The CUBE $50 Giveaway

Kelly is back at it! That is, the one and only Kelly of the OMG Shoes phenomenon. I was introduced to Kelly about two years ago by my former boss, Elana. If you haven't seen any of her videos, you should check them out.

For some laughs right now, watch her latest video on behalf of The CUBE, "What R U Guys Talking About?" below:

As you can see from above, this time around Kelly has teamed up with The CUBE and created a video about the awesome boutique. The CUBE is a division of Marshalls geared toward younger women and has the hottest clothing and accessories. The items are so stylish that I am jealous of the person who wins the giveaway I am hosting!

Maxi dresses, bohemian-inspired tunics, tie-dye prints and gladiator sandals are among the current clothing obsessions that the CUBE carries. They get new shipments every week, so the selections at your local Marshalls is huge!

Here's how the contest works: Check out The CUBE and leave me a comment describing which outfits online you like the best. Or, just tell me what you need for your summer wardrobe this year. I will randomly select a winner and that lucky person will receive a $50 gift card to The CUBE at Marshalls to buy whatever they desire.

What are you waiting for? Enter now! The contest will end on Monday, June 1 with a winner announced on Tuesday, June 2. Good luck!

Unfortunately, because Marshalls is only in the U.S., this contest is only open to U.S. residents =(

Fedora it Up Baby!

I love Tilly's! I can always find something there, not even exaggerating. Whether it be clothing, shoes, or accessories, they've got it all. I have been wanting a new fedora, so logically I turned to the Tilly's Web site. 

Check out all of these hats that I found for under $20 each. They are from brands like Hurley, Fox, and Peter Grimm.

I think my favorite is the third one. It's got the whole reggae vibe -- perfect for my summer concert line up! I also really like the last one, but I think it's more of a Fall/Winter look, although I'd totally wear it now.

Are you into fedoras? Or female hats in general?

Photos courtesy of: Tilly's

New York & Company Finds

I am not a New York & Company kinda gal, mainly because I don't need to dress up for work. I also tend to think that the clothing is more for older women.  However, I recently popped into the store and was pleasantly surprised with their collections. Plus, they were having a great sale, so that was even more reason to put down the credit card and buy some items.

Here's the shirt that I bought:

City Stretch Print Drawstring Sleeveless Tunic - $29.95

NY&Co.'s latest trend is Fierce Prints...lovable for sure! Not only does my shirt fall into that category, but so do these fabulous finds:

City Style Animal Print Belt - Reg. $19.95 Sale $13.96 

City Style Leopard Print Tunic  - $39.95

Urban Jungle Print Wristlet - $14.95

Urban Jungle Wedge Slide Sandals - Reg. $26.95 Sale $18.86

I also got a beautiful, amethyst stone necklace that was on sale for $7! I couldn't find a picture though =(

So what do you think of the collection?

Photos courtesy of: New York & Company

Warm Weather Means Water-Inspired Jewelry

When the weather gets warm, I am often drawn to nautical themed clothing and jewelry. My location of choice to find these types of accessories: American Eagle. The store just reminds me of an East Coast fishing town. Upon visit the store this weekend, I came across some sailor style pieces including the following:

AE Nautical Necklace - $15.50

AE Marine Life Necklace - $15.50

They also have amazing sand dollar earrings and a matching necklace, that I almost bought. Unfortunately, they are no longer on the AE site. They may very well be in your local shop, though. Here are the earrings:

If you like these pieces, you'll probably adore the giveaway that is being hosted by Nautical by Nature. She's currently having a contest that can snag you one of the beautiful bracelets below:

Photos courtesy of: American Eagle and Nautical by Nature

Look Good and Do Good

I am neurotic, and I am the first to admit it. I worry about everything. One of the main things is wasting water. I can't help but feel bad that water is being wasted while there are so many people across the world that don't have access to clean drinking water. It seems so unfair...

So when I heard about Saks' new project, a partnership with charity: water, I was thrilled! Right now when you visit Saks and purchase a special T-shit and/or a bracelet made by Wet Cement, proceeds will provide clean water to those who are in desperate need of it. 

Consider this: when you purchase a $40 Wet Cement T-shirt, $35 will go to charity: water providing seven people with clean water for five years. If you buy a bracelet for $10, 100% goes to the cause. That's pretty amazing.

If any of you are big spenders, there is also an opportunity to sponsor an entire well for $5,000. It is a hefty price but will benefit a community of 250 people for 20 years! 

Just think of the simple things that we take for granted -- clean water for drinking, cooking, and basic sanitation. It's usually not even a thought for most of us. But what would we do if we didn't have access to something so essential, but often taken for granted, as water?

charity: water was founded in August 2006 and since the beginning they have used 100% of their proceeds to provide clean water to countries in need including India, Africa, and Central America. And if you think the organization sounds familiar, you're probably right. Remember Hugh Jackman's Twitter contest from about a month ago? One of the two charities he chose to donate $50,000 to was charity: water.

To learn more about the success of charity:water, check out Twestival. And to purchase items (designed for men and women) and give back to those in need, visit the Saks online store.

Photos courtesy of: Saks

Day Trip: Anacapa, Channel Islands

Yesterday I took a much needed mini-vacation. A friend and I headed up to Anacapa, part of the Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California. I had always heard that the Channel Islands were beautiful, but never knew just how amazing until yesterday. For those of you who are familiar with SoCal, or may want to visit the island(s) yourself, here is some info.

We drove to Oxnard where we took an Island Packers round trip boat ride. It was just under $50, a reasonable price. It takes about an hour to get to the island, but we had a pretty rough ride so it may have taken us a bit longer. Thank goodness I don't get seasick, but many people were affected by the choppy water caused by wind and bad weather.

Once we landed on the island, we took a guided hike to see the sights. Anacapa is very small, only 1.5 miles with no buildings aside from a few that park rangers use. There are no shops, restaurants, or bathrooms that most of us are accustomed to today. In other words, it's a deserted island ;)

Western gulls are the main inhabitants of the island. In fact, Anacapa is the largest breeding colony of these birds in the world. It was a bit scary to see thousands of birds, especially because they screech when you get near them as they are nesting right now. You'll see below that we got to see some of the eggs.

Here are some of the pics that we snapped during the adventure:

On the way to Anacapa we had the pleasure of seeing dolphins. There were quite a few of them that were enjoying being playful with our boat. They were swimming all around us and jumping out of the water. It was awesome to see a mom and its calf frolicking next to us just feet away. It's not the steadiest of videos, but here is some footage of the stunning creatures:

If you get a chance to visit Anacapa, do! Has anyone else been here, or to any of the Channel Islands?

Photos courtesy of: Our cameras and Island Packers