Good Deal on Jeans for a Good Cause at Aeropostale

Since I snagged a few great pairs of jeans (two pair of James Jeans in my hard-to-find size 24 and a pair of Citizens) at Uniquities on Saturday, I need to make some room in my closet.

Here's a great way:If you have a teen who has too many pairs of jeans in the closet, here's an interesting opportunity: Starting today and running through Feb. 22, Aeropostale stores will be collecting gently worn jeans that they will then donate to 500 youth shelters. Anyone who donates a pair will get an additional 25 percent discount off a new pair of jeans if they want, though no purchase is necessary. To find out more, visit the Web site, teensforjeans.com.Thanks for the heads up, Sue!

A Giveaway for All Beachy Gals

My sister received a square/rectangular-shaped version of this pendant necklace from Swagger Gifts for her birthday last year:This week, Swagger is giving away a pair of matching monogrammed earrings on their facebook page! So if my sister who has already commented doesn't win... guess what she's getting for her birthday this year :-)
To be entered to win, just comment directly on the picture on facebook... don't comment here unless you just really want to!

PS: No, my sister doesn't blog so she won't read this... I hope!

If you don't win or would like to buy extra for friends or family, here's a link to all of the monogrammable shell items from Swagger Gifts!

It's Here!

As mentioned last week, Uniquities Raleigh sale is here... yay!!!Click the image below to launch it in your browser to read all the details (Saturday: 10am-7pm) and about the savings!


(Here's wishing for just a second that I'm wasn't going to Vegas with some of my favorite people in the world in two weeks... but I am, so I can't go blowing my money away just yet. Ok, that's gone. I'm still really excited about Vegas!)

PS: Lisa S. also offered up a great deal that's also worth sharing - "Brooks Brothers Non-Iron Shirts are $36 off normal price. So, $53 instead of $89".

Longchamp Sale!

Up to 50% off on an old favorite!!

http://www.longchamp.com/en/home-e-shopping/e-shopping-showroom-soldes-491.html&genre=femmeMany thanks to Sweet, Sassy, and Always Classy for the tip!

The Big Daddies of All Rainboots...

Two very big thumbs up to Southern on her post today:

Wanting Wellies

I love the look of Wellies, but I think if I were to wear them anywhere in my town, people would look at my like I'm crazy. Am I brave enough to say I don't care? Not sure. The local Nordstrom now has them in stock and I showed them to hubs and he looked at me like I was a crazy person when I said I would love to have some. Maybe if I were to save up for these beauties...

Jimmy Choo has partnered with Hunter in a unique collaboration to produce the most luxurious Wellington Boots.
Inspired by stylish festival goers these limited edition boots bring together the style and sophistication of Jimmy Choo with the durability and tradition of Hunter. The legendary Hunter silhouette has been embossed with signature Jimmy Choo crocodile print. The leopard print lining, gold buckle hardware and metal rivets provide a contrast against the black glossy rubber of the boot. Presented in the original black Hunter box lined with leopard print, the boots have a unique identification plate, uniting the logos of these two iconic British brands.

The boots will be sold exclusively in Jimmy Choo boutiques in the United Kingdom and the United States and online at www.jimmychoo.com from June 2009.

I told her that she can SO do wellies around town. And who wouldn't love the Hunter/Jimmy Choo combo she suggested?

EcoStiletto Giveaway

EcoStiletto has blown me away with their first KA (kick butt) giveaway... see the details (that I received via email - you definitely want to be on that list) below:Each month in 2009, we’re giving away a pair (or pairs) of eco-friendly shoes (stilettos, preferably) worth $500 or more. No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to enter or win. Each month’s sweepstakes ends on the last day of that month, with the winner announced before the last day of the following month.

This month, it’s a pair of ecolicious, vegan boots worth nearly $700 that we’ve fallen head over heels with (pun intended). Enter here, and one of you will soon be wearing our heart on your sole. Tread lightly.Sa-WEEEEET!

Any eco-conscious fashion-loving girl (and super fierce fashionistas) would be crazy not to enter this giveaway.

A Girl Could Only Hope...

...yup, I just used the democratic tag-word (?) as a call to action for themselves.

As I sit here as a owner of my own company and the financial manager of my family's company, I can only hope that the savvy campaign just launched via email by Ikea could actually inspire America's new First Family to be as fiscally responsible in their new home as redecorating with Ikea would have them be.So much for hope (thank you, TMZ!).

So about that $825B stimulus plan... let's trim a portion of that from the White House redecorating budget, shall we?

Eek - I hope this didn't get too political for y'all. If you hate it, just enter the contest. If you win the $1,500 in Ikea gift cards you might not be so angry at me. :-)

My Sisters are the Sh*t...

...because they never let me miss a beat - especially Whitney!A new favorite - Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker (everything is under $20!):
http://www.darlingdexter.com/darling-dexter/2009/1/14/bitten.html

I love you more than....?
http://www.darlingdexter.com/darling-dexter/2009/1/14/i-love-you-more-than-_________.htmlIf you're not subscribed to her blog yet, you will be.

It's Coming!

Just got an email today that the 13th Annual Attic Sale will be taking place at Uniquities in Chapel Hill on Saturday, January 17th starting at 10am. Deals can be snagged for up to 75% off.

In the past, I've gone to Chapel Hill and braved the masses but what makes me really excited is that the Raleigh sale usually takes place the following weekend - yay! That's where I'll be this year, like I have the past few years (see previous posts here).

Stay tuned...

I Do Love My Shoes

I'm not one to forward many emails, but lately my friends have kicked it up a notch and most of what they are sending is down right amusing.

This interesting concept comes from an email that can be seen on the funny office humor blog - Office Spam:So, just how much do you love your shoes?

We're Going That Route, Again?

I just checked out Express online after receiving some promo in the mail and it looks as if we'll be reviving the trend of dressing up shirts that look like lingerie for the upcoming season.I'm a little torn on this issue. Personally, I loved it the first time around.I still have 3 or 4 of the nicer tops I had from the first time, but I think I've already retired at least one to the PJ drawer because I thought we had already put this trend to bed.

Thoughts from the readers?

PS - Yes 2004 Brandon's shirt says "If you tap it, they will come." Need proof? You should see the pictures from his backyard that night.

Retail Calendars

Don't get me wrong, I have a degree in this business, but sometimes there are things that just don't make much sense in modern times.

Take Raleigh, NC for instance... it really has yet to get really winter cold until this past week. However, retailers are already rollin' out the spring line up when I'm just starting to realize that I want some more long sleeve options and a few more jackets to mix into my wardrobe. Thanks to the BSC (bat stuff crazy) retail calendar, I'm already buying winter items on deeply discounted sale.

My thinking is this: if retailers adjusted their merchandising calendars just a bit (this is 2009 here, technology is a driving force in most industries, so accounting for a crazy long lead time shouldn't be so much of an issue if you've got your supply chain straight!), they wouldn't have to discount so darn much!

In other news, because it's already all over the place... I can't wait for spring to get here. I'm reallllly dying to do some non-winter shopping and wearing - but all of you NC kids know that's a waste before March... really April. I LOOOOOVE Kristy's selection of her current favorite sleeveless choices here from J. Crew!

Come on retailers, I'm really not shopping for my spring break items with my Christmas money! Save that for late February...

Buyer Beware: ShopDani.com

This come's straight from Renee's blog... heed her warning!ShopDani.com

Usually, I like to post about good things that happen. No, no, not today. I just got off the phone with Costumer Service for shopdani.com. It's a website that sells jewelry by Danielle Janine. Her pieces are cute, but not worth the charges. I bought 1 piece for myself. A really cute necklace. It cost $9 - How could I resist?? I got the necklace in the mail and was charged $9. Things were fine. Then, a few days later, I received a second piece in the mail. I thought maybe I had made the mistake and shrugged it off. I gave it to my mom for Christmas. It was really cute.

For the next 2 weeks, I was being sent jewelry every 3-4 days and being charged $68a pop?!!? Are you kidding? They charged my $349 over the course of a month. Apparently, I signed into a jewelry club when I bought my first piece. I have to send all the pieces back to get my money back and I had my membership cancled. I go the confirmation email before I ended the call with Customer Service. Is that any indication this time of thing happens a lot?! I'm just glad it was on my credit card (not that a cc charge is great) instead of how I paid my rent and gotten hit with overdraft charges too.

Buyers Beware!
Has this type of thing happened to anyone else?Eeeeek! $68/each? I don't know if I like ANYONE enough to buy something every three days for $68/each... heck, I don't know if I like MYSELF that much!

Keepin' It REALLY Local

Know what I just did?

Unsubscribed from every email list that I've received something from in the last month or so that isn't locally-owned or operated.

Boo0-ya. How's THAT for keeping it local?

Now, I'm going to be honest. Life in big kid land has spiraled into chaos these past 6 months, so I never read much of them anyway. And the other kicker is that 9 times out of 10, most weren't offering anything really fantastic to begin with - other than spotlighting ways for me to spend my hard-earned money with them.

Good-bye Restoration Hardware, Old Navy, and Banana. I do love you, but I'll only be seeing you when I need you. Not when you want me. (Sounds kind of like a half-assed break-up letter, huh?)

Now, this doesn't mean I'm no longer a good source of trend hunting. Don't let this fool you - I'm still obsessed... my email is just a bit more manageable now. (Let's see if I can get below 100/day now.)

PS - I love that Victoria's Secret was like "Wait, how about if we only email you once a week." Yikes, stalker, much? I thought more than once a month was a bit crowded to begin with!

{Double Post} The Shop with a Conscience

I can't believe this is another thing I've never remember to blog about, because it's one of my Cameron Village favorites - Beleza: A Fair Trade Boutique.Described on their website as a place where:...you will find unique and extraordinary textiles and hats, jewelry and art that catch your eye and touch your heart.

Beyond offering beautiful things, Beleza exists to provide hard working people from countries around the world – and here in the US – essential support to provide daily necessities for their families.

While the store is fair trade, the major emphasis of Beleza is to treat people as they should be treated, and assist in global economic development.Beleza is owned and operated by two of the most wonderful people I know: P. Dail and his wife Sara.

I received the following email today from Sara about a new addition coming to their store that I am really excited about:Recently we met Audias from Honduras. Born without arms, he paints with his feet. We will have his work in the store very soon and encourage you to come see this work. Audias has no other means of support. We plan to host a special event for you to meet him.I'll be sure to update when I hear more details!

In the mean time, go check out Beleza and become an addict of their amazing selection of goods with a heart, too.

Retail Round-Up

Some of my favorite posts from local girls from December '08/January '09:Let's shop happy like this all year round

Koozies with minimal carbon footprint

SwapStyle: assuming it's awesome... because we see the glass as always half full.Anyone else got any good shares?

2009 Colors of the Year

From Simply Stated:"2008


2009


Every year the color gurus at Pantone work their magic and decide on the color of the upcoming year. 2008 was the year of Blue Iris, a deep purple-blue that according to Pantone 'satisfies the need for reassurance in a complex world, while adding a hint of mystery and excitement.' I seem to remember from a design class that purple always shows up during times of anxiety (which is appropriate for 2008).

But thankfully, 2009 is a different story. Pantone has deemed it the year of Mimosa. The sunny yellow is a lot more upbeat: 'In a time of economic uncertainty and political change, optimism is paramount and no other color expresses hope and reassurance more than yellow.'"Although it's really more of a shade of blue than purple, pair last year with this year and those colors look very ECU-appropriate to me (especially when mimosas are involved - breakfast tailgate anyone?).

Go Pirates!

{Double Post} Bring EcoStiletto to Raleigh

If you've read this blog for a while, you might have responded to my call to action to subscribe to a great eNewsletter that combines two fabulous things: fashion and reducing your carbon footprint. (As they say in today's edition: "where you get the scoop on how to shrink your carbon footprint from the size of an Ugg boot to a Manolo with eco-focused fashion, beauty, lifestyle and parenting updates".) Also in today's EcoStiletto eNewsletter was the potential to bring a ridiculously fabulous event to our area: Want EcoStiletto in your hood? We're planning a whole series of EcoStiletto Green Girls' Night Out events nationwide for 2009 and the cities that that have the highest concentration of newsletter subscribers get our free, super-eco-fantabulous party coming to their town first. So go get your friends to sign up, already!I can't even start to count the number of gal pals who I know would attend this event... so let's bring it to town!

Be sure to sign up for the eNewsletter here.