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?

  

Sale Alert- Tillys.com

To all my American readers, I wanted to wish you a happy Thanksgiving.  I hope you have a wonderful holiday!  And for my American readers, we also know that with Thanksgiving comes a lot of great sales.  With all the pre-black Friday alerts hitting my inbox, I've already been online shopping like crazy!  

That's why I wanted to tell you about the best deal I've found so far.  Tilly's is having a 50% off sale merchandise promotion with free shipping on all orders-no minimum!!!  Their sale prices are inexpensive to begin with, and after the discount, there are accessories for just $2-$3, tee shirts and sandals for just $5.  I tend to not buy online unless I get free shipping, so, I jump at sales like these.  If you are not familiar with the store, Tilly's is a sort of skater/surfer shop.  They sell brands such as Roxy and Oneil.  Because of the laid-back beachy vibe, I particularly like shopping this site for swimsuits and sundresses.  Here are a couple items I really liked but did not end up buying:

These open oxfords were only $10 after the discount! I saw a similar pair for $25 at Forever 21 just last weekend.

 These adorable sandals were only $8..unfortunately they only had a size 10.

This fringed backpack was just $10. Nice!
  
They also have lots of cute little rings and necklaces that would make great stocking-stuffers and they carry men's and children's clothing as well, for those of you who are shopping for Christmas gifts.

Although this sale does feature some current season items like sweaters, flannels, and boots, the best deals to are to be found on off-season items.  For all my savy shoppers, it is time to stock up on cute sale items for spring and summer!  If you are someone who has a good feel for trends, you can easily rack up basics and trendy items that will still be cool into the next year.  I always shop this way, and it saves me tons of money.  I saw many items that I liked, but ended up restraining myself to the absolute best bargains.  I ended up buying two cute summer dresses by Full Tilt that were only $5.99 each! Since this is my first time buying from Tilly's I'll do a post about the experience and the items I bought, so look out for that some time soon.     

So, have you found any amazing deals/sales yet?  Do you plan on shopping on Thanksgiving, Black Friday, or Cyber Monday?

For my international readers, does your country have any big shopping days like Black Friday in the US? 

Bargain Brag-Cherry Red Doc Martens

While in Ross last week, I spied a really cool pair of cherry red army boots from afar.  They looked like high-quality shoes.  I was trying to tell myself I don't need a pair of red army boots as I picked them up and discovered they were genuine Doc Martens... 

AND THEY WERE ONLY $19.99! 

I have never owned a pair of Doc's before, but I knew they are never that cheap.  I couldn't believe my eyes.  They had two other styles in my size, all priced the same, so I knew it was no mistake.  Suddenly I realized I NEEDED a pair of red army boots! (haha) They just looked so cool, I had to have them.  And when I tried them on...SOLD!  If you never tried on a pair of Doc Martens before, they have to be the most comfortable shoes ever!  I can't believe my good luck.

Here are some cool Red Doc Martens looks.

  

Diary of a Cheapo- Freebies!

For the past two years I have been buying Christmas wrap at the after Christmas sale at "Dollar Tree" which is a store where all items are only one dollar.  Once Christmas is over, all the Christmas stuff is 50% off...in other words 50 cents! I stock up on rolls of gift wrap, gift bags, boxes, gift tags, tissue, ribbon, etc.  Then I pack it away for the next year.  I enjoy wrapping gifts beautifully, but I prefer to get the same pretty results while spending more money on gifts, and less on wrapping paper that will end up in the trash anyway.

While I was racking up on my Christmas items for next year, I noticed that the dollar store actually had cough drops that I had a $1.00 off coupon for, meaning that they were free with the coupon!  I have been getting lots of free samples lately, and the companies often send coupons along with the sample.  So, Cepacol sent me a free sample of cough drops, and a coupon that ended up getting me a free full-size pack of the cough drops! How great is that? I'd much rather spend my money on pretty clothes or makeup than waste it on cough drops when I'm sick.

Then, yesterday I opened the door and saw a package with my name on it.  Since I wasn't waiting on any order, I was so curious what it could be.  It turned out to be a full-sized pack of Simple facial wipes courtesy of Glamour Magazine.  According to the card, they sent it because I had used their Facebook app. Wow, what an awesome unexpected gift! I might do a review of these when I try them, so stay tuned.

Bargain Brag-Franklin Mills Mall

I stopped at Franklin Mills Mall yesterday searching for some Christmas gifts and found two really great deals I couldn't pass up.

In Marshall's, I found this adorable yet basic royal blue skater dress with splits in the shoulders.

There were a few more left in this style in sizes small and medium in a lighter shade of blue, teal, and coral. The dress has belt loops for a skinny belt. 

The color I bought is a deep true royal blue, it looks a little lighter in my picture, due to the flash.  The fabric is soft, thick, and stretchy.

I got this on clearance for only $5.00!!!

Some ideas for how to style this dress using items from my wardrobe.

blue dress ideas by artaslife featuring yves saint laurent



At Rue 21, I got this belt... FOR ONLY $1!

I have a soft spot for woven ethnic print items because they remind me of the time I spent in Guatemala.

I thought it would go with this denim boho dress that I have, for a casual breezy summer look.

(lol-Don't mind my ice cream cone!)

Ideas on how to incorporate the belt with items I already own.

summer boho by artaslife featuring wood earrings

Bargain Brag- Marshall's

I should be looking for Christmas gifts...but I found this great sweater at Marshall's!  It is from American Eagle and only cost $14.99. Wow! 

I'm thinking it will be nice paired with my jade jeans.

Sweater: Marshall's

Jeans: Forever 21

Shoes: Forever 21

Bargain Brag- Mandee

Some Awesome Buys I recently got from Mandee

Who doesn't love a bargain??? I am obsessed with getting a good deal, and I get great joy from knowing that I got something good for way less than it cost most people! So I want to occasionally share the best bargains I find, both on the web and here in Philadelphia.  I purchased these items about two weeks ago, but in the future, I'll try to post sooner.

Mandee is a junior's store, mostly here in the Northeast US (PA, NJ, NY).  They have cute clothes, but I generally find them to be higher priced than other juniors stores like Forever 21, but not higher quality.  There is a Mandee near the Ross that I shop at often, so once in awhile, I'll check it out too.  One thing I always get deals on in Mandee is ACCESSORIES! I've found really pretty belly rings for a couple dollars, jewelry for $2 and less, and once I even got some full size nail polishes for 70 cents each.

On this particular occasion, all of the clearance was an additional 25% off of already low clearance prices, so I got some pretty amazing deals. 

Inspired by recent issues of Vivi magazine, I had been looking for one of these collar necklaces on Ebay. Most were around $10 and shipped from China. I found this one on sale for $5.00 meaning I paid only $3.75 after the additional 25% off!

Clearance priced at 99 cents, I got these sparkly little animal print studs for only 75 cents!!!! And since there are so many, I plan on giving a few pairs to my sister...not bad for less than a buck!

Finally, I got this braided black and silver bead cuff bracelet for only 75 cents!!! 

These prices were pretty extraordinary for this store, but Mandee is definitely worth checking out.  You can hit a good sale occasionally, especially on accessories. The location where is got these sales is:

 Mandee - Northeast Tower, PA

4640-60 E. Roosevelt Blvd. Philadelphia, PA 19124

What's the best deal you've gotten lately?