seriously!?!

So I read around the interwebs and there are all these amazing women (okay most bloggers tend to be amazing in my eyes for lots of different reasons). I'm specifically talking about the frugal masters. The ladies that shop exclusively at thrift stores (Goodwill, etc.) and discount stores (Ross, Marshalls, etc.) and have AMAZING results. I read about their purchases steals and I'm practically drooling. I'm also a bit outraged because there's nothing like that at any of my local stores! An amazing pair of new designer named shoes that are so in and perfect for every fashionable outfit she wears, for under $20. Haha you're making that up. A perfect top/blouse/pants/any clothing item that's an amazing designer name, great quality, and for $20. Can't have really happened. A dresser you oh so amazingly made into an amazing TV stand and bought on craigslist for $30. She must have fudged that story from reality into an amazing fairytale. I guess you can get what my reactions tend to be on these fabulous ladies amazing finds.

I can't go so far as to say that I've landed anything along the lines of those major leave savers but I do think I stumbled upon a steal. You see many months ago I found these posted on a fashion blog or pinterest (I can't exactly remember) and drooled over them. 

Source: my pinterest via endless amazon's shoe store

They were $80 and while I was in lurve with them there was no way I was actually going to buy them. I may have thought about pressing that "buy" button on Amazon in a fit of online window shopping silliness but I didn't actually do it. They just sat on my "Want" pinterest board, looking pretty but not destined to be mine.

Flash forward to last thursday. After another rough day at work (long story) Hubby decided I needed to go out. That is after I'd come home before him and already changed into comfy PJs. So I changed back into real people clothes and we went out. I picked up my 365 Days of Puppies calendar and my 365 Cute Overload calendar (one for the office and one for home) that I'd reserved since they were finally 50%. (FYI we lost our seasonal mall calendar store and now only have one bookstore, Barnes and Noble, so that's where I had to shop. They let you reserve things online and they'll hold them for 3 days for you to pick it up and pay for it.) Hubby decided he wanted to go to Sports Authority. He decided he now needs a new jacket that zips all the way up in the front for him to wear while exercising while it's cold. Apparently Sports Authority didn't have anything good. 

So at the very end of that shopping center/mall is a Ross outparcel. (It was so cold I made Hubby drive us the few hundred feet to get to that store. I still froze a bit but it was much better!) While he went to look at men's stuff I went to housewear and shoes. 

Let me backtrack. There's no nice way of saying this. The shopping center/mall we were at is about *this close* to dying because stores keep leaving, there's no anchor store (besides the movie theater) and it tends to attract a more urban ghetto lower socioeconomic customers people than the other mall on the nicer end of town. So the few stores that are open aren't the nicest. And for instance this Ross is part of a chain but you better believe it's not as nice as a Ross somewhere else in a better neighborhood. I'm not talking about it being a bit rundown I'm talking about that actual merchandise they carry. So I don't shop there often because things are of lesser quality and therefore less of a "deal" to purchase (low quality and lower price). 

Anyway, they had all of 8 candles in the whole store. They were pitiful, I wouldn't spend a $1 on what they had, clearly no one else will because they looked like they'd been there for a while. (And they were not only $1) So on to shoes. Scanning the racks I saw hideous "who would ever wear those!?!" shoes. And in between them, as if a spotlight shone on them, I found these .. for $25.99. Seriously!?!

I sat there wearing them, walked hobbled around the aisle and started at them on my feet, debating if I should even spend that much on a pair of sandals in winter. And I'll be honest beyond knowing they looked like those shoes I loved they didn't seem to be made of the best quality and I wasn't really sure if it was worth it. But I wore them and knew I loved them. I can't tell if these were made specifically for "outlet" sales (like how brand's outlet clothes are a touch bit lesser than their store versions to match that outlet price they're being sold for). But in the end I went for it anyway. From $80 to $25.99, I'd say that quantifies as a "steal".

I kind of want to give myself a little pat on the back. Is that pathetic? Or good?

Note: I wanted to share this before but couldn't get my act together to publish it any time near when it happened, sorry!

these boots were made for walking

This was originally just about boots but I decided to change it to "Friday Faves".

Part 1. My current craving: boots! Anyway, here are a few pairs that are making me most especially want to take them home and make them mine:

Baking Sota Boots by Aersoles @ Macy's, picture via thestylecure

Watermelon Tall Boots by Nine West @ Macy's, picture via Macy's.com

Inspirre Tall Boots by Steven by Steve Madden @ Macy's, image via Macy's.co

 What do you think of these beauties? Love them? Hate them? Have an even better suggestion? (Know of a crazy sale or deal that'd get me any these for el cheapo?)

Part 2. This song/performance. I cannot get enough of it!

Bruno Mars "Locked Out of Heaven" performed on SNL

gnocchi

This edition (sort of) of OhMyGoshIHaveToHave

A few weekends ago I made gnocchi. I was fun but it would have been more fun if I'd had these two bad boys:

via amazon.com: gnocchi board & potato ricer

And to show how fully obsessed my brain apparently is with these things I had a dream last night about going to the library and being told these had recently come in, used but in good condition of course, and would I like to buy them. The library selling anything!?! The library selling kitchen tools!?! Well that's what happened in my dream anyway. And crazily enough I didn't even buy them in my dream, I think it was because even though they were used they were asking too much.  Stupid library!

intial necklace

So I'm a little bit obsessed with elephants, only if they have their trunks up and look cute. I grew up being told that an elephant with it's trunk up is good luck. And I'm always okay with anything that will help me in the good luck department. My friends know this and gift me with elephants of all shapes, sizes, colors, and materials. I've run out of room for them, seriously! I've got an elephant lamp on my office desk, an antique (well old'ish and from my family) bronze elephant on my work desk also, an elephant bag that I carry my lunches into work, elephant ornaments, an elephant plant holder, you get the point. The latest craze is initials/monograms. Every TV show I turn on and watch seems to have a female character with a subtle and simple, yet stunning initial necklace on. I WANT this! But I've had a hard time finding one in white gold or white material that looks appealing (and that won't break/crack/somehow die in three seconds or less), forget about pricing. So I'm on the lookout for one, because eventually I will have one around my neck!

And look what I stumbled upon!

by etsy seller cocowagner

Some other pretty (but way out of my bank account level priced) necklaces

by etsy seller GaudyBaubles 

by maxandchloe

Danielle Stevens Jewelry from couturecandy.com

"oh-my-gosh-I-have-to-have"

I'm always on the lookout for something amazing. Something new that I didn't know I needed until I found out about it and then I have to have. (How have I lived my life so long without this!?!) I know that falls under frivolous spending but sometimes, every once in a while, these items are things that really do make a difference in your life. (And even if they don't it was fun while the adventure lasted) Today's case in point:

My beautiful ring holder from esty seller dgordon.

I'm not sure how I found this item but the second I saw it I knew I had to have it. It took me a few months but I finally treated myself to one (when they ran a sale) and I love it. I can't imagine life without it, without it sitting so pretty on my bedside table.

Previous "oh-my-gosh-I-have-to-have" items:

I discovered BirchBox through TheSmallThingsBlog. It seemed amazing and with not so gentle suggesting hubby gifted me a year's subscription for the holidays last year. I've have mixed results with my boxes but it's been so much fun! 

Petunia Earrings in Silver by etsy seller ElisabethAshlie

From the etsy shop of the ladies behind TheSmallThingsBlog and MyGreyDesk. These are probably one of their most popular items and for good reason. I'm actually wearing my own pair of these beauties right now. I saw them advertised on Kate's blog and tried for weeks to buy a pair, but they kept selling out. It was total victory and joy when I was able to buy a pair of my own and I just love wearing them!

I did say I'm always on the lookout for more of these fun splurges. (I didn't say I necessarily have the funds to buy them.) Anyway, anyone have anything to suggestion?