NARS Makeup at TJ

It was the hardest thing for me to pass up on, but I simply didn't need any of the NARS eyeshadow or lipgloss gift sets the Rogers TJ (2203 Promenade Blvd, Rogers, 479.621.0214) currently has in-stock. So! Please! I need one of my readers to reap the benefits. I found several boxes of product on the second beauty endcap and several pieces in the beauty sale dump bin near the shoes. Hurry my beauty divas ... before my strength gives way and I return to buy it all!

You Are Invited

Never been to a fashion show? Ralph Lauren took the scale of the internet and invited every online surfer to their Spring 2010 fashion show. Being the first ever online show, I commend the attempt but miss the true energy and excitement that reverberates throughout a live show. The sluggish tone is exaggerated by the zen-like music, chilled walk by the models, and the mysterious breeze ruffling all their hair. Nonetheless, I love the safari-inspired looks and color combos, the airy silk pants, the jersey drop-waist dress, and the ethnic printed tops.

Online Obsessions

I am much more of a sensory driven shopper; therefore, most of the time I prefer shopping in the physical space versus the digital space. However, since I am a sucker for unique and inexpensive items, the right digital proposition can entice me enough to overcome my need to touch, smell, and experience. ASOS.com and ModCloth.com have just that proposition.

ASOS.com comes to us from our fashion forward sister country, the UK. It has a wide collection of designers with a whole range of price points, making many fashion aggressive pieces very attainable for us normal gals.

ModCloth.com has a laid back, retro vibe through their vintage-inspired pieces by indie designers. The utter uniqueness of every piece makes a sense of style achievable and the low prices make it affordable.

A bride requests our help ...

One of my friend's wedding is fast approaching, and she is putting the last little touches on her dream look. She has given you, my readers, the heavy responsibility of giving her some opinions on her final accessories. While the dress definitely is the hero, the accessories are the "supporting cast" that can make or break her look. So please give her your opinion!

First her shoes! The bride selected simple shoes with darling vintage earrings to repurpose as shoe clips. However, after dying and stretching to make the shoes perfect a small amount of chemical residue landed just right of the peep toe. And of course, the shoe clip alone won't cover-up the spot. Making light of the situation, the bride has been inspired to use feathers to cover the mistake. Her fear, however, is the fine line feathers can cross. Looking at her inspiration below, do feathers maintain the sophisticated wedding feel or cross over into lingerie territory (that should be reserved for the wedding night)?

Next, while our bride is a spring bride, the spotty weather in Arkansas can prove to be unpredictably cold. Our bride is looking for a warm but chic cover-up for her golf cart exit (so cute). She found this lovely faux fur shrug on Tulip Bridal for $34 and likes the idea but is concerned about the winter tone. Is the shrug too much for the spring timing?

Hopefully our bride will follow-up with pics from her actual day to show us what she finally decides!

A Little Piece of Heaven

Ok, so maybe my title is a little over promising for most, but for my few fellow thrifting readers, they will agree on my position. A brand new and HUGE (9000 square feet) Goodwill just opened in Bentonville (1400 Walton Boulevard).

A couple of Friday's ago I explored my way through all the racks. Overall I found the merchandise in great condition and the store space to be extremely clean. I was hoping to find more vintage-like pieces, but the store offered more gentle used mainstream retailer options. However, my treasure finding radar did not let me down, so I did not leave empty handed. My lucky finds included a chunky knit sweater from Ireland and a long, knit, v-neck sweater straight out of the halls of Saved By the Bell (the 90s are in-style after all ... now I just need a pair of Doc Martins). This Goodwill is definitely a potential escape when I am in need of a thrifting oasis.

Read more on the store: here!

Fall 2010 Runway Review

The less than pristine economy brought a sense of trend continuation from Fall '09 to Fall '10 runway looks. Nothing seemed to be completely rewritten but more repurposed. The biggest trend I saw was tons of crazy layers motivating me to experiment with what I have for Fall '10 versus buying all new. That is a nice break on our economy hit pocketbooks.

Here are a couple other big picture trends I either saw or read about on the runway:

• Furs and shearing (I am still vowing to go faux)
• Booties with bling
• Ethnic patterns and inspiration
• Ruffles and draping
• Full skirts
• Thigh highs and tights
• Belted layers
• Historically inspired hats
• Luxe fabrics like velvet, sequins and shiny materials
• Pleated and tapered dress pants circa 1980s

Sources: The Cut and ShopBop

Shoes for Me and You

I know it has been a while, so if you are counting, I am sorry for not posting more often.

My fashion motivation has been re-ignited with my recent TJ find. After spotting these shoes several months ago but being too cheap to invest the $50, I have been watching them go lower and lower in price. On Saturday, they were at the ripe price of $20, so I gladly toted them home with me. The adorned suede makes them luxe enough for winter, but the bright fuchsia will be perfect for spring. If you love them and are as frugal as me, the Rogers TJ has tons of these left in various sizes.