First, a couple of fun announcements:

* If you happen to be one of my Portland readers, my sweet aesthetician at Portland Spa and Boutique is offering my readers a huge 40% off laser hair removal packages! That’s as good as a Groupon, but at the spa you actually want to go to (and without the mad rush of people). To get the deal, just call and mention Shopping’s My Cardio – they’ll hook you right up.

* Have you signed up for the iVillage “Get Organized For The Holidays” challenge yet? Today’s the kickoff – be there or be square! I’m telling you, my tips (well, everyone‘s tips, really) are pretty darned awesome…you won’t want to miss out.

* I’m working away like a busy little elf on Shopping’s My Cardio’s legendary holiday gift guides this week. They’ll be here the week after Thanksgiving (what can I say, I’m a purist), and I can’t wait for you to see them! In the meantime, though, it means I’m getting by with a little help from my friends, so you’ll see some guest posters here this week. This is a crop of seriously stylish ladies – I know you’re going to love each and every one! And I’ll still be around…you know I can’t stay away long.

Because you were good enough to suffer through the minutiae, I think it’s only fair you should be rewarded with something pretty:

I’m 100% obsessed with these beautiful (and reversible!) new clutches from Hammocks & High Tea. Each one is more gorgeous than the last. They’re simply the perfect rendering of the folded clutch trend you see absolutely everywhere right now – I’m so glad I held out! The size (11×7) is just right, the leather is sumptuous, and the pattern on the reverse is classic H&HT loveliness. I was lucky enough to nab the cobalt blue, since you know I can’t resist that color. Plus, how perfect for holiday travel?! Store your lingerie inside for the trip, and when you get there, you have two different clutches in one, that work for day or evening. Genius, I tell you.

Have fun with my guests this week, friends…give them a warm welcome, won’t you?

I have some exciting news, friends! This year, I’m helping to guide the lovely women of iVillage through that most treacherous time of year: the holidays! That’s right, I’m a coach for iVillage’s “Get Organized For The Holidays” challenge! Four weeks of tips, tricks and techniques to make your holidays merry, bright and – most of all – relaxing. You know, so you can actually enjoy the season for once?

The challenge starts on November 14, so it’s coming right up. I’m coaching the week on holiday shopping (natch), but there are coaches for all manner of holiday needs – everything from getting organized to throwing the perfect holiday party to cooking up the most delicious seasonal goodies you’ve ever churned out of your kitchen. You’ll be getting the best tips (via daily emails) from four serious experts in their fields, and I promise to share my very best ideas for making your holiday shopping simple, budget-friendly, and chock full of festive holiday fun (no, really!).

I’d be ever so flattered if you all signed up to play along, friends…hope to see you there!

Can you feel it? Are you excited? Missoni for Target launches tomorrow morning is live!!…get those super-shopper juices flowin’! The only way I’ll be able to contain my purchases is by creating a shopping list…otherwise, I know there will be one of everything piled into the cart before I realize what happened.

To keep me honest, I thought I’d show off my pre-game checklist – all of the pieces I’m hoping to nab from the collection. Of course, I’m guessing half of these won’t be as pretty in person…the miniskirts will be too short, and the “silk” blouse will be polyester. But for now, this what’s on my “must have” agenda.

(Poor husband. He has no idea what’s about to happen to our checking account.)

I’ll fight you for those zigzag pumps…don’t get in my way!

Have you made your list and/or grabbed your designated shopping buddy to hit Target in the morning? What are you dying to nab? Or are you so sick of the hype around this collection, you’re tempted to boycott the entire thing? (I’m right on the edge myself, but these are just too pretty to boycott.)

Friends, thank you so, so much for all of the birthday love this week. What did I ever do without all of you? I’m a lucky girl – and oh, so grateful. Since it’s the last day of my birthday week, I think I’m going to make the most of it by spending the day with a few of my favorite things:

{This photo was one of my all-time favorite birthday gifts, taken by my dear friend, A.}

{via The Importance of Salt}

{My cute little family…sans husband, as I think he’d be weirded out if I posted his handsome photo}

Have a great weekend, everyone. See you back here on Monday, another year older…and hopefully thinner wiser!

We don’t usually talk numbers here on the blog – major buzz kill, I know. But I did just want to mention that I’ve decided to run a big back-to-school sale on ads, partly because I miss caring about back-to-school things, and partly because, well, gotta keep the lights on.

Ads start at $50/month during the sale (that’s HALF off, friends!), and you can lock in your sale rate for as long as you’d like, even through the holiday season! Because I’m cool like that. The sale will run through the end of September. I’d so love to have a few fabulous new sponsors to add to our already-outstanding list.

So, if you own a business you know SMC readers will love, or if you have a friend that does, I hope you’ll send them my way. Just email editor @ shoppingsmycardio {dot} com for all the details, and we’ll find the best way for you to talk to all of my wonderful readers.

There, that wasn’t too painful, was it?

So exciting…it’s Fashion’s Night Out! Are you ready to party?

I’ll be checking out the festivities in Portland, where I have it on good authority there are some sweet swag bags (!) to be had, packed with goodies like American Express gift cards, beauty samples, and serious discounts at a bevy of local shops, including Mercantile, Radish Underground and Pendleton. I’m looking forward to taking full advantage – particularly since Pendleton will also be showing their new (and much-anticipated) Portland collection for the first time tonight!

{I heart swag!}

I’m so feeling the FNO vibe this year…it’s like a big fashion party in celebration of my birthday! (What? That’s not it?) In fact, I may even treat myself to some souvenir swag. This year’s tees are actually pretty fantastic – I’d love to layer one under a leather blazer, or pair it with a sweet flared skirt. Leave it to the always-impeccable Anna Wintour to mastermind a souvenir tee that looks like something from Proenza Schouler…albeit circa 1987. Still pretty sure that makes this the most stylish souvenir tee in history.

If you’re in town, stop by and say hi – I’ll keep you posted on my vantage point via Twitter, but will most likely be camped out at Nordstrom, after a pre-game champagne cocktail at Brasserie Montmartre.  If you’re not in the City of Roses, I hope you’ve found the FNO events going on in your city…they’re happening just about everywhere this year! Or, stay home and shop online – I’ve seen one-night-only online specials racing through my inbox at record speeds, so there are goodies to be had just about anywhere.

Do you have FNO plans this year?

{I know, not fashion-y at all. But how could anyone resist that face?}

Friends, I hope you have a relaxing weekend ahead, and are planning to relish those last few days of summer. Wear shorts, lounge in the sun (even if it’s just at your neighborhood Starbucks), and read a trashy novel…starting Tuesday, we’ll be in full-on fall mode at long last. I can hardly wait.

Enjoy every moment!

I’m giving myself a little summer vacation, friends. Well, in fairness, it’s not entirely a vacation – other projects beckon – but I do have at least a couple of days in my imminent future that I’m hoping will look a little something like this.

{Praia Piquinia, by Christian Chaize – 20×200}

I’ll be back here next week…I hope you will too!

First, thank you all so much for your wonderful (and kind) advice yesterday – I so appreciate your being decisive when I simply cannot. It was a tough, tough call…but you can see the winner right over on the About page! (Though I reserve the right to switch it up every six months.)

Now, about those Friday Finds. My mama’s in town this weekend, friends – I’m so excited! But that means I’m going to forego this week’s Friday Finds in favor of hanging with her. Can you blame me?

But. If you happen to be in Portland this weekend, don’t miss out on the big summer sale going on in the Pearl District – all of my favorite stores are in the mix (Mabel & Zora, Moule and Popina Swim!), so I know Mom and I will be there with bells on.

Wherever you are, I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I’ll see you back here next week!

Good news – the portraits you all helped me with a few weeks ago are in! Though I normally hate any and all photos of me, and will do anything to avoid sharing them (I’ve been known to steal photos of me right out of friends’ albums), I actually love these. Conceited, I know. But, trust me – I give the credit entirely to whatever photogenic fairy dust Ms. Melissa Tomeoni sprinkled over her camera before our session. That girl can work some serious magic with a lens!

So, what do you think?

All images © Melissa Tomeoni Photography. Please don’t take them, that would just be weird.

Not bad, right? Now…what photo should I use on my trusty “About” page? I’m leaning slightly toward the one with that beautiful blue Equipment shirt and my House of Harlow necklace, but would love your input, friends.