JImmy Choo Shoes!

This is almost unbelievable. I was able to score Jimmy Choo shoes for only $53! Amazing! But how? Well, I work for H&M and we had a Jimmy Choo shoe collection debut ( and pretty much sell out) this past Saturday. On Sunday, I was cleaning up the mess of shoe boxes and shoes when I stumbled upon these flats. It just so happened that they were my size! And totally my style. I decided that if they were still there on my break, they were meant to be. Three hours later, I purchased my shoes! Woo-hoo. They are super comfortable and very well made. And in case I haven't mentioned before, they're JIMMY CHOO! I love how they are total rocker chick meets regal chica.

My New Favorite Store

I have a new favorite store, that I just happened to stumble upon one day while taking a walk on Milwaukee Ave. It's Rudy's Round Up General Store in Wicker Park. They have an amazing assortment of gifty items and great vintage accessories and clothing. Best part of all, everything in the store is very reasonably priced. Rudy's has a great assortment of new and vintage jewelry. Lots of fun necklaces, including TONS of Owl necklaces and great vintage plastic jewelry. I am a big fan of quirky jewelry and I feel as if the buyers at Rudy's went shopping with me. I have to control myself. I could do some major damage with their great selection of jewelry. I did buy an Owl Necklace, which has become my favorite necklace. I'd been searching for several years for the perfect Owl necklace-- one that was unique and looked very vintage. The bags are amazing! Lots of cute purses and clutches. The really make a good effort to find top quality vintage bags--for a fraction of the price at most Vintage/ Thrift stores. The clothes are good, too. Lots of humorous t-shirts for guys and cute dresses and sweaters for women. The clothes are all in good condition and reasonably priced. To me, it seemed like the best of the best of thrift store finds.

I have a nearly impossible time finding good cards. I hate buying cards because they are all either super cheesy , way too sappy, lame or disrespectful to the recipient. Rudy's sells vintage cards and new cards that are much better than the average run of the mill Hallmark cards. And they they are about the same price as a Hallmark card, too. Plus, they are much more fun and unique.

Rudy's selection of gifty items is great, too. Everything from a Frida and Diego t-shirt to baby gifts to Dia de los Muertos skulls. There's something for every taste. I love that they have a selection of new and vintage. Need a California Raisin figure? It's there. A cute change purse or a cat figurine? Its there, too.

Rudy's is jammed-packed with a great selection of eclectic good, but with a very current spin. Not sure what to buy for your friend's birthday? You'll find something at Rudy's. And probably something for yourself, too.

Goodbye, Frye Boot Envy!

For the past four of years, I have been obsessed with Frye boots. I am a boots kind of girl, pretty much from Fall to the start of Summer. I have pined over owning my own pair of Frye boots, but I couldn't get over the $200+ price tag. I just couldn't justify spending that kind of money on a pair of shoes. I know that they are amazing and last forever, but to me, it's a lot of money. I've gone through Nordstrom way too many times stalking the Frye boots. I've looked through every thrift store I visit, in the hopes that someone got tired of their Frye boots. A couple of months ago, I was ready to just break down and buy a pair of Frye boots. I came to my senses and seriously considered buying a pair on E-Bay. Thank goodness for Target! They have a knock-off version of the Frye boot for 1/4 of the price! And the kicker is: they are LEATHER! Amazing. I had to go to two Target stores when I was back in Minneapolis, but it was well worth it. I've received many compliments, but the best part is, most people think they are really Frye's! I love it! Even people who own the same Frye version can't tell the difference. SHHHHH!!! It's my secret! The boots are very comfortable and are only $50 dollars. Such a steal.

Even if faux Frye boots are not your thing, Target has a great selection of shoes. I buy most of my flats from Target and they are just as comfortable as other flats that cost twice as much. My favorite pair of flats from Target finally bite the dust after four years of wear. It was a sad day when I had to finally throw them out because they had holes on the bottom and didn't stay on my feet anymore. I replaced my pointy toe hunter green flats with black and electric blue flats that were only & 16.99 a piece! My favorite boot of all time was a pair of light brown slouch boots from the Big Girl Shoe Department at Target (if you have small feet, the Big Girl 5 is equivalent to a women's 7). They were on clearance for $9.99! Super comfortable and practically indestructible. I had them for three years and finally had to get rid of them six months ago. I wore those boots just about everyday to work. I wished I had bought another pair.

Moral of the story: it pays to wait to make a really expensive shoe purchase . And Target is an amazing place to shop for shoes. I am really tempted to buy another pair of the faux Frye Target version, 'cause I love them so much.

My Personal Recession

If you're anything like me, you're probably a bit skeptical about how this Shell chick knows about living la vida frugal. I would be, too. Here's a little background on my journey from clueless shopper to empowered frugalista.

When I graduated from college, I landed a job as an Associate Project Manager, making way more than a 22 year should make. I had never made so much money in my life and I honestly didn't know what to do with it. I had no problem paying my bills and for the first time ever I actually had money left over! Where did all this money go? Clothing and shoes mostly. I had such an amazing work wardrobe. For the record, I didn't go super crazy; I wasn't buying designer clothes, but I had a ton of cute work clothes from Banana Republic, GAP, NY and Company (this was ten years ago when they had better clothes), Petite Sophisticate (before they went under) and Marshall Fields. I just didn't really think about my purchases. If I liked it, I bought it. I don't think I put a dime in my savings account. I had $100 knee-high Nine West boots. And possibly the worst thing I spent my money on was a Ralph Lauren grey wool suit with cigarette pants. I never wore it. the pants were too long (I'm 5'2") and I never got them altered. But how could I pass up a suit that was on sale for $100? Regular price $400. Such a deal! At the same time, I bought a floor length black satin Ralph Lauren skirt for $75. Regular price $200. This was also never worn. It was way too long and where would I actually wear that? At the time, I was sucked into the fact that it was a good deal. Fast forward eight months later, and I was fired from my job. I was stuck with a closet full of amazing clothes, no where to wear them, and a pretty small savings account. I managed to live off my unemployment and didn't buy clothes for a year and a half (this was torture!).

I found temporary work as a receptionist and finally full-time employment in retail. I consigned my Ralph Lauren purchases and the rest of the my glam career wardrobe went to Goodwill. I got over my compulsion to buy clothes I didn't need ( or so I thought). I developed a new obsession: the clearance racks. "It's such a good deal, I have to buy it" became my personal motto. This was probably just as bad. I ended up with a closet full of random, odd pieces that really were not me, but a good deal.

Working in retail, at first, was bad. I had access to super cute clothes before the general public. I impulsive bought garments. Over time, I wised up and realized that my impulsive buying led to a closet of random pieces. After six years in retail (yikes), I've learned my lesson and only buy the stuff that I really like.

What are the lessons I learned here?

• Don't buy something just because it is on sale. You need to really like the item to buy it.
• Impulsive purchases are generally a bad idea.
• Buying something just because you like the designer is bad news bears (think Ralph Lauren party skirt and sleek suit).

Even though they are really dated, I still have my black Nine West Knee-High boots as a reminder of my careless shopping days. Although, the boots were probably the one thing I wore the most. I just can't give them up; it's my reminder of my reckless shopping days.

Working in retail and living paycheck to paycheck made me really think about my clothing purchases. I began to rely on my existing wardrobe and turned to thrift stores for quirky clothing, coats, and accessories. Most importantly, I actually thought about my purchases. A year ago I moved from Minneapolis to Chicago and for the first time in 12 years I've had to pay tax on clothing. YIKES! 10.25%, to be exact. This has really curtailed my shopping habit.

There you have it. I think I've got bargain shopping down to a science and I can't wait to share my tips with you!

Welcome!

I have been blogging for a couple of years and recently found myself bored with my blog. My old blog is dead. This blog is my new one. It will be completely fashion focused. Never fear, I am not going all haute couture on you, I still have my edge. Let's face it, we're in a recession right now and most 20 to 30 something women do not have the money for a new waredrobe every season. I've been in a personal recession for most of my adult life. I've learned how to get the most out of my clothing dollars. Along the way, I've made my share of fashion faux pas (it's such a good deal for a blazer! I don't care that's it's orange paisley, *I have to buy it!) and would love to help others avoid my same mistakes. I have also grown tired of the media's idea of what constitues a good deal. I'll show you real deals. Trust me they, will be good. I promise!


*I actually do have an Orange Paisley blazer in my closet. Story and pictures coming soon!