Could anything be better than going to sleep at night, all snug and safe in your bed, knowing that just down the road in Scottsdale a brand new H&M has opened up just for you and your shopping bliss, FINALLY??!!

Let’s just rewind for a moment to a time in late 2004, when your little Jenny-blogger was an even littler Jenny-blogger on her first trip to the amazing state of New York to visit her (then) fashion student cousin.  On this pivotal trip we headed to the Midtown shopping district and there it was, like a man I was about to become soulmates with, H&M New York.  Love is love, and when you know, you know.  Three stories, that big red sign, and gaggles of girls better dressed than I emerging with that “I just bought the perfect outfit” glow upon them.  I entered with trepidation, knowing full well that my measly shopping fund would probably only allow me a scarf in such a mecca, when I noticed a price tag.  $29.95?

“Are they selling the coat hangers separately?” was my first thought.  To my utter disbelief and unbridled joy, that was NOT a hanger price tag—it was a tag to an item!  An entire article of clothing with perfect stitching and as trendy as Kate Moss herself, and it was $29.95!  Thus ensued a shopping excursion people only pass down to their children through oral tradition, much like Greek mythology, on cold winter nights as times past.  I left NY feeling so excited about this shop!  The cutest clothing ever, the best prices, and just an internet click away from my closet!

But, as you all know, H&M didn’t have an online store.  I kept looking and looking, but their website did not allow shopping!  It only listed locations and the nearest ones were either Los Angeles or Las Vegas!  I truly felt this must be an error so I called, and sure enough, they did not sell their clothing on the internet!  To have those dresses listed in Cosmo, or even a pair of jeans tagged in some celeb paparazzi photo, I needed to get in my car and actually leave the state!  Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like it wouldn’t be worth the trip, but come on that’s seriously inconvenient!

Well, my friends, our time has come.  Last month H&M opened their doors in Scottsdale and I was in that loooooooooooong line of girls with the same eager gleam in their eyes when those fateful doors opened.  Although it was more crowded than New Orleans at Mardi Gras, it was all I had hoped for.  Adorable pea coats for under $100?  Check.  Stacks of patterned tights?  Check.  A feeling that my prayers had finally been heard?  Double check.  It’s there, just waiting for you to come and enjoy the luster and affordability Arizona.  We should count ourselves as the blessedly elite today.

www.hm.com

Sadly my blog has been neglected over the last year or so. It’s just so hard to keep up with all that is on my plate plus this wonderful blog, so I have decided to branch out on the blog and have K.Bee and JennyP  join us as guest bloggers every week and share amazing tips, pictures, fashion ideas, and much more. You will see a lot of them on here as well as the usual blogs from me. This way, I hope, the blog will become something you will want to frequent more and become even more addicted than you already are!!

We have deemed Friday’s as Fashion Frenzy Friday’s with Jenny. She will be jumping on every Friday and sharing new trends and finds in fashion and more. In the month that Jenny has been on our team she has been deemed qualified in matters of fashion so I hope that you get a ton out of these posts! We’d love to hear what you have to say! COMMENT!!!:)

And with that I present the first, of hopefully many, Fashion Frenzy Friday’s with Jenny.

JennyP. (Office Studio Extraordinaire)

Oh my goodness I’m blogging on THE blog!  Hello everyone, I’m Jenny, it’s lovely to meet you!  You look so great, is that a new haircut?  Have you lost weight?  I can tell.

So, I’m going to be updating you gorgeous people about my favorite fashion and beauty trends of the moment, along with some other fashionista tips I feel this uber-in-crowd of Kimberly Jarman Blog fans need to know!  How am I qualified to do this?  Brilliant question.  I didn’t graduate from Harvard with a degree in celebrity fashion trends, if that’s what you’re hoping, BUT in 29 years I’ve developed a seriously unhealthy relationship of total obsession and pre-occupation with fashion and appearance.  I read, on average, 8-10 fashion magazines a month, have a cousin in NY who is an associate designer for Tory Burch’s fashion house on-call at all times, and have more beauty products in my home than the cast of Desperate Housewives.  Combined.  So without further adieu…let’s get to some shallow topics!

Boots

Black boots.  Brown boots.  Slouchy boots.  Rugged, leather boots.  Riding boots.  Heeled boots.  I could go on and on about my love obsession and worshipful feeling toward all of this past season’s boots!  I find myself praying that the weather doesn’t warm up TOO much, thus forcing me to put away my arsenal of boots.  Now, obviously boots are not some new invention in the world of fashion, but they’ve become so mainstream to the everyday outfit that it’s exciting!  Taylor Swift rockin’ knee-high boots with a flowered mini-dress, Kate Moss strolling around London in rocker thigh-high boots over jeans and sunglasses the size of Jupiter, or that cute girl I always see at the gas station near my house perpetually in perfect leggings and brown slouchy boot ensembles—they are everywhere!  I like mine because they make every outfit look kinda planned.  Jeans and a normal shirt with a sweater looks pretty standard, then I tuck said jeans into knee-high brown riding boots and suddenly I’m stylin.  I like that.  Minimal effort, maximum reward.  Boots are a go.



Dear Kate, Taylor, and Cameron, I want to be you.  And I need to borrow these boots, please.

Skinny jeans

Ahhhhh am I the only person having a civil war inside over the skinny jeans phenomena??  Here’s the thing:  they are here, they are the style, they are not leaving.  But, I’m from the bootcut/flare leg/are those bell-bottoms era!  To think of wearing skin tight pants to the ankle, with nothing to balance out my, ahem, curvier areas, is totally terrifying!  And sort of…80’s?  I see Courtney Cox strutting around in them on TV every week, but it’s Courtney Cox.  She can strut around in a clown suit and look sexy!  I think my final verdict is that this trend is something to dive into carefully.  Boots (see above) over these jeans is a good fix, you’re still trendy but you’re balancing with some bulk on bottom.  I like mine with heels and a longish top, on nights when I’m needing to feel very LA.  I think with proper shoes on a day when you’re feeling extra body-confident, they can work.  Otherwise, if you look in the mirror and can only focus on the fact that your rear is looking way too massive for your taste, burn them.  Not every trend is for every body.

Yes. Kate, Beyonce, Angie, and Eva look amazing…but that means nothing to real people!

Retinoids

When I was 18 my dermatologist prescribed me Retin-A micro for minor teenage acne.  I fell in love with it and have used it happily for the last 11 years.  Well, lucky for me, new research is showing that this little tube of miracles also increases collagen production while smoothing lines!  So while I was trying desperately to make those zits shrink before the prom, I was unknowingly pumping my skin with youth!  Now, if you read beauty articles as much as I do, you are always reading words like retinoid, glycolic acid, free radicals, Botox, etc.  There are a billion products out there and a billion different reviews on each one, so I’m just talking from personal experience.  On a recent dermatology visit (yes, I go often, I am obsessed, I told you!) I received praise for my very youthful skin and was told it’s a combination of:   (1.)  prolonged retinoid usage (2.) minimal sun damage.  Personally, I think the fact that I have hidden from the sun like Edward Cullen (Twilight fans?) for the past 10 years has the most to do with this, but I do feel like the retinoid cream has done some work!  There are so many over the counter these days that you don’t need a prescription, and I think if you’re not using anything, it’s a good product to pick up.  It combats both aging and acne, and for me it’s been pretty great for just overall skin appearance and health!  Test it in small areas to see your level, as it can be pretty drying…and if it causes you to develop some horrid rash or a tail, here’s my disclaimer:  I’m not a doctor!

That’s my piece for the day.  Go put on your (controversial) skinny jeans, tuck them into your hottie boots, smear your face with some Retin-A and hit the grocery store, you rock star, you!