shopping list – the Spiff

Strategies for Shopping Tax-Free

July 27, 2016 2 Comments

knoxville beauty blogger, west town mall, west town mall style consultant, knoxville fashion, knoxville fashion blog, knoxville fashion blogger, ten news this morning, wbir fashion , wbir fashion contributor

The lure of tax-free shopping is real.

If a store had a sign out front that said everything was 10% off I wouldn’t give it the time of day. Yet that’s basically what tax-free shopping is and I’m willing to brave the crowds to shop out from under the governments thumb! Muahahaha.

There’s a couple things you need to keep in mind when shopping this weekend so you don’t shop sale-drunk. It’s a term I’ve coined that means: you’ve over indulged on the sweet nectar of a sale that you’re buying things you wouldn’t normally wear, just because you’re getting a deal.

1. Have a list going in.

Stick to the list like gum in a child’s thick head of hair. I mean it.

Your list needs to include all the holes you have in your closet so you can fill those for the rest of the season.

2. If you’re unsure of something, walk away.

The walk away method works wonders (and saves hundreds). If you’re not sold on an item, put it back and see if it pops back up in your mind. If it does and you can’t get it to go away, go buy it.

I love doing this because it’s a great way to make sure that you really love something.

3. Buy things that will work for you into the next season.

And to show you examples of that, I pulled really gorgeous pieces from Francesca’s.

Watch…

Fashion, sale, sale clothing, sale-drunk

Expertly Shop a Sale

January 6, 2016 No Comments

Every year I use this week to finish catching up from everything over the holidays and spend some time with my family. Please enjoy this very relevant post from July when sales (like now) are at their peak.

If you’re on a spending freeze, I would highly suggest you keep a ten mile buffer zone between you and the mall because the sales are craaayyy-zzzeee good right now.

But just because they’re offering 150% off already marked down items, doesn’t mean you need to run around swiping your credit card like you’re in a sword fight. Or the metaphor I like to go with is – stay sober, don’t get sale-drunk.

It’s so easy to get in the store and immediately become intoxicated by all the savings. But what usually happens in that scenario is you make decisions bases on prices and not need and you end up with things you regret.

Let’s avoid that. Let me be your designated shopper…

1. Go in knowing what you need.

If there are certain things your summer wardrobe is lacking keep those in mind as you shift through the mounds of $2 items. Even if it’s something general like, “I need more shirts to run around in on Saturdays.” It helps you buy more wisely if you have your needs in mind.

2. Start thinking of the next season.

Sometimes retailers will pull out pieces from their winter collections that didn’t sell in January. Don’t disregard these. It’s easy to pass them by because you can’t walk out of the store and put on a sweater, however, Future You will LOVE the fact that you picked up that very versatile striped cardigan for fifty cents. Even when you’re looking at summer tops, start to consider how they’ll layer so you can get even more use out of them.

3. Walk around with it for a second.

This is my go-to, fail safe method for deciding on a piece. Even if the shirt costs $10, if you are unsure of it, or if it doesn’t fit you just right, walk around with it for a second and let the fumes of a great deal settle while you think in real-world terms. Where will you actually wear this? Can you tell me other pieces it will go with or bring together for a look that is truly you? Walk around, ask yourself those questions then decide from there.

Bonus: Do a little Christmas shopping.

Seriously now is the time to get a lot of Christmas shopping done. I’ve already bought three presents that I saved loads of money on by doing so. Future Me is going to do a happy dance.

christmas, Fashion, west town mall

Avoid a Black-Eye Friday

November 26, 2015 No Comments

My hope is that you stayed at home for Thanksgiving and enjoyed family time and turkey.

Now that it’s Black Friday is upon us, loosen those eating pants, strap on the coupons and get your shopping done!

In order to help you with this full on frenzy of a day, I’ve put together some links that will help you with everything. And I do mean ev-er-y-thing…

The best outfit for staying comfortable, stylish and stealth while shopping sales (along with a hilarious SNL video).

How to put together the perfect Christmas list for yourself and others.

A whole slew of tips from how to protect yourself during shopping season, to what the big sales are, as well as store maps and who’s open when!!

Remember, West Town Mall is a great place to get everything you need and you don’t have to keep parking the car! (Also, two words: Auntie Anne’s)

fall, Fashion

3 Shopping Ideas for Fall

September 22, 2015 No Comments

I feel as if I am in a rut when it comes to writing the first post about fall. I pretty much stick to saying how I’m not going to gush about the oncoming season, then follow it with something like, “Just know if fall were a drug, I’d have to check into rehab,” or something like that.

Well I’m not going to do it this year! (Crap, that’s the first thing I always say). Just kno…Ha, I have a serious problem as I didn’t start writing that to be cute. Uh…I’m stuck on where to go from here. Let’s just say I’m a huge fan of fall.

Fall clothes especially make me drool, so I thought I’d share some fall inspiration off my Pinterest board (titled, “Spiffy Fall Clothes” if you want to follow) and share with you my fashion plan for the upcoming season.

1. Shop in Color.

I’ve made a rule for myself for fall shopping – I’m not allowed to buy any gray. It’s the safe color to get but doesn’t help when you’re feeling a pop of color OR when your closet is already full of gray (out of protest to the movie I refuse to do a 50 shades of gray joke here).

Gray is soft, it is wonderful and boy does it go with a lot, but there are times you want to stand out. Be bold! Join me in buying off the rainbow this season.

2. Stock up on cool.

Anyone else as addicted to Fixer Upper as I am? That show could be the theme song to my maternity leave – I’ve been watching it nonstop. And forget getting inspired by Joanna Gaines’ ability to stage a home – lets talk about her ability to look so cute! She has a great style that is both comfortable but awesome at the same time.

I want to get better at buying things that will help me get dressed on Saturdays and be cute about it. This outfit with the stripes on the left is a great example. Cute and cool.

The sequence jacket is a great reminder to mix and match high and low. That also helps create a cool look and reminds me to bust out my sequence pants more often.

3. Buy textures.

These pictures make me think two things: I can’t wait to wear my leather pants again, and why does every girl on Pinterest have thighs that don’t touch? Girl please. Let a cheeto or two introduce your one thigh to the other for crying out loud.

I do love the left picture and how she’s wearing an all black outfit, but the different textures make it less boring and more awesome. So if you’re stuck with buying the same color and can’t get out of the rut despite your best efforts, shop for that color but in different textures so your look is multi-dimensional.

Also, the picture on the right proves you can layer/add textual interest with more than just your fabrics – this gal did it with some great bracelets for a cool vibe.

What are your plans for shopping this fall?

Be sure to check out this and other boards on my Pinterest!

Fashion, sale, sale clothing, sale-drunk, shopping, Shopping strategy, west town mall

Expertly Shop a Sale

July 17, 2015 No Comments

If you’re on a spending freeze, I would highly suggest you keep a ten mile buffer zone between you and the mall because the sales are craaayyy-zzzeee good right now.

But just because they’re offering 150% off already marked down items, doesn’t mean you need to run around swiping your credit card like you’re in a sword fight. Or the metaphor I like to go with is – stay sober, don’t get sale-drunk.

It’s so easy to get in the store and immediately become intoxicated by all the savings. But what usually happens in that scenario is you make decisions bases on prices and not need and you end up with things you regret.

Let’s avoid that. Let me be your designated shopper…

1. Go in knowing what you need.

If there are certain things your summer wardrobe is lacking keep those in mind as you shift through the mounds of $2 items. Even if it’s something general like, “I need more shirts to run around in on Saturdays.” It helps you buy more wisely if you have your needs in mind.

2. Start thinking of the next season.

Sometimes retailers will pull out pieces from their winter collections that didn’t sell in January. Don’t disregard these. It’s easy to pass them by because you can’t walk out of the store and put on a sweater, however, Future You will LOVE the fact that you picked up that very versatile striped cardigan for fifty cents. Even when you’re looking at summer tops, start to consider how they’ll layer so you can get even more use out of them.

3. Walk around with it for a second.

This is my go-to, fail safe method for deciding on a piece. Even if the shirt costs $10, if you are unsure of it, or if it doesn’t fit you just right, walk around with it for a second and let the fumes of a great deal settle while you think in real-world terms. Where will you actually wear this? Can you tell me other pieces it will go with or bring together for a look that is truly you? Walk around, ask yourself those questions then decide from there.

Bonus: Do a little Christmas shopping.

Seriously now is the time to get a lot of Christmas shopping done. I’ve already bought three presents that I saved loads of money on by doing so. Future Me is going to do a happy dance.