I'm Getting Married!!!!! Hence the Delay in Posts

Anyone who's ever tried to plan a wedding for 100+ people on a budget for 30 people (in less than 4 months) will understand my pain. Priorities people.... I will try to get back to posting ASAP!

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Starts Today: Beyond Black Was There for the Start

I am one of those crazy morning people that everyone loves to hate because I am perky and bright first thing in the morning, no coffee required. But even I have a general rule of not shopping before 10am. I made an exception this morning to hit up the start of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale here in SF's Westfield Centre.


So at 7am sharp, my friend Lindsey and I were one of the many people standing outside of the elevators waiting to go up.


There were sales throughout the entire store on tons of items. I couldn't help but try on a couple <$60 tops. Lindsey found some great things, including this cute dress for work.













We both left feeling quite satisfied that we didn't break the bank. And we are both still happy with Nordstrom for taking our lean pockets into consideration, even if we didn't get a 7am arrival announced with confetti and clapping :)

Put Myself in Your Shoes: A Trip Through My Personal Wardrobe Consultation

More often than not, as soon as I walk into a client's closet, one of the first things out of their mouths is, "Well I don't have a lot of stuff." And most times they are surprised at what they actually do have. Amazing how we forget the things we have when we gut stuck in the "I have nothing to wear" mentality. Truth be told, even I fall into that myself sometimes. Part of ,my problem is that I have a lot of clothes, and don't always remember what I have because I haven't been able to see it!

So I'm moving. Having to downsize into smaller temporary housing before my boyfriend and I get married. I am having to choose which items I need for the next three months, and which items can be stored at my boyfriends place. All-in-all, I have to downsize, MAJORLY.

I can't believe I crammed so much stuff into my closet. Granted it's a walk-in and this is only one side of it... And the scary thing is, I wear most of it (at least 90% depending on my current weight). Keep in mind that some of it is seasonal and can't be worn year round. Case-in-point: the pink-belted snowboard pants on the left.
Once I started pulling everything out, I had two of these rolling racks filled with clothes!!!
These are the items I have set aside to give to Dress for Success San Francisco, and to send out for consignment for cash to help with moving expenses (and maybe a new pair of shoes). I usually take my consignment pieces to JLSF's Next-to-New Boutique.These are the items I have partially set aside and partially folded to go out for donation to the Salvation Army.

And I couldn't make this blog post without mentioning the brave efforts and patience of my fabulous boyfriend for sitting through 4+ hours of listening to me talk about the memories I had of the last time I wore something he hadn't seen before.


So I have all of the hanging stuff sorted through, at least "round 1" anyway. I think I am going to skip over the folded items (mostly gym clothes and jeans) and head straight to the shoes...
...and this isn't even half of them :) More to come, stay tuned.

When My Feet Hurt: The Shoes I'm Craving Now

When working with clients, I'm on my feet for hours at a time. When they are standing, I'm standing. So Tuesday, when I was in Nordstrom Westfield Centre shopping with a client for size 4-1/2 sandals, my aching feet had me wanting to search their inventory of flats for myself. But the day was about business not pleasure :) So as soon as I got home, I jumped on Nordstrom.com and took a look for myself. The shoes above were my favorites, most of which will be calling my closet home in the next 5-7 business days.

In neutral shades to go with almost everything, any of these shoes would make doing my job that much easier. Like I tell all of my clients, "you can't shop if your feet hurt."

To see these styles and the others offered on their site, be sure to stop by www.nordstrom.com.

Express Success Event 7/21/09: Support Dress for Success and Meet Ugly Betty's Vanessa Williams

This event isn't highly publicized, so I wanted to throw this out there for your attention. It's really a beauty/Botox event that supports not just our local Dress for Success, but the entire organization.

If any of you (and any girlfriends) are interested in going to this event, you just have to RSVP, and it's free with a suit/blouse (or work appropriate accessory) donation. Plus it's a chance to meet Ugly Betty's Vanessa Williams! I'm going for sure. Event starts at 6:30 in the St Regis Hotel on 3rd St.

For more information: http://www.expresssuccesscampaign.com/index.aspx

Vote for the Most Stylish San Franciscan for 7x7 Magazine

I was nominated by my valued friends and clients to join the 7x7 Magazine Style Council for 2009. Click on the link below to see the other nominees and place your vote. Hint, I'm #31 :)

http://www.7x7.com/surveys/2009-style-council-whos-most-stylish-san-franciscan

BCBG is Having a SALE!

My female clients know that I love to suggest BCBG. And no I do not get paid to say that or endorse them in any way. What is it about their clothing you ask?

-contemporary suiting in varying sizes (0/XXS-12/L)
-their signature cardi-wrap sweaters are GREAT for most bodies and come in new colors every season
-for those petite women, the pants are easily tailored and their knits run small
-they offer classic, but not bland, corporate work pieces

Here are some of my suggestions from the sale:


images courtesy of BCBG

Hors d'oeuvres, Not the Main Meal: Buying Into Designer Clothing Labels With Accessories

I love this quote from one of my favorite books "The Meaning of Sunglasses And a Guide to Almost All Things Fashionable," by Hadley Freeman:

"The reason more women will spend $1,400 on a Chloe handbag than they will on a Chloe dress is well known... a-bag-never-makes-you-feel-fat. And its appeal to designers is equally simple: it sells faster...

Once accessories operated, the way perfume still does to an extent, as a compensating taster for those who wanted a bit of designer label action yet couldn't afford to commit to a full-on relationship. But now accessories themselves have become just as expensive as the frocks because, as designers have learned, there really are some people out there who will pay $1,000 for a Marc Jacobs knitted hat." pg 1-2

Admittedly, my closet does contain more than one pair of $800+ shoes. Which is why I know that designer accessories cost much more than their clothing counterparts these days. I too have fallen into the marketing pitfalls of buying into designer labels. Having dealt with my weight my entire life, I also know the value of a pair of designer shoes that always fit :)

For ways to keep those $800 shoes nice, see my previous post about adding rubber soles.