is it friday yet?

PLD is so looking forward to venturing out of town for the weekend! it's been a long week and i need a break! ha! ha! it's going to be a busy weekend, but i am ready!

first off, i plan on attending the 2010 designer show house. below is a photo of the house:

isn't this home beautiful! i can't wait to get inside and check it out!

the show house is located right on lake st. clair in grosse pointe farms, michigan. if anyone is in the metro detroit area and wants to take a peak! tickets are $20 at the door and the house is open from may 1-16, 2010. check out the junior league of detroit's website for details.

check it out, from what i have heard the designers have done a fabulous job!

let's just hope the weather holds out! UGH...it would put quite the damper on all my plans!

oh well, time will tell...PLD is ready to pack her bags for an exciting weekend back home.

have a great day!

~ PLD

oh, yea!!!!

in case you missed it last night the detroit RED WINGS kicked some coyote booty! yup, game 7 and the WINGS took care of business wining 6-1!

way to go WINGS!

have a great day!

~ PLD

[photo credit: reuters]

prada, furla, judith ripka jewelry and michael aram...

hope you have had a fabulous tuesday! 3 more days until the weekend....YIPPEE! i am looking forward to going to michigan this weekend! look out grosse pointe, here i come! ...let's just hope the weather holds out --- fingers crossed! hee! hee!

anyway, before i forget i wanted to share a few upcoming sales over at gilt groupe. i am plan on buying another bottle of perfume to replace the prada that i used up about 2 mos. ago. looking forward to some great deals!

anyway below is the information for the sales. not a member of gilt groupe, no problem! consider yourself invited to take part in exclusive access to gilt groupe. click HERE and sign up for FREE today! sales are PRIVATE, membership is FREE!

below are a few of the sales that will be held starting tomorrow over at gilt groupe:

Prada Parfums
Sale starts 4/28 11AM CDT

Furla
Sale starts 4/28 11AM CDT

Judith Ripka Jewelry
Sale starts 4/28 11AM CDT

and here's a sneak peak into thursday's sales....

Michael Aram
Sales starts 4/29 11AM CST

have a great night!

~ PLD

[PHOTO CREDITS for the above images: gilt groupe]

any gossip girl fans out there?????

i am SO bummed, i totally forgot to watch gossip girl tonight! by the time i realized it there was only 7 mins. left! UGH!!!

oh, of all the episodes to miss, it seems i managed to miss the episode that it is revealed that billy baldwin is serena van der woodsen's father...SERIOUSLY!!! i don't know about you, but i have been a HUGE fan of billy [or william, i prefer billy!] baldwin since the late 80's/early 90's...yeah, it's been awhile! ummmm, can you say....YUMMY!!!!

i was so excited when he was on dirty sexy money! so sad that show isn't on anymore!

so what did i miss? serena's mother is ill? what's wrong? oh, i need to watch this episode...is there a way i can do this for FREE or w/out a subscription? people watch halo or something like that? i have never watched anything on it? please help!!!

speaking of billy baldwin, i remember seeing him in person. i had just moved to chicago, never rode the "L" by myself and heard he was going to be a the hard rock cafe for MTV's rock the vote. so i ventured out by myself, new the city it was a little overwhelming....well, i made it! i was so excited, like a kid in a candy store! ha! ha!

then one of my sorority sisters had the nerve to call me from a democratic convention in new york or something for the democratic party and actually me billy baldwin! she called me right after to rub it in....nice huh! ha! ha!

oh well, i still think billy baldwin is hot and hope to see him on a lot more episodes of gossip girl! ha! ha!

have a great night!

~ PLD

for all you preppy shoppers out there....

thanks for stopping by...don't miss out on this great offer! need a new pair of sandals to kick off this summer? getting married this summer and need shoes [sandals] for your wedding party? need a gift for mom on mother's day? whatever the reason you won't want to miss out on this special offer:

stephen bonanno sandals is holding their annual sale from april 26th - may 2nd! use the code word: preppydress and save $20.00! order by calling 866-313-FEET (3338) or by visiting http://www.sbsandals.com/.

you know you can NEVER have too many pairs of bonanno's in your closet! i plan on placing an order, possibly a new pair of monogram emma's? trying to figure out the perfect color combination! thus, making this pair the 15th in my collection! hee! hee!

don't forget to mention "preppydress" and save $20.00! happy shopping!!

on that note...what is your favorite color combination?

~ PLD

thank you....

thank you all for sharing your favorite perfumes w/me! i am still looking to purchase another bottle or two.

this afternoon i made it over to nordstrom's to exchange the outfit i bought my nephew. i also ventured upstairs to check out a few scents. turns out there was a perfume event going on and well i ended up with a 1 oz. bottle of hanae morie parfum for $90. i also learned that the magical moon scent that i had before is no longer being sold at nordstrom's. macys will be carry it instead. anyway, i was tempted to but the eau de toilette bottle for $65.00, but was talked into the $90 parfum bottle instead. why? because if i bought the parfum i would get a FREE bottle of body cream a $53.00 value...SOLD!

sorry for the horrible photo...i am still searching for both of my digital cameras! i hope to find them soon!

while at the checkout counter, i was suckered me into signing up for the MOD card! UGH...i have been asked several times, each times i was strong and said, "NO!"...not today! darn it all! she was good! so i added a $10 gift card and they are sending me a $20 gift card, certificate or something like that. i felt uncomfortable providing my SSN and banking information, but went with it! oh well....at least now i will accrue points! hee! hee! looking back i should have joined earlier...oh well! when are those 10 point days? hee! hee!

i also stopped at talbot's and bought my mom a gift card for mother's day. i wrapped it, isn't the wrapping paper cute. i love it! now all i need is a bow and it's all set!

oh well, check out the tulips below -- aren't they beautiful! i couldn't pass up taking a photo..sorry! ha! ha!
yesterday i picked up a dungeness crab and now i need to decide what to do with it? so many choices! guess i better search for some simple recipes! it was a steal at costco for $4.99/lb. too good of a deal to pass up! i love costco!

say hello to my little friend... :)

oh, almost forgot there is a little story behind this dungeness crab! my parents are on vacation and spent the weekend in annapolis. today they stopped in d.c. and are in alexandria at this moment.

i told them to check out buddy's ribs & crabs [best seafood buffet!!!] and phillip's. they ate at cantler's riverside inn one night, lunch at buddy's yesterday and they ate at mcgarvey's the first night. today they had lunch at the fish market in alexandria and for dessert they were heading up to la madeleine! love la madeleine!! all before heading down to williamsburg for a wekk!

meanwhile, i gave them tips and pointers of places to stop and eat while in annapolis and alexandria. such a nice daughter sharing all my favorite hotspots! also, my sister lived & worked in alexandria a few years ago. so she also told them about places to check out in alexandria.

to make a long story short....basically, i am extremely jealous! i would love to be back in annapolis & alexnadria. so in their trip's honor i bought myself a dungeness crab! ha! ha!

i can't wait to take another trip down there next year for my 20 year high school reunion. yes, i did say "twenty" -- GULP!

speaking of my 20 year reunion...ironically, today i learned that one of our fella bloggers and i went to the same boarding school! small world, huh! so cool...and here i am trying to keep my blog anonymous, hee! hee!

oh well, have a great night!

~ PLD

Help, advice needed ASAP!

good morning!

i just realized my perfume assortment is running low. i just sprayed the last of my hanae mori magical moon. my laura mercier perfume is almost gone! my fresh sake perfume is down to about 1/3 of a bottle and so is my missoni missoni perfume. finally my marc jacobs perfume is getting old...
so it's time to invest in some more bottles of perfume!

what's your favorite perfume? i want to know!

i am still looking at buying a bottle of creed - the hot pink bottle, but i think i need about 2-3 new bottles of perfume. so please tell me what you like....with so much out there it can be overwhelming, sort of like eating at the cheesecake factory! ha! ha!

also, anyone picked up a new pair of tretorn's? i almost picked a pair in navy, but they didn't have my size.

do they run big?

the reason i ask i am normally a 9 - 9.5, but the 9 i tried on seemed so big! then i tried on a 8 and it was comfy buy a little tight? i really want to buy a pair!

it's only been what 15+ years since i owned my last pair? i remember when they sold for $30.00 or was it $34.00 --- certainly not the $55.00 they are asking today! ha! ha! i really want a pair, guess i should bring back a proper pair of socks with me and try them on again.

now that i think about it they must have been $30.00, since k.swiss were around $40.00. once k.swiss came around it was bye-bye tretorns! oh, the good old days...no, i am not that old! i was born in the 70's ---thank you very much! ;)

then again, i have to run back to nordstrom's today and exchange the adorable outfit i bought my nephew. i bought 3 mos. instead of 6 mos.....darn it! good thing i showed my husband what i bought and noticed i screwed up! another excuse to go back to oak brook...hee! hee!

plus, i picked up a pair of nautica jeans for my husband at costco...for ONLY $19.99!!! he loves them, so i am going to go back and pick up another 2 pairs --- come on, when can you buy comfy jeans for under $20.00...EXACTLY!!! ha! ha!

first off, i need a starbucks fix! plus, it's sunday and the mall doesn't open until noon. 4 hours to spare...what is one to do? i went to church last night, so it's a free day for PLD!

have a wonderful sunday!

~ PLD

junior league show house and my jaye's order arrived...

thanks mr. ups guy! so excited, i had a package waiting for me when i got home. what could it be? ha! ha! it was my jaye's order from one king's lane. thanks, one kings lane! love...love...love everything!

plus, jaye's did an awesome job w/packaging my the items. seriously, i hate it when i buy something and it is so cheaply packed! oh no, not the items i purchased below. definitely give jaye's a A+ for packaging! other companies should take note, ha! ha!

if you are not a member of one kings lane and feel like checking out the rest of the deals, click here.

last night i also stopped at home goods for no particular reason. just felt like browsing! i am always amazed by how many new items pop up in their stores in a matter of a week! it's great! not sure if anyone saw the bamboo scented candle from yankee candles....that scent is awesome! i almost bought the medium one for $7.99, but i have SO many candles!!! however, i will probably go back and buy it this weekend! be sure and check out that scent....i love it!!

i ended up picking up a personalized board, sorry i covered up the initial on front. plus, some hot pink dish towels....like socks, one can never have enough dish towels! ha! ha! plus, for ONLY $2.99 it was hard to pass up! ha! ha!

it's friday folks....big plans for the weekend?

my weekend will be boring and uneventful! yup, i will be cleaning [again!]...making a costco run...going out to dinner [where? not sure?]...and that's about it! probably some shopping, but the weather forecast is "rain" --- ugh! great weekend for watching a few movies on lifetime...ha! ha!

that's okay, since next weekend i am heading to michigan! can't wait! i am going to the junior league of detroit's show house. the location this year is a fabulous house on lakeshore drive in grosse pointe farms, michigan. if you are around the metro detroit area be sure and stop by! visit the junior league of detroit's website for details on where to purchase tickets [$20 at the door; $15 in advance] and parking. it will be worth the trip!! i can't wait to see how the designers transformed each room and see all my junior league friends! good times!!

oh well, have a great weekend!

~ PLD

preppy flip flops and maude asbury....

so excited, i finally bought a maude ashbury magnet memo'ry board! isn't it cute! i already posted a save the date reminder for later this summer!...love it!!!

now i just need to order some more fleur-de-lis hanging hooks from ballard designs. like the ones show in the photos below. i have 2 sets, of which 2 hold my kolene spicher bra & boxer prints and my kolene spicher perfume bottles....great prints hanging in my bathrooms!

can you see....i'd rather have the memo'ry board hanging off one of these than the stupid nail i am using right now! ha! ha! not bad for $32.00..hee! hee!

CRAP!...i just checked out ballard designs website and they don't have them for sale anymore! CRAP! CRAP! CRAP! i certainly can't break up my other 2 set of prints! what am i going to do? any suggestions? anyone know where i can find similar fleur-de-lis hooks? i am sure i will figure something out! DRATS!

also, i had to share the other purchases i made today. what? well, emily over at champagnelaceandloveliness post from pink and green friday had a pair of cute sandals from talbot's. i posted thinking they were $98 - $128 in price. clearly i was WRONG!

these ruffled ribbon flip flops are a mere $44.00! seriously....YUP!

i my 20% savings coupon i got in the mail and ended up paying $35.20/per pair! STEAL!!!!
instead of buying them at the store less than a mile from me, i called my store back in michigan and did a charge hold. cheaper tax and i would rather give the business to the store in michigan than pay 10.25% chicago sales tax....so i will pick them up in two weeks, can't wait! i can be cheap or "frugal" when i want to be, ha! ha!

such a deal...$44.00 less 20% -- SOLD!!

i bought 2 pairs including the pink and green pair below:

and of course i couldn't pass up this pair in black and white:
of course, i bought them without trying them on! i just hope they are comfortable! so cute and preppy too!hope you have a wonderful evening! dinner was great, but i did not have the surf and turf planned! oh well, there is always next time! we had a change in plans and went some place out to eat....hubby isn't feeling so hot tonight! boo! hoo!

have a great night!

~ PLD

what do you think????

hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

i have a quick question for you. we have been invited to attend a 1st communion [not officially, my husband talked to his friend who invited us over the phone].... we won't be able to attend. i want to know what is an appropriate gift to send? cash, check, gift? how much should i spend for something we won't be attending? we haven't seen this family in almost 2 years. we used to be good friends but we have since drifted in different directions. i would like to send a gift or not? what? any advise?

thanks!

~ PLD

thank you!

yup, thank you for not rushing over to the one kings lane website! ha! ha!

i totally forgot the jaye's sale was going on and thought for sure everything would be gone by now! after all it's almost 9pm!

well, much to my surprise i was able to snag the following safari monkey items...love'em!!!

yippee!!

if you are not a member of one kings lane and feel like checking out the rest of the deals, click here.

oh well, hope your week is going well! sorry i haven't been around much but work is keeping me busy! another reason i was not able to access the one kings lane site until this evening--- poor me, i know! ha! ha!

i am in the process of organizing my closest and next up the garage! UGH!!!! like you, i have so much stuff! UGH! i am not one to part with my belongings but eventually there comes a time when you must let the stuff go! after all, one doesn't want to become a hoarder! ha! ha!

have a great night! see ya back here later!

:) PLD

swoozie's...

question for you...is the swoozie's near you going out of business? i was shocked this morning when i saw a large yellow sign that read "going out of business" --- really?!?!!?

everything in the store was 10-30% off....although everything i saw aside from holiday items was only 10% off! there were lots of lilly pulitzer items, which was great if the pricing didn't seem like a scam!

specifically, lilly pulitzer's latte da! mugs....the had them priced at $19.95. seriously! what a joke! even the lilly pulitzer website sells them for $15.00. talk about a mark up! ha! ha!

i walked out purchasing nothing! don't worry, i'll be back! especially when everything is over 70% off --- ha! ha!

it's sad to see so many businesses going under. i wonder if it was just the swoozie's near me that is going out of business or if all swoozie's locations are too? i hope not! i am so tired of seeing vacant buildings!!!

oh well, hard to believe this weekend is almost over! boo!

have a great night folks!

~ PLD

correction: i did a search and sure enough all swoozie's locations are going out of business! for additional details, click here. sad...very sad!!

happy saturday!

what a beautiful day! today i let mr. PLD decide what we were doing today. so mr. PLD decided he wanted to go to the "range" --- yes, he jumped on the bandwagon since you know who went into office.

i have to say, i was impressed by the people at the range! there was a range rover, a couple of audi's and a bmw to name a few! this was also PLD's first time to a range...not impressed! i tried to take photos but got yelled at -- absolutely NO photography! i almost got kicked out! all i wanted was a photo of my husband shooting at the range....so not the PLD lifestyle, ha! ha!

so today we ventured over to ottawa, illinois. it's about and hour and a half away from us. also, the furthest south and west i have been in illinois! hard to believe there is life outside of chicago, ha! ha! can't believe in the 11 years i have lived in chicago...this was the 1st time i ventured south! it was all pretty much flat and farmland --- in other words BORING!!!

while he was at the range i wanted to check out ottawa....so not what i thought it was going to be. took in a little history on president lincoln. below are some photos from my visit.

don't you love the hats below...very talented artists! i don't know the history behind the hats but thought they were worth sharing:


below is good old abe! the image of the cat below is my favorite!
the hat below is for starved rock, which we also visited in the next town over in utica, illinois. highly recommend you visit! amazing views!!

below is a bronze status of president lincoln....at the site where it all started so many years ago!

below is a photo of the redding mansion. isn't it beautiful! it's used to be the home of a irish immigrant and his family, can't remember his name at the moment. anyway, now it hosts wedding receptions and other special events. i didn't make it inside for a tour but thought it was a beautiful mansion.

that's where my battery died! no photos from starved rock, sorry!

anyway, after picking up mr. PLD from the range we headed to utica for lunch and ate at a fabulous restaurant called canal port. aside from being a bar, it's a steak and seafood restaurant. half bar, half restaurant --- for a small town the food was excellent! highly recommend this restaurant if you are ever out that way and looking for a place to eat.

then we headed over to starved rock and went home. not bad for mr. PLD's choice of activities! i was of course extremely disappointed there was no place to shop! oh, there were shops but no place PLD was interested in shopping! ha! ha! oh well, there's always tomorrow right! ha! ha!

oh well, below is the newest bunny to my herend collection. so cute! also the other pair of bunnies i got a couple of weeks ago. the rest of my collection is packed away, but i posted another photo of them below as well.....love my little herend collection!

the rest of my collection:

oh, and the broken bunny too -- can't forget about this poor little guy:

i think i'll add another herend fishnet figurine to my "wish list" along with a louis vuitton neverfull gm and a pair of bonanno sandals! ha! ha! not a bad list! after all you can't have too many herend fishnet figurines! ha! ha! if only my collection was bigger!!!

hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

~ PLD

bad thoughts....just kiddin'

so over the past two days i can't get the louis vuitton website out of my head! i am craving a new louis vuitton, but seriously i have 4 LV monogram canvas purses --- do i need another monogram canvas purse? oh, decisions...decisions...decisions!

i really want the neverfull gm. i think it would make a fantastic carry on piece! speaking of carry on luggage...anyone heard about spirit airlines charging customers for luggage placed in the luggage area above your seat! SERIOUSLY!!! this doesn't go into effect until august....personally, i think it is just WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

turns out spirit airlines is the same airline that invented the so-called "checked baggage fee" --- ha! ha! just keep that in mind next time you fly. ha! ha!

oh well, so back to the neverfull gm...i love that tote!!! so who knows, maybe i will buy it? maybe i won't? too bad i can't buy it from eluxury anymore. boo! it was so convenient and i didn't have to pay sales tax, plus i was able to get an additional % back through ebates. for details on ebates, look to the left of this post. love ebates!

oh well...i am pretty exhausted from work. i am so glad i love my new job! oh, my herend fishnet bunny arrived today. my camera is in the garage, so i will post about it tomorrow. now if only i could access the rest of my collection! it's packed away...boo!

have a great night!

~ PLD

here comes peter cottontail...

hoppin' down the bunny trail,
hippity, hoppity,
easter's on its way.

..and so on.

those words definitely bring back wonderful childhood memories! egg hunts and brunch at the yacht club...church on sunday morning...decorating eggs and finding them the next morning, etc. however, as a child i don't recall getting as many gifts as children do today! seriously, it's like their birthday or something! ha! ha!

oh well, today i decided to add another herend fishnet bunny to my collection. after all, it's easter - great excuse, right! yea, i thought so! ha! ha!

isn't he cute! can't wait for him to arrive! told you all my collection might be on the small side to some, but i am slowing catching up! you can look back in prior posts to see my collection.

although there is one piece that did not make the photos. that would be my injured little green rabbit below. as you can see his poor little ear broke off. not sure how it happened? but it did!

too bad this happened prior to adding my collection to my personal articles insurance policy. i can glue that back on but he also has a chip on his lower leg....poor bunny, i can't find the chip piece either. at one point i thought about pitching him. yes, that thought came to mind! then back to reality and i saved him...injury and all! ha! ha!

oh well, hope you all are enjoying a fabulous easter! my husband and i went to church and over to the key wester grill for lunch. i had never eaten there before, but thought it would be fun to check out.

the food was great, but personally not worth spending $88.36 for 2 people for brunch! this includes gratuity and tax.

they had crab legs, mussels, shrimp, eggs benedict, creme brulee, roast beef, ham and all sorts of food! personally, i was expecting more seafood including clam chowder, oysters, etc.

guess i was hoping the menu would be more like buddy's crabs & ribs in annapolis, md! love that place! love...love...love buddy's! can't wait to plan another trip back to annapolis! i know i will be heading back down that way for my high school [boarding school] reunion next year...if not sooner!!

oh well, have a great day!

happy easter!

~ PLD

it's friday!!

today we have the day off, yes! plus, it's going to be up in the 80's here in chicago - seriously, i don't think it gets any better than that!!!!

today i am getting my eyes check, joy! joy! joy! i think i need glasses for reading...boo! hopefully that won't take too long! i have some shopping to do today, ha! ha!

so far this week i was able to wear my bonanno monogrammed emma's and my fuchsia pink jack rogers. today i have yet to pick out my outfit but i know i will be wearing either a pair of bonanno's or jack rogers....love my sandals!!

too bad rain is forecasted tomorrow, boo! luckily we are heading up to wisconsin to celebrate easter with my BIL's family. really wish we were going to florida, but w/my new job i can't use vacation time for 3 months. oh well....i love my job, so it's okay!!!!! :)

so this week i got the latest l.l.bean catalog and found a coupon inside for FREE shipping, no min. purchase requirements! sweet! i wanted to place an order but turns out while placing my order i was on the land's end site. ha! ha! i couldn't understand why my coupon code was not working! i chatted with a customer service rep and she didn't know about this code? frustrated i must of typed at some point "l.l.bean" and she's like you are on the land's end site. ops! so embarrassing! ha! ha! pretty fun, stuff like that happens to me all the time. :)

oh well, time to hop in the shower and venture over to starbucks before venturing out for the day! have a great day and a wonderful weekend!

~ PLD