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

(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

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:

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.

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.

(hat c/o forever 21, zara sweater, bdg high waist denim via crossroads trading, necklace c/o bakers shoes, lucky brand boots, vintage jacket, alexander wang rocco)

so i may not be spending G's or hanging out in the hot tub poppin' bubbly, but i at least have the hat and fur to look the part. (there's nothing wrong with poking a little fun at yourself.) but would a p.i.m.p. wear neon magenta socks?

after rifling through my closet for a monthly closet cleansing, i revisited my collection of vintage fur coats. and i forgot how it was love at first sight when i saw this jacket two years ago. with the rainy weather hovering around sf, it was time to get it out again to dress up the basic, cozy pieces i wore to stay warm.

photos taken by jackie

(sweater and blouse c/o forever21, dl1961 pants, lucky brand boots, necklace c/o bakers shoes, michael kors watch)

the great thing about having a blog to document your outfits is you can see how your style progresses - including how it changes little by little day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month. maybe it's because i was watching a kevin bacon movie while i uploaded these photos, but i was beginning to see the six degrees of separation in my outfits. (or is that reference beyond the newest generation's time?)

note: the latest interest in layering go-to button ups with sweaters to adapt to the chilly weather. this post is with my purple/maroon-hued dl1961 jeans and so is the last. i wore the maroon hat in the last post, and the previous one ALSO has that hat along with the mermaid green dl1961s. and the lucky brand boots and alexander wang rocco have maintained a long holding streak in all my latest posts. i guess i'm saying i like to switch up pieces in my looks over time. it's like each outfit slowly morphs from one to the next.

(h&m blazer, rvca shirt, zara blouse, dl1961 pants, bedazzle loafer c/o mia, michael kors watch, alexander wang rocco, glasses c/o glasses usa)

if this outfit were sans prints/color with a pocket protector thrown in, i could have been in trouble. i wear blazers to work a lot. lots and lots. i love to sleep in as much as possible in the mornings, and i know putting a blazer over whatever i pick to wear in the 5 minutes i have to get ready adds just the right amount of polish. (by the way, i work in a ridiculously laid-back environment.) i added one extra layer plus a print to switch things up a bit - still a pretty basic outfit and true to myself. and while i don't typically wear flats, a studded smoking slipper fit the bill perfectly.

photos taken by jackie

when i met up with the folks from forever21 for a little interview, they asked me to pick one of my favorite places in san francisco as our meeting place. i instantly knew that alamo square park was the perfect spot. cowboy and i enjoy taking walks there from time to time. i get to see "the painted ladies" and sweeping views of the city, while cowboy gets to mark a lot of territory. we're easy to please.

i basically wore a remix of my previously posted outfit that i wore to the store's recent grand opening. i seriously love how this hat adds the right amount of color to complete my outfits - and actually have to try not to wear it everyday. this statement necklace from daily look is becoming a staple as well. (i'm finding myself leaning towards wearing more gold jewelry lately.)

anyway, if you'd like to read about some of my favorite places in san francisco, how it has influenced my style, and what trend i'm NOT looking forward to for spring, check out my interview on the skinny blog.

(h&m sweater, plastic island blouse, jbrand pants via crossroads, lucky brand boots, bakers shoes hat, rayban sunnies, alexander wang rocco bag, necklace c/o daily look)

(h&m sweater, blouse c/o romwe, emma legging c/o dl1961, lucky brand boots, bakers shoes hat, alexander wang rocco, bracelets from forever21/co poshlocket/co dailylook)

yesterday was the opening of the new forever21 flagship store and i was invited to highlight a few of my fave picks in the store. naturally, i was drawn to black faux leather pants, a red faux suede jacket, black isabel marant-style boots, this leopard print bag and more. the store is so shiny, big and bright. it was like a mega-sized version of carrie's new penthouse closet in the sex & the city.

i also met up with them to talk about my blog and living in sf in an interview on the skinny blog. cowboy joined me and even had a photo-op!

the weather was gorgeous that day, so i wore some layers i could peel off if i needed. and now i finally have colored denim, thanks to dl1961. these pants are so comfortable, i went out and bought them in rosewood too! and now i want to order the waxed version...