trending. straw bags.

if you want in on the straw + bamboo bag trend, i've got you covered. in my quest to find one for myself, i came across so many cute ones that i'll share with you here. happy shopping!

i don't give in to many "trending now" items, but once in a while something comes along that really piques my interest. we [in hawaii] have been carrying straw bags and baskets around for ages, so this trend just fits in with my beachy lifestyle. this particular bamboo bag that i chose reminded me of 1) a bag my older sister used to have, and 2) those plastic jelly bags i used to have. 

(large bamboo handbag)

fyi, this bag comes in small and large; i may have been ok with the small as the large is quite big.

this display at my local store grabbed my attention!

find these cute styles and more here.

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did you find something you liked?

let me know if any of these piqued your interest!

christmas GIVEAWAY with Love & Sunshine.

christmas is a time for giving.

so i've turned to my most trusted friends to bring

you some amazing giveaways this week.

today's giveaway is from love & sunshine. my long time friend from high school has crazy mad skills when it comes to sewing...and she makes it seem so easy! she started by making tote bags, little zippered pouches, and lunch bags, but it's her latest creation, the zippered fold-over clutch, that has everyone scrambling to get their hands on one. remember this chevron clutch? i had to wait five months to get mine. (haha, just kidding, Adri!) well, you're in luck. in the spirit of giving, one lucky winner will receive not one, but TWO of these beautiful clutch bags. this 2-for means that you get a clutch for you, a clutch to give.

cream with pink lining.

green with blue lining.

stop by love & sunshine on instagram to see all their cute designs.

open to all, ends 12/18

blog comment mandatory, all other entries optional.

enter using the rafflecopter widget below

a Rafflecopter giveaway

end of summer coach crossbody GIVEAWAY.

i started the summer off with a coach giveaway, so what better way to end the summer than with another coach giveaway. this time, one lucky reader will win a Coach Legacy Mini Tanner Crossbody in Signature Fabric ($228 ARV). 

sponsors: [oomph.], This Mama Loves, Disney Contests and Sweepstakes, Life's Cheap Thrills, Blog by Donna, Libby's Library, This Mommy Saves Money, Pink Coupon Cafe

blog comment mandatory, all other entries optional.

ends 9/23, open to US only.

enter using the rafflecopter widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

summer kick off GIVEAWAY.

let's kick off summer with a giveaway!

with all the fun you'll be having this summer hanging out with friends and family, the last thing you want to worry about is your bag. of course, we still need the essentials close by, and what better way than this cute messenger-style, crossbody satchel courtesy of Libi & Lola? sport this summery bag with a white tee, denim cut-offs, and a fedora, and you'll have your hands free for more important things...like shopping bags and cocktails.

milena messenger bag

vegan blue leather, fully lined

10" x 10"

buy it here

or

enter to win one using the rafflecopter widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

chevron clutch.

when it's a jeans and tee kind of day, i rely on accessories to add oomph to my outfits. my friend made these super fun chevron clutches which i gave to my friends for christmas. she recently delivered mine (the green was out of stock at the time), and i love it. she always puts thought into her bags and comes out

with the cutest combinations for the interior lining.

(starfish cuff, blue vanilla)

foxy brown kept sneaking in and messing up my camera's focus.

(shae sweater via ideeli; frankie b. denim; loganberry clutch)

not an ideeli member? click here.

try these:

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got sunglasses?

enter the firmoo giveaway to win a voucher for sunglasses.

hep pep.

what a weekend! ours was jam-packed with activities which i'll share throughout the week, but first let's talk about superbowl sunday. we always have parties because it's also my nephew's birthday. this year was exciting because 1) i actually watched the game, 2) i almost understood what was going on, and 3) there was some monetary prizes involved (i won nothing!). i did catch some (friendly) $hit on instagram from 49ers fans after posting the photo of mini-he below. i am clueless about football, therefore i am not partial to any team. but, for the sake of having some friendly competition in the house,

i usually root for the underdog.

finally. peplum.

been wanting to try this trend for a while. it's more fluff and florals than i'm used to wearing, but i kind of liked it

with black [accessories].

did you watch the superbowl? how do you feel about peplum?

(bubble necklace via oomph (buy))

mini-he helping with the party decorations (and we did have 49ers stuff too!)...he did an amazing job cutting and coloring. way to go, mini!

my DIY birthday sign.

(express pants; target shirt; aldo bag; jessica simpson shoes)

btw, oomph is now on vine.

if you have an account, let's connect!

try these:

nine down three to go.

september is gone, and in looking back at my resolutions,

here's a quick recap of the month:

sleep early - more like fell asleep!

sometimes my late nights catch up with me.

exercise - check! ran on the treadmill three nights a week. 

girl time - just a lunch meeting. we're slacking!

 read - eek, no reading AGAIN this month.

one-on-one mini time - check! movies with mini-she and

the air show with mini-he.

try something new - check! started a mobile blog,

attended an air show (photos below).

fix laptop - nope, BUT my awesome friend set me up with a

new-to-me laptop...so this resolution officially gets

removed next month!

organize posts - check! caught up on a bunch of reviews for

Just Fabulous, She Wears it Well, sheinside, Primp & Prep,

and Dermagist.

my sunday mornings are free again, so i hope to

resume outfit posts soon!

how was your september? what's up for october?

living in my GAP pure tee...

(tee, gap; denim, frankie b; bag c/o justfab)

shop the look:

    win a complete rejuventation system from dermagist. enter here.  

just fabulous.

a few things i'm loving right now...my j.crew and GAP shorts (they fit perfectly!) and this pink bag from justfab. although i tend to stick to neutral colored bags in browns and black, i do have a history of having pink bags. i've found that this soft shade of pink blends nicely with many outfits and lends a touch of color without being too obvious.

if you haven't heard of justfab, it's like having your own personal stylist. after taking a short quiz about your style, items are handpicked for your personalized boutique. shop your boutique and purchase any of the items for only $39.95 each. i'm always skeptical to join these programs because i'm unsure of the quality and selection of the items offered. having experienced justfab first hand, i can now say that the quality of the products, the selection of items, and the service at justfab is, well...just fabulous!

(power player bag in blush c/o justfab.com)

(top, local boutique; j.crew shorts)

shop the look:

 

links a la [oomph.] 06.

flash sales are popping up everywhere offering great discounts on everything from clothing to accessories to shoes and jewelry. what i love about limited-time sales (usually between 48-72 hours) is that the stock is always being refreshed
offering new goodies every few days.

i recently learned about PLNDR which is part of the Karmaloop shopping family...offering up to 80% off Karmaloop's brand name fashions like BB Dakota, Dolce Vita, Mink Pink and more.

some of the great things PLNDR offers are:

$5 flat rate option for domestic shipping

weekly giveaways

$20 and under sales

buy one get one promotions

$9.99 overnight sales

here's a peek at some of my picks.

check out the site to view all of their sales...
including this week's new sale, Hello, Shoes.

and hurry, they don't last long!

PLNDR is offering you 10% off with the code: summerlove

it's free to sign up.

click here for an invite.

sponsor love. simoni textile designs.

an interest in color and texture and a love for creating took simoni papaefstathiou on a college journey through various art and design courses. during her three-year study, she discovered textile design and finally specialized in weaving. in 2010, just one year after graduation, she launched her own brand,

Simoni Textile Designs.

simoni is extremely talented, creating one of a kind hand-woven accessories. her most recent A/W 11/12 collection is called military chic and consists of hand-woven bags, earrings, brooches, and scarves. here are few teasers, but you can view the entire collection at her official website:

Simoni Textile Designs

 

also, check out the brand's facebook page for up-to-date information and specials on past collections.

current specials:

20% off Autumn/Winter 11/12

40% off Spring/Summer 2011

50% off Autumn/Winter 10/11

select items can be purchased here or via email.

love what you see?

you can win one of her beautiful earrings...stay tuned!