Category Archives: Fashion Forward

Spring Fashion Show at 83 Degrees in Carlsbad on February 21 2016

One of my favorite clothing shops in the Carlsbad area is The Beat Clothing. I did a couple of posts about them (here and here), and I stop in and shop when I can whenever I’m up in the area. I was recently there with my son and niece after our trip to the Miniature Engineering Craftsman Museum, looking for David Bowie t-shirts. Not only did they mention they were getting some in soon, but they also promptly emailed me when they arrived (I bought two of them)!

The Beat Clothing, Blues and Shoes and Ragz Dressware are all sister stores, and their clothing will be featured in a Spring Fashion Show at 83 Degrees this Sunday, styled by Astrid Montalvo (details are in the flier above). I’ll be there, hope to see you there, too!

Fashionably Late: January 2016 Events With San Diego Style Bloggers

I guess I’m doing fairly well with documenting events lately, especially since I’m only two weeks behind in posting them (yikes)! I attended a couple of events to help support my fellow San Diego Style Bloggers: Girls Night Out at La Femme Chic Consignment Boutique and the 2016 Style Refresh Party at Bliss 101. I’ve got a couple more events to catch up for January, which I will post up before the end of the week. In the meantime, please enjoy my recaps of these fun events!

Girls Night Out With with Tiffany of Glitz and Glam by Tiff at La Femme Chic Consignment Boutique

Gorgeous model/blogger Tiffany hosted a Girls Night Out at La Femme Chic!

La Femme Chic is located in Solana Beach, and they specialize in combining high-end chic with affordable pieces. You can find lovely Chanel and Christian Dior purses next to well cared for Madewell and H&M items. My kind of consignment store!

All of the displays in La Femme Chic are so gorgeous!

I found my opera coat! I fell in love with the ones Carrie Bradshaw wore on “Sex And The City”, and I have been looking for something similar to what she wore on the episode “Anchors Away”. I found that gorgeous vintage one picture above, and at such a great deal!

2016 Style Refresh at Bliss 101, Hosted by San Diego Style Bloggers

Bliss 101 is located in Encinitas, and they specialize in all things having to do with art, home and body.

Bliss 101 helped to host San Diego Style Bloggers (SDSB) for a meet up. They provided sips and snacks, in addition to a DIY project!

Our DIY project: a decorative lamp made with re-purposed wine bottles!

SDSB Event Coordinators Jen of Sprinkles on Sunday and Kali of In Spades; blogger Aylin of Stylin’ by Aylin; and SDSB Local Business / Designer Spotlight Contributor, Devon of Seventeen Dresses.

A mix of bloggers and patrons all participating in the DIY project. And I finally got to hang out for a bit with Laura of Laura Neuzeth; it’s been awhile since I have seen her!

Thank you Bliss 101 for a wonderful evening!

Moto Mania

I have been on the hunt for a classic moto jacket for the better part of a year now. I didn’t want anything fancy, just a simple moto jacket like the ones Depeche Mode used to wear (check out Alan Wilder’s in the picture below). I had a great faux leather one (post here and here), but my search began after it started to wear in the shoulder area. I was deciding between a more affordable faux leather one and a real leather one, but I didn’t want to keep replacing the faux one due to possible wear. Imagine my delight when my husband surprised me at Christmas with this wonderful, absolutely classic real leather moto jacket by BCBGeneration. I searched for months to find what he found in one evening, simply by chance. But it’s definitely no accident that my husband’s years in retail have helped in finding exactly what I wanted!

Check out Alan Wilder’s jacket; classic, no? (Photo courtesy of The Place)

I’ve always loved black paired with navy blue. It’s almost monochromatic, but with just a slight bit of contrast.

Outfit: BCBGenerations Moto Jacket (no longer available); Forever 21 houndstooth sweater; Madewell jeans; Naughty Monkey suede boots; Warby Parker “Simone” glasses in Blue Coral; Tahari scarf; Beret from Paris; Love Tatum Rings; “Adelaide” crossbody purse c/o Kipling (Fashion Valley)

Thank you SO much to Kayde and the fantastic folks at Kipling in Fashion Valley for my lovely Christmas present!

(Outfit photos by Deon Chen)

My First Fashion Subscription: Rocksbox!

I must say, I’m very new to this fashion subscription box game. I’ve seen reviews from my blogger friends on beauty boxes, and I even know an actual fashion box stylist. But this is my first time trying it out, and what better way than through Rocksbox! I’m a sucker for a great accessory, and with Rocksbox, I can review three pieces of jewelry and decide to purchase them or send them back for another three pieces as curated by my stylist.

Here’s how it works: I became a Shine Insider by filling out a survey to help the stylist who will be assigned to me to determine my style and jewelry preference. I can also choose items for my “Wish List” that could be added to my box. Soon after, I received my first box with the Urban Gem necklace I chose, along with a set built around my necklace by my stylist, Eleanor: adorable Gorjana earrings and amazing rings by CC Skye. I have to tell you, I have been getting a lot of use from my Rocksbox pieces, wearing them altogether as a set or with jewelry I already own (the CC Sky ring paired perfectly with my Love Tatum one). If I absolutely love a piece, I simply keep it and purchase it on my account page, and then return the rest of the pieces!

I can’t believe I haven’t tried this before because it really is very easy and so convenient! First of all, I really enjoyed the personalized touch. Upon opening the box, I was immediately greeted with my name on the card with the description of the contents of the box. Each piece was carefully wrapped in its own individual jewelry bag. Very explicit instructions are included on not only how to return the jewelry with the packaging and shipping label provided, but also on how to care for the jewelry, just in case you want to return the items you don’t want.

I actually purchased the Gorjana “Cress Shimmer Studs” that Eleanor chose for me, and used my Shine Spend, which brought the price of the earrings down to $20! I then returned the rest of the jewelry in the original packaging, with the shipping label provided. I’m excited to see what Eleanor has planned for me next, especially since I made some additions to my “Wish List”.

Would you like to try out Rocksbox, courtesy of moi? Any Second Now readers can use code any2ndnowxoxo when prompted on the Rockbox site to try it out for one month! If you love it, then it’s just $19 a month thereafter to get unlimited access to rent some great jewelry!

FTC Disclosure: I received a complementary 3 month subscription to try out Rocksbox. Although I did receive a complementary subscription, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.

Resolution Goals for 2016: Closet Clean Out!

I must confess that I purposely didn’t further discuss my attempt at my “Fashion Sobriety” (original post here) because I failed so miserably. I was doing well for about two months, and just crashed and burned. I’m a shopper, and I can’t deny it. Knowing myself and that I enjoy shopping immensely, what I can do is redirect how I shop and what I shop for. I’m in a better position financially, so I’m going to do my own version of a capsule wardrobe, by purchasing more investment pieces and mixing it into what I love. I realize now that my hair can be an “accessory”, updating my style with color and cut. With my hair and other accessories, I can incorporate some of my favorite brands like Miista, Boy London, Irregular Choice and United Nude with higher end pieces to keep that “edge” that I’m always looking for. This means I’m officially going to clean out my closet by selling older beloved higher end designer and mid-price pieces that have a lot of life left in them, and then donating the rest. I can proudly say I’ve put my mini-light studio to good use and have already started an Any Second Now store on eBay (click the link to take you directly there)! All listings are good for 30 days, and I will relist what doesn’t sell immediately.

Here are the first eight pairs of shoes I’m selling on eBay, directly from my closet, including the ones pictured above. In fact, one pair has already sold, which really surprised me at how fast it happened. I’ll be adding more items often, so I hope you stop by and check them out.

Happy shopping!

New Dress, New Year!

It’s the first week of the New Year, so why not start with an outfit post? During the Thanksgiving break, my mother-in-law treated me to a fabulous afternoon tea at The Tea Lounge in the Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas. I’ll detail the tea itself in a separate post, but I felt the occasion warranted me to wear this dress from Voodoo Vixen’s latest Fall/Winter 2015 line. It has a wonderful flocked houndstooth print (one of my favorite prints), with a lovely open collar, giving it a completely retro feel. Since it’s a bit chilly in Las Vegas, I finally got to use my faux fur tippet, which worked well with this vintage inspired dress.

Guess what? If you like what you see on Voodoo Vixen’s site, Any Second Now readers can use code any2nd20 to get 20% off your purchase!

I also had to take a picture of my nails because they are my new favorite “go-to” nails in a pinch: I did my nails in under 15 minutes! They’re the latest by Kiss, and I purchased them the day before at CVS, but you can’t tell that I just glued them on a short time before we headed out the door. What I really love is that they come in a new shorter length, so they’re pretty and practical.

Outfit: Tiger Lily Flocked Flare Dress c/o Voodoo Vixen; Enzo Angiolini Coadi Houndstooth Pumps; Oasis Faux Fur Tippet; Kate Spade necklace, earrings and bracelet; “Tippi” glasses by Lookmatic (no longer available in black)

(Pictures 1 & 2 taken by Diana Chen-Rhodes)

FTC Disclosure: I received product in exchange for a product review. Although I did receive product, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.

#BlogItForward With Wayfair for Habitat For Humanity

Holidays are a wonderful time to not only spend with family, but also to remember to be kind to others and give back to your community. Giving back can take on many forms, big or small, and Wayfair, one of the largest online destinations for the home, is challenging bloggers to #BlogItForward and inspire each other to spread the word to do something positive this holiday season. For every blogger that places the #BlogItFoward badge on their blog, Wayfair will donate $50 to Habitat For Humanity, helping to build homes for families in need.

Not only am I participating in Wayfair’s #BlogItForward for Habitat For Humanity, but I’ll also be participating in two other campaigns. Check them out below, and I’d like to inspire my fellow bloggers and the San Diego Style Bloggers network to do the same!

TaSanni Kickstarter Campaign:

Help support TaSanni to create jobs that empower artisans in Africa

As I posted recently, TaSanni was one of the top three designers at Fashion Week San Diego 2015 (original post here). With the success of their participation in FWSD 2015, there is much interest in their 2016 Spring Collection (I’m wearing one of their blouses in the picture above).

As you know, our mission is to contribute to the African economy through fashion, we believe that Africa can become a fashion manufacturing hub and this is just the beginning.
In order to employ more tailors we need to raise more capital. – TaSanni

I will be donating to TaSanni’s Kickstarter campaign. If you would like to do the same, you would not only help these talented emerging designers, but you will also help develop the communities of these African tailors and small businesses TaSanni will be working with.

Voodoo Vixen:

Shop For a Cause Sample Sale on Sunday January 10, 2016

I love wearing clothing by Voodoo Vixen, a UK based vintage inspired label, which “infuses retro, pin-up and rockabilly styles with classic silhouettes to flatter the modern woman” (all the dresses I’m wearing in the collage above are from Voodoo Vixen). They will be having a sample sale in the Hollywood area, where 50% of their sales will benefit Pin-Ups For Vets. I’ll be there to help support their cause, and to shop because you can save up to 70% of their retail prices!

Last Minute Holiday Gift Guide Part 1: FashionMIA Favorites!

My Fashionmia.com Faves! by any2ndnow on polyvore.com

Can you believe Christmas is next week? And yes, I’ve famously left some of my shopping until the last-minute. If you have as well, I’ve come up with a list of great outfit gift ideas for the fashionistas in your life through FashionMIA: Modern, Irresistible, and Affordable women’s clothing. I’ve listed my five favorite outerwear pieces and seven favorite dresses from their site, ranging from casual capes to stylish coats and cute shifts to fabulous frocks worthy of New Year’s Eve. The best part: everything pictured is under $50 each!

Part two of my last-minute holiday gift guide will hopefully appeal to fashion and music lovers alike, stay tuned!

Designer Vault’s Vintage Chanel Trunk Show December 16, 2015

Designer Vault is having another fabulous Vintage Chanel Trunk Show this Wednesday at The Lot in La Jolla. I’ve attended the last two events, and they’re always so chic and fabulous. Unfortunately, I’m not going to be able to attend this year’s due to a conflict with my son’s Winterfest assembly. But I still wanted to share the information about the trunk show because it’s such a great event where 10% of all sales and consignments from the show will directly benefit the wonderful non-profit organization, Promises2Kids.

All of my own Chanel pieces were purchased directly from Designer Vault, so I personally know the quality of what Christina Samoylov has to offer. Here are a couple of pictures from the last two events I attended, just to give you an idea of what to expect. Cheers!

2013 Trunk Show

2014 Trunk Show

Ja-Vie: A Comfy, Stylish & Practical Pair of Ballet Flats

As a blogger, I’m finding out more and more that Instagram is a great place to not only connect with other people, but to discover new and emerging brands. I discovered Ja-Vie ballet flats through a like on my Instagram, and decided to look into these very innovative, yet stylish flats. I’m a sucker for anything houndstooth, so I was excited to see this lovely ivory & black pair.

Ja-Vie ballet flats differ from any other flat I’ve come across. They are made with a jelly outsole, leather cushioned insoles providing comfort and support, and a knit “sock” lining. The leather insole can be removed and the whole shoe can be machine washed (just make sure to use a mesh laundry bag to protect them)! Plus, the price point of $68 is great for any budget. The result: practical comfort and style, which is great for a mom on the go, like myself!

For my outfit, I decided to really play up the 80’s factor, because I have loved houndstooth since I was a teen. I remember I had a houndstooth skirt from The Limited and houndstooth leggings from Express that I wore over and over with everything. I had a hat just like the Topshop version I’m wearing with this outfit, and I also had a leather moto-jacket back then as well. I guess my love for the 80’s doesn’t just stop at music!

Outfit: Topshop hat; Forever 21 faux leather jacket (old); Madewell jeans; Milly purse; Love Tatum necklace (bought on sale at Simply Local); Wendy Brandes rings; Depeche Mode 5 icons sterling silver & leather handmade wrapping bracelet by Little Treasure by Mir; “Mona” glasses in Fuchsia Sunset c/o Spy Optic; Flower Design bracelet in Steel Silver c/o Bittersweet; Ivory/Black Houndstooth flats c/o Ja-Vie

(Outfit photos by Rholnna Jiao)

My latest hair color: “Oil Slick” by Salvador at Kelly Cardenas Salon in Hillcrest. It’s the brunette’s answer to Unicorn Hair! I think this is my favorite color so far!

FTC Disclosure: I received product in exchange for a product review. Although I did receive product, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.