Betsey Johnson Breakdown

Good evening lovelies! I hope everyone had an amazing Mother's Day, and for those who are still celebrating I hope it stays sweet.

Tonight, I want to talk about a bit of news that I just heard in the fashion industry that has blown me out of the water: Betsey Johnson is closing down. 

 

http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/68779925.html 

Yes, the beloved Betsey Johnson is closing many of the 63 stores in the country after over 40 years in the business. Starting out with Betsey Bunkey Nini in 1969, the company grew, but after experiencing more than 20% sales loss since 2007 and not recovering, Steve Madden couldn't even save the company, and now the websites and stores will now close for good. Every store location has started a liquidation process that will end sometime in July with all the stores closing. 

Remembering Betsey Johnson: My Style

I fell in love with Betsey Johnson about 5 years ago when I first moved out for school in San Diego. I had no idea who Betsey Johnson was or even the slightest notion that such a style existed, but many girls in my classes wore her clothes and a few girls even worked at the store 5 minutes down the road. Very quickly, through various class presentations and unintentional fashion shows, I became quickly acquainted with the brand and fell in love. I was quite lucky that Fashion Valley Mall was only 5 minutes away and happens to house a very small but well-stocked Betsey Johnson boutique. Unfortunately the prices were so high at the boutiques I could never drop $50 on a ring at once, so I just had to admire from afar. It wasn't until one day venturing into Macy's that I discovered the store carries Betsey Johnson, and also  happens to offer a credit card (Debatable as to whether that's a good thing since I seem to keep paying it off and then finding more things to "need"). My first-ever purchase from Macy's was a giant Betsey Johnson gold heart-and-glass ring that says "Fly Away with me" with a mirror background. If i hit someone with that ring they'd be down for the count.

Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Coach; none of those brands meant anything to me once discovering Betsey. I found myself gravitating to the overall style the line exudes. Luxury to me was not to be toting around the latest Coach, but to be wearing a Betsey Johnson dress with a beautiful flower in my hair and red lipstick with cute wedges. To be honest, that's still my style aesthetic. Sweet, feminine, and just enough quirk to make it interesting.

While I will no longer be able to go to a Betsey boutique and drool outside of it's windows longingly, I will be able to remember the sweet style that Betsey injected into the world, and take that style into my own wardrobe. The company will be re-done and Miss Johnson plans to have a fashion show in September. We can only hope!

Rock on!!!

Mother's Day

Hello lovelies! I hope everyone had an amazing weekend and everyone is ready for Mother's Day, which is coming up in just 2 weeks! It's a good thing so many sites are doing wonderful promotions or it might have slipped right by me. To make sure that I'm showing my mom how much I care, I decided to get a fun little gift basket of things for her this year, some cute and funny, some sweet and sentimental, and all of course for under $50.

My Mother's Day Basket

Under $50

 

Shutterfly Customizable Tote Bag: $14.99

I got this amazing customized tote for only $7.49 because it was on sale and I had a $10 coupon. I recommend signing up for Shutterfly's email list; you'll get free things and discounts all the time! This gift is perfect for the eco-friendly mom, much like mine!

 

Amazing Mother's Day Gift Ideas 

$50 or Less

 

Sea Glass Mini Pendant Necklace: $55.00

Working for Betty Belts, I am obviously biased, but I love seaglass with a passion; each piece came from somewhere and is completely unique and unlike any other piece out there. The mini pendants are a great to wear on a cord with other pendants as my friend Amanda does, or by themselves. They're a fantastic gift and look great on everyone!

 

Leather Mother of Pearl Round Pill Box: $21.00

For the chic vitamin-popping mom.

 

Toast 2 You Top Handle Crossbody: $34

A stunning purse from Olivia+Joy at the perfect price. The straps make it easy and effortless to wear long or carry around. The piping and clasp detail in front give it just the right amount of pop and attitude to make it stand out. This purse is anything but stuffy and

 

Faceted Stone Earrings: $49.99 

The unusual shape of these earrings make them striking without being overpowering. You will definitely draw the right kind of attention when you slip these on with a flowy blouse or structured dress. Dressed up or down, these earrings will add the perfect amount of bling without breaking the bank,

 

Mi-Bra: $20.00

A bra that has an IPod pocket; need I say more? I may just get 2...

 

Kindle or Kindle Touch Cover: $34.99

My mother never leaves home without her kindle, so why not make your mom's kindle a pretty book? That happens to hold hundreds of other books too.

 

Flirty Marilyn Mint-A-Licious Apron: $20.99

Adorable AND useful: my favorite kind of item.

The Everything Green Smoothies Book: $10.74

For the healthy mom; you can never have too many cookbooks!

Reusable Shopping Bag

  Reusable Shopping Bag

Check out our modern shower invitations by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Wednesday's Reprise

Good evening lovelies! It has been too long! For those that don't know, I am filming a show called "The Jace & Ashley Show". My wonderful partner Jace is editing and the show should be up and running very soon. When that's up, I'll be sure to post the first episode on here. 

This evening I decided to take the leap and make my own video show. Tonight I created a tutorial I am so excited to share with you. After some editing tomorrow, I'll be sure to post it Monday night for everyone to see. 

Tonight though, I'm excited to share with you some amazing deals I've found around the web, as well as an amazing find that I stumbled across a few weeks ago.

Eyebuydirect.com Glasses

$50 or less

 

For those that don't know, which would be most, I am rather near-sighted. For my Channukah present last year, my mother bought me a beautiful pair of Anne Klein glasses. She paid most of it, and I chipped in $80. Then, this past January, one night I had them, and the next day they were gone. I had been in my house the whole time, and since then I have torn my apartment apart, flipped it upside down and inside out; no glasses to be found.

Being rather nearsighted, I decided a few weeks ago instead of hoping for them to magically turn up, to just buy a new pair. Being poor, I wanted to find a pair that suited me. Eyebuydirect.com had the best prices. For those that are leery of ordering eyeglasses online, do what I did and go off what you know suits your face. Since I couldn't see how they looked on my face, I instead chose a pair that looked like the pair I lost. If you're uncertain what looks good on your face, I recommend going into a store to try on glasses and see what looks right for your facial structure, then going on the site to find the closest matching pair.

It was very quick, very simple, and very fast. Within a week I had my glasses, and now I can see while driving! (A very important thing, at least to some anyways)

The best part? These glasses only cost me $35 WITH shipping and handling, and yes, they're my exact prescription. Take THAT Anna Wintour!

Online Deals

madewell.com

25% off - Ends Friday. Code: WHYNOT

Urbanoutfitters.com

Free shipping, no minimum. Ends at 3am!!!

calvinklein.com

25% everything, including sale. Code: CK2012

loehmanns.com

25%-40% off of  select handbags and watches. TONIGHT ONLY!!!

Live Art or Cruelty?

For those that haven't heard, there's a new art form in town. Well, in Mexico really: live art. During Mayan times women used to bejewel their beetles and wear them as live jewelry as a status symbol. Today not much has changed as women have tried to cross over bringing jeweled Maquech beetles from Mexico embellished as brooches for women to wear. The beetles have their shells encrusted with gems which are also attached to a chain-linked pin. The women pins herself and the beetle is free to roam around on his short leash, and on her lapel.

Beetle Brooch

PETA has been up in arms about the recent jewelry trend that actually dates back thousands of years. While the bugs actually aren't specifically being harmed by this practice since it's only on their shells which doesn't hurt them, they are being taken from their natural environment which no doubt is upsetting the ecosystem, and being forced to be worn on a random person's jacket for hours on end; AKA - A literal fashion slave. They're just like any other living creature; they need to eat and drink, live out their productive little beetle lives, and go to the bathroom. 

I get the sneaking suspicion that Maquech poop on the collar isn't as glamorous as an encrusted shell.

Let the Games begin

Hello lovelies! I'm sure since most of us aren't living in the wilderness under rocks, that we all know about the highly-anticipated Hunger Games movie. It is the most anticipated movie of the year and had the 3rd-largest weekend opening for a movie, ever. Having not read the books, I saw the movie and was quite surprised and pleased at how fantastic the movie is. It's the first of a the Hunger Games Trilogy, and I can't wait to see what happens in the other movies, and I should probably read them first, although you didn't really need to read the first book to understand and love the movie.

Today, I'm going to bring you Effie Trinket's style on a budget. For those that don't know, the beautiful Elizabeth Banks changed her appearance and voice to play the wild-styled Effie Trinket. The women of the Capitol love loud colors, big hair, crazy nails, makeup, and accessories. It's like a whole city of Lady Gaga's, Nicki Minaj's and Kesha's all in one: AKA - Bright, bold, and strangely beautiful. The colors are a strong contrast from the poorer districts that make up the nation of Panam.

While sitting in the theater, my boyfriend asked me "How do you feel about her outfit?". Being in the movie, I couldn't say much, but I was rather in love with the color and boldness of not only Effie, but the women of the Capitol.

Hunger Games

Effie Trinket

 

Effie Trinket for Less

  

Miss Me Dressy 1: $16.49

Cute peep-toe black ankle booties; yes please!

 

Xhilia Socklets: $5.00

Effie wears nude ankle socks with her heels in almost every scene and makes them look quite tame compared to the rest of her outfit, and these ankle socks are no exception. A slight touch of sweet in a structured outfit.

 

OR

Raglan Slub Knit Top: $4.99 

If you're going to work, then the black top is a more suitable option, but if you feel like being daring in an Effie way, the the darker maroon works as a nice neutral for the bright pink to pop against so you can play with colors but not look like a Lite Brite board.

 

Ponte Pencil Skirt with Fish Tail: $26.86

An adorable skirt that will work for any work function or social gathering. This will be a nice splash of color to help get noticed, so you can talk about all your hard work and contribution to the company of course!

 

Rosette Hair Clip/Pin: $1.50

This can be worn on your jacket or in your hair; either way it works quite nicely in this outfit, and in any outfit in the future as a splash of color. Color is your friend; embrace the bold!

Makeup

Since we're not trying to be EXACTLY like Effie, you'll want a more realistic approach to the makeup. If this is a work outfit, since you'll be wearing bold colors, you'll want to keep the makeup minimum and stick to a nice gloss for the lips, such as Smashbox's "Fame"; a very lovely softer pink to balance the brighter hues you'll be sporting. If this is for a party, then you play a little bit with a bit of liner on the eyes or possibly even a very soft shimmer on the eyes in a golden hue, but remember, keep it very light to make sure you don't look like you're trying to be Effie.

Nails

Since this isn't Panam and you don't live in the Capitol, I wouldn't recommend the crazy blue-style nails shown above, but you can pretty much do anything you want, given that it's ok in the environment you work in. I would recommend a solid color if you're unsure what kind of nails to sport with the outfit, but in true Effie style, any color works! 

Tip: For an extra fun outing, add a bit of loose glitter while your nails are drying for a truly Effie sparkle!

Hair

Being someone with a gigantic cotton ball as a head of hair, I don't need to do much to look like Effie, but if you want to rock this outfit and make it appropriate for work, you can do a side bun and pin the flower on the front of the bun, which also works for a party. If you want to jazz it up even more for a party, wear your hair down with just a touch of teasing and a spritz of volumizing hair spray and you're good to go for the night.

Total: $54.84

Internet Deal

roamans.com

 99 cent shipping. Ends tonight. Code: RDSHIP99

Sample Sale! + Online deals

Good afternoon lovelies! It has been too long since I have posted, and thankfully now without any further adieu, here is my first post in waaaaaaay too long!

Who loves a good sample sale? You do! And I just might too.

Sample Sale

Stewart+Brown Hosting Sample Sale with Betty Belts
and Midi Queen

Where: Stewart+Brown Studio 955 E. Front Street (across from "The Wharf")
When: Saturday (Today) 12-5 pm

Find bargains on luxury organic cotton, cashmere and hemp clothing gorgeousness that makes you look and feel good!
60-90% off. Have a glass of wine and meet the designers themselves. Kid friendly.
Today is the first pick day of production samples. There are all sizes available. Saturday is the deeper discount day with irregulars and prototypes.
I will have reduced sea glass jewelry on my table along with colorful leather and upcycled surfboard resin seconds and much more to be determined shortly.
Midi Queen is bringing a great selection of her awesome bags too : )

We always have so much fun at these sales and we just ADORE the clothes, which are comfy, elegant AND flattering (I live in them). If you haven't been to one yet, you won't regret coming.

Smiles and Aloha,
Donna

 

Online Deals

dsw.com

Free shipping: No minimum. Code: SHIP4FREE