What’s In Gigi’s Consignment Closet

American Bazaar

 

Style Co.

 

Guess Starlet Skinny Jeans

 

Joe’s Jeans Honey Fit Jeans

 

 
7FAMK Flynt Jeans

What’s Christmas Without Cookies?

I love Christmas. Gathering with my family, watching my child’s eyes light up when she sees the present from “Santa”, watching football, and cookies. Growing up, my favorite memory of the holidays was waking up each morning to the smells of nutmeg, cinnamon, and all things sugary sweet as my mama did her holiday baking. Baklava, kiflis, chocolate covered pretzels, snicker doodles, and more covered every available surface as my mama rolled, mixed, sprinkled, and packages all before Christmas Day. She always made twice as much because I and my brother managed to sneak more then a few bites of each tempting treat.

I was scouring the internet looking for some Christmas cookie recipes to share with my family and came across a few that are begging me to make them.

Christmas Mice Cookies-recipe

 

Snowballs-recipe

 

Chocolate Reindeer Cookies-recipe

 

Peppermint Puff Pastry Sticks-recipe

 

Triple-Chocolate Peppermint Treats-recipe

 

And here are my all time favorite cookies in the world…

Kifli-recipe

Tempting Tuesday-Holiday gifts for those who have it all

Not sure what to give the ones who have it all? Here are a few suggestions that will have even the most picky on your gift list squuueeeeeing for joy.

 

Kontextür Viktor Eighteen-Karat-Gold Toothbrush and Razor Holder

 

Hermès Steeple Bag

 

Jonathan Saunders Soho Diary

 

iRobot Roomba 760

 

 

 

Nars Nagauta Kabuki Brush Set

 

Jimmy Choo iPad Glitter Case

5 things for Monday

1. Three Woman Warriors Win The Nobel Peace Prize

The 2011 Nobel Peace Prize was presented to three activists and political leaders on Saturday for “their nonviolent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights” as peacemakers. The awards were presented to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, 73; her compatriot Leymah Gbowee, 39, a social worker and a peace activist; and Tawakkol Karman, a Yemeni journalist and a political activist who, at 32, is the youngest Peace Prize laureate and the first Arab woman to receive the award.

In a statement announcing the award winners on Oct. 7, the Nobel committee said it hoped the prize would “help to bring an end to the suppression of women that still occurs in many countries.”

 

 

2. Why Romance Novels Are Dangerous

A fabulous video that explains the danger of romance novels.

 

 

3. Orange You Glad the Color for 2012 Is Tangerine?

Pantone has spoken and the new hot color for 2012 is Tangerine Tango.
Quoted as being an electric orange red that is  warm, uplifting, and energizing, and it happens to look great with almost every skin tone. Fashion designers have already incorporated the color into their 2012 Spring lines.

 
  H&M Cocktail Dress-$49              J Crew Mona Patent Pumps-$218

 

4. Fergie Gave Me A Sad

Never mind she wears some god awful clothing-the fact she willing went out in public wearing a dress she couldn’t zip close makes me very sad for her.

 

5. Whew! The Penguins Are Nekkid Again

The penguins that were lovingly clothed in sweaters to prevent them from preening toxins off their feathers following an oil spill near New Zealand are running around nekkid once again. Good Morning America shouwed a video of the more than 300 affected penguins being released back into the wild, now wearing microchips. Each had to pass a "check-up and six hour swim test to show they're regaining their natural water-proofing."

Awwww. You can watch the video here.

Saturday Stimulation What do H&M and Stieg Larsson have in common?

Not much.

When Stieg Larsson passed away in 2004, he left three unpublished manuscripts that became the bestselling trilogy- The Millennium series. These were all published posthumously, the first one being The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, in 2008. Described as “a spellbinding amalgam of murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue”, the entire trilogy took Europe and then the world by storm. 

Now, the movie-The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo-also promises to be a similar hit. Releasing 12/11/2011, this noir suspense thriller staring  the VERY yummy Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara also shows signs of being a similar success. Take a look at the trailer below.

 

 

Now, here is where the H&M part comes to play. Bet you all thought I was losing it there for a minute. ;)

H&M decided to get in on the hype and will be debuting the official “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” collection on December 14. Designed by Trish Summerville, here is a sneak peek at the collection. 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m totally in love with the burgundy leather jacket,  the asymmetrical sweater, and the black hooded sweater coat. Santa, if your reading this, I LIKES!

Eight books every fashionista is asking Santa for this year

American Fashion By Charles Scheips $70

From the glamour of '30s Hollywood to the quirky '70s cool of Annie Hall, this CFDA-commissioned book is a treasure trove of American fashion inspiration.

 

Deborah Turbeville: The Fashion Pictures By Deborah Turbeville $85
This stunning compilation is the first to showcase the internationally acclaimed Mademoiselle editor-turned-fashion photographer Deborah Turbeville’s work all in one place.

 

Christian Louboutin By Christian Louboutin  $95
With never-before-seen archival images, new photography, and fun pop-ups, the book also features a not-to-be-missed catalog of every Louboutin shoe ever designed.

 

Fashion: 150 Years of Couturiers, Designers, Labels By Charlotte Seeling  $60
An authoritative, all-encompassing encyclopedia for the fashion disciple. From Charles Frederick Worth in the 1860s to the avant-garde designers of today.

 

Dior Couture By Ingrid Sischy and Patrick Demarchelier  $115
This hard-cover features over 150 fantastical couture pieces — from dresses to jackets — spanning the entire era of the house of Dior.

 

The Impossible Collection of Fashion By Valerie Steele  $650
Valerie Steele's latest book is the ultimate fashion fantasy. Steele has hand-selected 100 of the most iconic dresses of the last century and offers them up alongside quotes from some of fashion's favorite insiders. Beautifully packaged in a linen clamshell case.

 

Ralph Lauren By Ralph Lauren $50 
Offering an in-depth pictorial history via personal photos, famed ad campaigns, and iconic magazine imagery of the global fashion mogul.

 

Harper's Bazaar: Greatest Hits By Glenda Bailey  $65
Take a trip through the long-running glossy's latest decade in this visual compendium, filled with over 300 Bailey-commissioned images.

What’s Coming To Gigi’s Consignment Closet

It’s a shoe-na-copia in my closet today. Come see what I have in store for your footies.

 

Nine West Black Vegan Patent Leather Cork Wedge Sandals 7.5M

 

 

 

 

 
New Nine Brown West Mock Croc Tweed Ankle Strap Sandals 6M

 

 

 

Gianni Bini Gray Leather Stitched Ankle Strap Pumps 6M

 

 

 

 

New Joey O Red Vegan Maryjane Platform Peeptoe Pumps 7.5M

Stimulation Saturday-Ways to give during the holiday season

If your anything like me, you pretty much buy what you want during the year and by the time the holidays roll around, you really don’t need anything. Or, you have friends and relatives who are the same way; there is really nothing they need or want.

I decided this year that I would be giving donations as gifts and asking people in my family to do the same. Except for T. T don’t get off that easy. LOL

I did some research and found some non for profit organizations that really use what they are given to help the world one person at a time.

 

Kiva

Kiva is a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world. As the money is paid back, you are able to keep loaning the money.

 

Operation Smile

Since 1982, Operation Smile — through the help of dedicated medical volunteers — has provided more than 2 million patient evaluations and over 200,000 free surgeries for children and young adults born with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities.

 

Locks Of Love

Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 21 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. Most of the children helped by Locks of Love have lost their hair due to a medical condition called alopecia areata, which has no known cause or cure. The prostheses help to restore their self-esteem and their confidence, enabling them to face the world and their peers.

 

Housing Works

Housing Works is a healing community of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Their mission is to end the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS through relentless advocacy, the provision of lifesaving services, and entrepreneurial businesses that sustain their efforts.

 

Toys For Tots

The mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.

 

RIF (Reading Is Fundamental)

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is the largest children’s literacy nonprofit in the United States. They deliver free books and literacy resources to those children and families who need them most.

 

Note please. I have no affiliation with these organizations. Though I do donate to some of them, I recommend you investigate each site and make your own determination before donating to any organization or cause.

Happy Thanksgiving

5 for Monday-The top 5 black Friday deals

Black Friday is in 4 days so the time has come to plan your attack strategy. Believe it or not, there is a way to approach Black Friday and make it less of a free for all and more of a shopping experience that won’t require therapy and some hard liquor when your done. Unless that’s your thing…I don’t judge here.
First off remember…this is shopping, NOT finding the cure for cancer. Nothing in those stores is worth getting stressed or injured over.
1. Get there early.
2. Know and follow the store rules. Some stores require you wear a bracelet or grab a ticket. It would suck if you get there and find you can’t even get in.
3.Get the flyers and circle exactly what you are looking for. Don’t go into these stores with the intent to browse.
4. If it’s the last item-let it go. You get triple karma points and like I said above, there is nothing there worth getting injured over.

Here are  6 fab deals that I’ve found that may make the trip to hell worth it.

Sharp 42-inch 1080p TV  $199.99 at Best Buy

Asus Transformer $249.99 at Best Buy

Xbox 360 4GB Game System $139.99 at Target

Lenovo dual-core AMD laptop $179.99 at Best Buy

PlayStation 3 $199.96 at Wal-Mart, Sears, and Target (the bundle offers extra controller and 2 games)

Apple iPod Touch with free $50 gift card $199.99 at Toys R Us

Toshiba Smart Blu-ray Disc Player $39.99 at Best Buy

Don’t want to deal with the crowds? Well, you really don’t have to. Most websites offer the same deals on line AND there is also Cyber Monday which is Black Friday for the internet.

So be smart, be safe, and remember….Christmas should be enjoyed as the holiday was intended to be enjoyed, surrounded by your family and friends regardless of what’s under the tree.

Stimulation Saturday-The Odd Slipper

 

 
The Lucy

As a shoe shopper with tiny feet-I wear a size 4.5/5 I find myself constantly having to forgo certain styles I love because the average shoe store doesn’t go below a 6. And if they have a 5, it’s really a 5.5 and still too big.

I was recently pointed over to the site, The Odd Slipper. The Odd Slipper is a new site that caters to woman who, like me, has tiny footies.  They carry sizes 3-5.5. However, it’s more than just an ecommerce site. Each week, they unveil a new shoe style, which users can vote and give feedback on. They then manufacture the best reviewed styles with the highest amount of votes and let shoppers know which styles have been picked and when they’ll be ready for sale. The advantages of this business model are that there is little risk (shoppers are getting what they want) and costs are kept at a minimum since they coordinate manufacturing directly.

The Fashionista interviewed the founder, Sandy Sagastume, who talks about how the site came to be and what’s in store for it’s future. You can read the interview HERE.

I headed over to The Odd Slipper to see how it works and found myself liking what I see. Not a lot there right now, but the site promises more to choose from as they get up and running.

This is the Layla. Upper is half black patent leather and half light blue matte leather. Heel is 3" and stacked for extra support. Available in sizes 5, 5.5, and 6. The site says only 4 are being made in this color but I don’t know if that means 4 total or 4 in each size. They do have this in brown which will be released 11/25. Not found of this color? They say to contact them about placing custom orders at no extra price.

They have a pretty flexible return policy and I like that shipping within the US is free while international shipping is a very reasonable flat rate regardless of how many pairs you order.

 

I will definitely bookmark this site for my future shoe buying.

Tempting Tuesday-What I need for December reading wise

Lots of squeeee worthy books are releasing in December and here is part of the list I will be handing over to my book seller.

12/06/11

Winging It
Cooke, Deborah
Dragon Diaries #2

 

Head Rush
Crane, Carolyn
Disillusionist #3

 

Shaedes of Gray
Bonilla, Amanda

 

Clockwork Prince
Clare, Cassandra
Infernal Devices #2

 

Left Hand Magic
Collins, Nancy
Golgotham #2

 

12/27/11

Every Other Day
Barnes, Jennifer Lynn

 

Shadow City
Francis, Diana Pharaoh
Horngate #3

 

The Mortal Bone
Liu, Marjorie
Hunter Kiss #4

Silver-Tongued Devil
Wells, Jaye
Sabina Kane #4