My Favorite Christmas Gifts

So I already showed you my beauty gifts, the fashion items and miscellaneous gifts from Christmas. Now here are my favorites!

My good friend got me the Beauty Blender sponges kit! It comes with two sponges and a cleaner. I'm quite excited for these because supposedly they are the best things on the planet. I'll keep ya updated!

My sister and her husband got me two skull items: this ice cube tray and a skull candle handle holder (below). Isn't this ice cube tray so cute?! This tray is a little special because in October when Halloween supplies are out, I found this tray. I sent an e-mail to my family saying someone to get me this! However, it was sold out when my sister went to order it so she searched for another one. I appreciate her hard efforts :)

Day time

With a candle and no lights on

It was hard to get a good shot of this candle holder because it is clear. But trust me, it is badass! She said she got it from Z Gallerie. This is definitely my favorite my gift!

What was your favorite gift?

My William Rast For Target Shopping Haul

YEY! I'm finally back in NYC! Waiting for me when I got home was a Target bag. As a little Christmas present to myself I picked up a few items from the William Rast collection for Target. For those who don't know, William Rast is Justin Timberlake's fashion line with his best friend. There was a lot of hit and miss with this collection; however, since I'm such a sucker for studs a few items caught my eye:

I got this cream woven embellished tee for $29.99 (a little pricier than most Target items). It's 100% polyester but is very soft and dainty. It has a looser fit like the pink Ann Taylor Loft blouse I got for Christmas.

This black embellished skirt is a little long for my petite figure but I could probably pull it off as a high-waisted skirt. The skirt is 68% rayon, 28% nylon and 4% spandex so it hugs all your curves. It cost $34.99.

I really liked the tags and overall packaging

I also decided to just get some simple black skinnies. I needed them so why not?! They are just basic black skinny jeans that are 99% cotton and 1% elastane. They are comfortable and stretchy, but I don't like that the front pockets are fake (boo!). They were the most expensive thing I bought at $39.99, but that is still pretty cheap for jeans.

The tags were very sleek black with American flag stripes. It included a little note about the company. I liked the logo as well. Overall, I was quite pleased with the items I picked out.

Did you pick up anything from this collection?

Miscellaneous Christmas Gifts I Got

Continuing with sharing what I got for Christmas, here are what I would classify as "miscellaneous."

I got a few office supply items including this laptop case cover. It looks really big but my Mac book actually fits nicely in it. It's black and white, which is always a classic.

Then I got this mouse pad day calendar. I don't have a mouse so not sure how I will put it into use.

What it says on the back

These quirky sticky notes are from Pier 1. I have a slight addiction to post-its so these should hold me over. Plus, my new saying lately is "Oy vey" so it's pretty awesome that there is an "Oy" note set.

This soy candle is from Anthropologie. I'm not really a scented candle kind of gal, but this smells really good! I don't know if all the initials smell the same, my sister and I are both K.

As you can see I've already enjoyed some :)

See's candies are to die for! I'm a huge chocolate lover. I got a pound of peanut nougats which I'm going to try and not polish off before returning to New York tomorrow.

Up next... my favorite gifts! You'll have to wait until I'm back in NYC though :)

Leighton Meester Gets Wet For Allure Magazine

There will be a few ladies I will mention often on this blog, Leighton Meester is one of them. For the January 2011 issue of Allure she gets wet with Louis Vuitton.

I really like the 1930s vibe going on at this bar. A little "Boardwalk Empire" influence, perhaps?

You have to admit? She does look good wet. What do you think of this spread?

Images via Wetpaint

What I Might Wear To NYE

What I Might Wear To NYE by KimberleeVDW featuring velvet blazers

I haven't finalized my NYE plans yet, but if I go out this is what I might wear. The sequin tank top would be my navy one from Christmas, a black blazer to keep warm, black booties, jeggings, a clutch and of course a double finger ring.

What are you wearing?

My Fashion Christmas Gifts

I already showed you my beauty Christmas gifts, so now I thought I'd share my fashion items.

I've always been a fan of the Chanel quilted handbag look. I affectionately call this bag my "faux Chanel." The strap slides through the holes like a real Chanel would. It is a dark charcoal gray color. I know I'm trying to get a brown or navy bag, but this one is so cute! I picked it out at a boutique in California called Kaitlyn. I always have to make a visit there when I'm in California.

I went a little sequin crazy this year. I got this Target sequin tank in black and a cream color (they were sequins I used on my holiday nails!). Who isn't a fan of sequins? I really want to try to use these for a day look, not just evening.

I also got this sequin tank top from Ann Taylor Loft. I tried to get a shot of the pattern. I want to wear this shirt for New Year's Eve but if there is snow on the ground, I'm going to have to layer up!

I adore this Ann Taylor Loft sweater with sequin shoulders. It's soft and isn't too conservative for me. It makes a statement, which I'm always down for.

Continuing on the shiny theme, I got this Pier 1 scarf. It is WAY more shiny in person. It is pretty thin so I'm not sure exactly how I would wear it. I hardly wear scarves as 'decorative pieces.' Any suggestions?

Following in the metallic theme is this t-shirt from Kohl's. It has a gold metallic sheen to it and is very soft. It has a looser fit so it would go great with some jeggings.

Moving away from the shiny things we have this Ann Taylor Loft (again, I know!) blouse. I really liked this blouse because it has an exposed zipper in the back and a pocket in the front. It makes it less "girlie" to me. If something is pink, it has to have some edge to it in order for me to consider it.

Case in point, this Ramones shirt. This is more of Kim's typical style (read: tomboy). Now I can can be like my dad (lol!).

Moving into the warm category we have these wool leggings from Target. These are definitely going to be essential in the winter especially after the enormous blizzard that I missed *tear*!

This Anthropologie sweater is so precious! It's a sweater like material but in a blazer shape. Love! I just want to curl up in it.

As you may know (if you follow me on Twitter), I've been dying for a faux fur vest. Well "Santa" brought me two this year, both from Arden B surprisingly. This brown one is more of what I was looking for. However, it is a little tight on the chest area so I was thinking I may just end up belting it.

BUT this vest goes to show "Don't judge it until you try it on." As I've mentioned, I'm not a fan of pink. I thought this vest looked like an ugly shag carpet when I first opened it. Then I put it on. I actually love it! It has one clasp in the middle, which I like. The brown one has a few all up the front. It actually isn't that pink, it is more of a beige color (as you can see by the bathroom tile in the picture). It's a fun sweater that I would have never thought I would be a fan of. I don't care how many times my siblings make Chewbacca noises at me (lol!)... I like it!

The benefit of picking out 90% of your gifts- there are no bad Christmas gifts! What clothing/accessory items did you get for Christmas this year?

2010 Was The Year Of The Egos

The now infamous LeBron James ESPN interview

As the year comes to a close, it causes one to reflect. Looking back on 2010, what stood out to me were all the egos. Egos come stem from all walks of life. The athletic world, the political arena, late night TV and even in the beauty industry.

Where would 2010 be without LeBron James? Never has an athlete gone from being so beloved to being so hated in one year perhaps besides Michael Vick. His name just makes me want to roll my eyes. He is a talented kid, that is one positive thing I will say about him. His decision to take up an hour of ESPN's time to announce that he was leaving the Cavaliers for the Miami Heat was just pompous. The announcement could have made in a 5 minute press conference or even a tweet! I've said it before,  I'll say it again "just because you have a talent, doesn't mean you have to have an ego." I use him constantly as my example because quite frankly I think he's a great one: Peyton Manning. He is a gifted quarterback, he works hard even though he would still be great, yet you don't read scandalous things about him nor does he hog the lime light. Someone else I used to use as an example was Brett Favre. 2010 changed that...

Favre was a "professional" (yes in quotes) athlete that I once adored. Yes, he made himself the butt of jokes before 2010 by coming in and out of retirement. However, this year he topped even himself. Photos of his private parts that he supposedly sent to a reporter were leaked. First of, he was not that impressive and second- he's married. Not only is he married but his wife has breast cancer. I would consider sending SEVERAL photos of your private bits to a female (who is nearly twenty years younger) cheating. Cheating is definitely something someone with an ego does ESPECIALLY when you cheat on your wife WHO HAS CANCER (looking at you John Edwards)!

Moving onto the entertainment world now... Jay Leno. After giving his former Late Night talk show host job to Conan O'Brien, he quickly took it away. It was in really poor taste if you ask (and you did lol!). Yes, Jay can't fully be blamed because it was NBC's decision. However, Jay could have respectfully declined because he publicly shook Conan's hand and wished him well on the new job. I just feel to publicly say "here take my job and good luck" to someone who dreamed of it, was loyal to the NBC family over 20 years and to take it away from them all in 9 months is heartless. Where is your shame? Conan turned out okay from it all but I think it's because he stayed humble (read: no ego). I preferred Jay to David Letterman and never took him to be so cruel. It definitely showed the world how back stabbing show business can be. I only watch Conan's show on TBS now and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Otherwise, I can't stand late night television.

Lastly, we come to the beauty industry. Surprised? Me too! Jean-Paul Guerlain of the cosmetic company bearing his name uttered a racial slur. During an interview he said "he worked like a "n****r." Really? First of all, you're a cosmetic company executive so I doubt you even lift a finger. Secondly, who uses that kind of language anymore?! Rappers. He said it so casually to like it is still accepted terminology. That is an ego if I ever saw one. Come down from your golden throne and face reality. After many protests, he is no longer associated with the company. It just still boggles my mind when anyone still thinks such derogatory words are accepted by today's society.

Do you notice all these egos were men? Yeah... but anyways. What stands out about 2010 to you?

I Love The Retro Looks of Louis Vuitton's Cruise 2011 Catalogue

Anne Vyalitsyna is featured in Louis Vuitton’s cruise 2011 catalogue shot by Mark Segal. The theme for the collection was "road trip." I'm loving the retro glam looks!

I want that bag!

Making flats look chic!

See more at Unbiased Writer.

What do you think of this collection? Any favorite pieces?

My Beauty Christmas Gifts

I thought I'd share with you some items I got for Christmas. This post will be the beauty items:

Clinique's body butter is a winter must-have for me. My skin gets so dry and this stuff is SUPER thick. It's fabulous!

I also got this hand creme from Anthropologie. It's rose scented. I never tried it before so hopefully it can hold up in the New York winters.

I believe these nail files are from Pier 1. One side is bedazzled, which is fun but not very practical since you can't use it.

Then I got this little travel beauty tool kit. It comes in a mini-flip flop pouch (so cute!). I guess my family thinks I like animal print (lol!).

I also got two Sephora gift cards. I have to start making a list of what to buy. Any suggestions?

What beauty items did you get this Christmas?

Blogger Holiday Crush: Faboulista

This is a "Holiday Edition" of my blogger crush.  Mina of Faboulista wore this fabulous outfit which was a mix of H&M, vintage and Ebay! I wish I had an excuse to dress this awesome for the holidays.

She also wore an amazing turban when Christmas shopping.

What do you think of her style?