In Real Life... And Anthropologie (almost) on the Cheap!

Hello Readers,

If you haven't done so today don't forget to drop by the Bloomingdales Big Window Challenge and vote for my blog friend Eddie Ross (to read more about the challenge see this post). Here is a quick glimpse of Eddie's window.


Slowly I have been telling people I know in real life about this blog. When I first started I wasn't sure if I wanted people to know... but you readers have given me the confidence to start sharing my blog with more people. I mean if all of you lovely former strangers in blog land want to read my drivel, then perhaps it's not so strange to think some of my In Real Life friends might want to as well... So here's to the gradual merging of my blog world and my real life world! Cheers!


Have you all ever heard of Lulus.com? Lulus is a wonderful shopping website. I don't think they have any brick and mortar stores. But you can almost always find super cute dresses on the cheap. While browsing their site I often find myself thinking, that looks like something Anthropologie would carry. Here is a selection of several of the dresses I'm eyeing on their website lately. The fantastic thing about all these dresses is they range from $35 - $60. 

Bloomingdale's Window Designed by Eddie Ross -- Your vote counts

Readers, as some of you may remember I have had the honor to meet the ever preppy and wonderful interior designer Eddie Ross through blog land... (he used to be a regular feature on my Eddie Ross at ETSY weekly updates)!

Well readers, now is the chance to jump up and down and show our support for Eddie. You see Eddie Ross has been chosen by Elle Decor to design a window at Bloomingdales. Three designers have been asked to decorate three big windows of the Bloomingdales flagship Manhattan Store. 


The designers and their windows are from Apartment Therapy (Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan), 

one from Bloomingdales (Eileen Joyce), 

and one from Elle Decor (Our very own Eddie Ross).

 We then get the honor of voting for the windows we like best. 


Habitually Chic, one of the most well connected interior design bloggers in Manhattan, has scored the most fantastic up close and personal pictures of Eddie's window. I love Eddie's use of punchy fabrics, and that bright blue side table lamp, and of course the classic color and design of the furniture leave the room with lots of options!

The designers used furnishings found at Bloomy's. Although I'm not sure what they win for getting the most votes, however I'm sure it's something fabulous (Eddie, if you know would you mind telling us?). 


You can drop by Eddie's blog to see he and Jaithan working on the installation for the window.


And of course to vote you can drop by the main page of the Big Window Challenge. You can vote twice a day, once on the website, and once you've registered on the website you can vote via text. Drop in and cast your vote for Eddie. 


Eddie Ross is a designer close to my heart. He got a degree from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY (which is where The Preppy Boyfriend got his degree, and for whom he now works). Eddie then went on to work for Martha Stewart, and the Food Network. Eddie then opened his own catering company, and after two years accepted a position as Associate Decorating Editor at House Beautiful. After House Beautiful Eddie went to work as the Senior Style Editor of Martha Stewart Living. He appeared on season two of Bravo's top Design, and now in conjunction with his partner Jaithan runs Eddie Ross, Inc. a lifestyle company.

New at Target... Smith and Hawken, Giada DeLaurentiis, Preppy Bow Clutch

Target has some new thrilling options coming up...


First of all they are launching a new line of cookware for Giada DeLaurentiis. Although, I've only seen a few of her shows and have never tried her recipes, I love her style and am excited to see what her cookware looks like. I just thinks she is so classy, and charming!

They are also launching a Great Save event where the prove they are as cost effective as Sam's Club and Costco. The event will run through Feb 21st, it will be centered around a display set up near the middle of each Target. The display will include a large number of bulk items, as well as new designer clothing and interior brands that Target doesn't normally carry.


Target has also purchased the Smith and Hawken brand, although they've been known to carry Smith and Hawken items before, this move should greatly increase the amount and widespread availability of such items. I personally am tickled to find Smith and Hawken items at Target prices. Hopefully the quality remains the same! 

How chic and preppy are these Smith and Hawken doormats? 

I have been eyeing this pig watering can for ages, and it is almost half price at Target from what it was at the original Smith and Hawken.

And then I found these beauties on sale for $5.94 - I mean seriously $6 for a super cute clutch... that's a total steal readers!

 I'm partial to the black and gold, but they also carry an all black and an all silver (the photos are links to the items... just click the photo click add to cart and proceed to check out)

As if we all needed more reason's to shop at Target! 

Coupons - Macy's, Nordstrom's, Clinique, Gap, DSW, Victoria's Secret

As most of you know I'm starting medical school in the fall... medical school = outrageously expensive! However, I found this really great program called UPromise. With UPromise, you can either register one of your credit cards at the site, or you can use my personalized shopping link (I'll post it below). When you either use one of your registered credit cards, or use the shopping link a portion of each of your purchases will go to help pay for my college tuition. 

Is this a shameless plug? Absolutely, however there are benefits to you. First of all the program costs you nothing, and secondly through UPromise there are 1,000's of coupons and sales that you won't otherwise be offered. Everyone from Expedia, to Nordstrom's, Victoria's Secret to Ebay are a part of the program. It costs you nothing, and it helps me to pay for medical school...

It works similar to Rue La La, when you register, you name me as the person who sent you, and with Rue La La I get a $10 referral credit and you get access to great sales (clink Here if you haven't signed up yet), with UPromise they pay money towards my college tuition and you still get access to great sales in store and online. If you want to register your card/cards with UPromise email me (danimjo@aol.com) and I will give you the link and my information to name me as the beneficiary. If you don't want to register your card you can use this link to shop at your favorite online vendors, find great coupons and sales, and they will make a donation towards my medical school tuition.


With UPromise as with Rue La La, nobody else will have access to your account or to your credit card information. It is completely 100% private. Your account is your account, and my account is my account. 


Should you ever want to join any of the member's only sales and shopping sites I've mentioned on this blog just view the panel on the left hand side of my blog... you can click each of the links for instant invitations. With the exception of One King's Lane, if you want to belong to One King's Lane email me at danimjo@aol.com and I will email you an invitation.

My Preppy Resolutions

So here we are over two weeks into the New Year and I'm finally posting my resolutions! Phew... luckily being early is not one of them :)

My Preppy Resolutions 2010

1. Keep going to church - you started a great habit of going to church regularly and you're spiritual life is growing - keep, keep, keep it up :)

2. Eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. - It's an easy way to eat better, and since I love veggies and fruit it shouldn't be too hard with a little advance planning!

3. Stick to your Budget. I'm using the free web service mint.com, and the graphics make my budget look fun. Once you get everything entered it really is easy to keep it up! Trust me... drop by mint.com, and in case you don't trust me read the review of Mint.com on financial magazine Kiplinger's website.

4. Send more letters just because! I love to write a quick note and drop it in the mail, it's fun to send, fun to receive and it always leaves me feeling like I've accomplished something extraordinary! So many things in life are complicated, so start doing this easy thing to add joy to your life and the live's of others.

5. Take one mini (or longer if possible) vacation before med school. Having spent the last four years as an active member of the corporate work force where vacation time is miniscule and oooohhh so precious, I realize that the next four years of my life will be the last four years that I will ever get a "summer vacation," in college I spent all of my out of school time working - even of Christmas break... Hopefully, I can avoid doing this in medical school. I know I'm really going to need to let off some steam after the rigors of med school!

*Taken in lovely Puerto Vallarta, Mexico during our Thanksgiving holiday!

So there they are! 

What does the New Year hold for you?

2010 holds for me:

Working my last 6 months ever in corporate America (so long wonderful offices in skyscrapers, hello hospital wards). I aim to enjoy getting dressed for corporate America. To soak in every ounce of the view from my skyscraper window as long as possible! (Any guesses as to which building is mine?)

Moving to the San Francisco Bay Area.... from Wyoming, to Arkansas, to New York, to Florida, to Texas, I have had the opportunity to live in wonderful cities all over America. I'm tickled pink to add the Bay Area to the list!

Starting Medical School and Finishing my first semester of medical school. I have spent the past 13 years of my life working toward this goal, and now that it's nearly begun... well, I'm just giddy with anticipation, and nervousness! Here's to making the most of medical school, and hoping I find a great group of study partners and friends!

Happy 2010 Everyone!

Feeling Better...

Hello,


I am feeling much, much better... and my recent surgery has led me to be even more reflective about my New Year's Resolutions, which I will post in my next post.


While recovering from surgery I was on some heavy doses of pain medication, and I sort of missed a whole week. I remember very little of it, and the things I do remember are a bit fuzzy and I can't tell you what day or even what time of day they happened. It's the strangest thing. And somehow I'm sort of sad for the lost time. I expect to lose a few hours or even a day after anesthesia from surgery, but I literally lost an entire week.


How sad it must be to have an addiction to pain killers and spend all of your days in that thick fog... imagine how hard it is to come clean after years and realize how much you've lost? Crazy....

surgery

I had unexpected surgery this morning, nothing major, but I'll be taking a little while off to recoup...