Miss Marisa Tropical Ebba Los Angeles

Miss Marisa Tropical

I found love at first wiff in Hot Box Betty today. It was with Miss Marisa Tropical perfume oil by Ebba Los Angeles and it smelled absolutely amazing. Upon first sniff you get a fruity-coconutty scent, but it boasts notes of other yummies such as mango, ginger, peach, waterlilly, and casis. I think a lot of tropical perfumes can be really generic, basically making you smell like suntan lotion. Miss Marisa Tropical is not like that; it makes you smell very sexy and sensual.  Really!  I felt all flirty when I put it on. The only problem I had with it was that it is $62 for a 0.5oz roll-on bottle. Hefty price for a half an ounce of liquid. I decided to go home and search around online and see if I could find some for cheaper and everywhere I looked it was all still $62. At least at Hot Box Betty I won’t pay shipping. I just have to decide if it’s worth it to me.  (I soooo think it is! I do I do! That’s what my nose says anyway.)

You can get Miss Marisa Tropical at Ebba Los Angeles, but you can also try a sample for $4 at Lucky Scent, as well as the 0.5oz roll-on for full price.

 

I stopped by TJ Maxx today in the Bend River Mall to help the hubby look for a pair of sunglasses and was pleasantly surprised at the amount of things they had in. It can often be a hit or miss with TJ Maxx depending on how much they get on their loads and when they come in. Today was definitely a hit! The racks were loaded with all kinds of really cute things, especially the tops, and they had a little bit of everything–skirts, shorts, pants, dresses, handbags, shoes, you name it.  I was a bit overwhelmed because there was so much to see and the first couple of racks I went through I ended up with a cart load of things to try on.  I didn’t even get past the tops in the 45 minutes I was there!  I did get a peek at the shoes and they had some cool Jessica Simpson pumps that I’ve been kicking myself for not getting.  I’m heading back tomorrow with Ally so maybe I’ll see if they’re still there…

Hurry in quick if you wanna get the goods because the loftiest Fashionistas know to haunt there often!

River Bend Promenade 3188 North Highway 97 Bend, OR 97701 Phone: 541-389-8975

Sun: 11a – 6p Mon-Fri: 9:30a – 9:30p Sat: 9:30a – 9:30p

My BFF Ally and I are Target junkies. We go there together about once a week because it’s our favorite place to shop for everything we need, especially clothes and accessories.  For any bargain hunting fashionista, Target’s clothing section is uh-mazing.  They have rack after rack of the latest styles for a reasonable price.  But if you’re anything like me, you can end up spending a fortune anyway because there’s so many things to choose from!  (The only thing that can suck about the Target in Bend is that alot of women here are my size–which is about average–and that size is often sold out so you have to haunt it for new arrivals.)  What I love most about Target is that there are clothes for all occasions: work, weekend, party…I can always find what I’m looking for.  The next time you are looking for something in particular to wear, I recommend you try Target first (if you don’t like to actually go into Target–which would be crazy but anyway, they offer even more items on their site. Below are some of the items that Ally and I have recently picked up there.

Mossimo® Black: Short-Sleeve Embroidered Shift Dress, $22.99

Mossimo Tank (comes in multiple colors to choose from) $9.99

Xhilaration Zebra-Print Ballet Flats, $14.99

Xhilaration Leaf Shell Earrings, $8.99

I was checking out shopdowntownbend.com and came across a little boutique called Urban Minx.  The name alone fascinated me (damn that catchy marketing!) so I clicked on their website to check them out. It’s owned by a woman named Melissa (I like her already!) Watson and this is what the Urban Minx website says about her:

“Melissa met her sweetheart Shawn McFadden (an Oregonian), after a whirlwind romance they soon took flight from Sydney to Ashland, Oregon. Melissa loved the untamed natural beauty of Oregon but she noticed one flaw – there was no where fun and exciting to SHOP!!! She had to indulge in expensive trips to San Francisco, LA and New York to find the quality clothing and customer service she had grown accustomed to living in cities like London and Sydney and spending time in European cities, like Paris, Milan, Madrid and Rome. Melissa knew this was her opportunity to bring big city fashion to Oregon and this is what kicked her creative thoughts into gear – to open her own style of boutique. In 2005 all this dreaming and creativity culminated in UrbanMinx, a cute little shop in Ashland that focuses as much on having a good time as it does on providing the highest in fashion from all over the world. After much success Melissa opened her second store in Medford, Oregon, closely followed by her 3rd in Bend Oregon. After receiving requests from out of town customers that they would like to be able to shop online with UrbanMinx, Melissa decided to launch UrbanMinx.com and take the UrbanMinx essence and personality out onto the web!”

She sounds so awesome!  A Bend Fashionista! The website boasts a bevy of designers: 7 For All Mankind, BCBG, Charles David, Dolce Vita, Hale Bob, Juicy Couture, Michael Stars, True Religion…the list goes on and on! They even have a sale section that has designer duds on sale a quite reasonable prices. I’m just curious now as to what is on-hand in their store. I guess I’m gonna have to plan a trip!  I’ll let you know how it goes…

  

 

One of my co-workers admired my dress today and said, “I could have made that on my sewing machine!”.  My dress is knee length, white cotton with white cut-out flowers with a black border from another piece of fabric sewn to it. She said it would be a piece of cake to make it. It got me to thinking: should I learn to sew? 

I’ve always had design ideas in my head for all kinds of clothes, but I have just been too intimidated to try and make them. The only thing I’ve ever sewn is buttons that have popped off.  But I’m intrigued by the thought of wearing my own homemade designs–or even recreating a design that I can’t afford. 

We have a sewing machine at home (the hubby sewed some hunting gear) and it just needs repairing.  The co-worker said she could show me that basics and if I follow some patterns I would have it aced in no time. I’m a smart girl and a quick learner if what I’m learning interests me and I loooove clothes.

I should just do it!  What am I afraid of?  A lop-sided skirt or two the first few times I try?  Sewing is about skill, not talent, right?

For the seven years that I’ve lived in Bend, I have heard that the general style of those living here is “Bend Casual”.  This means that most people here dress in the sports gear look that is offered by Eddie Bauer, Patagonia, and Columbia.  While there is nothing wrong this style, I’m more a lady of Finder’s Keepers and Old Navy.  And I know there are more if you like me out there because I’ve seen you!  There’s plenty of ladies like me who prefer to dress in a ruffled top and heels just to meet your friends for coffee at the downtown Starbucks.  I believe there is nothing wrong with this at all.  The old saying, “All dressed up with nowhere to go” should be replaced with the saying, “So much fashion, so little time!”  Why not put on your favorite skirt when you head to the grocery store or slip on those strappy sandals instead of those tired flip-flips to pick up your prescription? Why should all the nice, beautiful clothing pieces and accessories sit in your closet wating for that special occasion, when you can make every occasion if you choose? 

Challenge yourself to look your best, no matter what your plans for the day.  You’ll be amazed at what it will do for your confidence and self-esteem!