Forever21.com Haul/Christmas Gifts

Late on Thanksgiving night my sister alerted me to a really awesome "Black Friday" sale on Forever21.com.  All of the redline merchandise was an additional 50% off and shipping was free on all orders.  They had tons of great stuff on sale, and when all was said and done, both my sister and I had each bought about $65 worth of sale items from the site.  Since it was about to be Christmas, we decided that we would just be lazy and pay for each other's orders and exchange these items as "gifts" with my family on Christmas.  Here are the things that I chose:

Quilted Faux Leather Bomber- $9.00

This was my favorite purchase from this haul.  I love the 90's style, it fits well, and it will make a great jacket for transitioning from winter into spring.  I always get nice jackets on sale from Forever 21.

 Varsity 33 Sweatshirt-$6.99

This blue sweatshirt is comfy and cozy, but still cute.  I've already worn it a couple of times on nights in with friends.

 Faux Leather Front Top-$4.99

This was the item I liked the least from this haul.  I bought this thinking it was great for an edgier more dressed up version of jeans and a T-shirt.  It's ok, considering it cost just $4.99, but I just don't especially love it.

 

"C" Initial Cell phone charm- 50 cents

I'm a sucker for cell phone accessories.  This blinged out "C" was an awesome deal!

Quilted Shoulder Black Tee- $5.49

I was definitely on a quilting/faux leather kick that night I ordered.  I love this one.  It is a basic with a little extra pop of style.  I just wonder how well it will wash...

Striped Dolman Tee-$4.99

Another great basic piece, and while it looks bit boxy on the hanger, I really like the fit.  It lays really nicely.

Studded Cross Tee-$4.49

This is another "dressed up casual" piece with a nice fit.

Window-pane Sweater-$6.99

I love this one.  It fits great and looks so stylish on!  It will work through winter and transition into early spring, too!

Studded-shoulder sweatshirt-$6.99

This is a more fitted sweatshirt for that girly embellished sweatshirt look. The fit makes it great for with jeans or a little skater skirt.

 Zippered Floral Skinny Jeans-$8.49

These have a short inseam that fits me great.  I think the floral print will make them pretty for spring and summer.

I noticed that "Andystyle", a beautiful fashion blogger that I follow, incorporated these same jeans in two of her recent looks.  (You can check those out here and here.)

Striped Skater Skirt-$3.99

I love skater skirts, stripes, and anything cheap, so this skirt is absolutely perfect for me!

Also, I thought I'd include some other Christmas gifts I got in with this post...

The Naked 3 Palette was #1 on my wishlist! 

 I got this pretty TIGI eye shadow and liner set from a friend. 

 A cute and inspiring Tee from Old Navy.

 Some lotion.

A really cute 10 pack of OPI mini polishes in classic colors. 

So, what was the best gift that you got lately?

  

Bargain Brag: Stocking Stuffer Edition

I recently scored this haul of beauty products during CVS Drugstore's winter beauty clearance.  CVS was offering 50-75% off of selected merchandise, so I racked up on inexpensive beauty products that make great stocking stuffers!

 After the 75% discount, these NYC eye palettes were just $1.25 each!  They even come with primer and highlighter. 

The 75% off made these NYC nail polishes only 25 cents each.  These four colors were on sale.  I bought ten bottles in all.   

These Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro polishes were a steal!  They came to $1.12 after the 75% off, but I also had $1 off coupons for Rimmel, meaning I paid only 12 cents per bottle!!!  

This entire CVS haul only cost me $5.90.  I bought these about one week ago, but, if you hurry, you might be able to find some clearance bargains still lingering at your local CVS.  

Even better than cheap beauty hauls are freebies.  All of these items in the above picture were completely free!

I got the Suave lotion for free through a Suave Facebook Giveaway.

The body spray is by "Essence of Beauty" which is CVS's store beauty brand.  I got this for free for liking the CVS Minute clinic page.

I found these Nivea lotions at Dollar Tree for $1, and I happened to have $1 off Nivea lotion coupons, making both of them free for me.

I plan to give all of these items as gifts.  I am going to make up little bags of goodies to share with a few friends who I usually don't exchange gifts with.  I like how sale items allow me to stretch my money further and show my friends I was thinking of them during the holidays.

So, what goodies are you planning on giving as stocking stuffers this Christmas?

  

Christmas Decor on a Budget

Low Cost Holiday Decorating Ideas

This is my first year in a new apartment.  I was so excited to finally create my very own Christmas decor from scratch!  I wanted to make my place feel festive, without spending a fortune.  So, I thought I'd show you how I made it a very Merry Christmas for my home and my wallet.  

This is the only item I did not buy this year.  I bought this adorable ten-inch tree and its trimmings in a craft store when I was 15.  It has been a part of my holidays ever since. 

This poinsettia garland from Dollar Tree was only $1, and adds a pretty touch to my front door.

I added 3 of these glittery snowflake window clings to each of the mirrors in my entryway. They proved difficult to photograph, but in person, they add a subtle holiday sparkle to the mirrors that are a regular fixture in my living room. I got the entire pack of 9 for just 89 cents at 89 Cents Direct.

This mosaic glass vase is also part of my everyday decor.  I added a touch of Christmas with these red velvet poinsettias from Dollar Tree.  

My sister collects nutcrackers.  She has all shapes and sizes.  This little guy is her newest addition. (Dollar Tree-$1)

I created this shiny centerpiece for my coffee table with a glass vase and ornaments from Dollar Tree.  It cost a total of $2 to make.  If you have extra glass vases or bowls and extra Christmas balls, this is also a great way to re-purpose items you already own!  

I plan to use this vase to store nail polish after the holidays are over.   

This 6ft artificial tree pre-lit with clear lights was only $35 at Family Dollar, but there was also an extra 25% off when I bought it, making my tree only about $27!  

The tree trim is almost exclusively from Dollar Tree.  I also got a pack of 6 disco ball style ornaments from 89 Cents Direct. 

This glittery gold filigree star tree-topper compliments my tree perfectly. Can you believe it? I found it at Dollar Tree for only $1 as well!   

I bought various packs of Christmas balls, 2 five-packs of glitter bows in red and gold, and four strings of poinsettia garland.  In total I spent about $15 on all the tree trimmings! (That includes topper and skirt.) 

My sister and I really wanted to add the trendy ribbon trim we have seen around.  I found this gold with poinsettia wire-trimmed ribbon for 50 cents a roll at Dollar Tree!  We used 2 rolls, and only spent $1!  

Dollar Tree was by far the best place I found for low priced ornaments.  While shopping for Christmas tree items, I visited Target, Kmart, and Walmart.  The prices were much higher than Dollar Tree for the same and similar items! This is true even with those large boxes of Christmas balls that they sell.  Because you are buying a lot, I expected them to be cheaper than the five and ten packs from Dollar Tree, but when you do the math, that is simply not the case. 

The only bad thing about shopping for Christmas decor at Dollar Tree is that there is less choice as far as color and styles.  I had a red and gold color scheme in mind for my tree, and luckily, they had many items in these very traditional colors.  If you were looking to do an unconventionally-colored tree, you might not find what you needed in Dollar Tree.  Also, I stuck to classic balls and ornaments that came five to fifteen per pack.  If you want the larger or more stand-out ornaments, or you have a very full tree, you will pay more.  

Even the tree skirt is from Dollar Tree!!!   

I bought this nutcracker for my sister for $2 at Walmart. 

My holiday decor definitely gives my modern-styled apartment Christmas spirit and a more homey feel.  And I'm proud of the fact that the price for all of it was around $50.  Now, I have more money to spend on Christmas gifts!  

Merry Christmas to all my readers who celebrate.  Have you bought any new Christmas decor this year? What trends and colors do prefer?  Do you go for bargains, DIY, or high-end Christmas style?   

Bargain Brag: H&M Jewelry Haul

While out Christmas shopping, I spotted some great jewelry deals at H&M.  They had lots of marked down items, and there were many for only $1!  I racked up on some cute jewelry for myself, as well as some that I plan to give as gifts to friends.  When I went to the register, I discovered the deal was even sweeter-THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL 30% ON SALE ITEMS!  That made the dollar items I had found only 70 cents each.  I bought a total of 10 items and paid only $8.90. 

 All of these rings were only 70 cents each...I grabbed this drapey 2 finger ring, a set of 4 pearl rings, a set of 3 rings that includes a spiky ring, and a thick chain ring, all in gold tone.

I grabbed these two-toned feather earrings as a gift for my sister.

I got these skin and nail tattoos that feature small black outline shapes. I really like these!

I also go this set of three bracelets that I think will make a nice stocking stuffer.

 I got these 3 necklaces.  A pretty one with rhinestone hearts, an eagle necklace, and one with rivets.

 Marked at $3, the eagle necklace was my most expensive pick.  After the discount, it came to an extravagant $1.90! haha.  I really wanted one of these when they were so trendy last year!  I like the modest size (and price) of this one.  Athough the huge ones were infinitely cooler, this one is a lot more wearable for me. 

So, have you snagged any good deals while Christmas shopping? What is on your jewelry wishlist this holiday season?