Trendy But Not Spendy

For the local crew, I love the Upper Union Street area in Schenectady. Its held strong while everything else in the city has gone to pot (and come back, fortunately) and while I might have loved it a bit more when there was still a Ben and Jerry's there, and before Homestyle jumped the shark, it looks like I've got another reason for the Upper Union Street love, starting today.

Trendy Tots - an upscale consignment store for kids - opens today at 1000A Baker Ave, just next door to Northeastern Fine Jewelry. From the preview photos I've seen, this place looks very cute and well organized and like it has a great inventory to start out with. Sizes run from newborn to 12 youth and brands include Gap, Gymboree and my favorite, Mini Boden (and really, who wants to pay $30 for a super cute Mini Boden t-shirt for a two year old, only to have it worn twice or wrecked with blueberry stains?)

Hours

Tues-Weds 10 to 3

Thurs - Sat 9 to 6

Sun - 11 to 2

http://www.trendytots.info/

I can't make the grand opening but plan to visit soon. If you make it, shoot me a note or a comment and let me know what you think.

Did Someone Say Sample Sale?

It used to be that "Sample Sale" meant a limited-time-run at some sketchy industrial space in the fashion district; up a couple of flights of stairs and mobbed with hopeful men and women, trying to get a mega-deal. These days, not so much. Sample sales have gone high tech and many are now held online, either directly on the retailer's website or through a 3rd party site like RueLaLa or Gilt Group.

Thanks to LA Stylist mom, I just got word of a new site, set to launch shortly, called ToVieFor. Specializing in shoes and accessories, this is one that definitely intrigues me. Here's the caveat though - many major sites like this (gilt group, gomattagirls.com, etc) have fairly strict return policies, so if you order something and its crap or doesn't fit, you usually can only return it for a store credit for that particular site. If that doesn't scare you, jump right in. There are tremendous deals to be had. What's even more fun is that the sales change on a daily basis so there's always something new to check out. Here's my cliff notes

Gilt Groupe - upscale brands (Marc Jacobs, JBrand, etc) pretty big variety; prices are higher b/c the brands are more expensive and things tend to sell out quickly.
Gomattagirls.com - emerging brands, lower priced brands. A lot of "eh" stuff with a few gems
RueLaLa- I haven't yet joined this one; boasts 70% off retail prices though
BadJoan - more like Gomatta girls; emerging designers, hit or miss, low prices
Beyond The Rack - good deals; more mainstream brands; things sell out quickly

There are many many more - ones for kids and babies, ones just for the home, ones for men, etc. Bottom line, read the return and exchange policies carefully and shop wisely. Check the size charts, google the brands to compare prices, all that good caveat emptor stuff. I actually created a separate e-mail address just to receive all of the upates from these places (they'll totally clog your in-box otherwise). Last but not least, have fun.

Getting On And Falling Off The (Band) Wagon

I spent a lot of time at the local library last week, due to the rain. While my kids were raising hell in the kids' section, I was flipping through magazines on the other side of the building and stumbled upon The O(prah) Magazine's annual "big deals" issue. (Confession: I like Oprah... so there). In short, its totally worth a flip-through. Staffers negotiated some crazy deals with major retailers and labels (Laura Mercier and Rebecca Taylor, two of my favorites). I'm loving this Rebecca Taylor dress, which can be scored for a mere $89, well over half off the retail price. For the full discount, just enter "oprah10" at checkout.

Now, jumping off the wagon, here's another current favorite: www.wtso.com (wines til sold out dot com). An Internet wine merchant that offers tremendous deals and free shipping. I'm talking 50-60% off the retail price for a huge selection of international wines, offered one at a time, until ... well... sold out. And free shipping. Lovely!

Missing in Action

Upstate and what? Where you been woman? I know, I know, its been a while. Summer is a sloooow fashion season and my life has recently become far more hectic with the addition of a 2nd job but I'm still here and will do my best to keep you in the loop of all things cool, cute and fashionable, I promise.

I have much to share. Part 1) comes with the humble admission that on rare occasions, I've been known to run a quick errand at WalMart, solely because its convenient to work and when you have two jobs and two kids, convenience is key. Anyway, I stumbled upon the super fun and not terribly inexpensive boutique line of makeup: Hard Candy on my last stealth visit. You might think, whatever, the stuff is for teenagers, not for me, as the colors are pretty bold and there is more than a little glitter going on. That said, we all need a little glitter once in a while and I grabbed a great nude lipgloss and purple mascara (every redhead's secret weapon) for $6 each. Not bad at all.

Part 2) I just discovered a great blog The Art of Accessories. Its one woman's tutorial on how to accessorize with bags, jewelry and well... accessories. She's got a new post every day (!!)) as well as a very cute "monday manicure" section where she reviews a different polish color every Monday... gives it a test run for you. A fresh perspective AND an impressive Chuck Taylor collection, what's not to love!??

Say it Ain't So!

I'm getting bombarded with back to school catalogs, garden implements are out and school supplies are in at Target and I'll admit, I'm bitching about the hotter than Hades weather we're having and wishing for some cool fall breezes. So, in short, its time to talk fall fashion.

I'm happy to report that trendspotters and those in the know are predicting an end to behemoth platform heels and Frankenstein shoes BUT leggings and skinny trou are here to stay (yaay... at least for the leggings bit). Also, plaid, leather and all things embellished with ribbon are going to be very on-trend for 2010. What else? Velvet (yaaay!), fur (boo!) sparkly gold fabric, mixed prints, and my perennial favorite: head to toe black, all in the top 10.

Stay tuned for my favorite interpretations of some of these Fall 2010 styles.

Everybody's Got Their Fug...

On my recent visit to Wellfleet, I spotted two different women wearing the same funky/ugly/funky clog type shoe. Sort of a clog, sort of a (gasp) Croc, and in my opinion, funky as hell. I promptly found them online and buzzed T for her opinion. She gave the big thumbs-down.

That said, I ordered them anyway just so see if I'd like them and it turns out I really, really do. Summer shoes are funny, they've got to be comfortable (for a host of reasons, the no-sock thing, lots of walking, trips to the playground /pool / etc) but they should also be fun too. Flip-flops are a big no (plantar fasciaitis, anyone?) and sneaker type shoes can be hot and often goofy looking. No, I wouldn't pair these with skinny jeans or a dressier outfit but they work well for knocking about and the knockabout look. I mean, really, if the hipsters in Brooklyn are wearing these this summer, surely my pick ain't so bad?

Not to be Missed!

While I am officially on vacation right now, I feel compelled to share the following about the current Hayden Harnett "big bang" sale. HH is a wonderful line, based in Brooklyn, featuring the most amazing, luxe handbags, accessories and apparel. Prices are no joke, putting their stuff out of reach for me (and many) most of the time but when they have sales (usually once during the summer and again just before Christmas) they're no joke and well worth the time. My advice is to either become a fan on Facebook or sign up for e-mail alerts as you usually can't access sale info from the regular website. During the big sales, bags can be purchased for well below half the retail price and accessories for up to 75% off.

Today's special offer is HH's fabulous leather and metal cuff bracelets, all 50% off until 9 am tomorrow. I'll forsake the vacation souvenirs in favor of one of these babies.