Loehmann's End of Season Sale: Meh

I finally got the chance to check out Loehmann's End of Season Sale at the Chelsea location in NYC.  It was completely P-I-C-K-E-D O-V-E-R!  However, they are currently running a Theory Sample Sale at that location:

Sweaters:  $50-$75
Knit Tops:  $25
Blouses:  $60
Pants/Skirts:  $65
Dresses:  $80

If you're in need of some work clothes, this may be the right sale for you.

P.S.:  A good number of Tom Ford sunglasses are available for $99.99.

Dear Weather.com: You Suck.

For some reason,  lately I seem to be wearing one "weather inappropriate" article of clothing or footwear.  And I blame it on Weather.com.  This morning, the forecast was a mix of snow and rain.  As a result, I donned by Hunter boots.  As it turns out, it was a beautiful sunny day.  And I was stuck walking around in rain boots.  So thank you weather.com, for making me look like a complete idiot.

Food Therapy: Street Food

Good food is good food.  It can come from a 3-star Michelin restaurant or it can come from a street vendor.   And do I love me some good street food!  Here are my 3 favorites (so far and in no particular order):

1. Otafuku: This "blink and you'll miss it" hole-in-the-wall is located on 9th Street between 2nd & 3rd Ave.  It serves two highly addictive japanese street foods: okonomiyaki and takoyaki.  Okonomiyaki is a sort of vegetable pancake served with a topping of your choice (pork, beef, shrimp or squid).  Takoyaki are little balls made from pancake batter filled with either octopus or cheese.  The secret to the addictive taste is the sweet/salty brown sauce that tops both dishes.  The yakisoba is pretty good as well.
2. Halal Gyro Cart:  The evening gyro cart (7:30 pm - 4:00 am) on 53rd St & 6th Ave (SW corner) is good...ridiculously good.  I sometimes wonder if they add some sort of special narcotic to either the meat or the white suace.  Why else am I and every other person in line willing to wait 30+ mins for a gyro platter?  The lamb gyro meat is always fresh due to such high demand and their white sauce is incomparable.  This is THE place is you have the munchies after a late night out.  Be warned...the later it gets, the longer the line is.  (Note:  The gyro cart across 6th Ave on 53rd St (SE corner) is not an imposter.  They added another cart due to their cult following.  This cart also offers a BBQ sauce that is almost as good as the white sauce.)
3. Hallo Berlin Cart:  This day sausage cart on 54th St and 5th Ave (NW corner) really hits the spot when you're craving a good sausage.  And there aren't that many places in the city that serve a good bratwurst or kielbasa.  The line is thankfully not as long as the one you'll find at the Halal Gryo Cart.  But I do usually wait about 10 mins or so.  I am a huge fan of the smoked kielbasa.  

Ulta Really Does Rock!!

I went into Ulta armed with 2 coupons today: one for a free level 1 gift (via Ulta's Rewards Program) and one for $5 off a $10+ purchase.   I left with a Joico K-Pak Reconstructor (my free level 1 gift) and two Olay Daily Facials Refills.  The Olay Daily Facials Refills purchase was basically buy one get one free with my $5 off a $10+ purchase because each Olay Daily Facials Refill was on sale for $5.09!!  So I spent $5.54 for approximately $16 worth of beauty supplies!!  I am very happy with my purchases...sale therapy indeed.  :)  

Note:  You can find the $5 off $10+ purchase in the March 2010 issues of InStyle and Lucky Magazines.

Attention All Air Travelers - Wrap It Up on Your Next Flight

Now that you have to pay for a blanket on your next flight, it's a good idea to invest in a cashmere wrap.  It'll save you $$ in the long run and you don't have to wonder about how sanitary that blanket really is.  Nordstrom has 2 cashmere wraps from its house brand on sale:

• Nordstrom 2-Ply Cashmere Sweater Knit Wrap ($73.90) in black: 

• Nordstrom Cashmere Wrap ($98.90) in violet jewel (other colors available)

T.J. Maxx: Spring Is Here

I dropped by T.J. Maxx today and the store was fully stocked with spring clothes.  There were tons of Rock & Republic, 7 For All Mankind and J Brand jeans.  I found these two cute See by Chloe silk dresses (each $149):  (Sorry about the dark blurry pictures!  My cell's camera is just plain awful.)

(Note:  The blue is actually much lighter...like a sky blue.)

(Note:  The blue is a dark navy blue.)

I also found this cute Nanette Lepore trench coat ($179.99) for those of you who like a little ruffle in your outfit.  And for those of you who like a more classic look (but don't want to pay Burberry prices), go to Uniqlo...yes I'm back to talking about that store again!  They have classic trenches for less than $100.  If there's no Uniqlo near you, Club Monaco has a nice trench available as well.

Dark Jeans - WARNING!!

Note to self and all others:  DO NOT SIT ON A WHITE COUCH WITH NEW DARK JEANS!!

My white couch is now not-so-white in certain areas.  Those certain areas now have a bluish tint.  Crap.  Please make sure to wash your dark jeans several times (in cold water, inside out and hung dry) before allowing it near white/light colored clothing/leather.  Otherwise the dye will transfer to your beloved couch/bag/shirt/etc.  Why must I learn the hard way about these things??

Calypso St. Barth - Dreaming of Island Life

Every time I shop at Calypso, I feel like I need to take a jet to a private island.  The clothes are jeweled colored, floaty and perfect for island life.  Here are my sale picks from Calypso (www.calypso-celle.com):

• Alexis Dress ($49) in goa (coral):  a comfy day dress

(Note: color shown is not goa.)

• Musi Silk Slip Dress ($29) in stone:  a sheer coverup for the beach/pool

• Cora Shirt ($29) in lille (light blue):  a casual dinner top  

• Glitz Dress ($49) in parrot (turquoise):  a great causal dinner dress

• Margarita Dress ($99) in primoro (gold-beige):  a greek goddess evening dress

• Classic Short Slip ($49) in taupe:  a sexy option for...sleeping?

Handbags I'm Hankering For...

I'm not sure what it is about bags...but gosh, can you really have enough?  Currently, I have a hankering for these 3 lovely ladies.  I've been told Bloomie's will be having a F&F sale soon and I will be grabbing for the Olivia Harris bag when it happens!

1.  Botkier's Howard St. Satchel in cement:  I am not a light-colored bag girl, but I cannot stop drooling over this doctor bag.  This is such a fantastic neutral color!  I have a feeling this bag will somehow end up on my arm for this coming spring/summer (and yes, I will be paranoid about dirtying it the whole time)...

2.  Olivia Harris' Washed Leather Satchel in faded grey:  I am IN LOVE with this bag.  I saw it at Bloomie's in Soho and it is just darling.  It's super light and in a perfect shade of grey - not too dark that I feel like I should have just gotten a black bag and not too light that I will be paranoid about dirtying it.  The shoulder strap is long-enough so that I can comfortably use the bag as a cross-body bag.

3.  Sissi Rossi's Large Rounded Bag in black:  I am not sure why Sissi Rossi bags aren't more popular (and why they're so hard to find).  This bag is a perfect example of why I love Sissi Rossi bags:  it's a soft, light, and smooshy bag in a unique shape.  The leather is luxurious but casual...and based on my own Sissi Rossi bag experience, can really take a beating.

(Note:  You can find this bag at Otte: www.otteny.com.)

Uniqlo - Take Two

I went back to Uniqlo bright and early this morning.  I did not want a repeat experience of the madness from last time.  The olive green dress that I was eyeing (see my previous post) is sold out, but I found a beautiful dusty blue version for $29.50.

The color is off in my pix (way too dark...looks like navy), so here's a more accurate pix of the color but of another dress.

I went for the dress but I just couldn't resist this $19.50 shrug/cardigan in black.  I now love it so much that I may go back for it in grey.  It's not terribly warm (made from cotton/modal), so it's a spring/summer item.  I'm using a stock pix b/c my pix came out as one big black dot.

The dress and shrug weren't on sale but at these prices, close enough!  I feel like got a great deal.  :)  Shopping at Uniqlo is a bit like shopping at H&M, Zara or Century 21:  if you see something you like, grab it because chances are, it won't be there next time.

Food Therapy: Desserts

Sales are great but sometimes nothing really does the trick for me except for dessert.  My favorite part of a meal is dessert.  Chocolate blackout cake, lemon meringue tart, boston cream pie, apple brown betty, ice-cream, gelato....

I.  Have.  An.  Extra.  Stomach.  For.  Desserts.

This weekend I had some RIDICULOUSLY yummy desserts (the satisfaction level is on par with my loot from the Barneys' Warehouse Sale):

Colicchio & Sons: Coconut Cream Filled Doughnuts are simply heavenly.  The coconut cream was light and sweet (but not cloyingly so) and the doughnut was crispy/hot and would just melt in your mouth.  I had to share 1/2 of it with my cousin (his eyes just about popped out after his first bite...which was supposed to be a "taste").  Next time, he's going to have to order it himself!  ;)

Momofuku Milk Bar:  I will need bullet points for this...

• Crack Pie:  After much hype, I finally tried this pie.  It's good...but not great.  I found the oat cookie crust to be more addictive than the filling (a sweet, gooey buttery custardy thing).  Maybe I'm too much of a chocoholic?  I wouldn't waste my time ordering this for delivery (there are better desserts out there for that option...to be discussed later).
• Banana Cake: This is my kind of dessert.  It's a vanilla cake layered with banana cream, hazelnut crunch and fudge.  I could not stop eating this magical concoction of goodness.  The layered vanilla cake made each bite feel substantial but the banana cream and fudge added just the right amount of creaminess, stickiness and gooeyness.  And then you get an unexpected texture every now and then from the hazelnut crunch.  I could have gone for a second slice.
• Cornflake/Marshmallow/Chocolate Chip Cookie:  It was a bit too buttery for my taste.  It left me wanting some good old Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies.
• Blueberry Cream Cookie:  This was a delight.  I love blueberry muffins and they basically made one in cookie form.  For me, the best part of a blueberry muffin is the crunchy outside and the cookie is basically comprised of the crunch outside.  Hmm...I may start eating this cookie (or two) for breakfast in lieu of a blueberry muffin.

Home Goods - Kiehl's Conditioner For Your Pooch

My puppy Max (a mal-shi) is in love with snow.  But his fur is not.  He becomes one little hot matte mess after a romp in the snow.  While combing through Home Goods with my cousin 2 weeks ago, I found Kiehl's dog conditioner on sale for 50% off.  Kiehl's is not the first brand that comes to mind for Mr. Max, but at $8 bucks a pop, I might as well try it, right?  Way cheaper than another trip to the groomers.  Let me just say that this conditioner is AWESOME!!  Mr. Max was not only silk smooth but COMPLETELY matte-free after one treatment.  I am going back to Home Goods to buy up their entire stock.  If you're little pooch has the same problem and you're near a Home Goods, pick up a bottle.

Uniqlo: I Love You!

Why, oh why, is there only one Uniqlo in the States?  I LOVE LOVE LOVE Uniqlo.  It's the perfect store for basics and seasonal items.  It's not a super trendy store but it is a stylish and chic store.  Best of all, it's priced like H&M but with good quality merchandise!!  I went yesterday and it was a MAD HOUSE!!  The wait for a dressing room was 30+ minutes.  Most winter items were reduced to $19.50 and most spring dresses were only $29.50.  Lots of jeans were also on sale for $19.50.

Magnums.net - 20% off Longchamp Le Pliage Totes

When I want a bag that's SUPER lightweight, waterproof and stuff-able, I reach for my Longchamp Le Pliage tote.  It's great for traveling or for toting your gym gear.  It's especially great for rainy days when you don't want to use your leather bags.  Magnums.net currently is offering 20% off its best selling Longchamp bags (code: MARCH).  Sale ends on 3/3/10 (wed).  My pick is the large Le Pliage tote in bilberry, black or navy.  Those colors are basically dirt/stain-proof!

Use this link:  Magnums Longchamp Best Sellers Sale

Lauren Merkin - 40% off for 2/28

LaurenMerkin.com is offering 40% off sitewide (code: MELTDOWN). I have a weakness for clutches. They're not the most practical but I love the look of clutches and the idea of a clutch-friendly lifestyle. ;) So my pick for this sale is an item that's already on sale: Tatum clutch in black patent. The current sale price is $175; take 40% off and it's $105! My other pick is the brilliant and necessary Reusable Shopper in signature floral printed cotton. It's a handy dandy lightweight tote that you can use for your groceries or gym gear.  With the 40% off discount, it's only $9!! Yes...you read right: $9!!

• Tatum Clutch ($105) in black patent:

• Reusable Shopper ($9) in signature floral printed cotton:

Barneys' Warehouse Sale - My Loot (for now...)

I went to the Barneys's Warehouse Sale this past wednesday.  I never go with expectations because it really is a crap shoot.  Sometimes you come out with something fantastic (one year I purchased a pair of Prada boots for $100) and sometimes you come out with absolutely nothing.  I have to go by myself these days because my BF refuses to go with me.  He gets freaked out by the women who undress (down to their undies) in the back of the store to try on clothing.  Look ladies: if you want to try on clothing at a sale and you know there aren't going to be any dressing rooms, wear tights and a leotard (or a tight tank top).  A sale does NOT excuse you for acting like a stripper, okay?  Okay.  

So this year, I found some fantastic items!  I purchased a pair of J Brand Boutique straight leg jeans and a Loomstate tunic top for a total of about $56!!  Everything was an additional 40% off the lowest price on the tag.  Tomorrow is the last day and I'm sure they will be upping that percentage off to 60%-70%.  It will be madness but I may just go...

Here's my loot:

• J Brand Boutique Straight Leg Jeans

• Loomstate Tunic Top