Listen up boys

I hate to talk about Men in this blog, because i am a huge HUGE FEMINIST. But, i have made an exception this one time because it has to do with fashion. Last night, i celebrated my anniversary, (insert hearts & 'Awws'), and i was expecting the usual. Wrong. I don't know about y'all, but i shake my presents before i open them and guess what it is because i am so excited that i cant help my self. So this time, i shook it and knew what it was, a watch obviously. WRONG, again.

I open it and to my surprise it was jewelry! I love accessories. I believe it helps complete the look to anything. I got this super cute 'statement' necklace by ABS & this amazing cuff by Kenneth Jay Lane. I love it and i wanted to mention that sometimes when you least expect it, some guys do have taste. I am very happy to say that i have found one that has taste. So this is me, eating my words right now, swallowing my pride, and stating that... "Men... do have taste :)".

(Me really excited!!!)

So, if there is a man reading this right now, do understand that although we really do enjoy flowers, fine dinning, & wine.... WE LOVE WHEN YOU BUY US SHOES & ACCESSORIES, OR ANYTHING SUPER CUTE!!!! (<--- yes! I'm really shouting) Trust me, you will get a lifetime of brownie points. And yes- we do keep count.

Heels & Kisses,

Nadia

Fall 2011 Gucci Inspiration board for Broke LA Girls

I. Am. In. Love.

When I was younger i used to cut up magazines like Teen vogue, Seventeen, etc, and make myself my own inspiration board and i would go out and buy cheaper versions of clothes. This is my Fall inspiration board for my trip in the fall to NYC.

Heels & kisses,

Nadia

VAJAZZLED?!?!

Okay- Here's the deal. I've always been scared of waxing. I mean come-on who isn't? It hurts!

So recently, out of sheer craziness & desperation I went on Yelp (btw- one of my favorite sites) and 'yelped' for a professional waxer who will hold my hand and take baby steps with me.

Thank God for Andrea! Okay, at first I almost cried. But it was soooo worth it. Now I know what y'all are thinking... 'Why the hell is she talking about her Vagina?" Ladies- I just discovered the best kept secret in waxing. You know how they Bedazzle phones? Hats? shirts? Well... they also bedazzle Vagi-gi's! Isn't that crazy? Don't get carried away and think that my Vagi-gi is completely full of rainbow glitter. She makes small designs, (hearts, initials, etc) about an inch big if that. It's not overly tacky but just cute and small.

Anyway- if you aren't into all that, just get the basic. Trust me, she is the best and most affordable. I believe that supporting local business is a must! So please, if you haven't done so already, get your cherry popped :) Go to Andrea!

http://www.sassieladiesbeautybar.com/

p.s. Janea wanted me to also state that she had nothing to do with this post. I take fault for the embarrassing post :D [I'm breaking into into this post to add: I just wanted to say how hilarious I think this is ...and I don't think it's embarrassing, I just want nothing to do with it hahahahah! xo janea]

Heels & kisses,

Nadia

That 70's Post (part 1)

OK everyone is talking about the new fashion trends and whatnot, and saying that the 70s ARE BACK!! Well for me they have never gone out of style. I am literally obsessed with Three's Company. I watch at least 2 - 4 episodes A DAY and can pretty much act out any scene, verbatim.  Thank you Dish Network DVR!

I absolutely love the way the characters dressed...even though the men sometimes wore the most sleazeball outfits with their buttons open down their chests exposing their "hamburger meat" (LOL). In the episode "A Hundred Dollars a What," one of Chrissy's friends comes to visit and she is dressed to the nines:

Chrissy: Isn’t she terrific?
Janet: Oh, Chrissy, you’re the one who’s terrific.
Chrissy: Why?
Janet: Well, I’ll tell you. If I ran into an old high-school friend and she was dressed like that – you know, a Gucci bag, Romano boots, Dior blouse – I would be green with envy, and you’re not the slightest bit jealous.
Chrissy: Why, that’s silly? Why would I be jealous? ...Is that really a Gucci bag?

We may not have Gucci & Dior money but we can still get a little of that 70's flair. Here is part one of a "series" I will call Three's Company 2011-

$11.80 - rose canvas handbag - forever21.com 

alternate view - long shoulder strap - LOVE

$16.80 - leather bohemian bag - forever21.com

$24.80 - lattice knotted dress - forever21.com

$26.80 - cynthia peep toe pumps - forever21.com

$27.80 - suedette strappy stilettos - forever21.com

$27.80 - red embroidered dress - forever21.com

$27.80 - suedette floral slingbacks - forever21.com

$4.83 - navy "body conscious" slim dress - ASOS.com

images: forever21.com & asos.com

These are just some examples of how to incorporate what High Fashion is currently dictating into your everyday wardrobe. I love a bold color piece, nude shoes, and a floral detail somewhere (I love these bags!!) to add that air of femininity.

Personally, I think you can keep the old and also introduce the new as long as you feel like it is timeless to you, suits your personality, and speaks to you in a way that makes you feel good. Who says that a *little* retail therapy can't be a good thing?!

XO,
Janea

Fall Trends 2011: Ponchos

Ponchos! I have no idea who invented the word but it always makes me laugh. (YES! I can say that, I'm Mexican)

Anyhow- Ponchos have long been a staple in the Mexican Fashion world. From 'el rancho' to the city, the Ponchos have evolved. They have somehow made it to the MB New York fashion week this year. And I must say, that they look great. So great- that I want to pull out my Poncho and wear it :)

Thoughts?

Heels & kisses,
Nadia

Yipit, yippee!

I apologize in advance for my lack of posting this past week. Tuesday was the beginning of a new semester for me. I am concurrently working 1 full time job, 1 part time job, and it is my first time having full time student status in about 7 years. Please bear with me while I make the transition!  I doubt anyone has missed my verbose spewings...but for the few of you who have, thanks ;)

On to other business now -

I would venture to say that by now most Internet-savvy people have heard of sites like Living Social or Groupon – and if you haven’t, then where have you been, under a rock? Living Social had the funniest ad right before the Super Bowl!!  Anyway, there are tons and tons of new daily deal sits cropping up all over the place. If you haven’t noticed, again…where have you been?

Well there is one new-ish kid on the block who can help you wrangle all of those deals into one little digest email. The site is called Yipit.com.

I signed up after I got sick of missing out on deals but not wanting to put up with my inbox flooding with new coupons!  Yipit allows you to select the deals you are most interested in and customize how many times you receive those emails. Here is their “About” info directly from their site:

What is Yipit?

Yipit aggregates and recommends the best daily deals in your city.

We collect all the great daily deals from 342 services including Groupon, LivingSocial, Buy With Me, Tippr, Yelp and many more.

We recommend the best of the daily deals to our users based on the preferences they have expressed to us.

We're available in Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto and Washington DC. We also offer Yipit Nation which recommends the best deals available to everyone regardless of where they live.

We've received some terrific press from TechCrunch, NYC Recession Diary, The Chicago Tribune, Screenwerk, The New York Times, and CNET.

It’s actually very useful and since you can tailor specifically towards what you like, it makes it a lot easier to get those twice-weekly digests instead of eleventy billion emails for sandwiches and sports equipment - I prefer the spa treatments and clothing discounts!!

Happy savings!

XO,
Janea

O-rig-i-nal

O-rig-i-nal; New, fresh, inventive, aspiring, or proceeding independently of anything else.

"The sincerest form of flattery is imitation".

Growing up, I may not have always marched to the beat of my own drum but experiences & influences in life have taught me to dance to the beat of my own drum. I may not have been original at age 5, but I can say that after evolving into a 26 year old woman, I have become original & been able to express myself independently. Being original doesn't happen overnight, & it doesn't take practice, or copying someone elses ideas; being original takes learning how to follow your heart & gut. When you learn what 'you' love in life, everything starts to fall into place. Whether it is fashion, traveling, dancing, art, singing, acting, reading, or writing, inspiration has come from somewhere that helped you evolve into someone original.

These are the people/things which have helped me become original...

1. Gwen Stefani. First off- I have been listening to Gwen since F-O-R-E-V-E-R. I LOVE HER. She is someone that inspired it all. Her style is so unique & LEGIT.

2. Mazzy Star, 'Fade into you'. My favorite song period. Inspired my 'emoness'.


3. Watts. If you dont know what this is & you live in LA, you need to go to the hood. Raised on 103rd & Anzac, this inspired me to wear my all time favorite shoe in the world, my black leather Nike cortez & my inspired 'feistyness'.

4. Football- Matured me into following my heart & what i loved to do. Definitely taught to dance to the beat of my own drum. This inspired my, ''i'm-gonna-do-what-i-love-no-matter-what-people-say" :)

5. Tyler- The love of my life. My son. My everything. Although i am not a perfect mom, he makes all this hard work worth it. He has helped me become original. He loves me for me. We have a bond that i cant describe. He helped me realize that life isn't perfect but, its the imperfections in life that make your life story amazing.

I'm sure many of you are currently evolving into the person you want to be, someone original & unique that no one else can copy. I hope that you realize that its better to be weird, awkward, & funny, than to imitate someone that you are not. Love who you are :)

Trends 2011: Fanny Packs... Eeekk!

The title pretty much says it all. Fanny packs are in, and i somehow lost myself in the title (yes! that's correct, i said fanny packs. Don't look at me, i didn't put them on a runway). I have never been a fan of 'Fanny packs', just the name alone freaks me the F out. Every time i think of the word, it reminds of sweaty mom's at Disneyland walking around with overstuffed 'fanny packs' made out of Nylon.

Don't get offended, i just probably haven't found the right 'fanny pack' for me.

Heels & kisses,

Nadia

Fashion Week part Dos

Forgive me, I'm not your 'front-row-fashion-blogger'... just yet ;) But- i do the best i can.

Now insert song by Kaskade '4am,' and picture the models strutting down the runway. Here are my top picks so far...

DVF

Victoria Beckham

Donna Karan

Heels & Kisses,

Nadia

Night at the Museum

One of the best things about living in Los Angeles is the chance to live in the middle of an exciting art scene. So why did it take a trip to NY and a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to inspire a post about LA museums?  I don't know the answer to that yet, other than if more people visited our hometown museums, we probably wouldn't have to worry about them getting shut down due to lack of attendance/funds!!

Anyway...I wandered through the MMA in NY for hours, getting lost in this wonderland, passing through years, decades, centuries of art, analyzing everything from brush strokes to furniture size, and just soaking up the inspiration and creativity was so incredible. I fell in love.

It only takes a few hours to create a lifetime of memories, and these places are simply just worth the time and the money. If it's money you lack, here are some local spots that have FREE ENTRY dates!  But also just keep in mind that museum admission costs about 1/2 of the price of a ticket to the new 3-D movie, and you also don't have to buy any movie snacks, and you get to choose when and where you want to go and exactly what you want to see.


The first place I recommend is the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles -

photo: baby's day out (blog)

They are located in Exposition Park in Downtown Los Angeles. Their free admission day is the first Tuesday of each month. Students, seniors, and kids 5 - 17 are the same price ($6.50), Adults are $9, and kids under 4 are free. So are USC students (except game days). Check it out if you dig dinosaur bones...(heh) or just want to learn more about natural history.  They have so many great exhibits, they do story time for kids, and have special events, and you can sign up for their newsletter too for updates. So cool!!


Next up, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Grand Avenue.

Who says jury duty never pays?  Well, if you're serving jury duty congratulations! You get free entry at  MOCA Grand Ave!  For the general public, you'll have to make do with free entry every Thursday from 5 - 8 p.m. If you work in DTLA or just happen to be in the area, you should definitely make your way over. Visit the site for additional entrance fee info & scheduled opening dates. I <3 MOCA! 


The next museum is of important significance, especially in our city, and despite the rhetoric of politicians in this country - 

MOLAA is the only museum in the United States exclusively dedicated to modern and contemporary Latin American art. I'm not Latina but I do consider myself an Equal Opportunity Culture Appreciator, and I know my California history - and we wouldn't have this great city and this great state without the contributions and without the history of Mexico and other significant Latin American countries. Free admission 2nd Thursday each month, & every 3rd Sunday (3rd Sundays sponsored currently by Target), but the admission is still inexpensive ($10 adults, $6 students, free for kids 12 & under). Even if you don't find a free day the whole experience is worth the price of admission.  Right now they have a TON of exciting exhibitions to check out! Head down to Long Beach and get your MOLAA on.


Other suggestions:
** UCLA Hammer Museum - FREE THURSDAYS FOR ALL - $10 Adults - free every day for: Free for Museum members, students with ID, UCLA faculty and staff, military personnel, veterans, and visitors 17 and under accompanied by an adult
** LACMA - 2nd Tues each month, free general admission; LA County residents free after 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, & Fridays; "Target Free Holiday Mondays" (click for details) - Adults $15, seniors & students $10


And thanks to the wonderful Los Angeles Magazine (and the always free Getty Museum for posting it online), here is a calendar with every museum's "Free Days" available in PDF form. 


Who knows what might happen? Maybe you'll find some inspiration! 


XO,
Janea

Fashion Week

My dream is to be front row at one of my favorite designers fashion show, blogging away on my laptop, sitting next to Andre Leon Talley & the famous blogger Bryan Boy. My dream job has always been to be a famous trendsetter. I have an eye for trends. I've had it since i was a kid. I may not dress like it, (-$000.002 cents in my account), but i have always aspired to be a trendsetter.

The following designers are my favorite, especially the new kid on the block by the name of Christian Siriano (he also won 'Project Runway'). In my opinion, his creations are amazing. They remind me of Halston back in the 70's. He also does a shoe line for Payless & i think that is such a great project because he is attracting a lot of 'Broke LA Girls'. I think that the following designers are truly talented & are constantly innovating women's fashion.

Christian Siriano:

Diane Von Furstenberg:

Jason Wu: Herve Leger: And last but definitely NOT LEAST!...

Halston:
Trust me, if i had $500,000 in my savings, & had the means to just spend money on expensive clothes, i would look like these models too... BUT... THIS IS MY REALITY. So for now, i can just look at the pretty pictures & say; "If i was rich, i would wear this" :) Happy Fashion week!


Heels & kisses,

Nadia

For Locals Only! (kind of...)

Since this blog is really much just us talking about being broke, here are some places I highly recommend if you really want to dine out but you're on a tight budget.  And just in time for Valentine's Day!!

These spots either have a great happy hour, amazing food, or have the potential to create good memories with friends!  Since we're based in LA, it's pretty much a post for locals only, unless you just so happen to be reading this and you're traveling from out of town :)

This rapidly growing chain of Japanese DIY BBQ places ranks high on my "places to eat before you die" list!  It's not the fanciest or even the most unique, but I have never had anything here I didn't like. I think the people who work here are so genuine, the food is AWESOME, and they have s'mores as a dessert so who can argue against that?! They have a BARGAIN happy hour menu (see example: Torrance), and it is available almost every day. Check your local Gyu-Kaku for special happy hour times (Beverly Hills, Huntington Beach, Pasadena, Rancho Cucamonga, Sherman Oaks, Topanga Canyon, Torrance, West Los Angeles). You know this place must be good because I generally LOATHE chain restaurants...so...there you go.  Two people can easily be full and tipsy on about $20 - 30. AND if you're a freak **ahem** I mean....vegetarian like Nadia, you'll be happy to know they have plenty of veggies to grill in their own foil wraps :)

Another DIY BBQ place except this time it is Korean BBQ! This time it's in the Gardena area. They have an all-you-can-eat $9.99 (per person) BBQ special that includes beef brisket, pork belly, and marinated chicken (dark meat). It's so good, and the service is really fast, and they have huge bottles of beer for only $5 that can easily be split by 2 people! This place has another option for $16 but it has weird food that I would never eat. Please note, there are no veggie options at this place. There's no happy hour but honestly AYCE KBBQ for $10 is so cheap there's no need for HH! (How do you like those acronyms baby?)

My third pick is Teresa's Mosaic Cafe in El Segundo. If you can't tell I have a whole South Bay theme going on here. This area is seriously underrated in terms of good local spots especially when not everyone can drive to Santa Monica or feels comfortable in Beverly Hills!!  Anyway, this place has an awesome HH with huge pitchers of margaritas, taco and burrito specials, house tortilla chips and delicious salsa made from homemade tortillas...if you're lucky the tortilla lady will be making them that night fresh for you!  Since I go with my friends we tend to have more than just a couple of pitchers but for a more reasonable person you can spend less than $30 for two including drinks during happy hour.

My final selection for today is the Yard House. Another 'chain' you say? Well say no more. My favorite thing about YH (besides the beer selection) is the friendly service, great happy hour menu, and location. Locally, they are in Brea, Pasadena, Downtown LA, and in Long Beach. DTLA is a great spot because it's right at the new LA Live complex so it's a must Laker "pre-game" place, and the one in Long Beach is right in the marina which is really nice and if you sit on the patio you have a great view.  This place is so cheap and perfect for broke girls and guys alike - my boyfriend, his friend, his friend's girlfriend, and I all ate and drank for $60 here with 4 appetizers and a couple of rounds of beers.  MUST TRY ITEM - ahi poke tuna stack(hold the avocado please...ew)...soooo good.

Happy (hour) hunting!! And cheers my dears!!

XO,
Janea