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By kilax, September 23, 2009 5:55 am

Which stores send you weekly (and sometimes daily) ad and coupon emails? Please let me know who is sending out great deals that I am missing out on!

I get emails from New York & Company, Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works, Borders, Barnes & Noble, and White House | Black Market (WHBM).

Damn WHBM and their marketing campaign. For the last two Thursdays they have sent me pictures of women modeling their dresses, while holding a cat. Apparently, all it takes to pique my interest in a product is a picture of a cat,* because I have visited their site after both emails. Is it more sad that I am admitting this, or that I am hoping one of you can relate (it doesn’t have to be a cat – anything cute and cuddly!)?

*Especially a GRAY cat!!!

Comments (16)

By kilax, August 29, 2009 8:40 am

I’ve been craving a new wardrobe lately. I think this is a fall thing. Yeah, it’s not “fall,” but we’re definitely having fall weather here. Plus, I am going to Washington D.C. soon for a work trip. I’ll be in a conference all week, and my logic is – “I NEED A NEW OUTFIT FOR EACH DAY!” Uh… these are people I have never met*. How would they know if my outfit was new or not?

The bummer is, I am on a total spending freeze and have been for a few months. I’m only spending money when it’s in gift card form.

But, that doesn’t mean I can’t look! Here are some of the tops that have caught my eye lately. They all seem to have a fun detail to them – which probably means they will be dated in a few years. Oh, and they all seem to be somewhat similar to clothes I have NOW – another reason I don’t need them!

From New York & Company:

Looks like the mustard color is still in style!

From Ann Taylor:

From Banana Republic:
(actually have a large gift card to here, but need to lose weight – their clothes are too expensive to buy in a bigger size – I’ve gotten burned that way before)

Actual Gift Card Buys:

And here are my actual gift card buys. The first one is from JCPenney. I got that top in that design (but in purple, not blue) and in black. The second two tops are from Kohl’s. I bought those with a pair of pants. I didn’t like the top at first, but then saw that the mannequin had it on with the flyaway cardigan, and it looks really cute together.

What are you lusting after these days?

*Except for the one coworker I am going with.

Comments (19)

By kilax, April 2, 2009 6:32 am

It’s happening again. When I walk past Ann Taylor** on my way to work, when I read InStyle, when I run an errand at Sears during lunch… I am noticing dresses and find myself wanting to try them on!

I finally did go to White House | Black Market in November to check out that dress I had been eying. I was with my mom and grandma, and we were at Water Tower Place in Chicago. We went in to the store and I feel in love with every dress, but tried nothing on. I didn’t need one. I just wanted one!

Of course, my mom didn’t understand this, so for the rest of the shopping trip, she kept pointing out dresses to me, then bought me a very pretty one for Christmas. Love my mom.

So, now it’s happening again. I see dresses I want to try on. I usually resist the urge for two reasons – I have no need for a new dress, and I have very muscular legs… that don’t always look so great in a dress. Plus, I do have some cute dresses at home already (example one and two)! They may be too big for me now, but I should at least try them on before I go shopping.

Or maybe I should just say “what the hell” and try some new dresses on anyway. It can’t hurt. And there’s that wedding we’re going to in July…

Here’s a small sample of some of the dresses catching my eye now:

Hey, does that one in the middle remind you of Miranda’s dress from the Sex in the City movie?

I really love black dresses and also ones with big floral prints!

*Day dreaming only. My actual dreams last night were about a client. I won’t go into details, but if I am up and can’t sleep because I am dreaming about a client… that’s not a good sign.
**Someone, please explain the difference between Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor LOFT. Diane…?

Comments (16)

By kilax, February 27, 2009 7:16 am

Has your favorite store ever stopped carrying one of your favorite items? What was the item? What did you do when they stopped carrying it?

I ask, because this seems to happen to us ALL THE TIME. We do the bulk of our grocery and non-grocery shopping at Target, and they seem to be a bit inconsistent with the items they stock. We’ll try something new, fall in love with it, buy it for 6 months or so… then it’s just gone one day.

They’ve gotten a little better, but I think what we have been dreading is true – they are no longer carrying the Nueva Cocina Mexican Rice Mix – something that has become a staple in our “Mexican” dinner nights.

At first, the shelf for the rice was empty, but the tag was still there. So we figured they just needed to stock it. But then, we kept checking for a month or two, and it was never stocked. Then last time, the tag was gone.

We’re pretty upset..

How silly, right? Why don’t we try something else, or even try to make it ourselves? I’m sure we will resort to that if we must. It’s just that when you buy a product, and you really start to love it, you hate to replace it.

For now, we’ll probably search a few other grocery stores, or maybe even buy it on amazon (which seems very, very strange to me).

Update: I just got back from shopping at Target, and guess what? They stopped carrying our favorite stick margarine, Imperial. I wonder what Steven will say about this… Oh, and P.S. I stopped at two other grocery stores and didn’t find our rice mix. Wah!

Comments (17)

By kilax, November 28, 2008 10:25 am

Do you use coupons?

A few weeks ago on the train, I saw a woman spend an hour organizing coupons into a little plastic box. She had all these ads out, as well as her scissors, and was cutting and filing away. I was intimidated by the amount of coupons she had – it must have been hundreds!

I don’t go out of my way to obtain coupons. If one comes in the mail that I think I’ll use, I hold on to it. I look through the Sunday coupons to see if there are any for products we already use, and I save those. But that’s about it.

But I know there are whole websites and clubs devoted to using coupons to maximize savings. I know for some it is a hobby! Are any of you in that group?

Comments (13)

By kilax, October 25, 2008 8:17 am

I was at New York & Company on Wednesday, and I really, really, really wanted to buy this sweater (below). But I resisted, because I bought a bunch of sweaters last Saturday at Kohl’s.

New York & Company “City Style Wide Turtleneck”

I love the “wide turtleneck” neckline on this sweater though.

For some reason, I’m attracted to unique necklines – like this one above, or the square neck below (which I did end up buying in two colors. It was only $8.50 after the discount and my coupon. $8.50!!! Each!!!)

New York & Company “City Style Square Neck Sweater”

I also really like the “cowl neck,” which I didn’t realize was a style until I saw in on the New York & Company website when I was looking up the “Wide Turtleneck” Top.

New York & Company “City Style Cowl Neck Top”

I have this (below) “cowl neck” top at home in a few different colors. When I find a clothing item like, I tend to buy it in 2 or 3 colors. Does anyone else do that?

A cheapo top from Sears I have in FOUR colors! (this green, plum, black and pumpkin orange)

I also really like turtlenecks (they keep my neck so warm!) and V-necks because they “draw attention to your waistline and elongates the neck.”

I think unique necklines dress up otherwise ordinary tops, making them a little more… feminine. I tried finding a list online of different necklines to try, and this is the best I found.

Do you stick to one neckline, or do you try a few different things?

Comments (11)

By kilax, September 21, 2008 8:11 am

I must say that I loved suze’s post “discovering my inner fashionista” – probably because I am thinking around the same lines right now. Please read it when you get the chance.

Suze writes about how she never thought fashion was accessible to herself, being a larger woman. She disregarded it and considered those concerned with fashion to be “vapid and shallow.”

But then she realized that there were fashionable pieces available to her. She started taking more time in her appearance, and realized that her size didn’t matter. Taking care of her image made her feel better, overall.

I can’t believe how close this is to what I am feeling. I ignored fashion, and wore the same slacks and button-down shirts for more than a year – just because I was overweight and didn’t feel like taking care of myself.

Once I started eating healthy and exercising, something just clicked in me, and I wanted to start dressing nicer, wearing my hair nicer, and being more coordinated in general. I find myself picking up fashion magazines, actually LOOKING at the ads and fashion spreads and magazines, and imaging how certain outfits would look on me.

And like suze, I thought all of this was ridiculous, vain and shallow. But now I realize how much better it makes me feel to be “put together.” I understand impressing other people isn’t the only reason to care about how you look – it’s really about feeling good being yourself. Yes, I want the my colleagues and clients to think I look decent, but putting more effort into myself… makes me a better version of myself. I am more confident and more cheerful.

Even as I write this, I feel a little uneasy. I think that’s because caring about fashion goes against everything I have programmed myself to believe, as a larger woman. But I am ready to fight that. Thanks for sharing it too, suze.

(Unfortunately, “caring about fashion/style” hasn’t been easy on my pocket book! I’ve even added a new “fashion” category here, so I can start sharing some of my favorite fashion items with you)

Comments (13)

By kilax, June 4, 2008 1:47 pm

You know when you are just starting a new job, and want to look your best? You wear all of your most professional clothes, and get up early each day to do your hair and/or makeup just perfect?

Ha.

Apparently, I am SO over that. I’ve worked at my job a little over a year. And I think I’ve become comfortable.

I’ve turned into a schlump. And if that isn’t a word, I mean I’ve turned a bit… sloppy? Casual? I’ve given up trying?

I still dress to impress when I’m meeting with clients. But I never wear heels to work anymore. I almost always wear my hair in a ponytail. I almost always wear some button-down shirt, untucked, with pants (never jeans).

I look unprofessional.

It’s time to start caring again.

I’m getting a haircut on Saturday, so that’s a start… but where do I go to buy professional clothes, for someone a bit “larger” and not break the bank?

Because when you look like crap, it affects your attitude too.