NYC Gifts from Fab.com – Make the City Your Valentine

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow, and for the procrastinators like myself, the dreary weather forecast is not boding well for our last-minute gifting. Though I’m sure that stores will be open in the city that never sleeps. City schools are open today, which pretty much dictates that NYC will be business as usual.

But, in a city of convenience it is all the more tempting to stay warm and cozy as the snow inches pile up. It’s looking very possible that cards will be homemade, and IOUs might be issued (in the form of printed online shopping confirmations, of course).

Fab.com has your back though. With fast shipping options, maybe your gift will make it to your Valentine by the end of the weekend (or sooner?). And with their adorable selection of NYC-centric gifts (swoon), I’m considering making myself my second Valentine. I’m super forgiving for late presents, especially of the NYC persuasion.

Here are some great gift ideas for your NYC lovers:

Cityscape Umbrella

New York City Steel Cut Map by Cut Maps

I Love NY More Than Ever Print by Milton Glaser

New York Magazine by Milton Glaser

New York Coaster Set by Common Rebels

New York JFK Tee by Pilot & Captain

I’m personally loving the umbrella and the steel cut map, for all of my Valentines out there. Stay warm and happy shopping!

Awkward and Awesome Thursday

AWKWARD

–          Somewhere in the past few weeks I stumbled upon this website called SoupNextDoor, which serves as forum for foodies to host dinners or tasting events, often in their own homes. Since I’m just getting in tune with my foodie tendencies I have to admit I’m intrigued, but every time I get an email from the website I feel creeped out at the thought of entering a stranger’s home for dinner. Am I alone? Is this concept weird? I plan to keep my eye out for interesting restaurant hosted events.

–          Comments are showing up in the backend of my blog, but not making it to the live site. What’s the deal, Blogger? At first I thought someone had commented and then deleted their comment, but after the third time I think it’s a techno error. So, if you comment and you’re not seeing your lovely words – I’m sorry! L

–          While I’m ranting about comments…it appears that people are reading Feel Good Foodies, but we’re 33 posts in and yet to receive our first comment. What’s up with that? Does our writing suck the big one? Do the recipes look gross? If you like talking about food, give us some feedback!

AWESOME

–          Please excuse this shameless pat on the back, but I’ve been going to a personal trainer and it’s paying off. I feel like I look exactly the same, but today my belt buckled on the last notch! Time for a new belt, and to keep up the good work! And to keep celebrating small victories I guess, because the more weight I lose the more purchasing a new Spring wardrobe is justified.

–          SALES. It’s Friends and Family season and I’m a happy camper. A few deals you can spot today:

o   Ann Taylor –  40% off everything with code FRIENDSAF, plus 2.5% cash back with Ebates. Expires 4/22

o   Lord & Taylor – 25% off select merchandise (almost everything) with code FRIENDS, plus 3% cash back with Ebates. Ends 4/23.

o   ASOS– 70% off the mid-season sale, no coupon code required, plus 3.5% cash back with Ebates. Ends 5/1.

o   Bobbi Brown Cosmetics – Friends & Family 20% savings plus free standard shipping with orders of $65 or more, and 4% cash back through Ebates. Expires today.

o   Theory– 25% off with code THEORYFF, and 3% cash back with Ebates. Expires 4/22.

Please share any other sales in the comments!

Happy almost Friday day, and happy shopping!

Tax Day Shopping

Happy Tax Day! I hope by now that everyone has filed their taxes and can take the short remainder of the weekend to relax (and maybe shop!). It seems that everywhere I turn there is a tax day sale going on.

I personally took the opportunity to stock up at Ricky’s, where they’re offering an extra 15% offpurchases of $20 or more. I bought my basic restocking haircare needs but also decided to indulge in a new color for my essie collection:

Essie – Geranium

I also did some major damage at J Crew’s factory sale this weekend. Did you do any Tax Day shopping?

SheMakes Holiday Festival in Review

Hello and happy Monday! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend – I know I did! Last week, I told you lovely readers about the SheMakes Holiday Festival, a gathering of 30+ female vendors, selling handmade goodies. I’m a sucker for handmade, so on Saturday I decided to leave my apartment while the sun was still up (a weekend rarity), and head down to Hudson Street to see what all the fuss was about.

I was slightly underwhelmed by the event – after attending the Renegade Craft Fair for the past couple of years, I was shocked at how small scale this event was. I could easily cover the whole room in 20 minutes. That said, there were a handful of vendors that did catch my eye, and three reasons that I’m very glad I went:

1. PeaceBOMB: This company makes bracelets and other jewelry and items out of metal from littered bombs in Laos, Vietnam from the Vietnam War. Read about the mission and impact of their effort here and here, and check out their shop. I’m obsessed.

2. MagPie: This vintage shop had GORGEOUS furs on display. I think I spent 15 minutes petting them and mentally fighting with my budget to try to make one fit. Alas, budget won and I had to walk away.

3. HaveToHave.com: I’m loving this registry website. The idea is similar to Pinterest – bookmark items you’re coveting, create lists, etc. The big difference that makes all the difference? Have to Have tells you when your favorite items go on sale! Also, they have a great export feature that makes you list look pretty and blog-embeddable. Check out some of my favorite items from SheMakes via this handy list:

How was your weekend? Did you get any holiday shopping done?

SheMakes Holiday Festival – This Saturday

I have a little secret: if you’re really trying to impress someone with a unique gift, I think handmade is the way to go. Ok, that’s more of my personal opinion than an actual secret, but so what?

I’ve been planning a handmade gift guide post for you, but haven’t yet been able to narrow down my list to select favorites. I’ve been bookmarking Etsy shops for weeks now! I promise this post will come soon – hopefully before the end of next week. In the meantime, I have some wonderful handmade news that will hold you over.

The Daily Musealong with Saatchi & Saatchi, 85Broads, and News on Women have teamed up to create the first ever SheMakes Holiday Festival. First, let me air my frustrations with them referring to it as the “first annual” festival. Something cannot be “first” and “annual” at the same time, people! Now that that is off my chest (Professor Earl would be proud), let me tell you about the event!

This Saturdayfrom 12-5 p.m. 30+ female vendors of all things handmade will gather at Saatchi & Saatchi’s New York office, to share their wares. Expect everything from food to fashion from up and coming entrepreneurial women! If you plan to attend, don’t forget to RSVP via the link below. Happy shopping!

Here is more info from The Daily Muse’s blog post:

• When: Saturday, December 3, from 12-5 PM. RSVP now and add it to your calendar!
• Where: Hosted by our partner Saatchi & Saatchi at 375 Hudson St, in NYC.
• Contact us about sponsorship or in-kind donations: If your company is interested in supporting female entrepreneurship, please email us at business@thedailymuse.com

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Are you ready for FNO?

********UPDATE***********
I’m not going to map out my night ahead of time, after all. But I WILL tweet my stops and let you know of any great deals along the way. Follow @ShopHappy on twitter for updates all night!
***************************Ok lovelies – Fashion’s Night Out is TOMORROW!

It completely crept up on me this year; I’m usually researching the sales and events a month out. I haven’t mapped out my plan of assault just yet – but I’m fairly sure I’m restricting myself to the SoHo area, strictly due to the convenient location of my office. For those of you looking to neighborhood hop, it looks like VW will be carting people up and down town in style.

Like I said, I usually take a very strategic approach to FNO, stalking the website and planning an itinerary that I print out like a fashionable nerd to check off my stops along the way. This year, there’s an android app to help! I don’t know if they had this last year, because my phone wasn’t as smart, but I’m completely amped to navigate the cocktails and sales while saving some trees.

So, I’ve just downloaded this app, and I will make my very last-minute blueprint to shopper happiness today. Expect the update tonight, but in the meantime please check out the sales so you can let me know what I miss! Don’t fret if you’re not in NYC, apparently FNO is a national event. Check the map here for events in your area. Not in the U.S., or just don’t feel like schlepping in the rain for some sales and booze? FNO is an online night of shopping fun as well.

Here’s a photo of my friend Vicky and me at last year’s FNO. I was able to snag the dress on Ideeli a few months later for only $100!

A Sample Sale Done Right

Brooklyn Industries knows how to hold a sample sale, they should write a protocol for the rest of the world to follow.

In celebration of the new store opening in DUMBO, BKI is holding a sweet sample sale through tomorrow. I ran over yesterday after work and snagged a badass coat, a military-looking blazer a cardigan, a t-shirt, tights AND a blazer for the boyfriend – all 6 items for the grand total of $120.

 

I think the highest priced item is $40 and they have some seriously good finds. They have price lists visible everywhere and the price is by article of clothing (t-shirts- $10, women’s outerwear $40 etc.)

 

If you’re in NYC over the weekend don’t miss this! 

 

 

Hello again

Please excuse the two-week hiatus. My computer broke and work has been pretty busy so lunch-time posting wasn’t exactly an option. I had to cut down on my sample-sale stalking and everything!

 

BUT I’ve been making a point to play catch up. I purchased a looovely Betsey Johnson dress and watch on ideeli last week.





And today I went to the Gilt City warehouse sale with my friend Alycia. I bought a skirt to wear to my birthday next week, and she bought a whole bunch of great items.


So there’s an update for you. I promise a more legitimate post this week 🙂 Sorry again for being absent/lazy!


Enjoy the rest of the weekend and happy shopping!!

Any Divas Out There?

If you’re not close to Atlanta, Miami, New York, San Francisco or Los Angeles, you’re missing out.

I want to share with you Social Diva, my fav resource for when my social life needs some estrogen fueled activities thrown into it. There are usually cocktails and shopping involved, so I’m usually more than happy!

Social Diva has been around since 2000, sharing exclusive event invitations, VIP access and what they call “Diva Deals” for the aforementioned cities. You can check their website for updates, but you’re better off signing up for their e-mails, you never know when a juicy event is going to pop up.

The most recent SD event I attended was Cocktails and Butt Sketches at Levi’s opening of their Meatpacking store.Everything was 30% off, there were delicious cocktails, and InStyle sponsored the event, providing booty sketches and gift bags with an impressive Style coffee-table book. I took full advantage of ALL of these things.

I’m keeping this post short and sweet – Christmas shopping in SoHo is calling!

I’m a LAZY Sample Sale Shopper

Everyone loves a good sample sale, right? Even though they’re a great way to save money on designer brands, I’ve come to find some extra anxiety involved shopping a sample sale.  Just read these tips from about.com, and you’ll have a good idea of how sample sale shopping compares to a regular trip to the mall.

That’s why sample sale websites are my godsend, and have been becoming more and more popular in the last few years. These websites, just like a regular sample sale, feature items from popular brands, at extreme discounts. Item quantities are limited and the sales usually only last for a few days at the most.

Some sample sale sites are “invite only,” mimicking the exclusivity of an in-person sale by, but many of these sites are revamping so anyone can join. It would be redundant to write about all of the sample sale sites out there, so here is a summary of the three I check every day:

• Ideeli – I find myself ordering most from Ideeli. Membership is free for “second row.” New sales start at noon each day, but if you upgrade to a first row membership you pay a small fee to shop the sales an hour earlier. They also have weekly giveaways. Sales are available for men, women, kids and home. A newer feature is IdealACCESS, which features local sales for Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.

• Gilt Groupe – These invitation only sales last for 36 hours. I love what they have for women, but this is my go-to site when I want to search for a gift for the boyfriend. They have Diesel often, and he loves Diesel. They also have children, home and travel sections. Most recently they opened a separate site called Gilt City (http://www.giltcity.com) which features local sales for Boston, Chicago, LA, Miami, New York and San Francisco.

• Rue La La – Membership to Rue La La is free and invite-only. Their “boutiques” are typically open from two to three days and feature all the same categories as Ideeli and Gilt Groupe. Their Local Picks are currently available in Boston and Seattle. And I just found out they have an Android and iPhone app (this may be a later blog post)!

The sites I check occasionally when the aforementioned three are not suiting my needs are:

• Beyond the Rack
• Editor’s Closet
• HauteLook

I also just registered for Swirl by Daily Candy (http://www.dailycandy.com). Pleasant surprise: they send you a $20 credit when you join!

And other sites I know of but have not looked into yet include:

• Glam List
• I Love Sample Sales
• Luxe Club One
• Planet Lulu
• The Savvy
• The Top Secret

If you’re brave, in NYC and looking to go to a sample sale, check out NY Mag’s Calendar to help locate some good ones.

Ok, this entry was superlong. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! Any questions? Any comments/advice on the sites? I would especially love to hear about the ones I haven’t checked out yet. Also, did I miss any?

 

If you want, send invite codes for the one’s I’m not on yet in comments 🙂

Happy Shopping!