Any Second Now

The Spring Trend Event 2016 Presented by Neiman Marcus

I love this time of year because it’s when Neiman Marcus at Fashion Valley is ready to present their Spring Trend Event. Each spring and fall, Neiman Marcus presents their picks for trends for the seasons in a special fashion show presentation for invited stylists and bloggers, perfectly styled by Alex Yanez. The presentation included a sumptuous lunch, which was Lenten perfection (meaning no meat) as it fell on Ash Wednesday this year. I’ve included all the looks from this year’s presentation, and I will highlight my favorites. Not only is this a wonderful luncheon that includes fabulous fashion, but it’s a time to catch up with some of my favorite stylist and blogger friends.

Women’s Spring Trends 2016

These Gucci lace-up gladiator heels gave me the feels, completely.

All of the contrasting florals were still pulled together by the colors pink and fuchsia.

The Fendi Mini 3Jours with that Micro Baguette was so much fun together!

I seriously need those wide-leg cut-out culottes. NEED.

Why yes, I could add yet another bomber jacket to my collection, especially THAT one by Alice + Olivia.

I finally just got my lace-up flats, so I think I can replicate this outstanding mixed-lace outfit.

The Moschino purse that some of my blogger buddies said that was so me. I agree!

Menswear Spring 2016

The red embellished bomber jacket and the bow-tie with the military influenced jacket definitely elevated these outfits.

Chloe looking as adorable as usual! (The Stylish Bisou)

With Paulina of Lil Bits of Chic and Laura of Laura Neuzeth

I don’t see Jade of These Days nearly enough!

My outfit details: BCBG cape sweater, Blank jeans, Jimmy Choo shoes, vintage Chanel purse (purchased from Portero), Love Tatum ring and bracelet, Warby Parker glasses.

The beauty presentation featured Le Metier De Beaute, and our lovely gift from Neiman Marcus was the Peau Vierge Anti-Aging Complexe, valued at $125!

Thank you again to Neiman Marcus at Fashion Valley for inviting me, I had a great time as always!

I’m an Official Legoland Blogger!

It’s always great to start off the week with some wonderful news: I’ve just become an official Legoland blogger! I posted the badge last week, but I thought I would share the news as a post because there will definitely be an increase of Lego and Legoland posts due to my involvement with them. I’m pretty sure my family would agree that this is awesome news since we are avid collectors and builders of the famous interlocking brick system. We are literally a hop, skip and a car ride away from the family theme park in Carlsbad, so stay tuned as I share all of the wonderful events and happenings at Legoland!

This picture was taken during our first trip to Legoland back in 2014!

Spring Into Action!

Spring is in the air, and it means updating my wardrobe with new fresh items for spring, and also cleaning out my closet. I’ve begun the process of going through and purging things that I haven’t worn in a while and selling or donating things that I’m absolutely ready to part with (post here). But what about those items that maybe I’m just not ready to give up yet? There is a great “on-demand-storage” company that called Make Space that can pick up, store and bring back your stuff via their app. Right now, they’re only available in New York, Chicago and Washington D.C., but they are looking to quickly expand, and I hope San Diego is one of those places!

Living on the West Coast allows a fashionista like myself to really play with my wardrobe because I can wear pretty much anything at anytime. But we know fashion is cyclical and there are not only seasonal trends due to weather, but seasonal trends that we hear about from the Spring and Fall runways during Fashion Week. Additionally, my husband and I are looking to finish our room remodel, so creating more space by storing things away will help with those changes. Here’s what I would pack away or in time for Spring/Summer to make room for any updates or just to clean up our bedroom in general:

Shoes:

Although my love for shoes runs deep and I find it hard to part with any pair, old or new, I know there are pairs that I wear regularly. For the shoes that I’m afraid to make a decision about, I would store them until I decide to either donate or sell them.

Clothing:

I have many gorgeous coats that I just can’t wear every season because San Diego rarely has weather so severe to warrant a heavy coat. For the Spring and Summer seasons, I would pack away any coats that are bulky until it’s Fall or Winter.

Books:

Although I love the feel of a good old-fashioned book, I rarely revisit old text books or reference books. These can be stored away to make room on our shelves for our record collection (see the picture below)!

Once I finish cleaning up the things that need to be stored away, I would love to get a new wardrobe and start to work on creative ways to store items we use regularly. Ikea is always a go-to for me, so I’m looking to use some of their ideas below for our room re-do. Happy spring cleaning everyone!

KIPLING SPRING 2016 COLLECTION REVEAL + HANDBAG CHARITY DRIVE

This Friday from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, Kipling at Fashion Valley will reveal their 2016 Spring Collection and host a handbag charity drive. Enjoy sips, sweets and tunes and 20% off any Kipling handbag with your handbag donation (please make sure any donated handbag is gently used and work appropriate).

I’ll be stopping by, hope to see you there, too!

I’d Rather Be Sleeping: A Guide to a Good Night’s Rest From Casper

This weekend was quite crazy! I had my niece over to hang out with me and my son. After a fun day at the New Children’s Museum (post to come soon), grabbing some ice cream before dinner, followed by a raucous couple hours of playtime, sleep came upon us quite quickly, although very late. Most nights, it’s hard for me to get to sleep right away, mainly because I’m so worked up from the activities of the day that it takes me awhile to wind down, especially if I blog late into the night. When I was younger, I used to put on a favorite record before sleeping. Lately, I put on a favorite movie rather than regular TV or the news because if I know the movie really well, there’s nothing to anticipate and I’ll usually fall asleep during the opening credits.

The folks at Casper, creators of “The Perfect Mattress” have created a wonderful graphic guide below for Any Second Now readers on how to get a great night’s sleep, which I could use right now!

Got any tips of your own? Share them in the comments!

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!

Mighty Minis at The Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum!

My sister and I always try to take our kids out to do something fun and out-of-the-ordinary in our beautiful city of San Diego. Every morning before work, I watch the KUSI Morning News for any hot topics, especially traffic and weather before I head out and drop off Dominic at school. One Friday morning, I saw a news segment about The Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum in Carlsbad. Since I knew my niece Mei-Lin was going to spend the weekend, I planned a whole day around visiting the museum! After having breakfast, we headed up to Carlsbad to check out all of the many mini machines, engines and models on display.

Because we were a bit late for the second of the machine shop/engine run demos (they run at 10am, noon and 2pm), the kids were given a scavenger hunt to help them really get to know what the museum has to offer. The great thing about the scavenger hunt, was that it took us to every part of the museum, allowing us to dig into each of the displays because you just couldn’t find what you needed unless you looked at everything. Both Mei-Lin and Dominic really got into it (and I think the clipboards made it feel official)! We had a great time, and I took plenty of pictures, including a video of some of the mini-engines. Cheers and have a great weekend!

The Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship

Hours of Operation:

Tuesday through Saturday, 9 AM to 4 PM

Machine Shop/Engine Run Demos at 10 AM, Noon and 2 PM each day.

(Shoes required in machine shop)

3190 Lionshead Avenue

Carlsbad, CA 92010

Phone: 760-727-9492

FREE ADMISSION!

One of my favorites from the miniature houses section. The detail is incredible.

Check out these mini-guns. I would love to see a demo to see how they look and sound!

Who remembers the Erector Set? I had one when I was little!

London’s Tower Bridge made of match sticks!

Even though the scale is supposed to be smaller than the real thing, the spaciousness of the museum made some of the displays feel larger than life!

After turning in their scavenger hunt questionnaires, they received a little prize of a 3D printed simple machine. Note: they both got all the answers right (I helped only a little bit).

Before the final demo of the day, the kids and played games and read books & magazines until the next tour of the machine shop was ready to begin.

In the shop, we got to see the “Do Nothing Machine”. It is literally a mechanism that runs to do…nothing!

Dave Belt, the shop craftsman, gave several demonstrations of engines and simple machines. In addition to the live demo by Dave, they also run the machines right outside of the shop. I took a video below.

A Fun Night Out: The Murder Mystery Company

I’m always looking for and thinking of fun things to do with my friends and family that are bit out of the normal dinner or amusement park. I recently had the opportunity to experience a night out with The Murder Mystery Company at The Old Spaghetti Factory in Downtown San Diego. I had always heard about The Murder Mystery Company, but didn’t truly understand what exactly what it was about. So I thought it would be a fun way to celebrate a date night out for my husband’s birthday! The Murder Mystery Company hosts several events throughout San Diego and there are different themes. The event we attended was “Midnight at the Masquerade” where guests are encouraged to don attire appropriate for the theme:

The rustle of silks and feathers under muted conversation was probably the last thing heard by the tragically and unexpectedly deceased at the Annual Billionaires Club Masquerade Ball. With a mystery under each feathery façade, unmasking the killer may be quite a challenge. It’s up to you to determine which partygoer is guilty, bring this crime to justice, and save the party!

Attend the Billionaires’ Club Annual Masquerade Ball and help get this soiree back on track by trading clues with your guests, gathering information, and solving the crime before the masked menace gets away! Evening wear, ball gowns, Venetian masks, suits, and tuxes are what to wear to this high class night of masks and murder. Get ready for a glamorous evening of mystery, intrigue and, murder.

There are several different types of tickets to purchase including General Admission and Early Access (the price differential allows earlier access). We had the Gold Circle Access, which includes preferential seating, a “Mugshot Momento Set”, and 30 minutes early access. All ticket levels include the show and a three course dinner (drinks not included). We really liked our seats because we were right in the middle of the action, directly in the area where most of the improv takes place.

To have the most fun, you have to participate. Each table has a person who will be directly involved in the action, meaning they will play an actual character in the mystery that will need to be solved by the end of the evening. There are books at each table with clues for your table’s character, and the “money” at each table will be used to purchase clues from other tables to help solve the mystery. Tables have “investigation” time where your table can interact with any other table or their characters, and each table has a scribe who will ensure your clues are documented. At the end, all tables turn in their “whodunit”, and the winning table gets bragging rights for solving the mystery.

We really enjoyed the direct involvement of the improv actors, who never break character throughout the performance. As I mentioned previously, you will have the most fun if you are active with your table, and get up and really roam around to get the definitive clues you need to solve the mystery. I won’t give away too much because it’s really something that you have to enjoy for yourself. Deon and I already know from this experience that it makes for a great date night, but I think it would make for a great “Girls/Guys Night Out” or even family night if you have kids who are old enough to participate. I’ve included some pictures from the evening, including our “mugshots”. Thank you to The Murder Mystery Company for adding a great alternative for a night out in San Diego!

Are you ready to play?

The awesome improv cast of The Murder Mystery Company!

How do you like these mugs?

I wore my fabulous vintage opera coat that I bought from La Femme Chic Consignment Boutique!

FTC Disclosure: I received complementary Gold Circle passes to attend a show. Although I did receive complementary passes as a courtesy, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.

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)