Kohl's money

Kohls is awesome because every now and then, it mails out $10 gift cards good for anything in their store. I always try to take advantage of these, and admit to being such a cheap ass that I have purchased just socks and managed to spend the $10 exactly, down the the penny.

This time I planned on doing the same, as I am strapped for cash thanks to student loan payments. However, this time I shelled out an additional $6 and got a warm pair of Isotoner fleece gloves for winter. It's been hard to find gloves that aren't leather but have some grip to them, that are also water resistant and warm. These seem to fit the bill. Yay! They are so soft inside, it's like wrapping your hand in a warm kitty cat.

I also helped some random lady pick out a pair of leather gloves, she asked me for assistance. I don't think I look like I work there, so I could only take it as a compliment. She must have thought I was stylish! She left with a pair that fit and I didn't have the heart to tell her I was a vegetarian. I did feel a tad guilty about it though. Sorry cows!

Post in which I covet Shield DVDs, reach new lows in cheapness

I don't buy many DVD's, I'd rather rent, but sometimes I like to own so I can watch repeatedly, get through the extras, and have at my leisure. I'd really love to own The Shield - The complete series box set. My favorite tv show, it absolutely blew me away. I rented it and burned though episode after episode until there were none left. It is so intense and morally ambiguous and over-the-top. Well written and acted and gritty, it's the best crime series ever. Everyone who's watched The Wire tells me that's the best, but I couldn't get through one episode. It was so boring compared to the Shield. Cops were following rules! Whatever. Pffft. This cop show has shootouts at drive-thru funeral homes and cops who steal money from the Armenian mob. It has a crazy big bald man, and undercover hookers who sleep with cops, and Forrest Whittaker getting so angry his eye almost bulges out of his head.

All seven seasons of the Emmy®-winning, groundbreaking series in a collectible 34-page bound anthology book filled with photos, quotes and a special letter from creator Shawn Ryan! Loaded with DVD extras including new featurettes, this set includes all 88 arresting episodes and an amazing ensemble cast featuring Emmy® winner Michael Chiklis.

WANT WANT WANT.  $107.99 at Amazon. That is cheaper than Target's advertised at $129.99. Sadly, neither is within my budget, which is strapped due to school expenses. So I will continue to rent from Netflix and watch stuff online.

The Criterion Collection, which strives to collect the best movies in the world and preserve them in high-quality, multi-featured DVD's, has free online steaming movies now. Just go here and select "views" and you'll see a list of free films (the free ones are the most viewed, of course). They have a free online film festival every month, which is supposed to be listed here. However, they seem to be a month behind (even though last month's films are still available). I guess that's why it's beta.

Yesterday I returned a few shirts that I bought at JCPenney that didn't fit. They had cost around $4 each and another size would have been too much work to find, as they had rearranged the merchandise. The two other shirts I had purchased fit, they were both white. You can never have too many white shirts, or at least I can't. I'm always getting stains on them. :-( One of the shirts has a lace lined v-neck, and the other is v-neck and ties back around the waist, and has blue embroidered flowers in the front and on the short sleeves. It's a little peasant-y but not too much. I love it! $4. When I went to Target later, I found myself scoffing at the outrageous prices of $8 or $10 for clothing on clearance or sale. Wow. I have hit a new level of cheap. I just kept thinking, "I could probably find this at JCPenney for $2 or $4!" It's true too, I probably could! You have to search a lot, but that place is full of cheapo sweet treats. 

So what did I do at Target? I bought socks, of course! Cheap and satisfying. There were the cutest socks for $2.98, marked down from $5.99. Two shiny pairs of over-the-knee rayon socks, one gray and one burgundy, with a puffy/wrinkeled texture and ribbing. They fit great under boots and look great with heels. Yay. I love socks. I also got a $5 glass necklace on a ribbon at the mall.

Tomorrow night a friend is going to teach me how to crochet a hat. I need one, so I'm going to make one. Looking forward to that. There was a cute hat at Target I wanted but I thought I could probably make it with yarn I already have. I have a set of arm warmers half finished.

I couldn't find photos of my purchases, sorry. They're not exciting enough for the effort of photographing them. I will make up for this by showing you other photos of fabulous things.

 Adi Designs Flowing A-line Easy Care Skirt - Purple - This skirt from Target comes in many different colors and is $39.99 at Target. When it gets cheaper I may have to buy one or more. I love skirts like this, they're basic and go with most tops, and they can show off your legs (and new socks!) or boots. Easy to travel with and wash. Made of 62% Polyester, 32% Rayon, 6% Spandex...but for some reason, I see some skirts that are the same but just a different color don't have the spandex. Weird. Anyway, they have some other basic skirts like this at Target that are different lengths and styles.

The holidays are coming! Target has a Christmas section on their website. I'm a Buddhist but I celebrate the holidays anyway. Why turn down a chance to decorate and do other fun stuff? I try to celebrate holidays whenever I can. I need to get a new menorah, I lost the one I had in a move. Gotta make my Jewish friends feel at home. Target's got a brass one that looks like the one I lost:

They also sell candles, which better fit. The last Menorah I had came with candles that were too big, so I sat at the table with friends shaving them down. We laughed that this should be the new tradition, the shaving of the Menorah candles! It took a long time, I'd rather not repeat that. Oy.

I love that Target has not just one, not two, but THREE cat Menorahs.

These LED string light snowflakes are so pretty. They're $15.98, 10.3 feet long, and have 60 blue and white lights. I'd love to get these. I might! I like the icicle and hanging style lights, although I have never bought any before.

 

Set of 9 Snowflake Light Sculptures - Sculptures? I guess these are just bigger lights, but they're awesome too. I like making paper snowflakes every year, I stick them all over the place - in the windows, cupboards, hanging from gift bows, the ceiling, whatever. This year I think I want to make a paper chain like we used to make in elementary school. I know some kids that could help me. Good times. 

 

I can't sit here all day uploading pictures, so I will find a few inspiring holiday photos. Shopping will come easier then, perhaps? Photos all stolen borrowed from Apartment Therapy.

 

 

Oddly, there's not a lot of holiday themed decorating entries at Apartment Therapy.  These are from HGTV:

 

 

 

 

 

Set of 9 Snowflake Light Sculptures

"Urban" Outfitters...or Rural Crime Scene?

I received the new Urban Outfitters catalog in the mail today. I have never seen so many beautiful young people look so miserable. Seriously, I feel like I need to call someone as a mandated reporter. Why should misery sell clothes? It's not just the misery, it's the settings. Urban Outfitters is never photographed in an urban setting. It's always some creepy place in the country somewhere,  or near the water. Perfect crime scene areas! Combine that with all the retro/antique camera stuff they're hocking, and the whole thing is pretty spooky if you ask me.

Wait...honey? You okay? Did you have too much to drink? Did someone put something IN your drink?

You should lie down before you hurt yourself. 

That's better.

It also doesn't make a lot of sense why there even is a print catalog. There are scarce details for any of the items, and many of them refer to the website for more information. Why not just cut out the middleman? I think a catalog is for ordering from, or what's the point? The only thing this is good for to me is to get a better look at the stuff they're selling, and they're not giving me that. I guess I forgot - there are stores to go to. None near where I live, which is why I forgot. I might go to a store if I saw something I liked in the catalog. I guess that's the angle. Not much bang for their buck. Print isn't cheap.

Hey, that is NOT the kind of attention I was talking about! Not that kind of cheap. We've got our old Brittany back, times have changed. You can't go flashin' your hoo-haw for just anyone like that anymore.

 

Well congratulations, you put on some underwear. That doesn't mean pants optional, missy. 

Whatever, fine, go out, don't wear pants, get pneumonia at the beach, see if I care. It's your life!

 

Oooh ho ho, I see! Pneumonia isn't the only thing you can catch at the beach with no pants. 

 

You know that the male models of Urban Outfitters are always fully clothed, right? Usually they're wearing layers even. LAYERS! And you girls prance around with your frail little t & a sticking out. Don't you feel that is sexist and unfair? 

sigh. I wasn't asking you, we don't pay you to think. No, I don't know where your one-hitter went, go check behind the beach shack. 

There you go. Well, it SHOULD make you mad! Remind these people that you're supposed to be selling clothes. If someone wants to buy underage sex they should go to jail.

A tip: They're selling very expensive Polaroid film and cameras through Urban Outfitters. Don't buy it. I read recently that Polaroid announced that they will be making film again at the beginning of the new year. First they'll roll out black and white film only, and then color will come later. Don't spend $30 or more for a pack of film. If you want, you can buy Polaroid note cards, that have dreamy pictures on them. They did all the work! They sell them at UO for $14.95. There's also a book about Polaroid (that might be cheaper elsewhere, though).

I have purchased housewares from Urban Outfitters in the past (paper lantern, album cover frame, etc.) and socks. The socks really caught my eye in the catalog. What catches my eye every time is a sale, and they have one. Of course, retailers are on to us sale lovers now. I've noticed that now more than ever a sale is sometimes a starting price. I've seen clothing items in stores this season go up in price after they were on sale. The thing that I love about online is that you can sort by price and find out where the real bargains are.

Excuse me for a minute...

I know honey, I thought he was gay too. That's what usually happens when I find someone attractive. You just can't trust these Urban Outfitter shoots! Just be glad they didn't make you do something else to that pole.

I'm not blown away by the value of the socks at UO right now, but they do have a lot of cute new socks/leggings/tights. I'm all about warm over the knee socks, living in the frozen north and being a skirt and boot wearer. The only ones I really would like in my collection are the most expensive (figures) Betsy Johnson socks.

Betsey Johnson Flirty Over The Knee Sock $28. Available in Sea Foam and Black. I like them both.

Betsey Johnson Ski Bunny Striped Over The Knee $30, available in sea foam and red. Both cute! I love the bow, it's a nice touch.

 

Super-cute! If it's a casual day at home or with friends, I'll wear my crazy socks with a skirt and mary jane shoes to show them off. If it's not a casual day, they hide beneath long boots now that winter is here. So every day is a good day to wear fun socks, as far as I'm concerned.

Yeah, like that! I guess socks don't cheer up EVERYBODY.

Oh.

Sorry to hear that. They have a book that addresses your problem at UO, just in time for the holidays.

Don't blame me. I told you to keep your pants on.

Mad Men fashions

Mad Men Pictures - Photo Gallery: Mad Men Fashion

Tonight is the season finale of Mad Men, which I LOVE. I adore the clothes in Mad Men, here's a link to a gallery of photos.
Janie Bryant, the show's Emmy-winning costume designer, walked TVGuide.com through some of her favorite selections from Betty's fabulous dresses, Don's sharp suits and Joan's impeccable accessories.

This dress is stunning:

In this scene, Betty is about to learn that Don is having an affair with Bobbie Barrett, so Bryant opted for a stronger shade of blue for this dress as opposed to her usual lighter shades. "It was all about finding those color choices when telling the story of Betty's evolution," Bryant says. The costume team had to create three of these gowns to serve as "stunt dresses" for when Betty vomits in the car. Bryant also found the scene to be the perfect opportunity to abide by the "seasonal rules" and put Don in a formal, white dinner jacket.

Broke Browsing

I'm broke. Anthropologie has new inventory. I'm convinced because I am broke, this inventory is cuter than anything they've ever had before. This is probably not true. So I will take a look at the sale items I cannot afford.

Um, whut?

Whether you're dressing them up with a silk blouse or toning them down with a chunky sweater, this billowy pair from Elevenses is up to the task. 

Anthropologie shouldn't be hiring Elves to make their clothes. A silk blouse and chunky sweater? How about  pair of tights and curled shoes to go with that. And juggling lessons.

I like this, but I can't stop picturing it with the above Elf pants.  The green color doesn't help matters. The sleeves are neat though, aren't they! It's on sale.

Let's see what's new over at Modcloth, shall we?

This is adorable. It's a lightweight coat, $84.99. Look at those buttons! If only we had a fall up here in Minnesota. We had one for about 2 days.

 

I love this dress. The Cezanne dress.  Love the detail. 

So cute! $99.99. Nice, you get to save tax on that last penny!

Hitchcock Nostalgia

I had a thrilling conversation about my student loans today over the phone, which pounded home the reality that I am so broke ass, I shouldn't even be window shopping. So I haven't been, it's just too sad.

I did watch some Hitchcock last night on TCM though, and it made me wish I had lived in the 50's or 60's. Or, at least in that fashion period, women didn't have it so great back then. I love those old styles of dresses, hair and make-up. Mostly the hair, the rest is all pretty classic.

Kim Novak in Vertigo. How does she keep that coat so white in the Redwood forest?

Stiff gray suit looked uncomfortable, but with the right lighting, it was magic.

 

Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint in North by Northwest. Loved his glasses, their cool demeanor. I guess clothes aren't everything. You have to be able to carry them off!

Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly in Rear Window. She was very stylish. 

Shock socks

I admit, socks with sandals is a fashion atrocity in my eyes. Until now. Maybe.

I just saw these socks at Sock Dreams. They're called Tabi socks.

TABI SOCKS or split-toe socks have been worn in Japan since the sixteenth century, reaching their peak during the Edo period (1600-1868). They were developed to wear with sandals & wooden clogs called geta. There is a special place for your big toe. Lots of people wear Tabi socks~ People who practice Japanese martial arts like Aikido and Karate wear Tabi socks and so do Taiko drummers, Suzuki actors and traditional Japanese folk dancers. According to Shiatsu theory, wearing Tabi socks benefits the back, the spine, and the digestion due to the acupuncture meridians located between the toes.

Okay, I guess that's cool. Actually, I welcome socks that are actually made to accommodate flip-flops. I think if they weren't made for that purpose they're dorky though, sorry.

Anthropologie party dresses

I just stopped by Anthropologie and I see they have a new section of party dresses. Sadly, I have no parties coming up that would require a fancy frock. Or happily, because I couldn't afford one right now anyway.

I like a lot of these dresses, but if I had to choose one, I would probably pick the Spirited Away dress:

I have to say, a pet peeve I have about Anthropologie (and a lot of catalogs) is that they don't always have someone modeling the clothes. This dress doesn't (although it is shown on a hanger, which is pointless). I understand that this is an added expense for them, but sometimes I have trouble visualizing how something would look on an actual person. Clothes look different on a dress form or a hanger than they do on a real body. The styling and accessories can also sell a dress, because whether or not you want to buy those extras, it can help you visualize yourself wearing it - not to mention help those who don't know how to put an outfit together.

Case in point: the dress below is beautiful, but it looks a little over the top and prom night to me on the dress form. The length is a little odd too...is it above, at, or below the knee?

Once I saw it on the model, though, I was sold.

Maybe it's because she's in the snow, and waving her arms around because she's delirious from hypothermia. I don't know why, but this picture makes me want the dress. It looks flowy and not stiff. No huge pettycoat-like hoop skirt. It's silk, not taffeta, which is what I thought it looked like on the dress form. You can see the length that it's meant to be (slightly above-knee, or at the knee), and that it looks great with black tights. A suggestion of a coat might be nice here, but I guess she just stepped out...or in...the door. What a weird photo. Is she inside, and it's snowing inside?! Or is she going outside, and left the door open rudely so everyone inside will freeze to death? Why is she all alone here? Was she assaulted? Is she drunk and waving her arms around?

Anthropologie photos...who knew they could be so fun to deconstruct?

I like the Midnight Wanderer dress too:

Let's see if they show a model wandering...

Hm. She's not wandering, she's wondering where the bathroom is! Looks like the party food was tainted. That's why I hate buffets, too many people getting their germs all over the food. Gross.

I know it's a couture pose to look hunched over like you've got scoliosis or some other spinal problem (I learned this from Christian on Project Runway), and this looks like an attempt at that kind of pose. Why is it attractive to look like Gollum from Lord of the Rings? I don't get it. There are other ways to emphasize your hips. I'd like to see models and their photographers get more creative with props and poses. 

Sale alert

The Into the Blue Skirt is on sale now at Modcloth, now $29.99 instead of $64.99. So cute!

Shopping weekend booty

JCPenney had a fantastic looking sale running Friday and Saturday. It turned out to not be so fantastic - they jacked up the prices so the sale prices were still pretty high. Boo. They did have some cheap things, but not much I wanted. I did walk away with a winter coat that may just be warm enough for the tundra.

 St. John's Bay® Hooded Zip Front Pea Coat, blended wool and cashmere. It was around $80 on sale marked down from $200. I'm not sure that mine is exactly this one but it's pretty close. 

I picked up another jacket to wear that's more lightweight and suited more for layering. It's a double-breasted wool pea coat with 3/4 sleeves. It's by Guess and was only $30 at TJ Maxx. It looks kind of like this one, but with a different lapel.

 

Instead of going for colors, I played it safe so I could have these for awhile. I plan on tailoring them so they fit better and can add color with scarves and gloves and hats. I'm working on learning how to make those myself. Scarves are easy to make and I have plenty, I have plans to make some arm warmers now.

Old Navy didn't look the same when I stopped there. The whole store had been remodeled, I'm not sure if it was for the new season or if it was a larger planned out thing. There wasn't as much rock-botttom cheap stuff as usual. When I went in they had a promotion where if you donated a can of food, you got 10% off your purchase. There was a fleece Sherpa hoodie there that I wanted, but I decided to come back with the can of food later in the week for the discount. Well, it turned out that JCPenney had the same hoodie for cheaper, even without the discount, so I never returned. What can I say, I like a bargain and I can donate food somewhere else! 

SJB® Active Sherpa Hoodie from JCPenney. I have the red one, which is another option that wasn't at Old Navy. I like rocking the little red riding hood look. They had a lot of bright neon colors, as is the old/new trend. I remember that trend the first time, and I liked it then, but I was probably 11 years old or something. If I can remember a trend the last time it came around, I probably shouldn't be wearing it now. That's a personal rule. Anyway, I hate winter, but a cozy hoodie makes it a little more bearable. Socks too, and blankets, and other warm cozy things. Yay. Cardigans I wear all year long, I'm big on layering. Hey, it worked for Mr. Rogers.

St. John's Bay® Ruffle Front Cardigan - It was it was maybe $14 in the store. I got a tan version. The ruffles are pretty.

I didn't pick up anything with a lot of wow factor, but I'm satified. I've been organizing my stuff lately and fnding more and more things that I forgot that I had. Also, color-coordinating the closets and drawers makes putting together outfits so much easier.

Now that it is cooler, I have gone back to wearing my house shoes. They are these adorable clogs that I have had for a long time.

They're Haflinger Grizzly Wool Felt Clogs with Embroidery. So comfy! They look like they belong on a milk maid in Bavaria somewhere. Papa! I will be back with the milk! The hills are alive with the sound of moooing!