Things I LURVE: beats

So one of my last posts before I went on hiatus talked about how I wanted these Frends headphones. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I finally got around to opening my mail from vacation, and happened to stumble upon a United Mileage Plus catalog that happened to feature Beats by Dre. Coincidentally, I had happened to test them out at Target just a few days prior. I mean, if that's not the universe speaking, I don't know what is....

Not one to turn down a sign that obvious, I ordered them. A week later, these beauties arrived at my doorstep.

You might notice I went with purple instead of white--- very simple reason: makeup. I absolutely LUUUURVE these headphones! They are everything they are hyped to be, and on the occasions I have to go back to my earbuds (workouts), I'm actually a little bummed. The new line by Beats has these in neon colors (also available at Target) and they are really really cute. Best of all, if you use miles  through your airline's mileage program (assuming they offer these), THEY ARE FREE (essentially)!!! And really, who doesn't love free?!

Tight Fight

As the temps drop, tights become an absolute necessity in every woman's wardrobe. Of course there are endless options to try, and I have tried a wide variety of them. A few weeks ago, I found myself in need of a pair of black tights, and instead of purchasing regular black ones, I decided to go with the SPANX Reversible Tights (black/navy, if you're curious).

And then last weekend, I found SPANX's less-expensive sister Assets (available at Target), who also offers a reversible option. So, in the name of research (and of course, you can't ever have too many tights), I decided to buy a pair of these too (black/grey).

So how do they stack up?
1. Price: The SPANX tights will run you about $34 vs. $13-15 for the Assets version, a little more than 50% savings.
2. Comfort: They are both really comfortable, but I will say that the SPANX are a little softer around the abdomen and hips, which is key when you're going to be wearing tights all day.
3. Overall look: The SPANX feel a little thicker especially around the abdomen and hips. The Assets version is more panty-hose-like on top than the SPANX, which I thought were like leggings with the all the SPANX sucking-in features we've come to know and love.

WINNER? Definitely SPANX, but if you don't wear tights a lot, the 50% price differential may not be worth it. The Assets brand is definitely a solid second choice!!


What's your favorite brand of tights? Do you have different preferences for "fun" tights vs. basics?

A Blogaversary (and contest!)

Hello!!! I'm so sorry I missed all of last week! Work got really really crazy, and unfortunately, it took away from my blogging time! But I'm back now!! And I have some fun news!! A year ago, this week, I posted my very first post. So, in honor of my Blogaversary, its celebration time, and YOU (yes YOU!!) have a chance to join the celebration with me!!!

But, before I get to that, I want to let you know of a few changes on the blog. Starting next week, I'm going to start a weekly Looks I Luuuuurve feature, where I will feature regular people (mostly Clevelanders, obviously, but I will try and feature looks from other places when I travel) dressed for their normal lives, in looks I love! So if I walk up to you with a camera, will you please please let me take your picture??

One of my places to pick up fun, trendy, inexpensive looks is Forever 21. Which, conveniently brings me back to my Blogaversary celebration. On April 9th, a brand spankin new Forever 21 is celebrating is grande opening at Beachwood Place. And to celebrate, the kind folks at Beachwood Place are sponsoring a contest where one fabulous reader will win a $50 gift certificate to Forever 21!!!!

Contest Rules:

You must be able to pick up your gift card at Beachwood Place Guest Services on Saturday April 9th, or Sunday April 10th. Here's how you enter!

1. Follow @BeachwoodPlace and @cleshopaholic on Twitter, and tweet the following message (each tweet gets you 1 entry, so tweet early and often):

I entered @cleshopaholic's giveaway for $50 gift card to the new F21 opening @BeachwoodPlace 4/9 Enter here: http://bit.ly/hL8Zo2

2. For an additional entry, go to Forever 21 and leave a comment with a link to the F21 Look that YOU Luuuuurve (and your name and email).

Good Luck!!! Contest ends at 5 pm on 4/7 and I will announce the winner on my Blogaversary 4/8! I hope to see you in your fabulous Forever 21 outfit so I can take your picture and post in on my Looks I Luuuuurve feature!!!!

You're welcome Cleveland

As is my custom every year, I order a pair of new boots in February (for the record, I don't buy shoes in stores any more. Its way too time consuming and frustrating, and why bother with malls when you can just order online with free shipping and returns). Its usually because by this time in the winter, my boots are really beat up with the salt and slush. Also, there's usually some great deals on boots this time in the season. This year, I ordered my boots a little earlier in February than I normally do.

Merrell Spire Peak, piperlime

What I haven't told you is that usually, a week after my new boots arrive, the weather starts to warm up and soon and I can't wear my boots any more. My boots arrived today. You're welcome, Cleveland.

Review: J Romer Salon

I've mentioned this before, but my regular hair stylist, the fabulous Anna Goldstein, works out of Dino Palmieri at Beachwood. Anna has done my hair for 6+ years, and I LUUUURRRVVE her work. Since N and I became west-siders, Beachwood is just too inconvenient to drive out to every 8-10 weeks. So, I've been searching for a closer salon, and decided to try out J Romer Salon (10904 Clifton Blvd, Cleveland), which is a short walk from where we live.

The salon is small (maybe 4 seats), and is an Aveda salon, but doesn't have its own website. So, all I had to go on was this review from 2006, and I was nervous. 

Since I have such a love-hate relationship with my bangs, I decided to follow the reviewers advice and made an appointment to see Michelle Smith. She started off with a head massage, and it was amazing!!  I took a picture in, and talked to her about my hair-issues; she listened to what my big-picture plan was, offered a few suggestions, and then explained how she planned to cut my hair and why. I really appreciated the detail; being a new client at a new salon can be nerve-wracking!! Ladies, you know exactly what I mean!! Hair washing followed, and she decided to straighten my hair and then cut it dry (which is how I've had it done for the past 6 years). The woman is a BANG-GENIUS!!! Happy day!! I'm over my bang-hate, for now!

So, if you're in the market for a new stylist, I recommend Anna Goldstein on the East side, and Michelle on the West Side, especially if you're thinking about bangs.

Preparing for Next Year (or the next 2 months)

If you've been to a department store or the mall lately, then you've noticed that in retail-world, its swimsuit season already. Here in Cleveland, and really, all over the northern US, we're still freezing our butts off. Needless to say, its a FANTASTIC time to buy coats!! Why? Because they're ridiculously on sale, like this J.Crew beauty that I ordered last week.

It was an extra 40% off the sale price when I bought it, so the grand total was a whopping 65% the original price!!!! If you're in the market for a new coat, I recommend taking a look at what's out there right now; all the major retailers are offering huge discounts, and there are some great great deals to be had. I will say, that you're probably "safer" picking out a classic style, or at the very least, something that you absolutely LURVE, and that you're likely to still love next year. In any case, you'll still get to use it until March, maybe even April!!!

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

Hello everyone!! Hope you had a fabulous holiday!! I had a great time hanging out with N's parents and brother and the puppies in Chardon, Ohio. They had almost 2 feet of snow, so the puppies were so excited to play!!




I received some great gifts, my favorite of which was this:

What girl doesn't love a little blue box?!?!

What was your favorite present that you received this year? This is a great opportunity for a CONTEST!!! Here are the rules:
1. You must be a US resident
2. You must "like" cleshopaholic on facebook
3. Leave a comment on the cleshopaholic facebook page letting me know about your favorite gift (This gets you one entry). A picture gets you a bonus entry.
Optional:
Post a link to the contest in your facebook status (this gets you 5 entries). Add cleshopaholic to your google reader for 5 additional entries. Adding cleshopaholic to your blogroll gets you yet another 5 entries. Please leave a comment either on facebook or in the comments below letting me know if you did any of the optional entries!

The winner will receive a $25 gift card to Starbucks!!! Get those holiday lattes while they last!! The winner will be picked on January 9th!