Fall Must Have

Everyone has their soft spots: mine happens to be dresses but others range from shoes to headbands to undergarments. I decidedly have a new-found soft spot for seemingly all of Henri Bendel's accessories. (Thank goodness they don't have a store in SF!). I love their handbags, their scarves and their fun bangles which are a steal in comparison to the friends at Hermes. I haven't taken the leap yet to purchase something... largely because I live 500 miles from the closest store, but bank account beware I am on the prowl.

Brand Loyalty Tactics

I have been a shopper for close to two decades now, and I am just now understanding the marketing tactics that retailers use to encourage brand loyalty e.g. store-branded credit cards, designer perfumes at non-designer prices to create knowledge of and loyalty to brands etc. I have been amazed that more luxury retailers haven't employed Marc Jacobs' special item tactic. Effectively, when you enter the MJ store you will see signs for $28 tote bags and $5 key chains while most of MJ's items are priced at $300 for a dress and $500 for a handbag e.g. pretty steep prices. What is interesting about MJ is that you see the tweens, teens and quite frankly myself browsing and buying accessories in the 'Special Items' section and then gazing longingly at the real MJ merchandise. The outcome: we check in regularly to check out Jacobs' low-end items and (theoretically) we will purchase the higher-end models when our budget permits. Ultimately, it makes the brand feel accessible to all ages; MJ gets their branded items out on the street improving brand awareness; and I get to feel cool when I pull out my MJ key chain. If only more brands would employ this brand loyalty tactic...

Summer Romance

There is nothing like the first couple weeks in a summer romance. The anticipation, the butterflies and... the need for a new wardrobe filled with date appropriate outfits. Along those lines, if in need of a new perfume (because Angel reminds you of the last boyfriend), Flowerbomb by Victor & Rolf is a lovely addition to your perfume library. A compilation of bergamot, jasmine, freesia, orchid, centiflora rose and patchouli -- this scent definitely packs quite a punch, but a punch in the feminine / floral genre. It comes with quite a heft price tag, but it is in the name of love.

Hidden Secrets

I am not a fan of the undergarments at Victoria's Secret -- believe me I wish I was as you can get some fantastic deals during their sales, but unfortunately it falls into two distinct categories 1) it pinches 2) it hangs limp. Where I have had some fantastic luck is in their swimsuit department. This season VS FINALLY has been selling their swim line in their brick and mortar locations -- it is about time in book as they have some fantastic styles and colors. Swimsuits are hard to commit to online, but I have found the best deals there. My personal favorites include: the ruched bandeau top combo, the boho print and the striped triangle top. Now is definitely the time to make a buy as their prices have never been lower. Here is to looking good for the August beach days!

Love21 ... 4 Gold Stars

I am a huge Forever21 fan... I can honestly say I started shopping at F21 in high school, and it is still a huge staple in my wardrobe. I would like to say I am embarrassed, but I would just like to consider myself savvy. Accordingly, I would definitely looking forward to their Love21 debut, which is F21's latest line, for the "Contemporary" audience. As they have added more pieces to the collection, I have definitely found a couple of favorites including this bright chiffon dress and this rosette top, but overall I would give it 4 out of 5 stars. Most of the collection consists of loose fitting tanks and t-shirts which are pretty standard and not particularly special. Takeaway: it is worth looking at their website, but I wouldn't commit to entering their madhouse of a store JUST to see the Love21 line.

For the Bibliophiles

I am packing up shop and headed to Thailand in a couple weeks. In preparation for the 16+ hours of flying time, I have been building up a library of books to read as the Kindle is not yet in my budget. The best place to get books is Ebay's Half.com. While I am a huge fan of Amazon and have sold a number of my books on their site, Half.com is just so cheap! Some of the books I picked up for my trip where sometimes half if not one-third the price. So if your beach read collection is running low just make a quick trip over the Half -- you won't be disappointed!

Guilt Free Shopping

With unemployment up and bonuses / compensation down, it's hard to not buy yourself a present every now and again as you do the work of 3 people. Cue drum roll....: Please welcome our latest fashion bargain: Gilt Groupe. Ever wonder how the co-worker who earns the same salary as you manages to have the latest designer purse / shoes / sweater. No she isn't using her home equity line any longer or her boyfriend's AmEx card; she has been shopping at Gilt Groupe. While it is an invitation-only site, check in with your nearest fashionista to send you an invite as undoubtedly he or she already has an account. (Said person will be incented to help you out as he or she will receive a $25 credit on the site if you succumb to purchasing a new friend online). The site functions like auction offering up men's, women's and children's clothes as well as home goods for sale for a limited time. You will receive an email at 12PM ET / 9 AM PT with the latest bargains from 2 to 3 different designers. You will be able to purchase the items for sale at discounts of up to 70%; then the unsold items are pulled. Keep in mind: this is competition / war! You have access to purses from Marc Jacobs, shoes from Bally and skirts from Vera Wang's Lavendar collection depending on the day; this is not a one-time sample sale. This is glorious deals... day after day. So fire up your engines and let the bargain shopping begin so you can be the fairest of them all.

Recessionista Time

With the recession proclaimed official, it is time to go bargain shopping. I know that we are supposed to give up shopping altogether and save, but let's be honest: the only way America is going to leave the recession in the the dust is through a little spending. Luckily, one can search for boutique-quality finds at Etsy. Etsy is an online platform to find lovely bracelets, earrings or artwork. All of the items are homemade and unique pieces. It is a legitimate treasure trove of goodies. If you are the crafty type, you can sell your items through their ecommerce site or if you are the non-crafty type (big neon arrow pointing my direction) you can find all sorts of lovely items. My personal favorites include: Ruby Rose, ovgilliesdesigns's and Galit Barak, but that is a just a small sample of a multitude of beautiful items. So give the old economy a kick start and help some entrepreneurs in the making launch their products. Promised to help cure the economy blues.

My Personal Assistant... Sort of

I intensely dislike many of the home duties i.e. laundry, dry cleaning, making dentist appointments, making hair appointments, scheduling flights and going to the grocery store. My ultimate goal is to live in a hotel where I would have a staff of people who would do all of these things for me. Not likely to happen in this life time, but I like to dream. I have stumbled upon a website (still in Beta) that seems to promise to alleviate at least one of those dreaded weekend tasks: the trip to the grocery store. I know that there are services from a number of grocery stores that allow for home delivery, but the point is that you need to either a) be home before 9PM (Doesn't fit with the current work schedule) or b) Waste a Saturday waiting for them to show up (Prevents me from doing my other 25 least favorite tasks). Enter Alice. The Alice platform promises to deliver all of your grocery needs when you need them from cleaning products to toothpaste. It has a very fun and flashy format and was started by a serial entrepreneur so here's to hoping that our new best friend Alice pulls through and does great things. I haven't been able to test out Alice to see if she lives up to all her prospects but here is to hoping! Countdown clock starting now!

Bargain Central

Do you ever get tired of searching dozens of websites to find the best deal on "______". I leave a blank because there is a revolving door of items needed from a replacement of a cashmere sweater rife with holes to a new pair of patent leather heels to a 'necessary' new dress for the next wedding to attend. Well thanks to Shop It To Me, your never-ending online hunts can be put to rest. Shop It To Me is essentially your very own Sak's personal shopper without the necessary Sak's debit card balance of $10,000+ (Finally!). When you log-in and create an account with Shop It To Me, you enter your size, your favorite brands and your MFS (most favored stores). Each day you get an email filled with the best deals on the internet based upon your selections. There is a thumbnail of each item with the original and sale prices. No more endless hunting and searching through overly-packed racks at Loehman's, Filene's or TJMaxx and shopping sessions with agressive minivan moms weilding their carts as a weapon. You can find all the deals online and just 'Shop It To Me' while you enjoy the comforts of your home. Finally that personal shopper you have been dreaming of: Mission Accomplished.

After an Ikea Disaster

So my bedroom set from Ikea was a real bargain. It was also a real disaster. Seventy eight pieces to build one small nightstand; one of the drawers on my dresser will never close; another drawer seems to have an allergic reaction to its face accordingly it falls off every day or two dumping the contents of the drawer on the floor. Needless to say I am not an Ikea fan. I would need a degree in engineering to succesfully build their products. Luckily, Home Decorators recognized that you can't always afford that lovely $700 coffee table... but you want something nicer / easier to build than Ikea. Home Decorators comes to the rescue with that happy medium: sturdy, asthetically pleasing furninture with real directions on how to successfully build the furniture sent to your house. So if your Ikea-purchased bookshelf / dresser / spice rack went horribly wrong, you now have a new Plan A.

Because I Need Choices

I am always bargain hunting. It is in my blood simply put. With the addition of Google in my life, my bargain hunting has been taken to a new level because I can now search dozens of websites to ensure I get the cheapest Aerobed on the market. Luckily, I finally stumbled upon a website that can take my two hour research project down to 15 minutes through the portal: Like. What I enjoy most about the site is that you can do a side-by-side comparison, and there are picture right there. You don't have to toggle through 8 pages to try and find the product you are looking for in the right color / size etc. Instead it is all laid out for you so can search, browse and buy. For the overeager shopper / bargain hunter, this is a dream come true. If only I could find a boyfriend so effectively.

Preppy +

Cue song lyrics: "Summer time when the living's easy..." The glorious days of summer are always top of mind in the memory bank especially when it's raining, hailing, sleeting, snowing, slushing and winding (made that word up). While you can't wear your Rainbow / JCrew flip-flops when the weather gods are pouring down upon you, you can channel a little summer time energy through some hair accessorizing. Tucker Blair specializes in all accessories needlepoint from belts to flipflops to my favorite: headbands. While it may seem a little bold to rock a hot pink headband, it will definitely put a little pep in your step as you brave the wintery wonderland for the next 6 months.

Bag Tag Updo

My main essay for college applications described my suitcase, "Big Red," and how much I loved it because it stood out in a crowd. I juxtaposed Big Red to the "Boring Blacks," suitcases carried by boring business people going on boring trips while I was going on fun, adventure-filled trips. Well, on the eve of my first business trip, I realized I would have to go out and buy a "Boring Black" as "Big Red" or any red for that matter would stand out, and my occupation is all about fitting in. Talk about a Debbie Downer moment. As someone who is the antithesis of a wallflower, I was clearly on the market for a way to distinguish my newly acquired Boring Black. Enter the personalized bag tag from Fine Stationery. Now they aren't giving this bag tags away; however, it definitely adds a little pizazz to your boring black suitcase. You can have it monogrammed, hot pink, turquoise blue or any number of choices. It comes plasticized so its ready for the wear and tear of business travel. The silver lining: you can always claim the cost as a 'travel expense' ... because obviously you don't want to lose your bag!