Tag Archives: blogger

The Latest From LEGOLAND®: LEGO® Friends Rooms at The LEGOLAND® Hotel!

As a new LEGOLAND® Blogger, I get to bring you the latest news before anyone else does for anything having to do with the fantastic family resort. Here’s my first piece of news as an Insider: There will be 11 new LEGO® Friends themed rooms and 1 suite available to book beginning today! Kick off your day at the LEGOLAND® resort by staying in one of these fully themed rooms, and hang out with your LEGO® Friends from Heartlake City. For hotel room rates, ticket prices, and other information, visit www.LEGOLAND.com or call 760-918-LEGO (5346). Cheers and enjoy!

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!

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!

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.

Product Review: The Proactiv Acne Treatment System

As you know, I’m always up for trying products that may enhance or improve my skin care regimen. My current skin cleansing routine is very simple: I wash my face daily with a cleansing foam and use an exfoliant every other day. I have been introduced to a few products here on my blog, but I will have to say that this will be the most popular one to date: I have been asked to try The Proactiv Acne Treatment System, to assist in ensuring my readers are making the right decision for their skin care treatment related to acne. As we all know, not one solution works for everyone, which is why I have been asked to review Proactiv to find out what will work. Since I have always wanted to try Proactiv, I was happy to be asked to participate in this review, and I will post my results after trying the product over a period of time. So stay tuned for my final review of Proactiv!

FTC Disclosure: I received product specifically for a product review. Although I did receive product, 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.

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!