ShopEatSleep

Junior Drake Shina bag

Junior Drake warehouse sale: The purveyor of handbags is at it again. Seems like JD has this sale every other week, but no matter. From Dec. 17 through Dec. 19, get bags at prices as low as $14.95 and even a three pack of leather bags for $99. Can’t make it to the sample sale? Get 60 percent off online purchases plus a free leather coin purse (discount is taken at checkout).

740 E. 60th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90001
Dec. 17 and 18: 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Dec. 19: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Oliverio‘s Choco-Sutra: Avalon Hotel’s tasty restaurant just got tastier: now there’s an unlimited chocolate buffet. Every Friday and Saturday, indulge in everything from triple chocolate truffle pizzettas made with Nutella, dark and milk chocolate, and topped with white chocolate shavings, to a dark chocolate, cinnamon and red chili pot de crème.

9400 W. Olympic Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
$28 per person ($17 with dinner) or $50 per couple

Hilton HHonors Any weekend, Anywhere sale: Hilton HHonors members who book stays between now and Jan. 31, 2011, at the Hilton family of hotels can save from 20 percent to 50 percent on a future weekend stay any weekend in 2011. Current HHonors members will also receive double base points on completion of their stay.

Velvetine Clyde Bag. From Shopbop.

Ah, if only I had an extra $725 lying around, I would be the proud owner of this gorgeous Clyde bag by Velvetine. The fold-over front flap and the cute chain detail really got me, as did the optional long strap (I like options). The pebble leather is also a nice touch, as it gives the bag a little something extra, which I think is important when the dominant color is a neutral.

My only concern with a fold-over bag is ease of entry. The fact that you have to unfold the flap and then unzip the bag to get into it — something that requires two hands — makes me think you wouldn’t want to use this if you were planning on doing any multitasking. But it’s so pretty!

What do you think? Do you choose form over function, or is usability paramount?

Splendid Thermal Stitch Long Sleeve Cuff Sweater

Sassy City Chicks, a seasonal fashion and beauty event, is holding its fall get-together this Thursday, Nov. 4, with discounts on designer labels, beauty demonstrations and Chevrolet ride-and-drives. The shopping will feature deeply discounted designer styles from Splendid, Paige denim, Hudson and Current/Elliot, among others, at 30 percent to 80 percent off retail prices.

Also, the Chevrolet Lounge will spotlight two of Sassy City Chicks’ favorite designers and will offer the opportunity for all attendees to participate in the Chevrolet and Buick test drives or ride-alongs before and during the event. If you sign up ahead of time, you’ll have access to Chevy’s newest vehicles from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., as well as pre-event mini spa treatments, extra swag, and early entry to shop the event before doors open to the public. If you can’t make it that early, Chevrolet and Buick will also offer chauffeured rides to and from a local restaurant in either a Chevy Camaro, Traverse, Cruze or Malibu, or the Buick Regal or Buick LaCrosse.

There are two levels of entry for the event: a $25 Tote Ticket will get you entry, a gift bag, complimentary spa services and complimentary cocktails, and a $10 ticket gets you general admission without all the goodies. You know you want the goodies, right? Since you’re such a devoted ShopEatSleep reader, you can get a FREE Tote Ticket by going to the ticketing page, choosing a Tote Ticket and entering the code CHEVROLET at checkout. But hurry — only the first 50 people will get one!

Petersen Automotive Museum
6060 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Alice + Olivia Voula Ombre Sequin Dress

Love to shop? Love free return shipping? Then you no doubt already know about Shopbop, the online retailer of all brands luxe and hip. If you don’t, then consider this your friendly introduction to the fun shopping website that carries everything from J Brand and Rich & Skinny to Thakoon and Alice + Olivia, all of which you can find on the site’s designer clothing sale page. This Alice + Olivia Voula Ombre Sequin Dress (shown at right), on sale at 30 percent off, is a personal favorite of mine.

Would you like some help with buying some of your personal faves? Then you’re in luck because I’m giving away a $100 Shopbop gift card. With that kind of cash, you could put it toward some of the flow-y pieces from Thread Social or a cute one shoulder dress. Or maybe one of the Tibi dresses is more your style — the black and white Cap Sleeve Dress and the Madeline Cap Sleeve Dress are two that I would definitely consider.

Here’s how to enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post by Oct. 27 at 11:59 p.m. PST stating what you would spend your $100 on.

2. Either follow me on Twitter or “like” me on Facebook.

3. Either tweet “I entered to win a $100 gift card from @shopbop on @shopeatsleep! http://su.pr/1dOcTs” or post on your Facebook page “I entered to win a $100 gift card from Shopbop on ShopEatSleep [and tag the Facebook page]! http://su.pr/1dOcTs”

That’s it. I’ll pick a winner at random and make the announcement on Oct. 28. Good luck!

**This contest is closed**

Note: The winner is Hanh of HungryHungryHanh. Congratulations!

Emily the Strange. From SlashFilm.

Emily the Strange at Royal/T: Starting today through Nov. 11, Emily theStrange — the ever-moody black-haired cutie cartoon — will be at the center of a pop-up shop and exhibit at Culver City’s Lolita-inspired Royal/T cafe space. During the exclusive retail engagement, books, artwork and one-of-a-kind collectibles will be on sale. Proceeds from the Emily the Strange pop-up shop will support the brand’s altruistic efforts — encouraging teens to be empowered individuals. When it’s time to take a break from shopping, you can order up a Strange Brew Chocolate Pangea Tea and Emily the Strange-themed black kitty cupcakes by Hot Cakes Bakes. The official opening party will take place on Friday, Oct. 26.

Royal/T
8910 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232

Macy’s Shop for a Cause: On Oct. 16, donate $5 to charity online or in-store and get a shopping pass that gives you 10 percent to 20 percent off items you purchase that day. You can also use the in-store shopping pass for 25 percent off one regular, sale or clearance item in men’s, women’s or kids’ apparel or accessories (some exclusions apply). In any case, you’ll save. Sounds good to me!

Junior Drake Warehouse Sample Sale: Clutches for $40? Bags for $60? Yes, please! Head down to the South L.A. warehouse this weekend for a cornucopia of bags, wallets and even belts. Make any purchase on Friday or Saturday, and get an additional 10 percent off to spend on Sunday. You can enter a raffle to win a free handbag, and if you spend at least $150 you’ll get a free canvas tote. Munch of free hot dogs, cookies and drinks, too.

Friday, Oct. 15, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 16, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 17, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Junior Drake Warehouse
740 E. 60th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90001

Blogger Prom: This year’s Blogger Prom, dubbed Hollywood Confidential, is taking place this Wednesday, Sept. 22, at Yamashiro restaurant. Since I’m on the planning committee, I haven’t been posting on ShopEatSleep as often as I usually do — an event as big as Blogger Prom takes a lot of work! There’s going to be all kinds of fun stuff, including good eats from Chef Brock at Yamashiro, tastings from Barrie Lynn The Cheese Impresario, Coolhaus, Crumbs Bake Shop and other yummy and generous sponsors. There will be giveaways and gift bags galore, so if you’ve received an invitation and haven’t responded yet (this is an invite-only event!), do it now! You won’t want to miss this.

Pinkberry: The ever-present purveyor of tart frozen yogurt is now offering a take-home container that holds the equivalent of five small servings (prices range from $9.95 to $10.95, depending on the store). You can also purchase toppings to go for $1.95 per container, too. I’m not too sure how the froyo would hold up if placed in a home freezer, but I guess it could work if you were having a party and were planning on eating it soon. The fruit bowl is also a new offering; from the description, it sounds like a reverse cup of froyo, with mostly fruit topped with what Pinkberry is calling Swirly Whip, which is made from the Original tart flavor.

Eat, Breathe, Shop at FIG, Fred Segal Couture and Exhale: Spend more than $500 at Fred Segal Couture and get a complimentary week at Exhale Spa in the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows as well as a complimentary FIG Fit breakfast at the hotel’s FIG Restaurant. The FIG Fit menu features health-conscious items such as scarlet quinoa with diced apples, and house-made power bars blended from dates, acai, gogi, pomegranate and hemp seeds. Exhale combines fitness and movement with spa and healing therapies, and if you sign up for one of Exhale’s memberships, you’ll get a $100 credit to Fred Segal Couture. It’s a pretty nice cycle.

Official L.A. Fashion's Night Out shirt designed by FIDM student Marc Blaskovits. From Transmopolis.

There are like a gazillion events happening tomorrow, Sept. 10, for Fashion’s Night Out, and you can find a great list at Mondette. Here are some others that are taking place in Santa Monica, for those of you on the Westside:

Fluxus: The Santa Monica Place store will have a guest DJ, complimentary cupcakes and champagne, an exclusive preview of the Fluxus fall/winter 2010 collection, and a Buy 2, Get 1 Free discount.

395 Santa Monica Place
Santa Monica, CA 90401
6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Fred Segal Santa Monica: While the Melrose location does its thing (see the Mondette post), this store will be hosting giveaways and gifts-with-purchase from JET, Sharon Segal, ICON and Line & Dot. There will also be personal styling by Kahi Lee, a debut wall installation by KSwiss, art by ICON, music by DJ OMG and cocktails.

Fred Segal Santa Monica
420 Broadway St.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

There’s also a bunch of stuff happening at The Grove, which Kelsi of Dedicated Follower of Fashion and Two Point Oh! L.A. has explained. There’s so much going on, I don’t know where to go!

South Coast Plaza. From Examiner.

This is interesting…A party at Saks Fifth Avenue‘s South Coast Plaza location tomorrow, Aug. 21, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with the Kogi truck, a steel drum band, live DJ, photo booth fun, Guitar Hero, models and champagne. The event will span all three levels of the store, too. Now, I don’t know about you, but when I think of Saks — at the fancy-pants South Coast, no less — Kogi and Guitar Hero aren’t the first things that come to mind. Models and champagne, sure, but food trucks and video games, no. But who am I to say it’s not a good thing? If you stop by, let us know how it went!

If you haven’t yet heard, the new Santa Monica Place mall opens tomorrow, Aug. 6, and if you remember what the old mall looked like, this is a real treat. Gone is the bunker-like feel (sorry, Frank Gehry, this was not one of your best designs), replaced by high-end stores and an open-air dining deck. There will be all sorts of hooplah surrounding the grand opening, including live music and dance, and sale specials, of course! Here’s a full list of retailers.

One of those special grand opening events will be taking place at Bloomingdale’s (yes, Bloomies!) with Nation LTD, the luxe basics brand. Designer Jen Menchaca will be offering styling tips, and there will be a giveaway contest with the chance to win one of three “Summer Survival Kits” filled with Nation LTD tees (retail value $325). The first 50 purchasers will receive a free denim Nation LTD tote, and Bobbi Brown makeup artists will be on hand to offer beauty tips and to give out mini Crystal Lip Glosses. If only I didn’t have to go to work tomorrow!

Friday, Aug. 6
1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Bloomingdale’s at Santa Monica Place
395 Santa Monica Place
Santa Monica, CA, 90401

Main Squeeze Clutch

While I love to shop (obviously), it takes something special to make me stop and say, “Whoa.” And the new Main Squeeze buckle bags from Rebecca Minkoff did just that when the email landed in my inbox. I prefer the clutch ($395) to the bucket ($495), but the buckle detailing on both is out of this world! I have a thing for zippers and buckles, so I was immediately drawn to these. They’re edgy yet feminine given the soft leather used to make the bags. Even though I couldn’t afford one of these, I hope they come in more colors soon so I can at least (browser) window shop!