New York Fashion Week: Fashion Show Giveway from Tibi

Fashion Show Giveway | Tibi: The Tibi Runway Show is on September 13th at 7pm Lincoln Center, NYC.  Enter for the chance to win seats to the show and travel on the Tibi Facebook page.

Mi Amour: Mad Men Lace Dress at Banana Republic

Actress Jamie King in a Mad Men collection from Banana Republic Dress. (photo courtesy of Getty images)

Actress Jamie King was spotted over at the Chateau Marmont (LA's top cool spot, and beautiful people hangout) wearing a cream lace dress from the Banana Republic Mad Men collection. The is the Mad Men collection lace dress and it retails for $130.00 US.  The dress is also available in basic black, and it's truly the new/old Little Black Dress (LBD).

Pictured: The Mad Men Collection lace dress in black.

This dress is definitely my favorite in the collection and Banana is selling it in Petite sizes as well as regular.  What do you think readers? I'm hearing from some of you via Twitter, that you love the collection.  Will you wait for it to go on sale, or splurge now? That is the Shakespearean (to buy or not to buy) like quandary. If you splurge now, remember to get your Banana Republic charge card rewards points working for you.  Also, have a look at the Banana Republic Coupons from Shop at Home to save. (note: sponsored link here readers, but the savings are real.)

Big Savings off Designers Karen Millen and Romeo & Juliet Couture on eBay Fashion Vault

eBay is opening the Fashion Vault today with some good deals: savings on Karen Millen and Romeo & Juliet Couture.  I like both brands and they are distinctively different looks.  Romeo and Juliet is young, frilly and romantic. Karen Millen is a sophisticated, upscale look.  Frankly, I am surprised to see a 75% off sale on Karen Millen on eBay or anywhere.  Karen Millen is typically very expensive, I've visited her store in London and in Los Angeles at the Beverly Center.  The Fashion Vault will open on Monday, August 8th at 8:00 am PDT, 11:00 am EDT and will remain open until August 12th.  Look for deals on clothing, handbags and accessories.  Click here to get in first, and get the best before it's gone !:)

Enter Norma Kamaili's $98 Classic Bill Swimsuit Contest

Amazing (and may I say iconic) designer Norma Kamali is having a Facebook contest featuring her classic 1940s style classic bill swimsuit.  To enter to win, go to her Facebook page by July 31st, and select your favorite look from a variety of models/bloggers who are wearing her swimsuit.  For more chances, you can check in at Norma Kamali New York on Foursquare or send her some Twitter love.  Here are the links to enter on Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare!


Rules: Contest open until July 31, 2011 at 11:59 EST.  One entry per person.  Valid for US residents only.  Winner chosen by random drawing and will be contacted by email or private message on Tumblr.

Savings on Calvin Klein and Kenneth Cole Today on eBay

Pictured: Savings on Calvin Klein and Kenneth Cole today at eBay.

For more at eBay today, check out the Fashion Vault today with savings on Kenneth Cole and Calvin Klein. The sale is open until Fri. 7/29, 9pm PT  with savings of 60%.  There are some good looking maxi dresses in this one.  These fashions are new with tags, they are not pre-owned pieces being sold by eBay sellers.

YP.com launches Deal of the Day in Los Angeles

 Heads-up Los Angeles, there are some new savings in town!  Angelinos can sign up to receive daily emails with deals that offer savings of 50% or more on products and services for real life needs in the areas of food, health & beauty, entertainment and home services. 

Backed by the industry leading YP brand from AT&T Interactive, Deal of the Day complements thousands of coupons already available on YP.com. To make it easy for savvy shoppers to access the wealth of savings, there is also  a new deals tab on YP.com. The new tab allows you to search, find and redeem deals by city and category. There are so many ways to save with the YP brand!

Each deal will be available for five days, and new deals will debut daily Monday through Friday. Click here to use my invite to check out YP.com.  Let me know what you think of the service and if you find a good deal to share.

Shop at Home Save and Splurge Contest: My Best Save and Splurge

So, with high hopes and my regular dedication to finding the best of less, I'm heading back to BlogHer 2011 and entering the Shop at Home Save and Splurge Contest!  Of course, that means I will be checking in at the Shop at Home Save & Splurge Suite in San Diego. The suite will be a mix of my favorite retailers (and their coolest products) plus socializing with Bloggers and the Shop at Home team in the penthouse suite in the Hard Rock Hotel with gorgeous views of the San Diego and bay. Look for me there on Saturday at BlogHer as I'll be stopping by to sample products, enjoy cocktails and get to know the Shop at Home blogger team.  Last year, I went shopping with the Shop at Home team in the garment district in NYC, and really enjoyed it.  So here's to more fun in 2011. If you haven't checked out Shop at Home, give it a look.  They offer fantastic savings via coupons and discounts at many types of stores, including grocery, big box and fashion retailers plus regular contests. 

Now back to the Save and Splurge Contest.  Shop at Home has asked me to tell y'all about a time when I saved so I could splurge.  This is a tough one to pick.  Savings and scrimping is really my thing, my basic raison d'etre if you know what I mean. But that is now.  There was a time I didn't care about saving on items, fashion or otherwise.

My best save and splurge may surprise some of you, because it wasn't to save and splurge on fashion items, it was to save for my nephew who suffers from Autism.  I wanted to save enough monthly to help pay his tuition to a special school to help children with Autism.  Early intervention is very important for children with Autism, so I really wanted my nephew to get help while he was little.  He needed so much help, and I vowed I would get on a strict budget so that I could contribute to his special education. Before my nephew Max was diagnosed with Autism, I spent most of my discretionary income on fashion, and I frequently paid retail for the latest trends.  Now, with the need to help with Max's private school tuition, I needed to change all of that.  I cut out my retail fashion splurges and vowed to only buy when things were on sale, or when I had coupons or discounts.  I also went on eBay and sold between 10 to 15 designer handbags that I hadn't been carrying on a regular basis.  I realized how frivolous all those handbags were, and that I didn't need so many.  Finally, I modified my dining out habits.  I stopped eating big dinners out.  I did more dinning at happy hours when there were specials on appetizers rather than splurging on big dinners with full price wine. I also started to cook more at home. I started shopping using coupons only for grocery stores that did double coupons (religiously.)

Pictured: Max today at his special horseback riding therapy. (Photo: M. Hall)

It wasn't easy, but over time, I was able to save up to $1,000 per month which I contributed to Max's tuition.  That is my best save and splurge ever.  There is nothing like the reward of watching my nephew now be able to communicate with me using sign language.  Or look me straight in the eye and mouth my name, slowly, but still clearly.  Speech is not easy for him, but words are now possible.  To read more about Max's journey, and the school he attended, check out the Autism Take Flight blog that I authored to help his school's fund raising activities.

Do I still have haute couture in my life? Well of course! I recently enjoyed the OutNet anniversary sale and scored a ticket to the special event shopping where I bought an amazing Valentino black cocktail dress for wait for it, only $2.00!!  Yes, it's possible to even buy Valentino and be budget savvy.  And with the help of Shop at Home, it might even be possible to live like a Blogger Rock Star at the Hard Rock Cafe for a few days.  Sometimes things are sweeter, when you save so you can splurge on more worthwhile endeavors, like Max's education.