A New Age of Sample Sales

The term “frugalista” has become a rather popular colloquialism these days, care of Target. For those of you out there who desire designer duds at discounted prices, I offer you entry into the world of online sample sales! Hooray for the long gone days of frenzied shopping amidst crazed women with talons in Chanel’s latest shade!

There are five invitation-only sites that I know of (just cut-and-paste the address into your browser and you’re good to go!):

ideeli offers limited-time sale events that feature luxury brands in Fashion, Home, and Beauty at up to 80% off. Membership is by invitation only and there is no fee to join. Sales last 36 hours, or until items are sold out. They also have weekly giveaways!

Recent and upcoming brands: L.A.M.B., Calvin Klein, Badgley Mischka, Michael Stars, Burberry (giveaway), Lacoste, Furla, London Fog, YSL (giveaway)

ideeli invitation link: http://www.ideeli.com/invite/iheartpink18

Gilt Groupe provides access to Men’s, Women’s, and Children’s coveted fashion and luxury brands at prices up to 70% off retail. Each sale lasts 36 hours. Gilt is unique in that it also offers a site called Gilt Fuse, which showcases emerging brands that are purse-friendly. Another component of their site, Jetsetter, offers exclusive access to insider travel deals.

Recent and upcoming brands: 3.1 Phillip Lim, Mario Badescu Skincare, Alexis Hudson, Gryson, Leifsdottir, Emanuel Ungaro, Nina Ricci, Fendi

Gilt Groupe invitation link: http://www.gilt.com/invite/iheartpink18

HauteLook offers exclusive, limited-time, online sale events. Each day, HauteLook partners with premium fashion and lifestyle brands to bring upscale sale events at savings of up to 75% off retail prices. In the last two years, over 500 high profile brands have chosen HauteLook to host more than 1,000 private sale events for Women, Men, Kids, Home, and Beauty. The site was chosen by People as one of the top 15 ways to save money, while Extra television called it a “Virtual Shopaholic Heaven.”

Recent and upcoming brands: Romeo & Juliet Couture, Diamonds by Erickson Beamon, Shu Uemura, Beyond Yoga, Splendid, Amrita Singh Jewelry, Rolex, Salvatore Ferragamo

HauteLook invitation link: http://www.hautelook.com/invite/570297

Rue La La offers premier-brand, private sale Boutiques, each open for just a brief window of time. Membership is free. It’s also invitation-only.

Recent and upcoming brands: Kate Spade, Yanuk, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Gucci, Tibi, Fendi, Laundry by Shelli Segal, Erickson Beamon, Catherine Malandrino

Rue La La invitation link: http://www.ruelala.com/invite/iheartpink18

Founded in Hollywood in 2001, Billion Dollar Babes pioneered the multi-designer sample sale with their now-legendary “real world” shopping events in major cities worldwide. What started as an “insiders” event at LA’s House of Blues has, over the years, grown into a fashion phenomenon complete with flowing cocktails, beauty bars and swag bags. These sophisticated, “A-list affairs” (according to the NY Times) have been regularly held in Los Angeles, New York, Dallas, Chicago, London, and Dublin with participating designers ranging from the international powerhouses of Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, and Chloe, to American contemporaries like Diane von Furstenberg, Catherine Malandrino, and James Perse. Of course, sometimes even the most fabulous fashionistas like to shop in their skivvies (at 3am… in Dubai), so in 2009 they went on the web. At billiondollarbabes.com, they hold three high-end designer sales per week, each lasting 48 hours and featuring discounts of up to 85%.

Recent and upcoming brands: MOR Cosmetics, Rapz Jewelry, Lierac Paris, Splendid, Cocobelle, Qi Cashmere, Sonia Rykiel, 7 for All Mankind, Chaiken, Current/Elliot

Billion Dollar Babes invitation link: https://www.billiondollarbabes.com/register/u/b0cdd9d0c6d1977ba298a8

Simple Act

All I ask
Is that,
Before our childhood
Escapes us completely,
You come
And sit by me,
Smile at me,
And, maybe,
Blushingly
Hold
My
Hand.

From Blossoms by Li-Young Lee

A beautiful poem by Li-Young Lee:

From blossoms comes
this brown paper bag of peaches
we bought from the boy
at the bend in the road where we turned toward
signs painted Peaches.

From laden boughs, from hands,
from sweet fellowship in the bins,
comes nectar at the roadside, succulent
peaches we devour, dusty skin and all,
comes the familiar dust of summer, dust we eat.

O, to take what we love inside,
to carry within us an orchard, to eat
not only the skin, but the shade,
not only the sugar, but the days, to hold
the fruit in our hands, adore it, then bite into
the round jubilance of peach.

There are days we live
as if death were nowhere
in the background; from joy
to joy to joy, from wing to wing,
from blossom to blossom to
impossible blossom, to sweet impossible blossom.

Poem: Gratefulness.org

17th Century Suds

Last week I ventured over to the local Farmers Market:’twas a lovely day, a brisk nip in the air and burnt sienna leaves afloat. There I encountered an abundance of fresh produce, a smattering of handcrafts, and a fair bit of ethnic food (everything ranging from Tibetan cuisine to Japanese dishes). The savory flavors wafting about were all mouth watering, so I had a bit of trouble making a final choice. Finally, with a piping hot crêpe in hand, I milled about the dock gazing upon the glittering lake, feeling utterly at peace.

After picking up some organic maple syrup and a few pieces of poppy seed rugelach for the road, I made my way back down the wooden structure. During this exit trajectory, I passed a unique stall with a sign, “17th Century Suds.” Intrigued, I sauntered in, asking the attendant to explain his products. He informed me that the soaps he makes (both solid and liquid) are 100% organic, allergy-friendly, and very mild in scent. I was sold! I suffer from migraines, so aggressive odors are deadly for me. I happily emerged with a 16 oz. helping of the lemongrass scented liquid soap (which can actually serve as hand soap, as well) and have since been very pleased with the results. It’s very liquidy, so you have to be careful not to pour too much out. Even though it’s not extremely viscous, it does lather very well, and my skin has felt lovely and soft all week. A great (and cheap) find! I highly recommend this product – if you wish to try it out, click on the hyperlink above and order a travel size sample.

Memoirs of Some Lame Halloweeners

Last year I dressed up as Ugly Betty. The year before I was a flapper. And before that I was the tooth fairy. For each I put effort into my costumes. For the 20s flapper I even researched the authentic way to do the makeup and everything. The Ugly Betty costume was a mismatched disaster, which was the point – just to give you an idea, I had faux ginormous teeth with braces! This year, I was less inspired. Here’s what a I relayed to people when asked about my 2009 getup:

I’m playing the role of stressed undergrad featuring a constellation of pimples on her forehead. Sexy nurses watch out!

Yes, I am just that exciting. Don’t be jealous. Anyway, my lack of enthusiasm for the holiday prompted me to ask some of my friends about their costumes. Here were their replies:

A graduate student? I sort of have a lot to do so I think im staying in.

Im dressed as a disgruntled BR worker. Oh wait true story.

(Note: BR stands for Banana Republic.)

Autumn Rain

In honor of this rainy Halloween day:

I crack open my window
To see what awaits me this morning:
A tenebrous mist blankets the yellowing spikes of grass,
Sleek rays of light peer through the storm clouds that pockmark the sky.
Their drab ire builds with every passing moment,
Ready to divulge their turbulence.

The gentle breeze tickles the vibrant leaves on the trees.
They appear weightless
As they frolic and flit playfully,
Anticipating the welcome pellucid drops.

I, unlike the joyous leaves,
Am for the most part displeased with this notion.
For me, autumn rain means an indefatigable
Pit-pat of splashed droplets -
An assiduous abrasion of my exposed flesh.
My human dermis is not thick enough to insulate my bones;
They, too, are inhumanely targeted.

Yet, there is a subtle allure to these showers, as
The lively treetops become framed by a bleak sky.
And the once airy leaves become languid,
Heavy with the weight of water. Their brilliant shades
Indicate they are on their way to a grassy grave,
But they seem unaware of their attenuate situation.
In fact, they seem all the more
Resplendent, as though revitalized, for a moment,
By the downpour. I am enraptured by
Their artless reception.

The Paw of a Cat by Kay Ryan

Before you read it, check out the author’s biography!

The first trickle
of water down
a dry ditch stretches
like the paw
of a cat, slightly
tucked at the front,
unambitious
about auguring
wet. It may sink
later but it hasn’t
yet.

Poem: The New Yorker

A Different Frame of Reference

And, yet another post about the weather…

Last week, when speaking with my grandparents on Skype, they informed me it was extremely chilly in their town (they live in Brazil). They were all bundled up, wearing sweaters and looking miserable. When I asked them what the temperature it was, they replied that it was 19 degrees Celsius. That’s approximately 66 degrees Fahrenheit.

Meanwhile, I was rejoicing because it was in the low 60s and there was only a mild wind. I didn’t even wear a heavy peacoat today, merely a light leather jacket (and a scarf, of course – 60 isn’t THAT warm). A month or so back, I would have been equally dismayed by the weather, seeing it as a sign of imminent colder weather. That day, though, it was a wonderful contrast to the rain and gloom we’ve recently had.

It’s all about one’s frame of reference!

Treats for Your Lips

It’s recently gotten extremely chilly and DRY on my end of the globe, which has inspired me to post some lovely lip treatments that I’ve come to find useful over the years:

Sugar Rosé - Fresh

Lip Tint - Aveda

EZ ON - Carmex

Lip Renewal - June Jacobs

Healing Ointment - Aquaphor

Shea Butter Lip Balm - L'Occitane

Scented Lip Balm - Kiehl's

Soothing Lip Balm - Origins

Repairwear Lip Treatment - Clinique

Tinted Lip Balm - C.O. Bigelow

Lip Treatment - Smashbox

Divinora Lip Balm - Guerlain

White Space By Sharon Bryan

See here for more information about the author.

There was no music
on the written page

before white space
intervened between

words and sentences,
lines and stanzas—

and words were grateful
because it sometimes

lifted and carried them
when they leaned

into it, and the better
they got to know it

the more they admired
its immaculate condition—

which made them feel
all spotty, so they hoped

if they rubbed elbows
with it long enough,

something of that purity
would rub off on them,

they began to aspire
to music’s wordlessness,

since everything they did
was meant to point

to something beyond
themselves anyway—

maybe if they slowly dis-
appeared into the white space

no one would miss them,
they thought, in a fit

of longing and self-pity,
maybe they should retire

and leave the stage
to music’s unblemished

perfection—but as they were
clambering down

they saw that without them
white space was nothing,

their part in things was
modest but crucial—to

hang around outside
the jazz joint that looks like

a hole in the wall, urging
passersby to stop and listen:

there isn’t much to see, but
the music is really something.

Poem: Poetry Daily