Introducing The New Limited & A Giveaway!

Last Friday, I was invited to celebrate the grand opening of The Limited at The Fashion Valley Mall, located on the lower level near JC Penney (original post here).  The ribbon cutting ceremony included The Limited CEO Linda Heasley, the president & CEO of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce Ruben Barrales, Miss San Diego Cities 2012 Kayla Ross, and representatives from Dress For Success San Diego (a portion of the weekend sales went towards the wonderful organization).  I hope that you all were able to make it down, because the celebration also included food & drinks, 40% off your total purchase all weekend long (including sale items), a free canvas tote, and a raffle each day for a chance to win one of three $500 gift cards.

I got the chance to speak to Linda, and she explained that they needed a focus to envision who they were designing for.  Out of the need for a mission and clear vision of their target, the persona Tyler Monroe was born.  Tyler is a career oriented woman who wants to look great going from the office to a night out, and wants to remain stylish, but with ease.  Everything that Linda said resonated with me, because as a working mother, that is everything I am looking for.  When I was a teen, I definitely shopped at Express because the atmosphere of the store: flashy displays, very trendy music, with equally trendy styles.  I saw The Limited as being for the next stage, for when I was out of college.  I explained to Linda that I remember when The Limited was previously at Fashion Valley, and I have always loved their clothing, but that it started to get a bit dated.  She agreed, and that’s another reason why they needed a refresh, which under Linda, resulted in a classic and sophisticated, yet very contemporary new look.

The following pictures are some of my favorite looks and accessories, and some favorite people who I met during the opening.  I even got in a bit of shopping myself!  I would like to thank everyone for making the grand opening of The Limited such a fun event:  CEO Linda Heasley for taking the time to talk to me; The Limited staff: District Manager Carmen Moore, Store Manager Rebecca Arriaga and associates Leo, Kevonna and Kamilah for being fantastic with helping me during different parts of my shopping adventure; and Elizabeth Glazer and Serene Buckley from Fineman PR for inviting me to the event.  Rest assured, I will be returning back to The Limited on a regular basis!

Seeing how cute that jacket was on Kevonna prompted me to get it!

Kamilah and Rebecca

Leo came down from the Newport Beach store to help with the opening.  I already loved his whole look, and especially his glasses.  Then he said one of my favorite quotes of the day:  “Sparkle is my favorite color!” 

GIVEAWAY!

In addition to what I got for myself, The Limited also gave me a little gift for the readers of Any Second Now.  Below is a color block wristlet clutch, which is great as a grab-and-go wallet and has a special compartment for your smart phone.  I was given the exact one below to give away to one lucky reader!  Please leave a comment below with your name and email address, and a winner will be picked at random to win on November 16th, 2012.  Good luck and be sure to visit The Limited for some fantastic shopping!

FTC Disclosure:  I received compensation as a part of the invitiation to this event.  Although I did receive compensation, the opinions and all photographs in this post are strictly my own.

Vote 2012

It’s that time of year where we get a chance to have our voices heard.  This is also a very important year because we get to select who our next president will be.  If you are registered, be sure and vote.  For those of you in San Diego, here is a great link from the San Diego Free Press called Voter Guide 2012 to catch you up on the issues locally and nationally.  See you at the polls tomorrow!

Photo courtesy of San Diego Free Press

Waiting by the Park

I didn’t get a chance to get my whole outfit for this picture, because I was busy watching my son play and I didn’t want to ask one of my cousins to stop and take an outfit picture for me.  We went to a birthday party for my cousin Regi’s son, Riley, a few weekends ago at a local park.  It was still quite hot here in San Diego at that time, so cut-offs were still okay to wear.  I’m excited because we finally are getting cooler weather, which means boots and layers!

Outfit – Joy Division tee (Urban Outfitters); Mossimo denim shorts (Target); Steven by Steve Madden booties; Rebecca Minkoff Covet purse & studded leather cuff; Shamballa bracelet c/o Cutey UK; Unknown brand studded silver bracelet

Happy Halloween 2012!

 

I just wanted to wish all of you and your loved ones a very Happy Halloween!  We took Dominic to The Pumpkin Station at Plaza Bonita Mall to begin the festivities.  This was our first time bringing him to a pumpkin patch, and he had a lot of fun.  I can’t believe that he’s already at that age where he can practically manage on his own.  He even played a game and won a prize, without our help.  My, how time flies!

Dominic holding a blue snake, which he won in a ball toss game (no help from Mommy or Daddy!)

Dominic also decided that he wanted to be another superhero this year, and his crime fighter of choice was Batman.  My husband, Deon, will be The Joker and I will be Catwoman (we try to select a theme when possible).  I promise I will post pictures of us all in an upcoming post.  Have a safe night!

(The bonus picture below is from 2009 when we dressed Dominic up as a Wookie.  As you can see, he wasn’t too keen on being one at the time.  Now when we show it to him, he loves that we dressed him up as someone from Star Wars.) 

Another Great Whole30 Homemade Treat

Samantha, one of the gals in my Whole30 Facebook page group, came up with a great snack that actually satisfied my craving for a frozen treat.  I couldn’t believe how simple and easy it was, and it really tastes just like ice cream.  The ingredients: a frozen banana, coconut milk and cinnamon.  I blended them together and added fresh strawberries.  I then placed the whole bowl in the freezer for about 15 more minutes and out came a delicious Whole30 approved dessert!

Grand Opening: The Limited at Fashion Valley November 1-4 2012

It’s always nice when fashion and a good cause combine for a special event.  The Limited is a store that I’ve always shopped at over the years, and they have recently undergone some major changes in their branding and overall image.  Their newest store at the Fashion Valley mall will open next week, and here are some details about the celebration:

For the entire grand opening weekend, shoppers will receive a 40 percent discount on all merchandise, a free gift with purchase (while supplies last), and a chance to win one of three $500 gift cards, raffled off once a day. The 40 percent discount will also be honored at The Limited’s other San Diego-area store at University Mall in La Jolla, Calif.

Additionally, a percentage of the sales that weekend will be donated to Dress for Success San Diego.  To read more about their organization, you can visit their site here.  For any readers of Any Second Now, I’ll be there on November 2nd, 2012 to help celebrate this great event.  If you are in the San Diego area, please stop by next week for great fashion and a wonderful cause.  Cheers!

Depeche Mode Announce European Tour Dates for 2013

Yesterday, I was able to catch on Side-Line.com, Depeche Mode’s live press conference from Paris.  They announced that their newest single and album had just been recorded (both still unnamed), and they also announced their 2013 European tour dates.  Below are the dates to the European leg of their tour, and a video that they presented at the press conference of their first untitled studio track.  I will be sure to post the US leg of their tour as soon as it’s announced!

  • MAY 7 TEL AVIVHAYARKON PARK
  • MAY 10 ATHENS TERRA VIBE
  • MAY 12 SOFIA GEORGI ASPARUHOV STADIUM
  • MAY 15 BUCHAREST NATIONAL STADIUM
  • MAY 17 ISTANBUL KUCUKCIFTLIK PARK
  • MAY 19 BELGRADE USCE PARK
  • MAY 21 BUDAPEST PUSKAS FERENC STADIUM
  • MAY 23 ZAGREB HIPPODROME
  • MAY 25 INTER STADIUM BRATISLAVA
  • MAY 28 LONDON O2 ARENA
  • JUNE 1 MUNICH OLYMPIC STADIUM
  • JUNE 3 STUTTGART MERCEDES-BENZ ARENA
  • JUNE 5 FRANKFURT COMMERZBAN ARENA
  • JUNE 7 BERNE STADE DE SUISSE
  • JUNE 9 BERLIN OLYMPIC STADIUM
  • JUNE 11 LEIPZIG RED BULL ARENA
  • JUNE 13 COPENHAGEN PARKEN
  • JUNE 15 PARIS STADE DE FRANCE
  • JUNE 17 HAMBURG IMTECH ARENA
  • JUNE 22 MOSCOW LOCOMOTIVE STADIUM
  • JUNE 24 ST. PETERSBURG SKK ARENA
  • JUNE 27 STOCKHOLM BORLANGE PEACE & LOVE FESTIVAL
  • JUNE 29 KIEV OLYMPIC STADIUM
  • JULY 3 DUSSELDORF ESPRIT ARENA
  • JULY 7 BELGIUM ROCK WERCHTER FEST
  • JULY 11 BILBAO BBK FESTIVAL
  • JULY 13 LISBON OPTIMUS ALIVE FEST
  • JULY 16 NIMES ANTIC ARENA
  • JULY 18 MILAN SAN SIRO STADIUM
  • JULY 20 ROME OLYMPIC STADIUM
  • JULY 23 PRAGUES YNOT TIP ARENA
  • JULY 25 WARSAW NATIONAL STADIUM
  • JULY 27 VILNIUS VINGUS PARK
  • JULY 29 MINSK ARENA

Tour dates and video originally posted on Side-Line.com  Top photo from the official Depeche Mode Instagram collage (yes, that’s my picture underneath Dave Gahan).  Upload a photo to Instagram with a hashtag of #DepecheMode2013 to be included in their random collage.

I'll Fly For You

Irregular Choice Kupcake Wedge Sandal in Natural.  I. Love. These. Shoes!

I have a theme growing in my wardrobe of bird prints, feathered or winged items (also see posts here, here and here).  That theme has extended past my wardrobe and into my home, starting with my son’s love for Angry Birds to the cover of the Spirit of Talk Talk book I purchased recently.  One of my friends bought a couple of cute bird print dresses from Old Navy and then showed me some adorable vintage prints on Etsy.  I then found more cute bird prints on Modcloth (here and here).  I love it when I find something that seems to be a bit quirky, but is actually quite timeless. 

This is the back of a new dress I bought a month ago. Isn’t the exposed zipper a cute detail (in addition to the cute little birds)?

The cover and part of the interior of the Spirit of Talk Talk tribute book.  The cover illustration is by James Marsh, who produced all of Talk Talk’s album covers and posters.

Dominic’s favorite Angry Bird is the blue one, who he calls Happy Bird (he said, “Mama, he’s not angry, he’s a happy one!”).  These are just two of his growing collection.

Did I mention that Dominic also loves penguins?   I guess I’m not th only one with an affection for all things aviary!

Great Reception

As mentioned previously, we went to a wedding in Las Vegas a couple of weekends ago for our friend Celeste and her new husband Donya.  I only really got one decent picture of my outfit, but we got some other great pictures elsewhere because the rest of the night was spent hamming it up in the photo booth.  I love a good reception, but this one was a great one because of the relaxed atmosphere.  Celeste made sure that everyone knew they could have fun, and we certainly did.  I think these pictures speak for themselves, don’t you think?

The happy couple and part of their entourage

Outfit – Kirna Zabete for Target dress; Sam Edelman shoes; vintage Judit Leiber purse; Michael Kors watch; unknown brand bracelet; iSee glasses (GlassesUSA)

(Photo booth pictures include my husband, Deon, and our friends Anthony and his wife Jen)

Whole30 Home Cooking & Thoughts So Far

I have been referring to my Whole30 group on Facebook each day for recipe ideas in addition to support, and I tried my first Whole30 approved recipe at home while I was in Las Vegas.  I apologize for the appearance of my pancakes.  I was in my mother-in-law’s kitchen and did not have all of my utensils at my disposal.  The recipe came from the blog, With A Ch (post seen here), and Christin’s pictures are far and away more appetizing looking than what I created.  I made the same basic recipe (eggs and banana blended with cinnamon for the batter) and cooked them with a light brush of extra virgin olive oil on my pan.  The only change was that I added fresh strawberries rather than try to make warm fruit syrup.  I really enjoyed these pancakes, and I promise to post better pictures at my next attempt (believe me, adding the cinnamon really made these taste like french toast).  I feel that it’s something that I can have often because it’s easy to vary the taste by changing the fruit that will accompany the pancakes. 

As this posts, this will be day 17 of the Whole30 program, and all in all I’m feeling pretty good.  I can definitely say that the most difficult part was the first five days, and then trying eat with a group of friends during a late night excursion in Las Vegas.  Other than that, it’s been fun to challenge myself to eat a greater variety of foods.  For instance, I have never tried spaghetti squash before, and I had it for the first time last week because I wanted to have “pasta” with my son and husband.  So while they had the regular spaghetti, I had the squash as my alternative and it was quite good and surprisingly easy to make (I’ll post pictures when I make it again).  My husband says he’s proud of my committment and I’ll have to say, so am I.  Once you take that deep dive, the rest is actually smooth sailing! 

What I’ve discovered

As far as how I feel mentally and physically, I feel great.  I was tired at first, but I’ve read it’s because my body is getting used to functioning without all of the processed foods and preservatives.   I’ve read some reactions of others who have gone through this program, but I’ve discovered a few things about myself that I wanted to share.

Less bloating

I noticed immediately that I am far less bloated.  I thought bloating was specific to my time of the month, but I realize now that it could be that the bloating was being caused by what I’ve been eating.  My dresses seem to fit better and so to my jeans.  I don’t excercise much, but I do feel my belly getting flatter and flatter.

*Gulp* You mean I don’t really need coffee?!

Oh my, I hate to admit this because I have lauded my coffee praises for so long now, but I haven’t needed coffee in the mornings like I used to!  I have been a double espresso kinda girl for years now, knowing that my headaches would arrive quickly if I didn’t have my fix, but I have found that the only time I needed any coffee was to ensure that I stayed awake during our drive to and from Las Vegas earlier this month.  Other than that, I nurse my morning cup-o-Joe to the point where I take a couple sips and I’m fine.  So was I really addicted to the caffeine or the cream and sugar that I put in it?  I think I’ll be able to solidify my findings at the end of the month.

I miss bread & pasta more than sweets

I thought I would miss chessecake, cupcakes, pies, ice cream, candy, and chocolate, but not as much as I thought.  I will admit here and now that I miss croissants, bread, rolls, tortillas, and any baked good.  I also miss any and all pastas.  I think I was more a carb person than a sweets person, which goes against everything I understood about my “sweet tooth” growing up.  Is there such a thing as a “carb tooth”?  If so, I think I have it.

Just do it!

Despite what kind of cravings you have and what your eating habits are, if you’ve heard about this program and want to try it, just do it.  Knowing my own eating habits, I was also worried, but this program will alter your way of thinking about food completely.  If anything, I think I’ve gained a greater appreciation for the large variety of foods that are out there other than the processed and easy alternatives.  It’s really so much easier than you think it will be and the results are worth it!