Have you heard?

Have you heard the news? Valley Girl Style now writes for Examiner.com as the Allentown Fashion and Style Examiner. Please check out the link below for some of the same local shopping and style tips AND more!

http://www.examiner.com/x-27981-Allentown-Fashion-and-Style-Examiner

Frightful Fashions

I love Halloween! Every year my best friend and I start planning a Halloween party while sitting on the beach in July. It has become a tradition and we look forward to the costume-required party more and more.

Outside of the fact that it is an opportunity to get all dressed up in crazy outfits, wear something you would never be caught dead in on a typical day and act just a little bit out of character, it is also the fact that my friends and I tend to try to keep our costumes a secret so that surprise each other. Now, most of the time our immediate circle of friends all know what we are being since we have to help each other in hunting down just the right pieces to make it perfect, however for the rest of the party guests - it's a wait-and-see event! For example, my Father, for the second year in a row, managed to enter the party without me knowing who he was - one of the very few people who can pull that off! But regardless I love seeing what everyone dresses up as and the creativity they each put into it.

There are many different routes that you can take when dressing up - for a girl there is always the "sexy_____," which essentially you could fill in the blank with anything. Sexy police officer, sexy cat, sexy witch or even sexy bumble bee... yes, anything works! Overall there are the funny costumes, scary costumes, creative costumes and then of course there is the current event costume. You know that someone this year will be Michael Jackson and at least one person you know bought a Kate (of Jon and Kate plus 8) wig (see photo)!

Regardless of which route you take, in the Lehigh Valley there are countless "goldmines" for finding costumes of all kinds. Whatever your budget ($1.00 to $100.00), here is a breakdown for you last minute shoppers to prepare for the Halloween weekend! Remember that you don't have to spend a fortune on costumes - if your still trying to figure out what to be, do some creative google searches and then hit your closet, a friends closet or one of the following stores! Halloween is a time to have fun so don't be afraid to go all out - you really can't over-do dressing up.

($$$) - Costumes run around $30.00 and up , ($$) Costumes are right around $20.00, ($) Costume for $5 and up

1. Halloween Adventure ($$$)

A haven for true Halloween fans the Halloween Adventure stores can be found popping up across the area in August and provide a wide variety of elaborate packaged costumes as well as detailed accessories. Prices are higher than other retailers but if looking for something extremely realistic - this is the best.

2049 MacArthur Road Whitehall, PA, 18052
610-432-3063

2. Halloween Outlet ($$$)

Similar to Halloween Adventure, the Halloween Outlet located in Quakertown provides a good variety of costumes as well as decorative items. The accessory bins in the front of the store offer some great ideas if you are still undecided or can provide the perfect last piece to make the ensemble complete. Prices seemed slightly better than Halloween Adventure but are still higher than most. If you go, check out the moving 5' witch decoration (see photo). My friend and I were amazed that it creepily traveled across the store in the time that we were there making her actually contemplate purchasing it for our party!

1465 W Broad St., Quakertown, PA 18951
215-536-2399

3. JoAnn Fabrics ($)

If you are crafty, or have a friend who is, JoAnn fabrics is a great place to go to make a fantastic costume on the cheap! With yards of fabric available for under $5.00 - check out their Halloween section - you can easily create something unique and inexpensive. I found some fantastic mummy-style material as well as an adorable spider-draped pattern that would be cute for any witch outfit (see photo). There were tons of other ideas around to implement into a costume, so many in fact that I wanted to make several this year! Outside of the fabrics, the ribbons, yarn and other decorative items such as iron on transfers and letters help turn a $2.00 t-shirt into an instant outfit. Going as a zombie bride? Check out the clearance flowers to make a simply frightening bouquet!

Quakertown Plaza

1465 West Broad Street, Quakertown, Pennsylvania 18951

215-538-2171

4. Target ($$)

A recent shopping trip to Target turned into a Halloween frenzy for me when I saw all of the great decorations and accessories that Target has this year! Perfect for those who are throwing a party, they have a great selection of skull plates and serving dishes as well as a decent selection of costumes. By now, the selection will most likely be fairly picked through, however it is worth the trip to check it out since their prices for packaged costumes are less than that of the Halloween stores. In addition, Targets selection of pet costumes was great. My favorite was a lobster costume for dogs (Target, $9.99) - which I unsuccessfully tried to get my friend to purchase (see photo)! Even if you can't find a costume that strikes your fancy, there might be something perfect for your furry friends.

610 N West End Blvd., Quakertown, PA 18951

215-529-2720

5. Walmart ($)

Typically, I am not a Walmart shopper. It's nothing against the store itself, it's just that I prefer to shop at Target due to their wider selection. This year, however Walmart makes my top five list for Halloween due to price and a fabulous selection! Walmart has their costumes separated out by accessories, children, adults - men/women, and teens by row so it is easy to navigate, and also has them separated by price - so helpful! The accessory selection was by far one of the best. You could easy purchase a $5.00 accessory and create an outfit around it using items already in your closet. For women, there was a great selection of eyelashes, makeup and nail polish as well. Everything seemed to be priced very well compared to other stores. When looking I found an adult outfit for a masquerade ball countess for $5.00! I also found a great selection of infant outfits for most around $5.00 such as this adorable tin man costume (see photo). Overall, one of the best Halloween stops you can make - hands down!

195 NW End Blvd, Quakertown, PA 18951

215 -529-7689

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Bringing Black Out!

Thursday night, Valley Girl Style attended a great party - for a great cause: The Black Out III party at MELT restaurant's Level 3. Proceeds from the event benefited AAO at Lehigh Valley Health Network and the MAC AIDS Fund - two amazing foundations helping to raise AIDS awareness. Since there is no excuse not to enjoy a good time that gives back (and a few photo opps of course), a few girlfriends and I headed over to the black-themed fete for the evening. With black attire a must, and the weather not really cooperating in the Lehigh Valley --- yes, it snowed!! --- selecting an outfit was tricky to say the least. Regardless, the crowd was a nice mix of ages and everyone, men and women, looked dressed-to-impress!

Wearing all black (or NYC uniform as I call it) has recently been popping up everywhere on celebs over the past few weeks as THE hot look this Fall. Celebs such as Mariah Carey, Emily Blunt and Emmy Rossum were photographed all sporting very simple LBD's (little black dresses) with very few accessories. Emily Blunt (see photograph left) seems to capture the look best by adding textured tights and a black cape-sleeved style peacoat, which is perfect for daytime. Remove the coat and you are ready to dance the night away. Mariah Carey's version (see photo below) is a bit sexier with a deep V-cut and peaking lace while Emily Blunt (see photo below) showcases a more sophisticated take on mono-tone. All however, are easy to wear and classic pieces that can take you from trend to trend. By adding textured

Photo above: Matt Damon and Emily Blunt while filming The Adjustment Bureau in New York City.

leggings, or a fun handbag you could easily change the entire look in an instant and very inexpensively!

Photo above left to right: Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon at the New York Film Festival. Emmy Rossum and John Legend at the W Hotel opening in Washington, DC.

Valley Girl Style set out to mimic the adorable Emily Blunt ensemble and scored big time at two surprising places! For the peacoat, check out Old Navy. I found this little beauty at the Old Navy (also online at http://www.oldnavy.com/) located in the Promenade Shops in Center Valley for only $69.50! Available in black or a cute chinchilla color, this belted wool-blend jacket is perfect for layering with its 3/4 length sleeves and keeping warm on these chilly pre-winter days.

For leggings, while pretty much every store carries some type of tights or leggings, the selection at Target was by far the best based on variety and price. The Merona brand offered a wide selection of both full and footless tights with several different textures available. I selected two of the new black textured tights - one featuring a chevron design (for $7.00) and the other - from the Merona "premium collection" (for $9.00) that feature a lace design. Both are very comfortable and adorable ways to put a little fun into an outfit. I couldn't find either pair on Target's website so if your interested, I found these at the Target in Quakertown (610 N West End Blvd., Quakertown, 215-529-2720). Sizes were starting to become limited at this location.

Pair these flirty accessories with a little black dress from your closet and your good-to-go! Just remember that it doesn't hurt to add in something like a bright clutch or exaggerated earrings depending on the time of day and where you are going. Its also good to add in a texture (such as the tights) if going all black - or nothing on the legs at all even - so that you don't over do the look and appear more funeral bound! Not into black at all? Go gray or even dark plum - both are on trend this fall!

Seeing is Believing

After going on hiatus for a week for my sister's wedding in Arizona, I returned to the "Valley" with a large amount of stress off of my back and a pit in my stomach. I only have one sister and this past weekend she became the most beautiful bride I have ever seen in my life. As the older sister, I still feel like she is 10 years old. Maybe I am in denial. At times I don't want her to get old because then she might no longer be that sweet little girl, my best friend and side kick who laughs at all of my silliness and can still cry on my shoulder.

Regardless, I learned so much on our trip and was pleased to find that no matter where we are in our lives, my sister and I can still be as silly together as we were when we were little and cry on each others shoulders as much now as we once did or even will when we are 75. While I might have had to say goodbye and leave her back in Arizona (hence the pit in my stomach), knowing that I am leaving her with a great man (aka my new brother-in-law) is comforting. Additionally, if we are being honest, most of the stress stayed in Arizona as well as the wedding came to a close - particularly dropping about 95% of it following my matron of honor speech! But it still didn't make leaving any easier.

If you have a relative or best friend who is living far away, you can understand the heartache that can accompany leaving them. It can be like in the old movies when one person gets on the train and there is that dramatic goodbye scene of the train pulling away and the person at the station running down the street after the train waving goodbye. For me, every time I say goodbye to her is like that. You just want a few more seconds together - even if it means running after the train! To make this whole dramatic goodbye easier, especially since I believe that you cannot really get the full sense of how a person is feeling by just talking over the phone, the Skype program has been a life-changing discovery for me.

Really, all you need is a computer with a web cam and an Internet connection and voila you are talking face-to-face. The best part is that it is a free service! If you have an Internet connection, all you need to do is register, find other friends and family who have Skype accounts and then give them a call! If you do not have a web cam, it also works as a free Internet phone service. I can be fairly good when it comes to technology, however this service is extremely easy to use... even my Grandmother has an account!

As the technology improves, other applications are now available through Skype such as the

application for iphones - which can be used for those who have the iphone with video camera! Skype also provides chatting (my mom uses this a lot) and photo posting and taking abilities.

On another note, many media outlets are now using Skype to assist in providing video feeds quickly and efficiently when a camera crew is unable to get out to the location. Oprah even has been using it lately with some of her guests! Since there are minimum requirements and the service itself is free, Skype offers the media a very affordable option particularly when needed at the last minute for news coverage, interviews, etc.

Overall, I find Skype to be an amazing program that helps keep me in tune with long distance relationships and is great at helping me keep tabs on what my little nephew in Arizona is doing since he is changing so much everyday! Want to check it out for yourself? Go to http://www.skype.com/ and sign up! Its only takes a few minutes but just remember that when you do call someone that they will see you so please do us all a favor and make sure your decent before hitting the call button! My sister and I might not be able to see each other in person often but now with Skype I can "see" her as often as I want. Just another little thing that helps break down the distance and the hard parts of saying goodbye.

Home Sweet Home

For the past week, Valley Girl Style has been exploring the West Coast. I was able to spend a few wonderful, sun-filled days in San Diego, CA enjoying time with some family and friends there (which really was too short of a trip) and then made the trek over to Phoenix, AZ with a final destination of Sedona, AZ for my sister's wedding. The trip was without a doubt one of my all-time favorites. While temps back in the Valley were in the low 60's (so I am told), The West Coast was kind enough to give us warm weather with temps in the 70's and 80's our entire trip. Everyone is so relaxed there. It was so wonderful just to take in all the sun and the slow pace. After a week, I started wondering why I didn't live on the West Coast.

Everyone is so friendly and happy and honestly, you can't blame them! However, while I got on the plane back to Philadelphia with a tear in my eye and took my seat on the plane, a small feeling of excitement to go home started to rise. While settling into our seats and preparing for take off, we overheard an interesting conversation between a flight attendant and passenger where the passenger complained to the female flight attendant that her seat was broken. The flight attendants response: "Nothing I can do about that now." The passenger then informed the flight attendant that she was going to write a letter to the airline and tell them about it... to which the flight attendant responded "You're going to write a letter...and tell the airline that your seat is broken?? HA!" --- My thought, Philadelphia here I come!

There is really only so much sunshine and happiness one person can honestly take. The banter between the flight attendant and passenger, while slightly inappropriate, was actually very straight forward and honest. I have a tendency to be very straight forward and if you ask me something, I will give you a truthful response (good or bad). So to me, this conversation (coupled with when the other flight attendant - who were calling themselves "chocolate thunder" and "vanilla ice" I might add - called out a woman by seat number on the loudspeaker for talking on her cell phone) was just what the doctor ordered.

As if Pennsylvania was trying to tell me something, the final seal of assurance came when we landed as we found that during our trip the Valley had put on a show and the leaves were in full fall-mode. The colors of all the trees changing put any lingering West Coast envy out of my mind and I realized -- I am a permanent Valley Girl. Pennsylvania is amazing and I love living here. It's good to be home.

What big, white teeth you have!

If you are going to spend hours a day on make-up, skincare, hair and fashion, I feel that you should make sure that you take care of your teeth too! I have a "thing" for bright white chompers and think that since most of the time the first thing you notice when you meet someone is their smile, you want to make sure you leave a good impression!

Now, I have big teeth. No matter how long I have been seeing a dentist for, the first thing that he or she will always say is "wow, you have nice, big teeth!" While they might mean it as a compliment, I take it more like "hey there bugs bunny!" Yes, I might just have a complex about it but still for this reason I keep my teeth as white as possible. I would much rather have big white teeth than big gross teeth.

In order to keep my pearly-whites white, once or twice a year I try to use a seven-day whitening strip kit but I have found that daily care can be more than enough needed to maintain a sparkling smile. According to my dentist, brushing (not too hard since that can actually wear down enamel) and flossing daily keep teeth clean and light in color and staying away from dark colored fluids that can stain teeth including red wine, coffee and soda can also help. I am fine with the whole brushing and flossing thing but I have a real problem with him telling me to stay away from three of my favorite beverages! Therefore, I still need a little something extra to kick up the white during my daily brushing.

I had heard that using baking soda can help with stains and whitening so a few months ago I decided to try Arm & Hammer Advance White toothpaste. I had seen in a commercial that they guaranteed, in just four weeks (with twice daily brushing), you could kick up your color up to three shades whiter. Sounded good to me! While I don't know if I really had much of a noticeable difference in the shade of my teeth, I did notice that it maintained the whiteness even when consuming monstrous cups of coffee and daily doses of diet coke. When I ran out of my toothpaste and started using a back up that my husband was using (not everyone is a fan of the slight baking soda taste), I noticed a significant change and darkening of my teeth. The end result - typical toothpaste just didn't work as well for me at keeping stains at bay.

The Arm & Hammer Advance White toothpaste really works well for me and while there is that baking soda flavor, it really doesn't bother me much and has become a staple to my morning routine. If your not so keen on the taste yourself, try following up with a mouthwash such as Listerine to remove the flavor and freshen up breath too. This time, the next time your saying "what's up doc?" you will blind them with your sparkling-white smile!

Arm & Hammer Advance White toothpaste is available at most grocery stores. I purchased mine at Target in Quakertown.

Designer Desire

I am always looking for some sort of crazy sale or clearance going on and can typically be found searching online for hours. Half the time I am not even looking for a particular item but instead just searching to see what I could get on sale - it never fails that I find something that I suddenly must have. When I have a vacation or trip coming up, my shopping becomes dramatically increased as I feel a need to bring a new wardrobe on every trip! Therefore, finding the items I want at a great price not only make me even more excited for my vacation but undoubtedly make my husband happy as well.

Since we will be traveling to warm climates (California and Arizona) I have been able to find some amazing deals on a few dresses since the fall merchandise is already in full swing in stores. Now, like many of you, I love designer brands. Some say your just paying for the name - and yes at times that is a factor - but I feel that its much more than that. To me, designer brands are made much better and therefore will last longer. So, if you are going to buy a classic black dress that can be worn many times, why not spend the extra money for a really amazing dress that fits right and will not fall apart the first time you wear it. For trend items, go inexpensive since they might only be worn for one season. Dresses for me are one of those "go ahead and spend it" items and so that is why I love the amazing prices at Neiman Marcus's online clearance site (click on link to go to store). http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/template/saleSiloE.jhtml?itemId=cat980731&parentId=cat000000&siloId=cat980731&icid=topNavcat980731

With most items marked down over 50-65 percent off, you can score designer duds at more than half off! A selection of handbags, fashions, shoes and accessories are all available from top designers including Prada, D &G, Marc Jacobs, Theory, Tory Burch, Giuseppe Zanotti and many more, with shipping for most purchases free of charge*! On a recent patrol of their clearance section, I found an amazing pair of Stella McCartney Satin Pumps priced at $286 marked down from $635, Rachel Roy Daniela Dress at $418 down from $1195 and a Tod's Pashmy Bauletto Media Bag at $425 from $945. All great buys and all adorable! Being a fan of her designs, the Rachel Roy dress is my favorite - the back is to dye for and would be easy to dress up or dress down.

Photos: (From left to right) Tod's Pashmy Bauletto Media Bag ($425), Rachel Roy Daniela Dress ($418) and Stella McCartney Satin Pumps ($286)

One warning with the 'last call' selection at Neimans is that sizes are limited (especially for shoes) and so a lot of the time its a scavenger hunt. However, if you can find what your looking for its well worth the hunt (and the splurge) when your proudly sporting Phillip Lim or Herve Leger to a big event or party. Happy Shopping!

*Use code NMFALL for free shipping on any priced purchase!