If you are in Des Moines, Iowa…

I was in Des Moines, Iowa  for a week with my family and went to a very trendy and fun neighborhood called the East Village. Full of fun and trendy shops, two in particular I loved called Velvet Coat and Aimee.  I purchased a great pair of jeans  at Aimee by Red Engine and a really fun dress from a French ready to wear designer Dehry.  Had a great time, added to my wardrobe and got my eyes open about how great downtown DesMoines, Iowa could be.

Get out there

If you haven’t been out to see the new and beautiful spring fashions and colors that are everywhere right now, you must and soon.  Whether it be JCrew, Nordstrom, Target, Old Navy, you name it, there is something for everyone and in every price range.  Bright camisoles, t shirts and tops ranging from $8 (Old Navy) to $98 (Nordstrom).  Don’t want to be too trendy?   Buy one “wow” piece like a ruffly sweater and make everything else a basic.   Nordstrom has their short sleeve Caslon brand in Individualist right now, 2/$35.  Great colors and the perfect length.  I wash mine in cold and then line dry for a continuous perfect fit.

Opal at South Lake Union

I drive by Whole Foods in the South Lake Union neighborhood at least 4 times a week.  Generally I do my shopping at other locations but branching out one evening I wandered into the parking lot and “discovered” Opal (2121 Terry Ave, suite 100).  This boutique is great fun and full of color for spring.  The staff who identified herself as the manager was super friendly and there were 10 things I put my hands on that I really loved.  They have jeans of course, J Brand and True Religion to name  a few, but what I really loved were all the great t shirts and dresses that just made me smile.  It felt like a comfortable boutique to shop in with clothes for real people.

Get a Sports Bra Fitting

I always recommend having a bra fitting for regular bras but I’ve never had one (until this week) when purchasing a sports bra.  I went to Title IX and thought I’d just walk in and grab one and leave.  I walked in and headed to the sport bra section when one of the sales associates offered to send over Karen (who I believe is the manager) for a fitting.  She proceeded to talk to me about fit, chafing and the look I wanted to achieve.  I’m training for a half marathon so all of these things are important to me and she knew her line of sports bras front to back. If you need a new sports bra or have never had a fitting for one, I recommend you make a trip to Title IX by Greenlake for a professional fit.

The perfect workout coat

Right before Christmas I started searching for the perfect outdoor jacket that I could workout in and still look good.  The jacket that would be long enough in the body and the sleeve but would work on a variety of people.   Look no further than Eddie Bauer and the Serrano jacket from the First Ascent line.  It is amazing!  Thumb holes in the sleeves, filled with Prima loft.  NOT bulky and “sausage like”.  It’s compact enough to pack for a trip (and by the way you could wear it while shopping for the day, it looks that good!) but also keeps you warm even when it’s wet.  I LOVE this coat.  For $169 you can’t beat it!

Vemayca Bags at Ella Mon

Thursday, December 17  from 6-9 pm  there is an evening event at Ella Mon in Ballard.  It’s a Men’s Night event, but the exciting thing in my book is that Veronica Mayo will be there with her new Vemayca bags.   Veronica’s bags can be used for a variety of things.  I use mine for  cosmetics but also for what I call “bag transferring” which is when I change bags but want to make sure all of my stuff follows me to the new bag.  Make sure you stop by to meet Veronica in person and enjoy the beautiful holiday event at Ella Mon

Exercising and Looking Good

I have been on the hunt lately for the perfect outdoor workout clothes.  I much prefer to exercise outdoors even when it’s rainy or cold.  For me, it’s just better to be outdoors as much as possible.

I believe  that you should look good (which means having great fitting workout wear) when you exercise.  After all, we are exercising for a reason, either mental or physical health or both.  And when you look good, you feel good so quality workout wear matters.

Some of the sites I enjoy are Lululemon for great yoga, running and relaxing gear.  Lucy for the same ( it seems to fit some better than Lululemon) and is often slightly less expensive.  I love Brooks for Women for high quality running gear that will wick away from you skin and keep you dry and warm.  Athleta has great looks that work well for working out and lounging.  I love looks that do double duty!  REI always has a great selection as well.  Never rule out Fred Meyer, TJ Maxx or Marshall’s for last season’s looks that are still current but maybe just a different color or a slightly different style.

When you are working out you should look good doing it.  And if you aren’t keeping warm and dry, that’s a problem.  Get yourself some great work out wear and then get out there and get some of this beautiful and rare Autumn Seattle sun!

Endless shoes…

If you haven’t checked out Endless shoes.com you should.  Great prices.  Fun looks.  Rivals Zappos anyday!