The look for less

I've had my eye on these hand towels at Anthropologie for a while now, so when I saw ones that looked very similar at World Market for half the price, I jumped on them. WM also has 20% off bath towels right now, and I had a 10% off coupon on top of that! What a steal!

Fair and Square

I've been seeing the new JCPenney commercials and ads and they peaked my interest, so I decided to stop by a store and check them out. The styling in their ads and circulars looks super fresh and fun, and reminds me more of J Crew than what I've typically thought of from Penneys. (Wondering if it has anything to do with their new leadership.) If you're not familiar with their new pricing structure, here's how it works. I found the visit super pleasant: they've decreased the amount of merchandise on the walls and racks, so it feels a lot less crowded. And the addition of Sephora mini-stores in the center of the store is meant to attract a younger buyer. I picked up this coat and shirt: the coat/cape was $50, and the shirt was $11. I left very satisfied with the trip and will definitely be back!

Blue Velvet

Last weekend I picked up a chair that I had been eying for quite a while at World Market. I tested it out in the store, and thought it was really comfortable for the price, and I absolutely loved the color. About the same time I found the chair, I read that furniture oftentimes goes on sale in January to make room for the new stock, so I patiently waited a few months, and then checked after the holidays were over! And lo and behold, World Market was having a big sale on their furniture. I also had a 10% off coupon from signing up for their rewards program. It pays to wait!

Braving the Crowds for a Cute Coat?

I'm not usually one who will battle the crowds on Black Friday. But I've been thinking about getting a new winter coats, and in my research I stumbled upon some of the bright, fun coats that Old Navy has this winter. I saw in an ad they'll be 50% off on Black Friday. That just might make me venture out! Here are the ones I've been thinking about. All are around $30 on sale.

What about you? Do you venture out on Black Friday? Are the deals worth the hassle?

Shopping the Sales: Christmas Stockings

I looked everywhere for Christmas stockings last year for my daughter's first Christmas, but wasn't able to find anything that I liked for the price I wanted to pay. I knew I wanted matching stockings for the three of us, and I wanted them monogrammed. So this year, I started the hunt early. Yesterday, I got the holiday Lands' End catalog in the mail, and it included a code for 25% off any order plus free shipping. And when you order 3 stockings or more, they take $3 off each stocking. And monogramming is free! So I just picked up three monogrammed needlepoint stockings for $18 a piece with free shipping, which I think is a fantastic price for the quality of stockings we're getting. My husband's family had stockings like this growing up, so it's nice to carry on the tradition. I finally found stockings I like for the price I wanted to pay!

Surprise Find

I've been stalking this pillow for over a year, and had made up my mind just to buy it at full price since we're refreshing our master bedroom a bit and I thought the color would be perfect. So when I pushed my cart around the corner of the aisle at Target, and spotted my beloved pillow on sale for 50% off, my heart jumped! How sad is that? What can I say? I love a bargain!

See how cute the pillow looks here.

Shopping the Sales: Summer Clothes

There are some FANTASTIC sales on summer clothes right now, and with the forecast predicting a high of 108 degrees today, I'm not worried about having to break out fall gear any time soon. Talbots was having 50% off any of their markdowns, and Anthropologie was having a great sale too, so I picked up these three items for prices I'm really happy with.

1. Talbots Crinkled Ruffled Dress in Black for $25
2. Anthropologie Saltwater Blouse for $20
3. Talbots Bryce Eyelet shorts in Fern for $15

These are Target prices! I think the stores are trying to clear out their summer merchandise before the back to school rush starts.