Thrift Treasures

I recently went thrifting at two Goodwills near my home. The first one was fairly disappointing but I found two gems at the second one. My goal was to find summery items for our upcoming trip to Maui. Although I failed at meeting my goal I did walk away ecstatic with my purchases. The first one is a black and white herringbone blazer from Neiman Marcus. On average I think NM sells their blazers for about $200-300. This one looked brand new and had a lot of cute detail. 

Neiman Marcus black and white herringbone blazer $9.99:

Leather elbow pathes:

Cinched waist:

Soft high-low hemline: 

Flattering fit:

My second purchase was a lightweight white coat from Tulle. I found a similar jacket online that was priced $80 (used) and said the original price was $130. This coat also has several cute details. 

Tulle white coat ($5.99):

Cute lining:

Precious now detail: 

So sweet:

Refurb in the burbs

Last summer I bought a new home and have been staying busy with remodeling, fixing, maintaining, and decorating it. Of the list above I prefer the decorating part. Since we are on a tight budget I've been surfing the web for good deals. I often check Craigslist but recently I've been hooked on the local garage sale groups on Facebook. I was able to snatch up a large coffee table for $10. The table legs were fairly questionable, the height was too tall, and the the color of the stain was not what I wanted. After purchasing new legs and a few cans of spray paint at Home Depot I now have a new coffee table. In total I think I spent around $50 with the table and supplies. Overall I'm pleased with the result.

This is the before: 

After:

In my new home:

Keeping the details but revamping the legs and height:

Ebates... it really does work!

Its been awhile... I know, but I'm back with a really good deal.  Over the past Christmas holiday I did a lot of online shopping.  Halfway through I learned about a company called Ebates.  Basically you sign up with them to use sites that they have affiliations with.  Depending upon what the deal they have going on with that website you get money back for your purchase.

For example, right now Nordstroms has 5% cash back on their purchases.  So if you spend $100 on their website you'll get a check in the mail for $5.00.  Not too bad considering you don't have to do anything special other than accessing Nordstroms website via Ebates.  Each store has a different type of promotion.  Some websites have up to 10% cash back on your purchase price.  The nice thing about this is that you can use your coupon codes without any issues.  They also have a large list of affiliations including Macys, Sephora, Target, etc.

Now I'm sure the catch is that they are monitoring your purchases and such, but lets be honest... I'm sure your web browser is already doing that.  At least you get paid this way.  I've already received an $8 check and I'm waiting for another $5 check.

Shameless promotion:
If you use this link below I get $25 for the first friend that I recruit that uses this service.  So do me a favor (and yourself!) and click my link!!!

http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=2vrFAoSxwAqwM0rIR747hQ%3D%3D

Sorry I didn't post this earlier but I wanted to make sure this website was legit before I advertised :-)

Happy shopping!!!

Why I never buy things full price

I love a good bargin.  Most people may not realize that there is not reason to ever purchase anything for the full price.  Sometimes all you need is a keen eye and some patiences.

1) Large Ling Bracelet from Fossil ($36 on Fossil.com, $8 at Nordstroms rack)

2) Willow and Clay Sleeveless Sweater Vest with Detail (Retail $98, Purchased at Nordstroms rack $25)

3) Smashbox Masquerade Eyeshadow Palate (Normally $35, Purchased at Nordostroms Rack $16)

I haven't been this upset in awhile!

Let me just preface this blog entry by saying that I've worked at a job that requires customer service skills since high school.  I've worked an numerous retail stores, at a restaurant, and in healthcare.  All of those jobs require a plethora of patients and customer service skills.  I know working these jobs are very tough as the clientele that is serviced can be demanding at times.  That being said I often try to give people some slack when things go wrong beyond their control (registers acting crazy, busy seasons, lines, etc) but when most conditions are ideal I expect decent service.  I don't expect the red carpet but I expect respect... at the very least.

The back story of this blog goes back a few weeks or maybe a few months.  This past summer I bought a ProX facial cleaner from Olay.  Loved it!  I used this thing several times a week and had great results.  Unfortunately a few weeks ago my ProX died. I tried new batteries, waiting a few days before using it, but nothing worked.  I went online to Olay's website and found out that my ProX was out of the warranty period plus I had long ago thrown away my receipt.  I decided to email the Olay company to see if there was something that I could do to fix my ProX.  Surprisingly, they emailed me back promptly and told me that they would send me a coupon in the mail for a new ProX.  WHAT?  That's great!

So I waited and waited and today I got my coupon in the mail!  I was planning on going to Bed Bath & Beyond today since it was close to a few stores I wanted to go to.  Living in the city I have very few department stores I can go to quickly (Target is about 20 minutes away and Walmart is even farther).  My local BBB also sells misc bathroom and makeup items that I like to look at.

So I went to BBB, looked around, found my ProX and proceeded to the checkout.  Things went wrong from the beginning when I handed the cashier my coupon.  She called a manager and he accused me of using a "copy" of a coupon and basically made me feel like a crook.  The second manager was a lot nicer and I finally got my ProX but not without feeling like dirt.  How could the manager accuse me of using a copy of a coupon when there were holographic stickers on there and my name was printed on the coupon.  This was printed on nice shiny paper too... I don't have a printing press at home.  Anyways, I went home and sent an email to BBB.  Who knows if it will be addressed but all I wanted was for that jerk, Chris, to acknowledge that HE was wrong and that I was right and that the coupon was LEGIT!

Here's my email I sent out:


I went to a BedBath&Beyond today to shop for miscellaneous items as well as to redeem a coupon I had for an Olay product.  I received a coupon from P&G Distributing Company for a free Olay Professional ProX.  This was due to my original ProX being defective.

Upon check out I handed my coupon and a new ProX to the cashier.  She looked at the coupon and asked me if it was for a "free" ProX.  I said yes.  She looked at it for awhile and then called a manager.  At this point I am not surprised.  This is a rather unusual coupon so I assumed that a manager would have to sign off of it.  The manager, Chris, came by and asked the cashier, what was wrong.  She said nothing but just handed him the coupon.  As he read it he asked me if it was for a "entirely free" ProX.  I said yes.  Chris told me the coupon was a copy.  This was entirely incorrect.  I told him it was NOT a copy and he corrected me and said it was. I'm not sure what detective work he used to come to this conclusion but I JUST received that coupon in the mail and brought it to the store.  I would NEVER make a copy and try to fraudulently use it. There were holographic stickers and my name was printed on the coupon to prevent copies being made.  Chris left saying that he would get another manager. While I was waiting there I explained to the cashier why I got that coupon.  She told me that she has nothing to do with it and its up to the manager.  The next manager showed up and she was polite.  She clearly saw that although the coupon was unusual it was not something I could simply make up nor was it a copy.  I told her how upset I was at the fact that Chris, a manager, had incorrectly accused me of using a fraudulent coupon, calling it "a copy".  She agreed to talk to him about it.

I am writing to let you know how embarrassed and upset I am about how one of your managers dealt with this situation.  Anyone who works in customer service, especially retail, should know that you never accuse anyone of wrong doing unless you know 100% that there is truth to your allegations.  Never once did Chris ask me where I got the coupon so I could explain to him why it was so unusual for me to have it.  Never once did I see him call the company to verify that the coupon was legit.  He decided on a whim that it was a fake and was going to try to call me out on it.  I did not receive an apology from him either.  At one point I told the cashier that I could run to my car and get the letter that came along with the coupon.  She said it wasn't necessary.

I would hope that maybe this can be used as a learning tool for all your employees.  Do not place blame on a customer because you are unfamiliar with something.  I think from now on I will take my business elsewhere and will recommend the same to my friends and family.

Update 1/11
I got a phone call from a customer service rep for BBB.  She was very apologetic and took the time to ask me what went wrong and what I felt about the situation. She assured me that they would pursue this situation and that they would do a better job at training their employees.  I have mixed emotions on this.  I don't want anyone to "get in trouble" but I do think its important that employees, especially managers, are aware of the impact of what they say and do. 

What's new?

Well, like most bloggers out there, I'm not very good.  The simple task of updating random readers about my daily, weekly, or monthly endeavors is more difficult that it seems.  I digress... so what's new?

Jimmy and I moved into "the city" and now reside in the SOMA neighborhood.  Its actually very convient!  I enjoy being able to walk to the downtown shopping areas and have found some wondering shopping areas.

I'm still not in love with my job.  I like that I still get to work with kids, but having to deal with parking, meetings, increases in caseloads without any relief, and being sick has worn me down.  I like consistency in my life and I also like to know 100% what is expected from me... I don't have either right now.

I made some pumpkin cupcakes today and I think they're quite delicious! You can look up some recipes on LauraintheKitchen.com or at LauraVitaleKitchen on youtube.

Also, I tried out a new trick to clean my makeup brushes.  Pour a little rubbing alcohol into a small cup.  Swirl your brushes into the alcohol and then gently wipe clean with a clean dry towel.  The alcohol helps strip away the makeup and bacteria but also dries a million times faster than soap and water.  I usually NEVER clean my brushes because I'm lazy and impatient.  This is simple and fast.  It works.  For a video demo look up gossmakeupartist on youtube.com.

Anyways, I hope everyone is doing well.  I'm looking forward to the holidays so I can visit my wonderful family and friends!!!

July Favorites

Since its almost the end of July I though I would post some items that I've been using this month that I think are great.  Here they are in no particular order:

1) Revlon Peach Smoothie Scented Nail Enamel $5

I just bought this nail polish and tried it this afternoon.  I was skeptical at the store whether or not the polish would smell good but the color was so pretty I thought it was worth a try.  The color is a very light pastel coral with tiny gold flecks.  Amazingly the scent was very pleasing as well!  The color payout is okay.  I needed at least 3 layers to make it fully opaque without any streaks showing.

2) Sonia Kashuk Blending Sponge

The pink egg on the left is the Beauty Blender and the blue misshaped egg is the Sonia Kashuk Blending Sponge.  The Beauty Blender is about $20 while the Sonia Kashuk is about $10.  Quite a price difference for very similar results.  Before diving in and paying full price for the Beauty Blender I wanted to see if I would like the "airbrush" results that are promised from these sponge.  I opted for the more economical sponge and I'm obsessed with the results!  These sponges are best used when dampened. By blotting the sponge in your foundation you can stipple your makeup on with a seamless effect.  The first day I tried the Sonia Kashuk sponge I wore drugstore Maybelline makeup and one of the first things anyone said to me that day was that my skin was flawless.  My skin is NOT flawless.  I have adult acne, scars, and skin discoloration.  To have someone tell me that they love how my skin loves and assume its not b/c of makeup feels wonderful!  Although I love the Sonia Kashuk sponge I do want to try the Beauty Blender.  Its been reviewed many times and most reviewers say that the texture and consistency of the Beauty Blender can not be replicated by any other imitation sponge. 

3) Olay ProX Spin Brush $30

This little spin brush is awesome.  Its a very economical alternative to the Clarisonic Mia or DDF spin brush.  Its more closely related to the DDF due to the fact that both devises spin, but the price difference is drastically different.  The DDF can cost upwards of $90 while the Olay ProX is only $30.  Refills for the replaceable brush heads are also much more affordable via Olay.  After just one use of the Olay ProX my skin was noticeably softer and I feel that it has helped keep my skin clearer as well.  I was very interested in buying the Clarisonic and or DDF but I'm completely satisfied with this product I now have no desire to spend excessive money on the more expensive versions.  On a side note I did see a knock off Clarisonic face brush at TJMaxx - it was a similar shape and look with the sonic cleaning feature.  I thought about buying it but then realized that finding a replacement head for it would be near to impossible.  Keep that in mind when you make a decision for high price items.  If replacement parts are super expensive you may want to try a cheaper route, but if the cheaper route does not offer any replacement parts you may be better off with something more expensive. 

4) L'Oreal Deep Cream Facial Cleanser $5-8

I've tried two out of the four facial cleanser shown above.  The first facial cleanser I tried was the pink one.  I actually hated it when I first tried it due to the intense smell but after giving it a second chance I love it.  The whole reason why I bought the cleanser in the first place was due to the pink scrubby thing... which is really nice.  The cream cleanser works really well at taking off makeup and there's a nice tingly feeling afterwards.  The green cleanser however SUCKS!!! I pretty much made this decision when I realized there was makeup junked up my my ProX cleanser after washing my face with the green cleanser.  I then tried washing off the makeup with more green cleanser ... over and over and over again. The makeup would NOT come off.  I tried my pink cleanser with the ProX in the shower the next day and discovered that the pink face cleanser was actually striping the makeup off the ProX.  So if the green "face wash" can't clean makeup from the ProX then how much makeup is being left on my skin?  Gross!

5) TOMS Red Bimini Youth Classics $38

So I actually bought these in the youth size.  Its a lot more affordable and you still get the One for One deal.  Little side note.  I have a pair of 7.5 women's pair that fit a little big and I bought these in a size Youth 6 that is a lot big.  I probably should have ordered a size 5 or 5.5 youth.  

  

Another little Anthropologie Haul

I love me some Anthropologie!  And I LOVE it when they have some stuff on sale that I want to buy.  I recently had a tough day at work so I treated myself to a little shopping.  I found so many cute items for a good deal!!!

Perennial Awakening Blouse

(Originally $138, Sale $39.95)

I love this shirt so much.  I've actually been keeping my eye on it for over 2 months.  It was recently on sale for $69.95, but at that price I still thought it was too expensive.  The nice thing about this shirt is that it fits more like a tunic for me so I have the option of wearing it as a shirt with skinny jeans or with a slip as a dress.  Its a great length for a petite girl!

Lacy Turning Cami 

Originally $34.00, Now $ 9.95

This is a nice cami to own if you want something that is just a little bit dressier than the average tanktop.  Although I think this was meant to be worn to bed its opaque enough to wear in public.  Its made of a nice soft silky knit that very flattering on.  I paired it with the cardigan I purchased below. 

Billowing Stitches Cardigan

(Originally $118.00, Now $29.95)


I bought this specifically for the fickle summer weather in the bay area.  This is a very light weight knit/crochet cardigan.  Its much to baggy to be worn alone so I paired it with a thick black belt. 

Van Wrinkle Sweater

Originally:  $118, Now: $9.98!!!

I almost fell over when I saw the price on this sweater.  I LOVE IT.  Its so unique and quirky... exactly the type of item I look for at Anthropologie.  Its sales like this that make me an Anthroholic. 

Cerro Bonete Top

(Originally $58.00, Now $29.95)

This is another quirky top, may not be everyone's taste.  I'm still on the fence but I've worn it once already. 

Daughters Of The Liberation Dark Denim High Waist Trouser

(Originally $98.00, Now $29.95)

I got a crazy good deal on these jeans.  BTW, this is a shot of the back of the jeans.  Anywho, I had to return a shirt I bought in the wrong size that happened to be $29.95.  Well I wanted to get a pair of Joes Jean Trousers that were on sale but unfortunately they did not have them in my size.  I found these jeans priced $59.95.  I tried them on, a little snug but they have an incredible amount of stretch to them so I'm sure they'll stretch out easily. Imagine how stunned I was when they rang up $29.95 at the register.  I only had to pay $0.08 due to the tax difference... but basically I got a pair of jeans for the price of a shirt.  Yowza! 

Valotta Lilly Barrette

$15

This was not on sale but I could not pass it up.  

Plait & Pleat Skirt

(Originally: $78.00, Now: $19.95)This is a fairly standard white skirt but it has some nice details.  With pockets and a removable woven belt its fairly functional.  The length is very flattering as well.  

Summer Grasses Belt

(Originally: $52.00, Now: $9.95)

This belt as a nice yellow hue and is very flattering with cardigans and sweaters. 

Happy Shopping Friends!  Always check out the SALE section at your local Anthropologie for hidden gems.   New items go on sale every Tuesday.

Cutting corners to save some money can lead to disaster.

So Jimmy and moved to California over a month ago and its been one thing after another in regards to finances.  Most of the stress was due to the fact that I was not able to find a job.

Well, I've been meaning to get my dogs groomed for awhile now.  I got a few price quotes and was having a hard time shelling out another $120 (tip not included!) to get the dogs gussied up.  With our finances so tight I didn't know what to do.  So I had a brilliant idea while I was at Wal-mart.  For the great price of $10 I was able to get a pair of clippers.  "I'll do it myself".

$400 later after an emergency vet visit I realized the $10 cost of the clippers was just a deposit for my nightmare.

Everyone is okay.  Eden got what I think is razor burn to her private... and she was not happy about it.  Its been several days and she's almost 100% back to normal... although I think she's learned how to work us now for treats.

So $400 + $10 + 2 sleepless nights + 1 very upset puppy + 2 very upset puppy parents = a lesson well learned.  $120 to get two shih tzu groomed is a damn good deal.

MY FAVORITE SHOES!!!

I'm so excited!!! My favorite flats are back in stock at Forever21.com.  I purchased a pair several months ago and after wearing it every day for 3 months I basically broke my shoes in half.  I've been stalking the Forever21 website praying that my shoes would return... finally they have!!!!

If you have big fat feet like me you'll love these shoes.  They're super comfortable but cute!  I actually bought 4 pairs in case these new ones fall apart again.  No joke... 4 pairs, but at $15 per pair it wasn't too bad.

I normally wear shoe sizes from 7-8, I bought a size 8 in these and they fit well.

Run, don't walk to your nearest Forever21 or go online and buy a pair!!!!

Leatherette Eyelet Flats

$14.80

After I've worn the soles out:

Shopping Nightmare

Have you ever been shopping and felt like everyone else was out to get you?  Some days every single person that passes me drives me nuts!!!  We went shopping at the outlets yesterday and I definitely was getting irritated by some dummies.

 You can generally find the following shoppers:

1) The Inconsiderate Shopper: This shopper often will position their shopping cart or bags in the way.  They know you're there, they see you, yet they won't move until they're done shopping.

2) The Oblivious Shopper: This shopper often will stand in the middle of the isle looking around aimlessly.  They're generally very apologetic when they finally realize that they've inconvenience you but it takes them awhile to figure it out.  In this category I would also lump in the families that love to walk down the aisle side by side, thus blocking the entire aisle.  There is no passing these families as they don't understand the concept of a single file line.

3) The Aggressive Shopper: This shopper is one of the worst.  They will literally grab items from underneath your hand, use their shopping cart or baby carriage to nudge you away from the items they want to get to.  I hate these shoppers.

4) The Hoverer: This shopper likes to shop way too close to other people.  They are borderline aggressive but have enough dignity to wait until you're done.  Unfortunately they like to wait while standing only inches away.

5) The Bored Boyfriend/Husband: I feel for these guys.  They somehow end up shopping with their significant other and are required to stand by close.  These guys sometime end up being the Oblivious Shopper.  Its so annoying to want to go through a rack of clothing but not being able to because some guy has parked himself firmly against that rack so he can check the score of a football game.

6) The Wild Kids: Oh geez.  I know some people won't like this label but hear me out.  If your kids don't want to be at the store, listen to them.  Screaming kids make a shopping experience for them, yourself, and other shoppers a nightmare.  Have a family member or friend babysit them or do online shopping.  ALSO... PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE keep an eye on your kids.  Its completely inappropriate to allow your kids to tear apart a department store just because they're board.  Also, please know where your child is at all times.  I know, they have minds of their own, and they love to run around and hide, but there are A LOT of creeps out there.  It freaks me out when I see a kid walk away from their parents and no one notices.

7) The Line Stopper: Okay, this shopper usually has a ton of items they want to purchase but there's something wrong with each item.  Maybe there's a price tag missing on one, a stain on the other, they want to know if there is a size available in this style, yadda yadda yadda.  People, a lot of this stuff can be addressed before going to the checkout line.  Many stores will handle issues with clothing via their sales associates scattered throughout the store or even in customer service/dressing room.  Only get in line for the checkout when you are ready to check out.

Anti Gravity/ Zero Gravity Lounge Chairs

Jimmy and I just purchased a pair of Anti Gravity Lounge Chairs at BigLots.  At $38 each it was a steal!  These usually average around $50 per chair.

These chairs are super comfortable as they recline back extraordinarily far.  These would be great along a pool and for tanning.  The only drawback for sunbathing is that even when fully reclined the chair still has an ergonomic fit (there is a slight flexion at the hip and knee joints).  If you tried to lay on your stomach to tan your backside you would have to be pretty flexible.  

Check out these other versions of the anti gravity chair: