Excited to see my dessert table featured on Shauna Younge’s blog Sweet Tooth today! This is my favorite table I’ve done; I styled in conjunction with confections artist Mai Giffard and photographer Vanessa Cabrillas last year.
Since I love fashion, I wanted to do a fashion themed dessert table that wasn’t black/white/pink, and didn’t feature Chanel logo’s or Eiffel towers (I mean, come on, that’s been done a million times). The gorgeous Marc Jacbos Lola fragrance bottle was the muse for this creation, which is meant for a swanky cocktail reception.
Best part is, this dessert table can be done on a budget! I handmade the purple cupcake holders and the tissue paper flowers, and the table cloth is from Dollar Tree (but it looks much better in pictures than it does in person!).
Here’s to the next feature!
There are two things I love — seeing my styling work featured in magazines, and seeing it featured on the agency websites that the models I work with. Last year Wunder posted photos from a shoot we did with one of their models, and now Next Model Management has posted photos from “Ruckus”, the editorial I styled that ended up in C-heads magazine, in Erika Davis’ portfolio. Rad! They’re a great agency and they know their stuff, so it’s an honor.
So excited to finally be able to announce that….I’m the new guide to Teen Fashion at About.com!
Let’s go back to the beginning, shall we? The beginning being 2006, which is the first year I applied to be a guide at About.com. Since then I applied probably half a dozen times or so, including guide sites for Celebrity Style, Lost, video fashion, the list goes on and on. Last June I applied for Teen Fashion, and sort of just forgot about it. That was until I received an email in January stating that I had been accepted into the training program. The training program is about a month long process where you compete against other potential guides in 3 different rounds of producing content, etc. Obviously, About.com has high standards and they’re very thorough with their hiring process, so I honestly did not expect to land the gig. But I’m ecstatic to say that I did! About is one of the biggest websites on the net, a major authority site, and only hires the best so I’m honored to be a part of their team.
Be sure to click on over there and check out my page on Teen Fashion.
My first closet sale was a success! This I was able to showcase some of the older pieces from the shop, as well as some pieces left over from photoshoots, at my friend Niki’s closet sale. She also had some of her designer pieces, like betsey johnson dresses and tory burch flats, on sale. We’re hoping to do it again, and do it bigger, later on down the line but it was definitely a success for a first time.
Earlier this year I mentioned how I saved a ton of money on my trip to MAGIC, and since then I’ve gotten several emails from people asking me to explain how I did that and asking how the Costco Vegas.com gift cards work, so I thought a post about it would be the best way to explain.
If you know me, you know that I pretty much live for luxury but I’m pretty cheap at the same time. I rarely buy anything full price, I always print coupons, and when it comes to travel I pretty much SCOUR the internet until I get the ultimate deal. That’s what I did last time I went to Las Vegas, and I ended up saving about $140 on my rooms at Vdara (5* hotel) plus I received $160 in free food from the hotels. This time around I did even better; I booked 4 nights at the Vdara, again, plus round trip airfare for $300 total. Here’s what I did:
- Log in to Vegas.com and do a search for the package you want, to find out how much it is.
- Go to Costco or Costco.com and order enough Vegas.com gift cards to cover the price of your trip. The gift cards are $79.99 each, but they’re worth $100 each. (Usually if my total comes out to $x80 or less I don’t bother buying an extra card, unless I want to book a show later or something)
- Keep an eye out for additional promotions the hotels offer because the discounts are stackable; they generally have something like 20% or 25% off rooms, free dining credits, etc. This is especially true in the winter time.
- Like Vegas.com on Facebook and then click the “Save $50″ button on their FB page; sign up and they’ll send you a unique code for $50 off $250 or more.
- If that doesn’t work for some reason, do a google search for Vegas.com coupons or check RetailMeNot.com; usually they’ll have a $20 off coupon like VEGAS20 available.
- Place your order!
It’s pretty simple and definitely worth all the steps. I also HIGHLY recommend getting a package with airfare bundled; you pay much less for airfare that way than buying it separately (a costly mistake I made last time around!).
And no, you can’t use these directly at the hotels or restaurants; you can only use them to book travel and shows through Vegas.com. You can use up to 20 gift cards at a time max.
Make sure to book as early as you can, and I also recommend staying at the Vdara. Their service was a little slow but other than that I can’t rave about the hotel more; it’s so pretty and “chic”, very much a Jetset/yuppy type of crowd (no annoying kids or families), and it’s very quiet and low key since they have no casino and no restaurants, and NO SMOKING, which I like. It’s a 2 minute walk to Aria (the sister hotel) or Bellagio if you want to do all that stuff. And their suites are gorgeous, and come with a kitchenette which helps save money on food. You can also take the tram from there (or just walk through the aria) to Monte Carlo for cheap eats.
Oh and it’s the cheapest “nice” hotel on the strip for summer, even cheaper than some of the 4* hotels.
Photos by Niki Palisoc
Long time, no blog! I just got back last last night from Fall market and Los Angeles Fashion Weekend, it was a fun trip but most of my highlights revolved around fun I had with friend in LA and Pasadena I did some consulting with an emerging boutique owner while there, and on Friday night I had an invite (yes an INVITE, I didn’t even have to ask!) to Los Angeles Fashion Weekend to see the Betsey Johnson and Dina Bar El fashion shows. I’ve seen smaller fashion shows in LA, as well as local ones, so I was pretty excited about something on this scale. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as big of a deal as I expected it to be — after paying $10 for valet and waiting over an hour in line, the whole event was disorganized (we had to STAND in the back!) and worst of all, Betsey Johnson wasn’t even there, which was a pretty big disappointment. I was really expecting it to be a re-branded version LA Fashion Week but it seems like it was something else entirely. Hopefully the next one will be better.
We ended up skipping the after party (since they didn’t give us the wristbands we were supposed to get) and went to Geisha House instead (loved the cajun roll + geisha dream) and then headed back to Pasadena.
Before my friend got in to town, and between my appointments, I got a chance to visit a couple of local LA eateries I’d been dying to try for a while. I blogged about Four Leaf Tea & Crepes in Little Tokyo once before; this time I actually got a chance to sit down and enjoy some crepes there — I ordered the Sweet Velvet and an Almond Milk Tea Boba. I didn’t realize the crepe had gelato in it, it was a pleasant surprise and the taro paste and almonds, and, of course, the perfectly light and fluffy crepes. They came wrapped up almost like a cone so you can eat it with your hands. And the Almond boba goes well with it because it’s not too sweet.
Oh and the day before I actually tried Studio Crepes in Pasadena for breakfast; wasn’t too fond of it, but then again, I don’t care for nutella (weird, I know).
I can not go through LA without going to Bottega Louie, it’s just a must. Standing inside the store is like being transported to an actual patisserie in Paris; even if you’re not planning to buy anything, it’s worth going just to look at all the pretty sweets.
But of course, I did leave with something.
I was so excited to see they were now offering St. Amour, which is their version of Laduree’s St. Honore Rose. It’s too pretty to eat! Of course, I sampled a couple of macarons. Yummy as usual. I personally prefer the sweet and nut flavors over fruit, but I do quite like the raspberry.
I also grabbed dinner at Komida in Hollywood. I’m so glad they’re open more days than just Thursday through Sunday now! They specialize in Japanese Mexican fusion, which seems to be popular these days, and for a good reason. I tried three tacos, and I didn’t really care for the chicken or the duck (I don’t like pulled meats, at all) but I absolutely loved the cod, almost as much as I loved the wasabi guacamole…it sounds weird but it is omg, amazing. They also have ginger infused salsa and a lot of unique creations; I would totally go back just for that gauc though.
Okay, last but not least is Gyu Kaku, a japanese barbecue place where you grill your own food in a pit at your table; they have these all over LA, actually. This place is amazing , for $20 you can the all you can eat special or just go at happy hour (which is almost all day) where they have stuff like calamari fritta for $3 and cocktails for $3-$4 for those who drink. The meat is really yummy but I really loved the sides, especially the garlic mushrooms, edemame, calamari, and the tokyo peach is delish, etc. I think we ordered one of everything on the menu!
We did our third editorial shoot this past weekend for the bridal magazine, this time around with fashion photographer Peter Baratti (look him up, he’s work is fab and he’s shot some of the top models in the world!). Our shoot took place at the Padre Hotel and I’m absolutely in love with this particular photo that was taken in their lobby:
Photographed by Peter Baratti
Hair by Rachel Darrah
Make Up by Heidi Hessler
Model – Nikki Hutchins
Styled by moi 
It’s gotten a great response from our facebook followers, it just might be the cover of our debut issue. Stay tuned!
MAGIC in Las Vegas is right around the corner, and I for one am excite d to be attending the convention for the 2nd time and seeing the new styles for Fall ’12. For first time MAGIC buyers, the whole experience can be overwhelming and down right confusing.
1. Wear Cute Flats
Yes, we’re in the fashion industry, which means looking good is important (and yes, you probably will be judged on how you dress), but you will also be on your feet for hours (possibly 6 hrs straight or longer!), so it’s just as important to be practical. Heels at market week are a huge no-no. I recommend a cute pair of ballerina flats, with added pads to enhance your comfort. Trust me, there is nothing more unbearable or distracting than wearing uncomfortable shoes at market.
2. Bring Extra Business Cards
Already have your business cards printed and packed? Good; now pack some more. Truth is I run out of business cards most of the times I go to market, because just about everyone you look at wants one.
3. Use the Shuttle & Car Services
Magic has buses, limo’s and car’s to shuffle buyers from between Mandalay Bay, the Convention Center, and most of the hotels on the strip, most of which run every 30 minutes (usually with a 2-3 hour break in the middle of the day). Generally, the shuttles (which are airport buses) will only move you from one of the locations to and from your hotel, but the car service will take you back and forth between the two convention sites. Check online for schedules ahead of time, and find out where the shuttle is at/near your hotel the night before, so you’ll make your appointments on time. A little bit of planning and this service will save you a good $15 in cab fare each way.
4. Bring or Grab A Tote Bag
MAGIC hands out free tote bags, but sometimes they run out (although you can usually find
5. Pick Up Free Magazines Last
Unless it’s Vogue, or something highly coveted. There will be tons of Nylon’s left over throughout the day, and carrying around 6 mags will only slow you down.
6. Don’t Buy the Water (or the food)
There are little cafe’s set up inside each convention hall, where a small bottle of water is $5. Just walking a few yards outside of the convention area you can find a cheaper bottle twice the size for $3 at a concession stand or gift shop. Or better yet, go to CVS and bring your own.
7. Don’t Make Appointments
Especially if this is your first time going to market, because there really is no way of gauging how much time you’ll spend in each booth.
8. Book Using Costco Vegas.com Cards
Flights and hotels in Vegas for 3-4 nights aren’t cheap, but here’s a trick I discovered to cut costs. Costco sells $100 Vegas.com gift cards for $80; buy as many as you need and book your hotel and flight via Vegas.com. They allow you to use up to $20 per transaction, plus most of the hotels give you other perks like free food and spa services when you book online. (Also check RetailMeNot.com for Vegas.com discount codes!)
9. Attend the Seminars
There are all kinds of seminars and classes as magic, covering everything from visual merchandising to social networking (an a whole lot of it). They’re free and oh so informative; it’s another perk for buyers, so why not?
10. Browse First, Buy Later
If you’re a first time buyer, don’t expect to make an appointment with your rep your first day there, first thing in the morning. Trust me; you will get lost, whether it’s finding the convention hall or finding the booth. Keep in mind that MAGIC is HUGE. The maps you see online don’t even do it justice. Taking in just one section is overwhelming , so allow extra time just to find out where you’re going, breathe, and wander a little. Sometimes the unexpected things you find are some of the greatest!
The new issue of First for Women Magazine is on newsstands now — and the mother daughter duo I styled made the cover! HUGE congrats to them! There’s also a bigger photo on page 32, and if you look really closely on the side you can see my name listed in the credits. So exciting! More photos from the shoot are coming soon!
I’m quite happy to have the “By the Riverbed” shoot I styled back in January published in W25 magazine this month. I discovered this digital mag through a couple of fashion photographers I follow, and they publish some great work, so it’s an honor. Check it out here starting on page 46.
More tears to come in the new year!
First Things First
My name is Kim, I'm the owner of OohLaLuxe.com boutique and an fashion jack of all trades, so to speak. I started this blog as a guide for aspiring buyers on how to start a fashion boutique, and from there, it merged into a hybrid of a personal blog, guidebook, and a place for me to share my recent work.
