PopSugar Must Haves December 2013 Box Review

YAY!!! It's PopSugar time!! This box and $10/month Ipsy are my two FAVORITE subscription services out there!! If you are thinking of subscribing to a box and aren't sure where to start, I'd suggest you start with one of those two! 

PopSugar always sells out. Sign up now to hopefully get the January box! PopSugar is $40/month and gets a little cheaper with longer commitment. There is a RARE deal right now to save $30 off of a three month subscription - use code 3FOR2 to get three months for only $79.95! Or you can always use code REFER5 to save $5 on your first PopSugar box!

Now, on to December's Must Haves!! 

Here's first looks:

And the breakdown:

Ghiradelli Chocolates, $7 and CC Made Gourmet Corn, $4 - These little chocolates made their way into various Christmas gift bags! My kids are in love with the Peppermint bark! 

MIXT Wrapping Paper, $9 - This is the kind of fancy stuff that I love to give and receive but never seem to spend the money on. Happy to have it! 

Lashxtend Mascara, $20 - Always excited to try new mascaras! Always looking for one to convince me it's worth more than my beloved Maybelline versions! ;)

NCLA Nail Wraps, $16 - These are super cute and I totally meant to use them for Christmas and forgot... what happened to the holidays, anyway?? Blur... So, I'm thinking I'll use them for a University of Louisville event and just do some black "L's" or something over them!

Givino Go Anywhere Flutes, $13 - These are plastic and can be packed for drinks on the go. The girls and I were impressed with the little thumb grooves on the sides! Hey, it's the little things! LOL!

Lulu Frost for Popsugar bracelet, $100 - The opinions on this are mixed but I love it! I thought it was so cool to get a piece uniquely made for PopSugar and I like the art deco/salvage/vintage feel! 

I came up with a value of $169 for this box! Awesome!! I know that people have mixed feeling about the bracelet but I really love it so the box is a huge hit for me! PopSugar consistently gives me great value for my money and I can't wait to see what they send this month! Be sure to use code 3FOR2 to get three months for $79.95 or REFER5 for $5 off your first month if you sign up! 

PopSugar Special Edition Holiday Box 2013 Review

I was so excited to get this box from PopSugar! I had forgone spoilers and had no idea what was going to be included! This was a Limited Edition box that sold out quickly for $100. We loved the his and hers summer boxes and I had high hopes for this one!! 

Here's first looks:

And the breakdown:

Fatty Sundays Peppermint and Chocolate covered Pretzels,  $7 - Yep, these were basically inhaled upon opening. All gone. Apparently they were delicious! ;)

Graphic Image 2014 Leather Datebook,  $90 - I am thoroughly invested in the 2014 planner that I've already been working on! This one is so so so pretty though!! Wish I had gotten it sooner!

Winks Faux Lashes Compact, $28 - I have a sister in law who wears falsies every single day... I love the idea but have yet to find that magical set. Hopefully this is it!! 

TokyoMilk Body Souffle, $40 - This brand is new to me and I would have bought it based on container alone. This thing weighs a ton, seriously, it's like a brick! And the top twists off.... I spent some time trying to figure that one out.... LOL! The stuff smells fantastic and I'm always up for a rich body cream! My skin is sad, sad, sad right now! So dry and needy!! 

Erickson Beamon Cuff,  $99 (?) - Erickson Beamon pieces are sold in high end stores like Barneys and online at Shopbop. They can go for hundreds and even into the thousands. This "Rocks" line looks to be a less expensive offshoot, sold in places like Bergner's  and Belk's. I based my guess on the pieces I saw online. I love this hinged cuff and it's totally something I would have bought on a shopping trip! 

Lunares Cheese Paddle and Knife, $59 - It's weird that we don't have anything like this! I'm happy to have it! And the heavy little cheese cleaver is awesome and fun to hold! 

Cuyana Infinity Scarf, $65 - This is made of Peruvian alpaca fleece. Let me tell you, I bought TONS of alpaca scarves when we were in Peru. They were dirt cheap (seriously, like $2 or $3) and are amazing. Everyone got a scarf for Christmas that year!! I have an around the world shopping trip that I need to do some day and stopping in Peru for scarves is on that list!! 

I came up with a value of $388 for this box, which was a great deal for $100!! I really like the lotion and the bracelet and the family loved the pretzels! The other items will make great gifts or maybe a giveaway for the blog! ;) All in all very happy with this box! 

I'm assuming that the December PopSugar box is long gone but I figure you can still sign up for the January box here. Monthly boxes are $40 (or less with longer commitment) and you can use code REFER5 to get $5 off your first box. This is such a fun subscription and is hands down my favorite month after month! There's still time to ask for it for Christmas, too, which is what I would do if I hadn't paid for months in advance already!! 

Nina Garcia Quarterly Box November 2013 Review NGQ01

When Quarterly announced this box I jumped right on it! The box is $100 every three months and will contain items hand-selected by the fabulous Nina Garcia. Her comment on the curation: "Being in the forefront of fashion, I am constantly exposed to new and wonderful brands, products and places. I'm excited to share these magnificent finds with you." Sounds good to me! 

I couldn't wait to see what Nina chose for her inaugural box!! I had some issues with the billing and shipping but it finally arrived, safe and sound! 

Here's first looks:

Ooooooo!!! Looks fab!! 

And the breakdown!

December Marie Claire, $4 and an awesome multi-page letter from Nina! The theme of the box is "Glam Grunge."
 

Essie Polish in Shearling Darling, $8 - This reminds me of Chanel Vamp, which is a cult classic!

Pearl + Luxury Soap on a Rope, $6 - The entire box smelled wonderful due to this soap! It's made of crushed pearl and charcoal! Hubs will be all about it!!

Too Faced Lip Cream in So Berry Sexy, $21 - I've heard such wonderful reviews of these lip creams! My lips get so dry and sad in the winter, I'm got high hopes for this one!

Bauble Bar Leather Cuff, $35 - OMG! I LOVE Bauble Bar and this fab cuff was designed exclusively for Nina and this box! Perfect!! There is also a $15 unique coupon code for Bauble Bar that I'll be using to pick up something chunky and sparkly! Use code CYBER20 to save 20% on entire Bauble Bar site!

Adrienne Landau Faux Fur Stole, $50 - This perfect little scarf has velcro to hold it in place. It's plush and gorgeous and I'm always happy to have faux fur - no real fur for me! My girls are obsessed with it and think it's meant to be a head wrap/cold weather ear cover. I actually think it's super cute as that, too! LOL!

Jack Vartanian Studded Ear Cuff, $50 - Price is a guess based on other blogger's guesses! This is a one-of-a-kind piece and is a clip on style. Jack Vartanian jewelry pieces are super pricey, as in thousands of dollars. This is such a fun, high-end, exclusive piece!! Love.

VBeaute Anti Age Skin Care System, $100 - Just the packaging is to die for!! It's a shiny silver egg shaped compact packed in a super sturdy outer box. Excited to try this system!! 

The box contained $270+ of super glamourous and exclusive products. I absolutely LOVED this box. It is easily one of my favorite boxes ever, ever, ever. I can't WAIT to see what Nina chooses next!! 

Weekend Recap

Whew.... what a weekend. Lots of drama, lots of activity, and a nice relaxing Sunday! 

Friday was picture day at school and the girls were SO excited to wear non-uniform clothes. They both bounded out of bed and left the house in the BEST mood. Then.... they got to the bus stop just in time to watch a truck going 80 mph slam into their bus full of kids. OMG... so traumatic and horrible to watch, but thankfully the kids all seem fine. And I think the truck driver survived, which was nothing short of a miracle.

So sassy with their "civilian" clothes and flat-ironed hair!

So sweet and happy on the way out the door!

My view when I headed home after driving the girls to school

Ugh. SO scary. :(

Friday night was date night. We made a return trip to Hammerheads, which was even MORE fabulous than the original trip, and then we spent the night watching our Louisville Cardinals get their asses handed to them. Great.

Best mac and cheese balls evah

These truffle fries... seriously. Best fries of my life.

Teddy Bridgewater cooling off!

ESPN blocks our view, but they brought us a TV to watch the game on this time! LOL!

Saturday morning started early as we headed out of town for our first all stars dance competition of the year. Our 9 year old's team KILLED it. OMG, they were amazing. First place is a great way to start a new season!! 

Really??? I got my finger in the pic? Early morning.... But she's adorable! <3

And, suddenly, it was Sunday! We spent a few hours on party prep for our charity event coming up on Friday and then spent some time enjoying the beautiful day! 

Miss Boo Bitty has been happily rockin the hairbow this weekend! LOVE!! 

Enjoying the sunshine on a bench dropped off for our silent auction! :D

After quick showers, we stopped by a friend's Noonday party. Have you been to one of these??? It's all fair trade jewelry and accessories and was super cute. Here's what I ordered:

Stars Arm Warmers in Ash

Metallic Halo Hoops

And now it's Monday. FIVE DAYS until Fox Bash for The Smile Train! Eeeeeek!! I need about 10 personal assistants this week!! LOL!! Hope everyone has a happy Monday!! And be sure you're getting your daily entry in the PopSugar + Neiman Marcus box giveaway!! 

Los Angeles/Emmys Trip, Day One

Such a crazy whirlwind trip to LA last weekend for the 2013 Emmys!! We got to LA on Friday and checked into the fab Sofitel Hotel in Beverly Hills! Ahhh... OMG. This place was WONDERFUL. Lanvin toiletries? Check! Even the lobby has big thick plush carpets that hubs commented made him want to kick off his shoes and walk barefoot on! LOL! Our room was on the 9th floor and overlooked the super fun Beverly Center across the street! Drop the bags, it's time to shop! :D

Sculptural lobby!

We walked across the street and hit the stores! Sadly, so much of what was out was kind of in between seasons and truly uninspiring... until we strolled into Henri Bendel. They were hosting a trunk show for Canadian jewelry designer Alan Anderson and I was instantly in LOVE. Everything he was showing was huge and sparkly and over the top. When Liz Taylor's jewelry collection went on auction at Christie's a couple of years ago, even she had one of his bracelets! I tried on tons of things and decided to go with this gorgeous necklace made of all things sparkly and vintage jade Swarovski crystals. 

So fun that they were all up for putting on jewels and having a goofy photo shoot - the designer, too! 

The kids are big fans! ;)

I also picked up an AMAZING pair of MiH jeans at Kitson. OMG. Love. I've seen this brand around and in J.Crew catalogs but had never tried them on. Can't wait to wear them! 

Our hotel was just around the corner from Guy Hepner's art gallery, a place that we have shopped remotely several times but have never had the chance to visit in person! It was fun to check it out and we discovered a Mr. Brainwash gallery next door, which was also interesting! We have one of his pieces and hubs was impressed by his studio space in NYC a couple of years ago! 

After shopping, we headed down to the craziness of Hollywood Blvd. OMG, I love the energy of the crowds and the nutty people in costume and just the wildness of it all. Kind of like Times Square with a tan! LOL! 

We happened upon Iguana Vintage and, holy cow, I was blown away. I have shopped thrift/vintage since I was a kid and I've NEVER seen anything like this. It was immaculate and organized to a degree that only the truly Type A could appreciate! LOL! There were three floors and, honestly, I couldn't even focus on shopping, I was just obsessed with the ORGANIZATION. There was staff EVERYWHERE straightening and helping and generally keeping things perfect. It doesn't even SMELL like a thrift store in there! I talked to the owner about how often costumers start their search and wardrobe in there - ALL the time. OMG... I was fascinated and took a million pictures! 

We finished up the night with awesome burgers from Juicy Burger and headed back to our big cushy Beverly Hills bed to get a perfect night's sleep! Fun first day!! Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3 - including the Emmys and Governor's Ball recap!! :D

Why do veggie burgers always end up looking like this??? LOL