every type of work out!  They hit me much higher than the model pics, at right below my knee.  I've worn them running, boxing, kettlebell, bootcamp, spinning, and just weight lifting and whatnot.  So I've been looking for another pair for a long time.  Most of the color combos of these were price adjusted from $86 to $69 and flew off the shelves.  The solid black ones never did though.  I guess they figured that black is popular since it goes with everything?  I'm not sure, but I was very happy to have found them again and gotten them for the price I did!

I think these fit tighter than my coal/chirp ones through the legs for some reason.  They are the same size - my regular size 4.  But the black ones don't stretch as much or something.  They also look shinier while the coal ones don't look shiny at all.  The waist fits the same though, and the length is the same.  It's weird.  But it's not necessarily a bad thing, because the compression is probably better.  And I can still move and bend my legs freely so whatevs I guess!  I do think the ruching on the sides look cuter in the all black version because they appear to be more obvious. 

Anyways, I love these and I can't wait to wear them!  Love the fact that they are all black and low key too.  I just know that I will get a lot of use out of them!

Samsung WF330ANW Washer & Dryer Set

Finally my washer and dryer were delivered today!  Gosh it's tough to go without doing laundry for 3 weeks.  My boyfriend ran out of clean clothes long ago, but I still have tons of clean underwear and clothes left.  Hmm... maybe it's a sign that I have too much! 

Anyway, I've never owned any washer and dryer before because every place I've lived in had them.  So I don't really know anything about which ones are good or bad.  All I know is that all the apartments I lived in before had top loading ones except the last one which came with front loading ones.  And I realized that it makes a huge difference!  So I knew that I definitely needed to get front loaders.

I did some research online before going to the store to see which brands I should be looking at.  Surprisingly Samsung came up as the number one from all the consumer tests and reviews.  I say "surprisingly" because I didn't even know Samsung made home appliances.  I thought they just made TVs and cell phones.  Hehe.  But apparently their washer and dryers are very quiet, use less detergent, and are water and energy efficient.  Also the clothes come out very clean and nice of course. 

So I knew to look for Samsung when I went to the store, but also wanted to price compare and see if there were other brands that were cheaper.  Well I guess there are so many different models and their prices differ a lot.  AND, any color other than white cost a lot more!  Even if they are the same exact model.  What the hell?  White wasn't my first choice of color, but I wasn't about to pay $500 more for "ice blue" or some crap.  They are always in the laundry room so who cares?  Still I thought that was pretty lame.

Anyway, after spending like an hour just staring at different washer and dryers at Best Buy as well as Sears, I decided to go for the Samsung WF330ANW washer and matching dryer.  They were among the cheaper front loading machines available, I think mainly because the dryer is not a steam dryer.  But I think these will be plenty fine.  All I ever do is wash stuff in cold water on delicate/hand wash cycle anyway.  So I don't need too many settings.  And I don't even dry a lot of my clothes, sometimes I just air fluff them or use the "rack dry" setting.

They are pretty big too at 4.3 cu. ft. and 27 inches wide each, which is great because I tend to accumulate lots of laundry before actually doing them.  And I can also comfortably fit bedding in them.  The quietness is a big factor for me since I live in a condo, not a house, so the size of the laundry area is limited and is actually a part of the "master suite".  The last thing I need is a loud ass machine that shakes every time I wash my clothes. My boyfriend already did like 3 loads of laundry right after the delivery/installation guys left.  So far so good!  Very quiet and clothes came out looking great.

I'm happy that these are energy efficient to save the Earth and bills in the long run.  But also, the LA Department of Water and Power is giving $300 credit to anyone who buys an energy efficient machine right now.  Plus some other smaller rebates like from the Gas Company and whatnot, which really do add up.  The whole set was about $1600 after taxes and stuff.  With the $300 back, it will be a pretty damn good price.  Hope this check comes soon!

Hmmm I think I just need to get one of those folding board thingies that lays on top of the washer/dryer, then I'm all set!  I think this is the first time that I'm actually excited about doing laundry tomorrow!

Covert Affairs

I just watched the first episode of this new show on USA called Covert Affairs about a new CIA agent trainee and her double life.

It's cute!  I don't think it's a serious drama that will win many awards or anything.  But it's lighthearted and entertaining.  Kind of like the show Leverage which I'm also a fan of.  I like the lead actress in Covert Affairs, Piper Perabo.  The last thing I remember seeing her in was that Coyote Ugly movie years ago.  Back then I was still in high school!  I think the movie was a hit, but then she kind of fell off the grid.  I also like the guy that plays her blind partner in crime in this show.  I don't know his name, but I know he was in Ugly Betty and played Betty's nerdy accountant boyfriend Henry.  I always thought he was so cute in a nerdy way! 

The reason I really like this show though is because it totally rekindled my desire to work for the CIA!  Though if I was really serious about it I probably shouldn't be blogging about it.  I think when they do background check on you, they really look into EVERYTHING you've ever done in your life.  Like how many ants you've killed and how many times you cheated on your test in school, stuff like that that you think no one would ever be able to find out!  But I really looked into working for the CIA some time last year!  They want people from all walks of life.  Having a finance/economic background is actually a pretty good way to get in, as well as being able to speak different languages.  Plus I've had some pretty extensive travel experience to many different countries in my day and can adjust pretty fast.  I actually fit most of their list of an ideal candidate.  And no one in their right mind would ever think that I would be a spy!!  I think I normally come off as pretty innocent and unsuspecting.  But I could hold a huge secret!  I think it would be fun to act like someone else, but be hard to live a double life though.  I'd imagine it would get rather confusing after a while to keep the lies straight!

The CIA training is pretty extensive and lasts a year if I remember correctly.  Maybe more?  For the training, they group you by your age (kinda weird), and there is a cap!  So yeah, you snooze and you may lose the chance to become a CIA agent forever.  After the training, I guess you have different directions to go, such as staying mostly in the US, or spending a lot of time abroad.  I'm sure some end up doing more of a desk job, and some more field work.  The pay was ok, nothing spectacular or to die for, but more than many other types of jobs out there, especially at the beginning of your career.  But I figured if I was really in the CIA, I probably wouldn't have any chance to go spend money anyway because I'd be doing some cool spy stuff!  Hehehe... but I do realize that it's probably not at all as glamorous as it sounds.  And there are many different divisions within the agency so not everyone is a spy... bleh.

Well, I may have to let my CIA agent dreams die since I don't see myself moving to DC any time soon and I ain't getting any younger.  So for now I can only fantasize about it!  But hey who knows what the future holds.  A few years ago, I would have never imagined that I'd be where I am today!  Things definitely can change, and change fast.

Laura Mercier Travel Brush Set - 6 Pieces + Leather Bag

I ordered some Laura Mercier stuff from Gilt more than a month ago, some of it finally came today!  The rest are still on their way I guess.  Today I got my 6 piece Travel Brush Set that came in a brown leather bag.

Obviously the brushes are travel sized so the handle parts are shorter than normal brushes.  The brush heads are regular sized though, which is nice.  I also like that they come in a nice leather bag so it doesn't look cheap.  The dark color of the lining is good since makeup tend to leave residue and make fabric dirty.  The bag is pretty flat and thin when it's closed up, and can easily fit into any purse or luggage.  The extra pockets on the inside pockets will come in handy too to store some little makeup and things like that.  I normally use MAC makeup brushes and love them.  I've tried many different brushes and none seemed to compare to the MAC ones.  I haven't tried any of the brushes in this set yet, but so far they feel pretty soft and look to be made of good quality.  I'm a fan of most Laura Mercier products so we'll see about these!  They were on sale for $40 on Gilt, which is a pretty good price for 6 nice brushes.  I also had some credit on Gilt for referring a friend or something, so I ended up paying only $25 after shipping - can't beat that deal!

The 6 brushes are: 

*Cheek Color Brush:  A natural-haired brush sized to perfectly shape the cheek bone.

*Eye Color Brush:  A soft 100% natural brush perfectly sized to apply powder shadows to the eyelid and brow bone.

*Double-Ended Eye Brow Brush:  Perfect for precisely shaping and filling in larger areas on eye brows.

*Flat Eye Liner Brush:  Contains synthetic, firm bristles narrowing to a thin, flat line to ensure the most exact placement of Eye Liner.

*Ponytail Brush:  A natural brush with soft, medium-length bristles formed at a slight point ideally used in the eye crease.

*Secret Camouflage Brush:  Perfectly shaped for precise application in the tiniest areas - shadows, corners of eyes, tiny scars or blemishes.

Cool.  I pretty much have my whole face covered with this set.