Dear Victoria’s Secret,

I love your lingerie. It makes my quite happy. Just when I thought you couldn’t get any better, you go and have a semi-annual sale. Now I can buy my cute, girly underpants and pj’s for up to 75% off! Whoop! Whoop!

Dear J. Crew,

You just might be my favorite store. Unfortunately, I am quite financially challenged due to the sharp, and quite tragic, nosedive the economy has taken as of late. Consequently, I just can’t seem to afford your $88 Italian tops, and $200 calf hair flats. Nevertheless, J. Crew, you always come to my aid. If I go to jcrew.com, I am bound to find something fabulous in your sale section. Hurray!

Dear DSW,

Whenever I see the rows and rows of glorious shoes that fill your  store the brim, I do a little happy dance. However, I break into song when I see the constant stream of sale prices permeating the store. Thanks, DSW, without your sales, I may have found myself in the midst of a “fabulous-footwear famine”.

Where is your favorite place to catch a great sale?

Photo Credit | Fashionising, Lilly Allen for Chanel Spring 2009 | Handbag Campaign

Nike

Now, usually I leave athletic activity to stronger and more coordinated members of my family. However, Nike ads exude a power, strength and agility that really makes me wanna “just do it”. Perhaps one day I too will be Michael Jordan.

Victoria’s Secret

Victoria’s Secret ads aren’t anything amazing, really. It’s just girls in lingerie. If you’re a girl reading this, you see yourself in lingerie (or at least underwear) everyday. In fact, your lingerie is probably from Victoria’s Secret because the brand has poised itself to make women believe that there is no other place in this world where you can purchase underwear (and really, is there any place that has better undies? That 5 for $25 deal is amazing.). A N Y W A Y, the reason why I love, adore, and can hardly tear my dark brown eyes away from VS ads is because of their fabulous models. It’s like they make them in a lab or something. They are fabulous.

United Colors of Benetton

Talk about ad campaigns with great messages, eh? United colors of Benetton is all about tolerance and acceptance. Hence the name of the store. Not only do they have a great massage, their ad campaigns are gorgeous, clean, symmetrical, bold and colorful. Fabulous!

Gap

Gap ads just make me happy. The vibrant use of color, the expressiveness of the “models” (and by models I mean actors), the plain backdrop. The Gap always has great, simple ads that just sell their clothes. No frills… I like that.

So, now I dying to ask. What are you favorite ads? R E M E M B E R, they have to be places from everyday, local malls :0).

Cheers,

Clare

Going without sunscreen: This should be a no-brainer. Any girl going out on a hot summer day without her SPF is a crazy woman. Unless you want to be a wrinkled mess at 35, slather on that SPF 30.

Wearing tiny jean skirts: I must admit that I am a SLAVE to the tiny jean skirt. Especially those cut-off ones. But they really aren’t that cute, they are actually quite trashy. Since we want to avoid looking like the trailer trash, put the tiny piece of jean fabric down and move on.

Forgetting the fierce shades: Nothing is sadder than reaching into your purse and realizing you’ve forgotten your oversized sunglasses. Also, the sun’s rays can damage your eyes. So, buy two pairs. One for your purse and one for your office, locker, car, whatever. For those of you who insist on wasting your money on designer shades, this rule doesn’t apply to you. You should be taking $250 sunglasses everywhere you go. Heck, you should sleep in them. For the rest of us who buy cheap sunglasses, splurge and buy two.

Drinking soda: Summer is the best time to break your Diet Coke addiction. Soda stains your teeth, weakens your bones, is full of preservatives and calories, and doesn’t hydrate you. So since it its basically like drinking a can of Worthless Juice, try some water instead.

Blaring your obnoxious ring tone in public places: When summer hits come out, everyone seems to feel the need to make their favorite song their ring tone. It may be YOUR favorite song; but it isn’t anyone else’s. Put your phone on vibrate and save us all the headache (and save yourself 2.99).

Wearing a bikini when you know you should be in a whole piece, girl: When whole pieces are as cute as they are right now, you have no excuse.

Yes, I'll take one of those, please.

Every so often the planets align and I find myself face-to-face with a fashion miracle: Cute, fashionable clothing for ridiculously cheap prices. Now, I am a true H&M and Forever 21 shopper. So, when I say cheap, I mean CHEAP. We’re not talking clothes that are “on sale” for $100, ya’ll. I am talking about the $50 and below crowd.

Now, without further ado, I would like to introduce you to Cora Boutique .

After visiting the site, I am sure you are just as excited as I am. But, a word to the wise: small sizes tend to run out fast… this means impulse buys are a must. Happy shopping!