Black Friday Discoveries

My favorite thing about being in New Jersey is shopping. We have, like, nine million malls here, plus the new Jersey Shore Premium Outlets, which are completely awesome. The boyfriend and I went to the outlets on Thanksgiving night for their second annual Midnight Madness shopping event. We went last year and got some great deals on Lucky Brand jeans (buy one, get one free!), but we weren't even able to get into the Banana Republic outlet because it was so crowded. This year, our goal was to get there early, and the outlets we wanted to hit were Diesel (extra 25% off the whole store), Banana Republic (50% off the whole store), J. Crew (extra 25% off sale and clearance items) and Ann Taylor (40% off most of the store and an extra 50% off sale and clearance items).

Want to see what I got? :)

Ann Taylor Loft White Ruffle Henley, $25

The original price on this shirt was $36, so it wasn't that much of a deal, but I needed a new, cute, ruffly henley, and white is definitely one of my staple colors.

J. Crew Flannel-Lined Chino, $29.50

These normally retail for about $80, and in the outlet they were priced at $59.50 with an additional 50% off. I've been looking for a pair of these flannel-lined chinos for several years, but they're never on sale and they're always sold out! I was very excited about finding these, and I especially like the neutral polka-dot print of the flannel on the cuffs.

Ann Taylor White Cotton Blazer, $9.98

This blazer originally retailed for $88, and it was the best deal I found, for sure. When I organized my closet last week, I found two items that needed to be replaced - my white long-sleeve blazer and my white short-sleeve blazer. This one can replace both with it's 3/4-sleeves, and I think it will be perfect for spring. I can't wait to wear it with some dark jeans or navy shorts and gold accessories.

I did pretty well at the outlets this year, but the boyfriend didn't find anything! So, I took him to Freehold Raceway Mall yesterday to go to the wonderfully huge Macy's, Nordstrom and Lord & Taylor there (well, huge compared to what we have in Hampton Roads). With the help of my Star Rewards coupons and Macy's card, he was able to get a pretty sweet deal on a pair of Buffalo jeans - his favorite brand.

Although neither of us bought anything at the Lucky store this year, I've gotta hand it to them on their advertising efforts.


One last thing - I saw these shoes several times yesterday, and I wanted to buy them so bad! But, I guess I need to leave some things on my Christmas list, and they definitely were not on sale, so...

Carlos by Carlos Santana Prestige Platform Peep-Toe Pumps in Bordo Satin and Marine Blue Patent Leather, $89

I really need those. Really. I don't even care which color.

I hope you are all enjoying your long weekend!

Christmas Shopping? Done.

Later today, I will be kicking off the holiday season with my annual six-hour drive to NJ, where I will spend Thanksgiving weekend. Travelling at the holidays is always somewhat hectic, but this year is especially busy for me because I'll be spending four days in Las Vegas in between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Also, I'll be flying home for Christmas instead of driving.

So, what does that mean? It means I need to bring all of my Christmas gifts bound for NJ up there with me tonight. But, I am prepared! I have actually completed 90 percent of my holiday shopping (for gifts - I still have plenty left to do for myself), and everything is wrapped, tagged and ready to go. I just have to load it into the boyfriend's car.

I had such a great idea for holiday shopping this year. I wish I could share it with you in more detail, but since I'm not sure if any recipients of said gifts are reading along... Well, whatever. I'll tell you anyway, since I've been lacking in quality posts the past few weeks.

My new favorite gift is to purchase a reusable shopping bag from Trader Joe's and fill it up with all of my favorite items from the store. Then I stuff it with matching tissue paper, decorate it with a glittery ornament, tie it up with curly ribbon, and voila! I have successfully turned marinade into an acceptable gift!

These work especially well for birthday gifts or hostess gifts, but since I'm headed to NJ, and they don't have Trader Joe's there, I figured I could make the bags for Christmas, too. The items in each bag vary, but some of my favorites I've included are the Soyaki marinade, pineapple salsa, mini ravioli, various coffees, beers, wines, teas, cookies, snacks, etc.

My favorite part about these gifts are the reusable shopping bags. I think using them to wrap up gifts is an inexpensive way to add a little something extra to any gift - not just food items.

I wish I could post a photo of my lovely bags all lined up and decorated, but that would take all the surprise away (just in case someone is reading.

I hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving, and keep an eye my second giveaway and some more holiday gift ideas in my next few posts!

Image courtesy of www.brewdaily.com.

Bright Idea #1

Yesterday, it occurred to me that I might have gone a tad overboard shopping for fall/winter clothes this year. I am usually very good about budgeting and limiting my purchases to necessities and the bare minimum of accessories to update my look from season to season. However, this year...don't even get me started.

In order to figure out how I let this happen, I have been trying to dig down and discover the root cause of all this frivolous spending. For several days, I thought perhaps starting this blog was a bad idea. Was posting photos of dresses making me buy them? Hmm. It was definitely worth considering.

However, yesterday afternoon, I realized what the problem was by using a simple cause-and-effect breakdown of why I keep shopping.

1. I keep shopping because I feel like I never have anything to wear.
2. I feel like I never have anything to wear because my closet is unorganized right now (as a result of having way too much stuff in there).
3. My closet is unorganized because I don't have time to work on it until after work, when it's dark.
4. I don't like organizing in the dark because I can't really see what I'm doing.
5. I can't really see what I'm doing because two out of the three lightbulbs in my lamp are burned out!

When I finally figured this out, I thought to myself, "You mean I could have saved all that money on clothes if I had just spent a few bucks on light bulbs?"

Well, the jury's still out on that, but I'll definitely be buying light bulbs this weekend. Being able to see what's in your closet is exceptionally important. How can you shop for pieces that match what you already have if you can't even see what you already have? See the problem?

I'm a huge fan of organizing my closet and drawer space in a way that I can see everything. This makes it easier for me to come up with new ideas for wearing things I already have. Obviously, I love most of the clothes that are already in my closet, or I wouldn't have bought them! So, it only makes sense that I should make every effort to illuminate my room and start wearing my favorite pieces again.

How about you, readers? Are your closets organized? I'm instating a new rule that I'm not allowed to shop for any more clothes until the ones I have are folded properly and displayed to my liking again.

The Coastal Cheapster - Holiday Dresses

The Coastal Chicster is currently weathering a Nor'easter, and finalizing her December vacation plans. The boyfriend and I were originally planning to go to Key West, but we've changed our minds at the last minute and booked a trip to Las Vegas instead! I know the two are very different, and I'll tell you what the biggest difference is. Price. Our trip to Las Vegas is going to literally cost us half what our trip to Key West would have cost. Flights and four nights in a hotel for two was going to be around $1,400 for Key West, and instead we are going to stay in the Treasure Island on the strip for just about $700! We leave in one month.

I am super excited because I have always loved Las Vegas. I actually lived there for about three months in 2003. Several of my family members moved out there for a short time between 2003 and 2005, so I went to visit a lot. I haven't been back in a few years though, and I've never stayed in a hotel out there!

Since I'm going to be in Vegas during the holiday season, I figured it would be a great opportunity to wear some sequins! I caught myself eying up this Nanette Lepore Disco Dress on the Neiman Marcus website.


Let's get real here. If I spend that amount of money on a dress, I may as well just upgrade to a suite (or gamble the money away). This dress is $548! Instead, I did some searching and I found this dress at Forever21 for only $24.80.


It's perfect. I even like it a little bit better because it doesn't have the zipper down the back, and I think the feathers on the Nanette Lepore dress might have been a little much for me. Besides, can you say $523 difference? Jeez. I'm going to check the store (once the November Nor'easter of 2009 has passed) to try it on.

There are also some other beautiful party dresses I'd love to have that I cannot afford, and I've found some less expensive options that seem to be inspired by the originals. First is the
BCBGMaxAzria One Shoulder Satin Dress with Zipper Detail in Grape, which retails for $248 at Bloomingdale's.


An alternative I found is the Tranquility Dress in Purple at Lulus.com for $72.

The next dress I found that I would simply love to own is the Alice + Olivia Multi Gather Peplum Dress in Red, but that is not going to happen because this dress is $440! I think this dress has a vintage air about it and is very unique.

Instead, perhaps I might buy the Garnet Satin Sheath Dress from White House | Black Market because it is more in my price range at $168 (although still a bit on the pricey side compared to the other dresses I've picked out). It's still got that vintage feel, and it's very pretty. It also has detachable spaghetti straps.


Here's another one. I thought this Phoebe Couture Rosette Dress in Turquoise was exquisite! I love the rose details on the skirt and the tie in the back, but it's a little much for me at $390.

Instead, I would probably opt for a cheaper dress like the Date Dress in Teal from Lulus.com, which is only $57. It has similar floral details around the bottom of the skirt, and I also like the shimmery fabric. It's the same idea, and just as pretty for a lot less money.


Last, but not least, let's finish up with the Nanette Lepore Blowout Dress. It's the only print I've chosen for this post, and it retails for $398 at Neiman Marcus. I simply love the colors, and the drape of black fabric across the dress, however I'm sure you know by now that I'm not going to cave and spend this much on one dress.


As an alternative to Nanette's unique dress, I might pick something like the Darling Dearest Strapless Dress from Lulus.com.


Of course I know that this dress doesn't even compare to the dress above, but I think with a lightweight black pashmina, cardigan or scarf and some black tights, I could create a similar effect with this dress. I also think this dress is more versatile. Because the colors are just a little brighter and the dress itself has no black on it, I think I could dress it down more easily, as well as wear it through the spring. This dress is only $38.

Want to see something funny?

Total price for the five designer dresses: $2,024

Total price for the five alternate dresses: $359.80

That's a difference of $1,664.20, which is more than twice the cost of my entire trip to Las Vegas!

So, there you have it. Those five dresses could easily get me through the next few weeks of holiday parties, my trip to Vegas, New Year's Eve, and quite possibly see me through to Valentine's Day! You know what my favorite thing is about this collection of dresses I've chosen? They are all different, but I think I could wear every single one of them with black tights and my black patent leather Hollywould shoes. Since I'll be traveling so much during the holiday season, that is super important.

Red Bicyclette Pinot Noir

I apologize for my recent lack of updating. I had decided to make an attempt at NaNoWriMo's 50,000 words worth of a novel by the end of November, but between writing proposals for work and updating my Facebook with useless photos of nothing important, I seem to have gotten distracted from that, as well.

The past week has been extremely busy for me, but I did have some time to relax this weekend and enjoy a new, inexpensive wine at a birthday party that I'd love to share with you. As you know from my last post on wine, my current favorites in the wine department are cheap pinot noirs.

The wine I had on Saturday was the Red Bicyclette Pinot Noir, which I purchased on sale at Target for $7.99.


It was so nice (and not even just because it has a bicycle on the bottle)! Everyone who had a glass enjoyed it. I always try to bring a bottle of wine when I visit someone's house for a party or dinner, so I will definitely be keeping this one in mind for future host(ess) gifts.

According to the website, this wine showcases dark fruit aromas and flavors of black cherry and ripe plum with subtle notes of cinnamon for a soft, yet full middle palate and a smooth, luxurious texture. It is a French wine that pairs well with a variety of meat and seafood dishes, from roast chicken or lamb to tuna and salmon.

Like I said before, I love trying new wines. I'm actually planning a wine tasting party with a friend of mine later this month (for my boyfriend's birthday), and I would love to hear any suggestions you might have for wines to sample!

Books, Music and Giveaways!

Sorry to have left you hanging for the last few days. I've been catching up on some reading and writing. In fact, I just finished The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway last night. For those of you who haven't read this book, it was originally published in 1952, and is the story of an man's struggle with old age, bad luck, and a giant fish.

This was actually a re-read for me, as I believe I took the novella quite literally when I was required to read it in college. After having read some more of Hemingway's work (in preparation for my trip to Key West in December!), I wanted to give The Old Man and the Sea another shot, read the way it was supposedly intended - as an allegorical commentary of his career as an author.

The second book I'd like to read this week is Bram Stoker's Dracula, which I surprisingly have never read. I am actually a huge fan of vampire fiction, and although Count Dracula was not the first vampire to appear in literature, he was certainly the most influential (until recently, what with Edward Cullen and all). This past weekend, I had the pleasure of watching Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula film with my friend T, and I got to thinking that I have probably missed so much detail in the story having only watched the movie three times instead of reading the book. I'm hoping to start it tonight.

Speaking of vampires, I love the band Vampire Weekend. I'm thrilled because they are releasing their second album, Contra, in January 2010. In the meantime, you can download their single, "Horchata," from their website for free! Vampire Weekend definitely has an original sound, and this new song is no different. I had to listen to it a few times before I started to like it, but now I love it.

In my attempt to bring my music collection up to date, I also stumbled upon the new Train album, Save Me, San Francisco. It's pretty snazzy. I especially suggest you listen to the tune, "Hey Soul Sister," which is quite catchy.

Okay, on to the third part of my post, GIVEAWAYS! I know this is what you were waiting for anyway. There are two I'd like to point out for you.

The first one is over at Life and Times of Laurie. She's giving away two bars of luxurious, hand made Stone Bluff Soap. The Stone Bluff Soap Shoppe is owned by her mother-in-law in Oklahoma, and is known for their heavenly smelling soaps in scents such as calendula, lavendar and gardenia. I think this is a wonderful giveaway and a unique opportunity to get your hands on a handmade product that isn't widely available. You've only got until tomorrow to enter in this one, so head on over to Laurie's blog, and leave her a comment!

The second giveaway I'd like to mention is the Sinfully Sweet Giveaway hosted by Leslie at A Blond Ambition. She is giving away a large bottle of one of three delicious scents of Philosophy bath gel! The lucky winner will get to choose between Red Velvet Cake, Coconut Frosting and Carrot Cake. Her giveaway is going on until November 15.

A Tour of My Coastal Crib - Part I

A few days (weeks? I've been losing track of entire days recently because I've been so busy) ago, The Daily Connoisseur suggested I post some pictures of my condo on my blog, and I've decided to give it a shot.

I actually bought my condo about three years ago with my roommate at the time, who has since gotten married and moved out. We rent out her old room, so I always have some random roommate or another. Therefore, my decorating is less than perfect, since I'm always sharing my home with someone's stuff that never seems to match mine at all.

My condo is pretty small, but spacious at the same time. I'm on the third floor, so I've got vaulted ceilings. The floor plan is very open and the bedrooms are a decent size. I have just about 1,010 square feet to live in with my roommate and my two cats, Mele and Kona (they have Hawaiian names).

These are some before and after shots of various rooms in my condo.

Living Room Before


Living Room After


As you can see, the previous owners had some very interesting choices in paint colors/patterns. The color I chose to paint most of my condo is called "Pearl Harbor." I had a little help in this room, but I painted most of the other rooms all by myself!

The pillows in this room are from Marshall's. I had been looking for blue and white striped pillows forever, and these were perfect. I love the matching pet bed, too. The white slipcover is from Pottery Barn, and that beautiful ceiling fan is from Lowe's. The mirror and the Papasan chair are both from Pier 1.

Yes, I have a surfboard. No, I'm not very good at surfing. Yes, my fireplace is blocked by a chair, so no, I don't use it. Actually, now that I have a new roommate, there is currently a whole other couch in front of that fireplace.

Bathroom Before


Bathroom After


My condo has two full bathrooms, so when I moved in, it was the first time I wasn't sharing a bathroom with another human being since my brother was born in 1985! My bathroom was actually the first room I decorated before I moved in. I ripped out the mirror and the medicine cabinet, and if you look closely, you can see I actually painted three different colors on the wall - gold on the bottom, blue on the top, and a chocolate brown stripe separating the two. I put in one of those curved shower curtain rods, and that is a Nicole Miller shower curtain.

At the time that I moved into this condo, I was obsessed with two things - pineapples and animal print - and I managed to work both into this bathroom. The decor in this room was based on a pretty coffee mug I had with a pineapple on the front, and leopard print around the borders. If you look closely, you can see it on the bottom shelf in the photo.

There is a framed print of a leopard on the wall, and a leopard print rug on the floor in this room, as well as some leopard print votive candle holders - one in the shower and one on the tiny glass shelf beneath the mirror. Can you see the shelf? I also keep some pretty leopard print lingerie hanging on the back of the door - for decoration, of course.

There are a few pineapples in there, also. See the one on the toothbrush holder? I love my bathroom.

I'm going to save my bedroom for next time because I don't have any updated photos. I hope you've enjoyed the tour so far!