ummm... nearly free, really.

one, happy holiday. a holiday all about eating. odd, but ok.

two, i spoke about grey wednesday. i shopped. now, it's charcoal thursday.

three, FORTY percent off today at chickdowntown.

math is math - but let's just say that's almost half off. and that's nearly free, isn't it? now, i must run and finish up the cranberry sauce. but there's nothing wrong with thanking yourself with a wee giftie.

screw black friday, try grey wednesday!

once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far, away, i worked at a Mall. it was right after i had moved back from living in Paris. i hated it. not my cup of tea. i would rather have pulled out my eyelashes. however, that is not the point here. the point is that that particular period in my life was when i discovered the earth-bound version of hell that is "black friday". i vaguely recall hiding in a dressing room at one point to get away from the madness.

i don't know what evil genius came up with this idea. but they should be a villain in a super-hero movie. 98.4% of america runs screaming to any available shopping area near their homes and loses any sense of sanity they may have been gripping on to. i see images of it now on tv and it gives me shivers. all this for maybe, $5 off some item that will without a shadow of a doubt go ON SALE AGAIN. it's beyond insane and i just do not understand it.

now, this year, it will certainly boost the droopy economy if we all do shop - and we do all know i love to shop - and so i say: "SHOP! DO IT!" but you don't need to get an arm ripped off in the process.

i'm coming up with my own plan. i'm going to celebrate grey wednesday. i am going - wait for it.... to the MALL to meet my mum tomorrow. i love a good mall. nothin' like it. and on grey wednesday, i shall be free to peruse things at my leisure, and without fear. and i do know for a fact that Neiman Marcus has a load of things marked down, as does Anthropologie, Saks, Barneys, and JCrew. and i imagine that the other shops will follow suit. and for any of thee who are locked to the computer - chickdowntown and amazon.com are doing an "early" black friday deal, and i can only imagine that other sites will be following any moment now - so CRUISE the shops, or the web and find your early deals.

take that black friday! hazzah!

Fashion Week Give-away!!!!

that's right - you heard me! give away! as in i have something for one of you!!

at this point, i'm pretty certain that if you are reading this blog you are well into fashion, oui? which would lead me to believe that you may have seen a movie called "confessions of a shopaholic" starring the adorable Isla Fisher. even if you didn't see the movie, i would have to assume you saw the millions of posters or previews or pics in the celeb mags that we all love. and in several of these pics she's sporting this gorgeous green scarf.

now - as it is getting fall-ish - i will be posting a bit on scarves. ok maybe more than a bit. i am obsessed with them. and this one? love it. love love love green on people - blonde, redhead, brunette - love it. and the most fun part? the-e-stylist and the fab ladies at chickdowntown.com have one of these green chiffon lovelies waiting to give away to an e-stylist reader.

send me a description of the outfit you would put together for a girl's night out wearing your new green scarf. write to me at deb@the-e-stylist.com and i will announce and post the winner's outfit description next Wednesday.

(also, since i started talking about scarves i am now thinking about them - and it's getting chilly, so it can't hurt to at least look at the whole collection of scarves at chickdowntown... yum)

well, i never! (ok, ok i do all the time)

once more, the sales come a-callin! and who are we to say no? the way i look at it, it's always worth looking through a sale, because there very well be something that is on your list, that you had on a back burner. and if it's marked down, then why not front burner that thing, purchase it cheaper, and cross it off the list! that's what i call EFFICIENT.

i have in the past blogged about Chickdowntown - it's a good little boutique site that offers a nice range of designers at an equally nice range of prices. i have e-purchased a number of things from them - and they ship quickly, and they wrap every purchase with a pretty, shiny black ribbon, which just makes you feel nice when you open it. (you can make fun of me. i don't mind.)
this dress is just one of a whole LOAD of lovelies on there... looking at this i just imagine wearing it and feeling like i'm in Palm Springs hosting a party out back by the grotto, feeling summery and lovely and sipping a nice cool beverage...

ahem, anyhoo - they also have this great habit of having sales. which, combined with the whole ribbon thing, is just kind of like a little slice of heaven. right now, there is a site-wide discount - 30% off everything. for those of you who are not math whizzes, that's almost a third off. not too shabby, right? all you have to do is enter the code SEASON30 at checkout. so go on, have a look...

sexy for a lot less

99.95% of the pictures you see of the celeb ladies in Herve Leger dresses, the comment you make, either out loud or in your head, is most likely something to the effect of "WOW". i'm pretty sure this man is a genius. the bandage dress idea is like no other - it just makes a girl's bod look BANGIN. sexy sexy beautiful woman-ness.

so, as the curious style hunter i am, i just had to try this for myself. lo and behold... it is not trick photography, it's not smoke and mirrors. these dresses really do make you look HOT.

one slight hurdle...the price tag. i'm not opposed to spending money for beauty. lord knows. but these do carry a hefty number on the ticket. i do, and will continue to, scour the interwebs and do my e-stylist hunt for these dresses on sale. and i vow to own one some day. until then - i offer to thee (and me) a substitute for about 1/10 the price. these skirts by Pleasure Doing Business are the same bandage design - and same principle for sexy. they sell them at a number of boutique websites, like Singer22, Chickdowntown, and RevolveClothing. sign me up!!!!

ooh! more cheap thrills!

there are some super cute new pieces in this selection from BB Dakota. "hello tangerine laurie skirt...i'm deb. lovely to meet you". ye know i love pretty things - and ye know i like deals. these fall into both categories.

(by the by - speaking of deals -- if you enter the code July25 at checkout - you get 25% off everything on the site over there at Chickdowntown!)