All Gain, No Pain And There Are Over 450!!!

   As we all know, which I have proved time and time again, undeniably made my mark in society and have carved my way into your hearts… shopping is my passion.   It’s the ultimate relaxer for me, it’s the quick high found only within the neon lights of a retail store and it’s the urge and drive to only score on the next greatest bargain.   And if truth be told, I’m pretty good at shopping and exceptional at bargain hunting!!!

On our way back driving from New York City after enjoying a great cousin’s getaway (J & J this one is for you…it was a great time and totally “off the charts”…where is next year???)… heading into Pennsylvania, we see The Crossings Outlet Stores in Tannersville…say no more, I believe it’s time for a walking break.  Nestled in a beautiful wooded area, right off the major expressway…here we go!!!

   As we do the “drive around” to see which stores grab our interest, our eyes lock in on a quaint little “cabin-style” store nestled even farther in and to our delight it’s a Coldwater Creek store…away we go!!!  It’ big, it’s bright and it has sale racks everywhere…heaven!!!

And now for the good news…I got a pair of beige twill pants and a black lace detailed knit vest that each retails for $59.95, on sale for $44.96 and the pants were marked down to $14.99 and the vest was $9.99!!!  And no shopping trip would ever be complete without a jewelry purchase and this one is no exception!!!  I bought a beaded and wood stretch bracelet (gorgeous) that retails for $135.00, marked down to $125.00 and on sale for $9.99 and it was a buy one get one free (bogo) so I picked out a nice bauble stretch bracelet with a tassel which retailed for $29.00.  Out the door, on the road again and for $35.57 I got a bag full of “goodies”…and my cousin did great with her bargains (I thought that jacket you bought was fabulous)!!!

   She was happy, I was thrilled…enough said!!! 

   My theory on outlets is simply…stop and shop!!!  Here are the reasons why…

   *they are always larger than they look…the usual Polo, Gap, Liz Claiborne and Coach are the stores seen from the road, but the treasures are there, possible tucked way in the back…

   *some stores will be a turn off right away, prices just way to high and possible due to the fact of no bargains found…but keep searching (the most time I give myself is an hour of shopping)…

   *it’s impossible for me to shop every store, even all the ones I want to hit, so I  have to pick and choose my stores carefully and fast!!!...

   *potty break, food break, doggie break…yeah, it’s all there!!!...

   *this one is great…I can go shop my way and hubby can go shop his way…this actually means an hour break of “alone-time” for each…nice!!!...

   My hope is that maybe this has perked your curiosity, tagged at your interest and encouraged you to stop.  There are well over 450 outlet stores in the United States, you can’t go north, south, east or west without seeing one.  It certainly breaks up the long, boring expressway driving and chances are after stopping and shopping this will give and your driving companion something new to chat about…folks, my “therapist shingle” is now on break!!!

  

  

 

 

 

White Bread Will Always Be A Great Invention!!!

   Yes it is a Monday morning and yes it’s peaceful, the mood is right and yes the karma is kicking in just perfect…and yes I’m still praising Mondays but for now I think my “Monday” may have to “step aside” due to the fact that I now have found something pretty “kick a** to praise”, never losing sight of the fact of how good, precious and tranquil Monday’s have been to me.  But when something comes along that makes a change in your life…well that is pretty much a big deal and it makes you want to blog “it out!!!”

   I have shared my Monday mornings with my readers, but I have never shared my Monday afternoons and they are just as special.  For the past 25 years I have had a date with the same woman every week…and here is the big reveal…my manicurist!!!  I have been treating myself to a manicure once a week as part of my routine in life.  I can be found at my local “beauty spot”, Mondays at 4pm, relaxing, shooting the breeze, catching up on everyone’s life from the week before and concentrating on “me” time.  Before moving forward to the point of this blog…I would like to share a little history of this situation…

     *Since I have been going to the same manicurist for 25 years, I would say she knows me pretty well and I know her even better and since we have history, imagine all the stories, laughs and secrets we have shared!!!

      *it’s a great “Steel Magnolias” ambiance.  The chit-chat is steady; the swirling of hair dryers, the definite smell of nail polish, the ringing phone and the coffee brewing makes for a fabulous, familiar and welcoming atmosphere.

      *I know the 3pm client and I know the 5pm client…and they know me!!!

      *Since I work in an office (in my real life), I feel that my nails are an important feature, asset and extension of me, I’m lucky I have good nails…why not flaunt them!!!

      *I believe that what I pay for my nails is certainly a bargain…not only do I get a manicure but I also get friendship, happiness, joy, female bonding, compassion, lectured (occasionally), complimented, cheered on, analyzed, and just letting me be me!  All that rolled into one hour…it’s amazing!!!

   And now for the whole point of this…I missed a Monday manicure (today, Labor Day) so my manicurist suggested I try something new…a gel based polish that will stay on for 2 weeks and here comes the drum roll…when you leave your polish is perfectly dry…so dry that if you had to, you could scrub a floor, do laundry or cook dinner…seriously???  Your nails are dry…no smudging or chipping or oopps, “I just messed up my nail”…they are dry…it’s incredible!!!  Why??  Because for 25 years I have always left the beauty shop on pins and needles so as not to mess up my nails and now you can’t!!!

   I have to say…I LOVE IT!!!   And I’m not quite use to it yet but I don’t for see that a problem in the near future.  Imagine the things I can do now after my nail appointment because my nails are NOT wet…OMG the list is endless and my life does not need to go on hold for the next 2 hours… but I think as readers you are getting the point!

   Who ever invented this…my enormous thanks to you.  If you can keep on inventing things to make our lives easier…please don’t stop.  Keep churning your “idea”gears and I thank you for keeping us women in mind.

   Here’s a popular quote, cliché or saying…”it’s the greatest invention since sliced bread”.  On no, sliced bread, look out, there is a new sheriff in this “here” town!!!       

Still Praising Mondays...

oops...the blog got published before my ending!!!
   According to Karen Carpenter (I loved her music...and all 70's music in between) "rainy days and Mondays always get me down"...I say give me a rainy Monday and I will shop this town upside down!  But I keep asking myself, "how many more necklaces do I need?" and stay tuned to see how I fare with the "Bob Shoes Fall Collection" at Shoe Carnival, because the little voice inside is saying "buy one get second pair 1/2 off"...Houston, we have a problem!!!

Mondays Will Always Be A Good Friend

   Monday morning is usually my time to sleep in, sip my morning tea with my breakfast, read the newspaper, check in on facebook and enjoy all the birds enjoying their breakfast at my bird feeders.  Monday has turned into a "bonus day" for me.  It has allowed me to have my own schedule, time is of no object and it's a good day to regroup, refresh and revitalize.
   And Mondays have always been a good day for me to shop...and I have been on the trail blaze of shopping with great deals to share so let's waste no time and get to the good stuff.  My hubby and I love...love...love The Gap Outlet store.  Everything is marked down from 30% to 60% and of course we had an "iPhone" coupon for another 30% off.  We walk in, he goes to the right, I go to the left, we shop for 45 minutes and meet at the cash register...hey it's a system that works for us!  I bought 2 shirts and he got 2 shirts and a pair of pants.  The total was $189.84, less $55.69, brought our total down to $133.84...not bad!
   Onto Elder- Beerman.  I was lucky enough to hit the yellow sign sale, which means an additional 70% of the already marked down red priced item. So I found these great pants by Briggs...they fit sublime.  Retail for $48.00...marked down to $29.99, less 70% brings them to $8.40.  Okay so I bought one in black, tan and green, I could not resist!!!  If  you are there for the yellow sign sale... SHOP IT!!!
   At Macy's shopping the Jewel on sale and because of my necklace addiction I had to have this one marked down from $26 to $13 and of course I didn't need it but it's all about the addition...you understand!!!
   Well, you gotta love JCP with their new "Best Price",  I'm not sure that I'm a fan yet.  However after finding 2 good "finds" on the racks (a beautiful poncho-style top with a fabulous print and a great looking necklace with the status of art-show quality) and paying $5.00 each, maybe my opinion might just change!
   And now to one of my fav's...Steinmart, it's a perfect ten in my book.  Steinmart is the only store I ever need (I hope their big wigs see this).  And love it when their clearance  racks offer another 40% off with no limit!!!  I bought 3 tops, a  picture frame and 2 plates (the plates were only 96 cents and they went down to 58 cents.)  So my total  was only $45.09, and this is always the best part..."if purchased elsewhere $188.00" and "your Steinmart savings $145.77."  Yes I love to see it every time.
   And last one to report on is Christopher & Banks...another great store, they are so personable they call every time there is a big sale.  After finding nothing on the sale racks I checked out their small selection of jewelry and found a necklace that retails for $15.98, my price...$6.39, of course a no-brainer! 

   Monday morning is usually my time to sleep in, sip my morning tea with my breakfast, read the newspaper, check in on facebook and enjoy all the birds enjoying their breakfast at my birdfeeder.  Monday has turned into a "bonus" day for me.  It has allowed me to have my own schedule, time is of no object and it's a good day to regroup, refresh and revitalize!
   And Mondays have always been a good day for me to shop...and I have been on a trail blaze of shopping with great deals to share so let's waste no time and get to  the good stuff and here we go...!!!  The hubby and I love..love..love the Gap Outlet.  Every thing is marked down from 30% to 60% and of course we had an "iphone" coupon for another 30% off the total.  We walk in he goes to the right, i go to the left, we shop for 45 minutes and meet at the cash register...hey it's a system that works for us.  Meanwhile I bought 2 shirts, he buys 2 shirts and a  pair of pants...total was $189.84, our savings was $55.69 which brought total down to $$133.84..not bad.

Lumber, Floral and A Candy Bar...It's All There!!!

   Back in the day when my dad(of blessed memory) said he was going to the hardware store, he really was going to a hardware store, meaning a store with the creaky hardwood floors, aisles filled with nuts and bolts, screwdrivers hanging on the walls  and a nice variety of saws.  They were usually a family owned business, had a few employees, and you were in and out real quick!
   Now today if you mention you are going to the hardware store, here is what you are really saying..."I am going to the...garden store, the florist shop, the paint store, the bird feeder store, the lumber yard, the kitchen remolding store,  the bathroom remolding store, the appliance  store, the carpet and rug store, the barbecue and grill store, the lighting and fan store...and this list could keep on going and guess what...I LOVE IT!!!  Who would have believed today what a hardware store could and can do for us!!!
   How the "concept" of a hardware store has changed over the years is totally amazing, impressive and awesome to me.  The bigger they build 'em the better they are.  Just from my experience and point of view regarding decorating my new condo...we did it ourselves with a little help for the hardware store.  I'm talking about appliances, kitchen hardware, back splash tiles and area rug  just for starters!  It is all there for you!!!
   And yesterday I visited the garden center and of course headed to the sale rack of perennials, they had the $5 dollar cart, the $3 cart and the $1 cart and for $6 bucks I got some great flowers  that will give me years and years of floral beauty. 
   And here is the interesting part...I enjoy browsing the shelf's, racks and aisles.  I will even venture down to the lumber section because I could get inspired with some decorating idea...you just never know!!!  All the paint colors,  carpet selections, yard art and pottery make you feel like this is a decorators dream and heavenly spot.  And on the way out you can even buy a magazine and a candy bar...does the good karma here ever end???
   On my recommendation, if you need a place to clear your head, or just to "loose" yourself for an hour, or hopefully get inspired, head to the closest main street in your town and drive up to the biggest hardware store you can find.  Trust me, your head will be swimming with ideas about planting gardens, redoing kitchens or building fences and that is just within the first 10 minutes.
   Dear Lowe's and Home Depot... I hope you have enjoyed my tribute to each of you.  Your stores have been my salvation the past six months.  A quick fix and an energy boost come easy to me while in the midst of your walls. Don't ever change your variety of items, the friendliness of your employees or your tolerance of customers just roaming around.  And if you do decide to make changes...please have your corporate offices check with me first!!!
     

It's All About The View and It's All About "BOBS".

Yes, yes, yes I know it has been a long while since my "golden" fingers have touched these "magical" keys, but I promise you all with good reason!!! My life just got busy, crazy and very fast-paced!   Could it have been my glorious 10 day trip to Israel?...of course!! Could it have been a local art show I was working on...no doubt!! Or how about my weekend in northern Michigan?...yes with two stars!! And then if you add working, laundry, relaxing and sleeping to my life...one can see what little blog time there is!!!     However I did score two great bargains that are literally off the charts(that was for you Jan!). Browsing through Chico's in Petoskey, Michigan(a great great place to visit, right on the water, charming stores, planked whitefish...anyways) working my way back to the sales racks, noticing the bright orange sign, "all clearance is another 40% off", my antenna went up and I hit the racks fiercely.     I found a great "mist green" cardigan sweater that normally retails for $109.00 and it was marked way way down to $39.99. Now take off another 40%, it's down to $23.99, plus I had a $10.00 of birthday coupon, it's down to $13.99 and I am a passport member so I get another 5% off, now it's down to $13.29 and after tax it cost me $14.09.  Not bad...even the saleslady agreed!!!  And it does not stop here...      We stopped at a huge outlet complex called Birch Run...trust me, it's big!!!  I strolled into the Christopher & Banks Store and sale signs were every where.  Onto the $6.99 rack and there I found a lovely cable-knit vest and here is the best part...it retails for $49.50 and check out all these markdowns, marked down to $39.98, then down to $34.92, then $9.99 and I got it for $6.99...awesome!!!    I'm still on a roll and here is a little history.  I am having a love affair with the brand shoes "BOBS" made by Skechers which is the knockoff of "TOMS".  They are so comfortable, lightweight and come in a hugh array of colors, fabrics and canvases.  For the first time ever I bought 4 pairs of "BOBS" because they are "my perfect shoe".  And add to my luck, there was a Skechers store at this outlet.  In I go and without fail I buy 2 pairs of flip-flops(buy one and get second one 50% off)  Okay I fell for that and there must have been 15 different and new styles of "BOBS" but I held my ground, I restrained myself and realized, "do I need 6 pairs of the same style shoe?"...no...yes...no...yes and then NO won!!!       So let me sum up my thoughts in a couple of sentences:       *It's good to be back in the blogger's seat!!!       *I'll always enjoy the hunt-finding a bargain is just frosting on the cake!!!       *Northern Michigan is spectacularly beautiful...no shortage of breathtaking views!!!       *My two new pairs of flip-flops helps me with my flip-flop addiction.       *I'm counting down the days until I start buying my fall and winter "BOBS".       *And now I fear a problem...do I have a new addiction...HELP!!!

Once to Have Luck of the Irish...but Twice???

   Just when I thought I would never in a million years beat my last "deal of the century penny sale"...it happened yet once again.  Am I a magnet for good deals? Do I have the eagle eye to scope them out?  Or is it just being at the right time and right place.  Well, if I'm casting my vote, I'll shoot for all three and sprinkle in a little luck!!! 
   So onto the "door buster of deals".  My gal pal and I were shopping at Elder-Beermans and she said she was looking for a new spring jacket...okay on we go to the coat department.  And there on a rack with a "halo" floating around it is a good looking black Nine West winter coat, it's about knee length with a big puffy collar, it actually looked like a "down" jacket but after closer inspection it wasn't.  Hey not a problem in my camp!!!
   The retail price on the coat was $225.00 and it was marked down to $167.99.  But I'm not stopping there because it was on the $14.99 rack...seriously???  Can this be right?  Well maybe I should try it on, and yes it fits like a glove but can it really be only $14.99?
   After the sales gal scans it and it comes up $14.99, she let's me know that this is a "door buster item" and I'm thinking that this is whatever is beyond a door buster special!!!  But all I can do is agree, get out my credit card, tell her it's a no-brainer, I'll take it and tell my friend, "this has to be blogged!!!".  I scratch my head and wonder how I got so lucky to find this coat and no one else did.  It was late afternoon and I'm sure at least 200 people had walked past this coat already and no one saw it or wanted it but me...very interesting!!!  This is actually the part of the blog to point out that if you believe in karma, destiny or fate, well it all rocked out in my favor and the direction it took was all about me.!!!
   So this one is going to be short and sweet...my tale has been told, shared and savoured.   When you knock it out of the ball park, well that is about as good as it gets, at least for the moment anyway!  How can I ever beat these two incredible, epic and iconic bargains?  I'm gonna have the time of my life trying too!!!  Now if I could just get over my addiction to flip flops!!!  
  
  

All For The Love Of A Penny!!!

   Sometimes you come across a bargain, a great find and something worth shouting about and...really, no joke...I landed ontop of a whale of a bargain this time!!!   In fact it is so fantastic, fabulous and spectacular that I'm devoting my whole blog space to this one stroke of luck.
   My Hubby and I came across a World Market store when we were out of town a few weekends ago.  This is a nice store along the lines of Pier 1, not quite as big and a little different merchandise but you get the picture.  And as I always do I bolted right for the clearance rack and I find a great wind chime (it's a small orange Adirondack chair with small chimes hanging from it...so cute for my deck and the sale price is $5.98...cool, into my cart it goes!!!
   As I'm browsing through the oils, fragrances and lotions, I spot this sweet little bottle which turns out to be a mini reed diffuser (it's a safe, flame -free, home fragrance solution with vibrant scents).  This little bottle is 0.95 fl. oz and has a luscious sandalwood aroma and the price is marked $4.99.  Just pointing out that this item was not on sale which goes against my grain but I felt I could splurge on the $5 bucks and be real happy with my "little treat" to myself.
   On the way to the cash register I'm figuring very loosely in my mind this bill will be approximately $11-$12, no problem for 2 things that I didn't even need!!!  After she rings it up she says, "Your total is $6.39"...???
   Okay, now I know that is not right but...should I say something to her like, "that's wrong", or "are you sure?", or, "does that seem right to you?"  But what I did was keep quiet, left the store and told hubby something was not right.  After checking the receipt, the mini, mini, mini diffuser rang up at .01!!!  Yes I'm not kidding and I have not a clue how it happened.  What I should have done was gone back in the store and bought every last one of them (for a penny each I would splurge and get all twenty) but I didn't go back in...darn it!!!  My devil's advocate told me that the cashier would then figure this whole thing out...(the .01 thing).
   Two questions popped into my mind...how did the salesgirl not catch this "oopps" and how does the register/computer ring anything up in that store for just a penny?   Who was not paying attention cause I sure was watching it all going my way!!!
   So I would like to thank World Market...the karma rocked for me that day, the positive vibes were all heading in my direction and I walked out a VERY happy, satisfied and joyous customer.
   I learned to expect the unexpected, rejoice in the little things, never sweat the small or big stuff and do take time to smell the sandalwood fragrance...just think, a penny taught me all this!!!

The Hunt and the Search Can Make You Sizzle!!!

   This Bargain Fashionista has been tearing up the town, rockin' and rolling to the tune of lots and lots of bargains...can't wait to share my good fortune, all my savings and a few cute stories along  the way.  The magic was in the air for me the last couple of weeks, my ducks were all aligned and there probably were a couple of full moons...so let's get started with the bucket list of savings.
    I always like to check out things at my local Sears store and this time I never even got past the jewelry department.  They have some fabulous brands of costume jewelry and always have a little markdown rack.  I spotted a pretty green glass heart necklace reduced from $12 to $6.  Okay I'll take that and also saw a little silver necklace in the shape of a sunshine, it looked almost like sterling silver (no kidding!!)...okay I'll take that also...it was reduced to $3.99, why not.  Go to the check out and to my surprise the little sunshine necklace rang up for 99 cents.  Thank you Sears for making my day!!!
   Moving down the bucket list...a few weeks ago a stop was made at Burlington Coat Factory.  A cute little cotton black and white tunic top crossed my path.  The tag said "compare at $44.00" and it was marked $2.98...SOLD, I could wear this once and throw it away...seriously!!!
   I'm on fire now with savings and this one really sizzles!!!  My gal pal and I went shopping last week and one of our stops was Chico's...always a winner.  My eye went right to a golden colored layered and ruffeled spring/summer top and the good news... it's on the $14.99 rack...I'm liking this so far.  I try it on and it fits like a glove and this is something that needs to go into my wardrobe.  So the original price was $79 marked down to $34.99, on the $14.99 rack and that day another 15% off just because and because I'm a passport member another 5% off so...that brought it down to $11.99...no complaints  from me.  Now for the best savings of the day...heading to Christopher and Banks, 2 round racks with a sign above stating..."starting at $6.99".  But a wonderful saleslady told us that everything on that rack was $6.99...no way, let's take another look!!!  I ended up with 3 sweaters and 1 skirt and here is how it breaks down...2 sweaters marked at $65.50 for $6.99, 1 sweater marked at $55.50 for $6.99 and 1 skirt marked at $59.50 for $6.99...game on!!!  Figure about a $250.00 savings!!!
   And I must include the little shopping the hubby and I did at Kohl's...sale signs everywhere.  In the shopping cart, 3 men's turtlenecks, 1 ladies bracelet and 1 ladies pair of corduroys and we spent $33.52  but we saved $128.60...only in America!!!
   The bucket list shopping and saving extravaganza has now been shared by all.  Whether it be the right time or the right place, if you like to take your time and hunt and search for bargains you are going to come out a winner every time.  Go for the glory, go for the guts, go for the bargains!!! 
  
     

Has The Queen Been Dethrowned?

   It seems like forever since I was here blogging and I'm asking myself, why is that?   Well, I admit a really long list of reasons has popped into my mind but my concern is...if I don't hit the retail circuit, if I don't bring you steals and deals every week and if I'm not out there leading the pack, have I de-throwned myself from my own glorious pedestal?...Have I taken away all the guts and glory of a fabulous shopping escapade?... Are all the haute's I visit missing me?... Basically and straightforward...WHY HAVE I NOT BEEN SHOPPING???
   Let's take that back a step...That euphoric feeling carry all those bags full of bargains(yes I miss that!)...the sale you stumble upon at the mall and then you get another 40% off due to a managers special(yes, yes I miss that too!!)...or success at the 80% rack(OMG triple yes on missing that!)
   Okay it's confession time...Since we have moved into a new condo my time has been totally preoccupied with that...but the good news is that we bought "stuff", but new towels for the bathroom just doesn't compare to the excitement of a dress on sale!  And a new coffeemaker just doesn't cut it when I could have gotten a great pair of boots on sale!!!  But to keep the confessions going, buying new granite countertops for my kitchen was pretty exhilerating.  Rest assured friends since our move we have been very kind to the economy.
   So here are my "bolts of lightening" thoughts so that I can get back into the world of shopping and slowly put myself back on my own personal, "little piece of heaven" thrown.  When I decide to go shopping for something for my condo, I need to switch gears and instead head to any clothing sales rack within an eye shot radius and buy for me!!!  If I want to redo the guest bathroom with all the bells and whistles, I need to pull the brakes back and remind myself that I need to buy for me!!!  Shopping for a new light fixture should take a back seat when I happen to spot a sale rack sporting the $4.98 clearance sign...shopping for me!!!....(c'mon that was a no brainer!!!).
   So  now that I have given myself this little pep talk, I'm feeling fearless, I can handle bags filled with bargains dripping from my arms, I can shop not for my condo but for me because as they say "it's all about me" and I'm back in the saddle looking for the challenge of finding any fabulous bargain!!!
   Dear Friends...so glad we had this chat with me, myself and I!!!