Category Archives: Shopping

Having an Attitude of Gratitude (or What I’m Thankful For)

Posted on November 8, 2012 | Comments Off on Having an Attitude of Gratitude (or What I’m Thankful For)

On Facebook and twitter this month, people are posting one thing every day that they are grateful or thankful for. As much as I would love to put something online every day for 30 days, it’s already the 8th and I’ve never remembered to do it until after the day was over.

So instead, here’s a bunch of things that I’m grateful/thankful for in one lump post.

I’m grateful to have such an amazing family. We have 4 generations on my mom’s side and I’ll get to see almost everyone at Thanksgiving this year (this picture is from last year).

I’m grateful for having such amazing friends who love me no matter what size I am. And they are all so supportive of me in all of my endeavors.

I’m thankful that I’m able to do these things.

I’m thankful that my meals don’t look like this anymore.

I’m super thankful that I can find shoes that don’t hurt my body (these are from Easy Spirit).

I’m thankful that I’ve been able to share a passion project of mine with the world.

I’m so grateful that I have amazing agents who literally have stuck with me thick and thin and get me fun auditions and jobs (this was a PSA I did last year).

And I’m unbelievably grateful and thankful that I live somewhere so beautiful and can enjoy moments in life like this.

What are you thankful and grateful for?

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Default ThumbnailWhat I’m Thankful For (or Happy Thanksgiving!) Default ThumbnailHappy Thanksgiving (or My Top 10 Things That I Am Thankful For) Default Thumbnail#140Characters (or How To See The Documentary That I Produced) Default ThumbnailSpeedy Shoes (or Props To Zappos For Saving My Workout) Default ThumbnailBeing Excited Too Early (or The Ups And Downs of Acting) Default ThumbnailGetting More Serious (or I Think I Need New Shoes Before Doing Another 5K)

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Posted in Acting, Celebrations, Food, Fun Stuff, Shopping

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Throwaway Clothes (or Why I Hate Shopping Sometimes)

Posted on November 2, 2012 | 2 comments

Shopping and I have a love-hate relationship. Sometimes is great and I find amazing things. When something is cute, affordable, and fits my day is made.

I have a lot of clothes that I call throwaway clothes. These are things that are cheap and may or may not survive a year’s worth of washings. A lot of these come from Old Navy (not to trash talk their clothes, but they seem to pill or get holes a lot easier than nice stuff). When I find something I like, I normally get it in a ton of colors. Right now, I’m in love with their Tamis (it’s a hybrid tank top and camisole). I have 4 so far, and I’m probably going to get at least 2 or 3 more in different colors.

One thing that I try not to buy as throwaway clothes are jeans. I know that everyone has a hard time finding cute jeans, but I have a hard time finding jeans that don’t need to be altered so much that it doubles the cost. I have to find both plus size and petite jeans, which don’t seem to exist too often. I have to get the petite ones not only due to the length (I’m only 5’3″), but because the waists aren’t as high. For some reason, a lot of designers feel that plus sized women want the waist of their jeans to be a few inches above their belly button. No thank you.

When I find jeans that fit, I will also buy more than one. I had 2 pairs of my current jeans. But this week, one pair got a hole in it in a spot that is too tough to repair. So I went online to see if I can order another pair, but now they only make the jeans in regular plus size, not petite. I almost screamed at my computer screen when I saw that.

I’m going to go to the store in person this weekend (it’s right by Old Navy so I’m already going that way), and I’m going to hope that they happen to have my pants there. Otherwise, I have to start the search for new jeans again.

Wish me luck!

UPDATE: Went to the store to find my jeans, and they had them!! And not only did they have them, they also now have them in a darker wash. So I bought a couple of pairs! Yay!

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Default ThumbnailPlus Sized Workouts (or Are Clothing Companies Trying To Keep Me Heavy?) Default ThumbnailThis Weekend’s Shopping Adventure (or Still Trying to Find Some More Cute Dresses) Default ThumbnailWorkout Clothes Addict (or Didn’t I Used To Complain About Workout Clothes?) Default ThumbnailMore Cute Workout Clothes (or Why Can’t More Companies Be Like Old Navy?) Default ThumbnailShopping Adventure Results (or Why Do Things Have to Be Backordered?!?) Default ThumbnailJust Because I’m Not Skinny Doesn’t Mean I Don’t Want To Look Cute (or More Shopping Drama)

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Posted in Shopping

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Dealing with Living Social (or I Thought I Bought a Good Deal)

Posted on September 10, 2012 | 3 comments

As someone who is trying to bring down their credit card debit, I love good deals! But I still enjoy fun things in my life. I try to do spa stuff during Spa Week (which is coming up in mid-October). I look out for sales on clothes and shoes. And I love Living Social deals!

Or at least I did love those deals.

About 3 weeks ago, I bought a deal for 6 laser hair removal treatments for $99. It was at a place in Beverly Hills and the reviews on Yelp were all 4 and 5 stars. I was excited because this would be a great way to see if I could handle the pain of laser hair removal and would want to do it on other parts of my body.

I finally got through to someone on the phone this past Saturday. He was extremely rude on the phone to me. No greeting when he answered the phone. And as soon as I said I had a Living Social deal, all he said was “we can’t see you until October”. I said that was fine as long as I could use all 6 of my treatments (the deal had a promotional value expiration date of December 17th). The guy said that they would only let me use treatments until December 17th, therefore I would only be able to get 1 or 2 of my 6 treatments done.

I think that this is crap. I pretty much said that to the guy on the phone, who claimed to be the manager. If you are too busy to see me for over a month, you should let me complete all my treatments as long as I start them before the expiration date.

So on Sunday, I called Living Social. I explained the situation and said I wanted a refund. They weren’t able to offer me a refund, but they did credit the amount I paid to my account. And then the guy on the phone told me that they were having a lot of complaints about this vendor not honoring the deal they offered.

I’m glad I got my money credited to my account. Even if the laser hair removal place apologized to me, I wouldn’t want them to have my money. I’m a little sad because I was excited to try laser hair removal. I guess I’ll have to wait until another good deal comes along.

Oh, and all those 4 and 5 star reviews on Yelp? I think they are fake. Now when you look, it’s a lot of 1 and 2 star reviews (including my 1 star review on how they treated me).

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Default ThumbnailAria V Wine Shop (or Another Living Social Win!) Default ThumbnailPamper Me Fabulous (or At Least The View Was Pretty) Default ThumbnailBirthday Beauty Discounts (or Making My Birthday Last The Entire Month) Default ThumbnailKeeping Life Exciting (or Making Sure Tomorrow is Different Than Yesterday) Default ThumbnailBusting Out Of My Comfort Zone (or I Bought Skinny Jeans) Default Thumbnail“Let’s Make A Deal” Round Two (or Maybe Game Shows Don’t Love Me Anymore)

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Posted in Saving, Shopping

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Planning Way Too Far Ahead (or I Want It Now)

Posted on August 28, 2012 | 1 comment

I have a bad habit of thinking a million steps ahead. If I have a big audition, I’m already thinking how amazing the paycheck will be and how long I could survive on it. When I’m trying to lose weight, I don’t focus one pound at a time (as I should), I get overwhelmed by the number of pounds I want to lose.

I also plan very far ahead when it comes to events. I was good and waited until this month to buy a dress for my friend’s wedding in October. But I also bought stuff on that trip to wear at Thanksgiving and a holiday party I know I’ll be attending.

My brother is getting married in a little over a year. I was texting with his fiancée last night and she said that they are planning on getting married in Kauai. I’m pretty excited about that because I haven’t been to Hawaii since I was 11 or 12.

So of course, last night I was already looking at what dresses would work for a Hawaiian wedding (definitely not the dress I got for my friend’s wedding). But styles could change in the next year.

I could change in the next year.

I’ve never really had a stable weight. I’m always going up or down. I never know what size I’ll be in the future. So planning ahead is tough.

I’d love to lose a majority of my excess weight by their wedding (I know that it’s totally possible). But whenever I have set a weight loss goal for a major event, I’ve failed. And that failure makes me feel horrible about myself.

So right now, I’m enjoying “window shopping” online for dresses. And I’m trying to focus on the small goals with my weight. I’m trying to look at the non-scale victories, because those seem easier to control.

Hopefully, those little victories that have nothing to do with the scale will increase my confidence and decrease the number on the scale, even if I’m not looking or focusing on it.

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Default ThumbnailEnjoying The Now (or Not Trying To Skip Ahead To The Good Parts) Default Thumbnail52 Weeks (or What Can I Do in a Year?) Default ThumbnailHow Long Can I Wait? (or Wanting To Shop At The Last Minute) Default ThumbnailA Free Weekday (or Planning Ahead For Fun Things) Default ThumbnailBaby Steps (or Trying To Be Proud Of The Little Victories) Default ThumbnailGetting Weighed In (or A New Orangetheory Challenge)

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Posted in Shopping, Weight Loss

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Shopping Adventure Results (or Why Do Things Have to Be Backordered?!?)

Posted on August 20, 2012 | 5 comments

On Saturday after I was done with work, I made the drive down to Anaheim to go to Kiyonna. Since everything was 20% off, I was planning on buying a bunch of things.

When I get to the store, I’m ushered upstairs where the boutique is (it’s almost like a personal shopper experience there). I tried on a ton of stuff, and while things fit, they didn’t necessarily fit right. Beside being plus sized, I’m short. For some reason, that’s an unheard of combination in fashion. If you are big, you are also tall. But not me.

So a bunch of dresses looked ridiculous on me. But at least I was able to try stuff on. And since Saturday was the only day that things were 20% off, a lot of stuff was backordered.

I walked away with one dress.

 

Not exactly sure what I will wear it to, but it was under $100 and it can be altered pretty easily if I lose weight, so I got it. When I showed it to a friend last night, she agreed that it would be perfect to wear to The Magic Castle if we get another invite soon.

I also put in pre-orders for some backordered items.

I got this dress for my friend’s wedding in October.

 

I love how this dress is styled in this picture. I’m hoping to find some cute and comfortable colored heels for the wedding (my friend has told me that there will be a lot of dancing and to come prepared).

I also pre-ordered this top. It was backordered in black, and it will also be coming in teal soon, so I ordered both colors.

 

I figured that that is a pretty great top for a lot of events. I might even wear it for Thanksgiving.

Even though most of the items I wanted were not in store, I still got everything 20% off, so the financial damage wasn’t too bad.

Now I’m just antsy waiting for my backordered items to arrive!

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Default ThumbnailRenting A Dress (or Testing Out Gwynnie Bee) Default ThumbnailPlanning Way Too Far Ahead (or I Want It Now) Default ThumbnailThrowaway Clothes (or Why I Hate Shopping Sometimes) Default ThumbnailThis Weekend’s Shopping Adventure (or Still Trying to Find Some More Cute Dresses) Default ThumbnailAnother Adventure In Bra Shopping (or I’m Glad I Took Another Chance) Default ThumbnailNo Shopping September (or At Least No Online Shopping)

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Posted in Fun Stuff, Shopping

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This Weekend’s Shopping Adventure (or Still Trying to Find Some More Cute Dresses)

Posted on August 17, 2012 | 2 comments

I’ve previously posted about how tough it can be to shop when you don’t fit into a “standard” size. I’ve got a few more events coming up in the future where I need some nice clothes, and I don’t have anything that would be weather/event appropriate. The event I’m most excited about is in October when my friends Marie and Chris are getting married! I’m traveling to Houston for that, and I want a fun dress to wear to their fun wedding.

On Saturday, Kiyonna is having their Sweet 16 Shopping Event. Everything is 20% off if you go shop at their boutique above their distribution center in Anaheim. Of course, I RSVPed for that event and I’ll be doing a bunch of shopping tomorrow. I’ve bought clothes full price at the store before and I’m excited to save some money this time!

I’m grateful that I’ve found a few stores where I can feel relatively confident that even if I won’t find what I’m looking for, I’ll find clothes that I can try on and that fit. That’s pretty important.

I hate the feeling of going in a dressing room with my arms full of clothes that I can’t wait to try on only to find out that not a single thing fits. Normally after that happens, I don’t even want to continue shopping, I just leave the store feeling defeated.

But I know on Saturday that I’ll be able to find clothes that fit. And I’ve been looking online and have found several dresses and tops that I’m super excited to try on. I’ll have to report back on Monday to let you know what I got (and what the damage is to my credit card).

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Default ThumbnailRenting A Dress (or Testing Out Gwynnie Bee) Default ThumbnailWedding Dress Outing (or Helping A Friend Find The Perfect Dress) Default ThumbnailShopping Adventure Results (or Why Do Things Have to Be Backordered?!?) Default ThumbnailJust Because I’m Not Skinny Doesn’t Mean I Don’t Want To Look Cute (or More Shopping Drama) Default ThumbnailAnother Adventure In Bra Shopping (or I’m Glad I Took Another Chance) Default ThumbnailMaking My Friend Try On Wedding Dresses (or I’m So Glad She Found The Perfect Dress!)

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Posted in Fun Stuff, Shopping

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Losing Weight The Techie Way (or My FitBit Fail)

Posted on August 3, 2012 | 1 comment

I like techie things. I love my computer, I might love my iPhone too much (I sleep with it next to me), and my brother just got me an AppleTV for my birthday. Ok, so maybe I don’t just like techie things, I love them.

So when I heard about the FitBit, it sounded awesome. It counts your steps, it keeps track of how active you are, and it’s so tiny, that even I can clip it on my bra without it being seen.

So I bought one yesterday, and it’s been nothing but trouble. Sorry to any FitBit people who read this, but it’s true.

It took me 2 hours to get it set up. For some reason, the dock would not recognize the device. And it’s never been able to sync. I try to force sync it, and nothing happens. I’ve done everything in the troubleshooting to fix it, but it still doesn’t work. And their customer service is only available by email, no phone calls or online chats.

I decided even with all those fails, I’d still try it today. Maybe I got a defective device and then I’d exchange it instead of returning it.

Nope.

When I rode my bike (inside on a stationary bike), somehow the FitBit thought that I had walked over 7,000 steps. Maybe you can’t wear it when you are working out? Seems weird. It still won’t sync. And the iPhone app only works if you can get the device to sync.

The only positive it had was that I could use MyFitnessPal to track food. But honestly, that’s not enough to want to keep it.

So I’ll be taking it back to the store tomorrow. If any of you have techie weight loss/workout things you love, please let me know. I love competing against myself and others and a plain pedometer just isn’t enough (plus, since I ride my bike as my main workout, the pedometer doesn’t register it).

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Default ThumbnailExcellent Customer Service (or A New Fitbit) Default ThumbnailSeeing What Other People See (or Losing Weight Without Losing Weight) Default ThumbnailI Really Am Doing Everything Right (or It’s Frustrating Not Losing Weight) Default ThumbnailLosing Some Weight (or Confused If This Is Good) Default ThumbnailGiving Fitbit Another Chance (or Doing Laps Around My Living Room) Default ThumbnailIt’s Not Really A Transformation Challenge Fail (or Trying To Be Less Competitive With Myself)

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Posted in Fitness, Shopping, Weight Loss

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Creating My Bombshell House (or I’m Glad I’m Mom Is Great At Decorating)

Posted on August 2, 2012 | Comments Off on Creating My Bombshell House (or I’m Glad I’m Mom Is Great At Decorating)

One of the things necessary for feeling like a bombshell is having a great home. It doesn’t have the be a big house (I live in a 400 square foot bungalow), but it needs to be comfortable and feel like home.

When I moved into my current place, I was going from a 1600 square foot 2 bedroom apartment that I shared with roommates to my little house where I live alone. Clearly, not all of my things would make the move. I ended up selling a lot of stuff on craigslist and making a bunch of stops at Goodwill with donations.

When I finally moved into my new place, it didn’t feel like home. It seemed cold and not friendly at all.

Enter my mom.

My mom kicks ass at decorating. She’s done an awesome job on the house I grew up in (although she’s had help in organizing the study and her closet from me). And as soon as my mom saw my house, she knew exactly what I needed.

She got me some artwork (cheaply at Bed Bath and Beyond) and a new area rug. And since I’ve moved in 2.5 years ago, my mom continues to help me make my house feel like a home.

One of my favorite things that my mom has given to me for my house is my photo collage on canvas.

I helped by picking out some of my favorite pictures and choosing the colors, but my mom made it look awesome. I have it above my desk, and since my house is so small, I can see it from most places in my house.

I think that when you have things you love and that make you smile in your house, it makes it a home. And part of being a bombshell is being comfortable where you are.

I’m glad my home is one place that I feel awesome.

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Posted in Shopping

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Gift Shopping (or For Me, It’s That Time of the Year)

Posted on July 31, 2012 | Comments Off on Gift Shopping (or For Me, It’s That Time of the Year)

I love buying gifts for people. I love getting big gifts like birthday or engagement ones, and I love buying little things like a bottle of wine for a friend who invited me over for dinner.

Maybe I’m selfish, but I love seeing how happy I can make people with a gift I give them.

This time of the year, there are a lot of family events. In a 3 day period, there is my parents’ anniversary, my cousin’s birthday, my cousin’s girlfriend’s birthday, and my birthday. And that’s not counting my birthday twins birthday or my acting coach’s birthday which happen then too. That’s a lot of gifts.

I’ve also got a dear friend of mine getting married this fall (her bridal shower was this past weekend), and my brother proposed to his girlfriend recently too. Again, that’s a lot of gifts.

So what is someone supposed to do when they are trying to save money to pay off debit but still wants to make everyone happy with gifts? I got creative.

For my friend getting married and my brother’s fiancee, I wanted to get them something cute but something that is more personal. I found these really nice personalized blue garters. They weren’t too expensive, personalization was free, and both of the recipients of the gift loved them (it helped them with their something blue too).

I can’t say what I’m getting my parents for their anniversary because my mom reads this blog. But I can say that my brother and I are teaming up for the gift so we can get them something really nice, but it won’t cost too much for each of us.

One of the most important things I’ve learned about giving gifts is sometimes it really is the smallest gesture that counts. That’s why, for every family and friend celebration, I seek out the perfect card. For my cousin and his girlfriend’s birthdays coming up, I don’t get them gifts (we don’t really do that in my family), but I do spend a lot of time picking out the perfect card for each of them. It’s nice to get something in the mail other than a bill.

So this week before I go to work, I’m off looking for the perfect cards for everyone (and carrying stamps in my purse so I can mail them all off in time).

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Posted in Celebrations, Shopping

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Shoes! (or The Most Fabulous Items in My Wardrobe)

Posted on July 25, 2012 | Comments Off on Shoes! (or The Most Fabulous Items in My Wardrobe)

I love shoes! I don’t know many girls who don’t (although my friend Emily might love them more than most).

One of the best things about shoes is no matter what size you are, your shoes will almost always fit. So those are the one fancy item I can have in my closet like everyone else.

But I do still try to get my shoes on the cheap. I love websites like Zappos because they have a nice selection and good deals. But there’s something about going to a shoe store and seeing all the shoes lined up and waiting to be taken home (I know, I make it sound like puppies waiting to be adopted). As much as I would love to have an unlimited budget for shoes, that isn’t my reality (yet).

Near me in LA, I love Off Broadway Shoes and DSW. Those seem to have the nicest selections with the best deals. And I love that whenever you shop at Off Broadway, at the bottom of your receipt, there is a coupon for 10% of what you just spent to use the next time you go.

I realize that writing an entire blog post dedicated to shoes might show how obsessed I am, but that’s ok. I think every girl, no matter what size she happens to be, needs to have a category of clothing or accessories that makes them happy all the time. And for me, that’s my collection of shoes.

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Posted in Shopping

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