urban ndn

katie shorts

 

photo: fame pictures

 

Okay, so it's bad enough Suri Cruise has a $150,000 shoe collection and she's only 5 years-old!
Then I find out she's getting a $100,000 tree house. I can handle that Tom Cruise and his wife are richer than rich and can afford to spoil this little girl like this.

But then came the final blow: Katie Holmes was recently spotted at the beach wearing the pink Isabel Marant shorts I've been obsessing over. Yes, those same shorts every fashion-loving woman in North America would love to own, but they're sold out everywhere.

I am officially bitter.

Likely Katie will only wear these shorts once, then toss them into the depths of her walk-in closet. Or perhaps she will donate them to goodwill, or give them to the hired help.

Well, at least I picked up a pair of pink shorts at Forever 21 for the paltry sum of 13 bucks. Take that TomKat.

 

 

 

are you forever 21?

                                     F21 Retro Maxi Dress

 

I couldn't help but chuckle when I overheard a conversation while browsing at the new Forever 21 store at Polo Park today.

A woman was busy scanning a rack of clothes, and her male friend asked her, "Are you forever 21?"

The woman was not 21 - like me - and her friends' voice was in a tone reminiscent of a perfume commercial. Hilarious, I tell you.

This was my first visit to the much-touted Forever 21 store, which made the news because of the excitement and line-ups that came on opening day. 

F21 is a favorite of many fashion enthusiasts like myself, who love fashionable clothing but like a cheap price tag even more. I've bought a few things from F21 online over the years and despite the low price they were pretty good quality.

However, F21 also makes me wary because of their low prices - am I supporting sweatshops?

The F21 store was a little busy, but not nearly as crazy as I thought it would be. I took two dresses (pic above) I'd seen online into the change room with me, and the lineup for a dressing room only took about two minutes.

 

                                 F21 Tie Dye Maxi Dress

 

The Tie Dye Maxi Dress fit weird, but I chalked it up to the fact that I'm a breastfeeding mama. I didn't want to try size large, since it wouldn't fit me right either because I'm petite.

Then I tried on the Retro Maxi Dress. Same problem though, so I passed on both. 

So, I ended up buying this necklace.

 

 


 
                Spirited Charms Necklace                         close-up view

 

 

Grand total: $6.40. I think I might go back.

 

PROS:

Cheap chic - from runway to mall faster than you can say "Christian Louboutin"
Merchandise is said to change weekly
No shipping charges
You can try it on before you buy it
Easy on your wallet

CONS:

Some clothes are cheaply made so check them over carefully
Certain items available online aren't in stores
Same thing goes with sizes
Online sales aren't available in store
The possibility you are supporting sweat shop labour

 

Remember, mass-produced clothing effects the environment negatively. Shop smart.

If you buy cheap chic clothes, take care of them, fix buttons, loose threads, etc, and recycle them to friends, family members and thrift stores when you're done with them.

 

 

 

 

 

How I loved to hate the purse (le sigh)

 

I can't remember where I found this purse pic from but I thought I'd post it for all you purse fiends. I love it - part Cher, part Boho, part Southwest. Le sigh. It makes me want to sing "Half Breed" and put on a gypsy skirt. lol.

A couple months ago I actually sewed some turquoise on a thrifted 80s leather purse in what I now realize is an ode to this one. I'll have to post it one of these days.

If anyone knows who makes this let me know. Happy Wednesday.

take a walk on the wild side

 

Well, it's a nail biting day for all Canadians - May 2 is federal election day!
It's going to be a tight race, so I'm going to be glued to the news coverage all evening. 

So, what better day to post my review of Sally Hanson's Salon effects Real Nail Polish Strips.

 

 

I picked a package of the Nail Polish Strips for about $9 at a local drugstore.

The pattern selection is amazing, but they are a hot commodity because it took a a few weeks for me to get a hold of some leopard pattern ones. I picked them because they remind me of the minx nail manicure.

Application was pretty simple: imagine putting big stickers onto your nails and buffing the extra edges off to fit your nail.

Sally Hansen says these polish strips will last up to 10 days, and I was not disappointed. The photo above are my nails after 8 days of grueling testing. There's some wear along the edges, and some growth along the cuticles but they stood up to the serious torture!

I'm at home with a new baby so I'm washing my hands at least 20 times a day, doing laundry, scrubbing several loads of dishes, and other assorted mommy duties.

So I'm giving Sally Hansen nails top beauty marks - 5 out of 5 bannocks!

These nail strips rock - give them a try!

Pros:

Not as expensive as a manicure
Do them at your leisure, no time-consuming visit to a salon needed
No polish mess or bubbles
No nail salon smell to put up with

Cons:

Sometimes have to hunt around for pattern you want
More expensive than a bottle of polish
Does take some effort/practice to get them on perfect

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