sale alert!

Just a friendly heads up for designer fashionistas: At Neiman Marcus online and at participating locations nationwide, an extra 40% will be taken off the already reduced prices on select clearance items from a variety of categories. They still have some great items online available, but you'd better hurry as they are going fast! I see some Juicy and Michael Kors that are mighty tempting!

http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/templates/saleSiloE.jhtml?itemId=cat980731&parentId=cat000000&masterId=cat000000&icid=home1

Skirts to the third

I had recently bashed the new Goodwill near me. But I gave it another chance this past week, and it has slightly redeemed itself. It's funny because I actually had something in mind before walking into the store! Never is this the usual. I just find things 99% of the time. But I had my game plan. I'd needed skirts. Yes, skirts. Things I normally don't wear. Ever. But I need them now. So, I headed over to the skirt dept. By department, I mean two aisles of pure, unadulterated skirts. Yippee. I actually found some great skirts to begin the year with!

Item A: A J. Crew paisley knee length skirt. Lined. Cotton. Flowy. My size. In perfect condition. $2.99.

Item B: A BN w/tags Houndstooth skirt. Granted, it's not high end designer but a JcPenny house name, it seems very well made! Would look great with black cardi and black tights. Riding boots, perhaps? Or I could do the whole flats routine. Hmm..versatile. Retails for $34, I paid $2.99.

Item C: And last, and not Pictured, a Tommy Hilfiger blue and red wool blend houndstooth, just above the knee skirt. Very cute. $2.99.

Not bad for under $10, eh?

Happy Inauguration Day!

Yay! Happy Inauguration Day 2009! I will remember this day for the rest of my life. It's Significant. Historical. Moving. Although, I did miss a chunk of the ceremonies this morning. Hey, I was in school...learning. But thank goodness for youtube and the thousands of news outlets that will be replaying these moments over and over for the next few days! Can you feel the excitement in the air? Teehehee. I will leave it at this~ I hope for only the best for our new president. Gosh, that's gotta be a stressful job. Last but not least, I wish for the absolute best for our nation, the world, and its future! =)

*pops streamers*

Dream on

Need I say much about these beauties? A picture says a thousand words. Frye's 'Paige' tall riding boots are like so....so great. But with a pricetag of over $350, this girl can only dream. I don't think I could ever bring myself to pay that much for a pair of boots. I can only think of the things I could buy with that money. Like perhaps 350 Whopper Jr burgers at Burger King or the tempting 350 items at a the Dollar Tree (tax is a killer, though).

But then again, these boots would probably last forever. I love riding boots. But only when they are done right. Simplicity is key, but construction is the lock that holds it all together. The Frye name is known for making high quality leather footwear that only gets better with age. Friends, the awesome outfits conjured up in my mind are endless paired with these beauties.

Well, for now I will just wish upon a Frye star that I stumble across a pair of these in size 8 at my local Gw.... Hey, I said I can dream, right? Or I could just get a job.

high expectations

My new Goodwill opened up today right at 9a.m. And man, was I hyped. So after my morning classes, I picked up my mom headed out to the grand opening~but not before running through the drive thru at Burger King, yum. Seriously, why are their fries so good? I could eat them for days with that cursed delicious barbeque sauce.....

Store analysis:

First impressions: store was smaller than what was expected. Very clean and quaint nonetheless. It was crowded. Lots of shoppers shopping at the shop.

Finds: I did manage to snag a great brown peacoat for $5. My mom found some nifty floral fabric she is going to use to make pillows and curtains for a new guest room. Think, Shabby Chic. Also, a beaded floral handbag clutch.

Conclusion: I think I played this GW up to a high standard in my mind. but no worries, time will bring greatness to this newbie thrift store. It's only after a few weeks when things will begin to calm down, organize itself, and then~ the good stuff really will show itself!

yet another day of the bags...

I got out of the house this past Sunday, and took advantage of a visit to a Goodwill with my oldest sister. I must say, that this was a great 'willin day for me! I found not one, but two great handbags! First up, a Dooney & Bourke All-Weather Leather Handbag in excellent condition for $4. I was so excited when I dug this up from the bin o' bags. Amid many, many hideous, outdated bags, lunchpacks and stained tote bags, I found this gem of a handbag. I did some research, and found that this bag is probably from 1994- and is the shade called 'bone'. I just love the shape and quality of this handbag. Looks like it will last forever. Retains its value. Overall, a classic piece.

Next up, a Kate Spade number. I adore Kate's bags, and I am 99.2% sure this is authentic. Everything checks out to back its reputation. The labeling, construction, and all seem like the real deal. Once again, I did my homework and looked up how to spot KS counterfeits. but hey, even if it turns out to be a faux, its still pretty darn cute! $3 later, I am a happy customer!

Three more days!

I am psyched. They are opening a new Goodwill just minutes from my house. Well, 10 minutes away, but still.......Weeeeeee! I am so going to be there on the grand opening on Thursday. Sure, it will be crowded, but they gotta have some good inventory when they open a new store. I have a feeling that these employees are going to know me by name very soon with all the business I'll be providing them. Not to mention, the recycling of my own items from my wardrobe and accessories I'll be giving them through frequent donations. It's a win-win situation =)

Day of the Bags!

I went out the other day shopping on a whim, and found two great deals; one at Ross and the other at Urban Outfitters. Normally, I don't like to go to Ross (Dress for Less). I much more prefer Marshalls or TjMaxx for finding 'designer' labels at discounted prices. Many Ross stores I have visited in the past just seems so disorganized and chaotic. I feel discouraged just walking in and seeing the typical scene: one cashier with thirty people waiting to checkout and clothes strewn all over the aisles. Maybe I am over exaggerating but then again, I've seen more Ross stores like this than not! Plus, I rarely find h/e names at Ross compared to Marshalls (my fave) and TjMaxx.

Okay, lets move on from bashing this particular retail establishment. I did find a great deal while navigating through the purse aisle at Ross: a tote bag from Gwen Stefani's Harajuki Lovers line! This is from the 'Teachers Pet' line of HJL, and features apples and worms with various apple sayings such as 'rotten to the core' and 'one bad apple'...lol...The charm key on the hook just puts more emphasis on the eclectic style HJL bags always have.

Original price? $78

My price? $7.49

And then I went to Urban Outfitters for the first time in a long while. Love this store. period. This particular UO just opened its doors in October, so it is still new to the 'sale ideal'...lol...not much of a clearance area~yet. I found this great coin purse and cosmetic bag duo marked down to $4.99 from $28! I needed a new coin purse! And the larger bag will be perfect for storing some makeup items in my purse while I go to school and the such. The two attach together for easy storage....

keeping warm

...well, there isn't really a winter in south Texas. The coldest it gets is maybe 45 degrees during the day. Still chilly, I must say. As a former Colorado-ian, this is nothing! But, I still need to keep warm while running errands and going out. I have my pea coat I got last year at Old Navy for $40 that I use during brrr days and thats about it for my winter bundling up wardrobe.

But, last night my awesome mother presented me with an sweet gift....a hand-knit scarf. Awww...it's so cozy and really does warm me up! I am wearing it now as I type. Plus, it's in a mossy green shade, which definitley is one of my favorite colors and works well into the spring months. Kudos to mom. And definitley better than anything I could have found at any store....

Creating a Vanity for Less....

Friends, I love makeup, fragrance, and nail polish. Plain and simple. My collection of lip products and nail polish will attest to this. As a result of my ever expanding collection and desire to organize it all in one multi-tasked area, I decided to construct a vanity for my collection. I had a rough draft blueprint in my head of what it should look like, ideally, but it kind of became a work in progress project. I wanted a station where my makeup could be stored away in a drawer or drawers, and roomy enough for a computer workstation. And, I knew I wanted to keep it under a $100.

I didn't have any luck in finding a vanity at a thrift shop or even craigslist, so I turned to the next best spot, Target. I love Target. From their clothing, groceries, home decor and furniture departments, it's all so great. Their prices are great, as well. The furniture piece needed to be:

a) black or dark toned

b) narrow enough to fit against my wall without intruding on my living space and..

c) roomy enough for my makeup collection

Luckily, on my first trip, I found a desk in the furniture dept for about $60 on sale that fit my criteria... I didn't like the knob that was included with the desk. Too modern for my taste. So, I went to Hobby Lobby and picked up a glass knob in a beautiful amber tone for about $4.

Found a perfect-sized/color mirror lying around my house....free

Grabbed a few eclectic acessories from Goodwill for under $5. Glass plates, candle sticks, and storage boxes...Viola...a vanity!

Most of my stash fits into the slide out drawer easily. I organized each category of makeup into little baskets I found at the dollar store. Sure, my collection keeps growing, and ends up into an 'overstock' drawer in my closet, but for the most part, my daily collection is all in here! Usually it looks more organized, but I'd been neglecting since it is a holiday break!

I store my fragrances on a metal tray on the desk itself for easy access. Not pictured is the new Viva la Juicy! I tend to go through fragrance phases, so these are just some of the current edp's, I am loving at the time.

New Year, New Threads

Really quickly wanted to let ya'll know about some great sales online from some of my favorite merchants! They are really wanting to get rid of last seasons merch to make room for Spring '09 lineup! That's great for us...more savings!



Betsey Johnson has lots of really fun dresses at 70% off! There are other items such as shoes, cardigans, and jewelry for 30-50% off
http://www.betseyjohnson.com/store/productslist.aspx?categoryid=1&Page=0



Dillards has some great deals on a whole range of items from apparel, home, and even cosmetics
http://www.dillards.com/
make sure to type 'sale' into the search box to choose your categories!



Saks Fifth Avenue is having their designer sale with savings up to 70% off names such as Michael Kors, Juicy Couture, and Burberry...nice
http://www.saksfifthavenue.com/search/SearchSale.jsp?JSESSIONID=JdcPwvvNLTXGpk21qyybL0K07pkBDNxQPcZf41GLlCC40SdgtChZ!-1583337976&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474399545537&bmUID=1230871631507

And last, Nordstrom is having a 40% Half yearly sale for MEN...it's their turn, for now...But with names like 7 for all Mankind, BCBG Maxazria, and Hugo Boss, you're bound to find some great deals on these hot names!
http://shop.nordstrom.com/c/6008662/0~2376788~6002242~6007533~6008662?origin=hp

HAPPY NEW YEAR....May 2009 hold happiness, good health, and prosperity for all!