dear readers, i think it’s time i take a little summer vacation.  i have not a single stylish idea left in my heat-fried brain.  so i’m taking a few days to cool off, recharge my styling engines, and hopefully come back refreshed and ready to dive into pre-fall.

if you just can’t stand the idea of us not chatting – and believe me, it pains me too – be sure to track me down on twitter, as i’m sure i won’t be able to stay away entirely.  but as for the blog, i’ll see you all back here in a few!

(how beautiful is that photo, by the way?  don’t you just want to be that girl, on that beach, with that beautiful umbrella?  looks like the photographer who snapped this is on vacation too, but i suspect i’ll be ordering a copy when she’s back.)

congrats to meagan, who’s lucky number 7!  she told us she’s a vintage gal, through and through.  meagan, i think just about every person that entered this contest will be expecting to get a card from you, now that you have such a lovely supply from which to choose.

a huge thank you to hi, friend design for sponsoring this amazing summer giveaway!  something tells me you’ll be designing a bevy of custom cards for shoppingsmycardio readers over the next few weeks.

wow. honestly, i haven’t quite known what to do about shoppingsmycardio hitting the big oh-four.  i mean, how do you celebrate a virtual milestone?  but it’s true…well, technically, i started blogging on 06.06.06 (which is weird on so many levels), but celebrating on sunday would have been no fun, as most of you are weekday readers.

four years ago, my darling hubs told me (ever so sweetly) to stop prattling on and on to him about all of the things i bought, planned to buy, couldn’t believe i wasn’t buying when it was such a steal, and knew i could never afford but coveted from afar.  he suggested instead that i share my retail obsession with a wider (and more interested) audience.  and i listened.

to celebrate, i thought about organizing a big massive giveaway.  but then it turned out i had to move, which translated into every ounce of my energy being consumed by that.  i’m still planning a truly fabulous giveaway later this summer, though – you dear readers definitely deserve a birthday gift!

other than “holy hell, that’s a lot of retail therapy,” i honestly don’t know what to say, other than this:  thank you! yes, you.  a great big, bear hug thank you to you from the bottom of my shopaholic heart.  for reading, for sticking around, for telling your friends, for commenting to let me know you’re out there, and for letting me shop with you most every day.  it’s been a sweet four years, and i can’t wait to see what happens next!

xo,
becki

(ps…i searched for an hour to find the perfect photo for this post, but it was all worth it when this beautiful shot from claire bears on flickr popped up.  you should totally check out her entire flickr stream, as it’s utterly beautiful.)

meet madewell:  j.crew’s hipper, more relaxed little sister store.  that sound you just heard?  oh, that was my credit cards, screaming for mercy…

on my must-have list:  switchyard blazer in slate, $110; rail straight cutoffs, $65 (and, yeah, probably that striped sweatshirt too, for $58); and a great big pile of these artisan tees, $29.50.  and maybe this cardigan.  and ooh, this sheer pink vest would be perfect for warm-weather layering.

and a few other pieces that are off my list for purely technical reasons:  these bensimon sneakers are divine in person, but run a full size small (and therefore are unattainable for me); and this absolutely perfect mini crossbody bag, which is making me wish i hadn’t already gotten one this year.

hmm.  in light of my extremely overloaded shopping bag, now might be a good time to mention how much i love new advertisers (hint, hint).  so, if you know a small biz or a designer who could use some adoration from all of you devoted SMC readers, send them on over!

those lovely ladies over at the daily obsession asked me to help out with their “insider’s obsessions” series this month.  calling me an insider and giving me a chance to gab about cashmere and scarves?  there was really no way i was going to turn that down.  plus, i miss my days as a TDO editor, and couldn’t resist reliving the magic!  you simply have to check it out…it’s a pretty fab list, if i do say so myself.

a huge welcome to those of you who’ve strayed over here – i hope you’ll stick around!  (oh, and i swear, the TDO gals and i didn’t coordinate obsessing about liberty of london for target on the same day…just goes to show that sometimes we’re so alike, we share a brain.)

have a great weekend, everyone!

yeah, i can’t quite believe it either.  but as strange as it sounds, i’ve been excited about the launch of ll bean’s new venture since i first heard about it months ago.  they’re calling it their “signature” line, and i’m hoping it will be a better-tailored, slightly more hip reinterpretation of their best ideas.  it’s still top secret, but i have visions of cropped field jackets, fitted flannels and the perfect striped cashmere sweater dancing in my head.  that could all just be wishful thinking, of course, but they’ve released a couple of preview pieces that have left me optimistic:

this classic leather tote looks like something your favorite writer would carry, or maybe something you inherited from a very stylish dad.  it’s perfect for work, travel, magazines, knitting…anything, really…and you can just tell it will get even better with age.

ooh, and it looks like they just launched a slideshow on the new site that’s equally hope-inspiring.

check out that chambray shirtdress…definite potential, don’t you think?  (i can’t quite believe that chambray is back…am i the only one with serious chambray memories from junior high?)

anyway, until the full line launches, you can grab that luxe leather tote for $189 on the new ll bean signature website, and then hold your breath along with me for the launch of the full line in march.

{“kind intruder” by michelle arcila, one of my very favorite photogs!}

…to those of you who took a second to tell me what you love, hate and generally have opinions about for this little blog.  if you didn’t get a chance, perhaps you could do it now? leave a comment on this post, the original post, some random post anywhere on the blog…i’ll see it any way you send it.  or if you’re feeling especially chatty, getting emails from you positively makes my day:  editor {at} shoppingsmycardio {dot} com, if you’re so inclined.

and have a fabulous weekend, everyone!

wow, i certainly gave myself a nice long vacation, didn’t i?  good reasons, i promise.  the holidays, of course.  and then a trip to mexico, to escape the rain and gloom.  whereupon, mother nature promptly rained and gloomed all over my mexican holiday (well, at least as gloomy as cancun gets).

{the view from my hotel balcony.  life is hard, i know.}

see?  but still…sand, surf, all-inclusive room service.  hard to complain too much, really.

during all of that holiday-ing, i’ve been thinking quite a bit about this blog.  it’s hard to believe i’ve been writing it for three and a half years.  frightening, actually.  and lately, i’ve been wondering if it’s really still the blog i set out to write.

so, in the spirit of the new year, i’m going to try changing a few things.  i’m going to loosen up a little – posting perhaps less reliably but with better finds.  i’m also going to broaden my horizons a little when it comes to content, which may end up involving any or all of the following:  more snarky rants, less polish, more books, travel and/or food, and the occasional delve into my personal life (such as it is).  the goal is to just generally ease up a bit on my usually tight-as-a-drum blogging filter.  we’ll see how it goes.

in the midst of all of this, i’d like to very sweetly ask for your help.  i didn’t want to get all formal and serious with a poll (mostly because i hate blog polls), but could you consider taking 30 seconds to leave a comment right now, letting me know if there’s anything you especially love, hate, or miss about the blog?  want more designer interviews?  more reader questions (my personal favorites)?  more beauty coverage?  not another moisturizer review, ever?  more books?  do you prefer high fashion or low fashion?  if you’d rather, of course, feel free to send advice/input via email – editor {at} shoppingsmycardio {dot} com, day or night.

beyond today’s request, i’d love to have you keep on giving me input on what’s working for you and what’s not.  tell me when you love something.  tell me when you hate it.  if i post a photo of my dog, and you’d rather never see him again, tell me.  (though that would be weird…he’s freaking adorable.)  the point is that i’d rather know what interests you and what doesn’t.  just leave a comment, or even email me – i heart getting emails from you guys so very, very much!

i hope you’re all off to a fabulous start this new year, and can’t wait to kick things off with a bang!

~xo, becki

(photo by joseph o holmes, courtesy of 20×200.com – isn’t it gorgeous?)

dear readers, i’m off for some much-needed rest, relaxation and a big plate of holiday cookies.  i’ll be back with you in the new year, but until then, i hope your trees are trimmed, your stockings are stuffed, and your after-christmas sale shopping is a wild success!

thank you all for making this yet another wonderful year of blogging – really and truly.  have a wonderful holiday!

happy december, all!  now that we’re officially in the middle of the holiday madness (hanukkah starts in 10 days!), i just wanted to share a couple of details about some new things you’ll be seeing here at shoppingsmycardio.

first up, since gift guides give me panic attacks – there’s just so much pressure, and what if i find something even better later on? – i’ve decided to have a gift month.  instead of featuring things that i want to own, i’m planning to spend the next 25-ish days giving you ideas on gifting to your nearest and dearest.  they’ll be in no particular order, but i’ll be sure to tell you who they’d be perfect for (at least, in my mind).  don’t worry too much – i’m a selfish beast at heart, so i’m sure there will be plenty of “this would be a perfect gift for…someone exactly like me”.  i promise you’ll still have plenty of hint-worthy links to send off to family and friends for your own wish list.

now, for the extremely less interesting part.  as of today, the federal trade commission says i have to tell you if i review anything that i received a sample of (feel free to let your eyes glaze over now).  in case you didn’t know, sometimes i get samples of things.  in fact, when it comes to my reviews of beauty products, i always get samples – i won’t review a product i haven’t tried (really, can you imagine my recommending a face cream i’d never tested? what if it turned your skin green? i could never live with myself.).  that said, the number of samples i receive versus the number i write about?  math isn’t my strong suit, so i won’t even attempt a percentage, but let’s just say sending me a tube of lipstick in no way, shape or form guarantees you a spot on this blog.  i’m insanely picky about what i choose to share with you all (much to the dismay of PR firms everywhere) and that doesn’t change just because i got a free anything.

regardless, the feds scare me, so from now on, if a sample was involved, i’ll just put a little *sample provided* disclaimer on the post.  fair enough?  and of course, if you have any questions about any of this, feel free to drop me a line.

that’s it for housekeeping matters…now, back to your regularly scheduled retail therapy.