win $100 to shop lulus.com

it's giveaway time and i'm a little envious of whoever wins. i've partnered with lulus.com to give a lucky reader $100 to shop the site! and with lulu*s awesome prices, $100 is sure to snag a lot of cool stuff. let's just get down to it, shall we?

to enter: leave a comment with a link to your fave item from lulus.com

extra entry: tweet "i want to win $100 to @lulusdotcom from #goingwest! http://bit.ly/zClNDX"

the contest ends thursday, february 16th at midnight pst and is open to US and canadian residents only.

and while you don't have to like, follow, or fan anyone to win, we both would love to make your acquaintance on twitter or be facebook pals!

• lulu*s on facebook
• lulu*s on tumblr
• lulu*s on twitter
• going west on facebook
• going west on twitter
• going west on bloglovin

planning ahead

(jacket & booties c/o nectar clothing, plastic island blouse, coated denim c/o urban 1972, alexander wang rocco, vintage collar necklace, michael kors watch)

when i find a few things i love, i sometimes get excited and wear them all at the same time. this post is my case in point. coated denim is all i ever want to wear anymore. and when i find the perfect faux fur coat for myself, you know it's going to be on heavy rotation. i think i'll be repeating this look for my trip to new york this week... weather permitting.

photos by brook peterson

diy dannijo

they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. and i have more time on my hands than dollars in my pocket, so when i see a $445 dannijo necklace i love - that's like a year's worth of burritos - i have to get crafty. 

here's my diy version of the dannijo capucine. i bought my vintage rhinestone necklace on ebay and my neon nail polish from claire's. total spent: $25. (you obviously can save more shopping at the flea market, forever 21, or your grandmother's costume jewelry and using nail polish you already own.) okay! let's get started:

pretty rad

it's time i introduced you to rad & refined - an online retailer of clothes and accessories, vintage and contemporary. founded by jacqueline, 24, chicagoan turned la-dwelling stylist. she started the store just months ago in december and hasn't looked back. i have to say it's a pretty cool site, and nylon and refinery29 seem to agree. go ahead and take a look. you'll find pieces from wildfox couture to what goes around comes around's coveted vintage pieces. 

if you're in the bay area between the 10th and the 17th, you can make an appointment with her for a styling session. otherwise, she regularly meets clients in la. and i've got an exclusive treat just for my readers. take $15 off your order when you use the code GOINGWEST between now and may 3rd. for real. go ahead! check out rad & refined!

*this is a sponsored post that has been written entirely in my opinion and voice.

shopping fun

here's a cute little vid from the grand opening of forever 21's stockton street store here in san francisco. several bloggers, myself among them, make little cameos throughout. it was a fun day. and to be honest, the store really is beautiful and well-organized. i was there again last night to find jewelry for a little diy project i hope to share with you soon.