Vacation Time = Swimsuit Time

Just in time to save me from my January ennui, I am headed out on vacation next week! Yes, I'm heading down to Puerto Vallarta for some sand and sunshine with the boyfriend. I've never been, and I'm excited to take some time to charge my batteries.

The other night, after telling my coworker I was headed to the beach, she asked, "have you bought a new swimsuit?"

You all know I'm a sucker for a new swimsuit just like I'm a sucker for boots and coats, and because I'm a sucker for boots and coats, that's what I've been focusing on lately. I haven't been thinking about swimsuits at all. Tisn't the season, and all. But now I'm thinking, well, yes, I do kind of want a new swimsuit...

But where does one buy a swimsuit in January? According to Karen, the bikini displays are already out at Nordstrom, to which I say WHAT. And, of course, swimsuits are available online, but considering my flight takes off Monday, I'm not willing to risk the shipping not arriving in time. That said, I am mighty, mighty tempted by the Esther Williams Bathing Beauty Retro Swimsuit as sold by ModCloth. I love the Esther Williams swimsuits so, so much. And apparently Delia's Swim 2010 section is live. In January.

I realize that I could just head to PacSun and check out their swimsuit selection, which is always cute and leans to the surfer-chic look that I enjoy. How cute is this buffalo plaid bikini? And if I strike out there, I might have to see what American Apparel has... but I swear, some of those things are NOT swimsuits.

Seriously, though -- I know the retail seasons are screwed up (I think coats are already on sale for "end of season" now), but will I actually find swimsuits in San Francisco, The City With No Summer Except For Maybe A Nice Couple of Weeks In September and October, in January?

The truth is, of course, that I don't need a new swimsuit -- the ones I have are fine, cute, and still fit. Also, this way I can hold off and wait until it's really truly swimsuit season and have the full variety/availability (and budget, ahem) to shop...

I'll catch you on the flipside! Don't do anything I wouldn't do while I'm gone...!

image from modcloth.com

Music to Run To

I'll admit that I'm totally not feeling inspired lately. My entire wardrobe has got me bored to tears, I've been limited in what I can eat the past week due to the stupid wisdom teeth coming out, and as much as I want to buy new clothes, nothing has been fitting right. I'm in a general January funk.

Part of the reason why I'm in this funk is that I'm not really being active -- I'm not working out, I'm not roller-skating, I'm just kind of tired all of the time.I need to take it easy and let myself heal, but it's boring and I'm getting antsy. But I'm getting ready to start up again at the end of January, and I think I want to start running. I've never liked running (true story: Karen and I became friends over a mutual hatred of running in middle school gym class), but I absolutely need to work on my endurance. And with my boyfriend being a runner (he ran the Kauai half-marathon last year), it seems like a good idea -- he can give me tips and help me out.

And so I've been looking into music -- particularly podcasts -- to help get me going. I've never really been a podcast subscriber -- I don't know why, but I never really got into it! Way to be two thousand and late, J. Still, I can appreciate a good mix of music, especially if it's already fully set and timed for you so you don't have to stop and flip through to the next song (which is always my problem).

Since I'm really just starting running, I knew that there was the training program Couch to 5K, where you ease into running and gradually add time and speed. To go with the program, there's a Couch to 5K podcast with high BPM techno-y workout-y music and Robert (the podcast creator) letting you know when it's time to walk, run, rest, or cool down.

While standard workout music is fine, I had a feeling I would want something a little more indie rock, and so I found the Jogtunes Indie podcast. And when I found it in iTunes, I followed the "You might like..." links and discovered Indie Soup Runner, which is really cool and has all of its playlists available for you to pick and see which ones you want to download. (I recommend "Angry Rock Chick", because YEAH.) If you find that their websites are a little hard to navigate, because, well, we do, I highly recommend subscribing to them in iTunes and pulling them directly from there.

And don't forget: Kati did a workout mix as her first Lab Accident (I MISS YOUR MIXES, KATI) -- You Know You Really Were The Bomb.

So now I've got some awesome new music on my iPod, but I have a complication in that I'm very picky about headphones. I have tiny ears and earbuds just do not stay in. I hate them so much that when I was asked "hey, can I borrow your iPhone earbuds", I said, "I honestly have no idea where they are." I have a pair of ladybug earbuds that I use reluctantly and with the child-size buds (!), and a pair of behind the neck headphones that hurt my ears after too long. It's not ideal.

However, I could make an exception for the rad and vibrant Urbanears at Moxsie.com. I don't plan on running outside much, so running in the gym with a big colorful pair of headphones would be fine with me. I'm also craving the Heartbeats designed by Lady GaGa and featured in the Bad Romance video. They're enough to make me reconsider the whole "gah I hate earbuds" thing. (And they come with three sizes of buds, for the tiny-eared like me.) Either way, I will have to think about it.

How are you feeling this January? Are you feeling listless like me, or are you revved up for the new year? What's your favorite way to work out, if you're into working out?

image from moxsie.com

Favorite Things 2009

Happy New Year, everyone!

I am full of pudding and cheer -- there probably won't be any champagne for me tonight, but that's okay! What I do have are some of the new things I discovered and adored in 2009...

- MAC Sugarshot eyeshadow: Naturally I was excited about the MAC SugarShock collection -- with a sweet treat-themed collection, including one of the first mint green nail polishes on the scene, how could I resist? I picked up several things, but the one that's definitely become a staple in my kit is Sugarshot, one I wouldn't have even considered initially. It's a very pale shimmer with a touch of pink; at first I thought, I don't need any more highlight shadows, I have enough. But Sugarshot really is one of the eyeshadows I reach for all the time. It gives my eyes a bit of lightness and a little bit more green, due to the pale pink cast, and is the perfect base to build up any other color scheme.

- Chanel Jade nail polish: I recently went to the Bloomingdales Chanel counter in San Francisco and was looking at the new spring collection (beautiful, must get ASAP), chatting with the sales girl, when I casually mentioned that I had gotten my hands on Jade. She said, "We never got it!" Apparently there were rumors that they were getting a couple, that Saks was getting some, but it never really showed up. I secured mine by ordering it as soon as I heard it was live at Chanel.com -- which meant I was in the middle of NYFW. I wore it for Thanksgiving and I love the cool green with the light shimmer. Gorgeous!

- Hermes Elixir de Merveilles perfume: I don't know how I was inspired to pick this up -- I believe it was a blog post, likely from the Beauty Addict -- but I ordered a small decant from The Perfumed Court and fell for it hard. It's a warm gourmand citrus that's a little unisexy, so of course I dig it. My brother gave me a $50 gift card to Sephora (nicely played, sir!), so I may have to put that towards a full bottle. (Surprisingly, I'm ambivalent towards the original Eau de Merveilles.)

- Bliss Vanilla Bergamot body butter: After the BlogHer '09 event, I continued my tradition of going and getting a massage and facial at Bliss SF. I slicked myself up with this sweet moisturizer, which is so good and rich that it lasts all day. Plus, it doesn't smell like a cupcake, which is all well and good, but a rich, grown-up vanilla that makes me want to eat my arm. My 2010 wish is that they start offering the new Body Butter Lite in Vanilla Bergamot, too.

- Dior Addict Lip Glow: You all know that I'm always in search of a wonderful, moisturizing, SPF-havin', tinted lip balm, right? Well, with Dior Addict Lip Glow for pink and Fresh Sugar Rose for red, I'm set. The search is over.

- Bliss Steep Clean Mattifying Moisturizer: This was another find (actually, a recommendation from my facialist) when I went to Bliss in July; a good-smelling, oil-controlling, night cream. I've always been battling my skin, but this latter half of the year? Skin's been doing great.

- Urban Decay Bourbon 24/7 pencil: I got this eye pencil with the Get Baked palette this summer, and it has quickly jumped to one of my favorites, especially when used in tandem with Sugarshot for a simple daytime look. As I said earlier this year, "you wouldn't think that I'd get excited over a brown eyeliner pencil, but it's really flipping pretty and lasts all day."

What were your favorite product discoveries in 2009? What are you looking to find in 2010? (Chanel counter, I'm coming for you...) Do you want to find something specific, or do you want to be surprised? Any beauty trends you're interested in trying in the new year?

Here's to a great new year!

image from sephora.com

Winter break!

It's been pretty quiet around le blog -- what with the holidays and all, we've been running around and then collapsing. (Or maybe that's just me.) I made sure I got Kati's package out in the mail, got gifties for my family and my boy, visited family and friends, and tomorrow I go in and get my wisdom teeth pulled out. Boy howdy!

So while I'm recovering and lying around in my new Ugg moccasin slippers (they are so warm and nice) and cute pajamas, everyone else is going to have a glamorous and fun New Year's Eve. I'm settling in with all of the books I've been meaning to read for months, I've got apples going in the crockpot to turn into sweet soft applesauce, and I'm actually kind of looking forward to a nice long weekend... even if it's extra-long because there are teeth coming out of my face. I'll do my best to have my Favorite Things of 2009 up by the end of the year, but, well, I've never had my wisdom teeth out before, so I'm not sure how I'll be feeling...!

2009 has been an interesting year, with lots of good times and some sad and strange times. I can't say I'm sad that we're moving into a new year -- I know I feel ready!

Here's hoping for a great 2010!

image from zappos.com

WorkWear Daily: Life Is A Cabaret

Man, remember when I was a huge slacker and posted Polyvores of my work wardrobe almost every day? Now I actually have a job that gives me things to do, so I can't blog all day every day anymore! What a shock. There are still the odd days when I get dressed for work, look at myself in the mirror and think, "Damn girl, this outfit is KICK-ASS and deserves documentation in the form of a digital mock-up made from none of these actual wardrobe pieces." Luckily, we have Polyvore to do this for us, so check this awesome outfit out:

Cabaret Businessgirl by periodicstyle featuring Stop Staring

Obviously, the outfit I actually wore today is on the left--purple Gap cardigan, black scarf passed from my mother's closet to mine, black wool pencil skirt from J. Crew (on sale, heck yeah), slate grey tights, plain black pumps, and the piece de resistance, my new Rayya peacock hair clip from Charlotte Kruse. I sashayed out of the house feeling like a cabaret super rockstar bombshell, and arrived at work to cries of, "KAREN, WHAT IS THAT ON YOUR HEAD?"

Apparently the world is not ready for fabulous feathered fascinators and hairclips outside of indie gift markets. So, I considered what I would wear if I were actually a cabaret superstar a la Jane Avril or our not-so-secret imaginary best friend Dita von Teese. You can see the results--wiggle dresses, backseam stockings, embellished shoes for impromptu dance breaks a la A Band Aparte:

Is it weird to try to incorporate more theatricality and romance into your professional wardrobe? Could I do more without going completely overboard, all-out Anthrologie, liquid liner and feathered lashes every day, crazy super-vintage? Jeanne and I have been discussing how boring/bored we are with the current state of our wardrobes and how to inject some excitement. I think sticking to the basics we already have with a little investment or rediscovery of our more outlandish accessories could be a good kick in the pants, but sometimes a girl just needs a great big style overhaul.

I love the backseam tights, the lace, the drama, the tiny top hats, the sexy hip-swinging stride that my imaginary "cabaret style" above explores, but is it TOO costume-y? My default for professional outfits is turning towards the dress+tights+trench phase that marks me as a mid-twenty-something looking to expand her social life outside of checking her Blackberry for urgent work demands. I want to expand and explore my wardrobe for its theatricality and romance potential, not boredom and default fashion! I was so proud of my admittedly meager styling skills today and now look what's happened--I want to explode my closet with the sexy a la Miss Dita, who doesn't?