Coupons

I love coupons. Any time I can get a deal, I'm all for it. And if you have more than one email address, signing up with your favorite stores to get email can be totally worth it. Ann Taylor Loft sends me deals and coupons weekly as does Old Navy. I get Friends and Family discounts up to 30% off sometimes so if you don't mind the junk mail, it can be worth it!

H&M

I'm still on the search for good maternity stores and lo and behold, I found one while on a trip to NYC! I had no idea that H&M carries maternity wear and I was relived to know not just in the city. As per the maternity section, it tends to be small but decently priced. I found a maternity coat there for $35. Not bad!

Makeup

I admit it, I'm a closet makeup junkie. I don't wear that much but I do so love to shop for it. A couple of fantastic places to go for makeup are Ulta and Sephora. Both stores carry high end lines (Urban Decay, Hard Candy) but there are a few differences. Sephora exclusively carries high end stuff. It's so much fun to go in and play but I rarely buy because stuff is so expensive. They do have their own line of makeup that's good and less pricey. They also have a great selection of perfumes and colognes so if you're looking for a new scent, hit them up.
Ulta is a little different in that they carry drugstore brands as well as higher end merch. They also have an extensive selection of BareEcentials so if you've ever thought of trying their stuff, try Ulta. (I love their foundation!) They also run great sales-I bought two Revlon products and one of them was free! Plus they usually have a coupon in Sunday's paper so I saved even more. Sadly, their coupons don't apply to the "prestige" cosmetics but it's good for the rest of the stuff. They also have a salon in-house. In addition, they have a loyalty rewards card which, if you buy a lot, is worth it. Ulta also has its own brand of cosmetics but I find Sephora's stuff to be of a nicer quality.

New media!

Just a couple of non-fashion notes!

Thank god Project Runway is back! I was so bored by the last season and this one already promises to be better! I don't have any real early faves yet (the second episode is on tonight) but thought the grocery challenge last week brought it back to its fun roots!

If you haven't seen Once yet, see it! It's the most unusual musical you will ever see, I swear. Case in point, about an hour in, my husband turned to me and said, "Oh, I guess this is a musical." You'll run out and buy the soundtrack once you've seen it. Great tidbit about this movie: it won the Oscar for best song this year over about a million songs from Enchanted. Rent it now!

More shoes...

Ah, wedding season is upon since. I have three (three!) weddings to go to in August and so I have been dress and shoe shopping. My soon-to-be sister-in-law has been trying to find shoes for fitting purposes, as have I so here are some good websites to try for shoes. All of these are highly recommended because they have free shipping and free returns. So if they don’t fit, you aren’t out any money!

Shoebuy.com

Piperlime.com

Zappos.com

Fat pants

I am going to continue this blog but considering I am also five months pregnant, I will be throwing in comments about the small world of maternity fashions. I do appreciate how far maternity clothes have come but I still think they have a long way to go. There isn’t a whole lot of choice for us budget-minded gals and what there is isn’t great. $24 for a blouse I’m going to get use out of for 6 months tops? I’m pregnant, not stupid. I wouldn’t pay that for a regular shirt. And why do I have to wear synthetic fibers to look good? I just gained twenty pounds in the middle of summer and surprise! I’m going to sweat. Synthetics are not good for that. That being said, I have found a few places that I like:

Target-Much as I love Target normally, I find their selection lacking and pricier than their normal stuff. I do love their maternity jeans though and the online selection is better. And lots of lovely cotton!

Motherhood-For those of us not resigned to wearing muumuus, Motherhood has some great stuff. Again, pricier than I’d like but I have some fabulous dresses from there. There are a lot of synthetic materials in their clothes so you do have to hunt. Major note: Their return policy sucks! If you buy something on sale, it’s final sale. That’s on any kind of markdown. So if you buy it, you’re stuck. There are also Motherhood outlet stores, which offer pretty much the same thing at the same price but you can find some bargains.

Old Navy-Not every Old Navy carries maternity so check the website for the closest one. Strangely, I find a lot of the tops here are really unflattering but for simple cotton tees, they can’t be beat. Selection can be limited so check online too. They have a free returns policy on maternity wear which is great! (You can also return to the store.)

J.C. Penney- Again, a store that I normally love. The first time I went into a maternity section there, I felt like a leper! It was tucked way in the back of the store, in it’s own room like pregnant women are infectious! Luckily, I’ve found that not all the stores have this set up. Some of the lines I love there have expanded into maternity clothing and Penneys always has a great sale going. The selection online isn’t bad either.

Both Gap and Ann Taylor Loft also have maternity wear but for those of us out of major markets, online is our only way. Both do offer free return shipping on maternity but not free shipping to you. I also haven’t ordered anything from either place so I can’t speak to how they fit or look. Burlington Coat Factory also carries some maternity but again, lots of synthetics.

Shoes, bags and facials

I do apologize for the lag between posts; things have been crazy. This post is going to focus on shoes and bags (two of my major obsessions!) As someone once pointed out, you're never too fat for shoes and purses.

DSW-If you haven't visited one of these meccas for shoes, what are you waiting for?! I always head straight to the back, to the discount sections, because that's where the best deals lie. You have to have patience and be willing to pick through a lot of shoes but if you want to grow your shoe collection for not a lot of money, definitely check them out.

Marshalls/TJ Maxx-There are some Marshalls/TJ Maxx that are better than others for shoes and bags. In Rochester, go to the Marshalls in Henrietta and the one in Pittsford for shoes. They have a huge selection of really good brands for good prices. Their bag selection isn't bad either, although I'm always disappointed at the lack of high brands at the Pittsford store. You would think they would take advantage of their location to push good stuff but the Webster store (next to Target) has a better high-end selection. For those of you reading this in Philly, check out the TJ Maxx in Wayne. Fantastic high-end selection of both shoes and purses. Expensive but still lots less then you'd find in department stores.

My favorite brands of bags this season? I'm really loving the new Nine West stuff. I'd gone off of them for awhile but I think their new look is great. I'm also really liking the new twist Liz Clariborne is putting on her stuff.

Last but definitely not least, this tip is for my readers in the Philly area. Check out the Jean Madeline beauty school. You can get a manicure, haircut, or my personal favorite, a facial for much cheaper than in spas or regular salons. I got several facials at their South Philly location for $30! It was relaxing and really well done. Here's their website: http://www.jeanmadeline.com/jmi_locations.html

Until next time!

Welcome!

So this is my first attempt at a blog; I hope it's helpful! I shop a lot (a lot) so I'm going to try and let people know what's going on in the world of retail. This will be my small attempt at spreading a little knowledge and joy.

My first tips:

Check out Bitten: If you haven't hit a Steve and Barry's recently, you are definitely missing out. Sarah Jessica Parker has her new, low-price line there and nothing (and I mean, nothing) is over $20. Steve and Barry's also runs sales periodically and the last time I was there, nothing was over $8.50. Not everything is my taste but it is definitely worth checking out. Be warned: sizes run small. I wear a large in their shirts and if you know my build, you know what I mean.

Payless: Again, you haven't visited one lately, you're missing out. Designers are working with them and if you're in a bigger city, you can find these deals in stores. Otherwise, for us Rochesterians, the web is great. I even saw a new pair of flats in Real Simple from Payless for less than $30.

Shop on!