Friday, December 12, 2008
As promised on Wednesday, here is your Cinderella transformation from business casual to holiday haute. How cute you'll look under the mistletoe!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Despite the balmy weather in Boston today, I know that many of you have been planning outfits for your holiday parties. In the effort of being true Recessionistas, I know it is important to have an outfit with what I like to call "recyclable pieces"-that can make the smooth transition from the office to a classy party on a budget. Most of these items are available on the cheap at your local mall or online and the shoes were too good to pass up for a splurge. That's what Santa is for, right?
Today I'll give my top picks for a daytime outfit that will shine in the office, and check back on Friday for the Cinderella transformation for out on the town!
Black Sequined Cardigan (Old Navy, $29.50), Pants (Forever21, $24.80), Navigation Linen Ruffle V-Neck Tank (Jcrew, $39.99), Lace Triangle Scarf with Fringe (Urban Outfitters), Miu Miu Grey Suede Cap-Toe Bow Pumps (Bluefly, $408), Earrings and Headband (Forever21, $4.80), Merona Large Hobo Bag (Target)
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
In case this year's theme of glamorous goddesses encourages you to shop, today's the last day of Vickie's extended Cyber Monday Sale, 20% off your entire purchase. For a backstage look at the show's fittings, sets and after parties, CBS.com has a very visual sneak peek section.
Monday, December 1, 2008
The "holiday" was originally schemed up years ago under the assumption that people would be browsing their computers Monday at the office for all the Black Friday deals they missed out on due to turkey comas, babysitting family members or simply avoiding the Black Friday crazies at 4 a.m.
For those of you who choose to shop from the comfort of your couch, today's your day. Lucky for you I've made a cheat sheet on great deals to check out today and even into Wednesday. Just about every site online is offering free shipping and check out the official Cyber Monday website for the creme of the crop in deals and coupons.
The Gap. Inc. family:
15% off at the Gap with promo code GAP15
10% off at Banana Republic with promo code EXTRA10
20% off at OldNavy with promo code SAVENOW
20% off at Piperline with the promo code MONDAY
Free shipping on any purchase at the Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy, with promo code ONEDAY.
20% off ELuxury's "Little Luxuries" top picks for luxurious holiday gifts from posh designers.
Additional 30% off sale items at JCrew with promo code EXTRA30.
Extra 15% off everything at Bluefly.
Decorating a new place? Extra 40% everything at Designer Linens outlet.
30% off everything and free shipping at Ann Taylor LOFT.
40% off regular priced items and 50% off sale items plus free shipping on orders of $100+ at Bloomingdale's.
Spend more and save more deal at ShopBop with promo code THANKS2U.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
"It’s hard to tighten your belt when you’ve always had an elastic waistband"
0 comments Posted by Rachel at 2:15 PM
On yesterday's drive into work listening to Matty in the Morning, I was impressed by guest Lauren Beckham Falcone, columnist for the Boston Herald. Lauren was upbeat, intelligent and down to earth-just the company I like for my morning coffee and commute.
Below is Lauren's comical yet interesting take on the shoppers that she's seen lined up at the local malls and why they are still vying for deals. I think she hit it on the nose.
And that’s outside. Inside? Teeming with shoppers throwing elbows for a bargain iPod Nano.
Checkout lines are the new bread lines.
At Banana Republic at the Chestnut Hill mall this past weekend, there was a 15-minute wait just to try stuff on. And Bloomingdale’s was booming, with Big Brown Bags stuffed with boxes and baubles, thanks to a 20 percent discount atop a 40-percent-off sale.
Define “cash-strapped,” please?
The thing is, no matter how scary our bank statements get, we cannot stop shopping. The consumer generation doesn’t know how to do anything else. Meandering around the mall is America’s daily exercise. Yes, the high-end section of the Natick Collection is choking, with its luxury stores and their over-the-top price tags, but if you can’t afford the Prada, there’s a Payless right around the corner.
And as God is our witness, we’ll never go without a food court corn dog again.
Rather than rein it in, we just change where we ring it up. Recessionistas are an actual, sought-after demographic. The reformed label-lusting set haven’t curtailed their devil-may-care spending, they’ve just traded in their Saks card for a Marshall’s Visa. Discount stores are thriving, with Wal-Mart and BJs posting gains when everyone is in the red.
And now we have “returnistas” - those who buy, panic and return. It’s the retail version of “I didn’t inhale.”
Like the lush who kicked the booze for a few weeks, people who avoided the malls in September are rewarding themselves with a buying bender - on bargains, yes, but a good deal is just a gateway drug.
It’s hard to believe - especially when you’re 10 deep in line to buy a kid’s coat at Gymboree and listening to “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree” for the zillionth time - that retail sales plunged by a record amount last month, down 2.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted $363.7 billion, the largest decline since such studies began in 1992, the Commerce Department said.
Yet consumer confidence rose unexpectedly, according to a survey released last Friday. Give credit to tumbling gasoline prices. Or maybe folks were buoyed by the fact that the Coach bag they coveted was sold out.
And heaven forbid you lose steam during a spree. At Simon malls, not only can you catch Santa, shows, movies, sales, free valet and preferred parking for carpoolers, you can chill at the Rejuvenation Stations, complete with soft-seating lounge areas with big-screen TVs, free coffee and beverages and a concierge service.
Sure, spending is great for the economy. I bought a flat screen just so the terrorists wouldn’t win. But even when we should be saving, cutting back and doing without, we’re searching for sales, standing in line and slowly, but surely, racking up our credit cards, even if it’s in smaller increments.
For Americans long used to instant gratification, the bottom line is this: It’s hard to tighten your belt when you’ve always had an elastic waistband.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Photo Source
Browsing in Sephora is like being a kid in a candy shop. I never know quite where to begin. Every few months I avoid a trip to the Pru and order my "signature scent" online, complete with 3 free samples, free shipping and free gift wrap (steal!). I avoid wasting an afternoon shopping as well as spending a significant portion of my paycheck on completely unnecessary products.
I always wish I could venture away from my normal scent, Stella McCartney Stella. I try, but the oodles of bottles are so overwhelming and eventually all of the scents I try just end up blending to one weird flowery musty smell on my wrist.
Sephora's currently offering a set for choosy girls that are looking to invest in a new perfume, or just for those who want to pick up some freebie travel samples and try new scents.
The Scent Sampler Best Sellers for her includes ten samples of Sephora's top-selling women's fragrances for $50. The catch is that the set also comes with a gift voucher for $50 that can be redeemed at any Sephora store for a full-size bottle of any one of the samples included. So you can sample them all and then choose your favorite. I'm thinking it's perfect to give leau of a gift certificate for the holidays and much safer that picking out a full bottle for someone else.
The samples include: Aquolina Pink Sugar, Bulgari Omnia Crystalline, Calvin Klein Euphoria, Givenchy Very Irresistible Givenchy Sensual, Gwen Stefani LL.A.M.B., Lavanila Vanilla Grapefruit, Marc Jacobs Daisy, Philosophy Amazing Grace, Stella McCartney Stella, and Vera Wang Princess.
I'm thinking the Stella is going to be the first sample to go, but who knows-maybe this choosy girl will end up making a switch (sans a smelly wrist)!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
With some 200,000 stall holders it's sort of like a crafts fair, with the added convinience of the internet to sort through all the crap you wouldn't buy and organize your favorites.
The easiest way to browse through is by categories (such as clothing, books, jewlery, etc.), but you can also use their gift guide option to search by price, who your buying a gift for and what they like (example: search for a gift between $20 and $50 for my female friend who likes environmentally friendly products house warming party). Through their program Alchemy, buyers can post requests for custom handmade items, and then sellers bid on the opportunity to make the goods.The site is very well organized and fun to navigate and is the perfect place to find a unique gift for someone else or yourself!
Etsy is all feel good products too because buying homemade is always better than buying mass produced (plus you'll have a one of a kind product). You can also choose to "shop local" and buy from vendors in the Boston (or wherever) area or view their Geolocator to choose where on the globe to buy from.
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