Last-Minute Local Christmas Gift Guide!

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psst… It’s almost here! Have you bought all your Christmas gifts yet? Unless you are lucky enough to live in one of the 16 cities where Amazon can deliver presents in a day, you’re almost out of time to get your shopping done!

If you’ve waited until the last moment, or are struggling to find the perfect unique gift for someone in your life, here’s my TOP 10 LIST for items you can run out quickly and snag around the Treasure Valley area.

10. BEEF WHIP CANDLES

Beef Whip Candle Co. was recently started by a Boise husband & wife team, and these cleverly-titled candles have the most divine scents! If Fall Farted is our current family fave, and it makes a GREAT gift for that hard-to-buy-for person in your life. My little brother is getting one of these for his new apartment – shhhh it’s a secret! 😉 Beef Whip candles can be found at Mixed Greens on 9th, or Press & Pony on Idaho St..

9. SILK TOUCH MED SPA

I love Silk Touch Med Spa on Eagle Rd.! Right now they’re running a special for Christmas: Buy $200 in Gift Cards, and get a $50 Gift Card free! Also check out their 12 Days of Christmas specials on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/silktouchmedspa/. This is a great gift for the person in your life who’s been hinting they’d like a little pampering, or is wanting to nip & tuck a thing or two. 😉

8. COACH

COACH at Boise Towne Sqaure mall is having an unprecedented winter sale! A huge selection of their items are 40% off right now, from luxury handbags to jewelry, gloves, scarves, and travel accessories. They can also place orders for you from their amazing clothing & shoe selection online, and get it shipped to your house asap!

7. FOR THE GENTS: ROBERT COMSTOCK MEN’S STORE

Robert Comstock is the newest menswear store in the Treasure Valley. Loaded with luxury clothes, coats, leather goods, accessories, and even facial hair products, this posh shop in the Village at Meridian carries exclusive items found nowhere else in Idaho! Treat your guy to a soft-like-buttah leather jacket, or sign him up for a FREE styling session from some of the most skilled menswear personal stylists in the Treasure Valley. ~ This just in: The Robert Comstock store is having a STOREWIDE HALF-PRICE SALE until Dec. 24th! Mention code COMSTOCKHOLIDAY for 50% off your entire purchase in the store!!!

6. BODO SHOPS & GIFT CARDS

Downtown Boise is bursting at the seams with amazing locally-owned clothing & jewelry boutiques! Here’s my shortlist of where to get the lady in your life something beautiful, or a gift card so she can go fashion hunting herself…

If her style is classic, and she prefers higher-end brands: Try Fancy Pants, Piece Unique, American Clothing Gallery, Walla Walla Clothing Co., or the new Marla June for upscale & designer stuff.

If her style is trendy, eclectic, or bohemian: Check out SWANK, Ava Rae Boutique, Dragonfly, and Re-POP on State St.

If she loves locally-created & artisan things: Shop at Banana Ink, Wear Boise, Bricolage, Mixed Greens, and BeeWise Goods.

If she’s a fashion treasure hunter: She’ll love Serendipity Boutique, Lux Fashion Lounge, In Retrospect, and Atomic Treasures!

FOR THE KIDS: 5. CUDDLE BLANKETS

How darling are these little cuddle blankets? Though they are probably meant for wee ones, my 11-year old who likes soft & cute things said “Ooh, mommy, those are SO sweet! I want one!” They come as a set of two; big and small together like your precious baby and his/her favorite big person to hug! Spotted at Mixed Greens, a sweet little shop packed to the brim with unique & precious gifting treasures!

4. UNIGON SPECIALTIES JEWELRY

Personally, I’m super obsessed with huge, statement crystals & pendants right now! Local jewelry designer Denise Vasecka of Unigon Specialties has many of her beautiful handmade pieces for sale at Wholistic Beauty Boutique on State St., & 16th. While you’re there shopping, why not add a luxurious facial or massage to the gift? This beauty boutique is the only one of its kind in Boise; all products & services there are organic, or naturopathic, and completely natural! I love the naturopathic makeup & primer so much, I wrote a review about it not long ago – click here to check it out.

3. ROONEY MAE COUTURE GOWNS

The newest addition to Boise’s designer scene is Rooney Mae Couture, created and handmade by Meagan Jones. Her new shop in BODO is a one-stop gown-shopping paradise, as well as her design studio! Stop in and select your favorite color, design, and concept, and Meagan will create it for you in her signature luxurious fabrics & materials… But don’t let the posh appearance fool you; her gowns are so comfy, you almost feel like you’re in your favorite jammies! Check out the Rooney Mae Couture Facebook page for updates on her current schedule and awesome holiday GIFT CARD deals!!!

2. CAMILLE BECKMAN & CHATEAU LES FLEURS

This one is my favorite spot to bring out-of-town guests and family visiting for the holidays! The Camille Beckman gift shop in Eagle is HUGE and beautiful, stocked floor to rafters with gifts, jewelry, accessories, and of course the company’s world-famous luxury body products. After shopping, step next door to the incredible new Chateau des Fleurs, the Treasure Valley’s newest event center, only French chateau/castle, and home to the exquisite Le Coq d’Or gourmet French restaurant! It’s a one-of-a-kind dining experience you won’t soon forget. ❤

And now, drum roll… NUMBER 1. IT’S VEGAS, BABY!!!

If you’re looking for the biggest, baddest, BEST present this Christmas, give her the gift of ADVENTURE! The StyleSpyGirl team is taking a select group of women from the Boise area to LAS VEGAS FASHION WEEK February 17-21. This all-expenses-paid fashion getaway includes airfare, hotel accommodations, transportation, guided shopping tours, Vegas shows, exclusive runway fashion shows, and a dedicated photographer to catch every exciting moment for her to remember forever!

This trip has limited seating, and is booking NOW. Put down a deposit to secure a seat for the lucky lady in your life – all the details and pricing information are on our Vegas Getaway page: http://stylespygirl.com/join-the-las-vegas-fashion-week-ladies-travel-posse/

Don’t delay – seats are filling up, for this fashion & shopping all-girls getaway of a lifetime!

Merry Christmas my friends! May your holidays be filled with peace, love & laughter.

XOXO,
Tanya

Boise’s Newest Men’s Store: Robert Comstock

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Friday, April 10th, I had the honor of attending a fun Spring Celebration party at the Robert Comstock Boise Mens’ Store in the Village at Meridian. The event was catered by Kona Grill, so the food was of course a-MA-zing!!! Sushi, chicken, desserts, and more – they really went all-out, and every bite was exquisite! Local TV & music star Amos Watene aka., Mossi, entertained us with his neo-soulful blend of blues- rock, reggae, and folk music. If you haven’t heard of Mossi, you should check him out; he has been showcased in several of the nation’s premiere music venues, and has made national television appearances both musically and as an actor. In fact, Mossi is featured as one of Nick Jr’s most well known characters, “Brobee,” from the kids show Yo Gabba Gabba! Check out his website for video & audio clips here.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to shop in this cool new clothing store yet, you really need to go! Robert Comstock designs luxurious, high-quality fashions for men, that sell at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and other high-end department stores across the nation. Once a season passes for each line, Mr. Comstock sends the overstock from those stores here to Boise, to his Menswear store in the Village at Meridian, where he slashes the prices down 70-90% off! This store is a great resource for men looking to buy high-quality clothing – both professional and casual – at a major discount!!! There are some fantastic deals to be had in this store, and being in the Village makes it the perfect place to shop on the weekends, while you’re there seeing a movie or out on a dinner date.

THANK YOU to Kona Grill, Mossi, Robert Comstock Boise Men’s Store, and all the wonderful friends who came out to make this such a fun night!!! The Comstock store is located in the Village at Meridian, behind the children’s play structure, and next to Lululemon Athletica. Follow their Facebook page for great deals and fun future events: Robert Comstock Boise Men’s Apparel!
XOXO,
Tanya

Ammophotog and I appreciated the gluten-free options from Kona Grill! Thanks, Chef!!! 🙂

My friends Brian & Vicki Wiley found a ton of great deals – he scored $814 worth of clothing for $122!

My friend Wiley Smith fell in love with his new Robert Comstock jacket.
The leather is so soft, we kept saying, “It’s like buttah!” 😀

Shopping in Phoenix: Poor Little Rich Girl

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I had a short – but wonderful! – week in Phoenix, Arizona visiting my beloved Aunt, Uncle, and cousins, and helping my Aunt go through and organize all my recently-departed Grandmother’s belongings. I’ll share more about that in an upcoming post (and tell you about the vintage treasures that blew my mind!), but the purpose of this article is to share about my new favorite place in Phoenix to shop: Poor Little Rich Girl!

My cousin Tiffany raved about this shop, and she has excellent fashion taste, so of course I had to go check it out! It’s a resale/consignment shop, packed wall-to-wall with carefully curated fashion treasures and locally-made jewelry, housewares, and gifts. Fabulous!

Poor Little Rich Girl began seven years ago as a consignment store, but has recently moved to a cashout system, giving sellers the best bang for their buck. No matter what the item you’ve sold gets marked down to over time, you’ll receive the initial value up front on your precious treasures! This immediate-gratification system most likely explains why the store is so full of designer brands and current trends! I spotted Coach, Gucci, Michael Korrs, Betsey Johnson, Kate Spade, Diane von Furstenburg, and Tory Burch, just to name a few.

My daughter was with me, and we had a fun time shopping for treasures. She was particularly enamored with the huge necklace display; an old wire mattress frame, laden with jewelry she could walk through, running her fingers through all the pretty things hanging like branches of a magical willow tree! Very clever.

Poor Little Rich Girl has two locations, a few miles apart. We visited the one on E. Indian School, and had a blast! Be sure to check out their instagram feed here; not only is it inspiring from a fashion perspective, but you can shop directly from it, and have unique items sent to you! Instant gratification, indeed.

Happy Shopping!
XOXO,
Tanya

Poor Little Rich Girl is in Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Store Hours: Mon thru Sat 9:00am-7:30pm, Sun 10:00am-6:00pm
Website here, Facebook here, Instagram here.

Donald J. Pliner: the Man Behind the Epic Shoes

Continue reading “Donald J. Pliner: the Man Behind the Epic Shoes” →

Designer Spotlight: Bryce Black Part 2, the Interview

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first part of this article is HERE, where I traveled to Twin Falls with photographers & videographers Sunny Lynne, Edward Alexander, and J im Reidenbaugh to attend Project Runway star Bryce’s Black’s homecoming and special charity event fashion show!

Continue reading “Designer Spotlight: Bryce Black Part 2, the Interview” →

Fall/Winter 2010; Rock Whatchya Got!

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cold weather sets in, it’s time to stash away those sundresses and unfurl your sweaters. With so many fashion trends hitting the stores right now, planning one’s winter wardrobe can be a daunting task! But never fear, fashionista friends, it only takes a little precise planning to incorporate a few easy trends into what you already have in your closet!

To prove my point, I went digging through my own closet (and my college roommate’s as well, but more on that later!). I chose wardrobe items many gals already own, targeted four current trends, and figured out what ONE item I needed to amp-up each outfit. All the clothes you see here were either already in my closet, or graciously loaned by Piece Unique for the photoshoot.

Here are the results of my fashion experiment:

1. “Menswear” trend. Off to an easy start! Do you have jeans and a white t-shirt or blouse in your closet? It’s so simple to add one basic item to rock this look: a well-fitting jacket! If you’re a jeans-and-casual-shirt gal, try switching out your running shoes for a pair of heels or wedges, and pile on some posh-looking jewelry. Whatever your style, find a jacket that fits you well, particularly across the shoulders, the sleeve length, and your waistline. Look for a feminine, curvy cut, and avoid baggy, stiff, boxy styles; “menswear trend” or not, you don’t want to look like a football lineman, unless you are one! 😉

2. Military fashion. Be careful with this one; wearing actual camo pants is really not a fashion statement! This look is meant to be inspired by strength, assurance, and battle-ready toughness. For this trend, balance an essence of military with your own feminine charm! Keep it subdued, unless you plan to jump out of a helicopter and set up base camp. For this look, I grabbed my green skinny cargos, a black drapey (uber-feminine!) top, and strong-but-clean-cut black booties. I felt so tough & fierce in this outfit – can you tell? 😉 Other easy ways to tap into this trend include choosing a military-styled jacket, or boots adorned with straps & buckles. Black, grey, brown, navy, and khaki green are colors to target for this style.

3. Fur. If you’ve stepped foot in the mall, or opened a fashion magazine in the last month, you’ve probably seen tons of cozy fur on everything from gloves, to jackets, to scarves and shoes. Much of what you’ll find now is synthetic fur; designers have worked hard to make this beautiful material luxurious, morally acceptable, and budget-friendly. Fashion models are snatching up fur vests to throw on with t-shirts, dresses, etc.. They know it only takes a tiny bit of fur to convey luxury and edginess! The most important aspect of this trend is to highlight the fur by keeping the rest of your outfit totally subdued. Fur stands alone; don’t put it in competition with fancy jewelry, statement shoes, or anything else!

Detachable fur collars are a great way to spice up a coat or jacket. I’ve even seen socks with fur at the cuff; wear them with your favorite boots, and the boots will appear to have a fur cuff! Check out these adorable socks at Fireworks.

4. Feminine. When I saw the fashion spreads of Ralph Lauren’s new foray into vintage florals, I immediately thought of my favorite grunge dress in college. (Yes, I was “grunge” in college! Don’t laugh!) I texted my old roommate and asked if she still had “our dress,” the one we agreed to share because it looked so great (or so we thought!) on both of us! She still had it (thanks, Terina!). Slipping it on after all these years was an oddly nostalgic, and giggly, experience. 😉

I’m thinner than I used to be, so my first challenge was to make the dress fit in time for the photoshoot. The second challenge was to bring the look forward from the 90’s into 2010! I solved both problems with one simple solution: a huge belt! Back in “the day,” I would have worn this dress baggy, with a big sweater or plaid shirt thrown over the top, and scuffed-up Doc Marten boots at the bottom. To make the look more “now,” I cinched it in to highlight my waistline, and chose a lightweight, ruffled, feminine sweater and simple jewelry. Ralph Lauren is pairing his dresses with lace-up, vintage-styled boots, which I highly recommend. For this photoshoot, however, I just couldn’t help but pine for something “grungier.” I was so happy to find these burgundy Donald J Pliner boots at Piece Unique – aren’t they fun? And so very “me.” 🙂

As you face the new fall and winter trends, don’t be overwhelmed! There are many styles for every personality and body type. Look over your wardrobe, decide what trends appeal to you, and then work on incorporating a few key items into your wardrobe. Simple & inexpensive ways to update your style are with accessories: purses, necklaces, belts, gloves & hats are little things that add so much to an ensemble!

So dive into your closet, and see what you can remake for Fall & Winter 2010! FYI, fashion mags are predicting the “return of the floor-length skirt” for Spring 2011. Hmmm… time to call my college roommate again! ;-D

Special thanks to Piece Unique in downtown Boise for the fabulous loaner clothes, and to photographer Valerie Davenport for making everything look so gorgeous!! Check out her work at www.valeriedavenport.com!