In honor of casual Friday, I chose the J.A.K. Black and White Western Plaid Shirt for today’s blog giveaway. Below are some of my favorite looks with a plaid shirt. Just let me know why you would like to win this great shirt. The winner will be chosen on Wednesday. TGIF

As seen on the Shop It To Me blog!

With the holidays right around the corner, it’s great to have a few options in your closet for those last minute party invites. Chickdowntown.com is here to share a few ideas on how to look fabulous for the holidays without spending a fortune! Be sure to check their online boutique with the hottest clothing and accessories for fashionistas around the world.

The easiest way I can think of to dress up a basic black dress or suit is with red lipstick! A great shade of red that flatters your skin tone can take a simple black outfit from day to night. If you don’t have that go to black dress, you’ll need one. This Black Posh Dress by Blaque Label is priced under $100 and would look great for a night out. I recommend pairing it under a jacket for a more formal event or with some fun leopard pumps for a night out with the girls.

I would also suggest having a few pairs of black tights: one opaque, one sparkly, and one bright vibrant color. A great clutch, like these by Moyna, which are also under $100, add a bit of pop to any ensemble. These accessories can also take just about every outfit from day to night. Another staple piece I love is my vintage sequin bolero. It always comes in handy when it comes to holiday dressing; I reach for it over and over again.

In summary, if I were to choose the top 5 items to have in your closet to make holiday dressing easy, I would suggest the following: a black dress (whichever kind looks best on you), black tights, a sequin or faux fur bolero, a super sparkly accessory (clutch, earrings, necklace – you really only need one to make an outfit pop), and my favorite “accessory” for the holidays are red lips and nails. Happy Holidays!!

In honor of the New Moon premiere tonight (well technically tomorrow), I wanted to give away something “Twilight” inspired. I chose this fun Jules Smith Sterling Silver Vampire Teeth Black Jelly Bracelet. For a chance to win, just let me know which part of the movie you are most excited to see. The winner will be chosen on Monday. Also check back tomorrow for pics of the chickdowntown.com staff at the New Moon premiere. We can’t wait!

Hope is a great thing. I hope for all kinds of things from World Peace to an end to world suffering and to stop the killing of animals for food, clothing, ect., as well as, for small things like being a size 2 again and being able to go 24 hours without having to answer a single email. So today’s giveaway is this great Hope t-shirt from Gypsy 05. Please leave a comment as to what you hope for and why you’d like to win this great tee. The winner will be announced Friday.

I recently picked up the new Vanity Fair with Robert Pattinson on the cover, as well as, the new Bazaar mag with Rob and Kristen on the cover. I’m a big Twilight fan and eagerly anticipate lining up with hundreds, maybe thousands of teenage twilight fans for New Moon this Thursday (technically Friday) at 12:01 AM with the chickdowntown staff. We will be sure to tweet pics! I love the chemistry between Bella and Edward’s characters in Twilight and it seems equally as strong between Kristen and Rob judging by these Bazaar pics. They both look amazing and these shots are just breathtaking. Enjoy!

By the time this weekend came around, I was exhausted. Last week I had a lot of catch-up work to do thanks to my Miami trip, which included lots of bags to unpack, laundry, ect. And on top of that, I am still without a nanny and since my husband and I have no family in the area, I had to have one of my CD managers come to my house to watch Brody one of the days and for the rest, I have been alternating CD staff here to watch him, so I can at least come into the office for 6 to 8 hours to get some work done.

I’m also planning my son’s 2nd Birthday party (on Nov. 18th). I debated on whether to have the party at my house or at the children’s museum. I knew a party at home would be much more difficult for me, but more fun for him, so ultimately I went with that. I went to a party supply store and decided on a Thomas the Train (his favorite) theme. I got plates, cups, giftbags, a racecar pinata, pin the tail on the donkey, several large balloons in the shape of Thomas the Train, and bundles and bundles of blue balloons. In the next few days I have to get the platters of food, stock the bar for the adults and order a cake. Oh, and run to the toy store and get his birthday gift. I’ve got him a few things, but his big gift is going to be a table which has a full city and train track for his Thomas Trains. For his first birthday, I went on oneshare.com and bought him a share of Disney. This year, I think I will buy him one share of Coca-Cola since he is obsessed with Diet Coke (thanks to his Diet Coke addicted father).

Friday night I had one of my insomnia nights and couldn’t sleep so I painted and watched Twilight AGAIN. By 4am I finally made it to bed and decided I needed to find a yoga class as it would at the very least help me sleep.

As if by destiny, I was driving in an unfamiliar area by my house and discovered a pilates studio, which offered pilates on a reformer (my favorite) and a great yoga studio called Glow. I took a kundalini yoga class there. I’ve been wanting to start a yoga class to help de stress. Reading the book Eat, Pray, Love just intensified my wanting to do yoga again, so I was thrilled to find these studios and went to the next class offered. I realized during this class taught by a women with 20 years yoga practice, studying ect. under her belt, just what a beginner I was. The fantasies I had of a yoga retreat, which Eat, Pray, Love spurned my interest in, were out of the question until I could at least keep up with a beginners class. At the end of class, you do this chanting with your eyes closed. It seems wierd but you find yourself falling into this deep relaxing state. I loved it and can’t wait for my next class. So for todays giveaway, I want to giveaway a few items great for yoga or working out. These pants and tees from ADAM are so great for lounging around the house or working out stylishly. I love mine! Just tell me why you want to win them. The winner will be announced Wednesday!

Congratulations to our winner, Quinn!
Her comment:
I’m on a journey of wellness right now. Yes, my personal sense of vanity is moving to take action to lose my stubborn baby fat (although some of it I have been carrying since my oldest daughter, who is now 9 years old), but I want to be healthier in general for my future and for my husband and for my daughters. I want to set a good example for my girls by leading a healthy, active lifestyle. I have to psych myself up to go the gym in the first place, but when I see the frumpy options I have for workout attire, it isn’t exactly inspiring or motivational. These comfy, yet chic, workout pieces would surely serve as further encouragement to hit the treadmill and work it out!

A few weeks ago I went to Miami for the weekend. It was an inpromptu trip that we decided to take on a Friday night. I couldn’t stay long because I had to fly back to Pitt, spend a day at the office and spend time with my son before flying to DC for TWTRCON. Upon returning, I immediately booked another trip back two weeks away. On the last trip we stayed at the Fountainbleau. This trip we stayed at The W. While the Fountainbleau Hotel was nice and had a cool club, shops, restaurants, ect. (its like its own city), the rooms were just okay, so we decided to stay at The W in South Beach this time. It’s only been open a few months so I didn’t know what to expect. I had read the reviews online and the only complaint people had was about the expensive drinks (I have to agree). Despite the drink prices, the room was spectacular and like all W’s it had a bathroom stocked with Bliss products and a great mini bar, which included candy from Dylans in NY. It also has a Mr. Chow (one of my fav NYC restaurants), a great bar, and a W hotel store filled with fun cool things. I bought myself a beachy W candle to burn in the room and my son a few great t-shirts including one with Abe Lincoln with pink spray paint hair and the newest mint green shade of Essie nail polish.

Other than Nannygate (check out my blog below), the trip was wonderful. I used to spend a lot of time in the winter in Miami before starting chickdowntown.com, so I got to go back to all of my favorite spots including Prime One Twelve (great scene and good comfort food) and Nobu (in the Shore Club Hotel), good Sushi but not quite as good as Nobu in NYC and it was REALLY expensive. We also had dinner at Mr. Chow, which was one of the best scenes I’ve seen in a while (stunnng crowd, great music, too good to be true food); it couldn’t have been better. During the day we hung out by the pool and on the beach and I even got in a vintage shopping trip to one of my favorite vintage stores “Fly Boutique” on Lincoln Road. The store had incense burning and had such a 70’s vibe. I loved it! I also got deep into the book I’m reading Eat, Pray, Love and I’m now dying to go to an Ashram?! Is that wierd? Its such a great book!! Anyways, check out pics from trip below.

For today’s giveaway I would like to give away this great cream henley from What Comes Around Goes Around. I wear mine with my Siwy cutoffs, sandals and some light jewlery when it’s warm and under a button down flannel with skinny jeans and boots when it gets cold. It’s a great classic addition to any wardrobe. To win just leave a comment on why you’d like to win this What Comes Around Goes Around henley from chickdowntown.com. Winner will be announced Tuesday.

Congratulations to our winner, Elizabeth!
Her comment:
I have a 6 month old son, Ben Wyatt, and am a stay at home momma. Every morning we take our dog, Austin, with us for a walk in Central Park. I make it my goal everyday to come home and change out of my yoga pants into something casual, comfortable and stylish (ie not yoga pants and a sports bra). This would be a great addition to my wardrobe! I usually end up in jeans (Current Elliots have been my favorite) and a stylish t-shirt and cardigan with some fun (but simple) jewelry and cute flats.

Nearly every single day, I reach for a scarf to accessorize with. I love the pop of print or color they add to jeans and a tee. One of my favorites is this scarf from Tolani in cream and black zebra print, which is today’s blog giveaway. How great does Nicole Richie look in this scarf?! To win, just leave a comment letting me know why you’d like to win this Tolani scarf from chickdowntown.com and I will pick a winner on Monday.

Congratulations to our giveaway winner, Kirby!
Her comment:
I would love to win this scarf because I am paying my way through college and I can’t afford to buy many cute outfits. A black and white piece like this would go with everything and make or break an outfit. I would love to be able to look nice like everyone else at my school. This scarf is so cute and I would love to have something that I could show off.

For today’s giveaway of the day, I want to giveaway a BB Dakota Indigo Marsh Jacket. It is the perfect compliment to so many different looks. For our last shoot, I styled it with a great plaid skirt, bright yellow turtleneck and fun teal tights for an updated schoolgirl look and I also paired it with a fitted orange skirt, leopard print blouse and brown tights to create a more sophisticated, office-chic ensemble. I also think it would be great with skinny jeans and a white tee for a more casual feel. Leave a comment as to what you think it would best be paired with and I’ll choose my favorite outfit/winner on Friday. Good luck!

Sizes to choose from: 4, 6 or 8

Congratulations to our winner Faith!
Her comment:
I am new to Polyvore but this post inspired me to create a set! I love the look of blue and white for spring and summer. It really never goes out of style. As you can see in my set, I’d wear the jacket over a crisp white dress with white accessories. Thanks for the giveway, I really love this jacket!

http://www.polyvore.com/bb_dakota_indigo_jacket/set?id=13445549

New Moon, the sequel to Twilight, will be out in theaters in just a few weeks (can’t wait!!). We have a lot of Twilight fans who shop the site and follow me on twitter, so for today’s giveaway I’m selecting this great Wildfox Couture t-shirt with a smiley vampire on the front. I think this tee by Wildfox would be perfect to wear the day the movie opens with some Jules Smith New Moon jewelry or with our BB Dakota Twilight Bella Jacket. To win, just leave a comment on why you’d like to win this Wildfox tee from chickdowntown.com. The winner will be announced on Wednesday.

Congratulations to our winner Jana!
Her comment:
I’d like to win this for my little sister as a belated birthday present! She’s a big fan of Twilight and read the series for the fifth (sixth?) time so far. They’re the only books I ever seen her read in her leisurely time. Our family doesn’t celebrate birthdays, but last summer she bought me a cake, and I was so surprised on how thoughtful she was. And I was so forgetful on giving back for my sister’s birthday when I already away for college. My sis would be so proud if she had this shirt that will represent her love of those vampires.

This weekend some drama occurred that many of my twitter followers have dubbed “Nannygate”. Here’s the story….

We’ve had our current nanny for awhile and my husband and I had both recently decided she was our favorite nanny that we have had in a long time so wanted to go out of our way to make her happy. This included bringing her clothes, taking her on trips, etc. We both work long hours at the office and often have to immediately get on the computer when we get home and on the weekends. Several weeks ago she asked if I could cut her hours so I started looking for someone to fill in part-time for her. I finally found someone and she told me she changed her mind and enjoyed her job so much she didn’t mind the long hours.

When we booked this trip to Miami weeks ago, we asked her if she could go and she was very excited. We booked a suite because it had an extra room for her and got her a plane ticket. We flew down to Miami and the night we arrived she was amazed with our room, the hotel and miami in general. She said she had never been to Florida. After the baby was asleep, I came out of our room in a long gown and she loved it, asked where I got it, etc. I sat and talked with her for about a half hour until my husband was ready. She asked where we were going (Mr. Chow) and we taked about how great she is with Brody and she said she hopes she can be his nanny until he’s in college. I agreed; we never got along so well.

The next day she brought him down to the pool where I took him swimming and then later she took him up to the room for his nap. When my husband and I came up to the room, I asked her if she’d like to go over to Lincoln Road with us to the shops, but she said she wanted to go to the gym and she asked me where it was. While we were gone, we talked about how good everything was going and how happy she seemed to be here.

When we got back to the room I spotted a note laying on the dining table. I looked at it and said aloud OH.MY.GOD. My husband then came and looked at the note stunned and looked at me! We were both speechless for what seemed like a few minutes as Brody ran around the room dumping out goldfish crackers onto the white floor. She was gone (note below). She had packed up and left Miami one day after arriving and said, “Family emergency. Had to leave. Don’t contact me”. We immediately tried to call her and she wouldn’t answer. I sort of paced around the room for awhile, then called the concierge and asked if they had any trusted nannies that they referred to people staying in the hotel. They said they did, but it was short notice. They called back a half hour later and said the owner of the agency would come tonight to meet us and stay with Brody while he slept so we could go out to dinner. I bathed and fed Brody dinner and the nanny showed up. She was the same women who watched my niece, Bella, at The Setai in Miami 3 years earlier before I was even pregnant with Brody, while my brother was visiting me here. She was WONDERFUL with her. We came home to a table full of crafts and paintings they had done and a sleeping beauty Bella. I was so relieved. I knew we could trust her and that our vacation was saved. Don’t get me wrong I love to spend time away with my son on vacation, which is why we brought him, but with no sitter we would have had to be in at 7pm every night and spend three hours of prime beach time in the room while he napped.

That night at Mr. Chow and the next day I tweeted updates and my husband and I pondered all the scenarios that could have made our most reliable nanny ever disappear while were out in Miami. It was baffling. The next day after several texts and messages from us begging her to explain what happened, she emailed me. She claimed that the hours got to be too much, she didn’t appreciate having to clean up (we have a housekeeper who comes everyday for several hours) and didn’t like having to run our errands. We sent her to run errands during her work hours while we watched Brody so she could get out of the house. We thought this was a favor and she always seemed happy to do it. Anyway, while twittering the situation, one of my followers tweeted me guessing her correct last name and said she was her nanny for two years and the same scenerio happened! What a small world! Check out her note my tweets right after the disappearence of the nanny.

6:13 PM Nov 7th:
OMG! Arrived in Miami last night with my 2 yr old son and long time nanny. Took son to beach for an hour, came back and nanny is gone!

6:16 PM Nov 7th:
Just last night we talked about how shed be Brody’s nanny until he went to college. She left a note saying “Sorry. Please don’t contact me”?

8:16 PM Nov 7th:
This is the note she left. I keep wondering what happened. She won’t answer our calls.

8:17 PM Nov 7th:
Now her phone is off. Maybe she is on the plane?

9:29 PM Nov 7th:
Hotel found the same woman who watched my niece 3 years ago for me who was wonderful! She can help out for remainder of trip. Lucky.

9:31 PM Nov 7th:
Nanny who left texted me from airport. Said she will email me what happened. Can’t wait so I can stop wondering.

~2:30 PM Nov 8th:
Nanny update. She texted saying she will email me the reason she left. Still have no idea why she left.

~2:45 PM Nov 8th:
Runaway nanny has promised email explaining why she took off. Will keep you posted.

~8:30 PM Nov 8th:
Nanny emailed me. The just of it was she didn’t like long hours, didn’t have life of her own.

~8:45 PM Nov 8th:
Wish she would have spoke to me instead sneaking out of our hotel in Miami. Will post whole bizarre story on blog tomorrow.

Update:
- After posting this blog and reading the comments, I just wanted to state that I do not mean to vilify the nanny. She was really kind to my son, took excellent care of him and was totally reliable the whole time she worked for us. I just thought it was a crazy story and wanted to share it. I even told her she could come back and I’d cut her hours, but I have yet to hear anything from her.
- I also want to mention that the nanny did NOT leave Brody by himself. We took him to the pool so she could have some time for herself and that is when she left.

Because I am currently in Miami, I wanted today’s giveaway to refect Miami style, so I selected this Alice + Olivia White Gavin Halter Dress. This dress would look amazing with a great tan, some gold bangles and bronze sandals. If anyone is going away or lucky enough to live somewhere warm, just leave a comment stating why you want to win this Alice + Oliva dress from chickdowntown.com. Be sure to check back tommorrow for my blog on my crazy Miami drama and for tomorrow’s giveaway of the day. The winner will be announced on Wednesday. Good luck!

Congratulations to our winner Tammy!
Her comment:
Amy,
This is an absolutely adorable dress. I would love to win it for my upcoming trip to Belize on December 26th. My husband and I will be renewing our wedding vows on a private beach on a tiny island and this would be perfect for the ceremony. I need something beautiful and simple that I can carry in my backpack, yet pretty enough to complete the day perfectly!

I love to add a pop of color to simple outfits with accessories like a bright scarf, fun bag or these Rachel Leigh cuffs. These cuffs were featured in Maire Claire last month and we’re giving one away! Just leave a comment and let me know why you’d like to win a Rachel Leigh cuff from chickdowntown.com and what color you’d like to win. Winner will be announced on Tuesday. Good luck!

Congratulations to our winner, Erica!
Her comment:
I would love to win the Orange one. I recently went back to grad school and have no extra cash to buy accessories. But this cuff is so cute! I chose orange because I am at University of Texas – and Orange is our color! I also love the autumn touch the orange cuff would give to even the simplest outfit.

Today I want to giveaway a pair of Current/Elliot Boyfriend jeans. Current Elliot is one of my favorite denim lines. The denim is very light and soft and has a truly vintage aged look. I wear my boyfriend jeans cuffed with heels in the summer and uncuffed with moto boots or converses and a flannel or sweater in the winter. Or when I want to dress them up, I pair them with a sequin jacket and heels. I love mixing ultra casual pieces with something very dressy. To win a pair, just leave a comment saying why you’d like to win these Current/Elliott jeans from chickdowntown.com. I will announce winner on Monday! Good luck!

Congratulations to our winner Tiffany!
Tiffany’s comment:

Ever since Katie Holmes stepped out in a pair of these boyfriend jeans it definitely gave skinny jeans some competition. Definitely brings out a new style of chic. And ever since then I’ve been obsessing over a pair of boyfriend jeans to add into my collection!

I follow Chickdowntown.com religiously and love your clothes and your sales! You make it able for me to find affordable designer pieces and its a big reason why I have evolved into such a fashionista today (Chickdowntown + Lucky Magazine!). I’ve never won any giveaway yet and I would love for this to be my first win!! Thank you so much!! Please pick me! <3

One of my favorite things about Halloween is seeing the interesting, fun costumes people come up with. This year I was Marie Antoinette and my son was supposed to be Max from Where the Wild Things Are, but when his costume arrived in the mail it was WAY too big so he had to wear his back up Superman costume. I asked our Twitter followers to send pictures of some of the craziest/funniest costumes that they saw over the weekend for our daily giveaway and we got some really funny pictures. Check them out!

Twitter Follower’s Funniest Pics:

Twitter Follower’s Children Pics:

Brody & Me:

The Plastic Island One Button Linen Dress is one of my favorite jackets! It is really versatile. On colder days, I wear it over a black turtleneck with leggings and ankle boots and on warmer days, I throw it over a t-shirt with skinny jeans and ballet flats. The one I am giving away is a size medium. Please leave a comment letting me know why you’d like to win this jacket and check back tomorrow for the new giveaway-of-the-day item! I will announce the winner on Friday. Good Luck!

Congratulations to our Winner: Brandee!
Her comment:
I would love to win this jacket for SO many reasons! It’s so stylish, is super versatile, and is just plain gorgeous! (not to mention that it would help lift me out of my depression of not winning the Dakota jacket after having almost 100 chances at it! LOL)

As promised, I will be doing a giveaway each day on my blog for at least the next few weeks. Today I am giving away this great ruffle sheath dress by Black Halo in a size 2. It’s new with tags so if you’d like it, please comment and let me know why. I’ll announce the winner on Friday. Please make sure to check back each day to check out what I’m giving away. Good Luck!!

Congratulations to our Winner: Lydia Darling!
Lydia’s comment:
I’d like to win this dress because my sister is getting married next month and I honestly have nothing to wear. My whole closet consist of jeans and tee-shirts, since I get up so early in the morning for school and volunteer at a pet shelter almost everyday I have no time to dress up. So winning this would really help me feel more attractive + it’s my size.

I was overwhelmed trying to pick a winner for the giveaway. Everyone who commented deserves the gift bag. Some of the comments were funny, some were very personal and touching, and some were very selfless. It made me want to do a tremendous amount of giveaways so I had an idea. I’ve amassed a tremendous amount of clothes over the past three years, some of which have never been worn and still have the tags attached and others that may have been worn once and have remained in the dry cleaning bag ever since. There are many more pieces sitting on a rolling rack in my office with one minor flaw that makes them unsellable but they still need homes . Anyways, I’m going to give ALL of these items away on my blog! Some days I may even list 5 items to giveaway and I’ll let you pick which one you’d like. Everyday I will post a pic of the latest giveaway item. Sizes will vary as I have been every size from a 2 to a 14 in the last few years (with having a baby) so their should be something for everyone. Please check back Monday for the first of many, many giveaways so you all can win. Congrats Dena! You are the winner of this weeks giveaway!

Deana’s comment:

Amy,

I’d love to win this goodie bag to use as a Secret Santa gift for a lovely young woman that I recently met at the local battered woman’s shelter. She’s trying so hard to get on her feet for herself and her little boy but her confidence in herself is so low. I’d love to be able to make her feel special!

Thank you for the opportunity! <3!