I stopped using an iPhone case a while ago even though I know better, and was doing fine keeping it nice for a long time until Sunday, when I dropped it, shattering the glass on both sides to bits. Thankfully, Dr. Brenden in Park Slope is a quick walk from my apartment and I was able to hop in just before they closed and get it replaced. (I showed the repair guy my phone and asked if it was worth fixing. At $120 for everything, it was.)

Since we were replacing the front and back, I paid an extra $20 and had the parts that were black changed to yellow. I especially like that the back is unbranded. Now my phone looks like something Batman would use, and kind of reminds me of my MetroCard.

Isn’t it pretty?

T-Mobile’s HTC One S hits stores this week. They gave me one a little early especially to check out the camera, and I used it to document my trip over the weekend to Oakland and San Francisco instead of lugging around my big old Canon. Here are some of my pics – I’m REALLY impressed with the camera on this thing.

The rapidly-becoming-iconic “I’m on a plane!” photo. I selected seat 16A on my outbound flight specifically so I could get this shot. NERD.

Taqueria Cancun, 2288 Mission Street (at 19th Avenue), San Francisco – cash only, and spare yourself from using the bathroom if you can. You might want to start with just ONE taco – they’re filling – but they’re so good, you might want two anyway.

The gardens at Elizabeth’s parent’s house. There was an ORANGE TREE – more on that soon.

The phone’s camera has a few filters on them, including “vintage”, which I used here. Kind of cool for a few shots, but a little corny if you keep using it for everything. Here, Elizabeth and I ducked into Walden Pond Books (3316 Grand Avenue, Oakland), waiting for our table next door at Boot and Shoe Service (3308 Grand Avenue). It was worth the wait, and dessert there is worth the calories.

The bookstore employes two giant dogs to snooze in and out of the store as they will. All excellent used bookstores have dogs or cats.

Clementine, 5322 College Avenue, Oakland. This flower shop is exactly like the flower shops you see in romantic comedies, and Natalie, the owner is sweet and cheerful. Elizabeth is a wedding planner, and I was her trusty assistant on Saturday. This was our first stop of the day.

San Francisco City Hall. This was our second.

Fun brunch with some of my Oakland-based gal pals.

Helping to pick out paint colors for Meg’s new home.

Hey PR folks, if you need a fun social media savvy blogger/photographer to test out your new camera or cell phone, or a photographer to take photos and do social media photography for your business, drop me a line at theAmberShow@gmail.com

The reviews for this skirt basically go like this: “I’m skinny, and this skirt does NOTHING for me. It’s getting returned.” and “I’m curvy, and I loooooove this skirt!”

I bought it enthused and it’s better than I expected, in fact, it’s my new favorite thing. It makes me feel sexy.

This one, too.

The price of cotton tripled a few years ago, and we’re feeling the effect now as 100% cotton clothing is getting expensive. The budget clothiers that used to carry decent items are turning to synthetics to keep costs down. Polyester has come a long way from the gross stuff of the 70′s, but it’s really not working for me these days. I need more weight and drape to the things that I wear. As a result, I’ve been buying and returning a lot of things.

Here is what I’ve bought that I’ve been really happy with, though.

Love this. The “anjou pear” color is excellent (Even though the name is snobby. Come on, Old Navy.), and I just bought it in white, too. Oh, wait, sorry, “sea salt”.

These are out of stock online, but raid your local Target for these. I paid about $22 for them, and they are excellent quality. They’re available in faux patent gray, too.

Ok, so this dress. I pinned it, then posted to Facebook and Twitter soliciting opinions about whether or not I should buy it. The answers were a nearly perfect split of “hells to the yes!” and “hells to the no!” – virtually no one was mediocre on it – so I just went to American Apparel and tried it on. The dressing room attendant, Alejandro, and I analyzed it together in the mirror.

“Too slutty?”

“Girl! It’s not slutty. Well, maybe a little. But not too slutty.”

I wasn’t sure but bought it anyway, figuring it could get returned later if need be.

I’m a pretty conservative dresser thanks to both years of Jesus-y homeschooling and a strong preference to let my sexy shine in the form of witty banter, but it’s time to branch out. However, I’m trying, and failing, to picture how to navigate a bar stool in this without showing everyone my Jolly Rancher.

It’s a weird dress, but I don’t know if it makes it necessarily WRONG for me. Just different, especially with the dolman sleeves. Either way, here’s what it looks like; for reference I’m 5’4 and a solid size 12, most of it hips.

(I cut off my head because I was making the STUPIDEST face.) It’s on purposefully backwards because it’s too low-cut otherwise, but really, there aren’t any tags at the neck, and it seems to be meant to be worn either way.

Is it too Your Mom Is Clubbin’? I’m leaning towards yes. I also think there are more flattering, mildly slutty dresses I can buy. What do you think?

P.S. Although I have not worked up the nerve to walk down the street in this, I am totally fine posting a photo of myself in it on the internet. Oh, bloggers.

So many of the ladies at Blissdom marveled that I packed for the entire conference in a carry on, but I didn’t feel like I did without at all. I decided a blog post about what I wore was in order, to prove it’s totally possible to not check a bag when you travel, even for several days. My secret: roll that shit!

***

1. This was the first night I arrived, Wednesday.

I flew in the knit dress and tank, and paired it with a hoodie (planes are cold), my trusty Chucks (good for booking it gate to gate for transfers) and thin navy colored corduroy pants (for warmth, and because I always opt out of the backscatter machines which means I get subjected to a pat down. Super awkward when you’re just in tights).

For dinner, I switched to a pretty cardigan, chunky necklace, cozy sweater tights and black flats. (I couldn’t do a damn thing with my hair.)

The dress is from a swap meet, tank from the Gap, tights from Target, flats from Charlotte Russe (here are similar vegan leather ones, and these vegan silk flats from Rocket Dog are stellar), cardigan from Naf Naf (my grandma bought it for me in Paris), and necklace from Target.

***

2. Thursday was the first working day for Community Leaders but we weren’t in sessions yet, so I opted for something casual. This is quickly becoming my favorite top. Who says horizontal stripes are no good? (The trick is to make sure they’re wide stripes, I think.)

The sweater is from a swap meet, jeans are from Madewell (and they’re on sale!), and my good old Chucks, in classic black.

Giggle courtesy of my roommates, who asked what I was taking photos for and didn’t bat an eye when I told them it was for my website. Only at a blogging conference.

***

3. Friday was the first official day of the conference. I wore something pretty, with colors I don’t probably wouldn’t attempt to rock in New York all together: black, pink and turquoise. I felt a little like Barbie. Later, I headed to a lounge where Ritani was sponsoring manicures. I opted for sparkly pink!

Dress is from Target, cardigan is from Old Navy, belt is from Express (here’s a similar one), tights are American Apparel and my shoes are Target.

***

4. Second dress of the week, this one is a thick, structured cotton dress with pockets and a 1950′s-inspired flare. Jen picked it out for me on a shopping trip about eight months ago, and she was SO RIGHT. Thanks, friend!

After the day before, I couldn’t even LOOK at a pair of heels, so I slid on my boots. I was in Nashville, darn it! My sweatery tights and chunky orange necklace made their second appearance.

Dress from Old Navy, the tank is a man’s undershirt I bought in a package of three, necklace and tights from Target, and the boots from J.Crew (ages ago, before I had a problem buying leather shoes).

***

I packed all of my underwear (bras, unders and tights) and jewelry in the calves of my boots and brought two pj sets (standard bottoms and tee shirts). I also brought a thinner weight blouse to travel home in that I wore with my jeans. I might have opted to just travel in jeans and  one of my pajama tee shirts (they fit me pretty well and are ok to be seen in public), but I was stopping in Baltimore to have brunch with Gavin and didn’t want to look like a slob.

I’m not an exceptionally creative clothing shopper, and there are no one-of-a-kind pieces in this post (and not many in my wardrobe). My style is pretty easy to copy. So, FREE YOURSELF of bag checking!

It Chooses You $14

There is a group of women just below “a certain age” who embrace Miranda July fiercely, not just because she is someone we look up to, but because she makes us feel so much less alone.

“Each listing was like a very brief newspaper article. News flash: someone in LA is selling a jacket. The jacket is leather. It is also large and black. The person thinks it is worth ten dollars. But the person is not very confident about that price, and is willing to consider other, lower prices. I wanted to know more things about what this leather-jacket person thought, how they were getting through the days, what they hoped, what they feared—but none of that information was listed. What was listed was the person’s phone number.”

photo by Kate Miss

A Clarisonic Mia, because it is luxurious and will make her skin vibrant and healthy without chemicals. She’ll appreciate this more than a one-time facial, because spas always make her feel just the tiniest bit awkward. $119

“Drink the Local Craft Beer” tee shirt, because she can throw back micro brews with the best of them and is proud of it. $25

A rad new case for her iPhone, because if she drops it one more time, it’s totally going to break. $35

An Instax Mini photo album in her favorite color, because all those little photos are starting to pile up. $17

“Me and You and the Dog” print, because that’s how y’all roll. (Can be customized to be “dogs”.) $38

Kiehl’s essential oil, because it’s a warm, sexy alternative to spritz-on perfume. (The cucumber and gardenia are both divine.) $26

A gift box of charming cookies and homemade marshmallows from Whimsy & Spice, because she has a sophisticated sweet tooth. $22

Your own love note, transcribed by Bryn of Paperfinger, because you should always add little touches of Mr. Darcy to your game. $200

A moissanite engagement ring, because shouldn’t you propose? She’s so great. $450

new stamps snapped with my iPhone

I’m pretty sure this has never been confessed on this blog before: you can add “stamp-collecting” to the frizzy hair, glasses, buck teeth, goofy personality and homeschooling that made me a social pariah as a kid.

I’ve stopped collecting, but getting a brand new sheet of postage is a still tiny thrill for me and I will never be the sort to buy a practical roll of boring flags. I try not to buy the same ones twice, and now that I own a business that involves mailing things on a regular basis, picking out a pretty combo of stamps for each package is my favorite part of paperwork.

On 22 January postage prices went up, and they released some particularly pretty designs this time around.

Did you know that rather than going to the post office, you can order stamps online and have any amount of them them sent directly to you for just $1 (in the mail, of course!) These above are my latest; I think the butterflies are really cool, and the clock reminds me of the cover of one of my favorite books, the Phantom Tollbooth.

I feel so dorky, but it’s genuinely exciting! Someone please tell me you like pretty stamps, too. I can’t be the only one.

Last week when I was in LA I hopped into the studio with one of my favorite podcasts, The Because Show which was RIDICULOUSLY EXCITING as I spend most of the time I’m listening to them in my headphones wishing that I could pipe in.

We talked about Life Lists, music, and loosing my religion; listen here. (A word to the faint of heart, there is NORMAL swearing, and both sex and orgasms are acknowledged somewhere in there, too.)

Thanks Susan, Jerilyn and Amy for having me! I’ll see you guys in New York soon, ok? We’ll get crack pie at Momofuku.

Valdobbiadene. Good luck pronouncing it.

Over the summer I helped throw an event and was tasked with picking a decent bottle of sparkling wine in the $15 range. I headed to my favorite wine shop where they quickly selected this as the best bottle for the money, declaring it better than a lot of bottles twice the price. They were right, and I’ve been buying it ever since, even though neither I, nor anyone I’ve spoken to, can say its name.

If you’re used to celebrating with champagne, try a good prosecco like this one. It’s lighter and is generally less alcoholic, it’s not too sweet or too dry, and it tastes like a celebration. Pairs well with vanilla cupcakes and excellent friends.

At $13 a bottle, I’ve declared it the Blatt’s “house bubbly for special occasions”, and we served it at midnight on New Years Eve. Have you tried prosecco?

Related: can you open a bottle of sparkling wine, or does the cork popping freak you out? I can do it, albeit quite nervously, but I have a lot of friends that simply cannot and pass the bottle off to me. If you’re not a really big resolution maker, “learn to open a bottle of prosecco” should be your 2012 task. (I stand behind any resolution that helps you party more.)

Once you can do that, try sabering it open with a big kitchen knife, Helen Jane style.

Happy weekend!

Here’s a not-so-secret: I love Meg Keene. She is one of the people instrumental in inspiring me to getting my business up and running in 2010, it is her hand that is among the ones I feel pressed into my shoulder blades when the business blahs hit, and I am completely in awe of her.

How do you thank a person like that? I don’t know, but when her book came out and everyone banded together to push it to the top of the best-seller list, I started by buying three copies.

Then she sent me two. One of them is mine-all-mine, but the other four are for you. Leave a comment below telling me your favorite part about going to weddings, and I’ll pick four winners at random on Monday 9 January.
Closed! Thank you guys for your comments!

***

Meg is on tour right now promoting the book with lots of fun events. The Brooklyn party, though, is going to be the best; I know because I’m planning it, along with Meg from La Vie En Rose Events and Michelle Edgemont. We have met over beers, volleyed countless emails between us, and schemed away.

The reading will be at the Park Slope Barnes & Noble on Saturday 28 January at 2pm. It is only by showing up there that you will be given walking directions to the most kick-ass, planned with love after-party in the history of book tours. It will be boozy and fantastic, and, from what I’ve seen from Michelle’s handiwork, very, very pretty.

**RSVP here**

See you there?