OMG Shoes

Lieutenant boots - cute but pricey
Zaney boots - deemed too pirate-y by the husband



I love to shop, but I do not love shoe shopping. I know this seems weird - shoe shopping is supposed to be every woman's favorite activity, right? But no, I would MUCH rather spend money on clothing! Every time I buy a pair of shoes, that's money I could be spending on some item of clothing, and I love love love clothes! Also, I have a size 10 foot and am 5'8". Not every shoe looks adorable on me, and I'm not used to heels, so I avoid them. I am on my feet a lot at work, so I need comfortable flats. My husband also happens to be about my height, so I generally stay away from sky high heels that make him feel short. Not that I could walk in them anyway!

Anyway, I decided I needed a new pair of tan boots to go with the AG Stevies I just bought - which were pricey but really fit perfectly.

So off I went to Steve Madden to try on boots, but for some reason, they weren't doing it for me. So I decided to go to DSW. I'd never been. There's a big store near Hollywood and Highland. I tried on the boots above, Steve Madden's Zaney, in a cognac color.

My husband, who is VERY picky about clothes for some reason, said they looked cheap and pirate-y. Even in the brown color. And they were cheap, only like $60. But they did look like they were vinyl, and because I have kind of small legs, they bunched weirdly around my calves. Anyway, my husband's favorites were the other ones shown, Coconuts Lieutenant in cognac. They are a much nicer leather, and they cost more than twice the amount of the Steve Maddens, $149.95, down from $225. I couldn't bear to pay it, and they didn't have the right size anyway.

I went home, though, and looked online. And DSW.com is AMAZING. You can STACK COUPONS. Unbelievable. I've never seen a site that allows stacked coupons! So I find a coupon for $45 off a $150 purchase. Okay, that knocks the boots down to $105, which I can handle. However, I find another coupon code - 20% off when you buy two or more items! I quickly add a pair of sequined SM flats (Reecey) for $39.95. If I don't like them, I can always return them. I apply the 20% off first, then the $45 off, and then, the piece de resistance, free shipping!! My two pairs of shoes now total $106.92 before tax. I've saved $168.08! Why would anyone shop in-store when you can get such great deals online??

Here are the coupon codes:

SAVE20 - apply first for maximum savings, good for 20% off two or more items. Consider adding a second item and then returning it later if necessary.

FALLSHOP - $10 off $49, $25 off $99, $45 off $149

SHIPR - free shipping

The 20% off ends today, so use it quick! You can return shoes to a DSW store or send 'em back, but then you have to pay restocking and shipping fees. Always visit retailmenot.com for coupon codes before buying stuff online. Hooray for my new favorite place to buy shoes!

Giveaway!

Yet another fun giveaway over at Breakfast at Gigi's - enter to win a super cute bracelet and $50 Anthro card! I have to say, it may be 80 degrees here, but I am in love with all of the fall stuff! For my birthday, I got the shirtdress with the flowers and birds, the Bianka blouse in black, and the Terrace House jacket in orange. Yesterday I went back to return my Vappu dress (so sad it didn't work!) and one of the 2 Looping Lanes belts I bought and ended up exchanging them for a pair of AG Stevie jeans. They are really adorable, fit perfectly, and are the perfect length, but I can't believe I spent so much on jeans. I generally wear my jeans into the ground, and I don't think I've ever had a pair that fit so perfectly, so I am going to say it was worth it :)

Tops on my wishlist:

Boucle de Souffle jacket in brown

Maryam Tank in sand (it almost looks like a nightgown because of the texture - I think I'll need to wait for sale on this one, but I love it under the jacket!)

Molded and Melded Tee (just about any color. Super flattering!)

Mimetic skirt (work appropriate!)

Kirklees sweater coat (with the new skinny jeans!)

Wild Bramble Tote (I love, love, love this, and $98 almost seems reasonable!)

What fall items are you in loving?

Garden Party dress sale!

Whoa. I'm super glad I follow Shabby Apple's blog - they always have the best giveaways.

Right now, they're giving one winner an adorable dress! They're also having a big, big sale with some dresses as low as $5 this Saturday from 8am-noon. I am going to need to stop by, because there are some ridiculously cute dresses on the site!

Check out Shabby Apple's website and be sure to stop by Saturday morning. I skipped the Anthro sale, so does that mean I can buy a dress from SA? ;)

Breakfast Awesome

So I realized I haven't actually posted any reviews of everyday things that have made my life easier/better/prettier - so let's get on that!

The other day, we were at the local Target, which has suddenly transitioned into a full grocery store with fresh produce and meats. Amazing! We decided to forgo our trip to Trader Joe's and grocery shop at Target instead, since we were already there anyway. We had to fight the crowds, but I love grocery shopping with my husband. It's always fun. I don't know why.

Anyway, there was a BIG photo of a delicious looking English muffin hanging from the ceiling, and I was like, "Damn, I really want an English muffin!" I am VERY susceptible to advertising, which is why I can't watch tv after 1am - too many infomercials. We had also just listened to an episode of Wait Wait Don't Tell Me which had gone into detail about nooks and crannies.

I traipsed over to the bread area, but there were NO English muffins! Sadness! Never one to dwell, I picked out the above strangely intriguing Thomas's Bagel Thins instead.

Okay, so these things have 110 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 5 grams of fiber. Not bad!! But don't get too excited. These are not the toasty, crispy, delicious bagels I am used to eating every morning from Coffee Bean. These are not those tasty Asiago Cheese calorie bombs from Einstein's (mmmm). These are not even grocery store bagels. No, these are pieces of bread masquerading as bagels with a hole in the middle. Alas! It's kind of like someone split half of a bagel in half and told you that was the bagel. Like you'd be easily fooled by that and not realize you're eating less than half of a real bagel.

Despite all this, I've been taking these bagels to work all week and eating them instead of my usual Coffee Bean bagels. It's saving me money, and although these bagels are not completely delicious, they are still tasty. I spread a little low-fat cream cheese between the two pieces, wrap with foil, and I'm good to go. It also keeps me full for a long time!

So, for saving me calories and money and still filling me up, I give Bagel Thins a 7 on the Awesome Meter. It ain't a bagel, but it also ain't bad.

Another great giveaway!

I randomly found this blog while looking for reviews for the Bianka blouse (SO CUTE) - fabulous blog, and she's running a giveaway!!

http://stfashionista.blogspot.com/2010/08/50-followers-contest.html#comments

Those are some super cute hair clips!! Love a little bit of sparkle.