EPIC morning at Saks!

It's December 26th.  And instead of sleeping in, Lisa, our friend Heather, and I were at Saks, bright and early at 7:45am.  

Waiting for the doors to open at 8:00am, we felt the press of the crowd growing behind us.

Why you ask?!?!?  The SALE people!  50% off of reduced prices from 8am until noon.  Always.  Every December 26th.  Lisa, Heather and I have been going for years, and some of the best deals we've ever seen have come out of this sale.  

We always start in the shoe department.  It's madness, but oh so fun!  

What was hot this year?  How about these Tod's wedges for 65% off?

 These Prada ballet flats were hundreds less than the original price.  Hundreds!

Gucci loafers in all colors - at the morning price, how could we leave them in the store?!  Look for brightly colored loafers on all of us.

We ended up with an epic number of shoes.  Really, it was something else.  This was 2 of us checking out.

But, we didn't just stop at shoes.  On the advice of Lisa, I picked up this Weekend Max Mara coat, at 70% off retail!  70%!  Adore.  Thanks Lisa!

Image from static.buyma.com.

Those are the highlights.  Thank you, Saks, for making the day after Christmas so much fun.  Now, onto spring. ~ JH

Images from Jennifer Houston, unless otherwise noted.

Holiday 2013: Where is it?

You might be wondering why we have been SO quiet about Holiday 2013 attire.  Well, it's been quiet because we haven't really found anything that has WOW-ed us for Holiday 2013.  A lot of the trends are the same as last year:  metallics, leather, sheer.  Maybe a little velvet thrown in here and there, but nothing new and exciting to report.

So you know what we have done?  Gone shopping in our OWN CLOSETS for holiday wear!  Should we rename this a 'Cheap & Cheerful' post?  Maybe!

You see, I had a lot of holiday wear just hanging around in the closet, only having been worn 1 or 2 times.  Over the years, that's a lot of outfits.  So I made the decision to go "shopping in my closet" and replay some of the oldies but goodies.  

Some of my top items for reusing?!  How about this Vince, sequin t-shirt?  I wore it last week over long black Worth pants and black Manolo heels.  I've had it for a couple of years now, and it just works.  It was a good investment and I still get compliments on it.  Guess what?  Lisa has one too. 

Image from shopbop.com

I hope to wear this Tory Burch Metallic pencil skirt which I picked up last year.  With a sheer black top (with cami under, of course), it's still very 'on trend' for Holiday 2013.

Image from theoutnet.com.

I had to get the cost-per-use down on this lovely top by Gerard Darel.  Combining 2 trends - metallics and leather - it did the trick again this winter by attending a party, paired with skinny, black, cropped pants and black peau de soie pumps.

Image from vestiairecollective.com.

Here's hoping that you too have had a happy holiday season so far!  And recycling outfits can really only mean one thing - more to spend at the Saks day-after-Christmas sale!  ~ JH

W2WW Friday Funny

And because the holiday season is upon us, and we will ALL be doing this tonight and tomorrow night.  Happy Friday! ~ JH

Image from walkinginprettyshoes.com.

How to wear a Beanie Hat

It is the winter of the beanie.

Image from thesartorialist.com.

I have never been a winter hat person.  The only time I wear a hat is if a) I’m skiing or b) I’m shoveling.   And it’s not a pretty hat either – a New Balance black fleece hat that I’ve had forever.  Just function, plain and simple.  I am stepping up my game this winter with a beanie hat.  There are so many ways to style the hat and your hair for a super cool look.  Didn't have time to wash your hair?  Throw on the beanie, some shades and BAM!  You're ready to go.

Image from loveitsomuch.com.

Try this slouchie look if you have a long hair like me.   Put the hat on from the front and pull it back until the front of the beanie is just past your hairline. I like the hat slouched down in the back, covering my ears.   This is my favorite look.

Image from lyst.com.

Image from fabsugar.com.

If you have short hair or bangs, try wearing the beanie slightly back over the top of your head, just above the eyebrows.  Put the hat on from the top and pull it down until it is just past your ears on both sides.  You can either tuck in your bangs or peek a few out.

I have two beanies.  The Savannah cable beanie from Club Monaco in cream; I'm pairing it with the ubiquitous black coat we all wear in the winter.  For a pop of color, I went with this blue Echo beanie which pairs nicely with camel, gray or black.  Here it is in red:

Image from nordstrom.com.

So ladies, challenge yourself this winter.  Put aside the exceedingly practical ski hat and embrace the beanie!  You will be happily surprised! ~ LB

W2WW MULXIPLY Giveaway result...

…and the winner is…

Justin of New Jersey!  Justin, your wife's Christmas present will be shipped directly to you.  Glad we could help with your holiday shopping!

Thanks to everyone who participated and 'Liked' MULXIPLY!  We hope to introduce more cool products and companies in 2014!  Stay tuned… ~ JH

W2WW Giveaway - MULXIPLY Clutch

Ok readers!  With Thanksgiving over, it's officially the holiday season!  And what better way than to start, but with a giveaway (W2WW's very first!) from a cool, new, Boston-based company, MULXIPLY (pronounced 'multiply'). MULXIPLY reached out to us and Lisa and I were impressed.  Impressed enough to talk about them and their philosophy and products.

One of the co-founders of MULXIPLY told their company's story the best:

"My friend and I started a business about a year ago in partnership with a women's cooperative in Nepal. We wanted to make beautiful products as a job-creation project for women in the developing world, but we wanted them to be modern and interesting. So off we went to Nepal to figure out how that could be done. Fast forward, MULXIPLY (pronounced multiply) was born!

Based in Somerville, Massachusetts, we design small-batch accessories that are then fabricated with hand-felted wool and leather by artisans in Nepal. We are inspired by minimal, modern design, and strive to ensure that our products -- from the raw materials, to the labor used, to the finished product -- are created ethically (and beautifully)!"

Lisa and I are ALWAYS looking out for anything new and fun, so off to their website we went.  It was love at first sight with their clutch.  It's casual, different, and fun.  Total 'girls night out' bag.  I see it with jeans, booties, a gray Vince sweater.

Image from magnifeco.com.

I want one.  And at $72, you might want one too!  Or, better yet, want to enter our giveaway and win one?!  Yes?!  What do you have to do, you ask?  Two things:  1.  Leave a comment below telling us how you would use the clutch and 2. "Like" MULXIPLY's GIVE GIVE Facebook page.  Lisa and I will choose one name at random and BOOM, MULXIPLY will send that winner a clutch.  Entries close on 8:00pm EST on Thursday, December 5th.  Winner will be contacted and announced the week after.

In addition to the clutch, there are a bunch of great, unique holiday gifts on MULXIPLY's site.  Thinking of the iPad sleeve for my husband (shhh…) - it's only $44.

Need a couple of 'Secret Santa' or 'Yankee Swap' gifts?  How about a couple of these $34 pouches?  They come in a couple of colors, but I love the peacock blue one.

Or how about these cute hand warmers for $15?  Great stocking stuffers! (They come in heart shapes too!)

Lisa and I hope you enjoy their products as much as we have.  Off to do some holiday shopping! Good luck! ~ JH

Unless otherwise noted, all images from mulxiply.com.

100

A hundred pairs of shoes?

Image from decorpad.com.

A hundred necklaces?

A hundred likes?

A hundred comments?

No people, 100 THOUSAND hits!  We can't believe it either.  100,000 separate visits to our little blog.  Currently, we are averaging over 300 hits a day.  And for a blog that just depends on word-of-mouth, THANK YOU!  We love writing and sharing our stories, wishes, and obsessions.  We look forward to more questions from our readers, live events, and general fun in the next 100,000 hits.  Stay tuned for more! xoxo - LB & JH