TOPAZ HORIZON

My uber chic and smart and fabulous friends Nicole, Kat and Nikki and I convene every month or so for a night of cheese, crackers and bottles of wine. We don't drink as much as we talk; that's why Vince calls it Whine Night.



Nikki just got engaged and we're all very excited for her. Kat just got herself a boyfriend and we're just as thrilled for her. Nicole and I, well, we're both happily married ladies so, seriously, it's not whine night!

Wine Night isn't exclusively for us four, however. Sometimes, we swell to about 10 people--we just draw up a chair for anyone who wants to join the conversation. One time, a palm reader came along and told me there are three children in my future. Another time, this incredibly self-obsessed person joined us and all he talked about was how great he is. It's always entertaining and, funnily enough, despite the bottles that we empty, we never get drunk.

We're planning a shopping trip to Bangkok, just us ladies. It will definitely be loads of fun and I'll have a ton of fantastic photos for you! I'm really hoping the trip pushes through soon!

Thrift shopping is fantabulous! While Vince dislikes it that I thrift-shop for my clothes ("It's not like we don't have any money!"), I really prefer to buy my clothes vintage or second-hand because I am absolutely sure I'll never show up at a party or an event and some other girl is wearing the exact same dress.

I just want to show you girls my latest thrift buys from eBay:

An H&M belted LBD that I wore to my last Juicy TV guesting. This fits me like a glove and it may be black and simple but because it hugs me in all the right places and that belt just cinches my waist, I feel very severe and sexy in it.

A Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress. I haven't worn this yet. It looks even better in person than the photo. It's such a classic! And I totally adore that it's in silk jersey so I never need to iron it. Vince likes this dress, too.

A Hugo Boss cotton dress in beige. Nude and neutral colors are very in this year, and I just had to get this dress because, aside from the on-trend hue, it looks formal enough to wear to meetings but feels very comfy. When I wear it, I look like a Gap ad from its current collection by Alexander Wang and Vena Cava... except that I'm wearing Hugo Boss!

Then today--yes today!--I won this cute Diane Von Furstenberg ladybug dress! This adorable A-line dress came down the runway for the Spring/Summer 2007 collections. Yeah, it's old but I just had to have it because ladybugs are special to Vince and me.
Ten years ago, a golden ladybug landed on my wrist. It refused to fly away! So Vince placed his hand over mine to take it away; instead the ladybug just kept crawling from my hand to his and from his to mine and by the end of that afternoon, Vince had asked me out on our very first date. One year later, Vince gave me a necklace with the cutest ladybug pendant and it's been around my neck for over 9 years!
I actually had a similar ladybug dress from Zara. Bought it in 2007 and wore it just once (when my staff and I went to Subic and met some native Aetas). I found out soon after the trip that DVF had come out with the design first and I just didn't want to buy a knockoff--even if it was a Zara knockoff!

While I love finding vintage dresses and bags, there are some things I like buying brand new. Furniture. Jewelry. Shoes. Especially shoes! My goodness, shoes are my downfall so they better be spankin' brand new!

Whenever I watch the Oscars, I love the speeches best. How can you thank anyone at all when you're overwhelmed with so much emotion? So, in that very raw moment, you do get to see a very intimate glimpse of the person.

So now let me let you have a little glimpse of me! I have been very lucky to be the recipient of three blogging awards. I love them all and am greedy for more! Thank you to Duni, RanRan and Austenfan. Your recognition is much appreciated.

This blog is actually just a fun little hobby. My husband is a bit annoyed with it because total strangers and family (worse, he thinks!) come up to him knowing details about our lives all because they've stumbled upon this blog. And yet he is amazed at how many friends I've made through this blog (ladies, you know who you are and I love you truly). He's also happy that this little pastime earns me a bit of money, too (which is what I use to buy him presents!).

So this blog makes me very happy! And I am even happier that some of you are entertained by my silly stories, some of you are moved by my stories of love, marriage and my dear Mama, and some of you are moved enough to call me your friend. Thank you.

When I was a student of Creative Writing, my professor said, "Writers are most arrogant. We write down what we think and expect people to read it. Reading means setting aside time from one's life to actually sit down and focus on the material. So we, as writers, are arrogant to believe we can ask people for their time. So we, as writers, must make what we write worth their time."

Thank you for your time, my dearest readers. Your time, the comments that you leave, and your friendship makes my heart just puff up with happiness. You are all very important to me and I am filled with the deepest and most profound gratitude that you think I am worth your time and that you have welcomed me into your life. Thank you!


I pass this on to Wendy Brandes Jewelry, Daisy Chain Dreams, Lovely Purses, Annie Spandex and Whatever She Said, Then I'm That.


I pass this on to Girl Meets NYC, Beautiful Things to Share, Absolutely Beautiful Things, Style Redux and Sea of Shoes.


I pass this on to NY Minute Now, Marriage and Beyond, Tales of the Domesticated Husband's Wife, Memoirs of a New Missus and Nevergirl's.

I hope you, too, can pass your awards to blogs that inspire you the way you inspire me!