Bargain Hunting at Desert Hills Premium Outlet

Took the luxury of a day off and the President's Day sale to do some bargain hunting at the outlets in Cabazon. It's about an hour and a half drive, but who cares because that's the only outlet with an All Saints store! I've been on the hunt for a good leather jacket, because my faux leather one finally ripped, I left it in my car on a hot day and it... melted?

First of all, Desert Hills is doing some major construction work! The East wing that used to have the parking spaces in the center is now gone. They are building more shops there. Not sure why, as I've noticed some shops have closed down. Even All Saints moved to the West wing already... It's important to do your homework or check the store map before you walk around the whole East wing only to find out that your store has moved to the West. I walked past Tory Burch and there was a line to get in. Not sure if they are just short staffed and wanted to control traffic or they are doing it on purpose to lure people in... The usual lines at Coach disappeared, I guess people has finally moved on!

Anyways, back to what I bought. I didn't go in too many stores, just the ones with things I already had in mind of getting - Converse, All Saints, AX, and Armani.
1. Converse - I got some Made for Chucks only socks!!!! These socks are the best and they truly don't show around the ankles. These came in a pack of 6 in blue, grey, and white for $11. So cheap!!! Not sure why the 6 pack of whites costs $2 more??

2. All Saints - Everything in store had an additional 20% off. I got a grey/light grey tshirt dress with one side of the hem shorter, so it creates a drape from the hip. I think it's the left side... Overall, it's a cute drapey top/dress for. I also got a leather jacket! There weren't a lot of choices, especially black ones. So I settled for a dark brown and I'm happy for now. It was at a great price too! I think, in the end, it was about $150. I really like the quality of All Saints clothes and shoes. I have a few pairs of their leather heels and this is my first leather jacket from them. Not really sure why I need a real leather jacket... winter is not even that cold here and it's almost over :P I just found online that they are selling this exact same style in BLACK online. It's the  Belvedere Jacket. I'm more into the biker style... like this one Cargo Leather. I'm still on the look out for one, not one compares to the faux leather one I got from TJ Maxx a few years ago! Even though it wasn't real leather, it was a great fit and style.

3. Popped into Giorgio Armani because I saw online they were having 70% off all shoes. 70% off!! I remember they once had a 90% off shoe sale. That was heaven! This year, I was so lucky to spot a pair of sandal heels on clearance, so that's more than 70% off! It's so pretty in grey suede and leather. Probably 4 inches tall and very comfy for a skinny heel. A total bargain from the original $750 price tag, I got these for ~$90!!! I love buying things that are (way) past season but still look great in your wardrobe!

That's all from this trip. Pretty satisfied, hopefully next time I head out there, the construction will be done.

Bargain Hunting = Hunter - Romilly

We are in a drought here in California, why on earth did I just buy a pair of Hunters you may be thinking. Ah ha, these are Hunter flats - Romilly, not the heavy duty rainboots. Still... I know the chance of wearing these plastic flats are close to none. But they were on sale at Nordstrom Rack! 60% off! They were only $30 and in such a pretty coral color (Flame)!!! Oh, how I wish it would just rain now.

I have a pair of Crocs rainboots that I've worn once in the rain and a few times cleaning the shower, so when I saw these shiny jelly flats, I knew that if it was to just drizzle ever so slightly, these would be perfect instead of pulling on some big old black rainboots. 

They have a range of colors - yellow, neon yellow, baby blue, grey, and this orangey "flame". I picked flame because it's like a bright coral color that adds a nice touch with any color jeans. These feel comfy, very flat, but they do make a low squeaky sound when you walk... kinda like air being puffed out of ... something plasticky... you get the idea? It doesn't bother me so much. Plus, these are light to carry for traveling. 

I'm not sure if these are everyday flats or just rain flats. Obviously no one would want to wear flats when it's raining. I'm sure if it were to pour, my feet would be soaked through. Maybe these are beach flats? garden flats? Oh, the possibilities! For now, I'll stick with occasion flats, after-rain flats, and sun-shower flats! See, so many uses, I knew these were a bargain!

My first Hunter... flats. 

Clarins "The Essentials" Eye Palette

Christmas is almost here!!! I've been shopping for presents and got myself a new eye shadow palette. This collector's edition eye palette is by Clarins - The Essentials, aptly named as it contains ten beige, taupe, and brown shadows to contour and highlight eyes.

The palette is $45 for ten shadows. Very gorgeous copper, gold, and browns colors. It's very similar to the Naked 2 and 3 by UD but less shimmer/glitter. It's more like velvet, satin, and soft shimmer. Two of the ten shades are matte which make nice bases.

The packaging, I think, is sturdy but since it's made of thick cardboard and a elastic strap, I'm not sure how many trips it will survive. I prefer the Naked 2 tin style. But then again, Clarins is being environmental friendly...

I purchased this on Nordstrom.com and they have a GWP (still going on) when you purchase two items (one skincare). So, I got the hand cream (back ordered, so I won't get it till later in Dec).

 Three free beauty samples - I love how they are individually packaged

 GWP from Clarins

 Very generous samples! I wasn't expecting this at all

Body Lift cream and Body Oil

 Outer packaging of the palette

Backside of the box 

Outside of Palette  

 Comes with a clear plastic card numbered as a guide

 The ten shades and bamboo brush

 Shades 1,2,3,4,5,6

Shades 4,5,6,7,8,9,10

D&G Time Anchor Watch (DG0509) Black

I've been eyeing the D&G 0509 Anchor Watch in black leather forever!! I'm sure this is a way past season watch! But, it really reminds me of my cousin's Mont Blanc watch. Which is probably something I won't be able to afford in the near future! So, D&G it is! Thank you babe for getting this for my birthday.

I received the package today and immediately unboxed it. The lid is made of  thick white cardboard but the black box is actually made of a thin cardboard. So thin that it's floppy and easily squished. I was surprised by the choice of material they used. I've only had DKNY watches before and they all came in beautiful heavy card boxes or plastic cases. So, this D&G box seems rather cheap and I honestly thought it could be a fake. Anyways, there's an instructional booklet and a warranty note with the D&G hologram. The watch is kept on a velvet foam holder and in a faux leather pouch.

Let me get to the watch itself. The straps are black leather with a D&G engraved silver buckle. The face of the watch is mainly black and stainless steel with mineral crystals at each hour. There's also a unidirectional bezel. It's also 50 meters water resistance, but I'm not sure who would want to dive 50 meters with a leather watch?!

Overall, I love how it's a little masculine but also very smart looking for females!

What do you think?

Housewarming Present Idea

For Jessica's housewarming, I put together a little creative gift with baking tools. First, I wanted to look for a really cool cookie jar. I really liked this white cookie jar that says Cookies on it from Target, but the top is not removable, making it difficult to work with. So, I had to return it. I looked online and found a round glass jar with a top lid at Walmart. I decided to use this one even though the lid doesn't provide a airtight seal.

Inside the jar, I placed pink crinkle paper and I filled it with Kitchen Aid's spatula, measuring spoons, and whisk. I also went to the Disney Store and picked up Mickey's over gloves and cookie cutter set. I used clear cellophane to wrap the jar into a big bouquet and added a big purple bow for the finishing touch.

This is a fun housewarming gift for a friend who loves to bake or eat cookies! You can pretty much fill a jar with anything you like! Maybe even your homemade baked goods, candy, coffee, or kitchen tools. It just makes it fun to unwrap and dig out the contents.

Overall, this took about half and hour to assemble and topped off with a card. Quick and simple!

Bistro West, Carlsbad

Ok, so this has got to be the worst restaurant experience for me ever. I visited Bistro West last year in April after a day at legoland. I had a great scallop and wild mushroom pasta. Since it's almost a two hour drive, I haven't been back till last Friday. My friend was visiting from SF and had seen my photo from last year, so I decided to take her to the restaurant before we head down to San Diego.

So, we drove the almost two hour drive to bistro west. Eagerly, we sat down and I perused the menu for the pasta. It wasn't there. I saw papadelle with scallops and mushrooms and thought that must've been the dish I ordered. So decided on the large portion of papadelle and a Pear and Gorgonzola pizza for three people.

The pizza came first. It was fantastic!! Caramelized pear slices with prosciutto and spring mix on top of a crispy pizza base. The cheese was just the perfect amount too. I was getting excited for the pasta! But, Everything started to go down hill when the pasta dish arrived.

The large portion was more like a lunch size portion at the Cheesecake Factory. I realized it wasn't the same dish I ordered last year. But, we decided to eat it anyways. My friend took the first bite and her face fell. She said I should try it. Um, yah the he forgot to season this pasta! Bland as a piece of cardboard! We told our waitress marissa who explained how most dishes here are underseasoned and we are welcome to use salt and pepper. At least she took the dish back. I showed her the picture of the pasta I had last year and she went to show her manager who came by and announced coolly that it's been discontinued. Um I seriously drove two hours for that !!

We decided to get the vodka cream pasta instead. Let me cut to the chase, pasta was not al dente it wasn't even cooked. I couldn't twirl it around my fork, it was more like wire.

Again, we informed marissa and she said that we should just save room for dessert. She took the pasta away. We picked two desserts - trio chocolate and creme brûlée. They were Devine. Almost worth making the drive.

Going to end this post here with a word of advice. Visit this place if you are around legoland and try their desserts. I'm not a fan of how they have small and large pasta plates since the large is not particularly plentiful.

*side note. Marissa was kind and accommodating as a waitress but if I was her, I would've brought out dessert on the house or maybe free coffee.

Katana-ya, San Francisco

Katana-ya is a tiny japanese ramen/sushi restaurant located very close to the Union Square in San Francisco. During our SF trip, we stumbled upon this place while looking for dinner around 9pm. As we were quite hungry, we decided to just wait for a table instead of mindlessly walking around town. The wait was about half and hour for three since the tables were more suitable twos or fours. In fact, I think the whole restaurant only had about eight small tables plus a small bar area? It was just quite crowded.

On to the food, we had already decided what to order while we waited, so the food came quite quickly. We ordered gyoza, takoyaki, sunset roll, agedeshi tofu, regular ramen set with salmon sushi. I really enjoyed everything. Gyozas' filling were plump and juicy with a crispy touch. The size of takoyakis were also commendable - about the size of a golf ball with good amount of octopus. The agedashi tofu was good also, but nothing too spectacular. I really like the ramen broth, it was flavorful and not too salty. The ramen noodle was thicker than what I usually get in L.A but I like it because it feels like there's more to chew on? Not sure how to explain it but it's like how I prefer spaghetti over angel hair... Their sushi were also very fresh and yummy.

Aside from the tight space, the food is definitely good. I would rank it 8/10 for good food and price.