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With an ever-expanding wardrobe, I am always rotating things in and out of my closet. I have been consigning most of my items, but for some higher end or ones I think will be a fast sell, I go to eBay. Make sure to check out my eBay store here. I list a variety of items, at a variety of price points. Look out for higher end, designer items, and new or gently used clothing. :) If you are making an offer on an item, let me know you are a reader for a special discount. :)

xoxo, Courtney

Christmas Wish List

It's common around this time of the year for bloggers to post their Christmas wish lists. So like last year, I will oblige, even though like every year, I never need anything! Well, except for maybe the second one. 

Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAC

 I have always been a fan of Rebecca Minkoff's bags, and luckily after I won one of her bags back in May (featured on this blog post) I have only wanted to expand my collection, especially with this popular Mini MAC cross body bag. I do, however, think a certain someone is going to get this for me :)

Ninja Professional Blender

Last year I asked for a Blender/Food Processor combo, and I got one but it appears I got the black sheep of the bunch. It has been giving Alex and I problems for months and currently it is leaking from the bottom of the blender, so it sits unused. I even had to send it to their headquarters to be worked on, without much luck. I'm thinking we just need to upgrade to a better system. Other than the uber-expensive Vitamix, I have heard amazing things about the Ninja system, and the price point is very reasonable. I miss making my fruit and protein smoothies, and want to experiment making homemade marinades and sauces. Any recommendations on any models?

Sam Edelman "Felicia" Flat

I may have found the best ballet flat, the "Felicia" by Sam Edelman. I have a pair in nude, and I just need them in black. I have a pair of Zara patent leather flats now but they have stretched out and aren't that comfortable anymore. I am on my feet all day at work and need a flat that's comfortable and stylish. They are a bit pricey at $90 a pop, so I'm hoping they will last a while (it's the insoles I'm worried about!)

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

The biggest gift I will be getting for Christmas is spending a week with my family in paradise! I am counting down the days until we leave, but give me some credit, after working two retail jobs through the holidays, this will be the best end to the holiday season. My most treasured memories growing up are the ones taking family vacations, and this may be one of the last. 

What is on your wish list this year?

 

415 Bond Turns 1!

I realized a few weeks ago that I started my blog one year ago yesterday. What started as a platform with no agenda, I have been able to chronicle topics that I find interesting but mainly (and to a fault) in the fashion realm. It has been a fun and productive escape and even more to see where the blog has grown since the very first posts. 

 

I hope to continue to grow the blog and post more fun and interesting content. I have a feeling next year will be a whirlwind, but I hope to chronicle it all here. :)

 

xoxo, Courtney

Follow me on Pinterest!

If you're like me, Pinterest is a huge source of inspiration (Pinspiration rather) for recipes, outfits and tricks for the home and every day life. My boards are filled with a ton of these pins, and below are a sampling of them. Don't forget to follow me on Pinterest here.

Chanel espadrilles. On my fashion wish list. 

Delicious recipes to try now, or later.

All the beautiful places to travel to, luckily, I can check this one off.

Awesome products you have to have.

Home design inspiration. For the future.

And of course, cat pins. Because, of course.

Any pinners I need to follow? Comment below with the link to your pinterest account and I'll follow you back!

I'm on Vacation!

I'm going on vacation tomorrow so I won't be blogging for about a week! But no fear, when I return we will return to normal, and hopefully a post about my trip to Hawaii! Aloha!

xoxo, Courtney

Rebecca Minkoff M.A.B Mini

My bag from Privilege Boutique

I believe things happen for a reason. So when I checked my Facebook page two weeks ago after a not so stellar end to my work day, I was greeted with the following "Congrats, you've won a Rebecca Minkoff handbag!" In order to not get into too much detail, let's just say the past 6 months have been brutal in terms of work, as the economy has no signs of picking up in my field of work (or in anyone's, let's get real.) I was in such a Debbie Downer mood but coming home to see that message rejuvenated my spirit and gave me one chance to do a little bragging. I won't lie.

 But it also got me thinking about the situation I'm in. I entered a giveaway via Possessionista (a great blog to follow for fashion in TV/Movies etc.) for the Rebecca Minkoff Bag in late April. I almost forgot about it until I won two weeks later! My feeling is, life is going to give you some unexpected surprises. Good ones. You may have to wait a bit, but when you least expect it, something good will come along. So it may be a bit of a stretch in terms of winning a designer handbag, but I like my chances.

Me with my winning purse!

I gotta say, this bag is gorgeous. I always have craved a R.M bag, but this one is just divine. It blew me away! I love the details: buckles, tassels, etc. And the inside print is a bright blue with black polka dots! The quality is top notch and will no doubt last me for years. This is the most expensive purse I own by far, so I am so nervous for anything to happen to it, but I can't wait to wear it around town! 

The marketing coordinator at Privilege Boutique, Bailey, who arranged the shipment of the purse was such a doll and also a great resource, as we have similar positions in the industry. I must say, I think I was the right winner for the contest. :)

Check out Privilege Boutique for so many amazing designer finds, including my M.A.B Mini and several other Rebecca Minkoff bags!

xoxo, Courtney

Prayers for Boston

My mom's Boston Marathon Jacket

Edited: 4/17/13
 
This was definitely not the post I was going to do today. But considering how close to home the events from today were, I couldn't not say something.

My mom ran the Boston Marathon Monday, her first time in the prestigious race. She had qualified before, but sickness and injury had enabled her from competing. So this was her year, and getting to say that "my mom is running in the Boston Marathon" made me so proud. She works hard, almost too hard when it comes to her fitness, and running is her release, her drug, per se. 

I wanted to go to Boston to watch her run for it's probably a once and a lifetime chance, but work issues made me stay at home. Plus, she would be able to reunite with her brother and sister, a mini reunion of sorts. 

So Monday morning came, and I sent my mom a good luck text and started my work day. I didn't hear myself about what happened, I found out when I looked at my phone and saw half a dozen text messages asking if my mom was okay. It took many phone calls (I think I counted over 40), and too many texts to count to put together the pieces of that morning. I first talked to my brother Dylan, who told me there were explosions at the finish line at the 4:09:00 finish time and that is roughly my mom's pace. 

When Dylan said this, I had a mini panic attack because I had yet to know the extent of the tragedy. I also was thinking about my aunt and uncle who should also be at the finish line to watch my mom come in. 

After a call to my uncle back in Arizona, he passed on the information to me that my aunt and uncle saw my mom around mile 20 and she motioned she wasn't feeling well and slowed her pace down. After that they got on the train to meet my mom at the finish. Luckily they were still on the train when the bombs went off. 

When they did, things got chaotic, cell phone towers jammed, and it took hours for her to find my aunt and uncle. She explained that she couldn't hear the explosions, but a hoard of runners came toward them looking concerned and yelling things at them. The thousands of remaining runners were rerouted, but the runners were still in a craze. My mom said she was so cold and in "pretty bad shape" when a spectator gave her her fur jacket. We have been hearing a lot about the selflessness of others on Monday, and my mom said spectators, EMT and Police were outstanding in responding to the events.

Now that I have had time to decompress, calm down, and relax, I am overwhelmed with emotions yet again. I am terribly shocked about what happened, and that my mom was there in all of the chaos. I am saddened by the loss of life, but glad that more were not taken (I hope this stays true as the days go on). I am so sad and upset that my mom had to go through something like this alone, confused, and on a day that is supposed to be so exciting and fun. But in the end, I am so angry and sad for my mom, who was so excited to finally complete one of her biggest goals and accomplishments, only to have it cut short by half a mile.  

3 Events for 2013

Usually around this time of the year we start our resolutions we made the month before. But instead of listing some resolutions I may not be too keen about, I want to explore some of the events in 2013 I am looking forward to. It's about looking on the bright side, right? 

 
1.  Going to Europe. I have been planning a trip to visit my friend Laura in England for quite some time (how about 2 years?!) and come May 2013 I hope to cross the pond and travel through England, France and wherever else we land. I hope our plans work out and the plan follows through. I have been saving my pennies and after the rough end of the year I've had, this would be an amazing gift. 

 2. Getting, and loving a new job. I have been searching for a new job for about 2 months now,  and enough applications sent in that I had to make a spreadsheet! Even though I'm not sure where the future will take Alex and I later in our careers, in the mean time, I want to have a job that I love coming to every day. Is that too hard to ask? I spent 6 months last year hoping mine would get better or the people would change, and it never did. Since we spend more time at work than any other place (so it seems) we better like going there! I refuse to end up in a bad situation again. :) 

3. Turning 25.  I can't believe I will be 25 this year! I hate to compare myself to other people my age (I know it's not healthy) but I feel like I am behind in the game! So many people have traveled the world, started amazing jobs, moved to new cities and sometimes I feel like I am stuck. I know that's not the case and things will be worth it when the time comes. I am so excited for the future and I can't wait for what it brings for careers, traveling, family and relocating! 

What big events do you have going on this year? 

XMas Wishlist

I don't ever feel like I need anything come Christmas, and that's because if I do, I usually end up buying it myself. But just for fun, I put together a hypothetical wishlist of things that would be fun to unwrap on Christmas morning. 

iPhone 5

 I use my phone for everything, and right now I have the iPhone 4. It sounds so dated, doesn't it? Especially since I am blogging now and taking pictures of my culinary creations on the spot to immediately blog, the camera on the iPhone 5 is a big reason to upgrade. I also use so many apps and social media tools, my 4 is just slow now, and I am getting impatient! I am eligible for an upgrade too, so I just need to pay $200 for the phone. 

Fruit/Vegetable Juicer

When I worked at Jamba Juice way back when, my favorite thing to get was a freshly squeezed orange-carrot juice with ice. There was nothing better, and it tasted so fresh, and healthy! Now that juicing has become a "thing", there are so many home appliances available. I don't want anything fancy or expensive, just something under $100 where I can juice a glass every so often and not break after a week. :) 

Mane Message Hair Ties

 I have been seeing these hair ties in fashion magazines lately and hear they are great for your hair (no annoying creases!) and when they are on your wrist they look cute (bonus!) They usually come in sets and vary in styles, but with how often I put my hair up, these are definitely worth a shot. 

SF Giants Tickets

Alex and I love nothing more than a trip to the city for a Giants game. But we've been to regular season games plenty of times. I really want to go to the Giants season home opener at the beginning of April. Since the team won the World Series, the home opener (Friday, Saturday or Sunday) is especially exciting, since they present the team with the rings, and do fun pre-game festivities.

Olay Pro-X Cleansing System

The Clarisonic skin cleansing system is very popular and allegedly works wonders on your skin. I have very sensitive skin and would love to try this system out. But I would never spend $200 to "test it out", so Olay has a similar system for a mere $30. My friend has it and says it's wonderful!

What's on your list this year?

Shopping Guide

In honor of Black Friday I created a new Tab for 415Bond, called "Shopping Guide" which shows all the websites and stores I get all my chic clothes, shoes and accessories. The secret is out! You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars to look amazing. That's how I roll folks. I went out for 2 hours today and it was a nightmare. I did get Alex a gift but I think I'm going to wait another week before I go out shopping again. Did any of you score any killer deals? Or did you stay in the comfort of your home eating leftovers?

When Life Gives You Lemons...

Life gave me some lemons yesterday. I didn't order them. But I was kind of craving them at the same time. Weird, I know. The past 6 months has been a unique experience for me, one I hope I never run into again. Life is a series of experiences and lessons, and I can tell you I have learned my fair share this year. 

So about those lemons. I'm going to take them and make some lemonade. But not any lemonade. I want an Arnold Palmer. I've always liked those. 

Shoutout!

I wanted to thank my friend Kyla who spotlighted my blog on her own (Ford-ology) for a special section on her blog called "Sponsor Spotlight". I am so thankful that it got my name out there, and I hope I can get some more readers with her kind mention. :) It's all about networking!