$2 Jewelry Bag

I told myself there would be no more shopping for myself in the year 2009. With Nordstrom half yearly and the Black Friday sales I hit my max on shopping for a while and after all, there are some many other people to shop for this time of year. So I was definitely NOT going to buy myself ANYTHING when I walked into a second hand store this past weekend. I was actually looking for small vintage ornaments to use as gift toppers for x-mas presents for others - but that's a whole other post. Then I saw this little bag. Still can't decide if it is more Asian or '70s era inspired but I fell in love at first sight. It has thick padding and an easy to cinch drawstring and at only two bucks I felt I NEEDED it to keep all my costume jewelry in when I travel. Now all my little accessories can just be thrown in to this little bag and tossed into my suitcase and I won't have to worry about snags in my clothing as a result of a rogue earring or bobby pin getting crazy in my carry-on. Also, thinking about the environment; I am actually doing a service because all those plastic Ziploc bags I used to go through anytime I left town are now one less - replaced by this gem. So there! This bag is a justified purchase and I don't feel bad about it!

Black Friday Finds - Part 3

After hitting the stores that opened WAY too early LeeAnn and I were able to go back to bed for a 2.5 hour power nap before the next wave of stores opened. Nordstrom Rack opened at 8am (because it is the kind of place that is owned by civilized people who value a full night's sleep) and LeeAnn and I were standing patiently with our cart ready when the doors opened. Once inside LeeAnn made her way straight to the racks of designer jeans while I headed straight for the clearance racks. . . which is where I found this stunner. Its an Ann Klein cardigan with adorable 3/4" sleeves, front pockets and a tie. I was immediately drawn to the color (I have been all about yellow recently) but the price tag sealed the deal.

I actually wore it the other night to Andrea's birthday dinner at Cecconi's in West Hollywood and I paired it with the $12 clutch I picked up a couple weeks ago. Made for a fun outfit.

Original Price: $109
I paid: $29
Total Savings: 73%

Black Friday Finds - Part 2

All sweaters were only $15 at the Old Navy sale. I got two really cute sweaters that you would never guess were only fifteen bucks.

Regular Price: $34.50
Black Friday Price: $15
Total Savings: 60%

Black Friday Finds - Part 1

Haven't had time to photograph everything I bought at the black Friday sales so I'm gonna have to feed them to you one by one. Thankfully, Old Navy had a good graphic of this coat on their website so I was able to just lift it for your viewing pleasure while my coat is still in bag on my bedroom floor (it been a long weekend).
I LOVE this coat!!! I love the soldier boy style of the buttons and the A-line shape and I know you can't see it but the burgundy colored lining on the inside is gorgeous. Every black Friday I buy a new coat at Old Navy because they are such great deals and I like to have a new style every season, this year I was specifically looking for something that I could wear over my dress to my company holiday party. Our party is going to be on the rooftop of the Thompson Hotel in Beverly Hills (I know super swanky) so it might get a bit chilly which means that the coat I wear might get more exposure than the dress and therefore has to be cute! I think this coat would also look really good with some tall boots and jeans or even ballet flats.

Original Price: $99.95
Black Friday Price: $39.95

Total Savings: 60%

Final Word: Its ok for it to get cold outside when you have something this fabulous to keep you warm.

While you were sleeping . . .

LeeAnn and I were standing outside Old Navy at 3am patiently waiting for the doors to open so we could get our shop on! What didn't turn out in this pic was the long line of people behind us who were also there to shop. We ended up scoring some really great deals on Black Friday (so yes, it was worth losing out on some sleep) and I will post them a little later. I took a picture of the clock in LeeAnn's car - thought we needed photographic proof that we were actually up at the ungodly hour of 3am.

Getting Ready to Shop!!!!

This is such an exciting time of year for someone like me! This is the week that leads up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday and as is the case with anything . . . preparation and research are the key to your shopping success! For this reason I am already hard at work forming a plan of attack for Friday morning because I am hoping to hit up more sales this year than ever before. I'm not huge into electronics so I probably won't be battling those insane Best Buy shoppers, but some of the stores on my list this year are: Nordstrom Rack, Target, Old Navy, Macy's, Bath and Body Works and Pier One.

Where are you guys shopping this year?

Michael Kors Artisan Flats

Remember when I said that if you can’t find a certain item you want at the Nordstrom sale in your size they will track it down for you somewhere in the world and ship it to you for free? Well these came in the mail last week!!!!! I have been in love with Michael Kors shoes for years, they are just soo exquisite and comfy at the same time. Being six feet tall; I almost always wear flats and Michael always produces some killer flats. The only problem with a Michael Kors shoe is that it comes with a Michael Kors price tag which is not soo cute - they are always at least $100 regularly priced. This particular shoe was featured in the May issue of Bazaar magazine in the color Sunset. I remember this because 1) I am just the kind of freak that remembers a great shoe in a fashion mag and 2) I wanted them soooo bad. Enter Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale. After I finished picking through the clearance shoes available in my own size I started browsing the shoe rack of the other sizes and that that is when I saw these bad boys in a metallic gold color. I told myself right then and there that I didn’t care how good the sale was, if they were available in my size I was getting them! Thankfully, my Nordstrom shoe helper was able to track them down in the Mission Viejo store and a couple days later they arrived at zero cost to me for the shipping and handling.

Final Word: Let Nordstrom foot the bill for your shipping, order your purchases in the store.

$12 Nordstrom Envelope Clutch

I think this clutch chose me, somewhere out there in purse heaven (which I truly believe exists) the purse gods guided me to this gem! I actually found it on the ground of the Council for Jewish Women Thrift Shop in West LA. I was headed to the check-out counter with my Betty Crocker Cookbook and it was laying there directly in my path. I have been wanting a white clutch for a while so I thought that instead of just stepping over it might be worth bending over to check it out. Boy am I glad I did! It was perfectly my style, so chic! I noticed right away that it was real leather and in immaculate condition, seriously, not one stain on the lining, I don't think the previous owner ever used it. Then I discovered the Nordstrom label, this is when I knew I hit the jack pot. In my head I'm like: So, let me get this straight - It's a super cute leather Nordstrom envelope clutch in mint condition for only $12? Soooo coming home with me! Just to prove what a deal this was I pulled some comps off Nordy's website. These are all Nordstrom brand clutches currently for sale, they range in price from $88 to $98. Not to be a gloating brat but I think my second hand clutch is way cuter than any of these and it was a fraction of the price.

$88 Nordstrom Clutch

$98 Nordstrom Clutch

$88 Nordstrom Clutch

New Nordstrom Clutch: $93 (average)
My second-hand, never been used before Nordstrom Clutch: $12

Total Savings: 88%

Final Word: Sometimes you find a good deal and sometimes a good deal finds you!

$18 Kenneth Cole

Here's another one of the items I got at the Nordstrom Sale. I wore it to work today and got more than one compliment. Meredith shot a pic of me in it (thanks M). How often do you find a designer dud for under 20 bucks? And this wasn't some Nordy Rack, been tried on by 16 different random people kind of items, this was hanging on a rack in at the regular Nordstrom at the Westside Pavilion. I really like the color, and the material is very soft too. I paired it with my new silver shoes. This isn't a Reaction by Kenneth Cole label by the way, this is a true blue Kenneth Cole New York label.
Original Price: $39.00
Sale Price: $18.20
Total Savings: 54%

$2 Vintage Betty Crocker

I LOVE shopping vintage because just like with my normal clearance shopping, it is all about the hunt mixed with a little luck. I especially love vintage housewares like dishes, bowls, servers etc., but I don't like it when the vintage stuff is more expensive than the new stuff - just really annoys me. So you can imagine my delight when I stumbled upon this old Betty Crocker Hostess Cookbook at a thrift shop in Century City last week. I was just browsing the books and the graphics of this one caught my eye immediately. I noticed the very 60's style on the front and then I noticed the title "Hostess Cookbook". I LOVE hosting! Seriously, I am like Monica on Friends (always the hostess) so I was sure there would be some fun ideas in there too.

I discovered that this book was published in 1967 (circa Mad Men) and I could just picture Betty Draper cooking up one of these meals for a dinner party with Don's work associates. Once I got home I tried to do a little research on the book to make sure I had gotten a good deal and I found this pic of Betty Draper in her kitchen and what is in the background? My Book! So thrilled to see that. I also found my book on Etsy (Mecca for vintage collectors), there were five copies of the book for sale all ranging from $7 to $15, again reaffirming that this was an awesome $2 purchase.

Food sure has evolved in the past 40 years and thank god, this book is all about the frozen and canned fruits and veggies and the processed foods. Some of the recipes actually call for dry potatoes out of the box and can we say jello moulds anybody? Below is a completely edible arrangement that they explain in detail how to make to serve as a center piece at your event. Seems kinda fun, but I don't think I have nearly enough patience to attempt it.

Silver Shoes

Picked up a few uber fabulous items at the Nordy's sale last night, here is the first installment of what I made off with (more to come).

Me Too 'Nadia Flat'

I have been on the look out for new silver flats for a while, (they just seem to go with so many outfits) so I just couldn't pass these up. Also, I love the Me Too brand because I always find their shoes to be very comfortable and to stand the test of time.Original Price: $88.95
Sale Price: $58.90
Total Savings: $30.05

Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale

I just can't wait to get some new shoes at Nordy's Half Yearly. The sale starts tomorrow and they always have so much to chose from. When Nordstrom throws a sale, they come real with the savings and their staff always delivers with excellent customer service too. Looking forward to cute shoes, handbags, accessories, and clothing! I'm getting so excited just thinking about it.

Final Word: If you can't find what you are looking for in your size ask a sales person, they will scour the whole country looking for it and send it to you at no cost for shipping.

How Bazaar, How Bazaar ~ LA Restaurant Week

Hello my thifty friends! Thought I would give you a little update on my Dine LA experience.
Words cannot begin to describe how amazing our evening at The Bazaar by Jose Andres was last Friday. The decor at SLS is insane, I have never seen anything like it before but with as bi-polar as it is I loved every inch of it -except for maybe the mirrored bathroom stalls and black toilets. We had some of the most deliciously interesting food imaginable and got to meet Marcel from Top Chef season 2.
Thank god for LA Restaurant Week, the 3 course menu allowed our group to sample most of the tapas menu and the portions were large enough for our whole party of six to get a taste. I didn't want to be "that girl taking pics" so I only have a couple to share of our memorable meal.

I started off with the philly cheesestake

Nathan had some sort of fancy egg dish
This is the Green Asparagus Tempura Romesco - the sauce was soo good and the Canarias Salty Wrinkled Potatoes with Mojo Verde dipping sauce. They looked like little rocks but when you bit into them they were really soft.

Waiting for the Valet I realized I needed a group shot.

Six very satisfied diners!

So was it worth it? Here's how my meal broke down:

Starter
“Philly cheesesteak” Per Person $8
Air bread, cheddar, Wagyu beef

Entree - You got to pick 3 tapas from the menu
Jamón Serrano Fermin (2 oz) $15
Dry cured ham

Catalan spinach apple, pine nuts, raisins $8

White asparagus yogurt, black olives $11

Dessert
Creamy Chocolate Heart 12.00
Coffee and cardamom

Regular Menu Price: $54
Dine LA Price: $44
Saved $10 - 20%

Restaurant Week is Back!

Oh how I love Dine LA Restaurant Week! Its my chance to go to places like Craft and Spago without the anxiety of the final tab. What makes it so great is that it brings together over 150 of LA's best restaurants, offering special three-course menus at majorly discounted prices. Last year Nathan and Amie and I checked out Gordon Ramsay's London and the kitchen was definitely not closed that night! I still think about the Creme Fraiche and Quince Panna Cotta with gingerbread ice cream that they served for dessert. This year I am looking forward to sampling the menus at Mr. Chows in Beverly Hills and The Bazaar by Jose Andres. You can check out the list of participating restaurants here: http://discoverlosangeles.com/play/dining/restaurantweek/participating_restaurants.html and don't forget to make a reservation ASAP!
Final Word: Watch out for pricey cocktails that can quickly drive up the cost of your meal.

Dual Purpose Dishes

Picked up these two dishes at Target last weekend for a steal! The white tray was marked down from $12.99 to $3.24 and the cute little rose dish was originally $9.99 marked down to $2.49.

Once I got them home I was showing them off to a friend of mine when she asked: "What are you going to do with those?" I thought this was a good question and and a great subject for my next CC post - so here goes.
With items like this the possibilities are really endless. My first thought was to use them on my vanity to display things like perfume bottles and jewelry. You could also do something cute with your make-up and display your eye shadows nicely or even lip glosses, the colors of the make-up would pop perfectly against the white porcelain background of this long tray.

The small size of this dish is perfect for my jewelry but it would also work well in the bathroom as a soap dish or throw a tall candle on it and its a candle holder.

Last night I was headed to a wine and cheese party at a friend's house and these dishes were perfect vessels for what I was bringing along. I even used this green ice cream bowl I bought on clearance a few years ago for the nuts, it gave dynamic height to my food spray.

Final Word: Think off the plate and gets lots of milelage out of your everyday items!

Stefan's Small Plates

I returned to a renovated Stefan's last week after his very successful restaurant garage sale on a mission to try out his small plate menu. Small plates are a great way to sample a number of different items a chef has to offer without committing to an entire meal of it (or a large price tag). Stefan's small plate menu did not disappoint this thrifty foodie.

We started off with the Truffle Arancini with Lemon Aiol and all I can say is WOW! I could have eaten an entire plate of those tiny $3 cubes of goodness and been a happy girl but we decided to move on to some of the other dishes.

We tried these Kumamoto Oysters with Absinthe Jello and Fennel Vinaigrette ($3). They were pretty good but coming off the Arancini that practically melted in our mouths with that divine truffle oil, the oysters didn't really stand up. We also tried the hummus with grilled bread (who can really mess up hummus?) and the sweetbread schnitzel with potato salad which wasn't nearly as odd tasting as it sounds, it was actually pretty delightful. All these goodies were priced at $3 and we all left feeling satisfied, so much so that we didn't have room for dessert and I really wanted to try his lollipop trio. Remember when he made that on Top Chef? Well it is now a permanent fixture on his menu and I can't wait to taste it.

Final Word: You can check out the small plate menu at stefan's here: Stefan's Small Plates

Butterfly Kisses

Something I love about clearance shopping is that sometimes it can lead to a fun craft session (another one of my hobbies). There is something so rewarding about picking something up off the street that your neighbor threw out or buying some banged up piece of junk from goodwill or a garage sale and then completely transforming it into something fabulous. And you’re recycling too!!

The other day I was cruising the clearance section of Marshalls and I saw these butterfly pictures. I noticed that they were only $3 and that the butterfly design was actually engraved into the wood. I also noticed that they were complete eye sores; lots of scuffs, a couple chips and in a drab color. I passed by them and continued my browsing and actually left the store without them. Later that night I was still thinking about the butterflies and that is when it hit me that I could make them work for me and I already had a place in mind to hang them. The next day I rushed back to Marshalls on my lunch break and was relieved to find that they were still there, next I headed over to Michaels and picked up some paint. That night I dusted off my art supplies (from that short stint I did in design school) and got to work on them. I have to admit that I underestimated how many coats it would actually take to cover up all that hideous burgundy paint, if I had it to do over I for sure would have used a stripper first but after about eight coats of paint the burgundy was gone! Because the butterfly design is engraved in the wood it made it super easy to re-paint, it was like coloring in a coloring book – just stay in the lines. I didn’t want them to be exactly the same either because what is the fun in that? So I switched out the background and butterfly colors. I hung them in my dining room because it could use a little brightening up in there and I thought yellow would do just the trick! Very happy with the end result!

Final Word: With a little paint and a whole lot of TLC you can turn Junky into Funky!