Charlotte Russe $10 and Under, with Free Shipping!

We were alerted to a special free shipping offer on Charlotte Russe by a savings email we get now and then (we kind of forget how we signed up for it but it's called FindSavings). Use coupon code AFFFS when you check out! (We hope they don't mind us sharing the secret). You can also get 10% off just by joining their e-mail list! We also just noticed that a lot of the items on the site are ALREADY on a free shipping promo so maybe you won't need the code at all.

Here are some of our finds from CR today (click pics to go to listing- but come back please :) )

WARNING: The end of the post gets rather shoe-heavy, and they're ridiculously affordable, so before you read any further we want to state that we are not responsible for any crankiness or Imelda-calling by your boyfriend or husband due to your inability to resist!

Carry on.

Soak up the last half of summer with these- not quite right for us, but totally adorable- pink striped short shorts, $9.99:

A great take on a basic cami, this ruffle-top tank with bow-tie shoulder detailing and a nice flowy silhouette is only $6.99 and comes in either royal or heather grey.


While we're at it, another super-cute ruffled-neck top; this one available in hot pink as shown and also a maize-y "lemongrass," $5.00! We're loving the longer length, too.



...and while we're not normally that "into" plaid, madras or pastels, how adorable is this corset-style a-line double-layer cami for $9.99?


While it's only halfway through summer for most of us, we can't resist a cute pair of tights (stocking up! Hahahaha. OK sorry), as you should know by now. These pink pointelle ones, also available in grey, are at an awesome clearance price of $3.49 (one size only though, boo).

Or, if you're a little more daring and enjoying the neon trend of late, you can have hot pink or yellow tights, too, for $2.49!


We are totally going to score this awesome tie-dye scarf in our personal favorite colors, $4.49


We've been looking for bright blue heels for ages, but aren't these flats too fantastic for $9.49 as well??
We don't go out and about on the town much but would surely be seeking an occasion to rock this fabulous iridescent metal mesh mini-handbag with a removable strap to make it a clutch or shoulder bag! ($8.49):



That's definitely the cutest stuff we found for our taste, but you can find more items listed under $10 (at least 200 of them!) here.

Despite the title of the post, we did have to check out what's available for just over $10. You'll be pleased we did. Have a drool over this chiffon and satin blouse with corset styling and layered-look sleeves... EEK! $10.99! Do.Need.



Perhaps paired with these fabulous studded ankle-strap stilettos? $14.99! How fabulously rock-chic.


Look, look, look! We found our blue heels! Well, OK maybe not ours - we're not sure the cage trend is so good for us stubby-legged girls- but great color and surely someone requires these for only $11.49, no? (They're also available in red, and we all need more red shoes.



Pardon if you heard the echo of the thump as we fell off of our chair for the next ones. O.M.G. Are there really any words? Besides purple, shiny, platform, rosette? Augh. $14.99. Available in black or red, too. These people are trying to kill us and our poor, poor budget with all of this dear-god-I-must-own-that!



Ditto. $11.49. Oh, the preciousity. (We're coining the word).


Darn that "if you like, you'd probably love..." feature! ACK! How dare they tempt us with these incredible python-print pumps that have ventured up past the $20 range? Evil! ($22.99)


Oh, Charlotte Russe, you will be the death of our attempt-to-not-shop-too-much. Who could resist you?

For more finds $10-$25, click here.

If you've shopped CR before (eednic?) please let us know how you feel about the quality, customer service, shipping, etc. before we take the plunge!

Happy Shopping :D

What We Bought! Metrostyle Clearance Naughtiness

So we were admiring AudraJean's amazing leather steampunk belts last night, and lamenting that our budget could never possibly allow us to own such a thing (never mind that we're still trying to warm up to the idea that belts in general could look alright on us). Then we remembered that we showed you that super-hot, super-cheap plastic version from Metrostyle not too long ago... so we went to look if it was still available, and yes! Still $8. Of course we couldn't stop ourselves from clicking on the clearance link and then the $9.99 and under link... who could resist?!

Here's what we have on order now:

Vegan patent corset belt, $8

Satin party skirt, $10:

Layering cami, $5.99

French cuff button-down with princess seams, $6.99

Purple jeans! (6 other colors, 3 lengths!) $9.99


2-pack of tights (ours are deep royal blue!) $6.99


Lace-sleeve detail sweater, $12.99


Sterling filigree ring, $12.99

We wouldn't normally buy jewelry- since we make it- that's not handmade or at least purchased from an independent purveyor. But that price!!! We couldn't help ourselves.

We could have kept going and going because there are pages and pages of stuff under the $6.99, $9.99 and $14.99 price points (right-click "open in a new window" on each price to link to the whole section!), but we figured $88 was enough to spend for one night! Someone needs to pry our debit card out of our overtired hands at times like this ;)

We can't wait for it all to arrive and hope you find some awesome stuff too! Happy shopping!

What We Wore: Embellishment Galore

Today we are sporting our new-ish-to-us silk beaded mac n jac skirt from the consignment shop again. It's going to be another ridiculously humid day, so we tried to find a sleeveless top that wasn't too horribly revealing for the office, and realized (thanks largely to Kasmira and Audi's awesome layering) that we could wear a pretty lacy see-through top with butterfly applique IF we put a colored camisole underneath! Eureka!

Skirt, mac n jac, thrifted: $15
Teal camisole, mossimo @ Target, $10?
Black lace shirt thingy: ??? By a Neiman Marcus label, label looks quite old- clearly thrifted?
Teal satin metal-heel ankle-strap shoes: Fioni via DSW, probably $30 or less?

Detail of top- applique and lace over cami:

Shoes (we think they speak for themselves):


And earrings, not by us, which is pretty unusual, but the shells pick up the iridescent sequin embroidery in the skirt oh so well...


We feel super cute today, so yay! What do you think?

The Thrifty Stylist At Home

We are definitely primarily a fashion blog over here, but we thought we'd discuss being thriftier in your home for a change... We consider ourselves environmentally conscious, so we certainly try to be "green;" however, recycled (thrifted) housewares are not only more economic but likely higher quality (they just don't make 'em like they used to, as they say) and vintage/ handmade/ reusable items can be ridiculously stylish and so much classier than disposable crap!

Our favorite places to find vintage housewares are flea markets or consignment and antique shops (that aren't too high-end); there's a permanent flea market in a barn in Newburyport, MA that we've had some amazing scores at (lots of cast-iron pans, hanging baskets, old wine boxes to use as planters, trunks for coffee tables, fish-grilling baskets, napkin rings- ours are made from old sterling spoons) , and there are so many fleas, yard sales, church sales, tag sales, out there that really there's almost no reason to ever buy anything new, in our opinion! There's also Etsy, for wonderful vintage goods and handmade lovelies, although shipping is a consideration with heavier items like pots and furniture.

We're not nearly as frugal as some folks we know who make their own soap and such (or maybe we just covet leisure time too much), but here are some of the things we've changed in the past couple of years to try to fulfill the dual goal of environmental responsiblity and personal savings:

-Switched from paper napkins to reusable. We bought both of our sets on Etsy:

Plum Crysanthemum Hand-Dyed Batik by MargotBianca

Turquoise and Black Hand-Sewn Striped Batik by GoodKarma

Aren't they gorgeous? They're so much more attractive than a paper towel, and they go right in the wash, so it's not any less convenient, really (and we only hit the big T for paper towels every few months instead of weeks now...) We also have a hand towel hanging on the refrigerator and paper towels are absolutely banned for hand-washing purposes (we have become our mother. Sigh).

-Switched from petroleum-based laundry detergent to vegetable (coconut)-based (with plans for next time to get it in bulk from the co-op!) According to IdealBite, "If every U.S. household replaces one box of 48-oz, petroleum-based powder laundry detergent with a vegetable-based one, we'll save enough oil to heat and cool 5,300 homes for a year." Wow! Most eco-detergents are made with coconut-- pretty renewable, right? And they really do work just fine. (we've also switched the dish detergent). Look for any brand that says "vegetable-based surfactants" or "coconut surfactants" or the like- Arm & Hammer is offering one, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods definitely carry them, and of course Seventh Generation at most regular groceries is non-petrolate-based. We hope you won't buy Clorox's version, even if it's not that awful; we boycott Clorox because their bleach is one of the leading products contaminated with mercury (other brands of bleach do not have it- we know this from working in a lab where Clorox was banned!)

It may not seem like a big deal what you choose to wash your clothes with, but personally we think it's foul that we were using oil, anyway (!), and we're glad to help save some fossil fuels. Also, most "green" detergents are concentrated, so they use less water in the bottle; if we're just going to dilute it in the washer anyway, why do so many manufacturers waste water in the package, driving up shipping fuel costs at the same time? Baffling.


-Started washing all clothes in cold water. Maybe you already do this sometimes, or maybe you don't at all- but unless you're trying to kill dust mites, you really don't need hot water for anything, and you'll save tons of energy (and money) not heating the water up. Bonus: with cold water you can throw everything in together and save yourself a few minutes of sorting (more time to shop!) We also do.not.dry.clean. Bad for the earth, bad for your bank account. Most things that say dry clean only can be gently hand-washed, hung to dry and then ironed inside out to restore their softness.

-Joined a CSA. That's Community-Supported Agriculture, if you haven't heard the acronym, which means a "subscription," in effect, to a local farm (ours happens to be our mum's :D ). You prepay for a set amount of produce per month for the harvest season (usually June through October), and each week you either pick up at a designated location or have delivered to your home a box of seasonal surprises. It's true that sometimes you'll have more zucchini or kale than you really know what to do with, and occasionally you may get something you don't know what to (or don't want to have anything to) do with... But for the most part, at a truly bargain price you get a steady supply of nutritious, delicious food grown without pesticides, genetic engineering or chemical fertilizers. Not to preach, but Big Food is a terrifying entity and we should all try to eat as close to the farm as we can!

You probably can't get into a CSA this late in the year but do research and get in on one for next year! We pay $60/month for a half-share which translates to a dozen eggs, a pint or two of berries, half a loaf of amazing whole-grain homemade bread, and at least two full meal's worth if not three each of myriad vegetables like greens, squash, potatoes, peppers, and come August, luscious vine-ripened tomatoes and sweet corn, every single week. We scarcely have to go grocery shopping anymore!

-Stopped buying cleaning products. No, we haven't just decided to let our house go to hell- but after watching "How Clean Is Your House" on the BBC, we discovered that salt, white vinegar, baking soda and lemons are really all the cleaning products you will ever need. Everything else is a scam in an expensive package sent to you through the tremendous expenditure of fuel.

-We also don't drive. That hasn't changed in recent years-- we never got a license-- but we're mentioning it here because it certainly helps our wallet and "carbon footprint" to use exclusively pedipower and public transportation! Hooray for living in a city where it's (somewhat of) a priority!

Boston- MBTA system map

If you live in a place where walking or taking buses and trains is just not possible, think about trying to use a bicycle for smaller trips- those things go like 25 miles/hour if you're cruising! You can get places. Plus, then you don't have to worry about a gym membership or expensive exercise videos and equipment. Beater + frequent riding = cheap hot body. Hey! Wait, we should take our own advice.

We assume you recycle. You do, right?

...And here are some things we really ought to do and hope to in the next year:

-Install dual-action ceiling fans to heat in winter and cool in summer (it really works)
-Start a compost bin
-Put out rain barrels for lawn watering
-Install low-flow shower head (has anyone seen a dual-pressure one for, say, when you're shaving your legs, or when it's heating up? Feels so horribly wasteful, right?)
-Try SoapNuts!

How about you? How are you trying to be thriftier and a more responsible human? Were any of these new to you or are you already way ahead of us? (We're looking at you, goodkarma)

Share your favorite tips and/or thrifty secrets!

Steal-Sharing: Ann Taylor Loft $7-$30

We just recently signed up at ShopItToMe, a site we discovered on Ramit Sethi's personal finance blog, and we recommend you do the same, unless you are on a personal shopping embargo!

You answer a few questions, give them your email address, and pick your favorite brands from their list (you can add more as you go), and then they send you emails (you can adjust the frequency) with sale items in whatever price range you designate! You can even choose what percentage off the item has to be to show up in your inbox, in addition to the final sale price.

We are pretty enamored so far. Since we're not exactly "into" brands, it was difficult to make our initial selection, but we're glad we branched out of our comfort zone, 'cuz they showed us an adorable skirt at Ann Taylor Loft (middle below for $29.99) and a bit more digging by us resulted in the rest of these awesome steals (pics loaded via Polyvore due to difficulty copying from Ann Taylor site; click through to be linked to actual listing):

Ann Taylor Loft Sale- Skirts by ThriftyStylist on Polyvore.com

Ann Taylor Loft Sale- Pants by ThriftyStylist on Polyvore.com

Ann Taylor Loft Sale- Tops by ThriftyStylist on Polyvore.com

Great basics for super cheap, and the quality and fabric are worth far more. Upscale clothes for Target prices= score.

They're also offering free shipping on any orders over $125.00.

We will be sharing our finds periodically, but for now we'll leave you with our final pick, a too-cute-for-words ruffly-puckered-bodice summer dress for less than $20:

Ann Taylor Loft Sale- Dress by ThriftyStylist featuring Tarina Tarantino jewelry

You love us, right?

High-End Denim Giveaway (Current/Elliott)

Chickdowntown and JustMyStyle have teamed up to offer this amazing giveaway of one pair of Current/Elliott wide-leg jeans.


If you check out the site you'll notice that the price is waaaay over our normal expenditure limit... But, you'll see some markdowns which are in the general spirit of being thrifty, right? If you're saving hundreds, does spending hundreds hurt so much? Hmmm. Not sure :)

All you need to do in order to enter is comment on the blog post! How super-easy did they make that? But while you're at it check out JustMyStyle (FashionablyAlaskan)'s great outfits, too, and we suspect you'll want to follow her!

Good luck... may the best chick win ;) (Us, hopefully, no offense or anything... We desperately need anothe pair of work-appropriate jeans!)

Steals and Deals: Tulle4Us

We discovered this brand- Tulle4us- in our new Lucky mag and made a note to look for comparable pieces in a lower price range, since the featured items were sooo cute but fairly expensive. But Robin at ThreadbearThoughts posted about a cute little skirt from them that was only $14.00, so we figured there must be more sale stuff! And there is.

Much of it is very much not our style, and (as per usual, sigh) , it's clearly geared toward juniors and definitely not generally affordable- except for the sale section (you can sort low to high, and skip whatever pages are out of your range!) But we thought we'd mention a few inexpensive and adorable standouts (click pics for links to purchase).

Blazers and jackets are usually priced fairly high because their construction is much more complicated than, say, a skirt. So we're excited to see these two cute corduroy ones for only $14.99 each, available in either the tangerine or the celery:

Personally we're not into brass or gold hardware (then again, buttons can be changed), and we're not sure the pocket details would do us any favors, but we think these are very cute for someone else!

And now some blue dress love!

Ruffled shirtdress, $17.20

Tiered voile dress, $18.00

Pleated cotton dress, $18.00

Terribly cute and terrific prices, right?

We also found this lovely lace-cut-out-detail slip for only $19.80, far less than just about everything at Frederick's or Vicky's; it is crazy sexy but functional, too (we have quite a few see-through skirts and this looks like just the cure). And it's made from cotton jersey, not that nasty hot nylon/poly blend most slips are!

We're forever seeking out cute cardigans for layering, and they're amazingly elusive. We're not 100% sure about the tie detail in this sweater here-- for us, that is-- but it's a linen/rayon blend (hooray nice fabric!) for $12.00 so we're sure someone needs this (shown in rose/ "berry" but also available in black and pale yellow/ "banana"):

We love bamboo but haven't seen much of it around except in really high-end stuff... it's so soft and lovely, if you've never felt it! This is a bamboo/rayon/nylon blend short-sleeve sweater in a really cute shape (again, not for us but maybe for you!) at a truly amazing clearance price of $14.00:

Definitely another site to add to the "let's-see-if-anything's-marked-down-further lists... Enjoy the finds and Happy Shopping as always :D

What We Wore: Boobalicious

We started today's outfit with the conviction that we needed to wear our new red shoes. (These ones, remember?)

However, it seems as though we're severely lacking in items in our wardrobe that look good with red. We have a ton of pastel-y aqua and lilac. Not so much. And we didn't want to go ALL-black today. So we conjured up a square-neck cap sleeve top from Vicky's in bright purple. We bought this years and years ago (we were still married- maybe 2000?) and it has held up well. It's a bit excessive in the *cough* cleavage area, and probably not appropriate for work. Oh well :)

(Mind you that our hair is still wet and is not quite this stringy once it dries :D)
Necklace and earrings by us of course!

In addition to the ubiquitous leaf bracelet, we donned one of our favorite pieces, a sterling enameled cuff from Siam (before it was Thailand) with dancing ladies and filigree scrollworking (horrible office lighting, sorry):

We think the outfit came together pretty nicely, even if it's not terribly exciting!

This skirt is one of our many, many black skirts, probably from TJ Maxx or Marshall's, but it has a really fun asymmetrical hem and flouncy layered detailing. It adds a lot of volume for a large-bootied girl, which is why we kept the top pretty streamlined (well, as much as possible given the goods).

A success? Let us know :)

Are You Kidding Us? Lady Language

Many thanks to Audi at FashionForNerds for the mention of LadyLanguage, where we just discovered this Marilyn-inspired LBD for a staggering clearance price of $5.


The site could use some re-tooling (an advertised but not hotlinked clearance/sale section is nowhere to be found, nor is sorting by price an option, necessitating rifling through-- or letting the Thrifty Stylist do it for you), but there are some amazing prices here. Unfortunately the sizing is pretty limited at as well: only S, M, L (junior measurements). We apologize if this is a frustrating post for you (we've been there, girl... do you remember the store 5-7-9?)!

We're rather obsessed with dresses right now so we'll show you some more!

How about a coral strapless 50s-inspired embroidered circle skirt option for only $14?



Or perhaps you are a girl who likes a bold, kaleidoscopic floral in a precious flocked-bodice sundress? Divine, is it not? 100% cotton and only $22.00...


...And we're pretty much dying over the exquisite eyelet-and-ruffle detailing on this gorgeous bright orangey coral tube dress, $24- which we envision with a white cardigan at the office- what do you think? (We also saw this one in a maizey-yellow).


For inexpensive work basics or layering, we found this rich burgundy dolman-sleeve pointelle sweater for $12 (check out the link for the cool back collar detailing!):


We are forever looking for cheap tights to stock up on for fall and spring since we wear so many skirts, and these sweater tights certainly fit the bill, in 6 colors, only $4! (But we're not so thrilled that their "one size fits all" says up to 165 lbs. Sorry to our taller and curvier sisters).


We also love this precious puff-sleeve tee with button detailing at the shoulders, fairly inexpensive at $17.


We hope you enjoy these finds! We'll be checking out Lady Language every once in a while to see if more of the cute stuff has gone on clearance, since a few of the very loveliest dresses are still way out of our range. Happy shopping!