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The Loft Hair Design & Skin Care Grand Opening

At the beginning of June, I had a whirlwind night of TWO events in one evening! The first was the “Night of Beauty” grand opening of The Loft Hair Design & Skin Care in Carlsbad (first posted about here). This award winning salon was located in Escondido, but relocated and reopened in a 3,700 square foot space in the La Costa Town Square shopping center. The salon is large, spacious and beautifully decorated. They offer a very large variety of services including a full hair care salon, skin & body care, massage therapy, spa packages, facial treatments, peels and microdermabrasions.

The night was fun and extremely interactive, with experiences spread throughout the salon. From what I saw, there was a DJ, Braid & Brow Bars, Sensory Experiences (head, neck & shoulder massage or hot hand towel treatment), a massage chair, a “Tattoo” Station (decorative), wet bar, food, coffee and even shopping! It was also nice to know that 10% of the product sales and all of the raffle ticket sales benefitted Dress for Success San Diego. I’ve included lots of photos from the evening, and I was glad to get pictures of the beautiful salon prior to the public showing because it got crowded very quickly! Congratulations to Heather & Shawna on the grand re-opening of The Loft Hair Design & Skin Care at their new location in Carlsbad, cheers!

“We’ve loved being in Escondido, but we’re excited for our growth into this blossoming area of Carlsbad,” said Shawna Cruise, founder of The Loft Hair Design & Skin Care. “Guests will find that our team has remained the same and still offers the amazing care we’ve always prided ourselves on – just now in a new, larger space that we can’t wait to reveal.”

IMG_5935 (2) (1280x1280)

Co-owner Heather Wilder and founder Shawna Cruise

DJ Engage

Braid Bar; Sensory Experience; Brow Bar

My decorative tattoo for the night!

Delicious bites by Bushfire Grill & yummy mini-cupcakes by SusieCakes

A bar featuring Stone Brewing Co. & St. Petersburg Vodka

Cold Brew and hot coffee by one of my favorite coffee companies, Mostra Coffee!

Models wearing clothing from Boho Boutique

My VIP gift bag goodies! Thank you Colette of Contour PR + Social and The Loft Hair Design & Skin Care for inviting me!

Pretty in Bright Pink

At the beginning of May, I attended the #VIPink Brunch at Westfield Mission Valley, where 100% of the proceeds benefitted the Bight Pink organization. I first posted about the outfit I wore here, so these are pictures from the event itself. The event featured the following information below (taken from San Diego Style Bloggers post here). I had a great time seeing my fashionable stylist and blogger friends, and we were treated to wonderful food, tasty drinks and great fashion!

The VIPink Brunch will combine fashion, philanthropy and delicious food and drink in a chic outdoor setting including:

Craft cocktails by master mixologists Rumbling Tins

Delectable brunch bites by Gordon Biersch

Pink donut station by Nomad Donuts

A live, interactive fashion show

Styling by Fashion Group International

Pampering mini beauty treatments

Live music

Activities, giveaways and more!

Guests will also have the chance to go on the ultimate shopping experience around Westfield Mission Valley, where they’ll receive samples, swag and exclusive discounts.

So wonderful to finally try Nomad Donuts, and they were fantastic!

Items from the silent auction

Fashions were presented by City Chic and Charlotte Russe

Lovely to see my beautiful blogger friends Paulina of Lil Bits of Chic and Vanessa of Vanessa Balli (she was offering style tips for the day)

Also met up with lovely Sierra, stylist from Topshop!

Finally, I had the pleasure of hanging out with Lily of Curls & Fashion for the bulk of my stay at the #VIPink Brunch. We walked around to check out the special offers, swag & samples that were available throughout the mall. Be sure to check out her blog!

Foodie Fever: Fresh Catch Fish Market & Grill

I’ve been to a few great places to eat recently, and I attended one of my first restaurant openings at the end of April. I went to the media preview prior to the grand opening of a new restaurant in the Hillcrest area called Fresh Catch Fish Market & Grill, along with Zach, my good friend and fellow food enthusiast.

The restaurant is quaint and casual, and our choices for the day were very visible upon entering, both on the board and in the refrigerated display case next to the register. There is such a wonderful variety of options to have your very fresh seafood served up: from tacos & burritos, to grilled in either a salad, sandwich or plated with rice and vegetables. I opted for one of the house specialties, which was the Crab Mac n Cheese, and Zach had the Ahi Tuna in a Cajun crust and soy glaze. The Crab Mac n Cheese was so creamy and had crab in every single bite. The Ahi Tuna was seasoned perfectly and was absolutely tasty. Zach and I had a great time and we each thoroughly enjoyed these amazingly fresh selections!

Thank you Delicious Buzz and Fresh Catch Fish Market & Grill for the invitation and I will definitely be back with my family and friends to enjoy the rest of the menu!

Fresh Catch Fish Market & Grill

3650 5th Avenue, San Diego CA| (619) 295-9590

Instagram: @Fresh_CatchSD | Facebook: FreshCatchMarketGrill | Twitter: @Fresh_CatchSD

(FTC Disclosure: I was offered the opportunity to attend this event as a courtesy, but not necessarily for the purposes of a review. Although I received a courtesy meal for myself and my guest at this event, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.)

Fashionably Late: April 2015 Events

I think I’ve finally caught up on past events, and can post more current events for May & June. Thank you for bearing with me as I get back into my blogging schedule. Who knew my this time of year would be so busy…and it hasn’t slowed down yet!

Have a great weekend, cheers!

Your Spring Wardrobe with Madewell UTC and Laura of Laura Neuzeth (April 11, 2015)

Always a joy to see Alessandra of Alessandra Gonzalez and our hostess for that day, Laura of Laura Neuzeth!

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” Themed Brunch at Vocabulary Boutique with Kali of In Spades (April 19, 2015)

Such a pretty and very yummy table set-up!

“Hello darling!”

Dominic says hello, too!

With boutique owner, Cecelia, the hostess for the day, Kali of In Spades and Ashley of Array of Style

Me & Dominic and Dustin with Ashley, Cecelia and Kali

Fashionably Late: February & March 2015 Events Part 1

It’s been quite busy for me lately, and I’m finally getting to post events that I’ve attended over the last couple of months! I’ll be posting them in a new segment that I’ll call “Fashionably Late” (I’ve already posted one about the events I attended at the end of 2014 here and added Vanessa Balli’s event). Anything outside of the more fashion related events will be posted separately (like music or food related events).

This one for February and March is quite large, so it will be split into two posts. Cheers!

daou denim co. Launch Party (February 26, 2015)

My best friend, Janice, attended this event and guest posted pictures on Instagram for me!

Part of the denim collection for daou denim co. I’m in love with the side zipper jeans! (as posted by Janice)

Katherine Daou family winery provided the beverages for this evening’s event. (as posted by Janice)

San Diego Style Bloggers Event at Bottles & Wood (March 6, 2015)

SD Style Bloggers were treated to snacks, jewelry making and a tour of the facility!

This last picture is courtesy of the SD Style Bloggers Instagram.

Fashion Week San Diego Spring Showcase (March 14, 2015)

Bottom pictures from left to right: Adoreus, G Fash, & Quynntessential Couture.

Alber Rezko jewelry

I attended this event with Janice. We had our hair done up by Gila Rut and our take home souvenir picture was by Flash Tag Photo.

My outfit for the evening: Forever 21 coat; House of Cannon dress; Poetic Licence shoes; Bodhi Safety Pin purse; Vintage Chanel necklace from Designer Vault; Lookmatic glassesMy mini-haul included a skirt and pants by Jessica Faulkner and an adorable wish-bone necklace by Alber Rezko.

Carlsbad Premium Outlets Media Day (March 19, 2015)

My sister attended the event with me!

Lunch was provided by Ruby’s

I missed the tour of the flower gardens, but I was able to meet up with fellow bloggers Paulina of Lil Bits of Chic and Laura of Laura Neuzeth.

My sister and I had quite the haul at Converse!

Our lovely goodie bag, and thank you Simon Malls & Carlsbad Premium Outlets for a fun day!

FTC Disclosure: I received a gift card as a courtesy to enjoy the Carlsbad Premium Outlets, but not as compensation for this post. Although I did receive a gift card, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.

Just Put Yourself in My New Shoes

I apologize for the extremely sporadic posts lately. I’m trying to re-establish a blogging schedule, because I actually do have quite a bit to post! And because my life has been a bit chaotic, I’ve been living in flats lately, my newest additions being these awesome ballet ones from Tieks. I posted about my first pair of these ever-so-comfy ballet flats last year (here & here). In addition to the California Navy ones, I now own a pair each of the Burgundy (pictured above) and the Matte Black (pictured below). I can take all my Tieks anywhere I go because they have a foldable split sole which means they travel extremely well (the Black Matte pair are with me everywhere).

What I appreciate the most about Tieks, outside of being the most convenient and comfortable shoes on the planet, is their customer service. Their “Blue Prints” are always packaged in the most adorable box and adorned with a flower, and the notes they send are always personal and lovely. If you haven’t tried a pair of these portable ballet flats, I highly recommend them. Cheers!

FTC Disclosure: I received a generous discount from Tieks as a courtesy, but not as compensation for this post. Although I did receive a discount, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.

(Check me out on the Tieks Portrait page!)

(Title of this post is a lyric from “Sleeping Lessons” by The Shins.)

Any Second Now 2014 in Review

Happy New Year’s Eve!

I’ve had a bit of a busy week, so I’ll end 2014 with a “Year in Review” post, courtesy of WordPress. I want to thank all of my followers for continuing to keep up with me, and any new readers for checking out the wonderful happenings in my hectic little life!

According to the WordPress Annual Report for 2014 (click here to see the complete report), the busiest day on my blog was December 4th 2014, a couple of days after I posted “Lovely Las Vegas: Swingin’ With Matt Goss“! I definitely have to thank Matt Goss himself, due to the fantastic Tweet he sent to his followers that same day. The next popular post for 2014 was “TOPSHOP/TOPMAN Grand Opening & Launch Party Recap“. Another big thank you goes to Fashion Valley for re-Tweeting it and then posting it on their Facebook page. I’m humbled by the support for my blog!

“Some of your most popular posts were written before 2014. Your writing has staying power!” – WordPress

It’s amazing to see that some of my past blog posts are still getting read! My most viewed post this year was from 2012, “Another Great Whole30 Homemade Treat“, which contains the most popular of the pictures to be “pinned” from my blog on Pinterest!

Finally, I became an Event Contributor for San Diego Style Bloggers this year. These bloggers are amazing and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for this wonderful network next year!

Thanks again to all of you who take the time to read Any Second Now. Here’s to a spectacular 2015, cheers!

Grand Opening Glamour at Duty Free City

A couple of months ago, I posted about a contest to win a Furla Candy Bag from Duty Free City (original post here). Last Thursday, I was invited to attend their official grand opening, with red carpet coverage by none other than Cindy Matalucci of The Pulse! It was a fun and glamorous event, where I saw some familiar faces, like Tiffany (model, fellow San Diego Style Bloggers contributor and blogger of Glitz and Glam pictured above left) and the girls of Nubry (not pictured). I also had the chance to finally chat at length with Katie of La Jolla Mom (pictured above right), and meet someone new, like Heather and her lovely pug, Chloe of The Stylish Bisou (scroll down for our picture below).

As I’ve mentioned previously, Duty Free City is more than just a place to shop for luxury goods. Touted as a “lifestyle destination”, Duty Free City has it all: not only can I pamper myself for an afternoon, but I can take my whole family and they can also enjoy themselves in the process. Thank you to Be Social PR and Duty Free City for a lovely evening and congratulations on your newest location!

Duty Free City is a lifestyle destination that inspires consumers to connect with their favorite brands through a luxurious, service-focused and interactive shopping experience. The company offers consumers an exceptionally crafted and elegant atmosphere, carrying designer accessories and beauty products, fragrances, leather goods, confectionary, wine and spirits and tobacco within its 14,000 square foot space. The store’s talented salon experts and Men Shoppe associates offer guests unique one-on-one services on-site, including personal shopping, manicures, pedicures and hair styling. The store also provides children with an area designed just for them, as well as the convenience of valet parking. Featuring the most sophisticated products in beauty and lifestyle, Duty Free City boasts an impressive brand portfolio, including the entire Estee Lauder Group (Clinique, Smashbox, etc.). Chosen as the only border store to carry its big name brands, Duty Free City offers a wide range of highly reputable products not seen in other border stores.

Cindy from The Pulse with Philippe Dray, CEO of Duty Free City.

Beer & spirits with wine tasting, a cigar lounge, sweets & treats, and a little café are all available to enhance the shopping experience!

Cindy interviewing La Jolla Mom writer, Katie Dillon in the “Kids Town” section, a fun place for kids to hang out and play!

Make-up demos by Gorgeous Cosmetics in the salon services area

Music for the evening provided by world-renowned Gypsy Band

With Cindy of The Pulse. She is so gorgeous!

With Heather and Chloe of The Stylish Bisou. I absolutely adore this lady, and it so lovely to finally meet her and her stylish pug!

My outfit details: House of Cannon Silver Robot Summer Dress; Forever 21 coat (old); Nine West “Genarosao” Boots (bought on ebay); Furla Candy Bag won from Duty Free City (original post here); Topshop necklace; Lookmatic “Tippi” glasses; ring by Suki Bijoux

San Diego Style Bloggers: Recap of the Beauty Blogger Workshop at Bellus Academy

To quote the charismatic actor Matthew McConaughey: “Alright, alright, alright!” Here is my recap of the San Diego Style Bloggers at Bellus Academy in Poway. Along with yummy desserts, coffee and goodie bags, it was a fun day filled with learning all about wonderful beauty tips for hair, make-up and nails. I arrived a bit late, so I came in during the hair styling demonstration given by stylist Erik Thrane. He did an amazing updo style. While pinning up the model’s hair, he mentioned that a good way to keep one’s hair pinned up securely was to weave the hair into the bobby pin, then pin it up into the hair.

Stylist Erik Thrane: Follow him on Instagram at @erikthranecolorist

After the hair styling session came a wonderful makeup demonstration by artist Marina Estrella. She gave so many useful tips. For instance, she explained that for mature skin (like myself), avoid shimmer and don’t do full coverage. Instead, mix color with moisturizer to give a more satin look rather than matte. A tip I used pretty much right away was regarding applying lip color: put the majority of the lip color while your mouth is relaxed, then smile to place the rest of the color. My favorite tip of the day: “Blending is everything. Blending is the secret of life…” This is something I will carry with me forever!

Makeup artist Marina Estrella: Follow her on Instagram at @marinaaestrellamua

The last demonstration of the day was nail art by Ally Caraveo. The entire time she spoke, she painted the nails you will see in the middle picture below. She stated she draws her inspiration from street art, graffiti, and tattoos. Wherever she draws her inspiration, it results in something incredible! Then the Director Of Spa Nails, Trudy Reynolds (pictured with Director of Community Relations, Leilani Angel), gave us some information regarding shellac and what it means in relation to nail care. This truly was a lovely event presented by Be Social PR, and our hosts at Bellus Academy were perfect!

Nail artist Ally Caraveo: Follow her on Instagram at @allycaraveo

Leilani Angel and Trudy Reynolds of Bellus Academy

Top photo: A quick selfie with Nicholle of Topknots and Pearls and Tiffany of Glitz and Glam. Bottom photos: Another shot of my lovely shirt from Wardrobe Ritual and my vintage Céline clutch purse (outfit post here).

Oh, and I won the raffle! Day of relaxation, here I come!

Simple. Femme. Boho. Edgy: Royalie Boutique Opens in Oceanside

Earlier this month, I attended the grand opening of ROYALIE Boutique in Oceanside (which I posted about on the San Diego Style Bloggers site here). I originally met Alison Choi when she had a space in the Vixen Pop-Up Boutique at Flower Hill Promenade last year (original post here). How wonderful to see her space and website evolve into her very own boutique, which is as stylish and adorable as she is! Guests for the evening were treated to live music, craft cocktails and yummy food. In the picture above, I had one of the special drinks made for the evening called a “Blueberry Royalie” from Melange. Not to be left out, Dominic (who insisted on accompanying me to my “blogger thingie”) had a wonderful virgin lemonade craft creation, which he loved (his exact words were “Mama, this is YUMMY!”). I want to thank Jordanne from Julep Marketing, and another big congratulations to Alison on the lovely boutique (which I will be patronizing in the near future). Cheers and have a great weekend!