Sale Agony

Sale Agony: the tragic side to holiday sales that no one talks about. That is, when your favorite stores start featuring huge discounts on all of your favorite merchandise- namely, that which you've already purchased, at full retail value.

I am suffering Sale Agony tonight over the Nordstrom's discount of my beloved, gifted "Seanna" shoes by Linea Paolo.



Originally, my lovely laced-up ballet-style slingbacks were $89.95. I purchased them for approximately $58. Online at nordstrom.com, you can now be a fellow proud owner of my shoes for only $44.90 -- with free shipping* to boot! *(On orders over $100, for a limited time- not that this is a huge bonus - regular shipping is always a reasonable $5 despite weight.) Only a few months after my purchase!

This reminds me of the skirt I splurged all of my savings on one year in High School - a beautiful, long red and pink and black wrap skirt from Charlotte Russe- and the same week, when I went into the store, it was on a sales rack for $20! Of course I had already worn it and taken off the tags.

I suppose the moral of the Sale Agony is that if in my (or your) infinite shopping wisdom, it was deemed worthwhile to spend a higher amount on the item we were coveting, then it remains that the item was worth purchasing at the time at that amount- no matter how cheap it gets.

Now I'll just cross my fingers- as I did so long ago about the skirt- that everyone won't be seen around wearing it, now that it is such an impossible deal to turn down! (Not you, of course. You can buy my shoes. I do suggest however, if you want to buy this shoe, the Walnut and Ivory shades are just as lovely as my patent Black!)

Judy's Book

A shout out to a new site I've stumbled upon: Judy's Book.

Judysbook.com is one of those online sites where contributors post deals from around the world wide web to share with others. I've been spending a lot of time there in the past week. It's a useful source to look for deals and to seek discount codes for checkout while you're shopping for holiday presents online.

It's heavily based on a share-system, where it really takes everyone's input and posts to comprise a thorough shopping site for all deals, sales, freebies, and specials. That's basically why I thought I'd put up a quick post here - if everyone participates, it can develop into a truly incredible resource for those of us who are big online shoppers.

Also available but in development are popular devices such as blogs and articles and reviews, to which all users can contribute (much like makeupalley.com, which everyone already loves).

But Judy's Book expands from cosmetics to apparel, shoes, travel, outdoor gear, kitchenware and more. It's always worth popping on to this site to run a quick search, to see if that popcorn maker you're eyeing is on sale somewhere you'd never think to look, or to find out what code you can use for free shipping on it.

The best part of Judy's Book, which I've reserved until last, is that you can actually make money by becoming a member. To inspire contributors so that the site can function as an indispensable tool, commissions are offered on certain deals that you help to promote through the site. It's easy and self-explanatory, calling on skills we're already cultivating as bloggers and connoisseurs of shopping.

Check it out and help enhance a beneficial, shopper-friendly website. Plus, you're spending enough time and money on everyone else this month- earn some cash on the side and pick up a little something for yourself. You deserve it.

Four Me, For You

There are several purchases I've made since last we spoke (four to be exact), and I've neglected to mention them here. But as they now grace my arms and feet on a regular basis, and serve to round out my closet, and since I do try to include you all (because shopping is a team sport!) I should show them. So I will.

First, the "Stella" shoes in Lipstick Red mentioned in this post from oh-so-long-ago.
Can anyone believe that I've wanted these shoes since July 26th and just got them during the Veteran's Day sale? I can't. I must really be learning to control (or at least detain) those impulse buys.

Second, a boot (I cannot find a picture of) by Apostrophe, called "Grace." I would never shop at Sears (in fact I try to avoid it altogether), but for the fact that a) they were 40% off, and b)I bought the same pair years ago and they held together through two rough years, which is more than I can say for many of the so-called upscale shoes I buy.

Third, a new purse! You'll never believe this (it's been a whole post full of eye-openers, hasn't it?) but I have had the same purse on my arm almost every day since I got it for Christmas last year. So I needed a new one! As much as I love shopping, and favor accessories to boot (pun intended), I am not a purse girl. Purse shopping is excrutiating to me. It just needs to be the perfect look, and weight, and width, and shape and color... I don't fall in love with purses very often, one detail is always just wrong. So when I find a purse to love, I snatch it up! Such was the way with this beauty, from Nine West:
I was actually very close to purchasing a Kathy Van Zeeland bag, and I was eyeing a few others, and then I fell in love with this one, and it was even on sale. I always feel fortunate to covet things I can actually, guiltlessly afford.

Fourth, these "Grannie" boots from Dillards were actually a present from my stepfather. Unaware of the black lace-up "Grace" boots I'd just purchased and hadn't even worn yet, he saw these and said they were just "me," so he had to buy them. He was so spot on! A much more chic version of the "Grace" boots, I considered returning the Sears version, but decided that they were cheap enough to keep both (especially considering one had been a gift).
Gianne Bini, Italian leather, yum.

Now you're all caught up with my closet. Anyone else buy something (or four things) fun that you want to share with me?

A Faux Letter Word

Hello!

Well I've been in quite the posting funk, now haven't I? Personal concerns aside, I have really missed this space. I must stop reserving all of my scathing fashion-related comments for my cat, because quite frankly, she's sick of me. "Save it for species who actually wear clothes," she seems to say with those yellowy eyes. Don't be jealous, Josh, it doesn't befit young kittens of your stature.

While I am not yet sure of the frequency of updates I can promise (yet), I am just had to re-emerge from my torpor to bring you this riddle: What single item is, by its own definition, the most heinous fashion grievance? What mere concept of style can make a girl's blood curdle, the notion of which offends those of us who take trends (even animal print) seriously?

Four words:

Faux. Fur. Reversible. Vest.

Faux! Fur! Reversible! Vest!

There's maybe one word in that little choo-choo train of denotative wreckage that's allowable, and we all know it's fur. And still! But everything else is really pushing it, if we're talking taste (and when aren't we?).

Without further delay, I bring you:
Is it a vest? Is it a potato sack? Has a rabid animal escaped from the nearby forested area and is now attacking this poor, presumably tiny model with its bulky beast body while the photographer clicks away, blithely unaware of her impending doom?

Even at 33% off... please, my dear friends, if you're not too affronted by me forcing this grotesque sight upon you, take my advice. Stay away.

I did it for your own good.