Deals & Steals: The Day After Edition

Peace on Earth and good will to men!  Welcome back to your sporadic edition of Deals and Steals.  If you're anything like me and enjoy noticing the trend in retail pricing marketing over the last month, then this might be the post for you.  You might also be like me and have problems.  If not, then snuggle up with your glass of eggnog by a roaring fire and check out these deals before braving the cold tonight or tomorrow at the stores.  Check out these picks of the litter... since everywhere will be having a sale tomorrow...

Shoshanna Beaded Bridgette Dress - $161.70; Club Monaco Zar Box Clutch - $60.50; Cusp by Neiman Marcus John & Jenn Faux Leather Jacket - $123.00; Bloomingdales Aqua Drop Earrings - $28.50; Sephora Philosphy Grace Wardrobe Gift Set - $31.20

• Bloomingdales - Up to 75% off sale merchandise, plus extra 30% off the handbag sale and extra 20% on overall purchase.
• Club Monaco - Extra 50% off of sale items with code SAVE50 online and in stores.
• Cusp by Neiman Marcus - Up to 60% off plus an additional 25% - 30% off.
• Forever 21 - Extra 30% off sale, ends 1/2.
• H&M - Day after Christmas Sale, items as low as $5 with scratch card savings, stores open 8 AM.  
• Jewel Mint - Get 70% off of your first piece with code HURRAY.
• Madewell - Extra 30% off with code BYEBYE.
• Kate Spade - Extra 25% off of all sale items with code 25SALE before 12/26.
• Neiman Marcus - Extra 25% - 33% off of select items, and up to 60% off of items.
• Piperlime - Lime Tag Sale, up to 50% off marked merchandise.
• Saks Fifth Avenue - Up to 70% off designer sale items.
• Sephora - 20% off of already marked sale items online and in stores.
• Shoshanna - Extra 30% off sale items with code Tinsel20 online only through 12/30.
• Target - Extra 50% off holiday decor and clothing on sale, including the Neiman Marcus + Target collaboration.
• Tibi - Extra 25% off sale items with code CHEER25, plus extra 20% if you register online at Tibi.com, ends 12/26.
• Zara - Semi annual sale

Deals & Steals 10/22 to 10/29

Here's the way I see it, by posting these sales, I'm helping spur retail sales by other people.  By helping spur retail sales by other, I'm helping improve the economy?  Nonsensical pish-posh, I know, but one, I'm in a political mood and two, this is what I happen to tell myself when I rock myself at night knowing that I can't spend too much money this month.  Then again, that promise never actually comes to pass.

Club Monaco Celine Cropped Parka, Anthropologie Onyx Scalloped Blouse; J. Crew Edie Calf Hair Wallet; Jewel Mint High Noon Necklace

In-Store

• Anthropologie - 25% off all sale clothing
• Ann Taylor - up to 60% off original prices
• Bloomingdales - 25% to 50% select sale merchandise, ends 10/28.

Online

• Anthropologie - 25% off all sale clothing.
• Ann Taylor - up to 60% off original prices
• Bloomingdales - 25% to 50% select sale merchandise, ends 10/28.
• Forever 21 - 50% off select outerwear
• J. Crew - Extra 30% off sale items, ends 10/26
• Jewel Mint - $15 off your first piece of jewelry with code JMFALL15
• Lord & Taylor - 25% of select merchandise and 10% off cosmetics with the code FRIENDS, ends 10/23
• Tory Burch - Private Sale, up to 60% off merchandise.

New York - Sales

• Club Monaco - Sample Sale, prices below $65 for apparel, 10/23 - 10/25, 261 W. 36th St. between 7th and 8th Ave.
• YSL - Sample Sale, bags, heels and apparel on sale, 317 W. 33rd St., between 8th and 9th Ave, 10/23 to 10/25
• Zadig & Voltaire - Sample Sale, up to 80% off apparel, 260 Fifth Ave., between 28th and 29th St, 10/25 to 10/28

Lookbook: In the Air and On the Ground

What a whirlwind.  Four o'clock yesterday afternoon, I gathered my things from JZ's place in East Village and headed to the airport.  About 8 hours later and with little time to waste, here I am in Madrid soaking up the light breeze and sun, with my two best friends Ashley and Anita.  It's a bit of a friendship anniversary, as this year marks the 15-year anniversary of when I met Anita and the 10-year anniversary of when we both met Ashley.  In any case, it made for a good excuse for all of us to meet up in another country, since we all   live up and down the East Coast.  I'll probably write more on the sights and sounds of Day 1 a little later tonight/tomorrow morning.

With little time to spare, we all dressed for the plane ride as close as we could to what we'd be wearing for the day in Spain.  I put on an incredibly comfortable Banana Republic pleated skirt with a Club Monaco t-shirt on top, which made for easy sleeping and comfortable day-trip wearing (or as JZ called it, a nicer version of sweats).  Almost twelve hours later, I have no discomfort or complaints.

Banana Republic Accordion Pleated Skirt; Club Monaco Sunny Tee; Madewell Contrast Mini Mailbag (similar, similar)

Left:  In the garden of the Museo Reina Sofia; Right:  Swell Caroline Bracelet, Coach Watch (old), Madewell Indego Africa Bracelet

Click next to read more and a little sneak peek at the actual travelogue version of Day 1.  Slash, you totally should because we look absolutely adorable.  Read more!

Lookbook: Blazing White at Work

Out with the old and in with the new?  Being the spendthrift that I am (or in other words, "incredibly cheap"), that saying doesn't exactly sit well with me.  When you're a fresh college graduate with a wardrobe that can best be described as "blue, black, and gray," finding the right summer work outfit can be quite the challenge, especially when on a budget and with limited suitcase space.  The key characteristics to aim for when styling yourself for travel-related work is portable, reusable, and current.  As such, I tried to combine an old dress with some new pieces to create a whole new outfit.  Even not-trendy Vivian is a little surprised at how well this turned out.

Zara Navy Jersey Blazer (sold out; similar ); Club Monaco White Sheath Dress (old; similar); Plenty by Tracy Reese Black Suede Pumps(old); Madewell Gold Trapeze Necklace; Marc Jacobs Black Leather Cross Body (old)

I first got this dress on sale from Club Monaco two years ago.  It was hip hugging and had a little bit of a conservative sexiness to it, which in turn made it a great game day dress for football games.  Keep in mind, I was in a sorority in a public Southern school.  As such, football was king, and it was perfectly normal for us to wear our Sunday best on game day.  Case in point:  same dress, different occasion.  The dress by itself showed a little too much skin on top to be work appropriate and my office keeps the air conditioning on ridiculously cold.  As such, I added a navy jersey blazer that I had just purchased from Zara.  As my friend David the personal shopper says, every woman needs a good blazer in her wardrobe.

With one final touch, I also paired it with a gold geometric necklace from Madewell.  The necklace is great because it really goes with any occasion from work to casual to night life.  Not to mention, it's incredibly compact, making packing it as easy as stuffing it into my little Marc Jacobs purse.

Posing at Dekalb Market in Downtown Brooklyn.

Thanks to my friend Caitlin who indulged me when I asked her to take these pictures on our lunch break.  Clearly, she has a lot of patience for dealing with my inner Tyra Banks.  If you're wondering what's behind me, we had lunch over at Dekalb Market, a marketplace filled with restaurants and clothing stores within storage containers over in Downtown Brooklyn.  Unfortunately, Dekalb is closing this October to make way for a Century 21.  If you're in Brooklyn and looking for lunch you should check it out!  I recommend getting a salad at Next Door Organics, a grilled cheese sandwich at Mrs. Dorsey's, blueberry mint lemonade at Cheesesteak, and a cupcake at Robicelli's.

Give me a holler with what you think.  Have you ever reworked an outfit?  Share and leave a comment down below.