Year-end.

Lots going on today to get ready for tonight and also the wedding this weekend... but also in the mix is planning and goal setting for 2010. It's a big ritual for me and the hub - we are big goal setters. So we don't necessarily do "resolutions" but we set goals and daydream about the new year to come.

OK but on a funny note - I just printed out our Quicken report for all of 2009. Anyone want to take a gander on how much *I* spent on clothes in 2009? That means clothing, shoes, accessories - the whole 9 yards. Well, drumroll, please...

I spent $183.59. Of that, $79.70 was for my bridesmaid dress for Lucky's wedding this weekend. And $58.32 was for the shoes to go with that dress (which I really did need, by the way - I had no black dress heels, believe it or not). So that leaves a measly $45.57 that I truly spent on myself just because. Of that, $38.16 was at the Old Navy $2 tank sale, and the remaining $7.41 was for a necklace from J. Crew (after my gift card amount was applied).

I think it's safe to say, this shoptastic spender has been REFORMED!!!

Razzle Dazzle

Are y'all having great weekends? Hope so! Today is get-caught-up-on-laundry-and-reorganize-our-closets day. But tonight we're going to a snazzy wedding in Buckhead and I'll be wearing this...

I snagged the green dress and ring from J. Crew, thanks to my birthday giftcard from MIL! The shoes are old... I got those to wear in kuntry bride's wedding two years ago. And I also have a fab gold quilted clutch that I'll carry. So excited to get dolled up and go out! I mean our idea of a date night lately is a $1.50 hot dog combo at Costco and a movie. So yeah, it's pretty thrilling. And a lot of our friends will be there, so it should be a fun night!

Tomorrow I'll be breaking out the Christmas decorations and getting a start on that. And hopefully finishing up my wrapping. And oh yeah, I also plan to FINALLY get part 2 of my story up tomorrow. Sorry I've been a slow poke, but it's been a very busy few weeks. Back soon!

The party shoes.

Aren't these so fun? Mine or black, as is the dress for Lucky's wedding. But you can see the bow detail (in the 2nd pic below) better in red.






And this is the bridesmaid dress, in case you forgot...




It's such a fun party dress - very young and playful. As are the shoes! The shoes are way cuter on than in the pic. It's so fun having a new shoe box in the house... I mean, it's been over a year since I bought new shoes!

OK so you're dying to know how KISS was, right? Haha - it was fun. We had a good time. I was a little disappointed that more fans weren't in full on costume, but there was a good bit of face paint. But the main ensemble of choice for concert goers last night? A black band T-shirt with jeans. Seriously - like that's what 95% of the people there had on.

We actually had really great seats. Lucky's hubby-to-be got them free through work and we found out they were $137 tickets - geez. Even though I only know a few of their songs and don't really call myself a "fan," I must say it was pretty surreal seeing them on stage, so close. I mean, like 'em or not, you can't deny the fact that they're iconic rock 'n roll figures. But after about three songs, we were all over it. Been there, done that. I can now mark "see KISS in concert" off my bucket list. Had no idea it was on there, but it's checked off now. Oh and the hub, as per usual, got one of his earplugs stuck in his ear and had to go to one of the medics at Philips. This seriously happens EVERY time we go to a concert. All I can do is laugh at my goofy husband - gotta love 'im.

Alright, nighty night girls! It's past my bedtime. Oh speaking of - I think our "let's get the dogs used to the sound machine" the last couple of nights has turned into "we can't sleep without the sound machine!" Too funny... no wonder babies dig it.

Buford Betty Fashion Week: Style on a Budget

How could I not touch on this topic, girls? Especially given that (a) I'm on a self-imposed shopping hiatus, (b) our economy's in the crapper, and (c) I refuse to pay retail! It's a perfect way to end Buford Betty Fashion week, I say!

You guys know I am ALL about going chic on the cheap. I love nice things, but I don't like paying a lot for them. I have a devilish addiction to designer shoes and bags, and there is no *high* quite like finding that killer bargain. And with the internet, we don't even have to hunt for them like we used to - they often just fall into your lap! But the hunt can be fun, too. And whether I'm shopping on a tight budget, or - like now - not even shopping at all, I've always found ways to stay current each season. So if you're pinching those pennies like me, here are a few tips to help you rock out your style while keeping some cash in your wallet...

• You don't need the entire new fall line - just pick a few key pieces. It happens every time... our inboxes get overloaded with all the new fabulous pieces and "must-have's" for the new season. I have several catalogs at home with drool marks all over dog-eared pages. What's a fashionable girl on a budget to do? First, get a grip. Take a second look at these new trends and you'll find out that a lot of them aren't that difficult to pull off with the stuff already hanging in your closet. I mean, how many truly *new* items are introduced in any given season? Trends aren't always about new styles - more often than not, a trend relates to how something is worn. Chances are you have half of these "new trends" already in your closet. I often go shopping in my own closet to discover new possibilities. I haven't bought anything new in months, but I'm always coming up with new combinations and ideas from my own wardrobe. So if you're wanting to get some new things, just pick a few key pieces that you can work with... For me, the first must-have's are usually shoes. Those can definitely change dramatically from season to season, so I do love picking out some new shoes. And there's often another accessory or two that catches my eye, but for the most part - I can work out the rest with what I already own. Y'all know I'm an accessories girl anyhow, but I'm a big believer in having a wardrobe of good basics to carry from season to season... and then you fill in the gaps with a few new trendy accessories.


• Retail's for the birds... Find a bargain. Oh, I could devote an entire ginormous post to bargain shopping, as it's my favorite pastime. Designer-duds-at-Target-prices is the name of the game, and I play to win. Now if you're savvy enough to find your way to fun blogs, I'm going to assume you can handle online shopping. I personally do most of my clothing and accessories shopping online. I buy gifts almost exclusively online. But I do have some crazy friends that never buy online, so I know you people exist. Well I have to say my first advice would be to start online shopping. There are some serious deals to be had in cyberworld. You're able to shop around and compare prices from the comfort of your own home. Even if you end up purchasing something in-store, at least do a little research online beforehand. But really, most bargains I've found are online. And with great resources like Shop It To Me, they aren't that hard to find. With access to so many stores online, these shops know they're competing for your business. There are a lot of great bargain and overstock sites out there where you can score some serious deals. Smart Bargains is one of my all-time favorites. And as a lot of y'all know, earlier this year Smart Bargains popped out a baby named Rue La La. And ooh la la... we are loving this members-only sample sale concept. And what a brilliant move on their part - the perceived exclusivity of it makes us girls go ga-ga. And let's not forget our brick and mortar stores... there are some serious bargains to be uncovered there too. Whether online or in-store, it's just a matter of knowing what's out there and what you want. I rarely pay retail for anything. If I do, it is a true "must-have" that I know won't be marked down. Even still, I'll hop on ebay first to see if I can snag a deal. I consider 75% off to be a killer bargain. If it's something I want, that's nearly a no-brainer if I've got the cash. And 85% off... that's a stupid bargain. As in I'd be stupid not to get it. 50% off or so... that's good, but I dont' know - maybe. 40% off or less? Puhleeeeez. Get back on the shelf! Bargains are to be had everywhere if you're willing to look. A lot of really seasonal items will be marked down if you can wait just a little bit. And oh, it is SO rewarding when you get that incredible deal. You just wanna tell the world, don't you?!


• Host a clothing swap. I'm actually hosting my second swap next weekend and I cannot wait! I snagged some real gems at my last one, so I am super excited to see what I walk away with this time. You can hop here for a more detailed how-to, but basically you and your girlfriends gather together with everyone's old clothes and accessories... you set up shop and go wild! It's a great way to pass on some beloved pieces that you're ready to part with... the hub and I still give lots to Goodwill every year, but I rather see one of my girlfriends enjoy one of my old Kate Spade bags, you know? And you also come home with some fun new things! One of my favorite pairs of jeans came from the spring swap I hosted. It's a ton of fun, super easy to do - and you get to go shopping for free! We loves free.

So in the spirit of great style on a dime, tell me about one of your recent bargains. I think my most recent one (which of course is not all that recent) was a belt I bought at Neiman Marcus Last Call. I tried to dig up my post on it, because I'm 95% sure I bragged about it... but anyway, I fell madly in love with the studded belt Carrie donned in several scenes in the Sex and the City movie...

So I stumbled upon the belt rack at Last Call where the sign atop read "75% off lowest ticketed price." Killer, right? Oh but that's not all... above that sign was another: "Additional 25% off." This was completely stupid. So I got a fabulously fabulous $400 studded belt for $27. Yep, that's a hall-of-famer.

Buford Betty Fashion Week: A very stylish interview.

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with the fabulous Courtney, a high schooler in our neighborhood who has caught my eye on several occasions. I always noticed her at various neighborhood gatherings... the way she carried herself, her contagious smile, and most of all - her amazing style. At only 15, she seems light-years ahead of other girls her age. When I decided to do a week of posts on fashion, I knew I wanted to get the scoop from her. It's SO refreshing to see a young girl, at such an impressionable age, laying her own tracks instead of stepping in line with the rest of the crowd. To see such individual style coming out so early on in her life tells me this girl is going to do incredible things.

As I sat down with Courtney in her parent's living room, she was grinning, perfectly poised, and ready to fire away. I knew from the start that she'd have a lot to say on the topic...

Buford Betty: Tell me a little about yourself... what you're involved in at school, your favorite classes, what you're into...

Courtney: My favorite class is language arts. And this year social studies and lanugage arts are combined... I love history as well. It's like a big storybook everyday. I play guitar... I'm not into sports at all, but I'm like in love with music. So that's my thing. I'm starting to get really involved with my church. Have you ever heard of Interact? I'm involved in that. It's volunteer community service and things like that.

BB: Very cool! Now let's get down to it and talk about style. I wanted to talk with you specifically because I've seen you around the neighborhood and you've obviously got great style. I recently polled my readers about how they put together an outfit on any given day. The results were pretty even across the board... some pieced the next day's outfit together from head-to-toe the night before, while others admitted grabbing whatever they could find that's clean as they ran out the door. I'm curious how you, as someone with such great personal style, puts together an outfit. First, do you put a lot of thought into it, and secondly, when do you actually pull it all together?

C: I do put a lot of thought into it. Normally at about 10:30 at night I'll be starting to get things together. And when I get things together, I'll go to my mom's room and they're like trying to go to bed. But I'll wake them up and say, "Mom, does this look good?!"

BB: So you actually like try stuff on the night before?

C: Oh yeah, I'll go through four things, plus the jewelry, get everything worked out, and then I always ask my mom. She's always my fashion consultant.

BB: That's really great. I remember my mom always tried to get me to pick out my clothes the night before but I rarely did! And the fact that you're a teenager is one of the main reasons I wanted to speak with you. A lot of girls your age are easily influenced about what other people are wearing. What do you see other girls wearing that drives you nuts?

C: If I see one more of the same Hollister shirt, I'm gonna scream! I can't stand it. The thing I don't understand, is Hollister, Abercrombie, American Eagle - all those - they all have the same thing. It's all from the same company. Actually my grandmother worked in a mill in Opp, Alabama and they had some kind of big line - a Kohls line and something else. It all came from the same thing, it was all the same shirt, except at the end of the line, they stuck another tag and price tag on it. To me, I think brands are overrated and it's what you do with them. Like, this (pointing to her blouse) is from Hollister, but I didn't buy it. I don't shop there because I don't agree with what they believe in with nude advertising. Why would you advertise nudity if you're selling clothes? Whatever.

BB: So do consider yourself "trendy?"

C: I do, but I don't run out and buy something if I see everybody wearing it. Of course I try to keep up with the colors that are in and whatnot, but I just like my wardrobe. I like what's practical for what I wear.

BB: Are there any celebrities or designers that you look to as style icons?

C: Audrey Hepburn!

BB: Yes, she's definitely an icon. What about other media - do you keep up with fashion magazines and the like for inspiration?

C: Um, I'm a What Not to Wear fanatic! Every Friday night that's what we do as a family. We all sit down, including my dad, and watch What Not to Wear. It's almost a religion.

BB: That's a great show! And I'm a Project Runway person. I love that show.

C: I LOVE Project Runway! That too!

BB: Very cool. Now, I find that people with great style aim to be different. They tend to think outside the box. While they keep up with current trends, they always seem to be ahead of the pace. What do you find yourself doing to stand out from the crowd?

C: A lot of things. I think everybody has those pieces that everybody has. And I have a couple of those too. But what I like to do is take something that everybody wears and make it a little bit different. Like, on spirit day, for instance... everybody was wearing a red shirt or blue or whatever and their jeans. I wore a red v-neck instead of a T-shirt, with a white lace cami and then instead of doing like a (high school) headband like everyone does, I found an old white scarf that was very 60's, that came around and tied under and I boofed up my hair up in the back and wore that instead. And a pair of Keds.

BB: Very cute! Kinda retro!

C: I love retro.

BB: I've also mentioned that stylish people create "looks" when they put together an outfit. You love retro... are there any other looks you like to go for?

C: I go with everything. Yesterday I went to school and I was more punky. It's funny because each day people will be like, what are you today, Courtney?! I get that a lot. I like to mix different genres, too. But not to where it clashes and it's obnoxious!

BB: So do you have a certain go-to store for clothing? Like if you needed a dress, where's the first place you'd go?

C: To get a dress? Not really 'cause that's spotty. But, like everyday kind of stuff? I love Forever 21.

BB: What about accessories? I love accessories... I'd rather spend my money on shoes, jewelry, and bags than on actual clothes. That's where I have the most fun. What about you?

C: Actually for a while there, the only way my parents could get me to pratice my guitar is if at the end of the month, if I practiced everyday, I got a pair of shoes. I'm not kidding.

BB: That is motivation!

C: But a lot of my jewelry is my mom's. Like this (pointing to her necklace) I found in the bottom of the basement. Or just random things... like I like to find random things and turn them into jewelry. I took a bunch of my guitar pics and heated safety pins over a candle and made it into a necklace. But yeah, I'll raid my grandmother's drawers. Or a lot of it's given to me.

BB: So it sounds like you like a lot of vintage looking things.

C: Yeah, yeah.

BB: You know, people with style tend to see potential in things that others don't often notice (hello, guitar pics!). Whether it's people, or a room, or anything really. I remember in high school I would see people and I'd be like, man... if I could just have 30 minutes with her, I could totally make her look good! Do you ever find yourself doing that? Not necessarily just with people, but with anything. It could be as simple as a sweater... and you start dreaming up all sorts of things to do with it.

C: Yes. Well, I want to be an interior designer. Actually upstairs - my playroom, I'm redecorating it right now, which is really cool. Um, yeah - if someone is walking by... I used to sit last year with two guys at lunch. It would drive them crazy because people would walk by and I'd just be like... (shakes her head). And they'd be like, oh there she goes again. There are a couple of girls and I actually said, you know - if you'd part your hair on the side it'd look really pretty. You know, the ones who part it straight down the middle and smash it down? I actually got a couple of them to do that and they ended up looking really pretty.

BB: That's awesome. And one last thing I have to ask... it's one of my favorite questions. What's the one item in your closet that you simply couldn't live without?

C: Hmm... Probably my Keds. My white classic Keds. They go with everything!

After we finished chatting, I had Courtney show me some of her favorite outfits. Here's her adorable outfit for the first day back to school this year...

And a couple of other favorites...

Courtney was so fun to talk to - so impressive and inspiring! She's gorgeous, her style rocks, and she's got a big heart. And wow - only 15! That's not something you see everyday. If that's not inherent style, I don't know what is.

Bleh.

OMG. I ate so much food last night I think I may never eat again. OK that's a lie. I just ate 3 strips of bacon like 5 minutes ago. But for real, I inhaled so many calories at the rehearsal dinner that I should probably not eat for 3 or 4 days. Hehehe... it was good. The rehearsal dinner was at one of the Sugo locations. Sugo is delish - I've always liked it. But you know how it's hard to get a true feel for a restaurant's food and service when it's a private party like that? I mean there were so many little goodies being passed around beforehand - and I was STARVING - so I of course loaded up on those. Then we had a salad... fresh mozzarella, tomato, and kalamata olives (three of my favorite things). So by the time my entree came, I was kinda over it. It was great, but I was like 80% full and a tummy ache was coming on strong. OMG and then dessert... tiramisu - like my favorite, hello! And it was fabulous tiramisu. So of course I ate like all of it. And I'm not a big sweets person generally. Yeah, so after that I was like dying to get in the car so I could unbutton my pants. The food was great, but there's just so much going on that it's hard to appreciate it like you would at a normal dinner out. Does that make sense?

Rambling. Anyway... the wedding's at 5 o'clock tonight. Now that I'm Budget Betty, I was a good girl and didn't buy anything new to wear. So here's what I'm wearing tonight...




I've been REALLY good about not shopping. Well, with our hardcore zero-based budget and envelope system alla Dave Ramsey, there's not a budget for shopping right now. But girls, it's getting hard with all these killer sales going on! I just caught wind of a huge sale on KORS shoes over at 6pm.com and I'm like sweating. But I'm holding on! For dear life! Not. Gonna. Budge.

Alright... off to go find some nail polish... My peeping toes need a touch up.

OMG!

Look what my Uggs have been bid up to!!! And there is still almost a whole day left. And you know what's so funny? I totally had these in a shoe bin at my last clothing swap and no one took them. SUCKERS!!!

Update 10/08/08: Shazam!!! SOLD to the highest bidder for a whopping $153.50! I cannot believe it! I paid only $110 for those pups like 3 or 4 years ago. I also remembered I had some pink infant Uggs tucked away in my someday closet... but you can bet your britches I listed those today! Woo hoo!

Need some boots for fall?

If you're a Nine West fan, hop on over to 6pm.com for a killer sale on boots and other Nine West shoes and accessories. You should know that I don't use the term "killer" loosely. All items are only $29.95 each! My friend Lucky went nuts and got 5 pairs. There's a HUGE selection, so go get you some!

Update (9/11/08): Prices changed some on these sale shoes. Instead of all being $29.95, they now range from $25.51 to $39.95 as of today. Still some great deals... happy shopping!

From my mom, the Auburn fan...

Sorry, she just couldn't help herself...

From the weather service:

In the event of a rash of tornadoes sweeping through the state of Alabama, we are asking all Alabamians to take shelter at Bryant-Denny Stadium located inTuscaloosa, Alabama.

We are fairly certain a touchdown will not occur there.

Oh isn't she the jokester... I'm sure you Bama girls will LOVE that one! Hehehehe...

Well, southern fried football is officially upon us! The hub and I are heading up to the UGA game tomorrow and I cannot wait!!! We don't have tickets, but we're just going to go and see if we can snag some cheap ones. If not, we'll just enjoy the fanfare and watch the game downtown or something. And I am gonna be collegiate cute to boot... I'll be wearing this dress...





...with my fabu silver Bonanno's (courtesy of bestest)...




And I got some fabric today at JoAnn's to make a Dawg-a-riffic sash for my black dress...



Goooooo Dawgs! Woo hoooooo!

A few random things for Monday morning...

1. Behold, the finished product for my giveaway winner, LSU Melanie! These turned out so cute (don't let my lousy pic fool you) - be jealous, ladies! Mellie, I hope you and your pregalicious belly enjoy! These will be en route to you tomorrow...


2. I started putting together the favors for this couples' shower we're throwing next month. Being that we're in massive budget mode, this shower has been quite a challenge - as I don't enjoy being limited in my party planning. It's one of those situations where I jumped up and said "me, me, me!" to hosting a shower as soon as our friends got engaged. And then now I'm like, oh damn... what did I get myself into? But, as with our other money-saving tactics, I've totally turned this shower planning on a budget into a game. As in, for how little money can I throw a fabulous shower? I usually don't keep tally on party expenses, but I'm drilling this one down to every last penny. And so far, I'm kicking some SERIOUS ass. You should see my Excel spreadsheet for this one - it's so awesome.

We're doing an "entertainment" themed shower. Bestest laughs at us all down south and our themed showers. So I guess this is not a normal thing around the whole country? Anyway, this entertainment theme seems to be all the rage now in the world of bridal showers. Gifts being things to entertain with... anything from serveware to board games. So I came up with this whole elaborate setup for the shower initially, and then I dumbed it down a couple of notches to something manageable. (That's usually my normal party planning process - dream big, then bring it down to reality.) The end result is a movie-themed shower. Now our take on "entertainment" covers everything from chic cocktail parties all the way to a movie night for two... so I decided to take the movie theme and run with it.

We're borrowing a friend's old fashioned popcorn machine (like the kind they used to give away on The Price is Right and I always wondered what the hell people were gonna do with it). Also, the hub has a "talent" for editing photos - so we're going to find some classic movie covers and edit them a bit to fit the bride and groom. I'll print those out and hang them somehow around the house. And I plan to display movie quotes all around the house on love and marriage... And here are those favors I started on. Movie theatre candy! Too darn cute...



3. I went to my J. Crew this weekend in an attempt to find a birthday prezzie for my dad with my super fun giftcard that I won at Jillian, Inc. (woo hoo!). But much to my surprise, MY store has ditched the men's section altogether and now is a women's "concept" store. Of course. Of course this happens the ONE time I'm in there looking for boy stuff. Completely baffled, I asked one of the sales girls where the hell the men's section went and she explained how they're doing this at 12 stores around the nation. But all the other Atlanta stores will still be selling men's and women's. Whatever. But I must say - if any of you locals are in the market, the clearance section at the Mall of Georgia location is freaking ginormous. And it was all marked an additional 40% off (for how long I don't know).

Saturday I had to run by our townhouse, so I hopped on over to the Perimeter location to check out the men's stuff. Nothing really caught my eye, so I also left that crew empty-handed. But I did notice the clearance section for women was like maybe a third of the size of the MOG store. Anyway, I decided to try my luck online - I usually have much more luck there anyway. So I ordered my dad a super cute pair of madras shorts and I also snagged these pretties for me.


A little give and take, you know. And I only went $4 over my giftcard once shipping and tax was figured in - woo hoo!

4. Lastly, I was very disappointed to learn that Warner Brothers is pushing back the release of the new Harry Potter film to NEXT summer. Nooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Way to tease us with the trailer and then yank it away from us! Cruel, I'll tell you!

5. NO wait, one more... the Kate Spade boutique is open now at Rue La La. Go buy stuff and I'll pretend I'm you!

Reader Poll.

I came across these the other day. Who doesn't love some Marc Jacobs? But I can't decide...

Super cute or super silly?!

My initial thought was CUTE! Then I was like I dunno... kinda silly? If you saw these mice prancing around town, what would your thought be? (Note that they won't be on my feet anytime soon as my wallet says hell no, Marc, hell no!)

It's all about fun (and getting it for less).

So yesterday I was walking down to the copy room and one of my co-workers goes, "Wow, there's another great outfit. Your clothes are just so... FUN!" And my immediate response was, hey... it's all about fun, right?!

I mean isn't it? To me fashion really is all about fun. If FASHION were an acronym for something, the *F* would surely stand for Fun. I know people wear whatever they wear for different reasons, but for me it really is about looking and feeling great and having FUN. Like a lot of the stuff Carrie dons in SATC is kooky, but I gotta say the girl is having fun. I mean who wears thigh-high argyle socks and heels in Central Park? Seriously. I'm sure my friends have thought the same of some of the ensembles I've come up with, but that's OK. Again, I'm just havin' fun. ;-)

So in honor of my fashion-is-fun mindset this morning, I must tell you all about more awesome sites I've discovered this week. Had I known Rue La La was going to be such a hit with you all, I would've posted about it sooner! I don't think I even realized or remembered it was invite-only till I started spreading the word. My apologies for keeping such a tasty little secret all to myself for so long! And really - what a genius concept this is... it got me thinking, there must be more sites like this. And why didn't I think of this? I mean anytime I see the words "exclusive" or "limited time" or "exceptional discount," I'm like ooooh, must go!!! Must buy now!!! And while I thought the whole "invite only" thing was a little on the oh, puhleez side, I get it now. These sites have these exclusive sales with limited inventory, so they like to keep their audience on the smaller side to ensure that everyone really has a fair chance at the goods. Yet they obviously revel in new members since all these sites give some sort of perk to the spreader of the good word. So here are the new sites I found after doing a little digging (and totally managing to score invites to all three!)...

• Ideeli - All of these sites generally have the same concept as Rue La La, but this particular one only showcases one item at a time (displayed under "The Latest" tab). Also, this site only offers accessories - which works for me, because I'm a total accessories girl! And if you're a big-spender, you may want to sign up for their "1st Row" membership which, for $7.99/month (billed through your cell phone bill - weird, but whatev), you get instant sale notifications and access to new bargains before regular members. I'm interested to see the discounts on future features, because the current bag they have up isn't discounted so much - though it's gorgeous (and already sold out)! This one did mention that they sometimes stop accepting new members, so girls you better jump on this ride while it's hot!

• Gilt Groupe - Now this one and I are sure to have a hot love affair once I come off my shopping hiatus! I am way excited about this one. They currently have a Kate Spade shoe boutique open (swoon!) and Dolce and Gabbana just opened up today too. Some really gorgeous gowns on there for insane prices if you have Dolce and Gabbana type dollas.

• Regents Secret - This one is totally fun - in addition to their current boutiques, they have a "Warehouse Sale" open with final sale items leftover from previous designer boutiques. There are a lot of great party dresses in their by ABS right now for ridiculous prices. I was just drooling over this great dress on sale for $46.99 (orig $290). And also worth mentioning on this one - their reward system for spreading the word is pretty awesome. All the others I've mentioned give you a store credit ($10-25) once one of your invitees makes an initial purchase. But with Regents, you actually earn 5% of your invited friends' purchases in merchandise OR cash - for LIFE! That's pretty stellar - especially if you got some high falootin' friends. Hehehe...

I think Rue La La's site is still my favorite of all these - the site design is so fun and they've had some killer sales so far. And though this hardly matters to most, their packaging is oh-so fun - that kind of stuff totally gets me. Like I love how Bluefly sends you a shopping bag with your order - makes me feel like I really went to a boutique! I'm a TOTAL sucker for that kind of crap.

Now here's what I'm gonna do, ladies - since I love you so much - I'm going to go ahead and work on sending invites out to all those who responded already to my La La post. There were a lot of you and I assume if you were eager to get into that site, you'd also love these others. It's gonna take me a while to send all those out, so if you're not interested, just leave me a quick comment and I won't add you if I get the message in time. Or, you know, just ignore the invite emails if and when you receive them. (You should only get one initial invite, but if for some reason any of these sites continue to pester you, just let me know and I'll see about deleting your invite.) And anybody else that would like an invite to any or all of these, leave a comment with your email address and I'll add you as well. Then do your part, and spread the love!!!

And speaking of spreading said love, are there any other sites like these lurking out there that y'all know about and I don't?! Do tell, do tell.

Happy Shopping! And have some fun...

Update: Alrighty I've sent out the invites for all but Regents Secret. Sending them out via their site is much more tedious than the others, but they have another way of doing it...

Log on to Regents Secret and click on the link, "Not a Member? Register Here". You'll need to enter my e-mail address as the sponsor's e-mail address inviting you (aaz106 @ yahoo.com), and then it will allow you to join!

Again, leave me a comment if you want in to the others! And if any of you haven't received your invites yet, let me know and I'll resend.

Weekend fun.

What a wonderfully fabulous weekend... after a short day at the office, I ran some errands, including - as predicted - a return trip to Tutti Frutti. I just had to get another fix before leaving town! It was pouring down rain, but I still went. So I arrive home with my bowl of Tutti Frutti to find a BIG ole box from bestest on my front porch. Prezzies!!!! I knew it was coming soon but it was so fun to see it sitting there waiting on me! And even MORE fun when I realized, amongst the other million goodies, were THESE!

These fabulous Bonanno's (my first pair ever!) are my 30th birthday prezzie from bestest! (We both relish in sending our prezzies in a very belated manner. And maybe we're both a weeee bit lazy. But we see it as dragging out our birthdays as long as possible!) Now you know why I call her BESTEST!!! I was so very surprised and excited and extra thrilled that they came in time for my trip!!! They got immediately packed in my bags for Charleston. You spoil me rotten, bestest - I love you!

So I had a fabu time in Charleston with kuntry bride and our girlfriend, whom I'll call "Carolina girl" (so creative!). We left early Friday morning so we could enjoy the afternoon in Charleston. The 5-hour drive went by pretty quickly since kuntry bride and I were gabbing the entire time. I thought about bringing my Harry Potter audio CD's but shoot - we didn't need any entertainment other than ourselves.

After arriving at Carolina girl's cutie apartment in Mt. Pleasant, we freshened up and headed downtown. This was kuntry bride's first visit here, so we checked out the market and walked around some of the more touristy areas. We also dropped in several shops up and down King Street. My favorite of which was their J. Crew because it had a Crewcuts section!!! Atlanta doesn't have CC in any of its stores currently, so this was a total thrill. OMG... it was like cuteness overload. Way, way, WAY cuter in person than online and in the catalogs. It was too delicious for words. Good thing I didn't have a kid to buy for or I would've gone ape shit. I was good though... didn't buy a thing anywhere. Found some really cute madras burmudas at crew on sale but the main color was yellow and they just made my pasty white legs look ever the more pastier. Plus I don't like my legs in shorts anyway, so it was a no-go. While out that afternoon, we also indulged in a scoop from Ben & Jerry's. We're on vaca... so why not?! Now of course everyone else gets the funny flavors with all the cooky ingredients, but I go for plain ole chocolate. I can't handle multiple ingredients in my ice cream.

We later went back to the apartment to change and figure out what we were doing for dinner. We ended up going back into town for dinner at a tapas bar called Meritage - it was delish! We were a little disappointed in one tapa - the goat cheese balls - but all the others were great! My total fave was the tuna tartare. I could've dined on that alone and been happy. Yum-o! The bar scene was pretty hoppin' there (cause you know I'm so up on my bar scenes). Lots of young people but certainly your fair share of random old men sitting at the bar alone. One inparticular, who had to be like 75 at least, took a real liking to kuntry bride. He just stared and stared at her with this goofy ass smile. It was sooooo funny.

The next morning we got in some good beach time on Sullivan's Island. The beach is so great and it's only a 10-minute drive from Carolina girl's apartment. How jealous am I?! Oh to have beach access like that all the time - must be so nice. Only beach I got is the crappy man-made version at the lake. Oh well. So it was super nice to soak in some rays. As usual, I dowsed myself in sunscreen but I evidently failed to get it evenly applied on my backside. I've got a red ass and upper back. It's lovely. I took a pic today of the red hot mess on my back (I'll spare you from my red bum)...

I don't know how well you can see it, but it's really red. And that's 3 days post-scorchfest. The drive home on Sunday wasn't the most comfortable, but I lived. Anyway - after beachtime, we walked over to a local spot on the island that Carolina girl and her friends frequent called Poe's. It was such a fun atmosphere and the food was excellent. I had a yummy seared tuna salad and we all had some delish margaritas. Saturday was just so perfect weather-wise. It seriously could not have been better!

After rinsing off the beach funk, we dressed for dinner and headed into town Saturday afternoon. We first made a stop at the Rooftop Bar at the Vendue Inn. I've actually stayed there before with my parents - I think I was in junior high (so I doubt I got invited to the rooftop bar). Although the weather was so pleasant, it was actually quite freezing on the rooftop because it was crazy windy. It was such a great spot - I'd love to go back when the wind wasn't so bad. We only lasted one drink up there, but it was fun. For dinner, Carolina girl took us to Coast. It was soooo yummy! She really picked great hot spots all weekend long. Everything we had was delish! We girls split a carafe of sangria while waiting for a table and then I had a wonderful grouper dish for dinner. Our waiter was outstanding too - he knew the menu so well and was uber helpful. I would say the food was definitely the highlight of the trip...hahaha... and I feel like all we did was eat! When we weren't eating, we were talking about what we'd be eating next.

One afternoon Carolina girl took us to a cupcake bakery called Cupcake. Now bestest, had our muffin cakes been the ingenius invention we had hoped for, this would've been our dream shop! It was darling and the sugary goodness just hit you when you walked in the door. Visit their site and see how lovely their dollop of icing is... so perfectly scrumptious. I'm not a fan of icing, but the little taste I had was really good. I literally whacked the icing top off my cupcake since I'm anti-icing. So it wasn't nearly as cute without it, but it was yum-o!

Well, feeling fat and happy, kuntry bride and I headed back to the ATL Sunday morning. We really had a good girly time with Carolina girl and we can't wait to go back! The hub survived the weekend without me, believe it or not! ;-) He got in some good time with the yard and the doggies. Sunday night we were both pooped, so we just chilled at the house. But yesterday evening we went for another run and he took me to Tutti Frutti again for my reward. Everyday deserves a little Tutti Frutti. In fact... I better get him to go with me now before American Idol starts. I need my fix. And I apparently need a 12-step program!!!!!!!

There goes another one...

So remember how I told y'all last week that one of the couples in our small group announced they were unexpectedly preggers? Yeah so last night we had group again and guess what happened... Yep. Another couple announces they're pregnant. I swear everyone around us is gettin' knocked up. It's pretty comical sometimes really. It doesn't get me down - it's just more like oh geez, another one? I'd be lying if I said it didn't sting just a little, but I'm just not the whoah-is-me type. Well of course I and the other chick in our group with baby-making issues are hoping this is contagious! It would be fun for all of us to be sportin' big bellies at the same time. Haha - we'll see!

So tonight is my girls' night and I'm beyond excited! We're staying at my friend's condo in Grant Park and walking somewhere fun for dinner. Then we're getting up early to go to breakfast and then get pedi's at a local spa. I need a pedi SOOOOO bad. (I know the gals in my yoga class think so.) And just in time for Easter! I must have pretty toes for their spring debut on Easter Sunday. I've been gloppin' on (is that a word?) my self tanner lotion all week so my pasty whites don't scare the small children. I'm wearing a repeat of last year's Easter look - but we're actually attending a different campus of our church now, so it's not *really* a repeat then, is it?! It's a great Lilly shift dress I got at Off 5th last year. And a lime green 3/4 sleeve cardi and my Lilly espadrilles. I wore the crap out of these last year... love them! I got them for like $40 online from Saks last year.

So yeah - looking forward to my little girly getaway tonight. I need it after the week I've had! And thanks to all of you for your sweet comments on my last post. Y'all are always so encouraging! Alright - signing off. TGIF and Happy Easter if I don't pop back on before then!

Another weekend, another wedding.

We're being a bit lazy this morning, but tonight we're going to a wedding. It will actually be really interesting because the bride and groom are a couple of the hub's old co-workers. So a lot of people from his old office will be there, as well as some of his new co-workers. Not sure if I mentioned it, but the company the hub just moved over to was started by people from his old company. So I hope there is no awkwardness or anything... I don't think there were any major hard feelings with him leaving his old job, but he says they take it very personally. Oh well... nothin' a couple of glasses of wine won't help.

So here's what I'm wearing tonight. I absolutely am IN LOVE with how this dress fits. It's so fun, flirty, and care-free. My legs will be freezing... but beauty is pain. And I'll top it off with my garnet red long coat from J. Crew. It's a few years old, so I don't have a pic. But it's fabulous! And I have a quilted gold clutch from Saks that will complete the look. I may freeze, but I'll be cute doing it.

Alright... back to work. I'm trying to get my QuickBooks updated for my invitation biz so we can hurry up and file our own return before I get bogged down at work. Then I'm off to get a pedi so my peeping toes are looking fine. Gonna see if the hub will join me. He goes with me sometimes. Have a good weekend all!

Oh P.S. - say a little prayer for my gpa please... he is up in Chattanooga in the hospital. He was complaining of dizziness and not feeling well, so my dad took him in. After running some tests, they discovered spots in his brain where there was some bleeding. They are 99% sure this is a sign of cancer somewhere in the body. So they are running more and more tests to see if they can find it. He is 92 years young, so there is not much they can or would do to treat whatever it is. It's really more about making him comfortable for as long as we can. He has lived such a wonderfully long life so far, and we only hope we can hold on to him a little longer. I'll let y'all know once we find out more. He is my last living grandparent, so it's definitely scary and certainly very sad.

Spring, let's talk.

Dear Spring,

After getting not one, but TWO fabulous snows this past week, I believe I have really lived up the winter weather to the point where I'm ready to move on. I've decided I'm ready for you to get here. All my favorite stores have their spring lines out and I'm drooling here in my wool sweater. You know I love fall and winter, but I'm ready to hang 'em up and break out the open-toed shoes, flip flops, skirts, and of course - my capris. I think I may even buy a new bathing suit this year (for the first time since my honeymoon 5+ years ago). If you could just come extra early, that'd be super cool. Just to give you an idea, here's an item on my wish-list that I hope to break out pretty soon here...



I know - fabulous, right? Looks like you are really loving yellow this year, so I plan to also. OK so come soon, then!

WBS,


Buford Betty

Put me in shopping jail - pronto!

I just can't help myself. I mean, seriously.

But for real, for real, for REAL, I am cutting myself off for a good while. The hub is moving to a new job - as of today, actually - so we've (translation - I've) got to put the kibosh on frivilous spending. He is super excited about the move and his potential at the new place, but of course the transition can be a little stressful (especially in his industry). So say a lil prayer that all goes as well as it can! He's turning in his notice today.

Update (1/19/08): Thanks so much for the well wishes for the hub's job. His resignation went pretty smoothly. As smoothly as it can go I guess. He starts his new job Monday!

A little morning shopping.

Work is really gearing up already for tax season... *groan*. So I'm sure my blogging will be rather sporadic (does anyone else ALWAYS think of Clueless when you hear that word?) over the next few months. But I'll be sure to pop in as much as possible with updates and potential rants over working long hours. Anyway, as much as I DON'T need to be spending money right now, I justified these two morning purchases in record time. How flippin' cute are these shoes? I love all things Pucci and these are totally Pucci-esque.
Steve Madden - $34.99 at shoes.com (50% off) - a great shoe site with free shipping (on returns too) and no sales tax for most states. Not always the best sale prices, but they do match - though it's like a pain in the ass to do it.




Paige Denim capris - marked down to $77.90 on Nordstrom (reg $198). Plus I had a $21 store credit, so it was like meant-to-be. And don't worry - I'm not wearing those shoes with them - ew!

Once again, today's shop-it-to-me email must be blamed. Anyway, I'm ready for spring weather and clothes! This is getting me excited. Alright, well I better do some real work. This silly job thing keeps getting in the way of my fun!

5 Things.

1. I haven't wrapped the first Christmas gift. (I'm starting tonight.)

2. I pulled a muscle in my neck this morning when I sneezed. (It still hurts like hell.)

3. I'm wearing my replacements for the first time today and they are freakin' fabulous! (Perhaps my broken heel was fate?)

4. I'm baking cupcakes tonight for my co-workers. (I'll share the yummy recipe tomorrow.)

5. Christmas bride was 40 minutes late to her own wedding rehearsal because she and her fiance were out getting their marriage license. Hehehehe... Her momma was not happy.

The Replacements.

I just ordered these Charles by Charles David pretties to replace my bronze Via Spigas (R.I.P.). I so am not supposed to be shopping for me right now, but I literally do not have anything else to wear with browns this time of year, other than some hooker boots - and I think those are in my Goodwill pile anyway. I was totally reasonable though. I saw several pairs that would be great, but I went for the $49 sale pair! 60% off! I think they're pretty darn cute and I love me some Mary Jane's. I do think I'll have the hub contact Via Spiga to see if there is anything they can do for my sad little shoes. If anyone can get something done, he can.