Why oldnavy.com, why???

I've always enjoyed current looks and trends, but living here has made shopping a different kind of companion than I used to know.

I used to spend hours on end at the Tucson Buffalo Exchanges with plenty of my own space, the luxury of trade, and a car to cart my loot.


Here in NYC I find myself overwhelmed as a shopper. Mostly by the quantity of other shoppers.

I worked in SoHo my first 2 years here and got to know that area well. I now work up near Union Square which is not as clothing-shoppercentric. But there is an Old Navy at 19th & 6th Ave that I used to frequent until I met my new friend oldnavy.com.


I look at oldnavy.com several times per day. It is a moody friend. I've learned that you have to act quickly with this one. There are dresses that show up on this site, literally, daily.

So, say I see 2 dresses on July 25, for example, and because I can't wait to buy them (because they'll be gone) I buy them. (There is a $7 flat shipping rate for all Gap Company online purchases (excluding piperlime.com, Gap Co.'s great shoe resource--theirs is free!!)) And then two more dresses show up on the site the next day--I have to order them separately--another $7 shipping charge. And no, they won't combine the orders because they are in different states of processing.

The other thing is, the stores get things that never hit the web and vice versa.

My obsession with oldnavy.com is unlike any healthy relationship I've had, (and very like an unhealthy relationship I've had) but man, they are cranking out some cute stuff. Generally dresses are under $35. I am absolutely enamored of the Women's Floral Shirt Dress for $29, (a great simple style with a graphic floral print) which should be showing up at my door...tomorrow! Just in time for our cocktail party. M. is making the Ramos Gin Fizz, aka the New Orleans Fizz. Yum.

The Nuxe big thing.

I happen to be extremely interested in moisturizing. Not that I have particularly dry skin. It's just, well, after a shower I feel the need to apply multiple products to my body, face, hair etc. You know what I mean.

It reminds me of my friend A., when she was wearing Angel by Thierry Mugler, who said she enjoyed sitting having drinks and being fragrant before dinner.

I buy low end: (Eucerin Calming Cream.) I buy high end: (Fresh: Milk Milk.)

While M. & I were in France after we got married, we had a small amount of money left (not sure how) and N. (my maid of honor) & I were dying to go to the French pharmacy. If you are a product junky, French pharmacies have got the goods. Seriously.

I came upon several brands I enjoy from my visits to Sephora at home, such as Caudalie and Rene Furterer (I bought M. a Furterer hair clay that he really likes) but I had never encountered Nuxe.

Nuxe Multi Usage Dry Oil (en Francais, Nuxe Huile Prodigiuese) is de-lightful. Perfect for summer when lotions melt off of you. You only need a few shakes and it gives your limbs that shine that's almost as good as a tan. It also works well on the cuticles of your toes and makes the polish extra shiny. Apparently you can use it on face, lips, hair and body, but I don't particularly like the taste on my lips.

If you happen to feel like a splurge, the bottle feels extra luxurious (it's glass) and a little mod ( the bottle is square with a white cap and white lettering) and looks extra extra cute on the bathroom shelf. You can find it on beautyhabit.com, $44 for the larger 100ml size (the 50ml size is $29 but on back order.)

My sandals...

There are a couple of things I've learned about myself recently, one is I do not like carrying more than one bag while commuting to work or jaunting around the city, as M. & I did this weekend.


The other is that comfortable shoes are key to the aforementioned jaunts and my work.

Here is where the multiple bag conundrum comes into play.

I am currently carrying my Louis Vuitton Medium Ellipse bag with the medium length (purchasable) strap. Not a large bag. I was carrying my vintage Gucci (little G's) large envelope style clutch which converts to a messenger style with a long thin strap. It makes me feel light as a feather. And I am, because I can only carry my phone, my "wallet" and my Gucci aviators on a good day. If I want to wear my Dior sunglasses, I either have to change bags or leave the case at home. Anyone who knows me knows the case doesn't stay at home for our sunglasses.

The issue is, if I want to carry a small bag which I am trending toward (after carrying my Foley + Corrina canvas City Tote ad nauseam) I have to wear the same shoes to commute in that I wear while at work. Once, while walking to work, I put a gouge in the heel of my silver Napa Prada flats that makes me want to weep every time I look at it.

Not to mention the healthy lunch I want to bring (salad from the salad bar in our fridge that M. installs on Sundays.) I just don't want to carry shoes and lunch on the bus and then on the walk to the train and then on the train. I need my hands free to balance on that Q train!

This brings me to the subject of this (my first) posting: My sandals...which are lemon yellow patent leather Saltwater Sandals by Hoy. These babies will change your life; at least during the summer. They are waterproof (it's been pretty rainy, and I dipped them into the Mediterranean while in France) and get more comfortable when you get them wet. But...here's the best part! They're $32.95 on mysaltwatersandals.com. I originally bought them in navy blue back in May and found them so comfy that I wanted another pair. I also bought a pair for my mom, as she bought several pairs for me as a child at Stride Rite. I had to return the favor.