Thrift store edition

I'm always impressed by great pieces that a blogger found "thrifting." I think it is partly because I am a huge proponent of recycling clothing. And who doesn't love a great price? But what is most impressive to me is that the individual needed to "find" that piece among all the other forgotten clothing, had to of course be able to fit the clothing, and most importantly, had to envision that piece with other items in her wardrobe.

One such source of inspiration is http://applesandpencilskirts.blogspot.com/ who frequents thrift stores and always seems to find great pieces to add to her collection. And so today, I decided to venture out to a new thrift store (not the one I live closest to -- where I never find anything!) I went there with a specific purpose: to hunt for great blazers, dresses, and skirts. I hit the jackpot!

My first find was very exciting --- a brand new with tags dark green blazer from BARNEYS NEW YORK! In my size! (The picture of the black blazer is very similar, but imagine it in dark green.) Since I will probably never own anything else new from that store, I grabbed it! I don't yet know how I will style it, but for $8, I am sure I will figure it out.  The next item I found was a wool pencil skirt from Ann Taylor. I don't own any wool pencil skirts, unless you count my J. Crew tweed skirt, and the reason is because I am reluctant to pay too much money for a skirt I will inevitably spend a lifetime dry cleaning. But for $7, that is not a problem. I love the color as it reminded me of the J. Crew Bright Dahlia color. The other photograph is the ACTUAL item I bought: a Juicy Couture herringbone blazer! I simply could not believe it was only $10 and it fit me perfectly. Love!

I also bought an adorable Old Navy floral dress that was brand new with tags.  (If I find a photo on the web later, I will post one as I am too lazy to take a real photo). So happy with my day! Two blazers, a skirt, and a (new) dress. Total shopping: $36!

Linen goodness (Banana Republic)

I have never been a big fan of linen until recently. It wrinkles easily and some blends can feel "scratchy." However, this year I am finding that the linen products from my favorite stores are changing my opinion. In my last post, I mentioned that I bought the voltage blue linen chambray shirt from Banana Republic. I had previously also bought these shirts from the same store.

The linen chambray shirt in Jade is just gorgeous! I also bought the striped khaki version of the shirt. I had to size up in this shirt due to tight fitting in the chest area but I love the way it looks both buttoned up and opened with a tank underneath. I can wear these with shorts or linen pants. I think linen can be worn in the spring and summer, and even for early fall.

Shopping the sale rack (@ Banana Republic & J Crew)

I made it to the mall last night with a little unexpected spending money and I perused the sale rack at J. Crew, which is STILL an extra 40 off sale prices. It is slim pickings but if you see something  you like that fits, you can't beat the price. I found a Lucille scalloped eyelet dress in my size and I ended up paying $45 for it.

Cute, right? The problem is I am not thrilled that it is a white dress. It looks terrific, but I just bought a similar white dress from J Crew, the back bow dress (see prior post). You will notice that in the same post I also bought a Lucille in green which I LOVE! I am thinking about doing something crazy -- dyeing it. I normally wouldn't mess with the original color of a J. Crew item, but I don't see myself wearing two white dresses very often. I'll post more on this if I decide to do it. Feel free to comment on your own dyeing experiences!

 

I also stopped by Banana Republic. I picked up the Aqua Station necklace for $23 on sale. It is sold out online and was the last one in the store so if you see one and like it, grab it. I also grabbed another chambray linen shirt in voltage blue. This was the only one in the store and it was in my size. For $25 I didn't think twice. Plus I had some rewards to spend so my total was $29.

Feeling CRAZY and DOTTY!

I was delighted to see that Old Navy - GAP - Banana Republic were ALL offering 30 off site-wide today. (Note to J. Crew: us loyal customers would LOVE such a promotion!).

Anyway, I made two purchases at Old Navy after being inspired by today's post on Shop With M's blog: (http://shopwithm.blogspot.com.es/).

I ordered the polka dot cardigan (white with black dots) and also the Polka Dot ruffle tank (white with black dots) for a total purchase of $18! Excited to receive them!

I also took advantage of the promotion on Banana's website, after spotting a pop-back of the Trina Turk Crazy Botanical Twist Strap Dress in my size. Total for dress with promotion: $45!

I hope everything fits!

Ivanka Trump shoes

Made my first Ivanka Trump shoe purchase today. I bought the "Halina Cork Platform Sandal" and I am happy to say that I got a great deal. They were on sale at Lord & Taylor for $55! Score!

These wedges are super comfortable and they (obviously) go with anything and everything. I am also proud of myself for paying CASH for them because I have recently started leaving my credit cards at home in order to let them breathe!

What I WANT Today

I've been dying to find the J. Crew Ram Necklace to buy and I recently learned that a fellow blogger is giving one away!! How amazing! Click the link to enter.

http://1moreshoppingblog.blogspot.ca/2012/07/j-crew-rams-head-necklace-summer.html

Old Navy & Target summer dress finds

I have taken a liking to light cotton summer dresses this summer, especially with NJ temps in the 90s for most of the last few weeks. I picked up these two from Old Navy for $15 each.

I picked up the green one today -- but I had to search as it is sold out in most store and online. I picked up the red and navy one before July 4, figuring it was a great dress for the holiday.

If you are looking for something similar, I posted about the pink/oatmeal version of this Mossimo for Target dress I bought in June, but I liked it so much I bought the gray/neon orange version. I recommend all of them for areas dealing with a heat wave! Great for around the house, errands, or as a swim coverup.

J. Crew 40 off sale

Ugh. That was how I felt on Monday after receiving the J. Crew email that all sale items online and in stores are now 40 off. Remember my promise to  limit shopping? I do! But when 40 off comes along, well, it's sort of like putting the start of your diet on hold one more day.

I don't regret the purchases I picked up, I regret the amount of other purchases I bought for the last month or so. I've resorted to leaving my credit card at home after this trip. Here is is what I bought:

The J. Crew "back bow" (says Seraphina on my receipt) linen dress comes in white and it is a style I know I can get a lot of use out of (provided I keep the color in tact!) The name of the dress refers to the bow on the back of the dress. I'm actually not much of a bow person, but I love the simplicity of the shift design and I love the linen fabric. I can picture this dress with a colored linen blazer or a Jackie cardigan. The J. Crew green Lucille dress is all the rage among the blogger community. I can see why; it is a fun color and the style has many options (with blazer, with sweater, or just solo with great jewelry). Obviously I bought both on super sale. The white dress was $59.99 before the discounts and the green dress was $99.99 before discounts (but going fast off shelves, I should add).

 I also picked up more No. Pencil Double Serge Cotton skirts. I've realized that I now officially own every color except the purple ones. (Seriously!! I have at least 10 now!) I held out a long time for these colors, which are Natural and Black. I saw that the stores had several on their racks for a long time because, let's face it, these are basic colors you can get anywhere. And I think I, like many other people, get more excited about colorful items. But, because black and off white are basics, and because I LOVE this skirt style/fit, I figure I will get lots of use out of them -- probably more than my colored skirts. I have very happy to get them for about $30 each after discounts. I also found this Neon Pink skirt at the J. Crew Factory. Note: this skirt is NOT factory brand (you can tell by the tag inside) and is the real deal. Factory occasionally carries retail store items to get rid of them quicker. I didn't need the pink skirt as I already have the similar "Light rose" version. However, it was on the clearance rack and after discounts, I ended up getting it for UNDER $20. I was especially smug about that when the next day while in J. Crew I heard a customer ask an SA if there were any hot pink pencil skirts left.

 Lastly, I had really, really wanted the Cafe Capri pants in Soft Fuchsia (I love the Warm Jade ones!), but it was something I wasn't willing to pay above a certain amount for. After all, one can only wear hot pink pants for so many weeks of the year! I had seen several pairs last week on the rack and suspected I could hold out for them. (Note: this strategy can sometimes backfire as I waited too long for the elusive Porcelain Paisley skirt to drop in price.) But this time I lucked out and got my pants for $39.99 plus all other discounts. I also picked up the Modal Fish Print Scarf, which was the last one left, on sale for $20 after discounts. So that's it for a while folks, unless I can sell enough on eBay to pay off my credit cards! What do you think of these items?

Christian Siriano for PAYLESS

I am not a fan of Project Runway --- meaning I have never seen the show (though I hear it is fantastic!) -- but apparently Christian Siriano, a prior season winner, has made a big splash designing shoes at PAYLESS. I had not walked inside a PAYLESS store for nearly 10 years, but I made my way inside this summer after hearing the buzz about their designer brands. Along with Siriano, other designers include Lela Rose, Isabel Toledo, and Silvia Tcherassi. I just love when designers collaborate with a budget store, like Target or H&M.

Anyway, the two pairs of shoes I have purchased so far have been from Christian Soriano. I bought these patent leopard "Sarah" peep toe pumps, and I just ordered the "La Bonita" turquoise braided sandal with a cork heel. Both are on sale on the website for around $20 each.

As most are aware, PAYLESS is notorious for their BOGO sales so it is exciting to know I will be taking advantage of the next one this fall, when all four of the designers unveil their newest collections for the season.

Soludos for J. Crew on sale: Cheers to the Summer

I liked these Soludos for J. Crew espadrilles back when I first saw them and they sold for $34.50. But of course, I liked them a whole lot more on sale. I bought each pair for less than $12 after sale/discounts. I liked the bright spearmint and neon peach colors -- the two "it" colors this summer. They are lightweight and comfortable. Not sure how durable they will turn out to be, but I will try my best to protect my small investment!

They are going fast at the sale price, so if you are thinking of buying a pair, grab them soon.

Banana Republic THANK YOU SALE

Right now in Banana Republic, sale items are 25 percent off..... AND if you have a BR/GAP card, they give an EXTRA 25 off that. So despite my self-imposed moratorium on shopping, I had to give in to scoop up these hard-to-find items at a sale price.

The TARA sandals in Geranium and very comfy. I adore the BR Trina Turk collection -- more so now that it is on sale -- and grabbed these chandelier earrings and the citron necklace (which is sold out online and in many stores). Total shopping cost: $70

J Crew-ed OUT? More like shopped out!

I think I am J. Crew-ed out. Not so much by choice, but more by my finances. I need to spend minimally in July and August and that means staying out of the mall. Here are the latest purchases. I am declaring that I will try my hardest to not spend in the coming 6-8 weeks.

I had to grab this 1969 GAP chambray polka dot that everyone has been raving about. Especially upon hearing that they are sold out in most stores and completely sold out online. The GAP version is similar to the J. Crew version, but for half the price. Also, I completed a receipt customer satisfaction survey to save 20 off the $50 retail price. I found I was between a size Small and Medium (mostly because of the chest area) but I opted to go with the small. Normally I am one to size up but I feel that with a boyfriend fit, smaller might make better sense. Plus I plan to wear it tucked in with skirts and pants and I don't want to be swimming in it.

At J. Crew I had a $50 gift card that I used to purchase these sale items.

The Tippi sweater in dark cinnammon was just $17, the anchor necklace was $20, and the perfect linen shirt in poppy color was $32.

Anthropologie sale ends today!

I have never been one to LOVE Anthropologie. I find myself to be more of a "classics" type of girl. I love clothing pieces that are timeless, and Anthropologie tends to be more eclectic and hipster.  I also think that the clothing in the store is overpriced. (Well so is J. Crew for that matter!) But I cannot resist a good sale, and that is when I happen into stores such as Madewell ( see prior post) and Anthropologie. Clothing looks more appealing to me when it costs less than half of the full retail price.

These are my very first two Anthropologie purchases. Both skirts were purchased at under $40. I was delighted to learn of a service at the store where if they don't have your size, they will order it from another store, or the website, with no shipping charge at the SAME price the store is asking.

The first skirt is called Plenty by Tracy Reese and it comes in pigeon gray. I love the combination of blue and orange. The other skirt is called Multi-Panel Plume and I just love the bird print and the swinginess of the skirt. These are two fun pieces that, while not my normal style, I can mix into my wardrobe. I love the prices I paid for both. In fact, today is the last day of the "extra 25 percent off sale clothing" at Anthropologie. Pickings are slim, but it is worth a look if you live near a store.

Hey all! just came back from an amazing vacation to Miami! I must say that I bought next to nothing on vacation, bar a pair of J. Crew 5 inch chino shorts in Persimmon. I have since bought the same shorts in Mint color. Now that I am back to good ole' (tax-free clothing purchases) New Jersey, I have been busy!

(Unfortunately, the shorts are sold out online, so no photos. I must own about five pairs of the J. Crew 5 inch shorts. Not too long, not too short = just right!)

Most of my purchases post vacation have been (surprisingly!) jewelry ... and from J. Crew. These are all sale purchases, BTW.  I think J. Crew jewelry is excellent quality, but overpriced at full retail.

 

I should point out that despite the seeming barrage of orange-y jewelry, I find each piece to be distinctive and unique. First up is the crystal enamel bangle in a vibrant flame color. Next to it is the coveted Ram enamel bangle. I bough both bracelets for under $30 each after discounts. The necklace I am most excited about is the double strand seahorse necklace, which I have wanted for months now. I couldn't stomach the $150 price tag, but I was happy to get it on sale for around $50. I was delighted to purchase the Azalea necklace for under $50. This necklace is much more beautiful in real life!

Lastly, I am not a big fan of Madwell, but I could not pass up their extra 50 percent off sale. I picked up these pointy striped linen flats for just $25. I think they look a lot like J. Crew's Viv bow pointy flats, minus the bow.