Thursday, November 25, 2010

Monday, November 22, 2010

Wine Awhile

First and foremost, I am a bad blogger...with the holidays approaching, I am scrambling both with personal business and work business... so forgive my lack of updates. {slapping my own hand}

One of my favorite things to do (especially to de-stress) is wine nights with the girls. A bunch of us girls get together somewhere for dinner and drinks... I always end up drinking too many glasses and regret it the next morning, but it's always fun to unwind and have a little girl talk.

Last Monday I spotted a GroupOn deal for a new place in Mt. Pleasant that a lot of us have been dying to try - it's called Wine Awhile.

The premise behind this new wine bar is this:
1) First purchase a card ($4)
2) Then you decide how much money to put on your card - our GroupOn was $12 for $25.. so $4 for the card and then $21 went on the card.
3) You receive a wine glass and then you make your way to their wine station where they have several different types of wines, ranging in price, set up in this very complex, space-age looking machine.


4) You select a wine you would like to try, stick your card in the machine (your card balance displays on the machine), and then select one of three buttons above the wine of your choice: taste, half glass, full glass. All have prices accordingly - i.e. a taste may be $1.25, a half glass $2.50, and a full glass $5.
5) After pushing the button, a little spout will fill your wine glass with the amount.
6) You drink said wine - then head back to the wine station to try another wine.

You repeat this process until your card runs out of money - which happened to me, so I added $10 to my card. Lucky for me they have a special that if you buy your card on a Wednesday or a Friday, you get an extra $5 for every $10 you put on the card... so my $10 turned into $15. Whoo hoo! :)

We munched on different tapas style apps while we drank our wine. They also had a guy playing a guitar and singing for entertainment. When we left, I still had about $11 on my card...but the cool thing is you keep the card and bring it back anytime you visit.

The wine selections in the wine station change day to day (they may change throughout the day, not sure). Plus they have different types of beers - so if you want to bring your significant other with you and he's not a wine connoisseur, then there's a variety of beers to choose from as well.

My only complaint is I felt it was a wee bit pricey... maybe I've been spoiled with generous pours, but I didn't think their half glass and full glass were quite the pour I expected them to be, especially for the prices. I can get a FULL glass of a tasty house Chardonnay during Happy Hour at Bambu (another restaurant in Mt. Pleasant) for only $3. Plus, paying $4 up front for just the card seems a little unreasonable to me as well.

Oh, and they close at 9pm - which I felt was way too early for a wine bar. What if you wanted to do wine and dessert after a date? This place would be excellent for that...but they close too early.

Regardless, it was really a neat concept and allowed us to try several different wines without having to order full glasses of each. I'm usually not picky when it comes to wines, but I love wine tastings and having the opportunity to sample different kinds of wine in one sitting. Plus not having to get a full glass each time, just a taste here and there, probably makes it affordable in the long run.

I will probably go back again - especially since I still have money on my card. :) Definitely a good idea if you've got a group of girlfriends and you're looking for a fun idea for an early girls' night out...

Monday, November 15, 2010

December Wedding

So I will be getting married next year in December - 12.10.11 to be exact.

But next month, one of my good guy friends from college is getting married 12.11.10. I actually told him his wedding date was cooler than ours since it counts down.

Anyways...even though I have a closet-full of dresses, I {of course} have nothing to wear.

I recently heard about a new site called Rent the Runway - once you sign up {for free}, you can RENT designer dresses that usually run $300 to $500 for a four day period. It's perfect for occasions where you want an amazing dress of a designer caliber, but you know you'll only wear it once... like for a wedding.

I was skeptical at first, but upon further research it's an ingenious idea...

You find your dress - 'rent it' for as low as $50 - select the date you want the dress to arrive at your address {it's guaranteed to arrive} - you pick your size plus an additional size {for free} - if you choose, you can pay only $5 or $10 for insurance {so if you spill red wine on it, you're covered!} - the dress arrives {two..in the two sizes you picked} on your date with a pre-paid return package - you wear the dress and return it four days after you receive it.

If you don't like the dress or it doesn't fit, you can return it and let them know and they will give you a full refund.

So I decided that since I have nothing to wear, I decided to give the site a try... The site is so easy to use - it even let me search dresses by 'winter wedding'. Each dress has reviews from others who have rented the dress before - the reviews helped me decide on which sizes to pick.

I found this gorgeous, one-shoulder Robert Rodriguez Black Label dress in a very Decembery {yes, I just made that word up} maroon shade. I'm planning on wearing black pantyhose, my Forever 21 black heels and pairing it with these gold earrings (Forever21), gold bracelet (Charlotte Russe) and fun, gold heart sequined bag (Forever21).

The cool thing is you can also rent another dress for only $30 if you wanted another option - I didn't opt for this, but considered it since it was so cheap to do so.

Have you used Rent the Runway?? Did you like the experience?

I'll let you know how this all works out... stay tuned! If you sign up, consider signing up through me so I can get $20 credits!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Mac & Cheese is my Middle Name

One of my friends sent out a message today on Facebook to our whole crew of friends about a Macaroni & Cheese cook off that's happening Friday night in downtown Charleston.


WHAT?!?! How did I not hear about this until today?!?

The gist is that 12 different restaurants are cooking up a ton of their best Mac & Cheese recipes and then the public samples the different selections and votes on their favorite.

It's downtown Charleston at the Visitor Center Bus Shed (big, covered outdoor area used for events like Oyster Roasts, etc.) this Friday night, 7pm to 11pm. Tickets are only $5 in advance and then you purchase a $1 ticket for each Mac & Cheese sample you want to try. A portion of the proceeds will go to charity.

There's going to be live music and drinks...plus all the Mac & Cheese you could eat! What's not to love?!?!

Friday, November 5, 2010

Seeing Double - Part II

Back in July I posted about my annoyance with Modcloth - even though admittedly I shop their site and purchase occasionally. In a nut shell, I often see things on ModCloth for sale that I have seen on some of my other fave online apparel sites - identical items - but ModCloth always has their 'version' marked up at least $20 more than the other site.

So even when I do shop at ModCloth I'm always wondering if I'm secretly being ripped off because they are marking the prices up so high.

Today I found yet another example - identical booties on ModCloth's site and on GoJane.com - but ModCloth's version is...yup...$20 more.

Why ModCloth??
ModCloth's Version - $39.99


GoJane's version - $19.95

Thursday, November 4, 2010

I have a confession to make...

... my name is Christy and I own not one...but two pairs of Jeggings.

What!?!? That is something I never, ever, ever thought I would say...ever.

Jeggings.

I know... what a horrible, horrible trend you're thinking. I was right there with you.

It's true that when I first started seeing belts worn over sweaters and shirts I scoffed...and then eventually I caved to that trend. I also rolled my eyes when I first saw girls wearing knee high boots over their jeans - but I didn't last long with that one either - it's now one of my favorite looks.

Skinny jeans? "Only stick thin models can wear those tight {bleep} pants! Not a girl with curves like me!" And now I spread the positive message of skinny jeans paired with... that's right.. knee high boots. It's also true that I vehemently spoke out against the leggings trend - "That is soooo 80's - oh my gah!" And yet - I probably own about 12 different pairs of leggings now.

But I promised myself I would never cave to this trend - Jeggings. The word itself is way too close to another scary {red neck} fashion no-no... Jorts! "I will never, ever wear jeggings," I swore to myself, "skinny jeans, yes... leggings yes.... but skinny jeans + leggings?? Heck no!"

And here I am today...confessing to you that I am now a {not-so-} proud owner of Jeggings. It all started with an article I read online from a fashion writer who, like me, scoffed at the idea of Jeggings at first -- but she had a change of heart after trying the trend herself, saying they were the most comfortable things she's ever worn. (wish I could find the article to share with you, but alas, I'm not having luck finding it again...)

Then I put out a random tweet last week:


I got a few responses that were ALL positive about jeggings - saying that they are really denim, super stretchy, super comfortable, that they don't look bad when worn right AND you don't have to be 5'11 and stick thin to wear them {I'm barely 5'3...}.

I found this helpful article on Jeggings that tells you when and when not to wear them... from beautips.info.

Twitter follower AngelaNoelle told me that she actually got hers from Old Navy. So I went out to their site and took a look at their Jegging options - and every pair had over a hundred reviews, all of them mostly positive.

Hrmmm....

So yesterday during my lunch break I took a trip to the closest Old Navy - determined to see just what all the Jegging fuss was about.

It wasn't an easy feat by any means...

A) I had to constantly reassure myself that I would never wear these without a top that covered my waist and butt, so the fact that the top was elastic was not important -- so I couldn't get caught up on the way it looked at the top since my mind kept saying, "But it's an elastic waist band -- ewww!"
B) I had to try on several pairs and sizes until I finally found ones I was actually comfortable in -- and the not so positive was that I had to size up A LOT until I found a pair that wasn't too snug for my comfort-level, which may defeat the purpose of a Jegging.. but they are slightly loose around the legs enough that they look more like skinny jeans to me.

Verdict:
- Yes! They are made of stretchy denim and look just like skinny jeans, but with a much better and more comfortable fit!
- Yes! It was way more comfortable and flattering to have elastic at my waist under a tunic top than the typical, uncomfortable bulky jeans top.
- Yes! I really think with a tunic sweater/top/etc. and knee high boots, I can pull it off.

So I walked out of Old Navy with two pairs of Jeggings in hand {after I paid for them of course!}. P.S. The photos don't really do them justice - they look much better when on, I promise!

And now I'm considering buying another pair Old Navy sells that has a real jean top (button and zipper) that's made of the same material as the other pants I bought. They look a little more realistic. And guess what? Old Navy is giving 20% off today and tomorrow only - enter ONWINTER as the coupon code online!

If you are considering the same fate as my own and want to try jeggings:
- Go and try them on first and find a size that you're comfortable in - even if it means you have to size WAY up like I did.
- Wear a long tunic top and maybe boots when you go to try them on so you can get the full effect - I had on a short sweater and flats - so it was harder to visualize the big picture.
- Try different brands... I didn't do this and I somewhat regret it. Old Navy was easy to get to and the price was reasonable, and I wanted them sooner than later, so I didn't really have time to go a bunch of stores -- but if you do, I would recommend trying different brands, styles, etc. I've seen them on the websites of American Eagle, Urban Outfitters, Victoria Secret, etc.

You should have seen the faces of my girlfriends last night when I admitted to them that I bought Jeggings and actually like them....and that I will probably be wearing them Saturday for the Clemson game. Ha ha...we'll see if they are true friends and will actually hang out with me and my Jeggings on Saturday. :)

So.... am I a pathetic slave to fashion trends? Have you tried Jeggings? Verdicts? Are you going to point and laugh at me if you see me on Saturday wearing them? :)

I'll try to get some good pictures of me rockin' my Jeggings and post on here next week.

XOXO, Jegging Girl

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Two for Tuesday

I'm a sucker for Rue La La, and today was no exception with their BCBG MAXAZRIA sale...the deals were too good to pass up.

I bought this contrasting patterned, wrap dress - I love the patterns together and I think it will look great paired with black tights and black booties or black knee high boots as it gets colder.

I wasn't going to buy anything else, but I talked myself into this navy wrapped cardigan - only because navy is my fave color for clothes lately and it's all I've been wearing. I needed a nice navy cardigan and I haven't found one I really liked that was a true navy - until I spotted this one. Perfect for pairing with my gray work pants or Anthro dresses this Fall/Winter.

Did anyone else luck out in the Rue La La sale today?

Monday, November 1, 2010

Live from Charleston...it's Saturday Night!!

My best friend and I as Wayne's World - I'm Garth!

Yes, that would be my fiance on the bottom with his best friend as the Ambiguously Gay Duo. I'm so proud, lol.

Our friends as Hans and Frans.

My fiance's cousin as 'you know what' in a box.

Spartan Cheerleader.

Mary Katherine Gallager - "Superstar!"

Just two Wild and Crazy Guys - old school SNL.

Target lady.

Charles Knerlman - another old school SNL.