More Sale Info

JustFab launched their September boutiques early last night and with it came their Labor Day Sale - which is basically buy one, get one 1/2 price. I'm trying to decide on a pair of riding boots and another something. Probably a pair of Iron Fist pumps. With this sale, they are allowing the use of credits for the first item, then you have to pay the other $20 out of pocket. This is a welcome change from them not allowing credits to be used for sales at all.

Also - I did take advantage of the ShoeDazzle sale that I told you about yesterday and blew a credit + $20 on a pair of nude pumps and a yellow bag. I'm a sucker for these types of sales. Well, any sales, really.

I've opted to not buy from the Sole Society, Shoemint or Jewelmint sales, though. But you totally should.

There are other non-club sales happening, and I'll do a roundup of them either later today or tomorrow.

In the meantime, happy bargain hunting!
-A

End Of Summer Sales

It's still in the mid-upper 90's here so you wouldn't know it, but the end of summer is rapidly approaching AND Labor Day is less than a week away. And you know what that means - SALES!!!!


First up is Shoemint - they're running up to 50% off tons of stuff. I've already gotten two pairs from this sale - Kathryn and Dayna - and am considering the cutest little blue suede flats I've ever seen, Patricia. If you aren't a member already, they are running a code for 35% off your first pair - RACHEL35 - if you want something that isn't in the sale. Also, if you aren't a member, would you mind using my link to sign up? They have a rewards program now, and as I've said before I love their stuff, but not at the $80 price point, but I'm all about referral credits.



 ShoeDazzle is doing $20 off of any two items in their Boutiques Collections as part of their "Fall Access Pass" promotion, until 9/4. Considering that they've changed their shipping so that you get charged if you spend less than $39.95, thereby making individual discounts moot, this is about as good of a deal as you're gonna find over there anymore. There are a few things in my Favorites that are covered by this sale, so I may take advantage of it.

Next is Sole Society. They're doing a Buy One Get One on most of their summer wedges and sandals. I've already got a few of these from before they were on sale so I'm trying to convince myself to just walk away from this. Like Shoemint, if you aren't a member and want something NOT in the BOGO, they have a code for $25 off - AUGUST25. Again, I would love if you'd use my link to sign up. They have a wonderful referral program where each referral is worth actual $$ in your account and not just points.


Finally, Jewelmint is having a sale on a select number of items. I've gotten a few things from them, with no real complaints except that I typicallay won't pay $30 for single pieces of costume jewelry. Of course, that's what makes this sale so great. Again, here's my link to sign up for this one, though I'm not aware of any first time customer codes for non-sale items.


There is also a rumor that JustFab will be having a Labor Day Sale starting on Friday, but I've not gotten confirmation of that and am not sure what it will entail, though I've heard it'll be a BOGO.

Happy Shopping, Divas!
-A

Nothing Left To Lose

Sometimes, you do things that you thought you never would. Sometimes those are things that would have made you gasp in horror in any other situation. I'm almost ashamed to admit what I'm about to, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and ultimately, all ended quite well.

Before. Inside of the left shoe.

Remember how I said I'd fill you in on what was going on with my green Estephanie from ShoeDazzle? Well, this is it. When I got them out of the box, I found a massive spot of glue on one of them. They were otherwise perfect, and though I wasn't madly in love with the color straight out of the box, it quickly grew on me. Not only that, but I. Am. Sick. Of. Returns/Exchanges. So, I took matters into my own hands. (I figured I might as well try, since I pretty much wrote the book on cleaning this stuff already.) I decided to try and get thick, black, icky glue off of real suede. On my own, and with only what I had handy. On last Sunday, when I attempted this, that included an UGG Suede cleaning kit, a KIWI suede care kit, a butter knife, an X-acto knife, Q-Tips and a bottle of Goof Off. Yes, I was going to attempt to clean real suede with a solvent based adhesive remover.

After. It's still there, but not nearly as bad.

After hours (yes, with an "s" on the end) of dabbing on Goof Off, scraping carefully with the X-acto, and then cleaning with the UGG Suede cleaner, and smoothing over with the butter knife and suede care kit, the stain is much less noticeable. Enough so that I can now wear them and unless someone is waaaaaaaaayyy too close to my feet, they're never going to see it. Are they perfect? No. Do they have an odd chemical smell? Yes.  But, there will be no exchange or return involved and I'm feeling pretty darn good about my effort.

Although there was no additional damage to the suede by doing this type of cleaning, I don't recommend it. There are proper ways to clean suede and this isn't one of them. I think I was just lucky that it was the exact right type of suede or something. But, it's good to know that maybe suede isn't as gentle as we all feared and if you think you've ruined it, there are options you can try to clean it. So, before you toss out the next pair that you spill coffee or wine on (I've done both), maybe try a few different cleaners just to see if it works. Maybe you'll get lucky like I did.

Oh, and I went back and got the blue Estephanie, too. Which isn't really blue, but is teal green. I'll fill you in on those later.

Happy cleaning!
-A

Consider it marked off the list

Finally, after months of drooling, I found the blush Betsey Johnson Mortica in my size and at a really good price. I've been wanting these since before I got the black ones, even. I know, I know. Before you even say it. I know it's yet another duplicate pair in a different color. If you've read more than two or three posts on this blog, you know I do this frequently.

Those adorable skulls!!!

These fit just like the black ones - true to size but wide. They're the same 5.5" heel with a 1.5" platform that feels steeper than it is, though I don't think these are as bad as the black. They don't seem to have the stiff fabric issue that the black does, or if they do, I haven't noticed it yet. They really have a totally different look to them though. They're much more feminine and softer in appearance. I'm so happy that I finally got them!

Wrong season

Martina from JustFab

It is going to be 91 degrees here today, which means it's beginning to cool off. Even so, it's not remotely close to boot season yet and I can't seem to figure out why I want to buy riding boots. I wanted some last winter and never found and I really liked at a price I was willing to pay. But this year, JustFab released their boots early and now I'm having a hard time reminding myself that there is a reason why my 20+ other pairs of boots are still hibernating in the basement. And will be for another 6 weeks at the least.

Yet, I want Martina. They're simple, not overdone, and really cute. The best part? $40. That's my kind of boot. But it's August. It's still summer. I'm still wearing sandals and peep toes. I just can't do it. I want to so badly. I guess I'll watch them for the next month and see if they start selling out, but I assume that a lot of ladies are just like me and aren't willing to let go of summer yet.

Still on a quest for wedges

In my quest to beef up my collection of closed toe wedges, I found this nugget in ShoeMint's sale. They're definitely not worth $80, but if you can snag them in their current sale for $40, do so.

These are Dayna in taupe. I thought I wanted the blue, but I decided these would be more versatile. (As if my shoes really need to be versatile. If a pair doesn't match, I'll just grab some that do.) They're pretty comfy. They fit me well in the 6.5, so if you're between sizes, like me, then go down. Though they're a little heavier than I usually prefer my wedges, they aren't unmanageable. The strap is also removable, if you're like me, and don't really care for ankle straps.

Overall, they're not bad at all.  I'm always amazed by ShoeMint's quality, it's just too bad that they're so overpriced on the everyday stuff. If you have the chance to get something you like from them at a discount, do so. It's totally worth it. That being said:

If you aren't already a member of ShoeMint, they're running a great deal right now. Get 50% off your first full priced pair with the code MEMSHM50. And, if you use my link, I'll get points towards a free credit since they've just launched a rewards program that runs across all the Mints - Jewel, Home, Shoe, Style and Beauty.

This Looks Promising

Tomorrow, Monday August 20, 2012 at 6am PST (7am mountain, 8am central, 9am eastern), 6pm.com will be running a "Yard Sale" Clearance event. I can't promise you'll find anything, but I know that when 6pm runs sales like this, they run them with gusto and there are usually some AMAZING deals.

Set your alarm and make sure to check it out. You just never know what you may find at a price you can't believe.

Come Join the Fun

JustFab has officially launched their Brand Ambassador program, Fabshionista Circle. You can win free shoes, play games, connect with friends, and have a blast while doing it. And, if you're really active and good at promoting the brand, you have the chance to become a Style Queen, which has even more perks!

I played around with it last night, and it's a little like drinking from a firehose at this stage, but I'm sure they'll hammer out all the kinks once it really gets rolling.

What are you waiting for? Click my link and get yourself signed up!

If you aren't a member of JustFab, use this link, and get 50% off your first purchase if you buy on the first day you sign up!!!!!

UPDATE: 8.19.12 - I am not liking this game at all. My Facebook news feed and all of my groups are COVERED in these links. It's become a game of Best Spammer, and I'm over it. I really, really, hope they add more content and this link stuff dies off. 

ShoeDazzle Gets Real

In my mind, the biggest news of the shoe clubs in August is that ShoeDazzle is offering a real suede pump, Estephanie, for $40. They're a simple pump, with an almond toe in a solid color. They are available in 5 colors: fuchsia, blue, purple, yellow and green. Nothing special, really, just the fact that they're real and only $40. Other than a couple of random one-offs, usually in sandals, this is the first time any of the $40 shoe clubs have offered real leather. Lately, the opposite has been true and it seems like these clubs were in a mad dash race to the bottom to try and see who could cut quality the most and get away with it. All is not roses and rainbows though, as there are a couple of caveats before I go forward. The first being that their advertisements and marketing around this shoe are calling the $40 "special fall preview pricing", which either means that other suede and real leather is coming at higher prices, or the whole line is about to go up in price. Either does not make me happy. The other thing that's sticking in my craw is "Why?". Why now? What has happened that they feel the need, or had the ability to do this?

I set aside those questions and grabbed the fuchsia and the green. (Don't judge me, I had a coupon). After a stupidly long wait due to their ridiculously slow shipping, they came in on Friday. I was expecting a giant mess, honestly. I was pleasantly surprised, though. At least with the pink ones. The green ones have an issue that I'll discuss later.

Not bad at all.

As for the pink, the color is pretty true to the site, and they fit nicely. The 'official' sizing said they're 1/2 size small, but I found them to be on the narrow side of pretty true. I went with the 7 on that recommendation, but could have gotten away with the 6.5. They're a mid-heel by ShoeDazzle's recent standards at 5" with a 1" platform. I was worried, with the seaming on the toe, that they'd have a nipple since they seem to have issues with getting that right, but they're perfectly sewn and the seam lays nice and flat. All in all, I have no complaints with the construction of the shoe. Somehow, they've made a shoe out of real suede, made it well, and still managed to be able to sell it for $40. I'm sure they're losing money on these, which brings "Why?" back to mind.

This color is a little off.

As for the green, all of the above applies, except the color is more grassy than the website shows and there is a very obvious smear of glue on one of them. That situation is still being handled and I'll let you know what comes of it. I wasn't in love with the color when I opened the box, but they've grown on me now. I don't have that shade in anything else, for sure.

I've got a credit coming soon and I'm seriously considering using it for the blue ones. I've got tons of blue shoes, second only to pink really, but nothing in that particular shade. I figure, at this price, and especially with a coupon/credit, it's definitely worth stocking up on a shoe that I genuinely like and are well made.


So, a tip of the stiletto to ShoeDazzle for such an impressing shoe.

***DEAL ALERT!!!!!!***

Get a pair of shoes from Sole Society for only $25 by using this link for Plum District!

If you buy before 5pm Pacific time today and use code "FLASH16" you'll get an additional 25% off! That's shoes for $18.75!!!!

Run! Go!

This coupon only works on new Sole Society accounts. If you're not already a member of Sole Society, the use my link to sign up.

Not sure what's going on here, but...

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I hate pointy toe shoes. Although there has been a recent lapse in that rule, it still pretty much stands true.

That being said, apparently the Julia's from ShoeDazzle did really open my eyes up to seeing that not all pointy toes are atrocious. Just most. It appears that there is a particular type of pointy toe that I can tolerate - the ones that aren't elongated and just look like normal shoes that come to a point instead of being rounded off.

The reason I bring this up is because I can't get Kathryn from ShoeMint off of my mind. I freakin' love the pastel blue. I know this is bizarre; I'm not only wanting pointy toes, I'm wanting robin's egg blue in mid-August. I think part of the catalyst for this is that they're currently in ShoeMint's summer sale for $51. I have never, and will never, pay $80 for their stuff.

I've searched high and low for a cheaper pair in this color that I like and I've come up empty-carted. The few I've found are apparently made of real robin's eggs because they cost a small fortune. I don't know whether or not I'll cave and get them, but I find myself looking at their page constantly and trying to decide.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Buy - Return - Rebuy

Remember these? I had returned them and experienced returner's remorse a couple of months ago. Well, I went back to that same store last week and they were still there, and even cheaper than when I returned them. So, I rebought them. They are the exact same pair, scuff and all, but they were about $10 less than what I originally paid and I've finally come to terms with having so many pink shoes.

I've been known to do this with other shoes - buy, return, re-buy - but I think this is the first time that I've ever rebought the exact same pair months later. The friend that was with me, who was also with me the first time I bought them, was as amazed as I am. They're so cute! I can't believe no one had snatched them up yet. And they're just as comfy as their purple sisters.

As for yet another pair of pink shoes, I've stopped trying to fight it. At least most of my wardrobe is pink, too.

-A

A Hit and a Miss

Remember this BOGO? The one where I broke down and grabbed two pairs of Abbey Dawn for the price of one on JustFab? Well, there's good news and bad.

First the bad: Starstruck runs huge on me and I had to sell them. I feared this would happen since they're basically the same shoe as the Iron Fist Filthy Landlubber T-Bar which broke my heart. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.

Now the good: I love Pretty Please. They totally surprised me. I ended up wearing them on a day that I had a completely forgotten about seminar and walked for m-i-l-e-s in them. They were actually pretty comfy and gave me an air of badassedness that was sorely needed that day.

So, I'm still not a fan of Avril Lavigne, but I'll give her credit for choosing Iron Fist to be her fashion partner.

The Steal of a Lifetime...

...well maybe not lifetime. But at least of the last month.

As I'm sure many of you have heard, Betsey Johnson's retail operations are bankrupt. This means she will no longer be selling direct to the public online or in brick-and-mortar stores. Her stuff will still be available through other retailers though, such as Zappos, Macy's, Dillards, 6pm, Heels.com, etc. So hope is not lost. But, because of this, her stores and online operations are going through liquidation right now and there are tons of sample sales going on. And I happened upon one helluva deal due to this unfortunate circumstance.
I've mentioned my quest to build up my collection of closed toe wedges and got really really lucky last week with this purchase. I found the Betsey Johnson Corsett wedge in blush (nude, really) for $20. It said it was a sample and had blemishes. But wait! I had a coupon also. So, I ultimately got these for the cost of shipping. I kid you not. These originally retailed for $139.95 at Dillards.

I got them in a 7 since that's what I always wear in Betseys but wish I'd gotten a 6.5 since these seem to run a little larger than her usual sizing. They'll be fine with an insert though. And they're really comfy. Oh, and the blemishes they said they had? It is one little pink spot on the inside of one shoe from where they rubbed the box. If I didn't know to look for it, I never would have seen it. As an added bonus, they're a very sensible 4.5" heel with a 1.25" platform. They're almost flats.

I'm gonna be a selfish squirrel and not tell you where this particular nut came from. I have found other huge steals from there and they have extremely limited quantities when they have them so I'm saving that info for myself. Sorry, girls, even the biggest enablers have to keep mum from time to time.

-A

The Pointy Sisters

I hate pointy-toed shoes. My tingers love them and that's why I hate them. They look weird and make my already long toes seem even longer. And they're just an odd, unnatural shape. And they fit me weird. Most ladies stay true-to-size in them, or even go up 1/2 size. I go down in size. My toes slide all the way into the point. Have I mentioned that I hate them. Loathe. I've got one pair of red Gianni Binni's from Dillards and one pair of bubble gum pink Manolo Blahnik's left over from the last time these were popular and I refuse to wear either. Those both have toes that go on for miles.

But, more than hating pointy toes, I'm a sucker for a sale. So, when ShoeDazzle put Julia in their BOGO last month, I was drawn to the bargain and decided to give the turquoise a try. I didn't have that color in my collection and they didn't appear to be as pointy as some of those atrocious things. Word was that they ran tight, so, knowing that pointy toes fit me oddly, I went with the 6.5 and ShoeDazzle managed to get them to me in about a week and in perfect condition.

Oh. My. Gawd. I freaking LOVE these shoes. LOVE. They fit like a glove and are sexy as hell. They're only a 3.5" heel, so they proved to be great while running around the office and on errands for about 16 hours. The point still bugs me a little, but they're not that extended point that some have. They're more of an almond toe that comes to a point instead of being rounded off. This new found love is so shocking that when I told a friend about them, his response was that the next thing you know, I'd be liking orange. (NEVER!)

As I'm sure you have figured out by the title by now, I went back and bought more of them. Two more to be exact. I got the pink and the yellow also. (They were only $20 each, how could I not?)  I had to go up 1/2 size in the yellow because, well, they were out of my size and desperate needs call for desperate measures. They still fit, but I will definitely need an insert to keep them on my heel. They're still gorgeous and all three pairs are in perfect shape, which means I've gotten 5 perfect pairs and a bag in a row from ShoeDazzle, and that in itself is no small feat. I just wish I hadn't missed the black in these.

I don't know that these have completely opened my mind up on this style, but I will no longer automatically skip over all pointy toed shoes while shopping. Because what I really need is to have more options in shoes.

I have a point.
-A

It's the First of the Month! August Shoe Club Roundup

First of all - this is my second post today! You get a double dose of the ShoeSquirrel! Yippee!!!

Now, on to the goodies:

Estephanie in Pink and Green

ShoeDazzle: I'm going to save my discussion of their new shipping charges for another day, and just say that they released real suede pumps for $40. Yes, you heard that right. Real suede. $39.95. Her name is Estephanie, and I'm a sucker for vibrant colors of suede. I had a coupon so I got them in green and pink. Oh, who am I kidding? I would have gotten them without the coupon too. Those were actually released yesterday, as an August pre-release but I'm counting them as a First of the Month release because everything else was a snooze fest or had way too pointed of a toe. I'm obviously still not on that fashion bandwagon. (Though, there is an exception I'll be telling you about soon)

JustFab: They have begun releasing more boots than I remember from Augusts past. There are some really cute ones, but I just can't bring myself to buy boots when it's still at or near triple digits here. I'm sure I'll get the bug and grab a pair in the next few days, because I always cave like that. But, the pumps this month didn't really wow me and there are are some really cute bags, but I was wishing for different colors in them. I just can't handle orange. Maybe I'll hold off and see what mid-month brings. Oh, don't forget to skip or buy by the fifth or you'll get charged.



ShoeMint: They finally have a month that makes me proud to be a member - except that the damned things are still $80, and there's just no way I'm paying that. There are three shoes that I want this month, which may be about the same quantity that I've wanted in their entire previous 8 months of existence. I'll give them credit for the three that I have gotten being high quality and gorgeous, but I'm still not paying $80 for a shoe club. No way, no how. Don't forget to skip this one either - that would be a sucky charge to wake up to on the 6th if you weren't expecting it.

Molly, Ruth, and Danielle from ShoeMint

Sole Society: Are they still considered a club? They no longer do monthly releases, opting instead to do daily releases. You no longer have to skip the month over there either. So, it's more like a shopping site that you have to log into than a shoe club. I logged in momentarily today to look at yesterday's release. Underwhelming.

ShoePrivee: Totally forgot to check until just now. I always forget about them. I'm not sure what concept they're even following anymore, but I do know that they have a boatload of stuff in their Bargainista section for $20 and up. Go check it out. I've never actually bought anything from them, so I can't give you any pointers.

I think that about sums up the beginning of August. There were, as always, hits and misses. And, as usual, different clubs shine on different months. One thing is for sure about this month though: no matter what your taste, you'll find it at one of these clubs. They're just that varied.

Happy Clubbing!


-A

Shoes for less than a buck

Months ago, we were at dinner and I saw a lady in a pair of black pumps with purple and green accents. I fell absolutely in love with them. I would have asked her where she got them (I have no shame), but she was walking in the opposite direction as we were being led to our table and I couldn't find her again. Alas. That night, I Googled the description of them and came up empty handed. I pretty much gave up. But, then, about a week later, I found them purely by chance. I was at Kohl's walking through the shoe department like I always do and guess what? They were there, on clearance, for $15 and I had a 30% off coupon. They're from their Jennifer Lopez line. Of course they didn't have anything remotely close to my size available. But at least I knew the name of them now so I could start some serious searching and stalking.

eBay is a shopaholic's dream. It really is. If it's not available on eBay, it probably doesn't exist. It's just a matter of patience and knowing how much you're willing to pay. And don't forget to take shipping into account when you're thinking about pricing. I've gotten a few hard-to-find items and sold a few on there, with luck mostly. So, the first place I went looking for these JLo's, after I discovered they were no longer on the Kohl's site, was eBay. And I found them. For $0.99! Yes, less than a dollar. I had to pay $10.50 in shipping, so they were $11.49. For brand new shoes. Never worn. Sure, I had to wait out the auction, and may not have gotten them if someone else had bid, but I did get them.

They're really comfy and well made. They may be one of the most convincing faux leather shoes I've ever gotten. I'm thrilled with them and even more thrilled with the price I got them for.