Some of My Favorite Things..More Gift Ideas.

So the holidays are here, and it's no joke, I'm broke. Not much in my gift budget this year, but I decided to post some of my favorite (and maybe not so favorite, but unique) gift ideas, that won't break the bank . A continuation of my last post, as I aspire to keep my blog posts short and sweet.

Sephora Emergency Kit

 For your favorite girlfriend: because a friend in need is a friend indeed!

Ever have one of those days where you get a run in your stocking, lose your earring back and your nail breaks on the same day you run into your ex-boyfriend ? This gift is one of my favorite picks of the season. Found at Sephora, it is an  emergency kit  by Mr. and Mrs.  click here.  This cute little silver pouch contains an emery board, a tampon (for your other "friend"), a nail polish remover pad,  double sided tape (for loose hems), dental floss, fresh breath drops, Advil,  and
other emergency essentials.  

 The best thing about it is  smaller and  weighs less than an iPhone. The price? Only thirteen dollars!!! The problem is I want to buy ten of them!

Texting Gloves

Speaking of iPhones, I can't live without mine. I love to text but not in the cold. And did you ever try to use your Rue La La app with frozen fingers? Thankfully someone invented texting gloves. I bought myself a pair from Echo in RED  and LOVE them!! They have some sort of metallic fabric tip at the finger and thumb. The weather outside may be frightful but you will never miss a text, email or sale again , available at Zappos (click here) Lord and Taylor , Bloomingdales and other department stores. Prices range from $23-$48 depending on style . Look for sales!

The Sweet Smell of Perfume

Did you ever get on the train only to realize you are standing next to someone who smells like Febreeze? An even worse scenario is sitting next to the coworker, who at the end of the day, in preparation for her date, sprays an obnoxious amount  perfume across three cubicles that smells like Glade.  Have no fear , because I found the perfect gift to save your senses and perhaps her social life. My favorite designer Tocca, also makes some delicious perfumes. I  never know which one to buy, but now they have little samples of each, with names like Cleopatra and Colette, who can go wrong? Gosh , I wish there a scratch and sniff blog post!

See good things come in small packages and it is only $18.00! Click here for site!

And last but not least.....For the pre-teen who has everything...

The Justin Beiber Singing Toothbrush

I could not make this up if I tried. You have your choice of two Justin Beiber song options on this singing toothbrush which play for two minutes, the recommended brushing time by the ADA. (click here if you don't believe me) 

Because it is only fifteen bucks and when you smile, Justin smiles! Or so the lyrics say.Then again, there is always the ubiquitous gift card!

Happy Holidays to all my fellow faux fashionistas!

Very odd gifts for the ones who have everything

Happy Holidays! This is my first mobile blog post, I do apologize in advance for the formatting or lack thereof. I have gotten positive feedback on my blog with the caveat I don't post frequently enough. Hence the Blogger app! Hail the iPhone!

So I started my holiday shopping. Start is the operative word. The challenge a shopaholic faces while Christmas shopping is that during the process of searching for the perfect gift for your sister, best friend,etc it is inevitable that you find the perfect item for,yep, yourself .
On my list: Italian boots, 2 Milly dresses , 2 Trina Turk outfits . And that was just for me! It's hard to shop for other people because if you like to shop, you put a lot of thought into your purchases. But in my trials and travails of holiday shopping this is some odd stuff I found:

For the pampered pet:
What do you do when you can't keep Fido or Fluffy off your beautiful
new sofa? Don't let what happened to me happen to you. Our kitty turned our brand new Mitchell Gold Sofa into a four thousand dollar scratching post! The solution is simple:
A leather couch for your pet! I saw this at Home Goods.(click here for more ideas) For the pet that deserves the ultimate in luxury!

The next gift on my list is for the whiskey lover. Got ice? No ice? No problem! Try Whiskey Stones.
Made of soapstone, they will keep your drink cold. Just pop in the freezer for an hour or two.  No more watered down whiskey! Available at www.thinkgeek.com

Another funky gift? Something legal to get the stoner in your life? How
About some smoking buds? That's right! As in ear buds. Something to help you get comfortably numb! At WWW.BESTBUY.COM

So there you have it. Some funky gift ideas from my first mobile post! Happy shopping!

Black Friday , Fuschia Thursdays ,Cyber Mondays..Succumbing to the Sales or Not?

Tis the Season. It used to begin the day after Thanksgiving.  You put up your tree, holiday decorations miraculously appear in the department stores, and the 5th Avenue windows are resplendent in all their Christmas glitter and glory. All before you can even digest your turkey and unbutton your pants.

But what truly mark the beginning of the holiday season are the mega sales on Black Friday.

The term  originally was coined because the retailers make up for lost revenue with the onset of Christmas shopping by discounting prices for the early bird shoppers and are  “back in  black". What is a shopaholic to do? Luckily, I shop all year long. Black Friday is really not a trigger for me as it is not worth my time and effort. My favorite time to shop is a weekday, when I have an entire store and their staff all to myself.

 Plus reading stories about people, who bring pepper spray to Wal-Mart to keep away the crowds from their coveted items, really scares me. (click here for story). Not that I shop at Wal-Mart, but it makes me wonder if shoppers at Bloomies carry Tasers to guard against the last Chloe Bag in this year’s color?

 I recently learned, however,  Black Friday no longer begins on Friday. It begins on the day before Thanksgiving. At least on-line. “Fuchsia Thursday” my email read. "Beat the rush... 20% off, but only till midnight." The Wednesday edition of the NY Post had an insert on how to navigate black Friday, by on-line sites, early opening specials, discount codes and neighborhood!

Seriously when did you have to take a course on how to shop?

Maybe I don’t want to be trampled to death in a sale … but to shop and get an early discount from the comfort of my own home on Thanksgiving, while my pants are unbuttoned? The temptation was greater than that pumpkin pie! I mean there is nothing worse in my opinion than fighting with others of over the last large size pair of skinny jeans. (Yes, I ate too much pumpkin pie, this year, so sue me).

The family was saying grace and I was shopping! With my smart phone under the table during the meal, I filled my shopping bag with coveted items; Anthropologie had 40% off, on the very items on my fall wish list in my last post! Trina Turk – had 20% off the dress I loved, finally in my size! And Milly, don’t even go there…

When I got to my desktop and went to submit my order Black Friday Eve (formerly known as Thanksgiving Night), my bag was empty. Everything was out of stock! I lost out on the sales. Except for one. Bloomingdales offered 25-40% off select items and had some good deals. Not great but good. Not good enough I say…until I saw an early bird email with a special code that allowed an extra 25% of the sale prices IF YOU SHOP BEFORE 4 AM. Online!!!

I’m a night owl; I would rather stay up all night than get up at dawn, even to shop! No sleep tonight!

There I was, at the stroke of midnight, on Black Friday, seduced by sales and a tall dark smooth Italian pair of boots for 50% off. No lines, no broken ribs, no pepper spray. Just one click and Salvatore Ferragamo was on his way to my house! I literally saved hundreds of dollars. My husband however would argue that when you spend ANY money you are not saving anything because you spent it. Ah, the philosophy of shopping.

Friday is when the big box stores cash in. I however got to sleep in! Having spent all my cash on Friday, I had none left for Small Business Saturday, where consumers are encouraged to support local small stores, (which is where I did all of my Christmas shopping last year). Now I am obsessing if even better deals are to be had on Cyber Monday…which is tomorrow.

You know I‘ll be checking my emails to see how much I can really save -or is it spend? Happy Holiday Shopping to all!

My Fall Wish List - What to buy and why.

If you read my Madonna post from last fall... you will remember, I am a summer person. I despise the fall and wear my summer clothes for as long as possible. I mean you practically have to pry my flip flops off my feet with a crowbar.
So this year, when fall snuck up on us Easterners in early September, I was not prepared. Linen dresses sans tights with my beloved sandals did not serve any purpose, aside from causing me to catch a dreadful cold . Hence with a closet full of enough summer stuff to live in a tropical climate year round,  I realized I needed to make a list of items I need, or should I say want that are within my budget. sort of...

The Bag

I am still wearing  my white summer bag. My black Marc Jacobs circa 2009 is in need of repair . But to find a stylish yet affordable bag is hard. But I think this one  from the Michael line of Michael Kors is perfect at a good price. It is roomy without being overwhelmingly large..click here- Jet Set Chain Bag

The Dress

I love dresses . I recently counted how many I own and was shocked . But the answer will be the subject of my my next post. There are so many I love this season, all not within my budget. But I am chanting for a sale to come soon!

Trina Turk Mirren Dress

my favorite is this  Mirren Belted Dress from L.A. Designer Trina Turk . This is in charcoal . I prefer camel which is found in this :link. I would lose the beret  unless the  husband takes me to Paris for weekend .



Milly Cristina Toggle Shift Dress

My ultimate favorite dress designer  is Michelle Smith , founder of Milly. Somehow she combines timeless classic elegance with a modern twist.  Every time I wear Milly I get a compliment . Need I say more? (to see the collection click here)


DVF Alexandria Knit Sleeveless Dress



Diane von Furstenberg. anything she designs is on my list. As long as I can squeeze into  it . The red  can brighten my mood on a dark dismal day. click only if there is money in your bank account



This is a slightly more affordable option . I love it , the front is plain , but I am enamoured with the detailing in the back. Alas ,still not in my budget. I will be stalking those sales...This can be found at Anthropologie. (click here) . And guess what I majored in in college? Anthropology! click here..to go to site



Sweaters ... if you must



Thousand Carat Pullover

 ...

Some people love "sweater weather" not me. But if I am forced to bundle up, this cute sweater, also from Anthropologie, is a good transition piece. Light and airy, it is perfect for early fall days, but is whisper thin wool pointelle. I like the orange autumnal color, but it also comes in green or cream and has a back zipper. It was on sale but I did not buy it.. sigh



Burberry Sweater

I saw this in the window of the new Burberry Store on the Upper West Side of NYC. I was scared to ask how much. but I took a photo with my iphone, so I  can keep on looking at it .So what if it is not on my body?My guess is about $500, but if  is not made of acrylic, I would say a least a grand.

 Last but not least ..BOOTS

I am still paying off my three pairs from last year. But I am coveting something with a chunky heel.



prada boots

I love this from Prada , but can't spend two weeks of pay. so looking for a knock off .  like theese from Stuart Weitzman which would set me back , just a week and a half's salary! Only kidding!-not buying them..unless they go on sale!


Looking for feedback and links to knockoffs of my coveted items! Stay tuned for next blog posts when I reveal how many dresses I own and disclose what I actuaklly purchased this fall..if anything!

 Share my blog!!!!



The Faux Fashionista- Diary of of Shopaholic: Fashions Night Out, New York City

The Faux Fashionista- Diary of of Shopaholic: Fashions Night Out, New York City: Fashions Night Out in NYC is a local shopping event held in NYC to kick off fashion week. Stores entice aspiring fashionistas to view their...

Fashions Night Out, New York City

Fashions Night Out in NYC is a local shopping event held in NYC to kick off fashion week. Stores entice aspiring fashionistas to view their collections, by providing free drinks, yummy snacks, and limited edition items while DJ’s spin the latest tunes.  Best of all, you have an opportunity to meet the designers themselves and even the celebrities they dress!

It’s a shopaholics dream, or a nightmare, if you are a shopaholic who is trying to stop shopping. Devastated that I missed last year’s event I was faced with a dilemma.  On Fashions Night Out – do I stay in once again, or do I go out? (click here to learn more about the event).

It happens once a year, and it was my only chance to mix with the real fashionistas. So I accepted an invite from my best friend and her sister, and armed with my Amex and debit card … this uptown girl headed to a remote fashion haven otherwise known as “Downtown.”

Live Mannequin at Calvin Klein

SoHo once known for starving artists and galleries is now like a mini Madison Avenue for the international set and the fashion savvy. There were so many stores, so much to do and such little time! Where to begin? Did we want free booze, and tasty treats? Or were we more interested in celebrity sightings?

 The streets looked like a Sex and the City casting call. Never had I seen never saw so many tall, beautiful and stylish women before. Everyone looked like models. Then I realized…they were models! My first experience of FNO was the Calvin Klein store where window mannequins displayed Calvin Klein underwear. Except the mannequins were live. That’s right; the store had living breathing, perfect human specimens, ABSENT OF BODY FAT, modeling UNDERWEAR! Right in the window! Who needs to go inside? The store was empty. The sidewalk was packed. I vowed never to eat a carb again.

 My first actual stop was the DVF store. Diane Von Furstenberg, herself, was there, looking even more elegant and stunning in person than she does in photos, to launch her new line of perfume called Diane. Photographers took paparazzi like photos of the shoppers on a “virtual red carpet” (I did not want to wait in line). I enjoyed some very delicious champagne and sample hors d'oeuvres served by pretty boys in-between modeling gigs.  I have to say I love love, love her fall line. Mohair dresses, jeweled tone colors, famous prints, all were to die for.(click here). Despite the fact I purposely wore a vintage wrap dress, I sadly did not get to meet my fashion icon, because of yep, long lines.  Hence, the life of a New Yorker facing the city's ferocious fashion crowds.

Across the street  at Betsy Johnson – girls were dancing in the windows, bartenders were pouring some bubblegum colored  champagne drink  and the dance music  was spinning. Stylists were on site to curl and style your hair . They were also offering free makeovers with any purchase, and were giving away Yoplait yogurt. Yogurt? Not sure what that was about, but my friend Karen was happy to get one for free! I passed on the makeover, because  I  don’t think a woman of a certain age should experiment with electric blue eyeliner, but hey- that’s just me. We soon realized we were in the wrong demographic .and headed to our next stop.

 My absolute highlight of the night was the Ralph Lauren Polo, store. I fell in love with some beautiful rain boots, which I would have bought had the tag not read $400. Perhaps rubber is worth more pound for pound than gold these days? What do I know?

That is where I met Nacho Figueras, the Argentinian polo player, who is the face of the Polo ad campaign (click but you may not want to click back ). Seriously, if he is not the most handsome man on the planet I don’t know who is. Even the free Pinot Blanc however, could not help me gather enough courage to ask him for a photo. A fellow fashionista saw my hesitation, and asked  if he would take a photo with me. That is when this hard core New Yorker let her guard down and handed my brand new iPhone to a perfect stranger, who agreed to snap a pic. In retrospect, I really wish I had that makeover.  And maybe even plastic surgery to make me look like Brooklyn Decker.  Not only is Nacho gorgeous, he is genuinely nice.  I told him he is my favorite polo player in the world, because he is. So what if he is the only polo player I know?  Now I can die happy.

Me and Nacho Figueras

Dr. Ruth at Taschen

 Next was the Taschen store; where the art of the book is curated within retail setting.(click here  for the coolest art books ever) Upon entering, we were asked to sign a waiver, as a segment was being filmed for the television show of interior designer Nate Berkus.  Nate was charming and friendly, as was his latest client and guest of honor,sex therapist,  Dr. Ruth Westheimer. Free drinks and free sex advice all in the same place. 

At Burberry there was a lot of loud music and a crowd so dense you could not even tell you were in a retail store! The party atmosphere was in high gear and there was more free champagne to go around! But tired , buzzed and hungry , we left as the party was just getting started, as tomorrow was a work day.

At Burberry party. I love this pic because I appear as blurry as my vision was...

 We grabbed diner at a typical downtown trendy restaurant, where the service and cuisine were lacking in every aspect , but you pay for the privilege of being there. The price was right, because we did not have to pay for any more booze.  My Amex and debit card went untouched and my expensive shopping night out, only cost me about $30.00! Talk about having fun with no money. Of course, my wish list for the upcoming season is longer than a six- year-old’s to Santa. But that will be in my next post.  I’m off to count shoes, dresses, and let’s not forget it’s time to bring out those tights!

Let’s Make a Deal! The Real Scoop on Groupon and other Online Discount Sites

Let’s Make a Deal! The Real Scoop on Groupon and other Online Discount Sites

My Friend Sara just told me about a great deal she found on Groupon. Online discount or deal sites have been cropping up on the internet like weeds.  Groupon(Click here non-shopaholics). and Living Social (click here), are the most popular, followed by Daily Candy Deals, Bloomspot and Gilt City. Even my favorite sample sale site Rue La La(only the brave click here) now has “local picks.” Facebook apparently is not far behind and is soon to start their own daily deals.

You may have seen the commercials for some of these sites. “Skydiving usually $150, now only $75 for two!” “Romantic Seaside Dinner for Two –just $50! “ You can get great deals, on great experiences for only a fraction of the price! So what’s the problem, you ask? There is no problem. There are lots of problems!

 .

 Take my friend Sara, for example. I wouldn’t say she is a type A personality. She is a type A + personality. So you can imagine my surprise when she told me that her deal consisted of a 5 pack of Yoga Classes. Sara and Yoga? A Zen moment for my dear friend entails drinking a cup of coffee and smoking a cigarette, while simultaneously sending an email on her Blackberry, as her iPad is powering ON. Seriously, I am not so sure she realizes that she cannot bring personal electronic devices into the Yoga studio

 Yes, yoga is great for stress and anxiety, but only if you actually GO to the classes

This brings me to the first issue with these “deals.”  Many times the bargains are time limited. You may receive your email voucher for the service you purchased in early July, only to realize that it expires on August first! You better find that motivation, to get to your yoga class, Pilates session or sky diving lesson A.s.a.p. Because if you snooze, you lose, both your money and your experience! Not such a great deal is it?

It is also important to read the fine print. That romantic dinner for two in City Island on the water, may only be valid on Monday nights after 9pm. How romantic is it to drag yourself out after a manic Monday at work, and have your meatballs show up at 10:00 pm in an empty skeleton staffed restaurant?

 Not wanting to miss out on all the great deals out there my friends were enjoying, I recently jumped on the Groupon/Living Social / Deal of the Day bandwagon. Since the deals are fleeting (usually available for only 24 hours) I dug out my Gold Card and charged ahead. It’s now or never-my deals can’t wait!

I loved what I found. Spa Treatments!  A juice cleanse (the perfect way to jump start a diet for summer)! A river cruise! Before I knew it, I purchased $500 of future opportunities in less than 2 weeks!

That was back in June. Now I find myself in August, calendar in one hand, Amex bill in another, trying to figure out how to schedule it all before the expiration dates take effect. I basically had less than two weeks complete a 3 day juice fast, get a massage at a luxury spa, take a ride on a Schooner and gather up the courage for a Brazilian wax at 50% off (no pun intended). Talk about stress! Do I invite Svetlana the waxer and Brando the masseuse to drink spinach juice with me on the boat? Do I call in sick to get a massage? Can you say stress?  Maybe I am the one who needs yoga now?

 Issue number three: unlike regular services, “deals” require vouchers, usually sent to you via e-mail.  Emails get lost, or deleted. I purchased a beer and cheese tasting Hudson River Schooner Cruise for my husband’s birthday. He loves beer. I like cheese. It sounded dreamy! My dream however turned into a nightmare when I realized on the day of the event I had accidentally deleted the voucher! My husband’s romantic present was lost in cyberspace forever! I spent nearly two hours  searching Hotmail  through my deleted trash items , emailing Rue La La customer service, and manically dialing an 800 number  trying to get a “live English-speaking concierge” to help me. (FYI, Rue La La has excellent customer service; Matt somewhere in the Midwest gladly reissued my voucher and calmed my hysteria).



fish tank design by Aquarius Aquariums NYC



The cruise turned out to be lovely, despite the fact I had spent the previous three days imbibing liquefied kale as part of my juice cleanse. For the record you do not want go on a boat during a “cleanse.” When the captain said there was no “head” on the boat, I though he meant the stern. He was actually referring to the bathroom! And the consequences of breaking a three day juice fast, with beer and cheese? You don’t want to know!

So the moral is read the fine print, don’t purchase things you normally would not and keep your calendars open, because often what lies beneath the thin veil of a great deal is a dud in disguise.  



The Faux Fashionista- Diary of of Shopaholic: The Sample Sale -Only the Strong Survive

The Faux Fashionista- Diary of of Shopaholic: The Sample Sale -Only the Strong Survive: "The Sample Sale –Only the Strong Survive If relapse is part of recovery, I am well on my way. Some people catch summer colds, well I caug..."

The Sample Sale -Only the Strong Survive

The Sample Sale –Only the Strong Survive

If relapse is part of recovery, I am well on my way.  Some people catch summer colds, well I caught a shopping bug.  How did I topple off the proverbial wagon? Well, as I said in prior posts, seasons change and so do our wardrobes. And unlike a good girl scout, when we had a June heat wave, I was not prepared! (What do girl scouts know anyway?)

So not wanting to spend retail (translation: top dollar) for spring clothes (or early summer clothes), I succumbed to the sample sale. A sample sale is when a manufacturer sells their samples and /or excess stock for near wholesale prices. Wholesale prices for a retail girl on a clothing budget? Sign me up!

Although there are many sample sale sites such as Rue La La ( click here)or Gilt Group (click here unless you are a shopaholic) which allow you to buy designer clothing at deeply discounted prices for a short amount of time . Living in NYC, the fashion capital of the world, I am privy to the brick and mortar sales, where you can physically see, touch and taste the clothing.( Just kidding about the taste part, just wanted to see if you were paying attention).

Spring apparently is sample sale season. The sales are sent via emails, advertised in The Post, and since I work in the Garment District, the latest sales are all the chatter by the water cooler. There was no avoiding it and off the wagon I went!

It started with one of my favorite designers, Tocca, (non-shopaholics click here to check out) which was quite a success. I scored two adorable dresses for $85 bucks a piece that usually retail for at least $300.00. Madison Avenue at Main street prices? I could not resist!

Next was Tory Burch, where the ghetto-fabulous wrestled with Upper East Side socialites for the same tote bags. I won’t say who won the battle of the bag.  I dashed there after work , only to find they did not have many dresses in my size. There were a lot of winter items , lovely wool dresses ,  cashmere cardigans, But I needed clothes to wear right here , right now! No way was I walking away with $500 of winter clothes!

The coup de grace was J Crew. I got there at 5:30pm and there was a line. The security guard,( yes, security guard) turned me away from the end of the line and motions to his left. There was another line half a city block long. It was a LINE to get on the LINE for the sample sale!

Really! What is wrong with women these days? Like people never saw a discounted tank top before! To wait in oppressive heat to possibly try on last season’s clothes in size that probably is not your real size anyway? You have to be crazy!

Call me Crazy.  I got on to the back of the line and waited 20 minutes to get in.

Once you get in, it is like being at the airport, you have to check your coat, and your purse, and relinquish all belonging except for your wallet. For the privilege of shopping below retail, you get to be treated like a criminal!

Chaotic, is an understatement. Girls pushing and shoving as if the never saw a cotton tank top before! As I am sorting through the disarrayed racks, I feel a sharp pain in my rib. A petite Asian woman, barely 5 feet tall jabbed me in the ribs! As if I was really going to steal the last sequined skirt in a  size Double Zero! As if I even look like I can fit into a double Zero!

A male staff worker looks at me aghast, and asks if I am ok. “Guys have Rugby, Females have sample sales. Bruised ribs are one of the hazards of the game.” I explained.

Since there were no try-ons, I had an armload of t- shirts (so what if I hated the colors), grabbed some of last-seasons jewelry, and found this season’s beloved cable sweater that was just too expensive retail. I also found an adorable pair of gold shoes, but had no room to try them on.

While waiting on the checkout line, a mile long, I was able to brace myself against the counter and slip the shoes on. Only to find out they did not fit!  I flung them to the side. For less than one hundred and fifty bucks, I walked away with an embroidered tee, a cotton cable sweater and two bracelets. Not half bad.

Several days later, I learn J Crew retail store is having a sale. And guess what? My T-shirt is cheaper in the store, where they offer an extra 30% of all sale prices.  I wore my cable knit for the first time last week only to learn the inside is chalked in large block letters “SAMPLE”

Sometimes sample sales are great ways to get great stuff at nearly wholesale prices. But it is also a gateway to buy things on impulse that you probably don’t need. The “now or never mentality” can wreck one’s shopping budget, especially when you can’t try on or return, let alone exchange.

So the next time you get on  a line , a city block long , think twice , because you may end up with buyer’s remorse and some very sore ribs!

Who needs Kate and William? Cash will always be king!

Why Cash is King

I am proud to report that it has been four months since I used a credit card. That’s right, sixteen weeks of using my debit card, cash, and an Amex card that must be paid off in full every month. “If you can’t pay for it now, you can’t get it!” is my new mantra. So you can only imagine my despair when I received an email from Chase stating that my debit card had been compromised. “Click here for more info” the email read.  I freaked out, and assumed it was spam. No way and no how was I going to give these spammers my mom’s maiden name and social security number!

So rather than clicking, I call the microscopic number on the back of my debit  card ( reading glasses anyone?) and  lo and behold  the charming  customer service representative  , a-matter-of-factly  informs me , that yes, indeed , my debit card  was compromised.

He cannot tell me, who, what, where or when. But he can tell me that my card was cancelled two hours ago.  I literally have two dollars in my purse. Not enough for a subway ride in this town! And I don’t even CARRY credit cards in my wallet anymore.

“So you are telling me," I ask, "If I went to an ATM and tried to take money out, nothing would come out?"

"That’s right ma’am!"

“And if I went shopping to Macy’s after work, and tried to purchase something with a debit card, I would be out of luck?”

" That’s right ma’am!"

Did I mention I HATE it when people call me ma’am?

 So I run out of work after five, on a Friday, before a holiday weekend and run to the nearest Chase. I’m dying of thirst, but realize I don’t have enough cash for even a bottle of water!  No debit, no credit card card to fall back on!

At Chase, young guy who doesn’t look old enough to have working papers says he can issue me a new temporary debit card. Except the problem is, I can’t use it for debits! Only to take out cash from ATM’s. No personalization with my name. No fancy logos or holograms. I take out $140.00 wondering how long this will last me, since I now need to pay CASH for everything.  

Our reliance of checking and debit cards has grown in the past decade. I automatically debit, my monthly bill from my   drycleaner, my gym, as well as other routine expenses.  Who carries cash anymore? I go to Starbucks, for a $3 coffee and use my debit card. If I buy myself lunch, I use my debit card. And my metro cards? Debit card! Maybe that’s how my card got “compromised" in the first place?

 I spend $20.00 of my new crisp cash on a metrocard, so I no longer have to walk home 70 blocks. And for the rest of the $120? It lasted me an entire week! I saved so much money, not using a debit card for everything single impulse.  I passed Starbucks, because I only had so much cash. Macy’s was out of the question.  Checking and debit cards although convenient  can be used just as easily as a credit card, and lends itself to an ever shrinking bank account.

8 business days later I got my shiny new Chase card in the mail. But now I think twice before I use it. The Brits may have Kate and William, but cash is my future king!

Forty Days And Forty Tights: What to Do When Your Wardrobe is Flooded with Too Much Stuff.

Forty Days and Forty Tights: What to Do When your Wardrobe is Flooded with too Much Stuff!

I recently asked my husband if he had started taking martial arts again. “Why do I look more toned?” he asked. Well, unless you call a beer gut toned, the answer would be a definite “No!” I told him what prompted the question was the black and blue bruises he had on his body. “Oh, that??!” he explained, “That’s from walking into the dresser drawers you leave open that I accidently walk into! Why the hell don’t you close them???”

The answer is simple. I don’t close my drawers because I can’t. My massive mission dresser is filled to capacity. In short, the drawers are stuffed with too much “stuff.”

My husband then proceeded to ask precisely what I keep in these drawers that now can be classified as a lethal weapon. “Tights” I tell him. “Tights?” he responds incredulously? “How many tights can you possibly have?” he asked.

I had no clue. So I set to find out how many actual pairs of tights I own. His guess was forty.  Mine was twenty. So I dump my drawer out onto the bed and despite my math-phobia, I counted. And guess how many tights I had?

Forty! I own forty pairs of tights. Opaque, ribbed, matte, fishnet, shiny.  Forty pairs!!! And that does not count pantyhose!  And the kicker, which is no surprise, for a NYC girl, is that TWENTY-NINE PAIRS were BLACK!

2 brown, 3 gray, 1 purple, 1 pink, 1 leopard print (yes, leopard print) and 3 were colors I just don’t have the vocabulary to describe (muddy beige? Speckled Sand? , Ugly Mushroom? I don’t know).

So basically, my husband, concludes, that I can go forty days, without doing laundry, and never wear the same tights twice.  41 days, if you count the pair of reversible SPANX (A brilliant invention: one side is black, the other grey, it is two pairs of tights in one that make you look five pounds thinner!)

Then there is the drawer that holds my workout clothes. I can get a workout just trying to pull that damn jammed drawer open myself! I like to work out. Okay, maybe I don’t like to work out, but I need to. Having appropriate workout gear is a great motivator. So over the years I bought a lot of workout pants.

So once again, out go the drawer’s contents, onto my bed.  I learn that I have a lot of workout pants. 30 of them! Capris, Yoga Pants, classic sweats. And no, I am not counting the ones I sleep in, or the trendy velour ones the fashion marketers classify as “lounge-wear.” Like really, who wears sweats to a lounge anyway? I usually wear a little black dress, but that’s just me!

So basically, if I worked out every day for a month, I could wear a different pair of workout pants each day and not have to do any laundry! But then my apartment would really smell, wouldn’t it? So I tossed ten shabby pairs from my not-so-shabby- skinny-years and bought a gallon of Tide.

My point is that it is important to know what you have in order to know what you need. If you think you need more tights or sweatpants, you are going to inevitably buy them, regardless of whether or not you have 30 pairs in your closet! So I embarked on what I call Project De-clutter (see next month's post) where I am taking inventory of all my “stuff” before I buy one single new thing.  Although J. Crew did have this great pair of pink tights on sale….please don’t tell my husband!

Me in my famous leopard skin tights! A must-have for every woman's wardrobe!

The Faux Fashionista- Diary of of Shopaholic: Fashion Week in NYC-What Happens in Bryant Park should Stay in Bryant Park

The Faux Fashionista- Diary of of Shopaholic: Fashion Week in NYC-What Happens in Bryant Park should Stay in Bryant Park

Fashion Week in NYC-What Happens in Bryant Park should Stay in Bryant Park

ok, I know I been MIA again, hence the life of a part-time blogger. since I am brain-storming my next blog post thought I would share an old faceboook post I wrote last fall in honor of NYC Fashion Week, because it is that time of the year again, and nobody reads Facebook "notes" anyway.

What happens in Bryant Park-Should Stay in Bryant Park- Top ten reasons why Fashion Week should NOT be at Lincoln Center

 

by Nicole Rackmill on Tuesday, September 14, 2010

New York's Fashion Week has been held iin Bryant Park since 1994. This year for some unknown reason they moved Fashion Week  to Lincoln Center on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Here are my reasons why I think this was an awful mistake.




10. Call it the "Yupper West Side", "Stroller City" or a "Culinary Wasteland" if you will. The Upper West Side is charming albeit not hip and happening. It may even be boring. Too boring. But it took the relocation of the Fashion Shows for me to finally appreciate the mundane.  Cops are stationed at my subway station.  Rude nasty fashionistas and their midtown attitudes own our quiet streets. And Starbucks is now crowded. Go home!!!!!

9. In Style magazine is sold out at the flagship Barnes and Noble??!!!

8. Bag Envy. Chanel. Gucci.  Marc Jacobs .  And the alien Birkin on the UWS? You girls stand out like sore thumbs. And I am jealous of you. Go back to midtown!

7. Carrie Bradshaw look-alikes. I was walking down Columbus in my Joe's Jeans and trendy sparkly Anthropologie eighty- dollar tank top accessorized by some Gucci shades. And I felt FRUMPY!

6. The Fashion Week  tourists teetering on Manolos annoyed at ME for telling then Lincoln Center is SOUTH of 67th street.Not my fault you can't walk in your heels!

5. Which leads me to.. Shoe  Envy.

4. While leaving my favorite local Juice Bar,( crowded with fasting fashionistas) , I pass  an Anna Wintour look-alike in the doorway. As I pass, she says in the most obnoxious Brittish accent " You are so GRACIOUSLY WELCOME."  Have your driver take you back to 7th Avenue,and eat something.   Bitch.

3. Everyone makes me look fat and you can't park anywhere.

2. They  Leave their copies of Woman's Wear Daily EVERYWHERE!

1. No gratuitous  admission for us boring ,frumpy Upper West Side residents. it's ok, I  will be watching on TV.Maybe even with my nice neighbors.