Ugg-like boots at Payless

My friend Paige had these adorable boots on this weekend, and I could not believe she got them at Payless--on sale no less! They're $29.99, on sale from $39.99, and come in a light khaki color as well. Perfect cozy winter boots!

Calling All Brides!

For all you brides who are looking for a dress, Neiman Marcus last call (in the Brodie Oaks shopping center at S. Lamar and Loop 360) is having a sample sale from November 13-November 16. The gowns will be discounted as much as 85% off, and will be priced from $500 to $1500. Designers include Vera Wang, Monique Lhuillier, and Carolina Herrera. If you have a Neiman Marcus credit card, you get an extra 5% off. Finding a designer gown at these prices would be a major score, so go early and good luck!

Wool ruffled dress

I saw this dress last weekend at J. Crew and instantly fell in love with it. This picture does not do it justice, you really need to go check it out in person to see all the beautiful details. It's black wool, it also comes in a gorgeous deep purple. The shape is very classic and flattering. But the collar is AMAZING. It's this really beautiful, slightly structured ruffled collar, and it's soooo pretty. $198.

Puffer Coat

I love this white quilted puffer from Juicy Couture--especially the faux fur hood! (I'm a sucker for faux fur, I have to tell you). It's on sale right now at Bloomingdales for $264.60, off from $378. Such a cute casual coat for this winter.

Election Day!

Election Day is finally here, and I hope you all go out and vote, if you haven't already.

If you do vote, here are a few freebies you can claim:

Ben & Jerry's: Free scoop of ice cream between 5-8pm (I believe the location on N. Lamar is participating)

Chick-fil-A: Some Chick-fil-A restaurants are handing out chicken sandwiches to adults with proof of voting--you might want to call first to make sure your local Chick is participating.

Krispy Kreme: Free doughnut with red, white and blue sprinkles for customers with an 'I Voted' sticker (again--call to see if your location is participating)

Starbucks: Free tall coffee at any Starbucks.

You gotta love free stuff, especially in this economy! Happy election day!

Shop Review: Finch

In my pursuit to buy a few Christmas and birthday gifts, I wandered down 2nd Street, Holiday Shopping Card in hand (they're a participating merchant!), to check out Finch, a store that I had passed by a few times but never gone into. This store is a little oasis, it is such a calm and peaceful little spot. The space is small, but it's arranged so beautifully, with all the merchandise displayed in a fun and easy manner.

It's a little hard to describe their merchandise, because they have a broad selection, but it's a combination of home decor and gift items. They have absolutely gorgeous table linens, all in very simple, modern patterns. They have a nice assortment of bedding by Dwell. And then they have just a hodgepodge of unique things I hadn't seen before, including really pretty vases, stationary, glassware, tableware and ceramics, all in modern, interesting designs.

I found several gifts here, and more than a few things I wanted to pick up for myself. The salespeople are incredibly gracious and helpful, and the store is so fun to wander around in. I will absolutely be back.

PS: While you're there, if you have children or need a baby shower gift, check out their sister store Wee, located next door. They have the cutest baby stuff I've ever seen, all super modern and unique.

Holiday Shopping Card

Sorry guys, I meant to post this last week, but I am very behind in my blogging. If you don't have a Holiday Shopping Card, you seriously need to go buy one this weekend. What is the Holiday Shopping Card? Only the best excuse to shop ever! It's a discount card you purchase for a minimum donation of $60, the entire amount of which goes to the American Cancer Society. In exchange, you get the shopping card, which gives you a 20% discount at participating merchants from Friday October 24 through Sunday November 2. You can buy a card at any participating store, and you can find a list of the stores on the Shopping Card website. There's a wide range of stores, from chains like Gap and J. Crew to local merchants like Shiki and Blue Elephant. Also, Williams Sonoma and Pottery Barn are participating this year, which is so exciting! I don't know if they're listed on the website yet because I think they may have been late additions, but they are giving the discount.

I have bought this card for the past 4 years, and as a result, get most of my Christmas shopping done before the first week of November. It's a great motivator to get your shopping done early, and saves you some serious cash. It also is a great way to discover new stores you aren't familiar with yet. Best of all, all the money goes to a great cause. Go pick one up this weekend, it's a great way to rationalize shopping!

Embellish Salon

My friend Blair and I went to the cutest nail salon I have ever seen on Saturday night, Embellish, which is located in the Triangle. This place is truly adorable. It has pink walls and pink and brown furniture, and is so girly and fun. They have big screen tv's, which was playing "13 Going On 30" while we were there (which, that movie is awesome, and we got to see the Thriller dance scene, so I was very happy!). They steam sterilize all their equipment, which is very important to me. They have a little bar area for manicures, and pedicures are done on big comfy chairs and couches. The prices are very reasonable, $35 for a pedicure, $20 for a manicure, or $50 for a mani/pedi combo. The service was wonderful, and they worked really hard to make sure Blair and I were timed correctly so that we could sit together while we had our treatments. They have a really cool boutique section of the shop as well, which has cute purses, tshirts (they had a few UT shirts that I really liked), and jewelry. This is my new go-to nail place--the prices, cleanliness, service and atmosphere cannot be beat.

Plaid Shirt

Fall always puts me in the mood for plaid, and even though it's still 90 degrees outside in Texas and no leaves are changing color anywhere, which makes it a little harder to get into the autumn spirit, this adorable shirt from Martin & Osa would seriously help. It comes in black as well as this purple color. I love the easy shape and the cute placket ruffle. It's wool, but it's very light weight, and since it's short sleeved, you can actually wear this now while we wait for the temperature to drop. $79.50 at Martin & Osa.

Pretty Gray Coat

I think this Tommy Hilfiger gray wool coat is so pretty, and it's at Overstock.com for $99.99, off of $300. I love the princess seams and the cute waistband detail, it's so elegant. And this is the perfect length for a coat, you can wear it with dresses, skirts or trousers, and it will dress up jeans. Great buy!

Smoothing Lip Balm

Sorry readers, I know I have been a terrible blogger recently, but my life has been super busy lately! I will try and do better!

So with that, I have to share with you this great lip balm I recently discovered. My lips were so chapped and cracked, it was horrible, and my regular old Chapstick was not doing the job. Enter this Berry Smooth Lip Nutrition Lip Balm by Neutrogena ($7.59 at Drugstore.com). Two weeks later, my lips are perfectly soft and smooth. It's a miracle worker, truly.

It has little jojoba beads that gently exfoliate your lips. It's also really moisturizing and smells delicious. Seriously, buy this now before your lips react to the winter weather!

GoodShop

My friend Jenny just told me about a great website called GoodShop. You go to the site, enter the charity of your choice (they have a ton of charities, including the Austin affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, one of my favorites). Then you click on a link to any of the participating online merchants, and the merchant will make a donation to the charity you chose. The amount of the donation varies depending on which merchant you choose. And they have a ton of participating stores, like Gap (2.8% donation), Amazon (1.5% donation), Macy's (3.5% donation) and Target (up to a 3.5% donation). This is such an easy way to get your favorite charity some extra money. I am adding this site to my favorites and will definitely be using it as the starting point for all my online shopping.

Check out their news page for articles relating to the site.

Faux Leather Jacket

I was really surprised to see this faux leather jacket designed by Bagatelle at Ann Taylor. Much more modern than a lot of their stuff. I think this is such a cool shape, with unexpected details, like the offset zipper. Okay, yes, it's fake leather, so it's not an heirloom piece, but it's a lot of fun. $148 at Ann Taylor.

Softest Cardigan in the World

I know this sweater doesn't look at that exciting at first glance, but that's because you haven't tried it on. After extensive research, I have determined that this is the softest, most comfortable cardigan in the world. And it's only $49.50. Forget cashmere people, GapBody's cotton loungewear line is the softest stuff ever. I will be buying this and wearing it everywhere. Go to your nearest GapBody and wrap yourself up in this, and I can almost guarantee that you will not leave without it.

Last Call Neiman Marcus

I've blogged briefly about this before, but was inspired this weekend to talk about it again. Have you guys checked out the Neiman Marcus Last Call Clearance Center over in the Brodie Oaks shopping center off South Lamar? If not, you seriously need to go there. My friend Shelly was visiting me from Dallas this weekend, and she is a seriously great bargain shopper, so we hit Last Call on Saturday to see what they had. Guys, they have a LOT of great stuff. All the brands, from BCBG, Theory, Juicy Couture, Marc Jacobs--any high end designer, they pretty much carry. They had some gorgeous Neiman Marcus brand cashmere sweaters, and an extensive collection of denim by Seven for all Mankind. Their dress collection was great, I saw the most beautiful navy silk beaded Theory cocktail dress. Their handbag section was very impressive, they had some great bags by Kooba, Cole Hahn, and Tory Burch, to name a few. The prices are very discounted--the stuff is pretty much last season, but...who cares? You definitely have to shop here, you're not going to find something every time you go, but when you find a great bargain, it will be totally worth it.