Brattiness ahead...
May. 9th, 2009 06:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sarea
Today I did my part to get the economy going again. If it keeps tanking, it's not my fault.
I was too lazy to take my own pics, so the ones you see here are ones I've found online. :D
Lunch at La Carta de Oaxaca (with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
corianderstem): $25
3 pairs of jeans at a Ballard consignment shop: $88
Now, you might say that $88 is a lot to spend at a consignment store, especially on jeans. But hear me out! My 7 jeans are getting a little worn ... soon they'll have an unintentional distressed look to them. Which is all well and good, but I can't wear jeans like that to work. I've been thinking about replacing them, but spending $150 on a pair of jeans, even ones as good as those, isn't really something I relish even though I think they're worth it, so I've been avoiding it. Now I don't have to, because I got a great pair of like-new Diesel jeans that look great! These are them:
MSRP: $160. My price: $37. See, totally a good buy!
Blue 2 jeans (MSRPs for the $80 range): $17
Express X2 jeans: $28
They're a size too small. I know, I know, why would I buy jeans that don't fit? Well... I want them to fit! These are going to be my "aspiration" jeans. I'm determined to shed the extra weight so I can fit into these. I don't know much about Express X2 (like, I can't tell from the little research I've done whether this is a style from the Express store, or is its own label, or what), but I think MSRP on X2s is ~$100, this one especially so because of the embellishment. So it's still a good deal for what I paid. But more importantly, look how awesomely cute they are!
So yeah, altogether $88 with tax. I would have paid nearly twice that for a new pair of 7 jeans! (That is totally how I'm rationalizing it.)
Rawhide twists for Talis @ Target: $13 (I know, don't even get me started on how overpriced dog treats are.)
2 pairs of B.P. shoes at Nordstrom: $110 ($103 in a gift card, $7 out of pocket)
"Butterfly"
They're a little more sparkly than the picture shoes, but not in an ostentatious way -- just not dull. They look nice, they only have a bit of a heel them so they're comfortable, and they're slip on, which is good for me due to laziness.
"Balinese"
They only had 1 pair of these in the store, and they were the floor display. The back straps were loose due to tons of people having tried them on, so they're shipping me a pair from another store. That pair better not also have been a floor display with effed up straps, because I'm taking them right back if so. Still, they are SUPER cute. I looked at a bunch of designer, high-priced shoes and yet this B.P. pair was really the best one.
Also, random note, I hate to admit it, but Jessica Simpson's line of shoes and handbags are actually very cute. Props to whoever is actually designing that stuff.
2 lipsticks @ Sephora: $30 (Not an impulse buy, I've been running low and needed to restock. I love Sephora's lipsticks. Economical yet higher quality than drug store stuff.)
2 tops and a light cotton jacket @ Banana Republic: $87 ($70 in a gift card, $17 out of pocket)
1 pair of Adidas sneakers @ Macy's: $36 (34.50 in a gift card, $1.50 out of pocket)
They're apparently men's running shoes (funny on both, since I am not a man nor do I run), but who cares? Because how crazy good is that price? I had a Macy's gift card, but knew it wasn't much. I've been thinking of getting a pair of new tennis shoes because my current ones are getting pretty worn, however I didn't want to spend $80-100 like Nike wanted me to. I saw some cute New Balance ones for $60, but then this Adidas pair caught my eye. It was tagged at $45. The floor display was an 8 1/2, so I figured the sale was due to it being the last pair available. Hoping against hope, I asked if they had them in a 6 ... they said no, the lowest they had was 6 1/2. I was like, gimme! That worked out anyway, because unlike other shoes I'm okay with sneakers being a little big, and on top of that I'm usually wearing thicker socks when I wear them anyway. The best thing was that when I brought them up to the register it came up as $36 including tax!! I paid and got the hell out of there in case it was a mistake.
What's with all the gift cards, you might ask. Well, it's all the stuff I returned at Christmas (both due to not being crazy about the stuff I got, and also not wanting to lug a bunch of things from LA to Seattle). I've been meaning to go to the mall for ages now to use up all the gift cards (if they had let me, I would have gotten cash), but I kept putting it off because the mall doesn't appeal as much as it used to. Today was fun though. Now I've gotten rid of all the gift cards but one.
Oh and...
Gas for car: $31
Ohmygawd and my mom just called with shocking shopping news of her own. You know how I said that my mom and my aunt were coming up in a couple of weeks to come see my cousin, who's just given birth? Well my aunt (cousin's mom) is well off, and she decided that to thank me for my helping my cousin during her labor (by watching the kids) and cooking her a few items the next day (chicken soup, noodles, hot cross buns, spaghetti sauce), she wanted to get me a gift. My mom asked me what I wanted, as it seemed that my aunt wanted to get me clothes. I was like, well I don't really need any clothes, unless she wants to buy me a pair of 7 jeans, but they're $150. My mom was like, uhhh what about something else? And I was like, you choose something for me then. She called today and you know what my aunt ended up getting me? A pair of diamond stud earrings. That were TWELVE HUNDRED DOLLARS. Oh. my. god. Best babysitting gig ever! Oh, apparently they were having a sale so she "only" paid about half that. But still. That is a lot of money. The 7 jeans seem so paltry now.
The saddest thing is that I'm so out of shape that walking w/ A. to and from the restaurant, plus the walking I did in the mall, has plumb tuckered me out. I'm actually sore in places. -.- Need to start on the Aspiration Jeans Diet immediately.
I was too lazy to take my own pics, so the ones you see here are ones I've found online. :D
Lunch at La Carta de Oaxaca (with
corianderstem): $253 pairs of jeans at a Ballard consignment shop: $88
Now, you might say that $88 is a lot to spend at a consignment store, especially on jeans. But hear me out! My 7 jeans are getting a little worn ... soon they'll have an unintentional distressed look to them. Which is all well and good, but I can't wear jeans like that to work. I've been thinking about replacing them, but spending $150 on a pair of jeans, even ones as good as those, isn't really something I relish even though I think they're worth it, so I've been avoiding it. Now I don't have to, because I got a great pair of like-new Diesel jeans that look great! These are them:
MSRP: $160. My price: $37. See, totally a good buy!
Blue 2 jeans (MSRPs for the $80 range): $17
Express X2 jeans: $28
They're a size too small. I know, I know, why would I buy jeans that don't fit? Well... I want them to fit! These are going to be my "aspiration" jeans. I'm determined to shed the extra weight so I can fit into these. I don't know much about Express X2 (like, I can't tell from the little research I've done whether this is a style from the Express store, or is its own label, or what), but I think MSRP on X2s is ~$100, this one especially so because of the embellishment. So it's still a good deal for what I paid. But more importantly, look how awesomely cute they are!
So yeah, altogether $88 with tax. I would have paid nearly twice that for a new pair of 7 jeans! (That is totally how I'm rationalizing it.)
Rawhide twists for Talis @ Target: $13 (I know, don't even get me started on how overpriced dog treats are.)
2 pairs of B.P. shoes at Nordstrom: $110 ($103 in a gift card, $7 out of pocket)
"Butterfly"
They're a little more sparkly than the picture shoes, but not in an ostentatious way -- just not dull. They look nice, they only have a bit of a heel them so they're comfortable, and they're slip on, which is good for me due to laziness.
"Balinese"
They only had 1 pair of these in the store, and they were the floor display. The back straps were loose due to tons of people having tried them on, so they're shipping me a pair from another store. That pair better not also have been a floor display with effed up straps, because I'm taking them right back if so. Still, they are SUPER cute. I looked at a bunch of designer, high-priced shoes and yet this B.P. pair was really the best one.
Also, random note, I hate to admit it, but Jessica Simpson's line of shoes and handbags are actually very cute. Props to whoever is actually designing that stuff.
2 lipsticks @ Sephora: $30 (Not an impulse buy, I've been running low and needed to restock. I love Sephora's lipsticks. Economical yet higher quality than drug store stuff.)
2 tops and a light cotton jacket @ Banana Republic: $87 ($70 in a gift card, $17 out of pocket)
1 pair of Adidas sneakers @ Macy's: $36 (34.50 in a gift card, $1.50 out of pocket)
They're apparently men's running shoes (funny on both, since I am not a man nor do I run), but who cares? Because how crazy good is that price? I had a Macy's gift card, but knew it wasn't much. I've been thinking of getting a pair of new tennis shoes because my current ones are getting pretty worn, however I didn't want to spend $80-100 like Nike wanted me to. I saw some cute New Balance ones for $60, but then this Adidas pair caught my eye. It was tagged at $45. The floor display was an 8 1/2, so I figured the sale was due to it being the last pair available. Hoping against hope, I asked if they had them in a 6 ... they said no, the lowest they had was 6 1/2. I was like, gimme! That worked out anyway, because unlike other shoes I'm okay with sneakers being a little big, and on top of that I'm usually wearing thicker socks when I wear them anyway. The best thing was that when I brought them up to the register it came up as $36 including tax!! I paid and got the hell out of there in case it was a mistake.
What's with all the gift cards, you might ask. Well, it's all the stuff I returned at Christmas (both due to not being crazy about the stuff I got, and also not wanting to lug a bunch of things from LA to Seattle). I've been meaning to go to the mall for ages now to use up all the gift cards (if they had let me, I would have gotten cash), but I kept putting it off because the mall doesn't appeal as much as it used to. Today was fun though. Now I've gotten rid of all the gift cards but one.
Oh and...
Gas for car: $31
Ohmygawd and my mom just called with shocking shopping news of her own. You know how I said that my mom and my aunt were coming up in a couple of weeks to come see my cousin, who's just given birth? Well my aunt (cousin's mom) is well off, and she decided that to thank me for my helping my cousin during her labor (by watching the kids) and cooking her a few items the next day (chicken soup, noodles, hot cross buns, spaghetti sauce), she wanted to get me a gift. My mom asked me what I wanted, as it seemed that my aunt wanted to get me clothes. I was like, well I don't really need any clothes, unless she wants to buy me a pair of 7 jeans, but they're $150. My mom was like, uhhh what about something else? And I was like, you choose something for me then. She called today and you know what my aunt ended up getting me? A pair of diamond stud earrings. That were TWELVE HUNDRED DOLLARS. Oh. my. god. Best babysitting gig ever! Oh, apparently they were having a sale so she "only" paid about half that. But still. That is a lot of money. The 7 jeans seem so paltry now.
The saddest thing is that I'm so out of shape that walking w/ A. to and from the restaurant, plus the walking I did in the mall, has plumb tuckered me out. I'm actually sore in places. -.- Need to start on the Aspiration Jeans Diet immediately.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-05-10 04:06 am (UTC)I didn't even blink when you said you got 3 pairs of jeans for $88 - consignment or otherwise. Jeans are freakishly expensive now, no matter what 'level' you buy them at, and that's totally a good price for designer, or even *almost* designer jeans.
Though I am shocked you actually like all those crazy embellishments - I would so wear those, and they never seemed your taste! Awesome looking, nonetheless.
I think Jessica actually designs some of that stuff herself, or at the very least, is actually working w/the person doing the nuts and bolts designs - because I heard her talking about them once, and she knew too much to have memorized it all, because her memory sucks/she sucks at improvising. And yes, some of it is really cute.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-10 04:41 am (UTC)Yeah, the $37 for the Diesel jeans was actually the best 'deal,' considering they retail for $160. The others were good/decent buys.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-10 05:56 am (UTC)Anyway, having clothes 1 size down is totally a 'realistic' weight loss technique - unlike having the like, "If I lose 50 pounds, this will look awesome!" clothes that only discourage you.
Like Tabith down there says, that price on jeans would be a good deal at Target, and they'd be like, Cherokee or whatever.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-10 06:04 am (UTC)I agree re: 1 size. Otherwise I'm just making an impossible goal for myself. Hopefully this will actually get me to do it though.
The only difference between these and the Target comparison is that at least the Target ones would be new. But these are actually in very good condition so it's not like I'm paying the price for a pair of ratty used designer jeans.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-10 06:16 am (UTC)I remember you buying those jackets - they were like, suede/cream/tan jacket with just the floral on the sleeves? And were pink flowers?
Jeans are one of the few clothing pieces that I don't mind being used - mostly because unless they're used to the point where they're falling apart, they often look *better* than they did when they were brand new. Which is why Joey paid Chandler to wear in his jeans in the AU Friends.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-10 06:28 am (UTC)It's true re: jeans, though at the time I was looking for a pair to replace my 7s, which I can wear to work. I can't wear the really worn and used ones there (once my 7s pop its first hole, they're officially not appropriate for work). The embellished one may or may not fall into that category, we'll have to see when/if I ever lose the weight to actually wear them.
I think I'll wear pretty much anything used as long as it's in good/excellent condition. I'm stricter about shoes than any other kind of apparel when it comes to that, though.