Super Sale at Atlantic Embroidery

I hadn't stopped in Atlantic Embroidery since it moved from Patterson Avenue to upstairs in The Village Shopping Center. In fact, I'd somewhat forgotten about the place until I got an email from Daily Candy about Jane Marvel's chic line of bags and luggage. When I was reading the list of stores where the line was sold, I noticed Atlantic Embroidery and its new location.

A few days ago after a delicious sushi lunch at Haru Sush, I stepped upstairs and walked into a huge sale. I have no idea how long it's going on, but everything in-stock in the store is 40 percent off. This includes a great selection of tote bags, cosmetic bags, luggage and whatever else you can find. As for the Jane Marvel, I bought most of it up, including a puddle-jumper bag and two hanging cosmetic bags (one for me and one for a gift), but there were still a few fabulous oilcloth pieces left. If you're in need of something cute and monogrammed, head to Atlantic Embroidery soon.

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Anyone?

Well, tonight I happened to be in the West End and I decided to pop in the Nordstrom anniversary sale. You can also check the sale out online, but there's something extra fun about finding great deals in person.

To start out with, I was quite pleased with myself for managing to avoid the sunglasses sale table. There were Fendi's, Gucci's (including a very tempting rimless pair with big G's on the corners) and Marc Jacobs' for around $120. There were also super trendy Coach's for around $100. I usually end up with a new pair of sunglasses from every sale. If you've been craving designer shades, this is the time to pick them up.

I also skipped the purses, although the selection there included Betseyville, Juicy Couture, Kate Spade, Hobo and others. I think my favorite bag I left behind was a square-shaped leather Kate Spade. It was very classic and timeless. There was also a great Chole "daytripper" gray leather bag that I would have taken home had I an extra $500 to drop on a bag.

Next, jewelry. There was lots on sale there too including Betsey Johnson, Juicy Couture and Skagen. I picked up a Dogeared "imagine" necklace for a friend. This super dainty sterling silver necklace has a tiny bird on it and comes with a card saying, "make a wish each time you put on your necklace. anything you imagine is possible! let your necklace be a daily reminder of how wonderfully limitless the future is!" I loved this because the bird is cute and not something traditional like a heart or horseshoe. Plus, the saying is simple and nice without being sappy.

I glanced over the shoe sale, but am rarely impressed by shoe sales at Nordstrom (I wait for the Rack), so I quickly headed upstairs. The clothing selection was somewhat limited but there were some good buys. I picked up a super cute green cardigan in the B.P. department for about $25. And, of course, I ended up grabbing a non-on-sale, super glitzy black tank.

In any case, while this sale isn't the best of the year, there are definitely some great deals to be had. It's worth the trip.

Sip Tea for Massey

Cuppa Tea Company is hosting a special tea to benefit the Massey Cancer Center. Here are the details:

"Tea Time for Massey
Join us for a relaxing, traditonal English afternoon tea to benefit the VCU Massey Cancer Center.

A portion of the proceeds benefit the life saving cancer research being conducted at VCU Massey Cancer Center.

What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon for a good cause!



Our Price: $ 30.00
Date: July 24, 2008
Time: 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
RSVP: (804) 254 - 8322"

DSW Shoe Sale Time

I usually try to keep myself out of DSW. The store is so big and everything's so cute. It's hard to get out without buying something. I recently got an email about new markdowns, though, and since I was near Chesterfield on Friday, I decided to stop in. I love the location across from Chesterfield Towne Center because it's big and new and nice. Well, as I expected, the sale racks in back were two thick and packed with great shoes. I ended up taking home one pair of Michael Kors peep-toe wedges for 40 percent off of $79.94. The shoe is black patent leather with a black-and-white-striped foam wedge. I had been ogling the fresh take on a classic preppy style all summer at Dillard's. I'm also planning to try and hit the West End store this week to look for these adorable patent leather topsiders that weren't available there in my size.

Other great styles I left behind: a super high pair of tan leather platforms by Jessica Simpson (oh Jessica, I hate that I love your shoes) that would make anyone's legs look long enough to make others jealous; a pair of ombre round-toe pumps by Moda that faded from white to black, super trendy; and an array of shoes by designers like Tahari and Coach. I had to tear myself out because I knew I was heading to Potomac Mills, the discount shopping mecca the next day. More on that trip to come.

If you haven't, get thee to DSW!

Intermix Online

Here in Richmond, we are not lucky enough to have an Intermix. This high-end shop stocks an amazing selection of designer duds and accessories that are completely to die for. Even if we can't have one here, it's worth signing up for the emails. First of all, they send out a weekly email with the amazingly drool-worthy high-end goods. Second of all, you get emails when they have sales.

And so we move on to my next splurgey purchase. For the entire season, I have by dying for the Diane Von Furstenberg "Comfy Chic" sandals, but at a retail price of $255, they are sadly outside the price range of a budget-conscious fashionista. I had been envisioning the gold version on my feet pairing adorably with nearly every sundress I own when I got an email alert from www.shopstyle.com (the amazing-ness of that site is a whole other post) that they'd gone on sale. Sadly, the gold were out of stock in my size. I debated back and forth on the other color, black with an ethnic print on top and gold soles, but decided not to make the leap. They were still $155 after all. I recently got another email that they'd dipped below $100 and I decided it was fate. I took the plunge and bought them.

They arrived in the mail next week and they are everything I'd dreamed of. While the new color tone won't pair perfectly with as many outfits, they are perfect for making a statement without going overboard. They are super high, but the flat level of the wedge means they'll be pretty comfy. I'll still be keeping my eye out for a discount pair in platinum or gold, though (the gold is back up to $159 on Intermix and they're out of my color). I adore the way the fabric wraps around to the ground.

Haute Look

So, for some reason I’ve been in a money-spending mood lately. With all the economic stuff going on, you'd think I'd be sensible and save, but it's just not happening. It all started about a month and a half ago with some addictive visits to my favorite sample-sale-style web site, www.hautelook.com. If you haven’t, you MUST visit the web site and register to receive emails when their sales start. In fact, this web site falls under the category of being so good, I almost just re-thunk my post and took it away because it will mean more people have access to the great deals I crave.

The thing about Haute Look is that you must sign on to the web site right when the sale starts to have your pick of all the great deals. Signing in even an hour late can cause you to miss out on some amazing buys. My two most recent purchases were a Diane Von Furstenberg spaghetti-strap dress for more than half off and an amazing Foley & Corinna metallic copper leather city clutch, also for more than half off. Both are fab buys that are severely depleting my bank balance.