Just Say No...to Ignorance

The DQ has sworn off rap music within the last few years.  OK, not actually sworn off, but I've become so disinterested that I may as well have sworn off of it.

I don't know if it's cuz I'm in my 30s now, but rap music to me just sounds like misogyny, violence, and vulgarity (particularly of the sexual kind).  It seems as if every rap song has these, so to me, they're all pretty much the same.  Every rap song has at least one of these basic lines:

1. "I'm better than you cuz I drive a Bentley and own tons of diamond and gold jewelry".
2. "Girl, we just met, but let me take you back to my house so we can have sex all night".
3. "We had sex, but don't mistake that for love.  I plan to have sex with a different girl tomorrow night".
4. "Talk negatively about me, and I'll beat you up...or worse".

Once in a while, a song will have lyrics that are totally offensive to a certain group of people.  For example, in an episode of last season of Love & Hip-Hop, a female rapper refused to collaborate with a male rapper on a song that had a line that stated that light-skinned people were better than dark-skinned people.  Good for her...and good for everyone else that spoke up about it.

I hadn't even thought about this subject until yesterday.  Backtrack a little...I was at the mall on Sunday.  I was looking for a gray cardigan (under $25) to purchase with a $25 Gap gift card I received from the Visa Signature rewards program (do NOT open a Wells Fargo Visa Signature card, and if you have one, close it immediately--they are NOT on the customer's side--and yes, I will close mine, as soon as the 0% APR period expires for me).  I didn't find anything that fit the bill at Banana Republic, so I walked back to The Gap, which was on my way back to my car.

I had about a hundred thoughts running through my head, when to my left, I see a group of about 6 young African-American men, all dressed similarly, in long-sleeved T-shirts, sneakers, and jeans.  I recognized one of them, but wasn't sure where I'd seen him.  I did a double-take (this type of thing happens really quickly) and figured out who he was.  He was Drake! 

 (image from graphicshunt.com)

 

I knew nothing about Drake except for the duet he did with Rihanna (which, surprise-surprise, was a very sexual song) and the fight he got into in a New York nightclub with Chris Brown (supposedly over Rihanna). 

 

This being LA, you'd think people would be so used to celebrities that the celebrities would be pretty much left alone (the paparazzi is another story).  For the most part, Drake was.  No one really so much as blinked an eye, save for a group of  4 teenage girls trailing behind him.  For a split second, I thought about approaching him and asking for an autograph or a picture to show my friends, but thought better of it and headed straight to the Gap so I could do what I went there for and go home.  At that point, my goal was to get home before 6, not have something to tweet about (I don't have a twitter account anyway).  What was a celebrity doing in a suburban mall on a Sunday?  This mall has seen its share of celebrities, but they usually shop on a weekday morning wearing sunglasses or big hats and do not wander around. 

 

I decided to share my story with my co-workers when we all returned to work yesterday.  One of them, a 59-year-old woman, said she recognized Drake.  Not for his saucy lyrics, but for something that I think is much worse.  She told me about a recent story which involved a conflict he had with the actress Holly Robinson Peete.  I know this is "old" news by now, but I hadn't heard of it until yesterday.  Apparently, in a song in which Drake collaborated with another rapper, J. Cole, an offensive reference to people with autism was made. 

 

I do not take kindly to this.  I spent 4 years working with children with autism, and I must say that the stories parents publish about children with autism having special gifts is very true.  I treasured the time I spent with these children, and to this day, I look back at it fondly.  It was a truly rewarding experience.  Not only that, but it's just plain wrong to marginalize this population.  Someone like Drake who has the power to influence young people who are in the process of developing into (hopefully responsible) adults really should be more careful and considerate.  I don't understand how John Galliano gets kicked out of high fashion and humiliated all over the world for verbalizing slurs against Jews, but rappers can make similar slurs against other groups and hardly feel a sting.  Neither John Galliano's nor Drake's and J. Cole's actions are right, so why are the punishments so out of proportion?  Yes, Drake and J. Cole apologized, but so did Galliano.

 

Boy, I'm really glad that I didn't give Drake even an ounce of my time or effort.  Not that he cares or even knows, but I somewhat protested in my own way, and I'm glad I did.  And I'm glad he didn't cause a scene that involved hundreds of people like the one I witnessed that involved Victoria Beckham in Barneys a few years ago.  He just doesn't deserve the attention.

Best Hermes Sale Ever

I'm not a big spender at Hermes anymore, so it wasn't until I got a text on Wednesday night from my friend T in NYC that I found out about the supposedly "really good" sale at the Beverly Hills boutique.  It turned out that that was the day of the private sale for their VIP customers.  The public sale began on Thursday.  I headed there right after work (tempted to leave early, but I would've hated abandoning my patients).  Almost immediately after I got in line (the first time I'd ever seen a line at Hermes!), I spotted my friend M, about 10 people ahead of me.  We chatted and caught up, so it seemed that the half-hour we waited in line just flew by.

 

There must've been at least a couple hundred people in the store, the most crowded section being handbags, of course.  I'd never seen Trims or Evelynes on the sale rack before, but there they were.  I even saw a couple of Medor clutches!  Wow!  I grabbed one immediately, but then saw that it was totally scratched up.  Then I saw the others, and they were just as scratched up, some with dents.  A Medor clutch for $2600 is a deal, but $2600 is still $2600, and to pay $2600 for something that's in bad shape is not a deal at all.  Sighing, I put all the Medors back on the shelf.  Was I destined to walk out the door empty-handed?

NO!

I walked up the stairs to the 2nd floor, where the sale RTW and shoes were.  I found some espadrilles in beige and red.  I nearly picked up a pair, but then spotted these Celeste wedges:

OMG!  I wanted these when they were selling at full retail price in the boutiques 2 years ago!  At the time, I was saving for a very big goal, but time and time again, I was tempted to abandon my goal to purchase these shoes.  I'm so glad I didn't cuz I found them at this sale for 50% off!  And if you want to talk further about things "meant to be", this was the only pair on the shelf, period...and it happened to be my size!  I knew they were my size, but I tried them on anyway, and of course, they fit perfectly.

 

M ended up leaving earlier than I did because she had to pick up her son.  I looked around some more after she left, but didn't find anything else after the shoes...or so it seemed.  I was on my way to the checkout line (yes, literally...just like you find in Costco-another 1st for me to see at Hermes) when I spotted this on the shelf.  Someone must've put it back because I spent quite a long time at the bag shelf and didn't see this there until that moment, and it was the only one, a zip-top Garden Party:

 

I didn't know these bags even existed!  You see, I've always liked the Garden Party, but I hated the magnet closure.  I must have bags that close, so this is the perfect solution...and it was 50% off!  I contemplated putting it back on the shelf, due to my recent Balenciaga spree and my plan to possibly purchase a Celine phantom tote for my birthday in October, but I knew I couldn't pass up the opportunity to buy this bag.  I gave it the once-over (twice) and saw that it was in excellent condition (it didn't even have the "S" stamp anywhere), so I decided that it was definitely coming home with me. 

 

As I promised T, I returned yesterday, the last day of the sale, to search for items on his wishlist.  Unfortunately, one of them was a Medor clutch, and there were absolutely none, in any condition.  However, I found him these:

I'm hoping he likes them.  If not, the zip pouch would make a nice clutch for me lol

 

And I passed on this on Thursday, but decided I'd regret not buying it, so I did.  "This" is the pocket square commemorating the Year of the Dragon.  It's not my favorite colorway, but I did not already own a pocket square in it, and the zodiac sign pocket squares are special, IMO (plus it was $87.50!, even cheaper than the price of the 1st pocket square I bought in 2007):

I don't know how to rotate the picture on blogger, so I apologize.  At times like this, I'm so glad I live in LA!

 

Best Hermes sale ever!  

Balenciaga Spree

So for 5 years I've been training in for a specialty certification.  What was required for this certification was hundreds of hours of clinical practice, an essay, an affidavit from someone already certified, a weekend-long workshop, and thousands of dollars.  I sent in my application to the state board and waited 15 weeks, not knowing whether all my hard work and hard-earned dollars would go to waste.  Not only did I have to endure the training and application process, but my crazy-bitch former boss lied to the state board and other managers in our company to prevent me from getting the certification.

You see, back in April, immediately before I sent in the application, I went to the Balenciaga boutique in South Coast Plaza with my friend D.  I saw a few bags I wanted and nearly bought a red Day.  D bought a City and was urging me to get the Day to lessen the blow on her.  I wanted to walk away with the bag, especially since the sales associate, Andres, was so nice.  I resisted temptation and told myself that I'd come back for the Day if I got my certification.  Besides, I really wanted a purple bag.

On August 2, my application was approved and I triumphed!  I immediately thought of my Balenciaga bag, but I didn't have any time to drive to SCP.  So I headed for the West Hollywood boutique and found a dark violet Town.  Soooo gorgeous!  The most perfect shade of purple, but I couldn't buy it without D there.  However, their Spring ready-to-wear was scheduled to clear out, and I wanted a piece of Nicolas Ghesquiere, so after trying on several dresses, I decided on this understatedly sexy one (I "jacked it up" with my Hermes collier de chien):

The next day, I went back with D, who approved my choice, so I was all set to go.  But...while I waited for the sales associate (a very cute and sweet girl named Gigi) to take my bag to the store repair person for a touch of nourishing cream (it was a 2012 bag, so it dried a little--a common thing in LA desert weather, I learned), I spotted this sweater: a basic, but a goody:

So now...the grand finale...the bag, a 2012 dark violet Town:

Here's the bag in natural sunlight (in front of my persimmon tree--which will be ready for picking in a couple of months!):

These bags sure are addictive...but I've gotta be good for at least a little while...but then again, my birthday's coming up soon ;)

The DQ Luxury Boutique Service Awards

We're in the dog days of summer here in the City of Angels.  It was 97 degrees in my hometown today!  It's August, so it's to be expected.  During most years, these days begin in late May and go well into October.  The hottest days reach 110...or more!  Since Memorial Day weekend, we've not had as many of those upper-limit temps this year, so I'm grateful for that.  But boy when they do happen...no wonder no major events happen during the summer (except for the World Cup and Summer Olympics...and only one of them happens every other year...and neither is happening this year)...

So I'm creating my own tiny little event.  Of course, it'll do with what I love most...luxury fashion.  By no means am I any kind of expert, but what I do have is a lot of research and personal experience.  Since it's been about 10 years since I've been consuming luxury goods, it's about time I shortened my shopping experiences into these 2 lists (and yes, I'm a little biased toward Los Angeles and certain designers--remember, this is about my experiences ;) )

BEST LUXURY SHOPPING SERVICE, AS DECIDED BY THE DRAMA QUEEN:

1. Christian Louboutin, West Hollywood
2. Balenciaga, West Hollywood
3. Christian Louboutin, Horatio Street
4. Christian Louboutin, Madrid
5. Balenciaga, South Coast Plaza
6. Christian Louboutin, South Coast Plaza
7. Natalie Schuterman, Stockholm
8. Shoe Salon at Saks Fifth Avenue, New York
9. Chanel, Beverly Hills Saks Fifth Avenue
10. Hermes, Wall Street

WORST LUXURY SHOPPING EXPERIENCE, AS DECIDED BY THE DRAMA QUEEN:

1. Christian Louboutin, Dallas*
2. Christian Louboutin, Madison Avenue**
3. Hermes, Las Vegas Bellagio
4. Madison, Beverly Hills

*The experiences were so bad here I had to explain my reason for ranking this #1 on the worst list.    I've never actually visited the store.  I was nearly stuck with buying a pair from them a couple of years ago.  I had pre-ordered a pair but called a week later to cancel my order.  I had the good sense to randomly check my credit card balance online to find I'd been charged by Dallas for the canceled order.  I nearly argued with the sales associate to get her to void the transaction.  Fast forward 2 years later, to June 2013.  My shoes were ordered through a salesperson at another Christian Louboutin store, unbeknownst to me.  They charged me full price for a pair that had a very visible stain on them!  Long story short, they insisted on doing nothing wrong, and my credit card company didn't bother fighting them on it, so I'm stuck with a $1200 credit at Christian Louboutin.  I guess it's not all bad; my next pair will be free or nearly paid-for, and the credit for the sale will go to a worthy sales associate at Robertson, South Coast, or Horatio.  I will never shop at Dallas again, and I recommend no one ever to do so.   By the way, I'm not the only customer who's had this experience with them.  I know of one tpfer who specifically instructed her Dallas sales associate to NOT send her the display pair (she wears a size 35, which is frequently used as the display shoe), but the sales associate sent her the display pair.  This was a strass pair--over $4000!

**I missed out on a lunch with a really good-looking guy while being stuck in this store one summer.  I was supposed to make a quick purchase, then head downtown to meet him, but the service was too slow (I was scheduled to fly home the next day, so I had no other time).  The sales associates were ignoring all but 2 customers and fought with each other in front of me. 

Feel free to comment on your personal lists!  I'd love to read them.

A Little Bit of Rock 'n' Roll

For my last entry, I ranted on and on about my last purchase, an Hermes red Kelly dog extreme.  I feel a little silly for ranting on and on about it only to exchange it for something else.

You see, after mulling over it over the weekend, I decided that, although pretty, the KDX just wasn't worth its price tag.  Not when the Collier de Chien costs just a little more.

I know the CDC is very hard to come by, so I went back to Hermes the next day, intending to either get a classic Kelly dog bracelet (still a relative bargain of $490) or a store credit for when a CDC become available.

I saw the sales associate who sold me the KDX and told her I wasn't too happy with it.  She just nodded her understanding, but before she could say anything else, I made a beeline for the bracelet counter.  Aha!  A CDC!  In black leather, nonetheless, perhaps the CDC color hardest to find!  I took it out, tried it on, and said yes.  The more shocking thing to find was that they actually had 2 of these, so she gave me the one that was not on display, so it came in a shrinkwrapped box, and it's totally new!

So I returned the KDX and paid a difference of $218 (including our exorbitant Los Angeles County sales tax) and walked out being able to check off a box on my mental bucket list.

In my mind, when I would picture myself with a CDC (I've had this picture in my mind for a long time!), I pictured it with gold hardware.  However, I think of the CDC as an accessory that adds a hint of "rock and roll" and youth to an outfit.  Probably because I'm still young, this was the look I was going for, so I decided to go ahead and get the CDC with palladium hardware.  However, would it be excessive to own the same CDC with gold?  Let me know what you think.

So since the KDX didn't work out and it went back to the boutique, THIS is my first piece of Hermes jewelry!  I started off with a bang, didn't I?!

If Hermes Beverly Hills Were Open on Sundays...

...I'd be in trouble!

Background: For 5 years, I worked under a crazy woman.  For the first 2, things went well.  She was supportive back then.  For the last 3, though, she revealed her true colors.  She turned out to be a jealous witch, and for a long time, no one believed me.  She'd been at the company for 20 years and established a reputation as a reliable and dedicated manager.  She criticized me to higher managers by telling them I was rude to patients, but when asked for examples, she never gave any.  I knew this was wrong because I'm not a rude person.  I'm in a positive place now, so I don't want to go on too much about it, but I'll just say that her behavior toward me included yelling, calling me names, and coercing me into signing false documents.  One day, last fall, when I refused to sign one of these documents, she started yelling again and shoved it in my face.  I refused again and attempted to leave the room, and she literally chased after me and attempted to block me from leaving.  She uttered an insincere apology a week later, but when the situation was brought up again in a meeting with human resources, she didn't deny it.  In fact, she justified herself by saying she was "not feeling well that day" and "her buttons were pushed".  I gave up, thinking life was just unfair.

Then an opportunity presented itself.  I was offered the chance to work at another site.  It meant a longer commute and more work, but I'd no longer be supervised by Crazy Lady.  I didn't think about it for more than a minute.  I took it.  I thrived there.  After less than 2 months, I got written up by patients for providing excellent service to them, and it was published in the company newsletter!  I got a glowing performance review and a bonus in my last paycheck.  What did I do differently?  Nothing!  I continued being the same great employee I always was, but the jealous witch tried to keep a lid on my excellence.  I just kept the faith in myself, and it paid off.

Every Sunday morning, if I'm awake early enough, I tune into Joel Osteen's show.  One of his messages today was: "Go where you're celebrated, not simply tolerated".  It always seems to me as if his messages hit the nail on the head at just the right times. 

So...what does Hermes have to do with this?  Quite a bit.  Because I'm content with my bag collection, I'm reducing buying Hermes to only when I want truly something special, such as a reward for myself.  And what better way to reward yourself than with Hermes?  Since it's now down the street from my new work, I drove to Hermes Beverly Hills after work on Friday afternoon.  Some of the sales staff there is familiar with me, and I was warmly welcomed back by them.  It had been a very long time since I'd shopped there.  I thought of picking up a twilly or scarf, but decided those weren't what I was in the mood for.  I walked over to the bracelet display.  Oooh!  There it was--an orange epsom Kelly dog with gold hardware!  My heart skipped a beat!  Any Hermes collector knows how hard it is to find a KD with GOLD hardware, and the leather band was in the pretty Hermes orange leather, too!  I nearly scooped it up for myself, but for some reason (love, I guess), I decided against it and thought it better for my sister, who'd been searching for a KD with gold hardware for a long time.  I called her immediately, and she said she wanted it, so I scooped it up for her.  I felt a little bummed.  I wanted to reward myself with something, but quickly changed my mind, knowing I'd made her happy.  Besides, I'm more of a red fan...wouldn't it be great to find a KD with a red leather band and gold hardware?  Yes, it would...

Yesterday, I decided to go back.  It was a Saturday, so I knew traffic wouldn't be so bad, and if I went in the morning at opening time, I'd be among the first to scope out the newest shipments.  I also remembered there were a few shrink-wrapped boxes sitting on the bracelet counter near closing the day before.  I got to Hermes around 10:30 am and walked straight to the bracelet counter.  My heart skipped a beat again.  In the case was a Kelly dog extreme with a red epsom leather band and gold hardware!  OMG!  The universe heard my request, loud and clear!  I asked the SA to show me the other KDs just to see the selection, but I knew I wanted the red KD extreme and walked out with it 5 minutes later!  Hermes purchases 2 days in a row.  It may be 3 days in a row...but since Hermes Beverly Hills is closed on Sundays, that's not happening (good for my wallet!).  If I really wanted to, I could drive for an hour and a half to the South Coast Plaza store, but thank goodness it's too hot outside for me to be in the mood to do so!

So here they are...yay!  Because the bleu electrique KD I bought in 2011 didn't quite work for me, this is my first Hermes jewelry piece.

Christian Louboutin Spring 2013 Sale

I was planning on posting a pic of a brand-new pair of Christian Louboutin bleu saphir Lady Highness shoes, but sadly, that didn't work out for me.  I bought them, but had to return them, due to a defect.  I chose not to name the boutique involved cuz they actually had satisfactory customer service...so far.  If it turns out to not be satisfactory, I'll not hold back from typing out their name.

Anyway, until now, I'd held back from buying any new Louboutins for over 6 months.  I had heard the boutiques were having their semi-annual sale, but wasn't been able to take advantage of it on the first day, as I normally do.  I finally got a chance a few days later.  I went in thinking that I'd missed out on anything good, particularly in my size, which is always in the range of 37-38 1/2.

I was wrong.  They had on display a Ron-Ron, in Rose Paris suede, a pinkish color.  I liked it, but didn't love it.  I missed out on the turquoise suede Ron-Ron a couple of seasons back, so I had that hopeless feeling in my stomach again.  So I tried the Rose Paris.  Then I asked my favorite salesgirl if there happened to be any other colors, and she said that there was a "blue" that also went on sale.  I got my hopes up and asked which blue color it was, thinking that it might be turquoise, but she answered, "blue sapphire, like the shoe you returned".  My face lit up.  She said she was told the "blue" suede Ron-Ron was sold out, but she'd look for it anyway and went to the stockroom.  A few minutes later, she emerged holding a box and wearing a big smile.  The box had a sticky on it that read "LAST PAIR".  She happily declared that she did indeed find the "blue sapphire", and it happened to be a 37 1/2, my Ron-Ron size.  Perfect!  And to top it off, this is my first pair of Ron-Rons.  To a longtime CL collector like me, it's sort of shocking that it took me this long to get a pair of Ron-Rons, a classic CL style that's been around several years.  Another milestone checked!

After having lunch with my SA, a delicious crispy kale salad, I went back to the boutique with her to purchase my Ron-Rons.  And the grand total was...$375 plus tax!  Wowee!  I'd never find a gem like this in the department stores.  This is why I'm almost always partial to buying from namesake boutiques.

Like probably most of America, I watched Game 7 of the NBA finals.  Probably almost like most of America, I rooted for the San Antonio Spurs.  I'm a Lakers and a Kobe Bryant fan, so I looked forward to the dethroning of King James, but it didn't happen.  However, I may actually be relieved that the Miami Heat won.  If the Spurs won, that'd give Tim Duncan his 5th NBA championship ring, and he'd be on par with Kobe.  LeBron James has only his 2nd, so he's still nowhere near catching up with Kobe.  And LeBron hasn't 3-peated, either.  Til next season...in basketball...and shoes!