Saturday, August 17, 2013

Finally mine! The J. Crew floral lattice crystal necklace is mine!

Oh how long have I wanted this necklace!  At least three months! When I saw it on Jcrewismyfavstore I knew I had to have it! Each week I stopped in J. Crew hoping to see it marked down. And of course, the week that I am unable to browse the B & M is the week it is finally marked down. I nearly missed out on it -- my store was sold out as were most stores in my area.  It is thanks to a tip on J.Crew Aficionada that I found out it made it's way to sale.


This necklace is extra special because my husband saw it two months back and thought it would look great on me. I, of course, agreed. He told me if the price went down (I would not let him pay $228 for this... way too much for costume jewelry), he would buy it for me for our five year anniversary. I'm happy to say I now have something to wear when we celebrate next week!

So the necklace at retail price was $228. Today it is marked down to $149 plus 30 off. I was also able to apply the educator discount, which brought the total with tax to under $100. My husband loves it and said it was worth every penny.

What do you think? Do you have this necklace? Will you try to buy it?

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Kate Spade @ Nordstrom Rack

I am so happy to have been fortunate enough to find not one, but TWO Kate Spade items on sale this summer. (I recently blogged about the Maryanne Gold Coast bag, see earlier post.) I had been on the lookout for the Kate Spade Wildflowers Harmony tote bag for so long. I was frequently checking the KS website and major department stores hoping for a good deal. It seems I waited too long as it seemed to have disappeared.

And then -- lo and behold -- I saw her in Nordstrom Rack last week. It was a $124, a 50 % reduction off the regular retail price. A terrific price.

I just adore the print on this bag. The front and back both have their own unique design. I love the colors, the wording, the straps. If I had one complaint it is the size of the tote -- which is enormous. The large size makes it impractical for everyday use, but I'm sure in time I will find plenty of use for it.

What do you think of this bag? Have you bought any Kate Spade bags lately? Have you bought a large tote bag that you get a lot of use out of every day?

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Herringbone excursion vest @ J. Crew Factory

Thanks to the wonderful bloggers who post on J. Crew Aficionado, I was "in the loop" about the J. Crew Factory Herringbone excursion vest. (Note: This item is currently not available on the Factory website.)

I missed out on the retail version of this vest last year. After it was sold out, it seemed I saw it everywhere. I wasn't paying eBay "gouger" prices, so I was prepared to live life without it.... until it showed up at the Factory! As I've mentioned on this blog before, it seems to be a trend that Factory is offering more nearly identical versions of last season's most popular clothing. Last week I bought my French Hen sweater (see earlier post)
 
As far as I can tell the Herringbone vest is nearly identical to the retail version (there might be slight nuances but I don't have both vests in front of me to compare.) I think it will make a versatile addition to my wardrobe. I bought two excursion vests from Factory last year and I think I got a lot of use out of them. I expect I will continue to use them this coming season.

I'm glad I ran out and got the Herringbone vest the other day because while there, I saw two behind the counter with "on hold" tags on them. According to JCA posts, the vests seem to be going fast at other Factory locations. In case you are wondering, the vest was $108 minus $10 promotion on vests. I also was able to use my educator discount and my J. Crew card rewards, so it was nearly free.  I am trying to limit my retail shopping for the rest of the summer, so I was extra happy about that!

What do you think of this vest? Do you already have the retail version? Will you buy this Factory version? Do you love or hate excursion vests?

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Summer sales

I'm still shopping, but I've cut back quite a bit as money is tight and there is not much that I need. However, I am unable to walk away from a "good deal" or a reduced price on something I've coveted for a while or use regularly.

I bought these Sam Edelman Gigi thong sandals at Lord & Taylor. I have gotten so much use out of my fluorescent yellow flip flops this summer that it warranted buying this more sophisticated looking pair. I also ADORE the rose gold Gigi thongs I bought at Marshalls a while back so I was happy with the deal: $39.99 after discounts. Side note: Lord & Taylor is a store that I frequently forget about and I am always pleasantly surprised during their summer sale with the selection and price. I have to make a mental note to check their stores out more often.


I also bought this sunflower necklace from J. Crew during the 40-percent off final sale promotion. It was $24 after discounts, and I can see myself getting a lot of use out of it.

Lastly, I had been stalking keeping an eye on the Creamsicle-colored "Street to Studio" jacket from Lululemon over the last few months. The jacket recently made its way to sale for $64. Score!

Have you shopped any of these stores lately? What do you think of these items?



Sunday, August 4, 2013

Clearing the sale racks

I was so happy to scoop up this straw clutch at The Limited, where it was marked down from $46.50 to $9.99. I have had my eye on it for a while and this was definitely the right price.

I also saw the Cora lace dress at J. Crew Factory. After discounts it only cost $25. I have wanted a yellow dress like this for a while. I wanted one so bad I was about to dye a white dress. Bought the yellow dye and everything. That was nine months ago!  Sometimes DIY projects just never get done.


While at Factory, I also bought their version of the Port of Call sweatshirt, which was my primary reason for going there. I think this is a great sweatshirt to wear with shorts and transition into fall weather. The navy and white go with all of my bright shorts. Plus, it is super comfortable. I sized down and I've learned my lesson about this material stretching over time. It is currently on promotion for 40 % off. After discounts it cost me about $30.

Side note: While shopping at the mall where they have the Factory store, the mall announced a mandatory evacuation over their PA system.  Everyone in the mall had to vacate. I admit it was very scary. I still have no idea what the cause of it was as there was no write up in the newspaper. I hope it was something minor, like a small food court fire. Very unnerving. Needless to say, I took it as a very clear sign from above to stop shopping!

What are your thoughts on these items? Have you shopped the sale racks at J. Crew Factory or The Limited lately? Did you plan a DIY project that you never got around to? I love to read your comments!