I think most of you know I LOOOOOVE J.Crew. I love everything about it, and I always joke that half my paycheck goes to it. But as with anything else I love, I do have my reservations with the brand. I mean, first thing being price of course. Tis why I never really buy anything full price from the Crew, though honestly, things go on sale so fast anyway that seriously guys, you should just wait for that to happen. I just like looking at the catalog and making mental notes of the things I want.
Anyways, their Very Best Gift Guide for 2009 is out, and I love it cause I like looking at all the pretty shiny stuff. Also, AHEM I LOVE JCREW, GUYS. They've added more stuff to the guide since it was first released earlier this week, and when I first saw it, I cracked up. In the $25 and Under (for women), there were originally only like 8 items (as opposed to 20+), with one being a gift card and one being a flower belt that was.. $35. Uh huh. Definitely not a budget friendly place, that J.Crew. But it seems there is a wider selection now, and of course, their sales are always amazing! CHECK IT.
Friday, November 13, 2009
J.Crew Holiday Guide
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Retail Site of the Day: FredFlare.com
FredFlare.com, oh how I heart thee! Any store/site that has the tagline, "Stay Cute!" wins a place in my heart. And cute, they are. I've had FredFlare bookmarked as one of my favorite sites for about a year now, but never bought anything from them until last week. Boy, was I missing out. First of all, from time to time they have free shipping codes that are AMAZING, because even with the free shipping, you get your stuff really fast. I ordered my gift for a Yankee Swap my friends and I do on Monday, hoping that I'd get it by the time we exchange gifts next week, and lo and behold the package arrived today. Everything was the same as it looked on the site, it was packaged thoroughly, and I was super impressed.
Head on over to the site to check out really cute stuff/last minute gift ideas for yo self and/or others, they have everything from apparel and accessories (someone get me these faux-Ray-Bans!!) to novelty gift items (colorblock roller skates, anyone??) to fun camera stuff for the photography buffs. They also recently opened up a physical store in Brooklyn which I want to check out sometime SOON, and their blog is really fun to read, like Life-in-Boxes fun.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
New Gift Cards are Two Gifts in One
As much as you may not want to think about it, Christmas is coming soon. And if you're already dreading the idea of finding "perfect gifts" for people, Best Buy and Target have you covered.
Best Buy has just released a gift card that also doubles as a speaker. The sound quality probably won't be great, but the concept is very cool.
Even better, Target has gift cards that are also mini digital cameras. The gift cards have 1.2 megapixel sensors and enough memory to hold 50 pictures on them. They also come with the necessary wires and 40 free prints from the store.
Both of these gift cards won't cost you any extra cash, though you will have to spring for at least $50 worth of credit to pick one up.
Uhm, I wouldn't be surprised if these sold out relatively quick, so if you want to get this kind-of-thoughtful-kind-of-impersonal gift, you probably should aim for sooner rather than later.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Frustration free packaging
I love Amazon.com for a million different reasons- they sell EVERYTHING under the sun, free shipping on purchases over $25, and even if you're not an Amazon Prime member and refuse to pay extra to expedite your shipping, you still get all your stuff really quickly. Add this to another reason why I love Amazon: frustration free packaging. As someone who recently bought a bunch of tech gadgets, it's so annoying to have to sit there and rip through hard plastic, wrapping, cardboard, twistie ties, tape, etc to get to your precious cargo. Well, in an effort to reduce this frustration and to be more green (it is the trendy thing to do, after all), Amazon has partnered with companies like Fischer-Price, Mattel, and Microsoft to make 19 products available in eco-friendly recyclable cardboard packaging. So far the selection is sparse- select toys, memory cards, computer mouses (mice??), but if the initiative is successful, Amazon will try to offer a whole catalog of frustration free products to come. Sounds like a step in the right direction! Now, if only the record companies can take notice and make CDs a bit easier to open...
Friday, October 17, 2008
Deal Blogs of the Day: Bargainist.com and DealHack.com
Bargainist.com and DealHack.com are two blogs that I have been checking daily for the past few weeks.
They are deal blogs, where they post coupons and other good savings happening around the internet and in stores.
The reason I like these blogs as opposed to, say, checking Slickdeals all the time is that Slickdeals gets flooded with lots and lots of posts. These blogs cherry pick the best the find online, doing some of the dirty work for you.
Yes, you'll miss things here and there, but for pure simplicity and convenience, these blogs are a good way to keep up with good deals.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Coupon of the Day: 25% Off at Urban Outfitters
In one of the best offers we've seen from Urban Outfitters, coupon code LUCKYBREAKS8 cuts 25% off total purchases. Save on unusual, hard to find apparel, shoes, and accessories for men and women, as well as apartment furniture and decor.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Shoes of the Day: Custom Slip-offs
I am a huge fan of custom and DIY stuff. One of the coolest thing I have seen is Slipoffs.com.
Site owner and artist Shauna Mae Luedtke takes Vans slip-ons (or any shoe made of canvas material) and creates custom-designed artwork on them. You can basically ask for anything you want on your shoes, and designs range from designy, to funny, to kind of weird (see photos above).
At $180 a pair plus $30 to ship to the US, the pricing can be a little steep. But considering that they are hand drawn (she spends 5 to 10 hours on each pair) and one-of-a-kind, it's totally worth it. Also, I think they would be great gifts.
If I got a pair, it'd probably want something designy on it.. maybe rolls of unraveled film or something. I mean, that or a pair sparkling unicorns shoes.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Threadless Sale!
Threadless is having a sale where all their shirts, which normally cost up to $20, are on sale for only $12. What's more, their hoodies are down from $38 to $30.
For those of you who don't know, Threadless.com is an online store that has users submit shirt designs. If a shirt gets enough votes, it'll get printed for a limited time. Not only is it a cool idea, but they have pretty awesome designs available.
Now is a great time to buy that shirt you've been eyeing. But you should hurry, because I'm not sure how long the sale is going to last!
Monday, August 18, 2008
[Feature] Wal-Mart TV
I love grocery stores and large-scale chain stores. There's really no explanation for it, but something about the bright lights and shiny packaged products is so appealing to me, as well as the fact that I never leave one without buying something. My favorite store ever is Target, where I go maybe once every 2 weeks and end up spending an average of $40 on things I need and don't need. Target may be my favorite store, but I am utterly fascinated by the gigantor conglomerate Wal-Mart, the biggest retail chain in the history of retail chains. Ok, I don't know if that's an actual fact, but the company is the world's largest public corporation. I would say Wal-Mart makes enough, employs enough, and does enough (good and bad) to be a country of its own.
Wal-Mart was founded in 1962 by Sam Walton, a businessman and entrepreneur, who also founded Sam's Club. Within 5 years of its open, Wal-Mart was bringing in a profit of $12.6 million in sales. Um, that's a lot of money now, imagine the value of it in 1968. Now with stores across the country and the world, Wal-Mart brings in over $300 billion in sales annually. In the US alone, their customer base is 100 million weekly, which is like a third of the US's population. See what I mean by Wal-Mart being a country of its own?
Something I read about recently is also another reason why Wal-Mart fascinates me. Have you ever been to a supermarket or a Borders or something and seen TV screens airing in-store advertising, entertainment clips, things to buy, etc? I never really pay attention to those things, but in-store tv networks are interesting waves of the future, in regards to how things are marketed and advertised to consumers.
So it's not surprising that the Wal-Mart in-store TV network is the country's biggest and most sophisticated. About 3,100 out of 4,022 Wal-Mart stores carry Wal-Mart TV, which means that it has about 130 million viewers every 4 weeks. That number makes it the 5th largest television network in the US after NBC, CBS, ABC, and FOX. Isn't that crazy??? And in addition to the money Wal-Mart makes selling stuff annually, you can add another $100 million to that, in the ad revenue they generate from selling spots on Wal-Mart TV to advertisers.
What does that matter to you? Well, later this year, Wal-Mart is rolling out their second generation network, which means they're really going to try hard to get your attention, and influence what you buy. They plan on building TVs closer to eye level as well as installing them at the ends of aisles, at checkouts, and even among shelves. So if you've never really paid attention to those in-store TVs before, you will now.
They'll also create special packages for advertisers. Say you're Dole and you want to sell bananas. Why, the TV in the produce section will pretty much point consumers to where they are, and that they should be buying the Dole brand. In the CD section? You might catch an ad for the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, complete with a display right next to the TV with CDs/DVDs/products from the nominees. Genius or annoying? How about both? We live in an age where consumers are getting smarter and more perceptive. Advertisers have to keep developing new ways to get our attention and keep it, without getting us annoyed. That's probably the hardest thing to do, but its interesting to see what advertisers come up with to try to reach that goal.
So the next time you're at a Wal-Mart, pay attention to what's going on around you. And if you walk out with items you didn't intend to buy before you entered the store, well, you've just made the-powers-to-be very happy.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Artwork of the Day
One Dollar Sketch is a site that, you guessed it, sells sketches for one dollar. Why sell it for only a dollar (and, ahem, $1.50 to ship it)? The artist explains it like this:
"Because art is for everyone. Even those who only have four quarters have a right to be an 'art collector'. That means, even your six year olds and younger can start their own collection as early as now."
While that normally would be good enough, the site does gets a bit more interesting. The artist isn't revealing him/herself until they put up their 100th sketch as "part of a much bigger artistic venture", adding that, if you knew who the artist was, he/she would have to charge more than a dollar for the work.
The mystery has definitely piqued my interest. I've jumped on board and have already ordered a sketch (or two :x). Who knows, maybe I'll be part of some cooler, awesome plan. And maybe the artist is the next Picasso, which would be kind of amazing.
Visit their website, or their Etsy page to order a sketch.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Thing I Want of the Day
The Ray-Ban Wayfarers have been around FOREVER, first made popular by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. To me, they SCREAM 80s, mostly because we've all seen Tom Cruise wearing the black ones in Risky Business. They've made a comeback recently, with everyone from Chloe Sevigny to Mary-Kate Olsen to Johnny Depp donning them. I never gave them much thought until my friend Christina told me she HAD to get a pair. I supported her when we'd go sunglasses shopping and she'd try on different colors and such, but again, I've never been one for expensive sunglasses (too easy to lose, sit/step on, and yes, I've done all of the 3). Until I saw these. HELLO, purple/red Wayfarers! You are so pretty, yes you are. So what if you're not going to match anything I own, and that you run $140/pair? You are so pretty.
I'm not getting these anytime soon. In the meantime though, there are way cheap knock-offs of these shades EVERYWHERE. Check out Urban Outfitters and Fred Flare for their versions.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Cool Product of the Day: Dissolving Paper Shampoo
I like to be prepared for all possible situations. First aid kit and anti-bacterial Wet Naps in the car, a book of matches in any and every bag I own (you know, in case I get stranded somewhere and need to build a fire), etc. You can never be too prepared!
And that's why the idea of dissolving paper shampoo ($13 for a pack of 30 sheets) is so damn appealing to me. First off, having shampoo = awesome, because I hate when my hair feels all nasty and dirty. But the fact that the paper shampoo would even work with salt water .. AMAZING. And it comes in a handy plastic travel case. So if I ever get stranded on an island, at least I'll sleep a little better, knowing that my hair will be well-washed.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Deal of the Day: Free $10 From Amazon.com
Amazon is running a really great deal from now until July 28th.
If you try Amazon Prime, their service that provides free 2-day shipping on all items, free for a month, then they give you $10 off of your next purchase.
The only catch is that you have to cancel the Prime service within a month, or else you'll get charged $79 (which gives you Prime for a year).
Click here to sign up!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Deal of the Day: Woot-off!
Woot.com is having a Woot-Off today, which will probably last most of the weekend.
...
Don't know what the hell I'm talking about? Let me explain.
Woot.com is a website that sells one item a day (starting at 12 am Central time), usually for a deeply discounted price and always with $5 flat-rate shipping. They only have a limited amount of the item in stock, so if their stock sells out, or if 24 hours time period expires, the item becomes no longer for sale.
Generally, they sell tech-related goods, like speakers, keyboards, computers and televisions. However, they've been so successful, that they've branched out to selling t-shirts, creating a site with Yahoo!, and strangely enough, selling wine.
Aside from a great sales technique (which has led to numerous copycat sites), what makes Woot so cool is their sense of humor. Even if you have no interest in buying what they're offering on a given day, their item descriptions are always worth a good laugh. It's especially funny when they admit that what they're selling is crap.
So yeah.
Now that you know what Woot is, you need to learn about Woot-offs. Woot-offs (which are indicated by the flashing yellow lights on the homepage) are special events where they have a non-stop selling spree. They sell a item until it is sold out, then instead of waiting until the next day to sell another item, they post up a new product for sale immediately. Woot-offs are fun because they're fast paced and it's exciting to see what they'll have on sale next.
What's more, it's another genius sales technique because people have been known to buy some of the cheaper items in an effort to clear the stock and to see what will be next on the queue.
So, now you're all caught up, check Woot out, and try to find yourself something nice. Personally, I just bought an iPod/cell phone car/outlet charger thing for $10. Sweet deal.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
A Quick Guide to Buying a Digital Camera
My small camera collection :xSince I'm quite into photography, I get asked about digital cameras alot. Which one should I buy? Is this one good?
Most of the time, these people are talking about point-and-clicks and the users plan on taking casual pictures of friends and family.
When it comes to point-and-clicks, it's not too difficult to find a good, cheap camera.
If you follow these simple guidelines, you'll find a camera that is a perfect match for you....
Form vs. Function
The first thing you need to decide when looking for a digital camera is what you value more, form or function?
The more you want the camera to do (manual modes, scene modes, more zoom), the bigger it's going to get.
If you're willing to sacrifice easy menu access and some more advanced features, you can get a smaller and thinner camera.
For most users, form is usually better. Something pocketable is better then a big camera with features you're never going to use anyway.
Megapixels don't really matter
The first thing somebody mentions when they talk about their digital cameras is the megapixel count. Really, this stopped being an issue, like, 5 years ago when 3.2 megapixels was standard.
Why? Because megapixels are there to tell you how big you can print your photos. With 3.2 megapixels, you can print high quality 5x7 pictures (I even printed 8x10's with good results with my old Canon SD110).
According to Digicamhelp.com, 6 megapixels will yield high quality 11x14 prints and 8 megapixels can print whopping 16x20 prints.
Since the few people who actually print their photos usually go with 4x6 prints, they can choose any modern camera, regardless of megapixel count.
Brand Does Matter
When it comes to things like computers and socks, I always say brand doesn't matter. If it has good parts in it, it'll be good.
But when it comes to digital cameras, I find that brand plays a big role.
The main reason is because, unlike computers, which all share parts and software, digital cameras all have unique sensors and software. Some companies make it well, some do not.
I have strong brand loyalty to Canon, especially when it comes to digital cameras. They have good imaging sensors, intuitive software, and they are always well reviewed. So if you were to ask me what kind of digital camera to buy, I would tell you stick with Canon.
However, if you're looking for a more balanced look at digital camera reviews, there are two really great resources: DPReview and Steve's Digicams.
Both have detailed camera reviews and they also have "Best Cameras" lists, which are super useful.
And if you'll notice, you won't see any generic brands up on their lists.
Don't overspend
As I mentioned before, megapixels don't matter. With that said, there is no reason for an average Joe to spend too much money on a camera.
You can pick up a perfectly good camera with lots of features for 250 or less.
That way, if in 2-3 years you want a newer, nicer camera, you won't feel as guilty.
Don't Buy Warranty
One last tip, don't bother with warranties. Most don't cover accidents such as dropping, and repairing individual parts of a camera is almost always too expensive to be worth it. You're probably better off putting the money you would use on a warranty on accessories (memory card, camera case) or save it for your next camera purchase.
So like with most electronics warranties, don't bother.
PS. Buy a 2gb memory card. They're cheap and big enough that you won't ever need to buy another memory card.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
News Alert: Use Your Gift Cards!
Wow .. for all those people who either love getting gift cards as gifts or like to give them as gifts:
As more retailers file for bankruptcy or go out of business, more than $75 million in gift cards are at risk of becoming worthless pieces of plastic this year...The Sharper Image announced late last month that it was suspending the acceptance of gift cards, at least temporarily. It urged shoppers to check the company Web site later this month for an update. That is typical of businesses that reorganize under Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which treats gift cards as a loan to the company, not as cash. (CNN.com)---
I guess I'm calling out sick tomorrow to use up all these freaking gift cards before they become worthless!
Shecky's Girls Night Out
Considered to be THE event that every female must go to, Shecky's Girls Night Out was a bit of a disappointment for me. The event itself was a bit lame; imagine a sea of 30+ year olds fighting over vintage dresses, sparkly jewelry, and a chance to flirt with the [only male] sales rep from a botox booth. Sprinkled throughout were bars with free drinks ... but it would literally cost you an arm and a leg to fight through the line of women who were already sloshing away on their third or fourth drink. As I trucked along through the 3 floors of clothes, jewelry, beauty products, and occassional eye-catching free chocolate samples and Nintendo DS lounge (how random is that?), I wondered if all of Shecky's events were like this or if I was just at the wrong event on the wrong night. And would the coveted Shecky's goodie bag be all its worth?
Since it was my very first Shecky's event, I guess I shouldn't be too quick to judge. The event boasts of shopping from local vendors, with sales from anywhere 20% - 70% off .. but it doesn't mean things are exactly affordable. Friends who have gone to past Shecky's events have raved about how much of a good time they had, or what cool samples and gifts they got in their goodie bags. A co-worker recommended that I go on the very last day of the event, but obviously, those tickets sold out like hotcakes. Left with no choice but to go on a Tuesday night, I now realize why those Friday tickets were gone in a second. Lesson learned.
The idea of getting a goodie bag was awesome (though the contents inside this particular night's bag wasn't too great). Here's a look inside my bag:
-Redken traveling tote / electric wax 11 (medium control)
-Rusk Being Sexy Hairspray
-Salon Selectives apple-shaped hair pins / hair freshner
-Colgate MaxFresh Spearmint burst toothpaste
-Glytone Body lipo-lift serum
-Einstein Lip Therapy hydrating lip cream / cooling lip relief
-Shavemate Diva
-Hawaiian Tropic Island Glow daily moisturizer
-Couvrance compact foundation cream
-o.b. pro comfort tampons
-Ahava mineral foot cream
-Eboost orange-flavored daily health booster
-Epil-Step neutralizing afterwash
-Platinum music pass
Unfortunately, this Shecky's goodie bag didn't even have any sort of media (they usually give out some sort of book/literature) or even underwear :(
All in all, I guess I would go to another Shecky's event before passing my final judgment against it. The site is already selling tickets for the summer Shecky's Girls Night Out with a "new" tote for the goodie bag. Perhaps that might be a winner..?
Friday, February 29, 2008
Coming Next...
Gilly Hicks
I'm not a shopper, I hate malls, outlets, etc... However, being that it is a slow day for me, I'm shamelessly catering the shopaholics that read our site. Gilly Hicks is the underwear brand from clothing powerhouse Abercrombie & Fitch that is projected to give Victoria Secret a run for their money. Although stores are currently hard to find, Gilly Hicks will be opening a store in Garden State Plaza soon.
Gillyhicks.com
Be warned. NSFW. This site is a wardrobe malfunction away from being pornography.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Longchamp Le Pliage Bag
For the LONGEST time, I've wanted a Longchamp Le Pliage bag, which is what you see half of the female population carrying around. They're practical, low maintenance, durable, and go with everything. You can make it your everyday bag, or your gym bag, or your work bag, or whatever. Kinda funny that I'm such a huge advocate, and I don't even own one. I just never got around to getting one. Until now.
You can design your very own Longchamp Le Pliage bag on their website, and create the perfect one to suit y
our needs/aesthetics. Choose your model, size, color combinations, and monogram/name engraving options, and for like $30 shipping, you can have a Longchamp that no one else in the world has. Very cool. I have to warn you though, this site is a little addicting. I spent/spend a good amount of time trying to figure out what I like the best. I like anything with chocolate, and I really like the grape color too. Give me advice!
