Your Ultimate Summer Vacation - The Style Passport

Enlarge Photo

You've got the urge to travel, but with gas prices at an all-time high and the dollar at an all-time low, your poor passport sits in your desk drawer collecting dust instead of stamps.

If you're like me, you may be wondering how you can afford to take that whirlwind vacation while still allowing yourself enough of a budget to partake in the best part of traveling - the shopping!

This summer take your annual week off work, but stay a little closer to home. Several boutiques and services in Bird Rock and La Jolla have come together to present a week's worth of sales and soirees; your ticket is a passport where your purchases become stamps: The Style Passport.

The brainchild of JEP Boutique owner Kristina Bodal, The Style Passport is a way for fashion travelers to become acquainted with some of the best boutiques and services that Bird Rock and La Jolla have to offer. Passports can be downloaded from jepboutique.com beginning on July 15, and from July 19 to July 24 the participating Style Passport destinations will be offering special discounts only to passport holders - the shopping equivalent of flying first class. The week ends with a JEP party that includes a runway show, cocktails, appetizers, and of course, more shopping!

On Thursday, July 24 from 7-9pm, celebrate your new style at the Final Destination Bash with interactive runway fashion shows featuring Charriol, Neroli, Bodywear Boutique, Stephanie’s Shoes, and JEP Boutique, with hot hair styled by Travis Parker. Off the runway, savor spicy eats from La Puerta and cool down with sunset cocktails from EFFEN Vodka. And that’s not all – Style Passport holders will have the chance to win exclusive prizes from La Jolla Spa MD, Lean & Green, Westfield UTC and more. We’ll see you tonight – send your guest list requests to RSVP@JEPBoutique.com.

The travel itinerary for your style vacation includes Travis Parker Salon, Capricorn Boutique, Stephanie's Shoes, Armonia Skin Care, Bodywear Boutique, Charriol, Neroli, and of course the aforementioned JEP Boutique. While each of these style destinations will be offering discounts to passport holders throughout the week, some places will also offer special one-time events that you won't want to miss. Use this article as your travel guide, and be sure that your shopping vacation includes the following stops:

On Monday, July 21 from 4 to 6pm, stop by Capricorn Boutique as they celebrate through alliteration with champagne and cupcakes from Cups. Flip through designer clothes and peruse their stock of chic accessories; all passport holders who spend $200 or more during the week will also receive a free gift with purchase. If the champagne sipping at Capricorn Boutique leaves your skin feeling a little dehydrated, stop by Armonia Skin Care where passport holders who spend over $100 on product such as Kinerase or Sonya Dakar will receive 40 percent off of any facial. Those who stop by Armonia on Wednesday, July 23 between 4 and 6pm will receive a 15 percent discount on all products and facial gift certificates.

JEP Boutique is hosting the not-to-be-missed Final Destination Party from 7 to 10pm on Thursday, July 24, but fashionable passport holders will want to make sure to come earlier in the week to do a little boutique splurging. Any purchase over $50 at JEP will include a complimentary eyebrow wax, which means that your face will be as clean and sophisticated as the 3.1 Phillip Lim dress that you just purchased for Thursday's party.

Once you've got your style appointments set, allow the rest of your fashion destinations to be dictated by your mood - after all, you are on vacation. Perhaps you could start your week with the best of intentions by stopping off at Bodywear Boutique for some workout gear. Their Shakti side string shorts will cause a sensation in the gym or on the beach, but since passport holders get free gifts with $50 and $100 purchases, you might want to buy them in both colors. If you decide that vacations are meant for indulgence not exercise, you'll still feel good about your sporty shopping spree; with all merchandise in the store selling at 15 percent off for passport holders, can you afford not to buy new yoga pants?

You know where to go for the outfit, but how are you going to complete the look? La Jolla is its own little community of luxury, and everything you need to look your best will be located nearby. Feel alluring even in the most demure of dresses with lingerie from Neroli Boutique. Fashion passport holders receive 15 percent off all merchandise and learn the priceless secret that all French women know: a sense of sexiness and chic is impossible without perfectly fitting, well-crafted lingerie.

While good quality lingerie is a must-have for every woman, a well-thought out shoe wardrobe can be more important than food. Replenish your shoe closet at Stephanie's Shoes where the first pair is 20 percent off, the second is 25 percent off, and the third pair will save you 30 percent! Of course, if you are really in need of this vacation and an extra-special treat is in order, than Charriol has just the thing. Indulge in a classic timepiece or diamond ring to celebrate yourself and your time in the sun - the free gift given to each passport holder making a purchase will only add to your sense of extravagance, while those who spend over $1000 will receive 15 percent off and the satisfaction that comes with money well, and smartly, spent.

Before heading to JEP Boutique's July 24 Final Destination Party, make sure you're tressed for the occasion, and stop into the Travis Parker Salon. Their stylists will make sure that your hair will still be up for a party long after you're ready to go to bed, and passport holders will receive a free Kerastase Ritual Treatment with every appointment. If you find yourself falling in love with the Kerastase line and purchase at least three of their products, you'll also receive a free full-sized Kerastase Lumiere Nutri Sculpt styling product.

For this year's summer vacation in San Diego, take a week off and indulge your passion for fashion by shopping and partying in some of the most luxurious stores in one of San Diego's most exclusive coastal neighborhoods: La Jolla. We all splurge a little more than we normally do when we're on vacation, and this week should be no exception. But with the discounts that come with your style passport, you'll feel like you're saving money.

Check out more San Diego event photos from the La Jolla JEP Lifestyle Boutique re-grand opening fashion show and party here.

For the best San Diego shopping in La Jolla, read the details here.