Birthday, Hooray.

As some of you may or may not know, my birthday comes soon after Nadia's at the end of next month. I have been in party planning mode for a couple of weeks now and I am so excited.  Ever since my last soiree two years ago (my 25th birthday tea party), people have been asking me to help them plan their own parties, which is a huge compliment if I do say so myself ;)

My theme is also 'cupcakes & champagne.'  I plan on serving little small finger foods (some of my friends are cooking for me, thank GOD), Nadia is bringing the cupcakes (she's a talented baker!), and a few sparkly drinks later, we'll all be toasted.

source: everything fab

I got some silver and white balloons and I'm scouring to find some peach balloons. I want to try to recreate that "bubble" look. I'm also planning on making some wax hearts & a paper heart garland. Sounds cheesy, so if it doesn't work out I'll scrap it:

source: martha stewart (wax hearts)

And last but not least I will be wearing my NEW FAVORITE SHOES IN THE WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD

I got them at Forever 21 in Waikiki for $25. Their sales tax is a little over 4% which is like, nothing...and besides that, I was searching them online and apparently these are sold out in stores all over the place and are selling on ebay for upwards of $100!  But I wouldn't sell them for anything. I love them so much.

Here's to aging beautifully and gracefully, y'all ;)

XO
Janea

Birthday Queen!

Last year, i graduated from Birthday Princess to BIRTHDAY QUEEN! This year i am celebrating my birthday with very close, dear friends of mine. I am having a small gathering at my litto casita, and then heading out dancing! There will be Champagne, cupcakes, and lots of champagne!! So- Since i do have to look the part of a Queen, here are my choice for dresses!

Aqua $88

Aidan Mattox $295

French Connection $300 Nicole Miller $410 *Please don't look at the shoes. I would never wear shoes like that with these dresses. I don't know who the stylist was for these shoots but he/she should get fired for picking such hideous shoes for these dresses. Just Sayinn'.

Aren't all the dresses fab? Unfortunately 3 out of the 4 are all out my poor litto price range. FML. But- if i had to pick just one... it would definitely be the French Connection Gold glitter dress. It has my name written all over it! I would pair it with my ALLLL TIME DREAM SHOE.... Christian Louboutins :/ (which i don't have, & i will forever keep dreaming about them).

Happy Birthday to me!!

Heels & kisses,

Nadia

I'm a human Yelp app!

I'm not kidding, i really i am. If you know me, you know that i pretty much know the coolest, most awesome places to go to. I've been every where ;) I still haven't discovered some cool things but... i pride myself in doing it all. I never thought i would blog about this, but i wanted to post about my favorite bars/restaurants this city has to offer. Here are Nadia's picks:

1. Mignon: Located in downtown LA. This wine bar is freaking awesome. The concept, the wine, the simple pleasure of an amazing setting. This place has it all. The prices are very reasonable for what you get & to top it off, the service is great, & very attentive. You must go! http://www.mignonla.com/

2. Wood & Vine: My friend Uday owns this fabulous joint! Not that my opinion matters, but this place is AHHH-MAZING! Not kidding! The atmosphere, the food, & the drink menu is all great! Its so awesome that the NY Times did an article on it a week ago on their Travel section! The Butterscotch Pot De Creme will make you orgasm! Its brilliant. http://www.woodandvine.com/

3. Bottega Louie: If you haven't been to this place now, then you must seriously have the worst taste in food! Don't even consider yourself a foodie. Just stop now, while you're ahead. Portobello fries, margherita pizza, & chocolate souffle! That's all you need to know! If you cant get in because its soo busy, head over to Drago Centro. The best Italian! http://www.bottegalouie.com/

4. Villains Tavern: This place is awesome! I cant even begin to describe it. Its probably the most unique bar in downtown LA. A must see. http://www.villainstavern.com/

5. Wurstkuche: The best German Sausage place. PERIOD. Located in the outskirts of little Tokyo, this place in a gem. The food is awesome! And what makes me come back again and again to this place is the fact that they have 3 veggie sausage options! That's a lot for a non-veggie friendly place. This is a must! http://www.wurstkucherestaurant.com/

These places are highly recommended by me! I'm pretty sure you will love them :)

Heels & kisses,

Nadia

I'm baaaa-aaaaack!

I'm back from vacation, slightly burned, mostly toasted, and very tired. I think I got a little sick!

For anyone who is interested I'll be writing about good eats and cheap clothes while staying in or around Waikiki.

Stay tuned!

XO

Janea

How to be a Broke Parent

I am not those dumb '16 & pregnant' starlets. Sorry those girls need a slap of reality.

There's a fine line between being a young mother who wasn't ready for motherhood & takes it on, & being a young mother who cannot take responsibility, at all.

I am a young mother. My son is 6, & today he graduated from Kindergarten. I am so very proud of him. I have been wanting to write about this touchy subject for a while & i finally had the balls to do it.

I am not perfect. I have never met a perfect mom. I cannot give my child everything. Not a house, not the best clothes, not birthday parties every year, & not the most expensive outings. But there are things in life that a child needs to learn that money cannot buy.

Someone recently told me, "A lot of people don't realize how fragile it is to raise a child. You are responsible for your child's outlook on life. You are the person that molds their vision of life."



So here are my 'Broke' tips on how to be a 'Broke LA Parent'.

1. Teach them how to be a good person: Lead by example! Kids are like little sponges. They observe EVERYTHING! I'm not kidding. Lead by example by being a good person.

2. Teach them to follow their heart: Again, lead by example. Do things that you love. Teach them that following their heart is the way to happiness. If you don't follow your heart, they will never learn to follow theirs.

3. Teach them to stand up for what they believe in: Many of you who know me, can remember me back to my teenage years, & how i always stood up for what i believed in. Even if it means going against the grain, you need to lead by example.

4. Teach them how to be disciplined: If they don't learn this now, they never will.

5. Teach them how to be honest & respectable: I've met so many people that have lied to me. I don't know why people think this is okay. Teach your kid how to be honest & respectable. Again, lead by example.

All of these things i mentioned, are things that don't cost a thing. They are free. Up for grabs, for anyone who wants to learn life lessons. Don't pass these free things up. A lot of the time, these life lessons are ignored. But you must lead by example. Because before you know it, your kid might end up just like you. I don't know about you, but i want my son to be a stronger, smarter, good hearted, & a more caring person, than who i am. I don't want him to be like me, i want him to be better.

I know many of you are currently doing this, & many of you are not because you are not parents yet. Learn how to be a good person, so when you do have children of your own.... you have already set the way for them :)

Heels & kisses,

Nadia

My brain farted & it cant write

Yes- My brain did fart. Disgusting, i know. But for the life of me, i cannot write.

I know this blog is, for the most part, dedicated to writing cheap finds, but sometimes... i go off the subject (okay- most of the time, i go off subject).

Sometimes, in life we want to do things & for some odd reason, we cannot complete the task we want to do. It bothers me.

Currently, i have my Pandora playlist on 'fade into you' by Mazzy Star and I'm trying not to think; I'm just writing. Writing what comes to mind, writing what i really feel, writing because its the only thing that will make this Sunday evening pass quickly, & it will bring an end to this 'Emo' Fathers day weekend.

I promise my Dear LA reader, (I'm assuming there's only one) i will have content for you this week. But for now- let me gather my thoughts as i sip on my Sunday night drink & let my creative juices start to flow.

Heels & kisses,

Nadia

Waikiki Wahine

Hi y'all!  Sorry for the lack of posts, but I've been going through some thangs.  Anyway, I have been so busy this week planning activities for my upcoming vacation!

I am going with one of my bestest friends in the entire world to Waikiki!  It will be my fifth time visiting the lovely island of Oahu, and I can't wait to relax on the sand and get away from this June gloom in LA.

We're going for her birthday and it's her first time and she's really excited. I've found so many cool happy hour places that are walking distance from our hotel. Broke girls gotta eat and drink on a slim budget.

I hope to have a working camera so I can share lots of pics. In the mean time I keep looking at these photos for inspiration:

Surf's up, y'all!

XO
Janea

In my luggage: Costa Rica Edition

As the whole world already knows, I'm going to Costa Rica! Since i want to look the part, Kate Boworth is my inspiration for my attire on this tripThis is what i am packing: This top was $54, & now its reduced to $36 bucks! Score!!

I'm sure i wont look as hot in it, but as long as i look cute surfing in it, I'm more than happy! :)

These Baja Sandals from Forever 21 are super cute! And only $16.80! What a deal!


I love this 'Es-sprite' racer back tank top! Only $14 bucks!


I Love this outfit! I wore it to Belize last year. I will be packing this as well!
YAY! I'm so excited! Let's hope that Costa Rica has Vegetarian food! Or else i will come back hungry as all hell!

Heels & kisses,

Nadia

Costa Rica: Midnight quickie!

Just booked my flights to Costa Rica & I'm sooo excited!

I could swear that i must have been a Travel Agent in my past life. I have booked flights to Costa Rica & now i have to find a place to stay in Jaco & Arenal. I have to check into transfers, Surfing, Zip lining, the availability... in the likelihood of finding myself in Costa Rica &... finally.... having the time of my life!!

Sometimes you need to runaway in order to find yourself again.

Here's to adding an amazing chapter to my unique book of life.

Heels & Kisses,

Nadia

LA Summer

Being a broke LA girl can be very tough sometimes. Especially in the summer when all you wanna do is soak in the sun, do everything LA has to offer & look fabulous doing it. Overall, without thinking... it can get very expensive, quickly. There are many events that LA has to offer that surprisingly, not many people are aware about. ( I think its weird because i rarely like doing the same thing twice, so i try to do everything possible!)

1. LACMA: LACMA is doing a Tim Burton Exhibition bringing together drawings, photographs, & ideas which have been the concept to his amazing career. The exhibition is running now throughout October & tickets are only $15 per person. You can find more information here... http://www.lacma.org/

2. Cinespia: This might seem a bit morbid, but its super cool. Cinespia is pretty much cemetery screenings. Its old, classic, amazing films, shown at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Tickets are $10 per person & you can bring blankets, snacks, & even WINE!! (<--yay for me!) The movies are shown every Saturday at 8pm throughout the entire summer. You can find more information here... http://www.cinespia.org/

3. Art in the streets: This is probably by far the coolest exhibition i have ever been too. Art in the streets captures Graffiti at its best. Works from talented artists around the world, the art is displayed in a huge warehouse in downtown LA. The exhibition is from now until August and tickets are only $10 per person. You can find more info here... http://www.moca.org/

4. Annenberg Space for Photography: If you re anything like me, you love pictures! Taking pictures or simply posing for them. Photography seriously fascinates me. It always has. The Annenberg space for photography is a series of works from various artist focusing in different areas of photography. Every few months they change the exhibition. I've seen the sports exhibition & the youth exhibition. Right now they have the 'Beauty & culture' Exhibition that i am dying to go too. The entrance is free & its a great way to get out of your element for an hour or two & enjoy something different. You can find more info here... http://www.annenbergspaceforphotography.org/

5. Pershing square: I LOVE LOVE downtown LA. I don't care how grimy it might be, or how many bums there are. I love it. Its got charm & so much culture. Pershing Square is offering a series of free concerts throughout the summer as well as Friday night flicks... FOR FREE! So if you have nothing to do on a Friday night & don't wanna spend a lot of cash. Go to trader Joes, grab some hummus & pita bread, a bottle of wine & go to Pershing Square for an amazing evening! You can find more info here... http://www.laparks.org/

I hope that you have an amazing memorable LA summer & you try at least one of these on the list!

Heels & Kisses,

Nadia

Product review: Old Navy Denim

I don't know how you do it America.  Everyone LOVES Old Navy.  I haven't shopped there in about ten years because I've noticed that their sizes are so stupid. Well, a few weeks ago I was in a jam and I needed a new pair of jeans because I was in Vegas and going to a show and I only had bathing suits and club dresses, neither of which would have been appropriate at the time.

Well off I dashed to ON because I heard they had some pretty decent jeans for a good price.  I grabbed a pair of Diva jeans:

$29.50 - Not really a "steal"

Anyway, these are supposed to be "skinny" jeans. I usually don't try clothes on. I can usually tell if something is going to fit me whether I try it on or not. But not at Old Navy. Sometimes I will grab an 8 and it will hang loose all over my body, and sometimes I will grab a 12 and then want to stab my face because it's so skin tight I can't even button it. Well, that's kind of what happened here. My regular size pant would not even go past my thigh. I've purchased a lot of denim in  my short time on this earth and these pants were (and still are after several washes) really stiff.  Oh well, my time is almost running out so I decide to go up 2 sizes and head out the door.

In the time since I bought these jeans they have gotten really loose and I have to cinch them up tight with a belt. And they are SHORT.  I am almost 5'10 and they barely float at my ankle. Not a good look. And there's really nothing skinny about these jeans. They don't slim down at the calf...to me they are more like a straight leg pant than anything.

My friend said to me, "Just give them another chance! Maybe you can find someone to give those jeans to."  WHYYYYY would I want to give away a pair of pants I JUST BOUGHT?!!  $30 could buy me so much Hello Kitty or new books for school or some spray paint for my projects. I am not just going to give it away.  But I digress.  I went back to see what their return policy was. No returns if it's already washed.  Fine.  But out of the corner of my eye I spy a pair of $15 jeans. DO I DARE??  Well, I grabbed one size down from the other pair and they were really soft.  And to my satisfaction, a wonderful length for my long legs.

At first try they fit really well. But now they are very baggy and again I have to wear with my belt all the way cinched.  I'll edit this post with a picture of me wearing them but unfortunately I can't find a picture of these jeans online.

I just checked the little product tags on the inside of the jeans and it looks like these jeans were marked with a new label called O! by Old Navy. The date says "DEC 10" so I guess instead of damaging out product and losing money they just slap on a new label and price it down.  I will say one thing though about the cheaper pair is that they are so soft and after a fresh wash & dry they look really good on my legs, but around my waist they look a hot mess. So I just wear a long shirt.

Well, this is our 100th blog post. Yay us!  Sorry for the rant but I just have to say sometimes buying cheap ain't worth it!

XO

Janea

Birthday wish list

This year has been a little overwhelming. Actually, more than overwhelming. So much has happened, good & bad. My birthday is coming up next month & i have compiled a birthday wish list because i have never done it before. If i have a cake, i will wish for this when i blow out my candles.

1. Everlasting Friendships :)

2. A trip to the Maldives or anywhere tropical! 3. A pair of Christian Louboutins!

4. Skydiving

5. Never ending supply of anti wrinkle cream!!!

6. And lastly, ... Peace, happiness, & prosperity :)
Happy Birthday to me!!! Here's to 27 years of being wrinkle free, fabulous, unique, & passionate!

Heels & kisses,

Nadia

Apartment Becomes Eclectic

I am an amateur crafter and a moderately skilled garage-sale-goer. A lot of the time my friends come over and tell me, "wow I love ___!! Where did you get that?" and I would stretch to say about 60 - 70% of the time it was from a garage sale or I got it for free (because I have friends and/or family who like to waste money on new things...lol silly people).

Right now I am working on a few projects (as listed here in my 'personal' blog) and most of those items came from Goodwill, someone else's apartment, or Craigslist. These ones below came from a garage sale and I love 'em:

$5. The wife didn't want to sell but the hubby didn't want it in their new home. Score for me.

$5 It freaks out my boyfriend but I love it so much. It's in my room on my side of the bed.

$5 for a pair of "vintage" map art

$5 This creepy old lady had a bunch of pirate stuff but my bf would only let me get one thing. I want to hang more colored lanterns around it.

This was free, and I got it from my aunt. I'm not sure what I want to put on it yet.

It's not as fancy as Nadia's apartment (hint click the link) but I love it. I'm still just working on an actual design but it's fun to collect random things and kinda mish mash them together. It's just my style.