The Drama Queen Travels to Phoenix

It was really out of necessity that the DQ headed southeast.  I needed to take a required course for my advance-practice certification, and the closest city that didn't involve waiting several months was Phoenix.  Well, the DQ loves to travel, and she'd never been to Phoenix before, so why not?  Considering Phoenix is only an 80-minute flight from LA, the expense wasn't too great, so I chose to look at it as a new adventure, with no expectations, so I was hoping to be pleasantly surprised.

It didn't start off too well for me.  I got hives the minute I stepped off the plane.  Darn my very sensitive skin!  I definitely didn't expect it, especially since I'm from the Southwest, and I'm very used to desert weather.  Oh, well.  I wasn't going to let that ruin my trip.  I'd have 4 days in Phoenix. I might as well make the best of it and explore the best of the city.

One thing I liked about Phoenix was the Light Rail. This is an above-ground train that stops at the most popular destinations in the city, including the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport and Chase Field stadium, where the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team plays their home games. It also travels east, cutting through Tempe (home of the Arizona State University campus) and Mesa. It costs $2/ride, but only $4 for an all-day pass. So even if you plan to go to only one destination and come straight back to your point of origin, it's most practical to buy an all-day pass. A 1-week pass costs just $20. I found this sign at one of the stops, each one containing a piece of work by a local artist. I thought it was very fitting to post as my first picture in this entry.

I was hoping to post a picture of a stereotypical Southwestern sunset, but I couldn't get a picture of both a sunset and cactus together. However, I did get a picture of a red mountain at sunset and a picture of a few different cacti. 

I had Googled "high end shopping Phoenix" a couple of weeks before my trip, but was disappointed to find that my search yielded a bunch of shops in Scottsdale, except one. It was Frances. It was labeled as "the best boutique in Phoenix" and "very Phoenix", but I gave up hope of going there, too.  I had no idea if I'd be able to find it...Now back to the Light Rail...after picking a few select stops, I explored the area around each one.  After getting off at Central/Camelback, I looked across the street...and there it was!  I had to go in!

I expected the clothes to be in the $200-500 range, but surprisingly, most of the pieces were under $100.  I browsed the sale rack, but didn't find anything I liked.  I finally found a dress on a dummy that was $75.  Perfect!  However, even the smallest size was still too big for me.  The teenage salesgirl was just helpful enough, meaning she wasn't snotty or mean, but she wasn't enthusiastic.  I chalk it up to her being young and it was nearly closing time on a Friday night.  Then again, I'm the kind of shopper that likes to be left to browse at my leisure, so her lack of service didn't bother me too much.  However, if it wasn't for her, I would've missed this piece:

Sometimes I wonder if I should've been born in the 1930s so that I would've been a young woman in the 1950s cuz I'm a sucker for feminine A-line dresses!  This particular one is not the most flattering dress I own, but I love polka dots and it's washable by hand.  What also makes this dress special is it's from a brand called Mata Traders, whose materials are hand-printed by women in India and Nepal, so their local economies are boosted. 

My return flight home wasn't until the afternoon, so on my last day in Phoenix, I hopped back on the Light Rail and headed back to Frances.  I was hoping for a better experience, as I actually had a whole hour and a half to browse this time.  It was.  The salesperson was a middle-aged woman who appeared to be very enthusiastic about the boutique and seemed to appreciate that I went out of my way to visit, particularly since I'm from out of town. Even though I spent just $20 on a T-shirt off the sale rack, the saleswoman wrapped it up nicely with a fuchsia ribbon.  From the pictures and store website, I expected all the items to be locally made, but the only things I found that were were kitchen accessories, soaps, and candles.  I really didn't need any of those, so I passed.  I got a picture of the baby-items display.  If I had a baby of my own, I might have picked something up from it.  I just love the bright yellow wall!

I read the reviews about Frances on yelp.com when I got home, and I'm so glad I waited until then to read them.  I disagree with most of the posters.  Almost all of them said the items were too expensive, but maybe I'm just used to seeing high price tags, so I didn't think Frances items were expensive at all.  A few posters also stated that the sizing on the clothing was too small.  As someone who wears small sizes, I found that the selection was quite limited.  The only dress in the store I was able to find that fit my body was the one I walked out with.

On another stop on the Light Rail, I found a bakery called Kick Ass Kakes.  I could've used a cupcake for a little sugar kick and was eager to buy a treat or 2 to take home to my family, but it was a Monday, and it was closed.  I saw pictures of their work in the window, and this particular cake stood out to me:

OK, no cupcake, but that was good for my waistline!  It was time to get to the airport, so I took my last ride on the Light Rail and headed back to my hotel.

As I was sitting on the Flyaway bus at LAX headed to Van Nuys, I spotted a paparrazzi mob scene at the Tom Bradley International terminal.  As long as I've lived in LA and as many celebrities I've seen mobbed by papparazzi, I've never been in a position to get a photo, so I took the opportunity to get my first.  I saw a tall blonde woman wearing a beanie and huge sunglasses. All around her, flashes went off and people held out headshots and pens.  She signed a few, but then was whisked away in a town car.  Who was she?  I couldn't figure it out.  She looked like Brandi Glanville of the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" to me.  I Googled "celebrities spotted at LAX March 11" on my phone the whole ride home, but couldn't get an answer.  The next day, the answer was on perezhilton.com.  It was Victoria's Secret supermodel Candice Swanepoel.  Of course!  On March 12, she was at an event at the Victoria's Secret store in the Beverly Center.  Here's my photo of the mob scene.  I was quite far away, and it wasn't as if there was any time to make the proper adjustments (and I'm not an experienced-enough photographer to think of what adjustments need to be made quickly), but I circled Candice's face.  If you study it for a minute, you may be able to make out her features:

Overall, a memorable weekend.  I don't know if I'll ever return to Phoenix, but I'm always happy to expand my travel knowledge and gain new experiences.  If I ever do return to Phoenix, I know where to go and how to get around =)

Prabal Gurung for Target Collection: the DQ Perspective

I was very excited about this collection.  I look forward to these Target collaborations, but the last 2 were a bit of a disappointment.  So when the lookbook became available online, I went to the Target stores near my home and work to inquire about them.  The responses were a lot of blank stares and, "Hold on.  Let me ask someone".  I had heard that the sale starts online in the wee hours of the morning, so at 11 pm last night, I was actually online.  I rarely ever stay up past 10:30 pm these days, so I was about ready to give up, but I lucked out with a few clicks.  I ordered a few of my desired items, plus another one that I dismissed earlier, but changed my mind at the last second and added it to my cart.  The shipment will be here any day now!

Even though I got most of what I wanted online, I just had to join in on the frenzy.  After all, I'm an early riser, so it wasn't a big deal for me to get up early, even on a Sunday.  I had to strategize.  There are about 8 Target stores within a 10-mile radius from my home.  After much thought, I decided to go with the one with the most traffic.  Risky, but I knew this store would have plenty of stock.  I left my house at 7:15 am, thinking I'd get my fave Starbucks drink and sit in my car for a few minutes before leisurely strolling into the store.  Wrong.  I got to the Starbucks drive-thru (I was NOT getting out of the car in 39-degree weather...yeah, yeah, normal for this time of year in most other parts of the country...but I'm a true sunny Cali girl), and there was actually 3 cars in line-at 7:35 am on a Sunday morning!  I decided to ditch the Starbucks idea and headed straight to Target.  There were about 12 girls in front of the store entrance already-so scratch the reading-in-the-car idea, too.  I parked my car and joined them.  By 7:57 am, the crowd swelled to about 40 people, including a couple of elderly folks and 2 couples.  There was a group of 4 girls, each with papers in their hands and discussing strategy.  One would head straight to shoes, another 2 to clothing, and don't forget to get these specific sizes.  It was sort of funny, until one elbowed me to get a little further ahead in the crowd.  I was a little peeved, but I didn't think it was worth it to get upset, so I moved a little out of the way for her.  It ended up not making a difference for her cuz I ended up getting ahead of her in the crowd anyway (being little and quick really helps sometimes!).  I ran straight for the dresses and grabbed the floral crush and red/black shift dresses in sizes 2 and 4.  As I grabbed the last size 2 floral crush dress, I heard a few, "Awwws".  I did feel bad, but these things are "first-come, first-serve", right?

So the floral crush dress is the quintessential piece of this collection, in my opinion.  I'm definitely keeping that, but the red/black dress is...well, not.  I must've been expecting different material, but later on, I figured out that it's just that it's too similar to the Jason Wu for Target black shift dress I got last year.  Why get 2 of the same dress?  I took the red/black Prabal dress home, but will likely bring it back.  I wonder if other people felt the same way cuz I found so many of them left when I checked out.  I traveled to 2 other Targets, and I found so many of that dress on the racks at them, too. 

I also found the floral sweatshirt and a couple of pairs of shoes.  The black shoes are very similar to the Christian Louboutin Balota that came out a couple of seasons ago.  I wanted them, but couldn't fork over $1300 at the time.  I'm debating keeping them, but I'm leaning toward no, since I currently own a few pairs of Louboutins I have yet to wear or have worn just once or twice.  The sweatshirt, well...it's not really worth $29.99, in my opinion, but it's a great casual piece.  But $29.99 (plus tax) is still money, and I don't have any to waste. 

floral crush dress

red shift dress with black trim (sorry, I don't know how to rotate it and save it on this blog)

black lace-up sandals

There's still one item to comment on, but my dear readers will have to wait for its arrival to hear my take on it.  Until then... =)

A Lux Fashionista's Milestone Was Met Today

There are milestones in a "normal" person's life.  As a child, this milestone is reached when you learn to crawl and walk, and another is met when you utter your first word.  As an adult, milestones are met when you start your first job or get married.  Luxury fashionistas have certain milestones that don't factor into a "normal" person's life.  I consider myself a luxury fashionista, and my milestones included the following: the first time I walked into a designer boutique and the first time I bought a designer handbag.  Then these milestones became associated with fashion houses: the first Chanel bag, the first pair of Christian Louboutins, the first Hermes accessory...the first...time I tried on a Herve Leger bandage dress. 

Sometime in 2009, I put an HL dress on for the first time.  I was not impressed.  The sales associate told me that HL bandage dresses were flattering on everyone. I looked at myself in the mirror and decided "everyone" didn't include me.  I was overweight and not happy with the way I looked, so why would I want to wear a piece of clothing that showed off my body?  I avoided the dresses for over 3 years. 

In late 2012, as I was shopping online, I found a gorgeous black HL dress for a steal.  I had lost a significant amount of weight and was ready for more body-conscious fashion, so I took a chance and bought the dress.  It arrived the next day, and I was again disappointed.  It just didn't look right.  So I reluctantly took off the dress, folded it back up, put it into a box, and dropped it off at the post office.  I was hoping to surpass the milestone of trying a HL dress and actually own one, but it didn't happen.

A few weeks later, I went shopping with a mission to find a HL dress that I could finally call my own.  I found one and loved it, but alas, even on sale, it was still over $1000.  I may be the size I want to be, but my budget isn't what I want it to be, and this girl needs to save. 

Still determined, I went on my mission again today.  I visited another store, and I found the dress I liked again, but it was still over $1000. I almost walked out, but the sales associate was so nice and warm I opened up to her and told her I was looking for my first HL, yet was on a tight budget.  She seemed genuinely happy for me and said she understood, so she found me several dresses on sale.  I didn't like some of the styles, and some of them weren't my size.  She found me 2 gorgeous black dresses for under $600.  I told her I was hoping for color, but I'd try them anyway.  I put on the one with cap sleeves and loved it, but I needed 2 people to zip it up, and I felt like I was wearing a medieval corset.  Unfortunately, that style ran small and the next size up (small) was sold out in the whole country.  I put on a classic strappy style with a sweetheart neckline and loved it, but the S was actually too big.  The SA went in the back and said she didn't have a XS, so I contemplated buying the S, but she said that she wouldn't sell it to me cuz she knew I'd be unhappy with it.  I love honest SAs!  Disappointed, I took the dress off and began putting my clothes back on, then she said to me through the curtain, "I have an idea.  I have a feeling this will work".  She said she found a XXS in the strappy black dress and felt like it would work for me cuz the S looked really big on me.  I said I'd try it, so I did.  And voila!  It worked.  Now I know why I never buy clothes online (only if I've already tried the item on in person before).  I never would've guessed I could fit into a XXS.  And as a bonus, as body-conscious as this dress is, I can actually zip it up myself! 

To add a little twist to the story, the SA told me that the dress I originally went in there for did get marked down some more, so I had a choice to make. That dress was multi-colored and beautiful, but I decided that, since my budget is pretty tight, it may be a while before I get another HL dress, so I went with the black. I finally met the milestone of buying my first HL dress. I hope I made the right choice. What do you think?

Merry Christmas 2012

Wow...so much has happened these last few weeks.  There were a lot of these things I could've put in this entry: product reviews, purchases, vacation photos...but what I really wanted to do was simple.  And that was to simply wish everyone a merry Christmas.  Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, I wish you the peace and joy of the Christmas spirit. 

Here are 2 photos from my most recent trip.  Photo #1was taken at a manger scene in a chapel in Shepherds' Field, also in Bethlehem, which is where the shepherds were when they learned of the birth of our Lord.  Photo #2 was taken at the actual site of Jesus's birth, in what is now known as the Church of the Nativity, located in Bethlehem, Palestine (yes, that's my hand!). 

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Happy Birthday to Me!

I had such a busy day today, but it was quite nice.  I heard from my loved ones and had a nice sushi dinner with my family.  I nearly forgot about this until I got a text from my friend M.  Here's my b-day present(s), finally unwrapped:

It's nothing new.  It's been a couple of months since these items were released, but I just had to keep the promise to myself to not open my birthday presents until my birthday came.  Well, I can finally introduce these babies into the world: my limited-edition Yayoi Kusama & Louis Vuitton blue Speedy bag with white keychain. 

The Chosen Few

So I finally decided to pare down my Christian Louboutin collection to 20 pairs.  It was a much easier decision to make than I thought.  I slowly sold off pair by pair, until I got to 20.  Here are the chosen few, none of which I would sell unless I really will, literally, starve:

In case you want to know the color/material/style names:
back row (left to right): jade watersnake Jenny, nude patent Lady Peep, nude/red patent Very Prive, leopard ponyhair Madame Butterfly pump, and batik python No Prive; 3rd row from front (left to right): black kid Clou Noeud, yellow satin Jolie Noeud, nude patent Bianca, nude satin Youpli, and blue python Lady Claude; 2nd row from front (left to right): purple satin Fiorellino, black/burgundy jazz No Prive, mandarin red suede Lady Gres 160, lavender sequin Poseidon, and black patent Horatio; front fow (left to right): black nappa Madame Butterfly booty, leopard ponyhair Tigresse, gray suede Declic, leopard ponyhair Simple 85mm pumps, and red lizard Simple 100 mm pumps

I think I did a pretty good job keeping the variety of colors and materials I have here.  I have every color in the rainbow represented, plus a few others, too.  I also did a pretty good job of mixing up classics, seasonal, and limited styles...and kept it at a relatively low total.

For a while, I wanted to keep my collection at 21 pairs, but I then decided that lucky #21 will be purchased AFTER I meet my big goal ;)

10 Days to Go...

...until I can open you...