merry christmas to anyone who is reading this blog

it's christmas eve eve and i'm in a state of perma-anxiety. i can't wait to open presents, spend quality time with family and friends and relax. i watched home alone, home alone 2: lost in new york, love actually, the family stone and scrooged (and that was just in the last 24 hours--pathetic). a christmas story is on for a day straight and you better believe i'll dvr it and watch it five times before the new year. even though i like the look of snow, i'm getting sick of it--particularly driving in it, but what are you going to do? nothing but enjoy this time of the year. it'll be over before you know it. before it comes to a screeching halt, i can only keep my fingers crossed that santa brings me the cc skye power ring i asked for months ago:

i love huge rings. i can't get enough of them and this one screams "wear me with your new silk ruffle front top on new years eve."

while we're on the subject of accessories, i've been obsessed lately. with everything accessory-related. i think i have spring clothes on the mind now because i can't get enough gold and turquoise like these pendants: and this one:i've always loved turquoise and the gold adds a bohemian richness to it. i've had my eye on this sharkstooth necklace for awhile, and finally caved. merry christmas danielle:

yep, so being snowed in the last couple days hasn't helped with my online shopping addiction. and the fact that i'm cutting up and not using my credit cards in 2009 has forced me to go crazy getting those last couple purchases in pre-cut up. oops. you never know what will happen come spring. i needed a couple of basics. like these looser-fitting tshirts. merry christmas danielle:
who doesn't need a double layer low v-neck t shirt for spring? my turquoise necklaces will look fabulous with it! i needed a black t shirt too. so i opted for the celeb-fave kain brand pocket tee:

and what outfit wouldn't be complete without my key layering piece: the cardigan? i read good things about this brand, goddis, and had to have one. merry christmas danielle:

and why not throw this seven for all mankind ruffle cami into the spring mix too? (i did.) merry christmas danielle:

so, needless to say, i will have a very merry christmas, anticipating my spring wardrobe. and i'm going to have to be thrifty come 2009 sans credit cards. but for the time being, i don't feel an ounce of guilt making these purchases. i'm just doing my part stimulating the economy.

merry christmas everyone! before i go, get carrie underwood's style for less at fred.

Knock It Off

get the dress here: http://www.fredboutique.com/product_info.php?cPath=3_28&products_id=905

holiday spirit

christmas is a mere 10 days away and i'm in full-on holiday mode now. i've gone to a couple holiday parties, i'm meeting friends for some pre-christmas drinks this week and i'm planning outfits for christmas and new years. even though it's 5 degrees out today, i'm feeling good. fred is having their holiday party this thursday from 5-10pm in store. it is also our wine/martini night, well, i guess i should call it our non-wine/martini night now since we're off the sauce in store...but we are still having some great guests at our party. and the first 50 people to make a purchase receive a swag bag with a lot of great stuff in it, including a discount card to use on their purchase that day. and one lucky winner will have their entire purchase paid for by fred.

speaking of holiday parties, we just took part in an advertising agency's holiday party which was a ton of fun. BVK had us do all the women's clothes for their show which was held at moct. flaire provided the men's clothes. they were a fun group of people and we had a great time! check out the pics from the fashion show:

http://www.bvk.com/review/internal/showOnly-Gallery/

i also want to share an email i received from a fred customer that i helped before a trip she just took to vegas. tammie is a great fred customer and i love helping her pick out clothes. check this out:

"Hi Danielle!

I came into Fred's to shop for a dress that would be perfect for a Vegas trip I was heading out on for Halloween weekend. Thanks for your help that morning as I rushed in to shop hours before my flight was leaving for Vegas, lol. I got so many compliments when I wore it out - I LOVE YOUR STORE!

Attached is a photo from Vegas with the dress I bought from Fred's - I got a lot of compliments when I was wearing it!

I was also at your Black Friday sale the day after Thanksgiving, that was awesome! 40% off was an offer I couldn't miss out on! Thanks for having such a great sale!

Hope you have a great Christmas!

Tammie Figlinski"

she looks like a celeb! especially with that backdrop!

well i hope everyone is trying to get a little bit into christmas. i love that it's fairly acceptable to get a little more dressed up than normal this time of year. while i'm typically a jeans kinda girl, i love that i can wear my gold skirt, or a chiffon top and some glittery eyeshadow and people won't ask me "what's the occasion?". it's the holiday season...time to break out the extra sparkle, chiffon ruffles, strapless dresses, velvet cigarette pants, whatever it is that makes you feel special this time of the year. check out our holiday party on thursday in store at fred or keep checking out fredboutique.com --we add new items weekly!

And this week, in honor of the holiday dressing up spirit, I knocked off the chick from house (olivia wilde) and her one-shoulder dress look. happy holidays!

Knock It Off

both the dress and clutch are available in-store only.

Shopping and mimosas...

well i was on the cover of the journal sentinel last week "illegally" serving a mimosa to a customer. some lady in wauwatosa complained about wine being served in a tosa boutique and suddenly it is a major news story. see attached link:

http://www.jsonline.com/business/35350294.html

are you kidding me? is there really nothing better to report? the media keeps pushing the recession and the flailing economy down our throats, yet does a sneaky undercover story on us serving mimosas and doughnut holes on black friday as a way to lure customers in. no, we were not told the full scope of the article beforehand. i was under the impression it was more on how busy fred was in the horrid economy. anyway, my point is, who cares? we give customers one tiny cup of wine or a tiny mimosa. we don't do it to lure them in with the intent to get everyone trashed and spend money foolishly, but rather to relax with a couple sips of wine and enjoy their shopping experience. every store in LA i went to did this, and i guess milwaukeeans aren't ready for this here even though there is a bar on every corner in this town. well it doesn't matter, because that one booze nazi in tosa has ruined this miniscule perk that we had...now we have the threat of a 10,000 fine over our heads. i just think the whole thing is a joke. enough of my rant, time to talk shopping!

well, i finished my christmas shopping yesterday! i did a big amount of it online, but had to get some gifts at a mall. i went to woodfield mall in illinois...mostly because i was invited to a private shopping event at nordstrom (my happy place). anyway, i forgot how insane malls get this time of year. the people seemed crabby everywhere. tensions mounted in the parking lot, fast walkers pushed by me in the mall walkways, people looked panicked, irritated and flat out unhappy. i wish i could pass on my happy shopping gene to everyone. i actually feel calmer the second i enter a shopping venue. be it a mall, boutique, online store..i am anxiety-free and filled with an eerie sense of calm. i do think mall shopping can be way more stressful than small boutique shopping, which is why i prefer boutiques..especially ones that hand me a glass of wine upon entering..hahaha.

oh, i know i'm jumping all over the place here, but for those of you who inquired about my new sweater, here is a picture. ok, the first picture is the original sweater i fell in love with. the $400 sweater i wanted by the brand haute hippie. (love the name! ) but come on now, can i really justify that price? no. so, the night my camel cardigan crashed and burned, i found the pic of the second cardigan online and ordered one for myself. that's me on thanksgiving in my new favorite sweater. i look weird, but the sweater looks good i think.

so, i found a sweater i loved for WAY less. i love that feeling. which is why i love my knock it off section too. i can always copy styles of the celebs at fred for so much less. if you haven't been to our online store, check it out. here's a link to my section, "danielle's faves" where each week i update my favorite items in the store:

http://www.fredboutique.com/index.php?cPath=3_23

i'll leave you with my latest edition of knock it off. get miley cyrus' holiday look at fred for a fraction of the cost!

Knock It Off

Statement necklaces and cami available in store only. Find the skirt online here: http://www.fredboutique.com/product_info.php?cPath=3_27&products_id=898