EWP Gift Guide 2011: Makeup Kit

I liked both these makeup kits so much, I couldn't pick and decided just to post them both for you!

Bobbi Brown Eyeliner Kit, $42

Yves Saint Laurent, $65

Frugal Friday: Maxi Dresses

After taking a few Fridays off from frugality, I'm back to bringing you budget finds, all for $50 and under.

Today I set out the challenge of finding something with more fabric than most clothing items, thinking the more fabric the more it would cost. Today I tackle budget maxi dresses. It was no easy task, I'll tell you. Most I found were just big cotton tanks essentially, but I did find some, not diamonds, but cubic zirconia in the rough ;)

Xtaren, $52 @

Oasis, was $115, sale $35

Olivia Moon, was $68, sale $44.90

Oasis, was $90, sale $50 *

Urban Outfitters, was $59, sale $29.99 @

ModCloth, $49.99 *

Forever 21, $22.80

lulus, $47 @

ModCloth, $47.99

Arden B., was $69, sale $49

Audrey 3+1, $50

Charlotte Russe, $26.99

Charlotte Russe, $32.99

@Available in more colors
*EWP fave

Confessions of an EWP

I know I've been MIA lately. I'm sorry, but I must confess I've been rather busy and neglected this lil bloggie. And as long as I'm confessing to that, thought I'd confess some other things:

• I haven't had a manicure in 2 months. Don't worry, my pedicure is very up to date. Wearing sandals in the summer without a pedicure is a major fashion violation, I wouldn't dare do that. But can't seem to get time to run out and get my nails done. I'm so ashamed.


• I don't own a full-length mirror. I KNOW! This shocks people on a regular basis. This is why you get all those silly bathroom shots. There is no full-length mirror in our place. This means I never actually know what an outfit looks like on me really. I guess in my head, but never see the finished product. Who knows if the shoes actually go! Who knows if the shoe/skirt combo makes my legs look thick! This is something I hope to remedy when we move to our new place next month. Then you can get full-length photos. I know you've been dying without them :)


• I have a wicked ring tan going. It looks ridiculous. Guess I won't be slipping my ring off when I hit the bars ;) Not that I actually go to bars. So I won't slip it off when I hit Nordstrom. With the baby. During the day. You know, since that's where people go to pick up guys, right? Not that I ever would take my rings off to go shopping. Aside from not being that kind of gal, they totally get me better service. Seriously, salespeople in nice stores definitely do a once over when you walk in, and my ring apparently makes the cut to get nice service. Phew!


• I dress up to go shopping. The better dressed you are, the better service you get. Especially if you throw on some designer duds. See above.


• I'm obsessed with peanut butter. I don't know what that has to do with anything, but I just needed to get that off my chest. If I could have it at every meal, my life would be perfect. We go through A LOT of peanut butter in our house. And as much as I like to pretend Mr. EWP is eating some of it, it's really just me.


• I make Mr. EWP put his clothes in the guest room closet. The master bedroom gigantic closet is all for me. Well, we do have some linens in there. See, I can share!

Got anything you need to get off your chest? Confess in the comments!

Survey: Ultra-Affluent Consumers are Spending Less at Luxe Department Stores

Barneys New York flagship store

Barneys New York, Nordstrom, and Bergdorf Goodman emerged as the top three luxury department store destinations among those with annual incomes of at least $250,000, according to a recent survey by Unity Marketing. However, a look back at the previous year shows ups and downs among ultra-affluent patronage of these retailers:
* Barneys New York, which currently

Let's Get Nautical

For whatever reason, when the sun starts making a more regular appearance and the weather is warmer, all I want to do is dress like a sailor. Okay, not a sailor, but I really want to dress nautical. I have no idea why, but I have a very strong urge to indulge in blue and white, preferably in striped form.

Nothing hotter as the weather gets hotter than a navy and white striped top paired with some white skinny jeans. Mmmm... white skinny jeans.

If you have a hankering for some nautical in your life, check out the options below:

Scarf - Zara, $26

J.Crew, was $38, sale $28 @

J.Crew, $79.50

J.Crew, $58 @

J.Crew, $118*

Gap, $49.95

Gap, $39.95 @

Gap, $49.50 @

Forever 21, $19.90

Forever 21, $27.80

Express, was $39.90, sale $27.93

Banana Republic, $69.50 @

Forever 21, $4.80

Joe's Jeans, $158

Hudson, $165

Citizens, $154

Forever 21, was $24.90, $16.99

Express, was $44.90, sale $31.43 @ (without that awful belt of course)

Ella Moss, $85

Rubbish, $38 (I totally own this top and LOVE it)

Soft Joie, $118

Kate Spade, $245 * (OMG, y'all, I am in love with this dress. LOVE)

Tory Burch, $175

@ Available in more colors
* EWP Fave

Two Dresses for a Kim

Whilst I've been stay at home momming it, I've had little reason to go out fancy dress shopping. I've had to steer clear of dry clean only clothing for the most part. When you're covered in drool and other things on a daily basis, the dry cleaning bills would just be too much.

But that doesn't mean that the need for shopping has left me, so when my friend Kim called me up and asked her to find some dresses for a couple of events she had coming up, I was all in.

First up: a casualish summer outdoor wedding. And I think we found something so very perfect. I love this dress so much I almost bought it for myself, but had nowhere to wear it. It's so very 50s housewife. And you know I love that. Kimmers got it in navy.

Taylor Dresses, $138

Event #2: a cocktail attire gala. I just heart that word gala. And I also heart one-shoulder dresses. And I heart rosettes. YUM! Kimmers is quite the fit lady, and is training for the 2012 Paralympics in London, so she definitely has the shoulders and arms for this dress. She looked HAWT in it. Swoon. If only I had something to wear a one-shouldered rosette dress to. And had the body for it :)

Jessica Simpson, $148 @

@Available in more colors

Luxury Brands Report Strong Sales in March

Luxury retail sales continue to be the bright spot in an otherwise fragile U.S. retail sector that is balancing on a number of internal and external factors.

In March, luxury department stores reported sales increases for stores open more than a year. Among them are Saks Fifth Avenue (up 11.1 percent) Neiman Marcus (up 8.8 percent) and Nordstrom (up 5.1 percent). Victoria’s Secret, the high-end

Bergdorf Goodman Earns Top Ranking Among Luxury Consumers

For the second consecutive year, Neiman Marcus' Bergdorf Goodman subsidiary earns the top ranking among eight luxury retailers in the 2011 Luxury Consumer Experience Index survey of wealthy shoppers conducted by the Luxury Institute. Respondents rated retailers on store personnel, the shopping environment and whether the overall experience resulted in complete satisfaction.Brooks Brothers earns

Get Kate Middleton's Engagement Look

Just because you didn't snag a prince to marry, doesn't mean you can't look like you did.

While her Issa London dress is totally absolutely sold out all over the world (can't blame those people. The dress is awesome), I've found some other options for you to get the just-engaged-to-a-prince look.

Chloe, was $2,360, sale $1,416

Calvin Klein, $98

Donna Karan, was $1,195, sale $717

Donna Morgan, $98

French Connection, $168

Lauren by Ralph Lauren, $130

Calvin Klein, $109

Corso Como, $129

My Summer Uniform (AKA A Summer Dress Post)

If you see me walking around this summer, this is what you'll see:
1) A hat to keep the rays off my face
2) A flowy summer dress (completely unrelated to being pregnant, this is what I was already wearing when I found out)
3) (not pictured but they're there) sandals, most likely my Aerosole Soul Mates

There, honestly, is just no other way to spend your days this summer as you walk around. But we've already discussed summer hats, and summer sandals, so it's time to talk summer dresses.

All across the country it's been 90+ degrees (unless you're Foodiebia and live in temperate San Fran, but let's just not count her, okay?) The thought of wearing anything super substantial (i.e. jeans) makes sweat drip down my back. Even a skirt and top can be too much sometimes as your mid-section gets double-layered with the shirt tucked into your skirt. There really is only one solution: a dress. It's SO easy. It's one item. No matching or coordinating required. Just slip it on and you're good to go! And you look so cute and put together with no effort at all!

As always, I've pulled some easy breezy summer dress options for you from the interwebs. But, honestly, a lot of my summer dresses that I love were not available online (like the above-pictured eyelet dress, purchased for $90 at the Banana Republic Outlet), so get out there and check your local stores!

Velvet, $102

J.Crew, was $69.50, sale $39.99 @


Juicy Couture, $198




J.Crew, was $69.50, sale $49.99

Banana Republic, $110

Remain, $68

Velvet, $48

@Available in more colors