The Day We Have All Been Waiting For...

You can now shop online with DSW. Yes - that's right - online. I'm just hoping the same deep discounts that can be hunted through in the back of the shoe warehouse retailer can be found online.

I still can't put in to words how thrilling it was when Katie and I found the most fantastic gold and silver flats for $8.00 and $11.00 (respectively). I still wear mine ALL THE TIME! The best part? They had a pair of each in our sizes. Now THAT was a shoe hunting expedition that resulted in pure success.

I'm also really excited about being able to add to my DSW frequent shopper points AND redeem them online. For those of you who have seen the shoe fruits of my addiction in my closet (and my attic - where the furry boots live in the summer and the open-toes in the winter), you know this might get very dangerous for my would-be savings account.

PS: Free standard shipping or better - NICE!!! The website details include this info (and more):

DSW Premier Rewards Members - Free Next Day Shipping with Any Purchase - log in for offer code and details.

DSW Rewards Members - Free Standard Shipping on Any Order - log in for offer code and details.

Non-Members - Free Standard Shipping on Orders of $50 or more through May 14, 2008 with promotion code FSHP50."Source: My 04-30-2008 DSW Rewards eNewsletter that hit my inbox this afternoon.

Another Cool Shopping Treat from LifeHacker...

From the LifeHacker RSS feed today... Shop It To Me Is Your Web-Based Personal Shopper

Very cool. I have a baaad habit of spending hours looking for something - only to forget about it after I move on to something else. And then I've lost it. I really like the idea of having the net searched for me and a little digest emailed my way. Talk about convenient!

Here is how LifeHacker describes it: "Web site Shop It To Me scours the internet for sales on brands you love and sends an email digest of the latest deals. When you sign up, you tell the site exactly what to watch for. You can watch for specifically men's or women's clothing, favorite brands, and even the types of clothing you want to monitor (shoes, swimwear, etc.) in your sizes. Once you sign up, you tell Shop It To Me how often you want the email digest of sales, give it your email address and zip code (so it can watch for local sales), and you're done. The site's biggest drawback is that it's all email-based, so you can't check up on your sale watches whenever you want, but it still looks like a service that may be able to save you some cash as you start to fill out your summer wardrobe."Whoops! Almost forgot the link: ShopItToMe.

LifeHacker.com's Top 10 Amazon Shopping Tools

I'm not a HUGE Amazon.com girl myself, but I do have to admit it's one of the easiest to use and when I'm not looking for something very particular by name, but instead I want to see a selection of products at once... it's definitely one of the most efficient sites for doing so! If I employ some of the following tools... I just might become an Amazon regular!

So, here's LifeHacker's Top 10 Amazon Shopping Tools (I'll link to those I think are the most interesting/fabulous, and anything else... just hit up LifeHacker's list to click-through: 10. Never be empty-handed on special occasions again with the Amazon Gift Organizer
9. Search Amazon via voice call with Jott
8. Browse the deep discount bin at JungleCrazy (I don't hunt, so the thrill of finding something awesome when you're discount shopping fills that void in my life!)
7. Buy from your phone with TextBuyIt
6. Find hidden discounts with DealLocker
5. Snag items with free shipping (Free shipping is the icing on the cake for me!)
4. Get money back on price drops with RefundPlease (Now that's just cool.)
3. Get free shipping by padding with filler items
2. Get up-to-the-minute price and availability alerts
1. Cut down household shopping needs with Subscribe & SaveAnd seriously, check out the original LifeHacker post to read the description of each of the Top 10. Maybe the cell phone shopping will be your fancy even if it's not mine!

Out With The Old...

I came across this in Sue Stock's "Taking Stock" blog from the N&O today... and it's quite possibly one of the funniest (and most clever) "shopping" websites I've ever seen! Selling Off Those Gifts From Your Ex...

"This New York Times story was my chuckle of the day... Two ladies in Los Angeles started up a Web site called ExBoyfriendJewelry.com, where people can sell all those unwanted gifts they have from ex-boyfriends. The catch: you've got to tell the story behind the piece on the Web site when you list it for sale."Classic.

Bag Out In Style at Whole Foods

In honor of Earth Day tomorrow, I thought I'd post this green fashion show!

Directly from the Big Boss "Boss' Planner" (email Big Boss Sales Manager Jonny Johnson and let him know you want to get on the list to receive your Monday morning scoop on what's going on w/ the Boss brand every week!):
*Bag Out In Style @ Whole Foods*

When: Tuesday, 6-8 p.m.
Where: Whole Foods Market, Raleigh
Admission: FREE!

"As of Tuesday, April 22nd, Whole Foods Market will no longer offer plastic bags in their stores (see my original post on this)! To celebrate this joyous occasion, they will be holding a fashion show with designs made entirely of plastic bags! This should make for a good time. I will be down there sampling out some our fine BIG BOSS BEERS to make the occasion that much more fun! I look forward to seeing some of our customers out to support a business who is progressive and moving in the right direction. This is a great opportunity to come out and BE LOCAL." - Jonny

New Boutique on the Block!

I am very excited to check out this new shop opening up that was included in Sue Stock's article in the N&O yesterday! "In Raleigh's Five Points neighborhood, Hayley's is open at 1803 Glenwood Ave. in the building that used to be Posh, selling women's clothing and accessories. Owner Hayley Cushman said she focuses on finding unique items that won't break the bank.":-)

Back to Bedding

Apparently, bedding is the new pink!

From this weekend's N&O, more on how to keep a fabulously comfortable bed and how to select the right sheets for your bed in the article "Make Your Bed Well":

Shop Smart
Everyone thinks about thread count when sheet buying, but that's only one factor that makes for comfortable sheets. Here are seven more sheet-things to know:

1. The sheets that feel the softest are the ones that are made with the very long staples of Egyptian cotton, says Joanne Walgren, owner of Sue Bearrie Fine Linen & Fashion Boutique, in Colleyville, Texas.2. Good-quality sheets are also made out of Supima cotton, a trademark name signifying the fabric is made from the longest fibers of the American-grown Pima cotton. Supima is less expensive than Egyptian cotton, although it often is just as comfortable.3. "Easy-care" sheets are polyester and cotton. They aren't as breathable as plain cotton, which means you are more likely to get too hot at night.4. "Permanent Press" or "wrinkle-free" sheets can be 100 percent cotton, but the Environmental Protection Agency says they are treated with formaldehyde to discourage wrinkling. The chemical is associated with breathing difficulties and certain cancers, the EPA says."5. Percale or sateen sheets describe how the sheet is woven, says Mary Ella Gabler, founder and CEO of Peacock Alley, a Dallas-based fine linen purveyor. Percale is lightweight and crisp, a summertime favorite for many. Sateen sheets are softer than percale and slightly heavier weight.
6. Bamboo/cotton sheets vary in softness but are comparable to good-quality cotton sheets. Another comfy choice: Jersey knit sheets that feel like your favorite old T-shirt.
7. Take the advice of L.L. Bean when buying flannel sheets. They should be brushed on both sides for softness and of 5-ounce-weight cotton to be thick and warm.

Take Care
Sheets and pillowcases can quickly lose their softness if laundered in harsh laundry products. Here's the method fine linen sellers recommend:
Machine wash in warm water on gentle cycle.

Use a mild detergent. Ivory or Dreft, found at grocery stores, are recommended, as is the higher-end Le Blanc Linen Wash at a cost of $30 for 64 ounces in lavender scent, blue violet or unscented.

Chlorine bleach breaks down fibers. Use an enzyme-based stain remover such as OxiClean instead.

Don't use fabric softeners. They coat the fabric, which ultimately causes the fabric to lose softness.

Air drying is ideal, but it's OK to use a low setting and take the sheets out before they are completely dry.The article starts by describing different concerns with thread count (pointing out that anything over 500 is worth really nothing more than bragging rights), but read the whole thing for more info on down products (and what features to look for in down products for those who suffer from allergies), tips from Yves Delorme on how to put together a great-looking and truly comfortable bed, and more.