In LA, we have our own food culture. We’re blessed with a wide range of food genres and food price ranges. In the past year and a half we’ve seen a surge of pop food trucks. Kogi, Nom Nom, CoolHaus, and the Grilled Cheese Truck sound familiar? Unless you’ve been living under a rock in LA, you must have seen, heard, or experienced these LA exclusive delicacies.

Finally! Someone had the awesome idea to round up the essence of LA street food. Next Saturday, in Downtown Los Angeles we’re having our first LA Street Food Fest.

Event Info

What: 1st Annual  LA Street Food Fest
When: Saturday, February 13th, 11am – 5pm

Admission: Tickets will be available at the door the day of the event. Exclusive VIP Tickets are available online now, but will not be for sale at the event.
$5 General Admission Includes entry to the festival, a free drink ticket, cool giveaways.
$30 VIP Includes all of the above plus access to above street-level VIP patio with a bird’s eye view of the fest, goodie bag, exclusive bites not available to GA attendees, private bar, access to indoor restrooms, and more.

Children: Little ones age 10 and under admitted free with a paying grown up

I’ll be there sampling away and updating my Twitter Feed. LMK if you go! Bon Appetit!

Today was a big day for all Apple geeks. The iPad was officially presented to geekdom. Yes, it looks like an enlarged iPhone. Yes, it’s shares commonalities with iPhone and iPod. But once you get down to the niddy gritty, a more correct comparison would be iPad is similar to a Kindle. So far the Kindle has dominated the portable ebook market. Even with the introduction of Sony’s Reader, the Kindle is still the clear industry leader. Think Kindle is to ebook as Pruis is to hybrid vehicle.

Steve Job’s presentation of the iPad. You have to admire a man with such passion and the ability to turn his dreams into reality.

Specs

* Display: 9.7 inch, 1024 x 768 Fingerprint-resistant capacitive touchscreen, IPS screen
* Size: 9.56 x 7.47 x 0.5 inches
* Weight: 1.5 pounds (1.6 pounds Wi-Fi + 3G model)
* CPU: 1GHz Apple A4 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip
* Wireless: 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, 3G via AT&T (users will also be able to access AT&T wi-fi hotspots for free.)
* Memory: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB flash NAND
* I/O: Dock connector, headphone jack, mic
* Extras: Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, compass

Pricing

Wi-Fi only: 16 GB for $499 | 32 GB for $599 | 64 GB for $699
Wi-Fi + 3G: 16 GB for $629 | 32 GB for $729 | 64 GB for $829

One big downer, AT&T will be the 3G provider. Why Apple why!? AT&T already has enough issues supporting their current 3G network. So disappointing… But still not enough to keep me from want one! Now how to get me one of these toys…

Let me take a minute to say that IMEEM use to be my #1 online music streaming portal. #1 as in day and night I would have this baby open. #1 as in it was one of the shortcuts on my Chrome dashboard. Ever since MySpace took over IMEEM (literally redirects to Myspace.com), I’ve refused to create a new account just to access my playlists. I refuse to join MySpace based on principle and it’s a shame it had to end like this IMEEM. But now I’ve found a shiny new replacement, LaLa.com

Want to preview full new albums? Lala lets you do that.

Want to create your own playlist? Lala does that as well.

Want to share your playlist to the community? Yup. that’s available as well.

Most importantly… Want to do all this for free? Lala doesn’t cost the user a penny.

good bye IMEEM. it was good while it lasted. parting is such sweet sorrow

Sweet jesus I’m finally done with my papers. MissChicGeek here back and in full effect. I sincerely apologize for the flat line of new posts. It’s been a … challenging past month. MissChicGeek has been working towards a geekier future. Cross all your fingers and toes that all my hard work will pay off. If and when this happens, I’ll be sure to share the good news. Until then, we focus on the new year and new endeavours.

So what’s the latest fashion savings? truth be told I’ve seen a shift of sales from traditional premium designer store sales to online invite premium designer sales. What do I mean by online invite? I’m talking about sites like Gilt Groupe, Ideeli, and even our very own Daily Candy created Swirl. These sites host private limited time premium designer sales. Customers are notified via email and the sales typically last only a 2-3 days. Savings vary from 20-75%. This premium designer sale business model has gotten so popular that Gilt Groupe has expanded beyond premium fashion brands to premium travel destinations, Gilt Jetsetter. Let me know if you need an invite, I can forward one to you. For some sites, every member gets referral bonus’ once their referral makes his or her first purchase. MissChicGeek can use a pair of new shoes… or 10.

I like things delivered start to my doorstep. Or in this case, to my email box. Plus, I do not like to be bombarded by clutterly emails. These sales work for me because it’s a hand-full of premium designers for a very limited time. If I miss it, so be it, it wasn’t meant to be.

Given it’s mid January, I predict Winter sales to be right around the corner. I, MissChicGeek, will do my best to keep you updated. Until then, try subscribing to a couple of these sites. You may be pleasantly surprised with the selection and flexibility these sites offer. If you don’t like it, no harm done. The site “membership” is 100% free to join. Just removed yourself.

Ah… MissChicGeek is uber excited for 2010. I hope you all are just as excited!!!! Cheers~

Hello readers! Or should I say, savvy shoppers? ‘Tis the season to give as well as save. There are so many sales flying through it’s hard for 1 woman to keep up! I will tell you this, I’ll try my best to Twitter about the latest and greatest sales this holiday season. You can follow me by clicking on my Twitter stream on the right or click here

When you’re searching the web for great savings, here are a couple tips:

• Check the date of the promotion. Many times consumers try to apply outdated promo codes.
• Search around for the best deal. Many times large companies run multiple promos at the same time.
• Be sure to compensate for holiday shipping time. No one likes an IOU.
• If you have a question, call the company. Customer service is there to help you!
• Lastly, if you find an awesome sale, be sure to share it with your friends, family and online community. We all love a good sale!

Happy Holidays!

Compliments of Daily Candy Los Angeles Newsletter.

If you haven’t gotten yourself on the Daily Candy emails, you’re missing out. DailyCandy is our curated guide to everywhere. They’ve got the hottest restaurants, bars, fashion, shops, spas, events, deals and more. They have THE best recommendations, photos and information on all the latest restaurants and fashion. Best of all, Daily Candy sends all their findings straight to our email box. Who can ask for more?

What: Steven Alan Sale
Why: Signature button-downs for men ($68) and women ($58) along with big deals on goods from Demylee, Relwen, Sophomore, Generic Surplus, and others.
When: Thurs. & Fri., 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sat., 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: Siren Studios, 6063 W. Sunset Blvd., b/t N. Gower St. & La Baig Ave., Hollywood (323-467-3559).

What: A.P.C. Overstock Sale
Why: Up to 75 percent off past seasons’ women’s and men’s clothing, shoes, and accessories.
When: Sat. & Sun., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Where: 715 S. Los Angeles St., b/t W. Seventh & W. Eighth Sts., Downtown (323-297-0414).

What: Decadestwo Shoe Blowout
Why: The final day of the weekend-long pop-up shop affair has new and gently worn designer (Louboutin, Prada, Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton) shoes marked $150 and below.
When: Sun., noon-5 p.m.
Where: Post26, Brentwood Country Mart, 225 26th St., at San Vicente Blvd., Brentwood (310-451-0950). For a chance to be one of the first 50 in line, e-mail rsvp@decadestwo.com.

What: Amenity Home Sample Sale
Why: Half off current collections, 75 percent off Belgian linen pillows, organic cotton duvets in test colors for $50-$100, nursery samples for $15-$60, and more.
When: Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sun., 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Where: 453 S. Spring St., b/t W. Fourth & W. Fifth Sts., ste. 918, Downtown.

What: Kimberly Ovitz Sample Sale
Why: Samples, overstock, and one-of-a-kind pieces from spring and fall collections going for $10-$600.
When: Sat., 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Where: 2601 Colorado Ave., b/t 26th & Princeton Sts., Santa Monica.

Friends and family promotion by invite only? Psh~ I’m all about the “sharing is caring.” Especially when it’s a promotion based on the concept of ‘friends & family.’ Nothing says I care about you more than helping a loved one save.

Bloomingdales is hosting their annual Friends & Family sale. Little brown bag? psh! Big brown bag, thank you very much. Shop now online at bloomingdales.com and use promo code HOLIDAY. Rather see it in person? In-store sale begins November 11th, 2009. A real savvy fashionista would first select her prime choices via website and go in store with a plan. Time is precious, waste not.

Need a personal invite? MissChicgeek can help. Simply email me your request at info@misschicgeek.com.

When?

Online - Today thru November 15th, 2009

In store - November 11th thru 15th, 2009

Where?

Online and all participating stores

Fine Print (all this fine print is cramping my style):

FRIENDS & FAMILY EVENT:
Online: Offer valid for 20% off on almost all regular- and sale-price purchases for Women, Men, Kids and Home. Small Electrics and Mens Electronics receive 10% off. Offer valid online November 9, 2009 through November 15, 2009. Discount applied at checkout when you enter code HOLIDAY. Delivery charges and applicable taxes are additional. Not valid in conjunction with any other offer. No adjustments to prior purchases. All employees of Bloomingdale’s and its affiliates are excluded. Offer excludes Women’s Apparel from Chanel, Marc Jacobs, The North Face®, UGG® Australia, Ralph Lauren Pink Pony, and All Saints. Offer excludes Men’s Apparel from Ralph Lauren Black Label, PS Paul Smith, The North Face®, UGG® Australia, and Turnbull & Asser. Offer excludes Kids apparel from The North Face® And UGG® Australia. Offer excludes Fashion Accessories (shoes, handbags, jewelry, accessories, and sunglasses): Fendi Handbags and Soft Leather Goods, Chanel Handbags, Soft Leather Goods & Sunglasses, Jimmy Choo Handbags and Soft Leather Goods, Louis Vuitton Handbags and Soft Leather Goods, Dior Handbags and Soft Leather Goods, UGG® Australia, The North Face®, Chanel Shoes, Jimmy Choo Shoes, and David Yurman. Offer excludes Cosmetics, Fragrances, Gift Cards, Martine’s Chocolates, Shop at Home Services, Rug Cleaning Services, Interior Design Special Orders and Fur Services. Offer valid in Bergen County store November 10, 2009 through November 14, 2009. Offer valid in all other Bloomingdale’s stores November 11, 2009 through November 15, 2009. Certain designer and brand exclusions apply. See a sales associate for details.
Bonus Gift:
To Receive: One per customer. Offer excludes backorder items. Offer excludes Women’s Apparel in Marc Jacobs, UGG® Australia, Ralph Lauren Pink Pony, All Saints, and The North Face®. Offer excludes Men’s Apparel in Ralph Lauren Black Label, PS Paul Smith, The North Face®, UGG® Australia, Turnbull & Asser. Offer excludes Kids Apparel in The North Face® and UGG® Australia. Offer excludes Chanel Shoes, UGG® Australia Shoes and Fashion Accessories, Jimmy Choo Shoes, Home, Men’s Electronics, Max Fur Salon, Cosmetics, Fragrances, Fine Jewelry, Gift Cards, and Charity Donations. Offer not available on bloomingdales.weddingchannel.com.
To Redeem: Offer can be redeemed from November 16, 2009 through November 29, 2009. Offer excludes Women’s Designer Apparel and New View Designer Apparel, Elements, Not Your Daughter’s Jeans, UGG ® Australia, Lafayette 148 New York, Diane Von Furstenberg, The North Face®, All Saints, Comptoir des Cottoniers, Basler, MaxMara, BCBG Generation. Offer excludes Men’s apparel from Polo, Men’s Store at Bloomingdale’s Sweaters and Wovens, Ralph Lauren Black Label, PS Paul Smith, The North Face®, UGG® Australia, Turnbull & Asser, and Men’s Electronics. Offer excludes Kids apparel from Polo Youngworld, The North Face® and UGG® Australia. Offer excludes Fashion Accessories: Fendi Handbags and Soft Leather Goods, Chanel Handbags, Soft Leather Goods & Sunglasses, Marc Jacobs Handbags and Soft Leather Goods, Marc By Marc Jacobs Handbags and Soft Leather Goods, Burberry hats, scarves, hair, gloves, Handbags and Soft Leather Goods, Tory Burch Handbags, Soft Leather Goods and Shoes, Chloe Handbags and Soft Leather Goods, Coach Handbags and Soft Leather Goods, Michele Watches, The North Face®, UGG® Australia. Offer excludes Furniture, Mattresses, Rugs, Juliska, Christofle, Villeroy & Boch, Waterford/Wedgewood, Lenox, Rosenthal, All-Clad, Kitchen Electrics, Personal Care, Floor Care, Max Fur Salon, Cosmetics, Fragrances, Charity Donations and Gift Cards. Offer not redeemable on bloomingdales.weddingchannel.com.

In-Store: Valid Wednesday - Sunday, November 11-15, 2009, and Tuesday - Saturday, November 10-14, 2009 in Bergen County. 10% off Small Electrics and Men’s Electronics. Certain designer and brand exclusions apply. See sales associate for details. Discount offer not valid on Cosmetics and Fragrances, Maximilian Fur Services, Martine’s Chocolates, Shop at Home Services, Rug Cleaning Services, Interior Design Special Orders and Gift Cards. Cannot be combined with any other certificate offer. Not transferable. Not valid on prior purchases or bill payments. All employees of Bloomingdale’s and its affiliates are excluded.
Bonus Offer:
To Receive: One per customer. To receive a Splurge Card, you must present this invitation and your same-day receipts of 500.00 or more of qualifying net purchases on regular-and-sale-price merchandise, 11/11/09-11/15/09 (11/10/09-11/14/09 for Bergen County). Qualifying purchases online will receive the splurge card with the purchase. Certain designer and brand exclusions apply. See sales associate for details. Offer not valid on Cosmetics and Fragrances, Maximilian Fur Services, Martine’s Chocolates, Shop at Home Services, Rug Cleaning Services, Interior Design Special Orders and Gift Cards. Spending threshold excludes sales tax. Cannot be combined with an other certificate or storewide offer.
To Redeem: Valid in-store and online. Splurge card is redeemable on a future regular-or-sale-price purchase of $250.00 or more, 11/16/09-11/29/09. Exclusions apply. Splurge Card has no cash value. See reverse side of splurge card for exclusion details. Offer varies online. Return Policy: Splurge cards must be returned when purchased items are returned. If items are returned without splurge cards, the difference will be deducted from your refund. See sales associate for details.

FREE SHIPPING:
Free standard shipping on orders of 150.00 or more when you use your Bloomingdale’s card at Bloomingdales.com. Not valid when shipping to multiple addresses. No adjustments to prior purchases. Offer excludes Gift Cards, Furniture, and Mattresses. Not valid at Bloomingdale’s stores or bloomingdales.weddingchannel.com.

Free standard shipping on orders of 300.00 or more at Bloomingdales.com. Not valid when shipping to multiple addresses. No adjustments to prior purchases. Offer excludes Gift Cards, Furniture, and Mattresses. Not valid at Bloomingdale’s stores or bloomingdales.weddingchannel.com.

Tis the season for Friends and Family, fa-la-la-la-la…

Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy is holding their annual Friends and Family Event. 30% off baby! In case you didn’t know Gap, BR and Old Navy are all owned by the same company, hence the Friends and Family savings conjunction. Everyone knows that Winter season is a high spend and if you’re savvy, high save season. Take advantage of all the Friends and Family promotions, Sample Sales, Warehouse Sales, Seasonal Sales your wallet can afford.

This year, Gap, BR and Old Navy will be donating 5% of your spend to the non-profit of your choice. But you must register online before you purchase. If you need an invite, shoot me an email and I’ll be more than happy to send one your way.

When?

November 12th - November 16th, 2009

Where?

All participating stores

Fine Print:

Offer valid November 12, 2009 through November 15, 2009 at Gap, Gap Outlet, Gap Factory Store, Gap Generation, Banana Republic, Banana Republic Factory Store and Old Navy stores in the U.S. only (including Puerto Rico). Not valid online or at Edition by Banana Republic store. 30% discount cannot be combined with other offers or discounts. Discount applies to eligible purchases (”Eligible Purchases”), which are merchandise only, not gift cards, packaging, applicable taxes, or telephone orders placed to stores or customer service 1-800/888 numbers. Not valid on Gap (Product) RED™, Junk Food™, Converse®, Havaianas®, Medela®, CharmIt!®, Robeez®, Stella McCartney for GapKids, Stella McCartney for babyGap, or the following babyGap Home items: strollers, car seats, high chairs and nursery furniture. Not valid for cash or cash equivalent. Gap Foundation (”Gap”) will donate an amount equal to 5% of Eligible Purchases to a non-profit partner (”Partner”) only when one is designated by the Gap Inc. best customer (”Best Customer(s)”). If no Partner is designated, no donation will be made. If the Best Customer selects Donorschoose.org as its Partner, the Best Customer can also select a specific project on Donorschoose.org to receive the donation. Gap’s total donations to all U.S. and Canadian Partners shall not exceed U.S.$2 million. Such donation does not entitle the Best Customer or any offer recipient to claim a charitable contribution deduction. Merchandise cannot be put on hold during offer period. Return of discounted merchandise will be for the price actually paid. Exchange for different size is permitted; however, the discount will not be applied to exchanges for different merchandise. Reproductions or photocopies of offer card will not be accepted. Not responsible for lost or stolen offer cards. Offer is not transferable or valid for resale. No price adjustments are allowed on previous purchases or on purchases made with this discount.