Tuesday, October 11, 2011

itsy bitsy, teenie weenie, not a yellow polka dot bikini

I have been posting about once a month now and honestly... I'm lazy.  This is time consuming and I wonder why I still do it.  I guess it's because I get bored once in a while.  I definitely shop more than I post.  I buy stuff way too frequently and could technically blog once a week for the items I buy but I just have other things to do... like watch new fall TV shows, watch a continuous amount of Mad Men episodes on Netflix (I just started and have one season left to watch then it's onto Breaking Bad!), and update my Spotify play lists.  I do other things of course than watch TV and listen to music.  I also sleep and snack a lot.

Best time to buy a bikini?  End of summer into the fall season.  I purchased three bikinis, two from The Gap and one from Victoria's Secret.

I usually would take photos of me wearing the clothes but in this situation you will have to pay a nominal fee for it!  So all weirdos out there, contact me for more info.

Please do not contact me.  I hope you realize I'm kidding.  Especially when I am calling you a weirdo.


The gray and white one (very neutral colors) are from The Gap and of course the bright (screaming look at me in this bright neon pink bikini) is from VS.  The Gap bikinis are made by Lycra as The Gap and Lycra teamed up to create their swim line.  The two bikinis have good bottom coverage and run true to size in top and bottom.  The VS bikini has less bottom coverage and run on the smaller side.  VS has multiple types of bottoms (string, scoop, hot short, hi-waist, and low rise).  The one I purchased from VS is a low rise bottom.  The gray top is a halter cut with a ring design in the middle.  The white top is a one shoulder type of top with a silver studded square design at the strap.  The multi-neon triangle top has double strings to tie around the band and around the neck; it also has a crochet design.  All tops have removable pads which is always nice since I always think without the pads...it's awkwardly thin.



To simply put it--

Bikini Tops
Original price: $25.00 (VS) and $37.95 (Gap)
Purchased price: $4.99 each


Bikini Bottoms
Original price: $14.50 (VS) and $35.95 (Gap)
Purchased price: $4.99 each

Each bikini cost $10.00!  That's a total of $30.00 for all three bikinis originally costing around $187.00 which is an insane amount for tiny articles of clothing.

And again I'm sorry about the poor quality of photos...I really have to get a new camera ASAP.  My birthday's next month, any one care to buy me a new camera??? :)

Side Note!
Southwest Airlines Getaways Deal: $30 toward a roundtrip flight from LA to Vegas for $10, a $20 savings.

Not bad to save $20 if you plan on flying to Vegas any time soon.  So basically it's $20 off your roundtrip airfare. 



http://www.groupon.com/deals/ga-z-southwest-airlines-la?utm_medium=email&utm_source=channel_getaways-deals&sid=10994511&user=7ea563f4bc2e3c9dafbbad48eda3d6fac1ce142cff1ca398882d01e4ca5753fa&utm_campaign=ga-z-southwest-airlines-la&s=body&d=deal-page&p=2&c=deal_button

Fashionably cheap,

Tina

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

TJ MAXX end of season sale!

I recently read a random blog posting from an unknown source that suggested that people shouldn't use coupons on dates, especially on the first date.  To be honest, I have used a coupon on a date and I find nothing wrong with it.  When Dan and I had just started dating we went to Cold Stone Creamery (mmm... ice cream) and as we got out of the car I stated, "It's your lucky day because I have a coupon!"  I had cut out a coupon from the clipper magazine a couple weeks back for a "Buy one Love It get a second Love It for free" and stored it in my wallet (That's a $4 savings!).  The coupon obviously came in handy.  Dan knew I was a keeper from that moment on :).  I wouldn't mind if a guy used a coupon on a date, even on the first date.  It shows me that he's trying to save money and well, that's awesome!  If this sounds crazy to you then maybe I'm just cheap.

Onto the posting-->  Yellow tags galore!

When TJ Maxx gets to the end of their Summer and Winter season they really take clearance to another level.  A marked down price at TJ Maxx is usually indicated with a red clearance sticker on the price tag, however a very low marked down price is indicated with a yellow clearance sticker instead.  I love these yellow clearance stickers.  I'm usually saving at least 75% off the original price.  The yellow clearance stickers can be found at any time of the year when items have been at the store too long and need to be reduced to a very low price to sell.  However, during the end of a Summer or Winter season there is always a load of items on sale.  I took the time at TJ Maxx to look for various items on sale with a yellow sticker price.  I found items that varied on sizes to showcase that clearance items can be found not just in my sizes but in all.  I also am including for the first time a home item I bought!  I fell in love with a great home piece that I truly will hold onto until I move into my own place (aka when I finish paying off my school loans so Dan and I can move in together... eventually!)

Not all of the following items were purchased. I wanted to show that I can find clearance items in different sizes and challenge was accomplished!  I usually only look for things for myself so this time around I looked at every clothing rack in the clearance section.  Items in blue are items I purchased either for myself or for my mom.  Sorry if the pictures are not fully taken at all angles because I was in a rush to take most of them in the fitting room!  I looked a bit odd just taking photos of clothes in the clearance section so I decided to take a few of the items in the fitting room to take pictures of them.  Some of the items I ended up buying I took the photos at home.  The candle holder decor will be found in my 'Side Note' portion of this entry!


Item 1-- Teal ruffle top
Item was a short sleeve shirt with a ruffle bottom on the shirt; shirt was in perfect condition.  The purpose of the photo was to show the savings and deal on the shirt.
Brand: Juicy Couture
Original price: $138.00
Super clearance price: $15.00




Item 2-- Floral racerback tank
I waited months for this shirt.  I was so happy to find it in my size and it was still in the store after seeing it marked down weeks after weeks.  Even with a TJ Maxx original price of $49.99, there was no way I was going to pay that much for a shrit!
Brand: Joie
Original price: $108.00
Purchased price: $12.00



Item 3-- Tank bohemian type dress in ivory
One of those items that I waited for the price to drop; totally worth it!  It's a very cute fitted dress that falls between the knee and thigh and has a cute bohemian style print around it.  I purchased the dress in ivory since I seem to own a lot of black clothing.
Brand: Free People
Original price: $138.00
Purchased price: $15.00




Item 4-- Black and White patterned dress
I love the back of this dress.  Not my size or I would have purchased it!  Doesn't mean I didn't try it on just to see if it would fit; it didn't =/.  Even at TJ Maxx price... $20 bucks is not bad!
Brand: Rhapsody
Original price: Compare at $34.00
Super clearance price: $5.00




 Item 5-- White Jean shorts with studded side design
These shorts were casual and simple with a cool studded design on each side.  I was looking for some new shorts and wished they had these in my size.  I recently saw the brand Current/Elliott at Saks and believe it... it wasn't on sale for $12.00!
Brand: Current/Elliott
Original price: $175.00
Super clearance price: $12.00


Item 6-- Black leather strapped wedges
These were quite fabulous.  They were my size and fit nicely too but I really don't have the need for more shoes or for wedges in general.
Brand: Coach
Original price: Compare at $188.00
Super clearance price: $39.00




Item 7-- Leather black/white belt
Another item I would have purchased if I found it in my size.  It's a great simple belt that was made with quality leather.  Sorry for the blurry pictures.  It got really awkward when a lady next to me started staring at me taking photos of this belt at different angles and these two photos were the best taken =|
Brand: Michael Kors
Original price: Compare at $50.00
Super clearance price: $7.00




Item 8-- Gold heels with diamond trim
Can't beat this price and the heel is only an inch that they're 'Tina approved'.
Brand: Celeste
Original price: Compare at $50.00
Purchased price: $3.00


Item 9--  Mini leather cross body bag with rivet design
Super cute and perfect size when going out for the night and I don't want to carry my huge purse with me.  The ivory color is great when matching it with any outfit.
Brand: Michael Kors
Original price: $198.00
Purchased price: $20.00



Item 10-- Magenta cloth material pumps
I bought these for my mom.  It was the least I could do when they cost a couple of dollars!
Brand: Madden Girl
Original price: Compare at $45.00
Purchased price: $3.00

Of the 5 items items I purchased, the original purchase price total would have been around: $539.00
My purchased price was around: $63.00!

I would never pay the original prices for these items but I know there's someone out there who bought one of those items at the original price somewhere.

Side Note!




This awesome candle holder within the wicker basket was only 70 CENTS.  Yes, even cheaper than going to the 99 Cents store.  It's made of great quality and holds larger sized candles.  You don't necessarily have to make it a candle holder and actually I'm not sure even if it is a candle holder... I assume though.  Even at the TJ Maxx price of $6.99 I would have still purchased it at that price.  This is a great addition to a home... or the future place of mine.  It was in perfect condition with the styrofoam lining still intact.  It sets for a great theme of a room and can easily give a nature feeling.  It reminds me of an item that would be used on HGTV's Next Design Star (totally rooting for Meg by the way).


Fashionably cheap,

Tina

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Betsey Johnson fabulous.

I love stuff by Betsey Johnson!  Some of her stuff is not really for me though, such as jewelry that has an arachnid theme (ahhh!). 

From a dress to jewelry to pajamas, a Betsey Johnson haul!  Betsey Johnson has her own line of Betsey Johnson and another line called Betseyville (more affordable).  I have a lot of Betsey Johnson merchandise mostly purchased from TJ Maxx and Nordstrom Rack.  In my last entry I posted BJ sunglasses for $15 (originally $85)!  These Betsey Johnson items have been purchased within the recent months and I decided to combine all of them in one entry!




Item 1-- Betsey Johnson Dress
Tank dress, cinched at the waist, with a cute skirt pattern!  Pockets on each side and a double layer skirt.  There was a rack where everything on it was $30.  I also purchase a cute blue frilly shirt but I recently washed it and it's super wrinkly... I'm too lazy to iron it and then take a picture of it and I don't want you guys to think, "This shirt looks ugly, no wonder it was on sale"... due to the extreme wrinkles!  A dress and a shirt, each at $30, buy one get one free... $15 each!
From: Betsey Johnson outlet store
Type of sale: Sale + Buy One Get One Free on everything
Original price: $318.00
Purchased price: $15.00


Item 2--  Necklace with teacup, heart, and bow
Gold necklace with silver charms and a cute purple tea cup.
From: Nordstrom Rack
Type of sale: Nordstrom Rack price
Original price: $30.00
Purchased price: $11.97







Item 3-- Gold charm bracelet with leopard print theme
The gold charm bracelet is a stretchy bracelet, perfect for small wrists like mine.  The clock charm is a non working clock... It's just a picture of a clock.  I'm sure it would have cost more if this charm bracelet was also a watch.  It's always 2:35!
From: Ross
Type of sale: Ross everyday
Original price: $65.00
Purchased price: $24.99




Item 3-- Long necklace with school charms
This necklace can be doubled with two layers.  I love the whimsical charms on here like the ruler, scissors, and pencil.  Throw in a couple of heart charms and this makes such a cute layering necklace.
From: Macy's
Type of sale: Take an additional 50% off already reduced jewelry.
Original price: $50.00
Purchased price: $24.99 with final price $12.50


Item 4-- Floral pajama set
A PJ set with a button up long sleeve top and drawstring pants.  Perfect for the winter months!
From: Marshall's
Type of sale: Marshall's everyday + clearance
Original price: $59.00
Purchased price: $24.99 with final price $20.00

Side Note!
Go to Burger King tomorrow and get a Whopper for 88 cents!  Valid only tomorrow, August 8!  I feel like I should have a side note just for foodie deals.  Yum.

Fashionably cheap,

Tina

Thursday, July 14, 2011

"Summertime girls are the kind I like, I'll steal your honey like I stole your bike"

I used to love that song... "Summer Girls" by LFO.  It was my summer jam when I was 11 and thought LFO was a trio of black guys singing about girls who wear Abercrombie & Fitch.  I should have known they were three white guys.  How could I have known with lyrics that talk about 'stealing your honey' and 'shake and wiggle to a hip-hop song' or 'always been hip to the b-boy style'?  I guess I just thought they were very proper and not as vulgar compared to other hip-hop artists.  I know all the lyrics to "Summer Girls,"  I find it embarrassing and awesome at the same time.  There's a line in the song that goes, "I hate Kevin Bacon but I love Footloose" but for years I didn't understand the Footloose reference and thought the lyrics were "I hate ham and bacon but I love Footloose."

Two outfits that are girly and stylish for the summer weather!  The first outfit displays a blouse and hat while the second outfit is a dress and a pair of sunglasses. 

Outfit 1:
I absolutely love this top.  It's light, airy, and by one of my favorite brands "Free People."  Under the top I wore a simple tank since the top was sheer.  The top hangs off of one shoulder which I thought may be bothersome but wasn't at all.  I loved how it looked with one sleeve off the shoulder.  I paired the top with jean shorts you can find anywhere.  I'm leaving the jean shorts out of the blog because they were jean shorts I bought when I was 17 from Hollister! (However, I did by them on sale for $12 at the time; Don't ask how I remember these things... I remember everything that I buy and how much I paid for it)  I decided to buy a hat to wear with my outfit.  A cute fedora matches perfectly with the style of the shirt.  I'm usually not a hat person because I have an odd shaped head; really... I'm serious...it's oddly shaped.  I purchased the hat using a $5.00 promotional coupon I received at Charlotte Russe from a previous purchase.  About 2 months ago they had a deal where when you purchased $25.00 of merchandise from their store they gave you a $5.00 voucher card good for your next purchase in June.


Item 1-- Sheer top with laced sleeves
From: Ross
Brand: Free People
Type of sale: Ross everyday + clearance
Original price: $79.00
Purchased price: $26.99 with final price $12.99










Item 2-- Fedora hat
From: Charlotte Russe
Type of sale: Charlotte Russe price + $5.00 coupon
Original price: $10.50
Purchased price: $5.50



Outfit 2:
This cute red and white dress has a great pattern that stands out.  The dress is fitted at the top and the straps can be adjusted to standard straps or criss-cross straps in the back.  There is also pockets on each side!  The sunglasses are pale pink with a cute heart accent on the side.  The sunglasses are designed by Betsey Johnson.  I love the stuff by Betsey Johnson so much that I already plan to post an entry dedicated to a few of my Betsey Johnson items.  Stay tuned for a Betsey Johnson themed entry coming soon!




Item 1-- Red/White summer dress
From: TJ Maxx
Brand: Imaginary Voyage
Type of sale: TJ Maxx everyday
Original price: Compared at $34.00+
Purchased price: $12.99




Item 2-- Betsey Johnson Sunglasses
Brand: Betsey Johnson
Type of sale: TJ Maxx everyday
Original price: $85.00
Purchased price: $14.99


Side Note!
$4 flights to Long Beach through Jet Blue during Carmageddon.
Not bad, but I plan on staying home this weekend.  If I go anywhere... I'm staying in the Valley, good luck freeway people, who knows... it may not be..that...bad...


Fashionably cheap,

Tina

Friday, July 1, 2011

Men's Edition!

Great deals... Not just for the ladies anymore!

I have more outfits from Hawaii to post but I'm posting them as Summer outfits as the days come along.  I'm trying to save my money which means less shopping!  So I'm spacing out my outfits I'm posting.  Today's post is a men's edition.  I know I have had some guys ask if there are any deals for them well here it is!

Articles of clothing: Light jacket for rain or chilly weather, 2 everyday polos, and a long sleeve designer shirt
All items were purchased at Macy's Hot Saturday Sale last weekend!  Oh, how I love my Macy's one day sale.  Purchases were made by my boyfriend, Dan, and he saved a lot of money with these great deals.  A lot of tips were taken from my post on a Macy's one day sale.
Things to remember at a Macy's One Day Sale:
Always scan the price a self-checker.  All of our items were priced differently then what was listed on the price tag.
Look at sale racks only that involved clearance items of at least 40% off.  All items were more than 50% off.
Use your Macy's card to receive an addition 20% off your items.


Item 1-- Light Olive jacket with 4 pockets
From: Macy's
Brand: Tasso Elba
Type of sale: Sale, last season stock, take an additional 20% off already reduced prices
Original price: MSRP was blank indicating the item was most likely on a mannequin and was not on the floor for sale.  After the season has passed the item was located on the rack and scanned at original price of $99.00
Purchased price: $16.99 with final price $13.99









Item 2-- Solid polos with breast pockets and epaulets (just learned what this was!)
From: Macy's
Brand: Alfani
Type of sale: Clearance + additional 20% off already reduced prices
Original price: $29.99
Purchased price: $9.99 with final price $7.99
**Notice how the price tags said $19.99 and $14.99







Item 3-- Long sleeve designer polo with half zip
From: Macy's
Brand: Armani Jeans
Type of sale: Clearance + additional 20% off already reduced prices
Original price: $115.00
Purchased price: $40.00 with final price $32.00
**The price tag lists $57.00 as the sale price



Macy's One Day Sale, Men's edition: 4 items retailed at $274 but purchased for $62.00!

No photos of Dan actually in the clothes yet though!  He wore the polo shirts this past week but I wasn't around to take any photos.  I shall post photos eventually as a follow up.

Side Note!
4th of July deals, this weekend only:
1. Gap: take an additional 40% off clearance items!
2. Macaroni Grill: buy one entree get one entree free!

Fashionably cheap,

Tina