Happy New Year: The Recessionista's Affordable Champagne Picks

Its the last day of 2009! Au Revoir old year. In preparing for New Year's Eve, bubbly is very much on my mind. And by bubbly, I mean Champagne. One of my dearest friends has called Champagne nothing more than "bad white wine." I disagree. At only 90 calories a glass, Champagne helps me prepare for my coming New Year's diet and usher out the old year in style. For tonight, I will be uncorking some wonderful Champagne to welcome in 2010. I have two affordable favorites to recommend from California to The Recessionista's readers. My top picks are Tattinger Champagne from Domaine Carneros and Thorton Champagnes from the Thorton Winery in Temecula, California. I must confess, I am very partial to the Domaine Carneros Tattinger Champagne from Sonoma, CA. I've visited this winery and spent many a happy afternoon sitting on their patio overlooking the vineyards sampling their Pinot Noirs and their sparkling wine. If you can't journey to the Champagne region of France, Domaine Carneros provides a cheap & cheerful alternative. The winery & tasting rooms are designed to look like a grand French chateau. Their vintage Brut Cuvee is listed on their website for under $30.00 US and has been rated 92 points by wine spectator. However, I have found it for less than $26.00 at Trader Joe's grocery in California. If you're in the US, check your local Trader Joe's for it.

My other affordable US pick is the Thorton Winery's Sparkling Wine from Temecula, CA. The Thorton sparkling wines are a cheap & cheerful choice ranging from $15.00 to $38.00. These wines are available from the winery of course, but also at many grocery stores.





Of course, for many connoisseurs, there is only one source of fine Champagne, and that is France! After all, Champagne takes its name from a province in eastern France, near Paris. Leon Chandon offered many great Champagnes from Reims, France.
After its initial invention a french monk named Dom Pierre Pérignon introduced various production and bottling improvements for Champagne. Today, its fair to say that Moet Chandon and Dom Perignon remain the jewels of the Champagne world. Check your local wine store today for prices on these two. NV Veuve Clicquot is available at many grocers, wine stores and Trader's Joes (and event Target) in the US for under $40.00 US. Korbel Champagne provides another affordable option for your consideration.

And finally, the Good Wine under $20.00 Blog(US) has some great posts on affordable Champagne. Click here to read what this great site has to say about affordable Champagnes.


An early Happy NEW YEAR dear readers! I'm sending you all a virtual glass of bubbly and wishing you a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR's! Welcome 2010.

P.S., for a little free fun today, check out shopping club Ideeli's 2009 Celebrity Fashion Maven poll and their 2009 Fashion Recap & Poll.

Happy New Year: The Recessionista's Affordable Champagne Picks

Coming New Year's Day: RueLaLa's Gifts You Didn't Get Boutique

Far better than a lump of coal is the cash gift you may have received in your Christmas stocking. Some people know that the gifts we give ourselves are the best. If you were gifted with a little mad money, then visit RueLaLa Gifts You Didn't Get Boutique on New Year's Day and peruse gifts for men, women and your home. RueLaLa is a private online shopping club, so if you're not already a member click here to join as my guest (note, I am a RueLaLa affiliate, so this could be called a sponsored link.) My spies tell me that the following items will be on the sale block.

• Women's designer clothing, cozy cashmere, must-have bags, and chic accessories
• Men's watches, suits, jackets, cashmere, boots, leather and denim
• Home Accessories for the bed, bath and kitchen

Other items to look for this week include sales on Betsey Johnson and Spanx. Both items will be on sale on Dec. 31st. For those who don't know about it, Spanx is the perfect antidote to figgy pudding, pie, stuffing and all the other yummy delights of the holiday season. Just when you think you might need the jaws of life to get up off the sofa, voila, Spanx survival skills kick in. Spanx may be one of the most miraculous inventions of the 20th century (just as the corset was needed in the 19th century.) I've fallen in love with Spanx at this point and can't go anywhere without my new best friend :) How very considerate of RueLaLa to offer Spanx for sale at a discount right after Christmas. Nothing like a little figure assist on the QT from behind the PC screen. I prefer to buy my Spanx privately as I vow to begin my New Year's Diet. (I have seen them for over the counter use at TJ Maxx, if you want to shop in-store.)

RueLaLa will also be featuring good (Cuisinart) coffee and cappuccino machines at the sale. These ingenious java makers are de riguer (necessary) for the New Year's diet as the caffeine gives me the energy to emerge from winter hibernation and stumble to the nearest gym.

So save the date for the Gifts You Didn't Get. I will be there cruising the sale for some values.

Coming New Year's Day: RueLaLa's Gifts You Didn't Get Boutique

New Year's Looks for Less: Ring in 2010 in Style

Tick, tick, tick, 2010 is just a few days away. It's time to ring out the old, ring in the new. Several of you have written in to ask for some recommendations on affordable looks for New Years. Last year, I only covered dresses. This year, I'm looking at dresses, tops and accessories at reasonable prices to kick off 2010 in a cheap & cheerful way. So here are a few picks for your consideration. The Recessionista mantra is quality for price, not the latest celeb look or the latest big box "designer" collaboration.

BCBG has many stylish tops for approximately $50.00 in their "final cut" portion of their website and one sale racks in-store. The styles they are showing can take you to a New Years party and beyond. Fabrics are silks not polyester. Check out the ruched empire waist-top for $59.40 reduced from $198.00. Today you can take an additional 15% off. The sales at BCBG stores have been really wonderful this year, offering classic styles, great fabrics and well made garments at the same prices as some discount stores.


H&M has a great assortment of reasonable party looks. I'm particularly impressed by their line of bolero jackets and toppers in sequins, jacquard and faux fur. If you missed their Jimmy Choo collection, then check out their beaded jacket for $29.99 as a worthy substitute. For me, I was lucky enough to snatch up some H&M Jimmy Choo, so I will be wearing the black beaded tunic with the cityscape on it. If you're reading from the UK, look for the jacket and sequin dresses from Giles Gold at New Look in-store. They are almost all gone online now, but you may still find them at a store.



If you're looking for a great little black dress, check out the choices at Kohl's in their Elle line. Pictured at left is the Elle Rosette dress for $29.99. There is also a great black asymmetrical dress for $29.99.
These are classic styles that you will get a lot of wear out of for a small price. In the Kohl's Simply Vera line there are some great sequined party tops that you can pair with winter white or black pants for an elegant look.



The Macy's Inc. dress from Project Runway winner Irina just went on sale for $99.00 US. This midnight blue rayon jersey dress with its sequined butterfly is extremely well made for the price. This is a dress that you can wear all four seasons for a variety of different looks. In the winter, pair it with black tights and high heels. In the summer, you can wear it with sheer hose or bare legs and strappy sandals. The dress is a bit more expensive than more other picks, but it contains beading which is always a more expensive choice. Reader the reader reviews on Macys.com to hear what other viewers think of the dress. Most were amazed by it once they saw it and tried it on.




My final pick is the Norma Kamali for Walmart convertible jersey dress. Check the picture on the left to see how you can style the dress with one strap for a New Year's Eve look. This dress is only $20.00 and after your big New Year's bash, you can wear it as a two sleeved jersey dress, or in a variety of ways. Click over to Walmart.com for the various looks. Also, check the reviews from ladies who already own and wear the dress. It's a 5 star look for less. The dress comes in red or black. For $24.00, have a look at the "All in One" dress from NK for Walmart. One reviewer notes, "Much more versatile than I imagined. You really can come up with all those styles and more...and the dress stays in place." Note, the dress may run small so just order a larger size for a looser fit. Whether you size up or down for best fit, the price remains the same. If you're in New York City for the New Year, look for up to 50% off classic Norma Kamali styles at her store on 11 West 56th St. between 5th and 6th Ave. Her classic all in one piece is $75.00 at her store.

Look for stylish jewelry and accessories at stores like Loehmann's, Zara, BCBG, New Look, H&M, Forever21 and Kohls to complete the look. Check my earlier post on all the great costume jewelry from BCBG.

I recently spoke with TODAY's style editor Bobbie Thomas and she reminded me that simple elegant hairstyles for your special events can be achieved by wearing a stylish head band and pulling your hair back (remember the high ponytail look that stylist David Jensen told us about earlier this year.) Bobbie also reminded me that you can "use your nails like jewelry" by painting them in stylish colors. This is a brillant idea, since nail polish is a particularly low cost item.

Enjoy your New Year's celebrations readers. What you save on style, you can reinvest in Champagne! :)

New Year's Looks for Less: Ring in 2010 in Style

Sonia Rykiel for H&M Part Deux Preview. Coming Feb. 20 for Spring 2010.

Pictured: Two Looks from the upcoming Sonia Rykiel for H&M Knitwear collection

The fabuless bloggers over at Racked NY were working like Santa's Elves this Christmas to bring us all latest fashion looks from the upcoming Sonia Rykiel for H&M collaboration. Kudos to Elizabeth at Racked for posting on Christmas Eve! Shame I was drinking some Champagne at that time and didn't notice her diligence in posting. Thanks to Target-Addict, I emerged from my post-Christmas fog to learn all about it. Above are some of the looks from the collection. I'm not wild about the striped top with little Orphan Annie overalls, but I agree with Racked on the yellow sweater. I love the detail on the collar/bodice on this one. Also, if I may say so, I think it will look better on the average wearer than on the model who looks like she just stuck her finger in a light bulb socket to make her hair stand on end. Who thinks this is a good look? Show of hands? Anyone ? :) More looks include a hot pink jumper and jacket that remind me of Coco Chanel. Chanel's 1998 collection featured a Raspberry skirt and jacket.

Pictured: The Hot Pink Jacket and Jumper from the Sonia Part Deux collection

Look for all of the Sonia preview images on Racked NY. The collection will be in stores on Feb. 20.

Sonia Rykiel for H&M Part Deux Preview. Coming Feb. 20 for Spring 2010.

Final Sale: 50% off at Gilt Fuse today

In case Santa left something you wanted off his list, you might want to check the Gilt Fuse sale today. From Corpus to LaROK, Gilt Fuse is offering knits, jumpers, dresses and more. Happy holidays ladies — here’s to 50 brands from under $50! Juicy Couture watches are also featured and I just snapped one up!

Click here to join Gilt Fuse as my guest. Note, I am a Gilt Affiliate, so I guess you could say this is a "sponsored link."

Final Sale: 50% off at Gilt Fuse today

Sunday Style: QVC Brings Jackie Kennedy's "Fey" Style to the Masses for under $100

Pictured: Jacqueline Kennedy in her trademark triple strand pearls designed by Coco Chanel, given to her by her mother Janet Lee Bouvier.

John F. Kennedy once described his wife Jackie's style as "fey." What does it mean to be fey? According to the dictionary "fey" means to possess an "otherworldly, magical, or fairy like aspect or quality." I would agree that Jackie's style was indeed magical. The proof is some forty years after her one thousand days in the White House, a line of Jacqueline Kennedy "reproductions" is selling like hotcakes on QVC.com. Jackie would've been 80 years old this year. In 1996 her some of her jewelry, art and furniture were sold at auction at Sotheby's. I was one of the fashion faithful who enjoyed reading the Sotheby's catalog to get a glimpse of her extensive jewelry collection and her love for fine things.

Pictured: A screen grab of Jackie's pearls from the Sotheby's catalog from 1996.

Her collection of jewelry included costume pieces from Chanel (her pearls), Elsa Schiaparelli (the morning mist bracelet, earrings and brooch in the QVC collection), plus pieces JFK bought for her at Tiffany's and Van Cleef & Arpels. In her time as First Lady she also received some beautiful jewelry from various heads of state as "gifts." One beautiful piece she received from the Queen of England was a reproduction of a bracelet that Henry the Eight gave to his third wife Jane Seymour. A replica of this piece is now in the QVC collection. So how did some of Jackie's treasures come to be reproduced and now accessible to all? The Kennedy family agreed to work with jeweler Camrose and Kross a few years ago to create replicas of some of Jackie's pieces. Camrose & Kross set about choosing a selection of brooches, earrings, watches, rings and pendants that were Bouvier family heirlooms or gifts from JFK and others. The pieces were sold by Camrose & Kross as well as by the JFK museum gift shop and website. QVC then picked up the line and began selling it on their shopping network. Replicas of some of Jackie's handbags and sunglasses have been added to show additional elements of her style. On the Kennedy library website, you can see the individual jewelry pieces along with the story of how the piece came to be in Jackie's collection. Some of the pieces have a romantic history, as they were gifts from JFK. One such piece is the Circle Bracelet, give to Jackie by JFK after the birth of Caroline Kennedy, signifying how their marriage had come full circle with a new addition.

Pictured: The Jacqueline Kennedy Circle Bracelet reproduction, a gift from JFK.

You can read the history behind each piece online at the Kennedy library site, or listen to it on QVC.com. Each time QVC airs the Jacqueline Kennedy collection, commentary is provided by Kennedy historian Philip Katz on the pieces. This soft spoken historian is fascinating to listen to. There are no special effects or reenactments to his stories. He uses a plain number two pencil and old black and white photos to tell the story of Jackie's jewelry interwoven with her life. Even if you don't buy a thing, it's worth watching the show to listen to the history of Jackie's jewelry collection. After listening to the show, I purchased two of the bracelets, one on eBay and one on QVC com. (Sometimes, I'll buy on eBay if the price is better.) For the price, I'm really pleased with the pieces. With the earrings, drop pieces can be added and detached for different looks. Jackie had impeccable style, so it's wonderful to find that style at an affordable price. QVC has included reader reviews on the pieces on their website. Be sure to check out what other shoppers think of the collection and their level of satisfaction with it before you buy.

Pictured: Jackie's debutante ball earrings were family heirlooms that have been reproduced.

Pictured: A replica of Jackie's 1962 Yves Saint Laurent handbag is a new addition to the Jacqueline Kennedy collection on QVC.com. I love the look of the bag with the bow trim and the french knots in the straps.

Today's New York Times Style section has an article of the style of First Ladies today including Michelle Obama and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. Even the rogue style of Sarah Palin is mentioned. But for me, nothing is more vogue than Jackie's style. You can see her influence on France's Mrs. Sarkozy today. Mrs, Sarkozy has been known to wear pill box hats, brooches and bracelets in her public appearances.

Pictured: Jackie Kennedy's chic look is imitated by Carla Sarkozy today.

In today's economy a classy piece of jewelry is a good way to dress up clothes from your closet and add a stylish touch to them. You can find cheap costume jewelry just about anywhere, but none so chic as Jackie's. Where else are you going to find jewelry first designed by Tiffany, watches first designed by Chopard, antique pendant crosses and Coco Chanel's costume pearls for under $100.00 US? I wonder what Jacqueline would think of reproductions of her jewelry (made in China) being sold on QVC. Somehow I think she might be quite pleased that people still found the pieces as beautiful as she did. "Fey" is a good word to describe it.

Sunday Style: QVC Brings Jackie Kennedy's "Fey" Style to the Masses for under $100

There's Got to be a Morning After: Boxing Day Dec. 26 Sales

With snow still blanketing much of the world, many shoppers couldn't get to the stores pre-Christmas to finish their shopping. Tragedy, eh? Not really. Many retailers are going to keep the sales in full swing until Jan 1st to try to lure those thawing out from winter storms into the stores to buy. Let's see if it works. In the mother country, England, Dec. 26th is Boxing Day, the traditional day that servants and laborers (workers) were given their gifts. It was even a day when charitable contributions might be given. The goal was for the wealthy to give to the less well off. Today Boxing Day is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Germany, Greenland, New Zealand and parts of Asia. Interesting how Dec. 26th has evolved to include a wider circle of giving ? :) In Europe and Canada, Boxing Day is like Black Friday in the US, with many stores opening at the crack of dawn and offering specials. Here are a few things that have turned up on The Recessionista radar system.

• Best Buy, in-store PC sales Dec. 26th
• Wal-Mart Stores are offering a $50 gift card on purchases of Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360 players through Jan. 1.

For fashion:

• New Norma Kamali holiday wear on sale at select Walmarts and online.
• Stein Mart Red Dot Clearance Event – Customers can find savings of 40-75% off already discounted prices. Check your Christmas day paper for a coupon for an additional 25% off all red dot and clearance merchandise valid only on December 26th and 27th.
• Macy’s – 75% off designer clothing from Alfani, Nine West, Charter Club, Rafaella, JM Collection, Alfred Dunner, AGB, and Style & Co.
• Kohl's- savings throughout the store and online
• Chelsea & Camarillo Premium Outlet Center sales Dec. 26-Jan 3.
• Saks and Neiman Marcus discounts on select designer wear.
• In the UK, look for savings at Debenham's, Lulu Guiness, Harvey Nics and even Harrods! Click here to see the Telegraph's list of the 25 best Boxing Day deals.
  
• In the UK, check Voucher Code for sales at John Lewis, Astley Clark and others.
  
• In the UK, Celia Birtwell for Boots is 50% off. Of course, I am trying to get some!
• In the UK, US and EMEA Newlook.com has Giles Deacon Gold on sale.
  
• In Canada, check the Boxing Day Deals site. Many major retailers have specials to tempt you.
• In the US and parts of Canada, check Loehmann's after holiday savings. The first 300 customers in store Saturday at 7 am will score a $20.00 coupon good for savings on a purchase of $40.00 or more. Check the website for details.
• Nordstrom's Dec. 24 - Jan. 11. Winter Savings - 40%, Dec. 25 - Jan. 10
  Half-Yearly Sale for Men
  

Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what else you find!

There's Got to be a Morning After: Boxing Day Dec. 26 Sales

Merry Christmas Baby! From LA with Love

Merry Christmas Baby! From LA with Love

Last Minute Deals and Steals! TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Kohl's

Pictured: One of my favorite places, the final cosmetic clearance rack at TJ Maxx or Marshall's

The hours are ticking by and it is the final Christmas shopping countdown. Today I had to take my little niece out for our annual tradition of shopping for her parents. The recessioniecesta shopping expedition involves frugal fashion guidance, a little funding and of course some Pizza or Chicken Nuggets. I enjoy the challenge of finding some great presents on my little niece's budget. We found some great deals today and I have to pass on some of the savings tips. We started over at TJ Maxx and found the following merry maxxinsista savings on books for the cooks and wine lovers on our list.

Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide 6th Edition : The Complete, Easy-to-Use Reference on Recent Vintages, Prices, and Ratings for More Than 8,000 Wines from All the Major Wine Regions Price: $3.00

Pictured: Martha Stewart cooks books are on sale at TJ Maxx. Look for them for the cook on your list.

Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home: 52 Quick Meals to Cook for Family and Friends. TJ Price: Price: $12.00, Amazon price $23.00. There were several Martha cookbooks on the clearance rack for $12.00. If you have a cook on your list, there as some great cookbooks including Hungry Girl and The Barefoot Contessa.

Pictured: Hungry Girl Low Calorie Cookbooks are on the clearance rack at TJ Maxx for $12.00.

We also found Rachel Ray magazine and Oprah magazine at TJ's for about 40% of their list price!

Other deals we liked in the store: Tiffany style antique key pendants for $14.99 and $19.99 at the jewelry counter, Unique Coffee Roasters gourmet Columbian blend for $5.99, Thomas the Train toys and clearance priced A list cosmetics including Elizabeth Arden and even some Estee Lauder. Armed with these trophies, we headed out to Kohl's for the final round of in-store bargain hunting armed with a stack of coupons.

Pictured: Dana Buchman Beaded Jacquard Tunic Top on sale for $24.00. Gold and black faux jewels adorn the neckline.

Our Kohl's run included forerays to the jewelry, Food Network and fashion sections. At this point, we called for reinforcements from Team Recessionista using our cellular devices. My Mom and Sister-in-Law both headed the call for extra shopping sale help. Mom quickly picked up clothes for my Dad, Dana Buchman tunics and Simply Vera holiday tops on sale. My sis was able to score lingerie and PJs at great prices. There were also Cusinart items on sale for great reductions. A particular favorite is the Cusinart Brew & Grind coffee maker. Here's a glimpse of the Vera holiday looks we love.

Pictured: Simple Vera Charmeuse holiday dress from Kohl's with Lavender and Orchid Pink layers.

Pictured: Simply Vera Embellished Holiday Orchid Pink Top with Jewels at the Collar. The picture doesn't do this top justice. Unlike Rodarte for Target, Vera uses the Tulle to accent and trim, rather than to make up the entire garment. Nice touch Vera! :)

When we reached the checkout counter, we encountered a very pleasant surprise. We were able to each use Kohl's coupons for our purchases. I was even able to combine two Kohl's coupons. My sister-in-law used the coupon from the recent Los Angles Times for $10.00 off any purchase of $20.00. If you have that coupon (it was a peel off sticker from Sunday's paper) its good until Dec. 24th. My mom and I combined our purchases and used a 15% off shopping coupon I received from Kohl's in the mail. Plus, I was also able to realize further savings using a $5.00 off coupon from Kohl's that I got from signing up for their email list. Ka-Ching! I love it when the coupons bring the prices down. Even better, we got Kohl's cash for our purchases! I received $20.00 Kohl's cash and my sister-in-law got $10.00 So word up recessionistas, if you're doing your final in-store shopping round, check out Kohl's and bring those coupons.

Last Minute Deals and Steals! TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Kohl's

Last Minute Gift Ideas for the Final Countdown

Are you ready shoppers? This is it, the final Christmas Countdown. I have to admit, I'm a little stressed. I made the priority mail shipping today with final gifts and Christmas cards, but I am not done yet. It's like an obstacle course at this point. There are last minute items to get for the kiddies and the most difficult shoppers, the men in my life. The BFF has already called today to request a change in one of the items on his list. My niece is still wanting clothes for her American Girl doll and the list continues with Thomas the Train items my nephew must have. If you're struggling like I am, here are a few last minute gift ideas.

iTunes Gift Card. You can't go wrong with the gift of music. The recipient gets to pick their favorite tunes and you get to pick up a convenient and economical gift from the grocery, the drugstore or even online for sending via email. Its easy and a great way to avoid last minute shipping snafus.

An American Express Gift Card. This little gold wrapped cards give you something nice to put under the tree. You can find them at just about any grocery or drugstore. The nice thing about the Amex card is it is fee free. That means if you paid $50.00 for it, your giftee gets to use $50.00 worth of your gift. There are no service charge fees added in.





A Good Book. The holidays are usually the time I catch up on my reading. It's the perfect time to escape into a good story or a biography. I just finished "Social Lives" by Wendy Walker and I highly recommend it. This book is my fantasy of what might be happening to the professional socialite wives married to men like Bernie Madoff. Behind all the Birkin bags and Jimmy Choos there is some real angst and heartache. Social Lives looks at each of its wealthy protagonists to see how they will go forward when personal and financial set backs force them to reevaluate everything they thought they could count on. You can feel the breaking of social facades as you turn each page. The book has a surprise ending that will leave you smiling. For more book ideas, check the current New York Time bestseller list . You can gift a book and wrap it with a bow or simply gift a book certificate.



Make a Spa Stocking with items from the Drugstore. I recently spoke with TODAY's style editor Bobbie Thomas and she had excellent suggestions for making a spa holiday Christmas stocking for your favorite guy or gal. Bobbie suggests filling a colorful stocking with items like Olay New Thermal Pedicure for women, or a good Gillette razor (Spa Breeze) and body wash for men. Other popular items include Burt's Bees lip balm, shaving lotions and moisturizers. Always look for coupons for Burt's Bees to maximize the savings.


Charitable Contributions. It's a great time to make a donation to charity in the name of a loved one. Your gift is also tax deductible.


These are just a few ideas to help jump start your creativity as the Christmas Countdown continues. I'll be sharing more tips throughout the week. Stay tuned!

Last Minute Gift Ideas for the Final Countdown

Get into the Holiday Spirit with Deals from BCBG

Pictured: This evening gown and jewelry from BCBG look pricey, but the necklace is a mere $128.00 and can make any look Oscar-ready.

Last week I attended a party at BCBG for the launch of their new fragrance Within at their store in Beverly. Hills that is that is, swimmin' pools, movie stars. The fashions were high and haute, but the prices were not! BCBG was overflowing with great deals, sales and wonderful little stocking stuffers for last minute gift ideas. There are plenty of great gifts for girlfriends goodie bags, wonderful costume jewelry that is red carpet ready and their wonderful new fragrance, "Within" made in collaboration with master perfumer Sarah Horowitz. Here's a little pictorial tour of some of the BCBG gift ideas along with their prices.

Pictured: BCBG Luggage Tags and Passport Holders are pretty & practical gifts for the glam traveler.

Pictured: A flashy passport holder.

Pictured: A bit of ice, cluster bracelets perfect for your holiday parties.

Pictured: A decadent delight, BCBG Cashmere Ankle socks.

Pictured: This elegant Layered Rhinestone Necklace upgrades any look. The necklace is $98.00 US.

Pictured: BCBG Bling with headbands, rings and more pretty things.

Pictured: A nice Christmas touch, the BCBG Poinsettia like bracelet for approximately $25.00.
Pictured: BCBG Rhinestone Collar. With Rhinestones like these, Diamonds may no longer be a girl's best friend.

For more BCBG gift ideas, check their online gift guide for ideas from $25.00 to $100.00. If you're shopping for your holiday party dress, BCBG has a special deal today only (12/21) holiday gowns and dresses are 20% off and include free shipping. Fashion club Ideeli also has BCBG on sale today, check my Top Picks for the link.

I'll be posting more soon on BCBG's "Within" fragrance and my meeting with master perfumer Sarah Horowitz.

Get into the Holiday Spirit with Deals from BCBG

Holiday Shipping Deadlines: Dec. 21 is the Final Date for USPS Priority Mail

Pictured: If only Santa could deliver all my packages! But it's a fact that sometimes I must rely on the USPS.

If you haven't already shipped your holiday gift, remember that tomorrow, Monday Dec. 21 is the last day that you can send first class mail to be delivered before Christmas. This little tidbit of information comes from the United States Post Office website. If you were seeking to ship your gifts at the lower parcel post rates, that ship has already sailed. The Parcel Post deadline was Dec. 16th.

USPS Domestic Mail Class/Product Cut Off Dates
First Class Mail Dec-21
Priority Mail Dec-21
Express Mail* Dec-23

* Some Express Mail destinations may have extended service commitments

I learned quite painfully last year how important it is to pay attention to shipping deadlines. I ordered toys for my little niece and nephew for Christmas on Dec. 13th. Those toys did not arrive until after Christmas, because the retailer I purchased from didn't actually ship the toys until Dec. 23! When they left the retailer on the 23rd, they were not shipped Express mail. The result, no toys! Disappointed, I found myself doing a last minute emergency in-store toy run at Kohl's in North Carolina. Even worst, I was reduced to "fibbing" (inspired by my helpful and creative sister-in-law) to my niece and nephew about how an errant helper of Santa (a renegade Elf) had let some toys fall out of the sleigh.

Pictured: My nose was as long as Pinocchio's last year when I had to tell some white lies about toys that were not delivered in time for Christmas. Learn from my experience and make sure whoever you are buying from ships in time.

I explained that the toys now had to be rerouted to North Carolina. My brother volunteered that the toys were most probably in Iceland, rather than the North Pole. Fortunately, the kids are little and they were accepting of this tall tale so long as their gift was not a lump of coal. So heed my advice and check those deadlines. Remember the importance of shipping tomorrow via USPS and the priority mail services. It's worth a few extra pennies at this point if you want to get your gifts there. If you can't get it in the mail tomorrow, then pick it up in store and deliver it yourself (packed in a duffle bag or a suitcase if you are flying.) If you are doing last minute online shopping, be sure to check with any retailer you buy from about when they will ship, and if the item you are buying is already in stock. Forewarned is forearmed.

Holiday Shipping Deadlines: Dec. 21 is the Final Date for USPS Priority Mail

The Recessionista Reviews Rodarte for Target

Pictured: Rodarte for Target at my local store. Many items are already sold out online.

I've heard from many readers this am that is was just too cold and dreary to venture out in winter storms to buy Rodarte at their local Target store. I think this is why many of the items are already sold out online. Target did a good job creating buzz for this collection and many frugal fashionista were chomping at the bit to get the pieces. It will be interesting to see if the sold-out items are returned to Target after customers receive their items and actually get to try them on and access the fit. Here in California, there is plenty of Rodarte still in stock, so don't despair if you didn't get yours. I think there is some in stock at stores around the country judging by the emails I am receiving. So, here is what I thought of the collection, the good, the bad and the ugly.

My overall impression of the collection is that there are some cute, very romantic looking pieces here. There is also a lot of reproduction of vintage lingerie pieces from 1930s lingerie collections. The camisoles and the tulle dresses are reminders of earlier looks. These items are sized small and in my opinion will best fit tweens and young girls The fit in the bust and shoulders is very small. This is also true of all the dresses in the collection. Although the sizing is larger than the Anna Sui collection and the lengths are longer than mini, things are still not in proportion to the average women's size. This is truly junior sized, which is sad as I always see women who are clearly not juniors (including myself) looking for a fashion bargain. Unlike Jimmy Choo for H&M, this collection features thin fabrics and styles best suited to teens and tweens, rather than adults. I was at two Target stores today with shoppers, and most of them were disappointed by the sizing of the tulle dresses and the animal print dresses. Like many styles from the 1920s, the fit will look best on ladies with small busts and small hips who are not too curvy and can carry off the look of one straight line. This is particularly true of the leopard print dress modeled by Dakota Fanning in various fashion magazines. (Fabric on the leopard dress is also very, very stiff. It doesn't exactly move well with the wearer.)

Pictured: The vintage lingerie look camisoles next to the lacy cardigan. I liked the lacy cardigan, its a nice holiday piece for the price.

The Givenchy inspired black lace dress worn by Jean Seberg in Bonjour Tristesse also falls short in my opinion. It is in black as well as a Liberty of London type floral print, which I think is a rather ill fitting to the style of the dress. In my opinion, you can't replicate a classic Givenchy couture dress with synthetic materials and cheap tailoring. It just doesn't work.

Pictured: The Rodarte for Target halter dresses in floral and black lace.

Pictured: The faux fur jacket, good on Jeremiah Johnson maybe, too wooly for my tastes.

In person, I was also disappointed in the floral rain jacket. The print was lovely, but the nylon material was very thin and flimsy. It was also a boxy cut. The matching nylon tote is miniature sized and won't carry much. You get what you pay for here.

However, there are several pieces in this collection that I do like for the design and the price point. My top picks are the lacy style cardigan, the lace print t-shirt with bow, the scoop lace tee and the mesh bow top. Here are the pictures of those.

Pictured: This mesh top with bow ties at the front and sleeves is very cute for $24.99. I bought it in navy and paired it with a black camisole from my closet. It also comes in Orchid/Hot Pink.

Pictured: For $14.99, I like this faux lace print tee with detachable bow.

Pictured: This faux lace floral top is cuter than it looks. Its completely sheer, so I paired it with my own camisole for a less peek-a-boo look. It retails for $16.99.

Bottom line, as with all budget collections there are plenty of hits and misses in Rodarte for Target. I left my local Target vowing to sign up for the Rodarte sample sales in Los Angeles. I love Rodarte designs, but the execution of them for Target just wasn't all that. There are many better made designer garments at Loehmann's, Marshall's and the online designer shopping cubs that are not designer budget lines for the price point. When you go to Target today, or look at the over 200 Rodarte for Target listings on eBay, step back and separate the hype from the actual quality of the pieces.

Update, Jan. 5th. I returned both the mesh navy tops (bow tie and floral) pictured above to Target. While getting ready to wear them to holiday events, I found them rather itchy and uncomfortable. To top it off, my 9 year old niece asked why I would want to wear a see through top so that people could see my underwear. I decided she had a good point! I returned both items and will content myself with my Rodarte White Shirts from the Gap purchased a few years ago. Although I thought both tops were pretty, I just didn't find they were wearable, at least for me. Especially in the winter months. Give me some fabric or some cashmere at least :)

The Recessionista Reviews Rodarte for Target