Holiday Gift Guide

Black Friday has come and gone. And to be perfectly honest, I found NO great deals worth writing about. I hope some of you our there had better luck. I did, however, have a great time people watching and seeing all the many interesting outfits pulled together to tackle the biggest shopping day of the year.

For those of you that didn't get all their Christmas shopping done last week, I have compiled a Gift Guide to help ease you in the right direction of gift giving.

For Her:

Statement Necklace. For the girl who loves to make a statement with her fashion choices. This piece of jewelry can set the tone for an outfit.

Urban Decay Eye Shadow Pallette. What girl doesn't love playing in makeup? (Sephora is my playground. I have this set, and LOVE it)

Personalized Stationary. The organized professional will love you for helping her keep it together with clean, sophisticated notecards as she's climbing the corporate ladder.

Lilly Pulitzer Daily Agenda. Make scheduling pretty.

Reebok Easy Tone Shoes. Have you seen the commercial? I want these.

For Him:

Dots Gloves. Probably one of the coolest gifts I've seen. Use your iPhone (or any touch screen phone) while keeping your gloves on.

TOMS Shoes. Y'all already know I'm a big supporter of this company.

Business card case. Let's face it: most guys just throw their business cards in whatever pocket is convenient...leading to curled up edges and ridges down the middle of the card. Protect your contact information and treat it like the value it is.

Sandwich maker. Make it easy for 'em.

An "Experience" Gift. This could be anything from tickets to a Titans game, concert, or Broadway play to an all-out trip.

While thinking of gathering gifts for others, why not go to your local Angel Tree and help a underpriveliged child have the Christmas they deserve. There's nothing like the feeling of giving back.

Gift packaging tip: Instead of using sticker name tags, use small ornaments to tie to the ribbon. Designate a certain design or color of ornament to each person to keep track of who's gift is who's.

*xoCHMxo*

Ooh la la, My Rue La La

Scoring the best deals on Black Friday is not just for the people who like to get trampled and mauled at WalMart or Target. We are living in the internet age, people! And that's why its good to be in the know of some amazing sale sites! Why get stomped all over when you can get everything you want at a fraction of the price right from your comfy computer chair?

I think its about time that I introduce you all to a little secret site that I frequent. My good friend, Katie, enlightened me on this fantastic Boutique Sale site a couple of years ago. There's a trick. And here's the deal: almost every day, there's a brand, or "boutique" as they call it, that goes live on the web with super sale prices. That brand is only up for 48 hours (or less, depending on the brand or if they sell out of it quickly...the site actually crashed when it Gucci went live...and yes, it was sold out within a couple of hours). This is the REAL DEAL, not any fakes, immitations, or imposters! Here's a list of the upcoming "boutique" sales for the next few days:

• MICHAEL Michael Kors


• Stuart Weitzman (my personal excitement is here...SHOES SHOES SHOES!!!)


• 7 For All Mankind


• 7 For All Mankind MEN


• James Perse


• James Perse MEN


• Cole Haan


• Cole Haan MEN


• Portolano (beautiful, chic leather gloves and other accessories)

Other boutiques that will be featured in the next few days include a companies who specialie in crystal and espresso makers. These are just the brands over the next few days; they let you know of other boutique "openings" only about a week ahead of time.

To take advantage of these deals, go to http://www.ruelala.com/, click on "not a member?" and enter my email: courey3489@yahoo.com where it says "A member invited me" to enter this site (its invitation only) and you'll also get a $10 credit. Free money to go towards your purchase!

Or just click this link: http://www.ruelala.com/invite/cmccubbin

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and enjoy great deals on Black Friday!

*xoCHMxo*

Boots in the Workplace: The Black Edition

This post was inspired by my beautiful friend in our northern neighboring country. It is already nearing the freezing point there and boots are a must, not just an option! When wearing boots in the workplace, you need to be careful not to go all-out crazy to where it looks like you're about to hit up Le Rouge. But in this day where everyone owns a pair of plain black, heeled boots you'll want to have something that stands out from the crowd and that sea of monotony. And here's the great news--there are so many options out there!

Extra embellishements such as bottons, buckles, or bows add flavor to the plainness without going Go-Go-ish. Keep it feminine, yet sharp. Attention-grabbing, but elegant. And in cold weather, you'll most likely want to keep with the knee-high (or higher...I love over-the-knees), but if you choose to do an ankle boot, go for opaque tights (stockings, as they're called in Canada) to where your look is more pulled-together. And make a permanent note of this--opaque tights will make your legs look fabulous!

With saying all that, here is a "guide" of sorts, focusing on black boots, that will look great in the workplace for winter:

Obviously, the guide is done with black boots...but the bottom three would look fantastic in gray, as well as tan. MOST of these boots are UNDER $100!!!!!! All boots are found on piperlime.com.

And Shannon, I wish I could send a whole Hyder's store to Canadialand for you to raid! ;)

*xoCHMxo*

Feature W.O.W.!

Sometimes you'll get more W.O.W.s than other times because I get so many looks going on in my head, that I have to release some of them to my blog to free some brain space. ;)

With the holidays right around the corner, some of us will be attending many functions where we will need to dress to impress and release our inner creative diva since its trapped inside by wearing business wear for the daily grind. I think this look (with three choices for a skirt) is great for a holiday party!

Go for a "blousy" black top to start with. This will go with anything, from skinny gray jeans, black leather leggings (you know I'm a fan!), or a tight, sharp skirt! The blousiness of the top will look great paired with the tightness of the bottom half of the look. Choose a material that is somewhat thin--if the material is too thick, it will look too shaped, too boxy.

Here's a great example:

For the look today, we're going to pair it with three different skirts--showing versatility for your wardrobe. These could be key pieces that get paired with many different items to get the most bang for your buck!

Skirts with a tight, higher waist will balance the loose fit of the top. The skirt you choose will depend on bold you wanna go!

No matter the skirt choice, pair it with black, opaque tights and a pair of booties like these.

If choosing the first or third skirt, be daring and throw on that sequin blazer to stop everyone in their tracks. If choosing a skirt like the second (sequin one), finish it off with a knit hat to balance all the *whoa* of the sequins. Add some leather gloves to spice it up with even more edge!

*xoCHMxo*

I never thought I'd say this--but I'm in loving what the Olsen twins are doing these days. They have come a long way from the tiny tot they played on Full House. The twins put their minds together and launched their clothing line Elizabeth and James. They have really gotten it right when combining menswear with feminine detailing. These are girls that normally look like teeny bag ladies--yet they have somehow produced some very stylish pieces within Elizabeth and James. Here is a dress that I adore:

**please ignore the fact that this model looks like that snotty, bikini girl from American Idol!!



Perfect alone, but when you pair it with what's next, and you'll be deserving of a big Michelle Tanner "You got it dude!!"

Another somewhat-newer brand, LaROK (launched in 2004) puts out great edgy clothing. I love their dresses, but I'm dying for this sequin blazer. Yes, sequins. All over the thing. Not one bit of shyness written on this piece. It screams that you are bold, confident, and you can rock with the best of them.

This jacket would look great with the Elizabeth and James dress. Couple it with several strands of long, gold necklaces and a tall platform with an ankle strap and do your thing, girl!

xoCHMxo

Feature W.O.W. Factor

Get excited! Its Wednesday...and I'm bringing back the wear of the week! With my job, I have now spruced up my closet with fashion-forward career pieces. To incorporate style, while staying professional, may seem to be a no-brainer, but I'll admit, it can be quite the task! In fact, some days it makes my daily morning routine stretch a bit longer than it should! But here's a jazzy alternative to the standard business "look."

How about ruffling some feathers with a super slim-fitting, button-up top teeming with flourishing, romantic ruffles around the neck. Colors are great, but white is always so classy looking. Unveiling Figure A:

Pair this top with a business-dress version of the "skinny" pant. The pair I have came from Anthropologie. Super slim-fitting dress pants actually look better when they are just a bit longer than ankle length paired with a fabulously tall shoe! The ones shown below are Alice + Olivia, but I would have them shortened to where they hit right at the top of the heel of your shoe.

And here's the greatest news: don't be shy about the amount of bracelets you stack on your arm. Its even better when they aren't so matchy-matchy. Gold bracelets mixed with jeweled bracelets mixed with a thicker bangle mixed with some pearls would be perfect. Don't forget a skinny gold belt to tie the outfit together.

And we must not forget the shoes:

Go for a super tall pump with some type of embellishment that make them show-stoppers. At work, its always fun to be able to get creative with your footwear. Show off your personality!

TOMS. One for One.

Because it has been so incredibly long since my last post, I'm going to try to redeem myself by posting an entry with such wonderful depth and meaning; something I'm truly passionate about. When I first learned of this organization, I could not get enough. I fell in love with the cause, the meaning, the message...and wish I had more time to get my hands wrapped so far around this project that no child would ever have to go without shoes on their tiny, calloused feet again.

Of course I'm talking of TOMS shoes. "One for one" has so much meaning, so much love behind it. Its one of those things that just makes sense. One of those "I should have thought of that"-type organizations. I first saw the TOMS line in a boutique in my town probably three years ago. I went home, looked the shoes up online, and immediately was drawn to the message. Its pretty simple. You buy a pair of shoes for around $50 bucks, and a child in need receives a pair because of your purchase. Its a win-win. Shoe drops are coordinated by the lovely peeps at TOMS several times a year. The shoes go to under-priviliged children--some who have never even owned a pair of shoes. These are kids that are living such poverty that they are prone to disease--so having protection around their feet means the world to them.

So that's when I learned of the message. But it really hit home this summer. I spent my summer in the middle of Mexico. In a great town. And I walked this town, both days and nights in mostly my TOMS. But there was such an intense problem with poverty that every single day I saw children--who had no home except the sidewalks they roamed--selling anything they could to make a few pesos to get them food. Many wore clothing too small, and most didn't even have shoes. I made it my daily mission to give them anything I could that would bring a smile to their faces. Balloons. Balls. Bracelets. Pesos. But mostly food. One night I gave a three-year old a full box of Cheerios and you would have thought I had given him an entire Thanksgiving meal, only to have five more kids run to me to see if I had anything else for them. And as I looked down at my feet every single day, I was reminded that my TOMS--that I had walked miles and miles in--have their own counterparts in the pairs worn by the children that I provided shoes to by purchasing my own. Somehow, we're connected. Children just like the ones that I saw every day in Mexico. And I knew I had made someone's day just a little bit easier.

I see these children's faces every single day in my mind. They are forever engraved in my heart. Their little smiles that would light up their face when they saw me coming. And I admire Blake, founder of TOMS, for making it his mission to help kids just like this face their daily broken world.

Let's all do our part. One for One. TOMS