Charming Charlie

My friend Becky asked me to go check out a new store that she'd heard about through a few friends - Charming Charlie.  So we dragged our friend Krystal with us and piled into the car for a short shopping road trip.  Think of a store that sells fashion jewelry. And handbags.  And some inexpensive fashion clothes.  And watches. Oh, I can't forget all the scarves.  All very, very affordable.  It's laid out in color groupings, which makes shopping for anything specific much easier.

Well Accessorized

An overview from the store

Game plans: Always good so you don't go crazy and blow too much money on all the gorgeous/fun/trendy stuff that catches your eye.  I wear a lot of black (and gold) so my main goal was to get pieces with color.  Krystal was looking for layering pieces and Becky wanted to update her professional look.  Jewelry really is a great way to change your look even if you wear a similar style during the week.  It's the best way to take a simple outfit to the next level.
Tip: Bring friends who will be honest with you and know your style & wardrobe preferences; this will help you slim down your purchases less painfully before you get to the register.
Bonus tip (courtesy of Krystal): When shopping for necklaces, wear a shirt that has a neckline similar to the majority of what you wear.  Try on ALL the necklaces in store. You'd hate to get your purchases home only to find out they don't work with your wardrobe!

Part of the haul before thinning to the final purchase (red tags are clearance!)

We spend almost 2 hours in this place, and I could have easily spent more. The only problem is it's in Puyallup, and its the only store in the state.  I hear that they are working on getting online ordering ability established, and hope they do soon because that's save me a trip back down to the south end.

Golden Tidbit:

Snagged these great gold earrings for just $8!! Ladies, I know it's a long way down (and for my PDX gals, there's one in Hillsboro!) but believe me, it's well worth the trip!

Golden Quote: "I don't understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little - if only out of politeness. And then, you never know, maybe that's the day she has a date with destiny. And it's best to be as pretty as possible for destiny." ― Coco Chanel

Purse Mission: Completed

I can now say that I am the proud owner of a Rachel Zoe Purse.
OK fine, its a Satchel, but let's not get technical here. RZ is still RZ.  

Rachel Zoe Lee Large Satchel bag

Ever since RZ's first line came out, I have been in love with her style, and knew she'd be the one to come out with the perfect affordable bag (I know, it's still not the Prada perfection but it'll still be there when I'm ready). Although larger than what I had in mind, this happens to double perfectly as my new Laptop travel bag.  I have one of those generic laptop bags that work gives you for free and its... well, it's pretty much as generic as you can get (no, really, I tried to find a picture and it's so boring its no where to be found).  This little beauty will fit my laptop, iPad, folders and any other little bits and pieces I need to carry when traveling for work, or make a handy large purse.  That cuts me down from 3 bags to 2 when traveling, which helps since technically only 2 carry-ons are allowed.  I'm all about efficiency, especially when traveling.

I found this guy at Nordstrom Rack in Downtown Seattle, and they still have a few more as well as a white one.  I will say I strongly considered white, but since it is leather, and the bag will be doing a lot of travel, I decided that it would have quickly become dingy.  In trying to find a good pic of the bag, I have come across the rest of the collection and now have my eye 2 others that are a bit more of an everyday size. That said, I've never been one to shy away from an oversized bag.

An added tidbit for those fashion lovers out there; in researching quotes for this post, I found the greatest websites: purseblog.com and talkshoes.com

Golden Tidbit:

For those frequent flyers who need a quick make-up trick, I highly recommend L'oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara. I usually use this in combination with another mascara that lengthens, but a few swipes of this and eyes will brighten right up!  Available at most drugstores for around $7-9 (Here at walgreens.com for $8.99)

Golden Quote: "As far as I can remember, every dime I ever had went to something extravagant. I would rather spend more, buy fewer items and have them forever." -Rachel Zoe