I am and am not a lucky person. I am so lucky to be married to chris, who is possibly the NICEST guy in the world. I am so lucky to have three beautiful babes, because I know from the experience of too many that are close to me, that getting pregnant, and staying pregnant, and walking away from the hospital with a healthy baby- is an ABSOLUTE miracle. I am lucky to be alive, cause I’ve done some dumb stuff in my life that definitely could have killed me (like texting and driving.)

But I am not lucky in that I have never won the lottery, I don’t get chosen to win a $20 gift card to target no matter how many times I fill out their bloody surveys! i’m not a winner. if that makes me a loser, i’m a happy one at least.

BUT. this week, I entered a contest. and I won. I think.

here’s something you may or may not know about me. I love clothes. a lot. when I was in fifth grade, I was the ‘school’ (I don’t think anyone else but me ever read it) newspaper editor. the paper was in French. and I think there were three pages. maybe four? anyhow, I wrote most of the articles, and my favorite was when I did a fashion makeover for my teacher. in pencil crayon drawings. she loved it, and so did I.

nothing ever blossomed from that love of fashion and elementary journalism, besides reading all the fashion magazines at my mom’s convenience store, and eventually working at ICE, a tiny store in Toronto, that eventually became KITSON (you probably are familiar with this store if you live in California. they’re all over the place.) but that’s the place where I fell in love with Kate Spade, Bumble and Bumble, Philosophy products, Seven jeans (man they make your butt look good! totally worth $200 if you have that lying around), and many other products and brands that I would read about in those fashion magazines at my mom’s store. I loved it all. I didn’t need any of it. but it was all so beautiful.

now, as a stay at home mom in Arizona, I have even less exposure to those fun and fancy things. I wear flip flops and super cheap clothes. most of my gear is from target, old navy, forever 21, H&M and the occasional super cheap gem from tj maxx, or even Nordstrom rack. i am very content with what i have. i do however DREAM of having fancier and nicer things- and that’s the beauty of INSTAGRAM.

i have a shared facebook account with chris. it’s for us to stay connected to friends and family. i have an Instagram account for me. i follow my friends on there, and some brands/companies that i love, and then my imaginary fancy friends. for some reason, my fancy friends are all Asian. that’s sheer coincidence. i love Chriselle of the Chriselle Factor, Aimee Song of Song of Style, and Marissa Webb who has her own line and is the creative director of www.bananarepublic.com, and Wendy of  www.wendyslookbook.com. the ladies are on a different level of glamour and fancy awesomeness, but still relatable in their honest struggles and vulnerability. Marissa is adopted Korean, and Wendy is a former foster kid. See? real and relatable. that’s why we’re friends. even if they don’t know it yet.

so, Wendy and Marissa teamed up with an insane contest on Wendy’s blog last week. all you had to do was comment and they would pick a winner at random. you didn’t have to like five other instagrammers, you didn’t have to tag five friends. you just entered and you were done. i actually almost forgot i entered.

UNTIL MY LIFE CHANGED when i opened my gmail to find an email from none other than WENDY! and then another email from someone at gap/banana republic asking for my personal info (not my ssn or bank account info!!!!!) so they could set up my flight. CRAZY, RIGHT!!????!?!?

so, i feel like i am dreaming, and i don’t want to wake up. if this is all legit and i really totally and truly won this contest, then i will be flying to New York, going to the marissa webb show, shopping at banana republic, and going to the banana republic presentation at New York fashion week.

who would have ever thought that this could or would happen to the likes of little old (both adjectives are seriously on point at this point in my life) ME!???!?

and even though i can’t take anyone on this trip with me- i am taking YOU along with me! unless of course i didn’t really win. in which case, i will proceed with my life, and wait to read about someone else’s experience in InStyle magazine next month.