Update: My Shopper Hardware Handbag

So I've been using my Shopper Hardware Handbag for a little over a month. This is a great everyday bag. The three large inside pockets are a major plus. I keep my pens, checkbook, gum, vitamins, loose change, small purchases, and mail in the pockets.

I was quite surprised with how durable yet lightweight this bag is. The stainless steel straps are surprisingly comfortable on my shoulder.

The Shopper easily holds a book, 1 to 3 magazines, a bottle of water, iPod, cell phone, wallet, makeup case, hairbrush, sweater, extra pair of shoes, etc...you get the picture...it holds a lot. I absolutely adore my bag.

The Shopper is great for a long work commute and a carry on when traveling. My Shopper is definitely joining the rest of my top totes and will be in heavy rotation for a long time. Thanks to Allie over at Wardrobe Oxygen for posting about this fabulous and eco-friendly line of bags!

VENT!!!!!!!!!!! So Ready For Spring

There are no words that can describe how sick and tired I am of Chicago's crazy weather. This winter which in my opinion is still going strong (despite the calendar saying Spring has sprung) has been one of the harshest winters. There have been endless cold, dreary and gray days. My love affair with the city has never been that great and I swear if someone were to hand me a one way ticket to Miami, I'd be GONE. I'm over cold, damp, gray days, and the persistent threat of snow. It's freakin' April in another two days!!!! What gives? I want some warm weather, sunshine, and the opportunity to stop wearing my damn down coat!

Product Reviews: RoC Daily Microderm Disks

Hey pretty people!!!!

I grabbed the RoC Daily Microdermabrasion Cleansing Disks purely by accident two weeks ago in CVS. I was there for light bulbs and paper towels but the call of the beauty products was too loud to ignore. Honestly the day I go to a drugstore and don't peruse the beauty aisle someone better take my temperature. Okay back to the product. I love these disks. They give a great exfoliating clean without any residue left behind. The crystal side feels very gentle, it's not overly abrasive or harsh as long as you use a gentle hand. The conditioning side is padded and filled with skin softening moisturizer that rinses away easily. I've used two disks already and I liked the way my face felt and looked afterwards. The product claims to be for daily use but my skin tends to be a little sensitive, so once a week is plenty. I'll give an updated review in a month.

Unpacking & Settling In...

The picture below is a much neater version of my life right now. I moved into my new place last Friday and was planning to get unpacked and organized over the weekend. Things never go according to plan (how I hate that!!!)

I was so sick on Friday that I just wanted a warm blanket to lay under. I found the warm blanket and stayed under it the entire weekend taking medicine, clutching a box of tissues, and sleeping like a baby. Needless to say my apartment is still a sea of boxes and luggage as far as the eye can see. :(

Hopefully this weekend I'll have my cable, phone, and internet connection up and running.

Jennifer Lopez and the twins, Emme and Max

New mommy Jennifer Lopez graces the new People magazine with her six week old twins, Emme and Max.

Heatherette Is Here

Today MAC unveiled it's highly anticipated new collection, Heatherette. Yes.That Heatherette. Trevor Rains and Richie Rich are bringing their edgy style and flair to MAC counters with an explosive collection of color.

Click here to check out the line!

Heatherette MySpace


The eyeshadows are a little bold for my personal taste. I may test the lipglass, eyeliner, and beauty powder. Honestly I can't resist the cute packaging ;) Can't wait to see the colors up close!!!

Mommy Halle Update

We have official word from People.com: The baby's name is Nahla Ariela Aubry. Very cute name. I approve, lol!

Building A Handbag Collection

Bags and purses are my obsession, I have too many to count and I'm always buying another purse or tote. My friends usually wait for me to clean out my closet and get rid of bags I no longer carry as much. I take very good care of my bags and many of them are over five years old but are still in great condition.

I have a friend who carries the same black bag for every life situation. I told her she needs to start a bag collection of at least four more bags. So this post is dedicated to you, bag lady, lol!

The Clutch - Your cute night out bag. A clutch purse can be as ornate or plain as you need. I prefer one in patent leather or sparkly metallic.

The basic black leather purse - If you're going to have an everyday purse make it a black one so ink marks and other stains won't show. Your everyday bag should be a good quality leather that is within your price range and can hold the basic items (keys, cell phone, wallet, hand cream, mints, pen, small notepad, tissues, etc).

A bag that adds a pop of color - A bag in a bright color is a great way to spice up a neutral ensemble.

The work and weekend tote - If you're like me, you carry a lot of stuff back and forth to work (iPod, makeup bag, laptop, book, magazine, change of shoes, lunch, and bottled water, etc) On the weekend as you're shopping and running errands you need a place to store your items as you trek here and there. A sturdy and stylish tote is a must have for work and the weekend.

Mommy Halle

Congratulations to the always flawless and one of the most effortlessly stylish women in Tinseltown!!!! Halle Berry delivered a baby girl Sunday night.

(left: Halle & Gabriel's Versace ad...Where the romance began.)












CNN
NEW YORK (AP) -- Halle Berry doesn't just play a mom in movies anymore.
The 41-year-old actress had a baby girl Sunday, and "is doing great," her publicist Meredith O'Sullivan told
People.com, the Web site of People magazine. It is her first child.
The father is 32-year-old model Gabriel Aubry. The two met while shooting a Versace ad in Los Angeles two years ago.
Berry told Oprah Winfrey on her show last year that playing a mother in her latest movie, "Things We Lost in the Fire," helped convince her that motherhood was for her.

"I think it validated that I was meant to be a mother because every day I dealt with the character as a mother and thinking as a mother," Berry said. "It let me know that I must be a mother."
Berry won the best-actress Oscar for 2001's "Monster's Ball." She also won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for 1999's "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge."

Berry had said she and Aubry don't plan to marry, but feel fully committed to each other.

No name has been released yet for Baby Girl Berry-Aubry. I hope she gives the baby a hip name.

Nordstrom's Ten Things: Global & Glam

Nordstrom is my absolute favorite store. I love the shopping experience. The sales staff is by far the best in retail business, I've never encountered a rude person in the nine years I have been shopping there.

I was on Nordstrom's website today shopping for jeans and reading their blog, From the Floor. I went back to the homepage and saw Ten Things to add a glamourous, global twist to your look. The list has nine items I am sure to incorporate into my look. I will not be a part of the gladiator sandal trend. Those sandals are a major no-no for me. I don't like them and I don't care how many times I see them this season; I won't own a pair. They do nothing for my feet or legs.

What items from the list are must haves for you?



pictures courtesy of Nordstrom.com

My Favorite Quote...

Because as much as I love being a girl, being a woman is a journey-and really more of a trip.

~Danyel Smith, Editor-in-Chief, quote
(taken from Danyel's column in the November 2006 Vibe Vixen.)

Gimme A Break!!!!

Goodness Gracious, life is hectic. Work is busy, I'm getting ready to move to a new apartment, I have new chairs coming, the personal life is outta whack, and did I mention work is busy???

I need to be in that hammock to the left reading a magazine and listening to Keyshia Cole's CD "Just Like You" on repeat (going through some man thangs ya'll and this music is soothing a slightly broken heart).

I have a slew of recently purchased products to review. I promise I'll post the reviews soon.

In the meantime, here's a bulleted list of what I'm into now:

• Spring fashion - Yay yellow is still "in" but even if the magazines said it was out I would still wear the color as I'm no slave to trends. Yellow is a happy color and I'm all about happy these days.


• Improving my kitchen game - How cool is Food Network's newest show, Down Home with the Neelys??? I watch it every Saturday and want to try just about all their recipes. The Neelys are such a warm and fun loving couple. Catch the show when you get a chance!


• Thursday nights...Lipstick Jungle. Why do I wish I could jump through the TV and snatch these ladies bags and shoes???? The fashion on that show is enough to make a fashionista cry.


• Discipline - Janet's tenth studio album dropped on February 26th. Great, fun music. It's Miss Janet at her best. And yes I'm her biggest fan, lol!


• Victoria Beckham, the author - For my birthday this year, my friend gave me "That Extra Half An Inch".


• Getting a mani/pedi this weekend. Yoga-Ta Get This Blue for the hands (I have to try a blue mani just once, lol) and something neutral for the tootsies :)

Alright people...shows over! LOL! I'll be back soon. Take care :D

I'd Rather Be Blogging...

Hey Fabulous People!

Work has been extremely busy - so busy that after looking at a computer all day for work, I don't even want to glance in the general direction of my laptop when I get home.

I plan to get my blogging mojo back this weekend with a few posts.

What's up with all the new products in the drug stores? Last weekend I went to CVS to pick up my allergy medicine and I spent an extra fifteen minutes tossing a few products in my basket. The drugstore brands are really stepping up their lines with some gorgeous collections and accompanying ads. Now if they would just put the new products on their websites...(Hey L'Oreal and Maybelline, I'm talking about you guys!!!!) What's really going on with the websites people????