Playing with the Queen of Hearts

I wore this second cut sale buy, the Pinochle skirt with a cardigan from Macys and some Giuseppe Zanotti studded captoe flats to teach my classes last Friday. I was glad this came in a petite length because hemming a patterned style where the most interesting parts of the fabric are at the bottom of the skirt would be a significant tailoring challenge. The petite sizing is smaller in the waist though. I wish I had sized up to the size 10p but it was sold out. The 8p fits albeit in a slightly constricted way. I wouldn't wear this one on Thanksgiving. :)

Still I adore the playing card print and am glad I snagged this for $20.

Plaid, Studs, and Polka Dots for the Dramatic Part of My Day

Since Chris has been working til 5 three days a week, it is easy to predict when he his commute will bring him home to Bloomfield.  Lately I try to time a walk with Speck to coincide with greeting him at the bus stop (though often, he arrives early and waits for us on a bench). Speck LOVES this ritual and gets very excited when the time of day and lack of one pack member dawn on her. She starts galloping forward, goading me to move faster with her enthusiasm.

L.A. Made plaid dress from Anthropologie (Similar here, here, and here; Similar plus here and here)
Hue Tights
Guiseppe Zanotti captoe studded flats (similar here, here, and here)
Kate Spade Larabee Dot bag
Forever 21 Studded Belt (similar here and here; similar plus here)

 (Speck in the background, anticipating walk time)

Once we approach the corner and she spots him, her gallop turns into a RUN and her tail wags furiously. It is pretty adorable. And it results in both of us running toward Chris which probably looks pretty silly. It is a small moment in our day-to-day but I can't help but consider it to feel very romantic. The buildup and the increase of the pace make it difficult to not relish in its rather cinematic composition. Although I am not necessarily averse to public affection, it is rare to find an occasion that necessitates running toward my loved ones, and planting big hello kisses on them. Somehow in the process of this practice, I can't help myself.

I do worry that when Chris is in South America for his field research not long from now, every  time I walk Speck, she will believe we are off to retrieve Chris. He said she would occasionally search longingly for me when they'd walk while I was researching in DC last year.

Sale Roundup

So I didn't have the chance to do a roundup of Black Friday OR Cyber Monday sales. But there are still plenty of deals to be had!

Today on Zappos' outlet site, 6pm.com Giuseppi Zanotti shoes are 80% off! And Marc Jacobs and Marc by Marc Jacobs sunglasses are significantly discounted too!

Although I only own flats, I would say that GZ are true to European sizing. I am usually a 7.5-8 and in my flats I took a 38. The leathers are incredible! And each of the shoes I posted are around $100 or less!

Net-A-Porter has added a sale section! Discounts are between 30 and 50%. The two Lover items I've loved for months are now 50% off but still out of my reach. That doesn't mean it isn't worth browsing!

Ebates is doing double cash back on certain stores for all of December. And Bing.com will yield 10% cash back on eligible Ebay purchases via Buy it Now.

Yoox.com is having a promotion where an additional 20-30% is discounted from select fall items. I always check Retailmenot.com for additional coupon code information. Sometimes you can find free shipping or additional % off! Ruelala.com has a lovely selection of Nanette Lepore items today. Some are even from very recent seasons. And the Outnet launched its exclusive Paul and Joe collection for sale today. There are a few lovely outerwear pieces available.

Finally Saks' Designer Sale and Double Points begins on December 3rd. You can presale in store now. And Barney's First Cut is on!

Have you found any exciting early December promotions or sales? Happy Shopping!

Buying and Selling to facilitate buying

I got my wisdom teeth out the other week. When I got home, groggy, tired, and confused, I asked Chris for my laptop. He obliged, and I sat on the couch and basically shopped. I decided I needed to finally buy some Baggus for groceries. They were lightweight, brightly colored, and reasonably priced. I bought six of them.

I had also bought APC and 3.1 Phillip Lim dresses from the outnet.com clearance sale since both were over 85% off.

I had a code that amounted to only paying shipping for these Zoya nail polishes:

I was able to satisfy my desire to try matte finish polish.

And because I was going to Ft. Lauderdale for Labor Day weekend, I decided I needed a bathing suit other than the basic black that I have been wearing.

On sale from figleaves.com, this Triumph bikini has a LOT of support/coverage for larger cup sizes.

I eyed these Giuseppe Zanotti flats for a very long time and was thrilled to find them in my size.

It is telling that these same flats were among the items I posted to juxtapose my diatribe about fiscal austerity a few entries back. As soon as I have the chance to shop under the influence I buy them. But I found them for a very good price.

Technically, these were all reasonably-priced thrills, most of which were relatively practical (dresses notwithstanding). But I felt the guilt of indulgence and decided to purge my closet a bit.

I sold one of my multiple dresses that was still new with tags, in the plastic from when I bought it. And I sold two bags. I was sad to say goodbye to the black patchwork Stam but I really only wore it to fancy occasions where I wouldn't need to carry a lot because it is so ostentatious and already so heavy.

This sale alone more than covered all my new purchases. Though I did love the bag, and think it is gorgeous. It just didn't suit my lifestyle. The Stam Hobo makes way more sense for me.