Lululemon Run: For Fun Dress

I bought the Lululemon Run: For Fun Dress for $30 on eBay.  It was a buy it now and I couldn't help myself.  I thought it was really cute when it was in stores, but not worth it at the ridiculous price of $98.  Even when it went on sale for like $60, it still was too much in my opinion.  But at $30, sure I'll take it!

The whole thing is made of circle mesh.  It's very cool and lightweight.  And I love the double layered top look.  It doesn't come with built in bra or underwear, which is why I thought it wasn't worth the $98 price tag.  And it's really short so you definitely need to wear something underneath unless you don't plan to bend over or move around.  It's also a little see through.  Lol.  But the fit is really nice with the drop waist look.  You can cinch the waist, but it's got the elastic look no matter what, so there is really no point in fussing with that.  If I played tennis more than a few times a year, then I would be able to wear this a lot.  Now I'm not too sure what I would wear it with.  I don't think that I'd run in this.  But maybe I'll try it out when summer time comes.  I think it might be cute for golf too, which I love.  Or I could even just use it as a summer beach dress.  White always looks better when you have a nice tan!  For $30 I don't mind having it sit in my closet for a while.  I also was thinking that it might be nice to hem half of the skirt part off and wear it as a longer shirt.  Kinda like the Run: Energy SL.  But that might ruin it. 

On a different note, I also grabbed my fiance a pair of the Lululemon Agility Short when it went on sale for $19.  The only color they had was the slurpie blue.  Lol.

I think it's a nice color.  But wouldn't have been my first choice for shorts.  It would be a really nice top color.  For $19 though, it's cool.  It will go with black, white, gray, or brown tops.   He has another pair of Agility short, in black, that he got for free during product testing when we went to the Lulu run club a lot.  These shorts are a couple inches shorter than he prefers, so he sizes up to a size L.  But all in all, they are fine shorts for being free and $19.  Now if the Core Shorts ever go on sale, he would make sure to get stocked up.  They are longer length and he can actually wear the correct size and have them be a little more fitted.  I think they are the only Lulu shorts that are long enough for him.  I guess he is too "American" and wants his shorts to hit his knee caps.  Anyway, so I'm glad he's building up his Lulu wardrobe despite his initial resistance (mostly to the price).  Now we can both wear full on Lulu outfits when we go work out.  He hates that, but I think it's funny!

Happy New Year!

I'm 3 days late but oh well.  New years eve festivities aren't that exciting to me anymore.  It just seems like any other day.  I guess I'm getting old!  Plus we didn't get new year's off this year at work because the market was open, so we were business as usual.  It really didn't feel like any special day.  I stayed home on new year's eve, watched a movie and got drunk with my fiance.  Fell asleep on the couch at around 11:30 but woke up in time for Dick Clark's count down.  Lol.  Weeeeeeeee.  It's sad to hear him try so hard to count after his stroke, and always being half a second too late with each number.  Maybe he should give this job up and rest at home next year... like I did!

I have 2 new year's resolutions:
1. Stop shopping so much and save $$ for rainy days (I've been watching the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and it's really depressing), and
2. lose 10 pounds for my engagement photos / wedding / wedding photos.

Lol.  Both are depressing me already.  Not to mention I had half a scone this morning after my usual oatmeal and egg whites breakfast.  So my resolution started off a little rocky. 

Hmm... this post inadvertently turned out kind of depressing.  So on a happier note, I heard 2011 is supposed to be a lucky year from my kettlebell instructor!  Let's hope that's true.  We all could use a little luck!

Ever Hoodie

Ever is having holiday sales right now, 40-60% off.  And they even have it on some of their very coveted hoodies.  I'm a hoodie junkie, so I couldn't help myself.  I've seen Ever on Gilt once or twice, but never their hoodies.  Now they have some hoodies online that are down to $66!  I don't think that they would ever go any lower than that.

I got the navy blue (Hinto) Ever hoodie.  I've only been to the Ever store and this was my first time ordering from their site.  It came within a day, and the tag is a pouch with ear plugs in it too. 

I know that the petite size at Ever fits me since they are looser fit.  But I got the size S in this hoodie for the baggier look.  Besides, I find the petite hoodies kind of too short.  Ever has a different aesthetic.  It's got the distressed, "I'm so cool, I don't care how I look (but I just spent hundreds of dollars on this outfit)" look.  I find most of their stuff way too pricey for what they are, but I do really like some of them.  It's the whole casual luxury thing.  

I love my new hoodie.  It is so soft, like an old school sweatshirt that just gets softer and softer as it gets older.  It's warm too.  Ever hoodies are thermal lined.  It's the kind of hoodie that you would want to wear everyday, so it's worth the price.  It's also made in the US, and I believe the company is very green, and promotes traveling!  The logo patch signifies falling leaves returning to their roots.  They even have a whole list of travel destinations on their site.  When you click on a city, it gives you a few recommendations of where to stay, where to eat, etc.  It's cute.  

Oh yeah, they also do the whole write you name and # on your hoodie thing.  Hehe.

Lululemon Run: Ambition Pullover & Some Shorts

My Lululemon order that I placed the day after Christmas finally came today.  I actually planned to go to the store that day, but when I woke up, I decided to check online instead and I ended up getting what I wanted and didn't have to go fight the crowd!  Then I stayed home and played with my Apple TV all day. 

Since I missed out on the Post Run Pullover, I was really happy to see the Run: Ambition Pullover.  They pretty much look the same, minus some trim details.  Except the Ambition is a technical top made of brushed power luxtreme.  Even better!  I liked the snorkel blue one, but I already have my Spirit Pullover in bright blue, which is very similar so I didn't want another.  I liked the white one also, but I know it would get dirty fast.  I have a white Energy Pullover and the part of the cuffs right under the wrists kind of turned a little greyish and I can't wash it out.  That's just what happens to white long sleeves I guess.  So those two colors were out for me.  Then I couldn't decide between passion and black, so I ordered both.  I have a few tanks in passion.  But this top showed up more orangey than I thought.  I actually compared it with my Push Ur Limits tank in passion side by side because I know that the same color in different fabrics or batches can look different.  I found that the colors of my tank and the Ambition pullover were almost identical, with the Push tank being a tiny bit more red.  I'm not sure if I like passion being a long sleeve top.  It's kind of too much.  The black one is just black.  I don't know if I'm 100% happy with that either.  Most of my bottoms are black, and I really don't want to sport the ninja look.  I only have 2 tanks that are black and I never wear them.  I always think that I would feel like wearing more muted tops one day, but that almost never happens.  I'm a bright and colorful girl!  Hmmm.  I wish the Ambition Pullover came in the very violet color that the Post Run came in.  That would have been perfect...

Ok my fiance is not home tonight, so I had to resort to taking pictures of these two pullovers with my iPhone.  Ignore my messy closet behind me.  =)

Passion on me

black on me

Here are the stock pictures from the Lululemon website of these two colors:

Other than the colors, I really do love the way this pullover fits.  It fits on the looser side, but I think it's supposed to be that way.  So I would say it's true to size.  The cute kangaroo pocket is pretty roomy, and it has a little mesh card holder built on the inside.  Like a pocket within a pocket.  I like that a lot because I'm always afraid I'd lose things I put in my kangaroo pockets.  This way I can keep a credit card or some cash in it without having to worry that it would fall out.  The length of this top is on the longer side too which is great.  At first I was worried that the big collar and hood would be bothersome while running, but I found a continuous drawstring inside the collar that you can tie the hood around.

The cuffs are interesting.  I guess they are called "tuckins" which is like inside out cuffins.  Hard to explain so I took a picture.

See, you can put your fingers inside the "tuckins" and still use the thumb hole.  Or you can choose to not use the tuckins, then it would just be an extra piece of fabric against the sleeve.

Then of course there's the reflective details on the arms as well as the back pocket, which is about the same size as most Lululemon run pullovers.

So I think I will definitely keep one of the colors.  Unless a new and better color comes out before the return period is up.  I think this is one of the more versatile pullover styles, because I can use it running as well as casual wear.  I mean, it just looks like a hoodie!  And it's soft and comfy.  I just really have to decide which color I'm keeping.  

The shorts I'm wearing while taking these photos are actually new too.  They are the Effortless Short in heathered clarity gray that I bought off of the sale section for $19.  That's the most I'd pay for a pair of cotton "hang out at home" sweat shorts.  I think they look kind of ugly on the model.  But I just really needed some shorts to wear around the house.  They turned out a lot cuter than I thought.  But I did have to fold them up to make them shorter.  Otherwise they are kind of an awkward length.  You can't see in the pictures, but there is a zipper pocket on one of the butt cheeks. 

And lastly, I also got a pair of the Boogie Short in static charcoal / wish blue.  I've been wanting to get some Boogie Shorts for a while now, but didn't feel like paying $48 for them at regular price.  I like the color combo of these, and they were on sale for $29.  I bought them in size 6 because they didn't have a 4.  But it's pretty much the same as how a 4 fits - I've tried on both sizes in store before.  I don't plan to wear them outside of the house, unless I get into fighting shape then I might consider lol...  I just really wanted them as pajamas actually.  I wear Cool Racerbacks (my fav is the static very violet because it's sooooo soft) to sleep in every night, and they are great.  So now I got a whole outfit!  I don't look as booty-licious as her though.  Hahaha.

I was kind of hoping for more stuff to hit the sales section though.  Like I really wanted either the purple or pink Inspire Jacket which I tried on in store and loved.  But did not think I would use it enough to pay $158 or whatever.  Well of course it's been raining here tons and that jacket would've come in handy.  And now it's nowhere to be found.  I seem to remember last year during the holidays Lululemon had great sales on their website.  I got bras for like $5.  And there were tons of $3 underwear, $19 tanks, etc.  So I was rather disappointed this year.  Maybe more will be uploaded later.  I can always hope!

These are a Few of My Favorite Things... in 2010!

Well it's that time of the year again when everyone picks their favorites!  By the way, how did this year go by so fast??  It's hard to believe that it's almost the end.  I think 2010 has been a good year for me overall.  I bought my first place this year which is obviously my #1 purchase.  And I got engaged!  (The ring is obviously my fiance's #1 purchase.)  Other than buying a whole bunch of other stuff, my work has probably changed the most this year.  We moved our office from the beach to downtown, and I moved like 3 different times between different floors since then, and now even my job is pretty much completely different.  I then spent the last 3 months or so studying for the CFA exam.  So I guess 2010 was really an eventful year! 

I was going to pick top 10 things I bought this year or something like that, but I really couldn't narrow it down to 10!  I'm the queen of indecisiveness after all.  So I'm just going to pick them without counting.  I only picked things that were new to me in 2010, and the ones that I've gotten the most use out of.  These are not in any particular order.  I guess I will try to group them by category.  So without further ado, here we go! 

One of the earliest purchases I made this year were my Koolaburra boots!  I've been getting a lot of use out of them, pretty much daily.  Best money ever spent!

I found a couple winning items from Shu Uemura - the Essence Absolue and the Foundation Powder.  I absolutely love them.  The Essence Absolue makes the ends of my hair so healthy and shiny.  And I use the Foundation Powder daily.  It has great coverage but at the same time makes the skin look natural and radiant. 

While we are on the topic of makeup, I have a few other favs that I found this year - the Laura Mercier Waterproof Mascara - makes the lashes dark, thick and long - amazing!  I tried out a few different mascaras this year, and have come back to this one.  It's definitely my favorite!

I also finally branched out this year and tried out a new face wash - the Ole Henriksen On The Go Cleanser.  This face wash is great!  It really makes me feel cleaner everyday I use it.  It makes my skin feel smooth - not dried out.  This is a sure winner!

Oh yeah, on the hair side, I really like the Babyliss Hair Dryer I bought.  It's definitely on the heavy side, but it minimizes the flyaways, and I love the results.

Hmmm ok now moving onto clothes.  This is a big section!  I definitely bought more clothes than anything else.  Lots of Lululemon, for sure.  As far as Lululemon tanks go, I think the and the Push Ur Limits and the Light Up Tank are the best tanks I bought this year.  They are both luxtreme tanks, and I've worn them both to various activities where they've performed beautifully.  Well I also think they look very sharp too. I bought multiple Push Ur Limits tanks.  I love the thick and supportive straps on them, and the contrasting colors make them stand out.  The Light Up Tank had a high price tag, but I'm very glad I ended up buying it.  I really like how it fits, from looser fitting body, to the ruching on the back with the huge pocket, to the tiniest detail of the glittery gripper on the hem.  The reflective details on the straps don't really do much for me, as I never wore it outside the gym.  But I guess it won't hurt if I ever decide to.

I have an obsession with jackets, hoodies and outer wear.  Out of the ones I bought this year, my absolute favorite is the Journey Jacket from Lululemon.  I love the shorter length, the military-inspired style and the way it fits.   I've worn it so much, it's the perfect weight jacket for the SoCal weather pretty much all year long.

Another Lululemon hoodie that I wear a lot is the Flashback Jacket.  It's super comfy, and I wear it all the time as well.

One of the newest items I received - the Diesel Fluvy hoodie, has become one of my favorites too.  I'm in love with the graphic print on the back.

My two Kitson hoodies have turned out to be worthy companions as well.  I wear them a lot inside the house and outside.  Every time I wear them out, people go crazy over them.  I've had so many strangers stop by and ask me where I got them from.  Pretty funny.  I'm glad I got 2 of them.

Does a running pullover count in this category?  Hehe.  Well I didn't buy too many Lululemon running pullovers this year.  But I'm in love with my teal zeal Inspire Pullover!  I'm so glad I returned the senorita pink one from the first batch.  Because the teal zeal one is so soft and without the rough ribbon edging.  I really like the fit of the pullover.  It's similar to my Hills Pullover and Energy Pullover, but I really love the high ruched collar on this one.  I also love the bright and cheerful green color.  It's definitely become one of my favorite running pullovers.

Another one of my absolute favorites from this year for working out is the Fast Shorts.   Unfortunately I don't think they sold very well so they probably won't be making a come back.  I wish they had at least come out with more colors so I could have stocked up!  Super sad face.

Ok I think we're near the end.  Just a couple more things!  Maybe now I should move onto my work wardrobe.  Earlier in the year, I stocked up on the Express Editor Wide Waistband pants.  I own many pairs of them now, and they have lasted beautifully.  They are all I wear to work other than my dresses and skirts.  They are the most comfortable and flattering pants for work.  That's pretty much all you can ask for. 

I also really like the Express Sweaters for work.  I bought like 4 of them.  They are awesome!  

Surprisingly, my most recent purchase - the Abercrombie Josey Sweater has been a great, great buy for work as well.  It adds just the right feminine touch.  It's super soft and comfortable.  And looks great too.

I also use my mom's silly mug present all the time at work too.  For tea or coffee.  Really, sometimes simple things are the best things in life.

I can't end this list without mentioning my Lululemon Bon Voyage Duffle.  I've used this duffle extensively for the gym as well as for traveling.  I love the many labeled pockets and the roominess.  Not to mention the color ivy in the satiny material is just gorgeous.  I don't ever use the camel shoulder strap though.  I just use the handles and wear it like a purse.

Ok, I think I will end this with my awesome Samsung Washer & Dryer set.  I'm so glad I bought this set!  I've used many washers & dryers and these are the best!  They are so quiet, efficient, and they really make the clothes cleaner than other washers.  Weird, right?  I'm glad I read up on all the consumer reports before buying a set.  They are a great investment!

Ok well, I think this is plenty!  I guess I really am indecisive.  Hehe.  But hey, I can't help that I bought so many great items this year!  I really should make a list of useless things I've bought also though, because there are many too.  You win some, you lose some right?  Well I'm excited to see what 2011 brings!  My wedding will be next year, so I'm sure that will bring a whole new set of topics!  I really can't wait till it's over actually.  I'm not a planner at all, I'm not really into this wedding stuff, and I haven't even set a date.  But it's already giving me a huge headache!  I'm still looking forward to whatever new adventures to come my way!

I hope that all of you have had a great 2010.  Thank you for ramblings, and all the best for the upcoming year!

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone is having a merry Christmas!  I don't have any plans.  My parents were here yesterday but they left early this morning to go visit a friend in Arizona.  A friend is coming over in a little bit.  So I guess we will just eat and drink and be merry! 

My fiance got me a "side gift", which I am loving so much!  This is how I plan to spend my day...

What are these things called?  They are like half socks half slippers.  Footies?  Indoor Uggs?  lol.  They are so cozy and cute, I love them!  He said he saw them at a little gift store and knew I would like them right away.  I'm glad he knows me so well.  Hehe.

One of the presents I got him for Christmas is the Apple TV.  

We've been streaming NetFlix movies all day yesterday and today.  It's pretty cool.  It's got wifi, and you can stream YouTube as well as connect your iTunes to it.  And I can even use my iPhone as a remote!  It's so little, you can put it in the palm of your hand.  It's only $99 now, instead of $200 or whatever it was before.  Still have to figure out what else it does.  I love Apple products. 

So Many Good Deals This Holiday Season!

I went Xmas shopping on Thursday night.  I know, very very last minutes.  But I guess I wasn't feeling too much holiday spirit this year and time just flew by.  But I was impressed by all the good deals the stores were having this year!  It's like they were giving stuff away.  I didn't have a chance to go into too many stores because I didn't get to the mall till like 8.  But I did go into Abercrombie for the first time in years.  I had read on Bloomberg that analysts were estimating a rise in Abercrombie stock prices because they put everything in their stores at 40% off this holiday season to increase volume.  This tactic sure worked for me!  I used to shop there a lot when I was in high school, and first few years in college.  Then I just grew out of it.  I still think a lot of their stuff is too young looking for me but I was able to get some basics for real cheap.  I also picked up some sweaters and thermals for my fiance.  I think everything I bought averages to like $20 a piece.  I'm especially loving these:

The Quinn long sleeve knit:

It's just a basic cotton tee.  Super soft though, I don't know what Abercrombie does to their material but I love how soft everything is there.  I also think the moose is really cute on the little pocket.  Love the contrast color stitching on the seams.  I've been wearing this ever since I got it and it's great!  They come in like 10 different colors so I definitely have to go back and get more. 

Also really like this Josey sweater:

Oh yes, more ruffles!  Hahaha.  It's actually got 3 layers of ruffles down the front, the middle layer is a fine mesh material.  There's no buttons at all so it just hangs open.  I was thinking that I could wear this to work also because the moose on is pretty inconspicuous.  It kind of blends in with the rest of the sweater.  The 2 little pockets on the sides are great too.  It's so soft too, and not itchy like some sweaters can be.

Anyway, I guess I'll have to keep Abercrombie on my radar for some casual luxury if I can snatch things like this for $20 or so.  I thought I merged over to Lululemon for casual wear, but hey I can get 5 things from Abercrombie for the price of one at Lulu.  I can do the math.  Hehe.

Oh yeah, while walking around the mall, I also wandered into a furniture store and ended up coming home with a patio set!  The whole store was 70% off, and I swear I could have bought half of the place.  But after the patio set, I couldn't fit anything into the car anymore!  Luckily I had my fiance's SUV and not my little 2 seater convertible roadster.  I took a pic of the set while I was at the store to send to him and see what he thought... and here's the pic.

So I ended up getting it for $199 and it looks perfect on my patio!  I'm glad I finally was able to find something for my patio and will be able to actually use that space.  I guess winter time is the perfect time to get outdoor furniture!