Product Review: Portapocket

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Have you ever seen a cool invention and thought, “Darn, why didn’t I think of that?” I do it all the time… ;) Kendra Kroll, the inventor of Portapocket, went out and made her dream a reality! Awesome job, Kendra – you made a really COOL product, one I’ll be using for years to come!

It’s call the Portapocket, and that’s exactly what it is: a portable pocket you can attach just about anywhere! I got mine in the mail, and was pleased to see a workable variety of parts that comprised this sweet little fashion fix! You get two pockets; one smaller, more geared towards credit cards, ID, car key, etc. And one larger, big and stretchy enough to hold just about any size cell phone. You also get two adjustable straps, in small and large!

My dear friend Karla was visiting from Seattle that weekend, and wanted to go hang out downtown, so it was the perfect opportunity to try out my new Portapocket. I strapped the smaller one on my calf, just inside my boot. Credit cards, ID, car key – check!

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So, can you guess where I put the larger one, with my phone tucked safely inside? See if you can spot the PortaPocket! ;)

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Yup, there’s a cell phone on my thigh, ha ha ha! It would be awkward to answer if someone called, but it’s not going to get plucked out of my coat pocket, or stolen from my purse anytime soon! ;)

Portapocket is comfortable & convenient. The larger pocket has straps on the back, so you can attach it to your belt if you like! I used the smaller strap yesterday to attach my cell phone to my arm, so I could plug in my earbuds and listen to music while I walked the pups. I love the flexibility of having multiple, adjustable straps and pockets. This isn’t just a “going out on the weekend” invention; the possibilities for use are endless!

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I am very happy with my PortaPocket, and plan to use it a lot this summer, especially when I’m traveling! Check out the variety & options on PortaPocket’s website, and make sure to use code SPYGIRL for 15% off your order, now through May 31st!! You can also find PortaPocket here: blog // facebook // twitter.

XOXO,

StyleSpyGirl
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Black & White Mania: Part 1

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Photos by Jeanne Giltzow // Styling, Hair & MUA: StyleSpyGirl

Spring is typically all about COLOR, but this year, fashion threw us a surprising twist by trending the always-classy black & white look. I’m a huge fan; I have TONS of black in my closet (former Seattleite – what can I say?)

For this shoot with the incomparable Jeanne Giltzow, we chose to eschew color all together, and go with a mod/retro/artsy theme. Cue laundromat… (And a few very surprised afternoon clothes washers!)

We had such a blast with this! I feel like the pictures turned into stories, and I want to caption each one, but I’m not great at clever titles & quippy sayings… So I’ll let YOU do it! :)

XOXO,

StyleSpyGirl

Special thanks to Jeanne Giltzow for the awesome photos!

Comment your captions below! I will select my favorite from each photo, and post them on my FB page for votes. Best Caption will win 3 hours of personal shopping & styling work from me!!! :D Be clever, but be nice, mm-kay? Love ya!

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IMG_1475Jacket: BCBG // Shirt: Pink by Victoria’s Secret // Pants: Forever 21 // Shoes: // Purse: Forever 21 // Shoes: Forever 21

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IMG_1458Jacket: BCBG // Shirt: Pink by Victoria’s Secret // Pants: Forever 21 // Shoes: // Purse: Forever 21 // Shoes: Forever 21

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IMG_1441Jacket: BCBG // Shirt: Pink by Victoria’s Secret // Pants: Forever 21 // Shoes: // Purse: Forever 21 // Shoes: Forever 21

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IMG_1522Jacket: BCBG // Shirt: Pink by Victoria’s Secret // Pants: Forever 21 // Shoes: // Purse: Forever 21 // Shoes: Forever 21

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Style Post: My Favorite Jeans

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Photos by Laurie Anne’s CreationsDSC_4757 copy2Blouse: Express // Jeans: Vault Denim // Boots: Marco Santi from Nordstrom Rack // Jewelry & Watch: Brighton from Ruby Lou // Purse: Forever 21

DSC_4775Blouse: Express // Jeans: Vault Denim // Boots: Marco Santi from Nordstrom Rack // Jewelry & Watch: Brighton from Ruby Lou // Purse: Forever 21DSC_4745 copy3Blouse: Express // Jeans: Vault Denim // Boots: Marco Santi from Nordstrom Rack// Jewelry & Watch: Brighton from Ruby Lou // Purse: Forever 21

DSC_4757 copy3Blouse: Express // Jeans: Vault Denim // Boots: Marco Santi from Nordstrom Rack // Jewelry & Watch: Brighton from Ruby Lou // Purse: Forever 21

Have you ever made an impulse buy, something that caught your eye and you just had to have it? Sure, I’ve made $5 bargain bin store mistakes; those sweet deals you just can’t pass up, but never end up wearing because you have NOTHING to go with them… Don’t you hate that?

When I first saw these floral skinny jeans from Vault Denim, I thought, “Beautiful! I have to get those!” But a tiny part of me was worried that they would be difficult to coordinate around, because of the pattern.

Au contraire, ha ha ha! I should not have worried, because these lovelies go with everything! I styled them for Fall with my Skip N Whistle “Ugly Christmas T.” And here they are for Spring: my favorite Vault Denim jeans with one of my favorite blouses from Express, the lovely sheer Portofino!

Have you ever made an impulse purchase that turned out better than you expected? Comment below and tell me about it! :)

XOXO,

StyleSpyGirl

Special thanks to Laurie Anne’s Creations for the lovely photographs!
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Tokyo Style: A Fashion Post From Japan!

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My super cool friend Becky recently visited Tokyo, Japan. I asked her for two small favors:

1. Go shopping!

2. Take pictures!

She’s not back yet, but sent me these awesome photos of local fashionistas, as well as a breakdown of What Typical Fashionable Women are Wearing in Tokyo these days!

Love you, Becky – thanks for your fab fashion journalism, on my behalf, ha ha ha!

XOXO,

StyleSpyGirl

Photoshoot

Tanya,

I’ve tried to take a few pictures to show you how people are dressing here. Sorry the quality isn’t great. The whole Harajuku cosplay scene has moved away from its traditional location so I wasn’t able to get any really fun costume pics. I think there’s one Gothic Lolita in there.

Everyday wear seems to be short skirts, shorts or tunics with leggings and either platforms or short boots. Most of the women under 40 I’ve seen look like there are too many things going on at once, but occasionally I’ve seen an outfit that is mostly subdued with just one crazy thing to accent, and it looks good. One thing I realized I haven’t noticed at all is jewelry, so it must be rather subdued.

I was in the equivalent of a Buffalo Exchange the other day and my first thought was “Tanya would be in heaven.” The whole style just seems very you, delicate or crazy prints, flowy, tops, and boots :)  

That’s what I’ve got so far. If I see some more good stuff I’ll send it along.
Becky

Goth2

Kids

Band

Short

Pants

Pinkshoes2

I adore these SOOOOO much!!! ;) #fashioncrave

Shorts

Shoes

Fun, Fashion, and Candy Bars: the P.S. Grand Opening!

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2013-05-04 15.30.25

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A new children’s store opened in Boise Towne Square this weekend, called P.S. from Aeropostale. The fashions were fun, the deals were hot, and the party was hopping! I invited a bunch of my mom friends, and we had a blast dressing up our little sweethearts and parading them around the store. I think they had fun, too. ;) Can you tell?

XOXO,

StyleSpyGirl

P.S. Aeropostale is at Boise Towne Square Mall. Sign up here to be a PS Mom for special discounts, gift card, and events!

ps7ps1ps4ps2ps3ps5ps62013-05-04 18.52.552013-05-04 18.50.332013-05-04 18.51.11PSSPR13_MomsWanted_mall sign

 

My Style: The Not-So-Basic White Shirt!

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 Photos by Laurie Anne’s Creations DSC_4670 copy

Blouse, camisole, skirt, & tights: Express // Shoes: Boutique 9 from Nordstrom // Jewelry: Brighton from Ruby Lou // Purse: Vintage from Abandoned Fashions

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Blouse, camisole, & tights: Express // Jewelry: Brighton from Ruby Lou // Purse: Vintage from Abandoned Fashions

I recently fell in love with Express‘s latest addition to their fashion & career wear: nearly-sheer button-up blouses. They’re so soft and feminine, yet entirely work-appropriate (with the right underpinnings, of course!) I love the versatility of this blouse; I can wear it over a lacy camisole, with glam shorts and embellished wedge sandals, for an evening on the town. Or, tie it up with a skirt and more subdued tank top, like the outfit above, for a work-appropriate ensemble!

Express.com has them in like a bazillion colors (ok, more like 22, but some of them even have studded accents – swoon!) So tell me: How would you wear this blouse?

XOXO,

StyleSpyGirl

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Shoes: Boutique 9 from Nordstrom

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Blouse, camisole: Express // Jewelry: Brighton from Ruby Lou
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New Store Opening: P.S. KIDS from Aeropostale

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PSMomsBoise1

Are you heading to the mall this weekend? Stop by and see me at the Grand Opening of a brand new store: P.S., the super-cool kids’ line from Aeropostale! I will be there Saturday, May 4th, from 2pm until 5pm, giving out gift cards, candy bars, and having all kinds of FUN!!!

Oh yes, I said “giving out gift cards…” Want to win one of my $25 gift cards? Read on…

SIGN UP here: www.psmoms.com, to be a P.S. Mom! They will send you a $25 gift card to spend opening weekend!!! AND, come join me this Saturday, from 2pm-5pm at Boise Towne Square Mall. (Event info HERE.) I’m bringing my little girl – we can dress up our sweethearts and take pictures on the “photo op” backdrop! There will be entertainment, giveaways ($100 to two lucky winners; one Saturday and one Sunday!), and CANDY BARS to keep the kids busy. ;)

THE OTHER GIVEAWAY… Yup, there’s more!!! You can also enter my Giveaway contest for one of three $25 gift cards (to redeem at a later date than the grand opening – whenever you want!) in two easy steps:

1. SIGN UP to be a PS Mom at www.psmoms.com (they’ll send you a $25 gift card, PLUS you enter to win another one from me!)

2. COMMENT here that you signed up! I’ll select a winner Friday night. I can mail you the gift card, OR you can come get it from me in person at the Grand Opening event Saturday – your choice! :)

Hope to see all you fabulous moms soon!
XOXO,

StyleSpyGirl

P.S., Oh, and ONE MORE THING!!! If you print out this page (see the image up top? That’s a coupon!) and bring it with you Saturday, you will indeed receive an extra 30% off all your purchases! :D Gift cards, discounts, candy bars… it’s going to be so much fun!!!

PSSPR13_MomsWanted_mall sign
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Hot Looks for Spring, at the 2013 Fashion Show

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brad and i

This year I had the privilege of emceeing Boise Towne Square’s Spring Fashion Show, with fabulous DJ Brad Rowen! We had such a blast, showing styles from Apricot Lane, Gymboree, Crazy 8, Romy, Old Navy, and Children’s Place.

Little Trinity was my favorite model; she hopped, twirled, and shimmied her darling self down the runway, stealing the show! That little lady is truly going places. ^_^

Here are some of the fun styles our models from TMTV rocked on the runway, starting with the fabulous Trinity!

XOXO,

StyleSpyGirl

Photos by Ammophotog

Models can view and purchase full-sized prints at http://www.ammophotog.com/ordering-gallery

©ammophotog 2013

Children’s Place

©ammophotog 2013

Children’s Place

6 - romy

Romy

7 - romy

Romy

5 - crazy 8

Crazy 8

3 - apricot lane

Apricot Lane

4 - apricot lane

Apricot Lane

©ammophotog 2013

Gymboree

1 - old navy

Old Navy

2 - old navy

Old Navy

Special thanks to Tina Tatum and her fabulous models from TMTV!

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Boise Towne Square Spring Fashion Show Giveaway

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giveaway purse

Crossbody clutch purse: H&M

Woo-hoo, another giveaway! Do you LOVE winning things, as much as I LOVE giving them away? Ha ha ha!

This one’s going to happen fast, and you MUST be present to win! That means your chances are best, if you’re local to the Treasure Valley area.

I have this ADORABLE minty/aqua crossbody clutch from H&M, to give one lucky winner! I also have a $20 Gift Card to ALDO Shoes!!! That means you have TWO chances to WIN!!! On top of that, Boise Towne Square is giving shoppers a $10 Gift Card for every $100! (*While supplies last – one per person! Redeem receipts at Center Court from 1-4pm.)

Here’s how you enter:

  1. Go to Boise Towne Square’s FB event for this SATURDAY, April 27th: https://www.facebook.com/events/450163351732032/
  2. Click “Join.”
  3. Join me this Saturday at the Fashion show, which starts at 1pm. At the end of the show, I will draw FOUR winners names, from the event’s “Join” list!

Note: This contest is for fans of StyleSpyGirl! You MUST Like my FB page, to qualify: www.Facebook.com/MyStyleSpyGirl

Good luck! I’m so excited to see everybody, and all the FUN & Fabulous Spring Fashions that will be coming down the runway!!!

XOXO,

StyleSpyGirl

P.S. Be sure to stop by and say HI to me! I LOVE meeting my readers & followers!!! :) Also, awesome blogger Annelise from AunieSauce will also be at the mall, hosting a party in Apricot Lane from 1-4pm, to celebrate their one year birthday! Rad stylist Kellie from Fashion Kellie will also be there, styling models in Francesca’s Collections, with mannequin modeling and a special Fashion Feature at 4pm!

 

 

Every Woman CAN Wear Shorts!

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shorts
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I had so much fun yesterday at KTVB’s midday news, showing off my awesome models and giving style tips! I had 3 main points, talked as fast as I could, but only got through 2 of them, ha ha ha! Hopefully viewers enjoyed it, and got some helpful tips as well! Here is my 3-minute, fast & furious shorts segment:
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Special thanks to Dillard’s for providing my models’ fabulous clothing, jewelry, & shoes!!!
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Did you hear my three main points, at the beginning? Yes, EVERY woman can wear shorts – I believe that with all my heart! (Why are shorts so important? Because summer in my town tops 100 degrees, and we do what we have to do to beat the heat!) ;)
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Wearing shorts is not about whether you are young, or not so young; tall, or short; thin, or not so thin! It IS about 3 main things:
1. Length of the shorts
2. Fit of the shorts
3. Enhancing your attributes!
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1. Length – I covered this in the video clip above. Did you stand up and try my fingertips trick? ;)
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2. Fit. If you are a larger woman blessed with more curves than average, your tendency might be to wear loose, baggy shorts. DON’T! Adding material can also add volume. You can’t hide your curves entirely, so why not embrace them? Try on a pair of fitted shorts, with a looser blouse on top. (Fitted top, loose bottoms. Fitted bottoms, loose top. It’s about Balance!) Throw on some wedge sandals and a statement necklace, and no one’s attention will be on your shorts, I promise!
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Which brings me to number 3: Enhancing your Attributes! I don’t know if this is just an “American woman” thing, but it seems to me that many of us have developed the terrible habit of dressing to hide our “flaws.” Do you do this? Particularly as we age, we seem to accumulate flaws, and can get overwhelmed by them. Darn gravity! But always dressing with focus on your flaws, makes you miss something even more important: your attributes!
What are your best attributes? Your smile, your eyes, your lips, your sense of humor? Your knees, your rapier wit, your patience, your cute ears?? Make A List!!! I’m serious! Next time you go shopping, pull out that list and think about how you can dress to enhance your attributes!
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Let’s make this practical (and super personal, ha!) I have a confession to make: I don’t like my hands! Working in retail makes them crackly & dry. Yuck! But I can’t hide them, without wearing gloves year round. So what do I do? Not wear lots of rings & bracelets that draw attention to them, that’s for sure! But I know my attributes: personality (I hope!), kindness (I try!), dramatic eyes, and a proportionately small-ish waist. So I wear belted dressed/skirt combos, well-practiced eye makeup, and fun necklaces that draw attention to my face, not my hands!
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Oh goodness, there I go with too many words again! I hope you will pardon my soapbox moments. I just truly believe every woman is beautiful, and should be able to wear shorts, or whatever fun things she wants, without feeling insecure or judged! So there! :)
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Now go make your attributes list… I think you’re fabulous!
Xoxo,
StyleSpyGirl