christmas 2012

christmas is definitely a retail holiday for our family. we don't go to church nor do we decorate a christmas tree, but we do hang up little stockings and buy teeny weenie gifts for each other cuz getting gifts is plain FUN don't you think?

i'm trying to start a tradition of making waffles for my fam (meaning my hubs and my sis). this year, it's whole wheat waffles and MERRY CHRISTPY bacon. you need energy before you rip into packages....rawrrr.

then the dogs get their pressies after we eat, spoiled pooches.

charlie's auntie made him a bill cosby inspired sweater and he got a chew toy with a bone hidden inside. he likes to destruct his toys, ass first apparently.

lucy got a whole new outfit from her auntie and chew toys from us. pretty in pink with a touch of mrs. claus. she ripped into her chew toy fast...there's a little rawhide dog bone hidden inside. fyi, that toy is DEAD the last time i checked. her teeth is just plain ruthless. you should see our pathetic sofa, it is a freaking MESS. thanks lucy....grrrrr.....

then of course, there's our biggest bear, bronx aka "donkey" as i fondly call him because of his huge badonks. he got a new kennel liner and chew toys. he is pretty darn handsome don't you think? GQ baby.

they were pretty excited about their toys and got uber tired after running about stealing everything from each other. *sigh*

we also found a reindeer gone AWOL. he must be tired from his flight today...christmas is a tough business.

my hubs got me an early christmas pressie....aka he-couldn't-keep-a-secret-for-the-life-of-him. it's an ipad minnniiiiiiiiii! and he personalized it with a little sweet message engraved on the back. i love it, a useful tool to be productive AND to waste time.

feeling grateful for all the mini and big things in my life. i hope you're having a wonderful christmas too!!

was it a steal at stila?

the stila sample sale waaaaassss....fruitful. i guess after standing in line for almost 2 hours, you HAVE to pick up something, don't you think? smh. oh man! the line inched really slowly and it felt like waiting for a bus that you have NO IDEA when it would actually arrive, so you wait and wait worried that if you give up and leave that it will magically show up just as you turned the corner. yup, that's my long version of saying we waited so long, we HAD to be "all in."

here's some "while we waited in line scenes" which was quite interesting since it was held at our local roller derby training facility. can you spot "ghetto stilleto" or "gori spelling?" muhahaha.

.....and back to the sale. needless to say, organized mayhem. lots of full boxes held by folks stocking up. perhaps to be given as gifts, to be resold at another venue, cuz their mugs be needing it? there was everything you can think of, eye shadows, blushes, foundation, eyeliners, brushes, etc....but you really don't need all that, right?

i went a little crazy, but not THAT CRAZY. a lion's share of the budget went to buying gifts. it's the little make up pouch and set of lip glosses you see on your left. i'm giving them away as a christmas set. for myself, i purchased the products on the right: lip gloss set, glitter eyeliner (yes, i am way too old for that), liquid liner, eyeliner, mascara, a small bottle of foundation, an eyeshadow brush (not pictured), and some lip liners. if they rock, i will blog about it. till then peeps, have a super wonderful, safe, and beautimous holiday!!

Stila sample sale, ftw?

How glorious is technology to be able to blog in line...a horribly long line, in the cold (god this better be good). Hello stila sample sale!

If I purchase anything, I will post. Also I'm on vacation for 3 weeks! It's totally ok to do dumb crap like this. Totally?

a healthy bite of apple!

there are some things you wait long for. like looooooong. for me, waiting to get an iphone is up there with waiting for hell to freeze over. ok look, not trying to be dramatic here, but ever since i anted up to pay for a smartphone and the subsequent outrageous phone bills that the move entailed, it was CLEAR to me that i was going to end up with an iphone sooner or later. it only took 2 years, 2 months, and a cracked droid screen later for me to finally get the phone that i've always wanted.

helllllooooo white iphone 5. i know i already dropped you once right out of the box OOOOPS, but baby, i'm going to encase you in the rubberyist, most protective phone condom ever so that you don't get brain damage like my old droid up there. besides, i used up all my piggy bank money on you so i'm committing myself to a looooong ass relationship. do you love me? cuz i really, really, really love you.

and you know what is the best part?! I can finally blog on the go too! ecstatic! like this post!

totally tokidoki

i first noticed tokidoki during their collaboration with lesportsac. they designed a ton of these bags which became crazy popular. i personally wasn't a huge fan because the bags looked too busy but i can see why people were enamored by it. if you look closely, the characters are pretty cute and the colors are vibrant.

even though tokidoki means "sometimes" in japanese, an interesting fact about this brand is that the artist is italian and the brand developers are american...nothing about tokidoki is japanese except for the name and the inspiration behind it. they sure fooled us with that one now didn't they?

other than the bags, i also began seeing tokidoki makeup and makeup accessories at sephora. i always steered clear from them because i thought it was pricey and "kiddish." but apparently, sephora will be parting ways with them and is currently having a huge sale right now to get rid of inventory. if you slash their prices, i'm gonna totally be all up on tokidoki's grill. here's a few things i picked up at sephora before the items go poof.

makeup bag. i really don't need another one, but this was so cute and in purple too! i am such a whore for cute packaging. the front of the makeup bag is clear with passport stamps printed on it. there's also cute details like that heart skull and crossbones and the zipper.

the back of bag is solid white with lots of colorful characters.

i also picked up trio of glosses. again, the packaging was cute. you slide the glosses up to get access to them, but the gloss itself is ok at best. sticky and gloopy. not the best quality gloss out there, but for a sale item, oki toki. i got the ones in "pink" and i'm determined to use them.

fyi, after a quick convo with a sephora employee, i learned that their makeup wasn't profitable enough for sephora to continue to carry in their stores because their make up quality is just "ok." most people buy tokidoki for their design and not necessarily for the quality of their makeup. after swatching their makeup and using this gloss, i totally get her point.

i really, really wanted these brushes though. totally not practical because of the big headed figurines on the top and no support for the synthetic brush tips at the bottom but i got them anyway because they were cute and on sale. the packaging here totally rocks. super duper cute!

there's a few more tokidoki items still left on the sephora website if you are interested. i also think the brush set and the bag is available so if you want to grab them at their sale price before they go, i say do it now!

loubs and a rant about prince charming

these are the christian louboutin cinderella shoes which he created to celebrate disney's release of cinderella on blue-ray disc this fall. even if you love it, lust after it, and are currently caressing the screen with your cheeks because you adore it, they are not for sale. BUT, 20 pairs will be given away as part of the promotion which means 20 freaking excited ladies or 20 pairs found immediately on ebay after receiving them. i tell ya, everyone is always out to make a quick buck.

of course its met with some criticism. people are disappointed that it's not "glass-like" which really means using materials like plastic/ pvc to give that glass effect if you even want the shoe to be wearable...not like these loubs are really wearable with those sky high stilettos...but i digress. but let me point out ANOTHER THING...the original cinderella story before its translated version described the shoes as furry!! i don't know how legit that rumor is either, but i remember reading about that once so i suggest that you google it if you really want to know whether cinderella was rocking beautiful glass slippers or a pair of UGGs that fateful night.

anyway, louboutin's material of preference here is lace and swarovski crystals which can be seen on the back heel as well as scattered throughout the sides. let's not forget that there's a prevalent butterfly theme going on here a la mariah carey. i'm gonna bet on the fact that she's going to try to secure herself a pair. i would...if i had loads of money and like to buy shoes that i don't wear of course.

the sparkle is crazy intense. methinks a perfect shoe for a bride that wants to feel like a princess on her wedding day.

but seriously, let's talk about prince charming. i think the idea of romance and fairy tale loves were spoon fed to us as early as infanthood. we were brainwashed! look at all the love tales produced by disney. did these cartoons set us up for romantic failure because what they portray and what is reality is not remotely connected at all?

love is actually 90% work. it is a roller coaster ride of highs and lows. we don't get to see cinderella and her prince charming arguing about "going out" with friends too much versus spending quality time together. we don't see snow white and her prince arguing about having opposite sex friends or hanging out with an ex. neither do we see beauty and the beast disagreeing about money problems, sexual frustration, wanting to get married, or wanting to date other people. we have been brain washed to believe in fairy tale romances so every single girl looks for prince charming when in reality, what she should really look for is mr. good guy, mr. right, mr. you fit me the best. one that can still sweep her off her feet, but is also capable of providing her with the commitment and love to enter into a relationship that at the end of the day, is STILL about 90% work.

the days of kissing toads to see if they're really princes are over. the only thing you'll get from kissing a toad is a wart.

before you start wondering about the source of my rant, let me just tell you that i've been engaged in some matchmaking and listening to people's lists and their ideas of perfection...lordy that doesn't exist. there's always an achilles' heel to every dude/dudette you meet and if you can sit there and tell me with a straight face that your significant other is PERFECT, then i'm totally not going to pull you out of your reality. good for you.

but for all us regular folks, we know that people are not perfect. love and relationships take compromise, it demands that we don't get stuck on the LITTLE things, it's about empathizing with and for your partner and knowing when to support, when to guide, when to advise, and when to forgive. it's about commitment and a genuine passion to grow the relationship into something strong, beautiful, wonderful, and lasting. but most importantly, pick the right person for yourself and go all in. a successful relationship = love, effort, attraction and lots of freaking luck.

love deep, laugh hard, be good to yourself. talk to you laterz.

the fountain of youth

you can probably find the fountain of youth at a VERY GOOD plastic surgeon's office. one that spouts out all kinds of solutions and botox to keep your face wrinkle free and will also give you small ninja cuts to the face with tiny scalpels to immortalize your visage. but if you are anything like me, you probably just want to age well right? look younger than you are? make it hard for people to guess your real age? maybe even get carded for alcohol FOR REALS rather than as a consequence of a company's policy...yeah, i'm talking about YOU, trader joe's.

i love how this picture looks like the next victoria secret campaign. ha!

being that july is my birthday month coupled with spotting a few more wrinkles and hyperpigmentations to remind me of my advancing age *sob* i started researching skincare products that could help preserve my skin short of embalming it. this task is doubly hard due to my prone-to-break-outs-combination-skin. ugh. let's just say, i always had bad skin as a teen and never became interested in skincare because it seemed futile...and now it shows and i'm hoping it's not TOOOOOOOOO late. *sniffle*

i tried a slew of products for the past few months and will blog about them shortly (aka don't hold your breath. blogging takes so long! i wish i had the time to be a professional blogger and not just a blogger enthusiast) and i've finally discovered a routine and some products that works for me *high-five*

1. cleanse and tone
find a good cleanser to rid your face of all the dirt, makeup, and sunblock. then use a good toner to take off any remnants of dirt that somehow escaped your cleanser and also to prep your skin for serums/moisturizers.

2. exfoliate
exfoliate your skin regularly to rid yourself of dead skin cells. the right method/products will reveal smoother skin...dare i say, as soft as a baby's butt but not as stinky?

3. corrective serums and creams
there are tons of eye creams and serums that claim to correct some damage to your skin. some are more effective than others. the whole point of course is to CORRECT something wrong with your face right? (man that sounded mean). hyperpigmentations? fine lines? wrinkles? puffiness around the eyes? huge pores? etc....don't tell me you want that on your face cuz i sure don't.

4. moisturize
depending on the climate, the season, your genetics, we can all use some form of moisturizer though it may vary by brand or thickness. the bottom line is that dry skin makes your face look like beef jerky...look at clint eastwood for instance. doesn't he look like he's crying out for a tub of le mer or vasaline or something to moisturize his mug? dry skin really accentuates wrinkles so if you don't want to look like a prune, then i suggest regular usage of some type of moisturizing product.

5. preventative serums
these are different from the corrective serums because they "PREVENT" THAT ANNOYING THING THAT HAPPENS WITH AGE from happening too early. i'll talk a little more about this on a future post.

6. PROTECT!!
use sunblock religiously to insure that you're doing your best to slow down sun damage and all the consequences of it. i was never a regular user of sunblock which totally explains why i now have to deal with all the stuff that's not so dandy about my skin.

so after spending about 3 hrs in the bathroom doing all that stuff to your skin to insure that you don't look a day older than yesterday, then you can finally crawl into bed or head off to work. so that's that. i'll share a few products that works for me in future posts. but overall, my skin has gotten a lot smoother and my pores are diminished after i implemented this routine. in my book, that is like totally rad and definitely a keeper. ahhh, the things we do to look young.....

good night.

THICK SKINNED

ambiguous rant. yes siree. bear with me.

i loooooove how i volunteer to do a job for people but folks rear their ungrateful heads and complain about how much i DIDN'T DO FOR THEM. the last time i checked, i did quite a lot and tried my darndest to be informative and HELPFUL to folks, but of course, people who only know how to complain are also the same people who think that what i did should have been easy and uncomplicated. ok, sure...why don't YOU go do it. no takers? yah, not surprised.

talk about the number of extra hours i spent in meetings, nagging THE LAZY ONE, and making phone calls to multiple people just to get an answer to ONE QUESTION (and golly there were a lot of questions)....questions apparently that you don't think i did a good job of getting the answers for. a whole year people, a whole year of this shit and you still think i 1) targeted you and was unfair 2) didn't think i knew what i was talking about so you didn't believe me 3) was hiding information from everybody 4) was rude to you 5) was lying and making up shit 6) that i was oblivious to the side convos you had about me. six words to you: FUCK YOU AND THAT'S A WRAP.

you can smack talk me all you want, but i sure did my best. i was transparent and honest and absolutely had integrity and fairness in mind when i took up these extra duties. the true lessons i learned this year were 1) people who don't like you will NEVER like you, no matter what you do because their view of you is tainted like dirty underwear 2) i should NEVER apologize to anyone who cried in my presence just because i felt bad that they cried and especially when i didn't do anything wrong IMO...i cannot help that your spine is weak and you get special treatment because you're a crybaby...and too bad for you that confronting you with the truth makes you tear up you dumbass 3) friends who are on your side will always be on your side because whatever you do, they always trust that you won't wrong them. thanks friends, i didn't wrong you at all. in fact, i went ABOVE AND BEYOND the call of duty because i was mindful of the stress level everybody experienced and worked hard to keep this year FAIR and all you TOTALLY INFORMED. seriously, you think anybody that was ever in this post WOULD EVER do as much as i did for you guys this year?? the answer is a big ole HELLS NO.

i also learned to be THICK SKINNED to eek me through these last months of this volunteer work but apparently, thick skin won't come about if i keep using this clarisonic. gawd i love this clarisonic. so good for your skin, makes you feel like you walked out of a facial.

for a tad over $100 (though i paid $30 more at that time to get this cheetah pattern, teehee i am such a sucker for packaging) you get an oscillating brush head that thoroughly cleanses your skin. actually, here's the clarisonic blurb.

• Removes 6X more makeup than manual cleansing
• Leaves skin feeling and looking smoother
• Cleansing helps products work more effectively
• Gentle enough to use twice a day
• Reduces oily areas, dry skin patches and blemishes
• Minimizes the appearance of visible pores

but per my sis-in-law who use to work at a dermatologist owned beauty spa, overusing products like these thins out your skin which is a huge no, no. so though i love the way it feels and the way my skin looks after 5 months of usage, i limit myself to 2-3 times a week just so i won't cause any skin thinning...besides, after the horrific year of volunteer work i did, i definitely learned that i should be THICK SKINNED, not THIN SKINNED. so YAY to clarisonic and a big ass BOO to some cray cray folks i dealt with this year.

rant over.

the golden legume

if jack, you know the dude with that overgrown beanstalk, was given this pretty golden legume instead of a handful of "magic" ones, i'm pretty sure he wouldn't have gotten in trouble with his momma. instead of tossing it out of her window wondering how her dumb son can trade a whole cow away for a handful of "magic" beans, i think she would have strung this shiny legume on a delicate gold chain just like this to wear around her thick neck...just like me. purty *sigh*

tucked away in that velvety envelope was my sweet gold elsa peretti bean pendant from tiffany & co. amongst all the necklaces i own, this necklace is the quintessential "every day"/ "most wearable" one due to its simplicity and daintiness. it goes with everything, gives your naked neck the right amount of presence, and best of all, it's as smooth as an...ahem, legume, which makes it soothing to rub as you ponder life's questions like "what should i order at starbucks?" or "does this dress make me look fat?"

i heard about the possibility of elsa peretti and tiffany & co parting ways here and here. how tragic! :( i think her designs are universally loved! they are understated, elegant, and i love, love, love the soft lines in her creations. the bean, open heart, and diamonds by the yard are a few of her most popular designs and her collection in general is a fave of mine at tiffs....it would be a shame to lose access to them.

if peretti's deal with tiffany dissolves, she MAY sell her designs through other vendors, but it's hard to think after 40 years that it would be the same to get them anywhere else but tiffany.*sigh* besides, tiffany has pretty great quality control on their products and that may not be the case with other vendors. just something to keep in mind if you were pondering a few elsa peretti pieces for a while now.

IF elsa breaks up with tiffany, i think i will bite the bullet and possibly purchase an open heart necklace or/and a diamonds by the yard. anyways, i never mind adding more robin blue boxed items to my collection so i really don't need much of an excuse...though this is a pretty good one i must say. :P

happy wednesday!

the last time i checked, i have one neck, 2 ears, and two arms....but i managed to collect a gazillion items for each appendage. why for you might ask? that's cuz i jock pretty shit.

soft, supple leather? yesssss. gold? hubba hubba. diamonds? yes please! silk...the more the merrier. in a nutshell, i am a bag toting, silk wearing, jewelry loving whore-asauraus. my motto has always been: work hard, play harder....and judging from my obsessions, i better work real hard cuz i sure like to play a lot :P

so amongst my collection of necklaces, my MOST FAVORITE "every day" necklace has got to be THIS ONE. i've had it for a while now but never really talked about it...there's really no reason for that other than my choice not to document every single thing i own unless there's a reason to blog about it. besides, it's kinda creepy to have complete strangers know every piece of everything and anything you own don't you think?

well, with that thought, i leave this robin blue box as a wednesday teaser....i don't mean to give you jewelry blue balls...but then again, i'm a whore-asaurus and a tease when it comes to all things bagnatic. *kisses*

a goyard buffet

symptoms of the contagious and deadly goyard fever:

1) you get obsessed. you start spotting them wherever you go like a where's waldo book but in bag form. here's me spotting one and taking a spy pic when i was at a korean bbq restaurant exactly one year ago. lovely orange st. louis, you were a joy to spot....

2) then you start thinking about the bag style you want IF you were to ever get one of course. the ever popular ST. LOUIS tote is a favorite amongst both fabulous men and women. these bags are probably the most common amongst goyard fanatics and in my opinion, the most lovely and functional.

of course there are other bag styles like the saigon which can be seen carried by nicky hilton, kim kardashian, and dita von teese. the shape reminds me of a hermes kelly but the wooden handles makes me wanna wear a coconut bra while i tote it. the saigon looks extremely boxy to me and uber rigid and i'm just not a fan of the wood, leather, and canvas combination.

let's not forget the fabulous man purse, the murse, the MESSENGER BAG if you will. i'm sure women tote this, but i definitely see more men carrying it...and the design definitely lends itself to more masculine identities.

3) after you pick the bag, then you fantasize about the color you want. do you want a pop color? do you want to keep it simple? how much money do you want to spend?

black and red are the "stock" colors which means they are priced lower than the other colors for THE SAME EXACT BAG AND SIZE. so basically, the moral of that story is, you better love that color a lot for the extra $$$$ you will have to shell out. luckily, i was happy with black....but black with black trim or black with tan trim? ugh, this goyard buffet never ends....

when i modeled the st. louis at the store, it was obvious to me that the black and tan trim "popped." the contrasting trim brought your eyes to the bag and held you there whereas the black on black trim looked very one noted. let's just say, the all black bag will easily blend into your outfits. like this:

i also think this color combo is unisex and appeals to many men as well so if you mind seeing a dude toting your bag, then the black with black trim is probably too universal for you. just sayin.'

4) after figuring out the bag and the color, you get the option of personalizing your goyard! that means getting hand painted colored stripes going every which way and initials or symbols....for a few extra $$$$ of course, depending on the color and the number of letters you want.

i personally DO NOT enjoy that look. i know l.v. offers this service as well, but after reading goyard's disclaimer stating that the personalization MAY peel with use, it didn't seem like a worthwhile investment just to have something that may potentially look ratty after a period of time. so yes, i GET the idea of making a brand more personal, but i DON'T GET the peeling part especially when you're paying extra for it. that shit should stick permanently is what i'm thinking....

5) after going through steps 1-4 of this goyard fever, you come back to reality and start saving money for your first goyard! that's what i did and i am so happy with it! it is absolutely one of my favorite bags in my bagdrobe. so light, roomy, the ULTIMATE shlep bag people!

(fyi, the goyard st. louis is an easy fake to purchase. i see them all the time over the internet and for your peace of mind, i think if you want an authentic goyard, go through the boutique in s.f. or barney's...i have seen some pretty good fakes being sold through resellers claiming they were authentic when it's wasn't. buyers beware).

my gorgy goyard!

WARNING: really UGLY, huge, watermarks on my pics. i want to discourage resellers and scammers from using my authentic pics to scam. better to be safe than to unwittingly abet.

goyard was established in 1792 and is THE OLDEST parisian trunk maker. comparisons are usually made between goyard and louis vuitton because both make coated canvas bags as well as trunks...not to mention repetitive patterns and monograms. i personally prefer goyard because it's not as common and i'm definitely much more excited about the chevron pattern than the LV monogram.

i also made a 180 with my "NO to pricey canvas bags" stance. before goyard, i couldn't wrap my head around paying an exorbitant amount of money for something made out of hemp, linen, and cotton with a thick coat of shlack on it...frankly, i still can't, but i do enjoy goyard and how light it is! so effin' handy! i guess in some instances, you do eat your words...as long as i'm toting a hot bag while eating them i suppose :0

the only goyard bag of interest i had was the st. louis tote, a bag most similiar to the lv neverfull. the other goyard bag designs don't really interest me and to be honest, i still have a certain mental limit on what i want to spend on coated canvas and trust me, goyard prices are nothing to scoff at :/

pictures of st. louis totes that i got off the internet.

black and red bags are considered "stock" colors and are priced a few hundred dollars less than the orange, yellow, light blue, navy blue, green, and burgundy colors. bags that are GM (bigger) vs. PM (smaller) size are also priced differently. i originally thought i wanted the navy blue, but once i modeled it in the size that i wanted, i thought it looked really big on me. besides, i didn't think the extra cost warranted the pop color when i already have pop color bags in my bagdrobe. you should see my brain whirling away as i modeled the bags in the boutique.....

so this is what i got!

i got a black and tan st. louis goyard GM. WOOT! if you have super skinny arms, the pm size will be alright i think, as long as you don't carry much. but if you are a packer like me and tend to bring a ton of stuff: wallet, phone, dslr camera, a sweater/cardigan/scarf, and a water bottle, then the GM size is the way to go. i also like to be able to wear my bag on my shoulder so the longer handles of the GM makes it A LOT more comfortable. unfortunately, the PM sized handles were a tight fit for moi.

check out the cheap ole plastic wrapping on the handles. truth. it looks like something from chinatown. you would THINK they can wrap that part in felt or something right?!

the chevron design is my favorite part!

it's a really convenient shlep bag. roomy enough for everything and anything and hopefully, extremely durable even though i'm aware that the handles sometimes shows cracking or distress after a period of time. well, bags are meant to be used and loved....and this one, i loooooooove.

going ga ga for goyard

recently, the hubs and i went up to san francisco for his friend's wedding. unfortunately, my body decided to revolt against my plans of potential s.f. merriment so i actually ended up dealing with a cold throughout the trip. boo hoo...let's bring out the tiny orchestra with the tiny violinist playing the tiny violin.... :/

it's been YEARS since i've been back to s.f., but truthfully, it's not my favorite city. i think i'm 100% spoiled by the CONVENIENCE of los angeles...cuz seriously, traffic may be bad in el lay, but at least i can drive and park where i want to whereas getting anywhere in s.f. is a PAIN in the buttocks. ok, i know it's a public transpo kind of city, but given my less than fond memories of using public transpo for most of my high school and college life, i am 200% straight up never going to do it again unless i have to. you will have to force me with a bow and arrow hunger games style...i would rather just walk yo.

so anyways, my hubs booked a room in the hotel where the reception was to be held which OH SO HAPPENED to be in union square which OH SO HAPPENED had a goyard store within walking distance (fyi, it is the only store in north america). goyard is sold in barney's in boston and beverly hills as well as barney's and bergdorf goodman in new york, but san francisco is the only location with an actual goyard boutique. i HAD to go. bagnatic can do no less.

i was first infatuated with the goyard chevron design which strangely reminded me of m.c. escher, an artist that i really loved while growing up. it's the repeated patterns that makes it so alluring i think. methinks it visually pulls you in and puts you in a trance.

look at this fine stack of goyard luggage outside the storefront. gorgeous right? yessssss.......

a quick looksie in the store resulted in one of my quickest purchases ever...let's just say, i THOUGHT about buying something, but being there amongst the products sealed the deal for me...i definitely came home from s.f. with a cold and a goyard. not bad i say, not bad.