Saving At Planet Blue

What’s better than shopping at one of our favorite boutiques? Shopping at one of our favorite boutiques while everything is on sale. This weekend at the Planet Blue Montana location in Santa Monica, Ca, everything in store was 50% off or more. I received an email after subscribing at shopplanetblue.com and I jumped at the opportunity to take advantage of the huge savings. I love the brands that PB carries such as Jen’s Pirate Booty, Blu Moon, Blue life, Novella Royale, WildFox, Rebel Yell, Mara Hoffman, Free People, Stone Cold Fox, and more. PB carries relaxed and casual beachy and boho staples that are perfect for a laid back lifestyle and that embodies the spirit of sunny California. The sale included everything by Blu Moon for $45, everything by Blue Life for $35, all jeans for $50 (only during a three “happy” hour period), and everything else for 50% off. Additionally, if we either liked their Facebook page or tagged the store on Instagram, they took an another 10% off the entire purchase total. Jeans that normally retail for $200+, I scored for over 75% off. I walked away with perfect summer must-haves.

Summer Lovin’ Dress (can’t get enough of these) by Blu Moon. V-Neck Bell Sleeve Short Dress by Blu Moon.

Easy Breezie Blazeer in Fuschia by Blu Moon. Halter Cutout High Low Dress by Blue Moon. Andes Shirt Tail Hem Blouse by Rory Beca.

Tie-Dye Shorts with Grommets by Blue Life. Nancy Shorts by Novella Royale. 3 pairs of The Looker Skinny Jean by Mother (love the fit and the perfect light-weight material).

There are several three other Southern California locations and I’m sure each store will have a similar sale, so there still may be an opportunity to take advantage and save.

Saving On A Lapis Bib Necklace

Isn’t it awesome when we find something somewhere for less? I have been loving bib-style necklaces and blue lapis, and for some time I have been eying the Treasure Blue Piccas Necklace on sale at Planet Blue (http://shopplanetblue.com/treasure-blue-piccas-necklace-5283). It’s a great piece, but not a great price of $95. I did; however, find a very similar, almost identical necklace for $42 on Ebay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/TRIBAL-LAPIS-OVERSIZED-BIB-FESTOON-NECKLACE-/251257945638?pt=Fashion_Jewelry&hash=item3a8023fe26). Free shipping and no tax!

Saving At The Dessert Hills Premium Outlets

What’s the best top designer outlet mall in California? The Dessert Hills Premium Outlets is the absolute destination for designer deals. This mall is located in Cabazon California, about 20 minutes from Palm Springs, heading back towards Pasadena, which is about another hour away. The mall has about 130 outlet stores, including designer labels such as Gucci, Burberry, Yves Saint Laurant, Jimmy Choo, Marni, Dolce and Gabbana, Bottega Veneta, Diane Von Furstenberg. There are so many shops, so it’s difficult to browse every store, but I usually park in the East Wing, which includes all of the stores just mentioned as well as the Nike Factory Store, BCBG Max Azria, Kate Spade New York, Theory, Michael Kors,Tory Burch, Polo Ralph Lauren, Barneys New York, James Perse and Lacoste. I have never failed to find some great designer deals during every visit, snagging items that range from 30-80% off retail prices. In addition to finding items from pasts season, many of the outlet stores also carry current season styes, such as the classic Burberry trench coats or designer bags. My bf was able to order a brand new YSL Muse bag for me, currently retailing in department stores for 30% more. The Nike Outlet Store had the Free Runs 3 in Liquid Lime that I was searching for forever that are no longer available anywhere in stores that I found along with some retro-style runners, new socks, and a dri-fit workout tank. I purchased a new black leather Max Azria belt for over 60% off, and some awesome Kate Spade headphones that I was eyeing a month ago but couldn’t resist getting at 40% off. What’s even better than saving at the outlet, are the additional Easter holiday sales that discount already discounted items. The outlets also offer great customer service, that will assist us in locating items at other outlet stores, will ship items if we decide we want shipped to us (after leaving the store, that may not fit in our luggage, or for conveniency), or will give us business cards for any future inquiries or questions. Seeing the prices at the outlets almost makes me not want to purchase anything at retail prices again… Well, I did say almost.

Feeling Gilty?

How many flash sale sites are there on this World Wide Web? Many of us are “members” of sites like Hautelook, Rue La La, and Gilt, just to name a few. We can browse sales for specific brands, categories or styles. It’s interesting that now with the internet and technology, we no longer have to go to a store to take advantage of sales, sales now come to us via our desktops, laptops, iPads and even cell phones that we usually carry with a death grip at all times that bing or chirp of vibrate when we receive emails or notifications of something to purchase at a discount for a specified amount of time. The Gilt app on my iPhone notifies me at 9am every weekday morning of their sale and if I’m feeling “Gilty,” I’ll take a quick peek, but I have to make sure that don’t feel guilty after I hit that so easily accessible “buy” icon. Since items in our carts only remain “on hold” in our carts for 15 minutes, these sites use the tactic of preying on our emotional response to act quickly before another shopper snatches it up and if the item is that sought after, it usually does sell out fast. I try not to get suckered into this type of mentality, and will wait, often telling myself that I can be added to the “wait list” in case an items becomes available and often times, if that notice comes I would have either received a pleasant surprise or have gotten over the item and had time to think about if the item was something I really need.

One day while browsing the Gilt app, I committed to buying a pair of cream snake pumps by Casadei for $249 from $660, which is almost 2/3 off original retail for these pumps. These prices almost make me not want to ever pay full price for designer shoes. I did say almost… there may be times a pair is too irresistible to wait until a sale or a better deal. These pumps; however, were definitely something that didn’t make me feel guilty after purchasing. Do you have a favorite flash sale site?

Saving At The Pasadena Rose Bowl Flea Market

Where do droves of bargain hunters flock to when we want to find a deal for some of the most unique items in town? Every second Sunday of each month, like bees to nectar, we go swarm to the Pasadena Rose Bowl Flea Market in the tens of thousands. Admission is $8 starting at 9am, but if we’re feeling hard core and want to get express admission from 8am-9am the price to get in is $10. If we’re feeling super hard core, early admission from 7am-8am will cost us $15. If we are just in a serious savings craze and do not require sleep or sunlight to shop, VIP admission is $20 for special preview 5am admission. Even if we don’t end up buying anything, the experience is one of a kind, just like many of the items for sale or for bid, and the experience is worth the price of admission. The greatest thing about a flea market is the ability to talk down prices and score some really great deals, especially when vendors are packing up and heading out in the late afternoon. Our likes and interests always very, but there is something (sometimes least expected) out there for all of us. There is a lot we can learn from a trip to this flea market, such as realizing never to buy t-shirts from Disneyland ever again. The same exact shirts sold at the Disney Store for $50.00 is priced at $15 (or less if you buy more than one). We can also get ideas for do it yourself projects if we’re crafty enough. Also, people who know how to make jewelry, can often make things we see at a retail store for a fraction of the price. What’s also fantastic about the market is the sense of community. While meeting shop owners, vendors, and local artists, we are able to support the people who are trying to make it in this world full of big businesses and commercial stores. Vendors are also not usually shy about where to find them again, such as other markets they go to (more places to score great finds) and can educate us personally about where their products come from, the materials those products are made of, or how something is made. A lot of jewelry, artwork, and novelty items are handmade and even when something is not in our minds to buy a particular day, we have an option to grab a business card in case we ever want that lighted sign, oil painting of our dog, or image printed on wood that we browsed at the market and decided later we just can’t live without. The best shoppers know; however, that even though we have set aside some cash to blow, the best savings is to walk away with cash in our pockets when we haven’t quite found exactly what we were looking for. Not spending unnecessarily on items that will never be use is smart shopping. At this month’s flea market, I spent less than twenty dollars (including admission) and have two new cross knuckle rings to show for it.

How much? Come on Eileen…

How much would you save if you just waited to compare pricing elsewhere? It doesn’t hurt checking, and here’s the perfect example. I am in the midst of updating some furniture and when deciding on accent tables for the living room, I discovered that the perfect ones in a retail store would have cost almost 4 times more than what I actually paid had I not kept this question in mind.. The same Eileen Gray Stainless Steel Adjustable Table was $399.00 at Room & Board, not including CA sales tax and add a delivery fee ($150.00 flat delivery fee). The cost of the tables with tax and delivery would have been $1,017.83; however, I did a quick online Google search of “Eileen Gray table” and clicked on the “Shopping” tab, and sorted from lowest price to highest and I was able to purchase the table tables on Overstock.com for $195.80, which included tax and free shipping. I saved myself $822.03 for 1 minute of going online and checking for price comparisons. There was another site that sold the table for slightly less, but I have shopped at Overstock.com before for brand name items and found site to be reputable. I also prefer free or minimal shipping charges on online items because although the table might have been priced lower, at $65.00 for example, the shipping could be $30.00, which equaled more or less what I was paid. If I decided on returning the item; however, I wouldn’t get my money back on the $30 paid to ship it. There are always great deals, sales, clearance items for online stores a click away. It’s always great to find something similar for less because it’s out of budget. What’s even better is actually getting that exact same thing for way less, allowing you to have a budget for something else you may be eying.

Must Have Jewelry Armoire

Have you ever thought of something you wished some one made, and then found out someone actually made it? Well, this mirror with jewelry armoire by Mirrortek is an example of just that happening to me.
I used to store my jewelry in a drawer with dividers and jewelry boxes. I often found that my necklaces ended up getting tangled or kinked and I had to spend time polishing things that were stored laying down instead of hanging. I also ended up forgetting about pieces, like stud earrings, because they are so small, and with so many stored in a little box or space, I’d have to jumble things around to find the matching pair, and it wasn’t even worth the time in some instances.
I tried looking for cute things that could assist me in a better system for organizing my jewelry. I found options like cute necklace stands or ring holders, but I always ran into the problem of where to hang really long necklaces, where to find a place to put a stand, and I’d still have to look for separate solutions for each category of jewelry.
I have a long mirror in my bathroom that opens up to shelves that house toiletries the length of the mirror. I love it, it saves a ton of space. I thought, I wish some one made something like this, but for jewelry. I went on Ebay, and behold, I found the mirror that was everything I envisioned and more. This mirror is made in different colors (I chose white), and it can also be hung over a door if wall mounting isn’t an option. This is the perfect size for me, is pretty inexpensive, and has tons of hanging space (with options for different necklace lengths), 12 little storage compartments for things that can’t hang (like watches, cuffs and chunky rings), and slots for rings, earrings (all types: hoops, clips, studs), and bracelets. Everything is at eye level, and there is even a small mirror on the inside. I also already had perfect place on the wall where I wanted it. This is probably somewhere in my top 3 best Ebay finds ever.
On sale at Mirrortek.com for $150.00 +tax and shipping. Or, you can get yours for less on Ebay for $130 (tax included), with free shipping. Use search words type in “mirror jewelry armoire,” and sort by Price + Shipping: lowest to highest. You can also submit a best offer to seller: kcsclocksandstuff, and see if you can barter for a better deal. This seller looks really reputable, its always good to check feedback from who or where you purchase from. It’s also nice to have a return option, but sometimes, the return shipping can be a little pricey for something this large, so you might want to be sure you want it before bidding. Take it from me, I’m sure you will love it!

Cure Your Wallet With At Home Gelicures

How much would you save if you were to do your manicures at home? My local nail salon charges $50 for one Gel Manicure. In one year, I would save $1,200 in manicures alone if I just did them myself at home.
I have been getting my nails done since I was a pre-teen, and tried every type of manicure and full set from acrylic with and with out a fake nail, silk, pink and white powder, and gel polish. My nails have always been brittle and polish would always chip in days, if not hours of getting a regular manicure. I have always liked a natural looking nail, so I found that gel polish looks the most natural, works the best for my active lifestyle, and doesn’t run the risk of ruining my nails. I found silk, acrylic, and other powders use harsh buffers, chemicals, and/or methods to take off a full set and destroys my already thin nails. The gel manicure uses a set of polishes that cures under a light, there is no drying time when all is done, and the polish lasts at least two weeks.
When the girl who usually does my nails left on vacation, I wasn’t very satisfied with the other nail technicians at the salon, so I looked into what it would take to get all of the equipment and what it would cost me. After many times of witnessing how to do a gel manicure from a professional and researching the products, I thought I would share a step by step process of everything you will need to know to do a gelicure at home with the same salon outcome.
Since these products aren’t usually sold in regular drug or beauty stores, I used trusty Ebay to buy everything. The brand name that I trust, because that is what is used at the salon, is Gelish. The following products are what I purchased: LED 18W curing light ($75), Gelish Ph Bond ($10), Foundation ($10), Polish (Color) ($9), Structure ($13), Nail Art Brush ($2), Top Coat ($10), Nail Surface Cleanse ($8), Cuticle Oil Pen ($12 from Sephora), and Soak Off Liquid ($8). Everything you will need will cost around $160.00, more of less. Everything will vary depending on which Ebay store you purchase from and the curing light you chose which can range from $30 up to $250, the higher end would be what they use in the salon. You could probably opt for a cheaper lamp. I chose an LED light in the middle price range, because I like the auto timer system and the fact that it turns on automatically with you put your fingers (or toes) in, but didn’t think I needed to buy a commercial grade light. UV lights are also something we should all stay away from.
After you do the norm of removing old polish, clipping, filing and lightly buffing your nails, cleaning- up, cutting, and pushing back your cuticles, and washing your hands so your nails are clean, you are ready to start painting. I do one hand at a time. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Paint with Ph Bond
2. Paint with Gelish Foundation and cure under light for 90 seconds
3. Add structure with nail art brush (this is optional, helps with strengthening nails so there’s no bending or chipping, but not necessary) and cure for 90 seconds
4. Paint Gelish Polish (color of your choice) and cure for 90 seconds after each coat. I usually do two solid coats and three if I want to add a coat of glitter
5. Paint with Top Coat and cure for 90 seconds
6. Use a cotton ball or tissue with Nail Surface Cleanse to remove any residue and your nails
7. Treat Cuticles with Cuticle Oil

In order to take of the gel polish after two weeks, you will need to soak a part of a cotton ball in the soak off liquid (just enough to cover your nail), lay the soaked cotton ball on your nails and wrap in foil (leave on for 10 minutes). The color will lift of, and you can use a cuticle tool to lightly scrape off all of the old polish. I do one hand at a time. In my opinion, soaking your fingers in nail polish remover can be extremely harsh so despite this liquid costing $8, it keeps your nails healthy.

Save your nails, save some money, and your pretty nails and wallet will thank you. With all the money you save, maybe you can use it towards a new wallet.