Mad About Plaid!

I am so into plaid. Not this season, every winter season. I just love that cozy comfortable feeling.

On the left is another "perfect plaid" shirt from GAP, making it a grand total of three in my closet. The other comes from J. Crew Factory, making it the second one in my closet from that store.

After-Christmas sale

Banana Republic is having a great sale this week, with 30 off reduced items and an extra percentage off for cardholders.

I was hoping to buy this corduroy mini skirt a week earlier to wear for the holidays but the berry color was sold out in the store I was shopping in. Thankfully the stocks have replenished with all the returned gifts and I was able to get the skirt as well as this tartan plaid. Total spent: $45.

Warm fuzzy feeling

I have a feeling I will be getting a lot of use out of this North Face "Denali" jacket. It is on the pricey side but I purchased it using gift cards I received for Christmas. I see this jacket on so many people and there must be a reason this jacket is so popular each winter season.

I don't know if this will become my new favorite car jacket but the associate who helped me decide to buy it said that she has hers from eighth grade and still wears it. What really sold me was that as I was trying it on, a mother and daughter came in. The mother had the same Denali jacket on and was buying one for her 20-something daughter. I like that it is easy to wash and supposedly the fleece does not "pill."

J. Crew & GAP - storewide sales

Monday! I don't normally shop on a Monday but it's the holiday season. And I definitely wasn't alone... lots of shoppers out in full force at 4 pm this afternoon. Who could blame them with all the great sales? A great time to do some last minute shopping for family, friends, or yourself!

First up, a trip to GAP where I ended up buying two of the perfect plaid shirts. These particular two styles were hard to come by as they are sold out online and in many stores. Items were marked down plus an additional 40 percent off.

The other items I purchased were from J. Crew. I ordered the slouchy dolman-sleeved sweatshirt in heathered camel and another pair of the Waverly chinos, this time in pink. (I just love those green ones). I was happy to find the sweatshirt in my size and on the sale rack (plus extra 30 off). I had been eyeing it for a while and there was only one other one left on the rack today.

More NOVICA treasures

I am still very much into Novica and purchased the following items within the last week:

The Royal Java Blue silk batik scarf comes from Bali & Java. It is sold out on Novica at this time and I can see why... it is gorgeous. It is a very delicate silk so I will be sure to handle it with care. The other item I bought is also currently sold out: the silver filigree seahorse brooch. I just adore seahorses and I was thinking of buying a brooch. Currently I only have own, a simple initial of my first name. I think this will look cute with sweaters and even coats. We shall see.

GAP has Love Quotes scarves

I was browsing around the GAP this weekend and saw a sign advertising the 'buy one scarf get one free promotion. I quickly found the other colorblock scarf I had been searching for, the one with yellow, which has been sold out online for weeks. Upon looking for my second "free" scarf, I discovered brightly colored scarves on one of the shelves and spotted a deep blue. I looked at the price tag... $85?! Then I saw the tag.... LOVE QUOTES! Gap is selling Love Quotes scarves and a portion of the proceeds of their scarves go to international children's charities.

UNFORTUNATELY, the Love Quotes scarves are NOT part of the "buy one" promotion. Still, I caved in and bought it. I figure it will be excluded from other sales and coupons, so I better get it now before it is gone. So why buy an $85 scarf? Well, if you are a scarf lover like I am, the quality of this brand is worth it. Love Quotes scarves are seen on celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston, and frequently retail for around $110. I'm happy to say that the cashier gave me an additional 15% off for using a GAP card. (*I'm not sure if he was supposed to, given the other exclusions, but I did not complain!

Bangles!!!!

So these were out of stock on (you guessed it, NOVICA) so when I received notification they were back in stock, I jumped on them. They are bangle bracelets from Dehli in India.

All of these bangle bracelets come from an artist named Vipin. I still have yet to receive any of my NOVICA orders, but being that they are being shipped from all parts of the world, I am (trying to be) patient! All of the items were "guaranteed by December 24" so we shall see.

More great stuff from across the globe

Oh NOVICA.... I can't stay away! The free shipping and the coupon codes are killing me! But look at my latest purchases: the Guatemala "Mystique" scarf and the Rainbow Moon Drop Earrings. They kind of go together, right?

I also had to take advantage of the J. Crew one day sale: 25 percent off and free shipping site wide. I had almost bought these items for more in store: the Factory Perfect Shirt in Tomboy Plaid and the Ultra Knit Zip Hoodie in Mediterranean Blue (I already had it in heather gray and henna.) While I didn't have the discipline to go without any shopping this Monday, I am glad I had the discipline to wait for this sale...

Do you know about NOVICA?

NOVICA is a business in association with National Geographic which, according to its website, wants to create a bridge between consumers and the many talented artisans across the globe. I discovered the brand after my mother told me about these $90 place mats that she is obsessed with. When I went on the website to scope it out, I was greeted with the jewelry page. Four web orders later.... I am what you can call a NOVICA-addict.

But can you blame me? Look at my recent purchases! I'm so excited to get them in the mail.

Catch some WAVE-RLYs

I am obsessed with J. Crew Waverly pants. This is a classic example of why you need to try things on twice sometimes. The first time I saw the Mineral Green Waverly chinos was on a sale rack (of course). When I tried them on, I loved the color but wasn't thrilled with the tapered leg. I am a loyal bootcut fan when it comes to khakis and chinos. However, I tried these on a second time when the price became too low to ignore and decided it was worth the risk.

So glad I did! I received so many compliments at work on these. More importantly, I was comfortable in them all day long and the tapered leg didn't bother me as much as I had thought it would. The end result was a flattering and stylish pair of everyday pants at a bargain price!