January 2017 | Le Hoarder
Le Hoarder

A NYC -ish* Style and Shopping Blog

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Little Red Rockie



In my 2016 top finds roundup I mentioned that in addition to the nude & rosegold Alexander Wang Rockie I also picked up a red one. Did I need two of the same bags? Probably not. But could you say no to this adorable purse? Clearly I couldn't. And it was just what my gorgeous embroidered Zaful dress needed. In the perfect shade of cherry red, this lovely is clearly irresistible.









I dragged my son out in the freezing cold (yep, my 11 year old photographer) to shoot these and let me tell you, it's as icy cold as it looks out there. We shot a few looks so he wore my other beanie and fur gloves while we were shooting this look  - and didn't care what he looked like. I really tried to smile but it was just too darn cold.

An interesting note about the dress - it came with a Zara tag. I'm wearing a size medium but I wish I sized up because it's tight on my chest. It's actually a heavier material than I expected so it can easily work for this time of year.

Anyone recognize my old H&M $5 beanie? I actually sewed on a fox fur ball that I scored for just $3 at the Carolina Amato sample sale. Couldn't believe she was selling them so cheap! I grabbed 6 pom poms but I wish I grabbed more.

From head to toe:
  • Hat: H&M, $5 + $3 fur pom pom
  • Sunglasses: Marsquest, gifted (RV $89 CAD)
  • Lipstick: Red Morello Lipstick, Korres, gifted (RV $32.50 with matching liner)
  • Cape: H&M, $15 (RV $60)
  • Dress: Retro embroidered latern sleeve dress, Zaful, gifted (RV $39.99)
  • Gloves: fingerless fur accent gloves, Carolina Amato, sample sale, $15
  • Bag: Alexander Wang mini Rockie, sample sale, $175 (RV $650)
  • Boots: Rockstar boots, Sergio Rossi, sample sale, $25 (RV $1,260)







I've been a little obsessed with mirrored sunnies of late. These navy and silver beauties are from Marsquest. Use code LeHoarder35 to get 35% off your purchase!





You can shop my look here:







I'm actually headed to Florida first thing in the morning so I won't be shopping this week. Kids are on break so we decided we needed a little fun in the sun.

Not to leave you in the cold (punny, I know) here are my sale picks for the week:

This store is a pop up that is going out of business at the end of the month. I sent my friend today and she said she saw $300 Chanels and Loubs. Right now there is a lot of Versace but there are tons of hidden gems. Run!

Luxury 9 Grand Central 
M-Th 10-7,  F 1-4, Sun 11-7
375 Lexington Avenue (41st Street )

My friends who went to Tibi said a lot of stuff looked old and dated but there were some deals to be found. Plus it's pretty cheap.

TIBI
January 16-23
M-Sat 11-7 Sun 12-6
120 Wooster Street

Anytime they mention up to 90% off retail it's worth checking out...

Erin Fetherston
January 18-20
Daily 11-7
225 West Broadway

I've never been to this sale but I like their shoes -

Matt Bernson
January 19-20
Daily 11-7
20 Harrison Street

Clothingline sales are sometime stupid cheap. While this one isn't a clearance sale, it boasts of irregulars and samples which could be really good.

Theory, Helmut Lang
January 23-26
M 11-8, T-Th 11-7
261 W 36th Street, 2nd Fl

And last but not least, congrats to Megan C. @whatmeganlikes, the winner of my Rebecca Minkoff Insta giveaway! If you didn't win, don't fret! My repost of my Valentino Rockrunners went viral again and got over 3,500 like and my numbers jumped again. Looks like I'm gonna have to have a 20k giveaway soon :)

Happy shopping!

XO
Michelle







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Wednesday, January 11, 2017

New Year's Day in NYC

I decided that in 2017 I was going to make an effort to shop my closet. I have a lot of beautiful things that often sit for years until I wear them. Part of the reason is that my size goes up and down, and part of it is that I just have a lot of stuff. My family was already in the car waiting for me when I threw this ensemble together. My inspiration usually stems from a single piece - in this case my $1,895 Vera Wang wool coat that I scored at the sample sale for $100.


A bunch of these pieces are actually sample sale scores and were taken out for the first time. I've been on the fence about this Tamara Mellon grommeted bag for a while but it was just what this outfit needed. Looking this outfit over, it's probably a little less fun than I'd like. Next time (if I have more than 5 minutes to get dressed LOL) I'd probably wear a higher heel or a shorter dress (as the proportions feel off for me) and add a few more accessories. I guess you can say that this is how I do basic.

From head to toe:
  • Hat: H&M, sale rack, $1
  • Sunglasses: Moschino, Century 21, free with $60 rewards (RV $295)
  • Jacket: Vera Wang Collection, sample sale, $100 (RV $1,895)
  • Sweater: J Crew Cashmere, thrift store, $8
  • Dress: Tobi midi dress, gifted (it's paper thin but a good layer)
  • Gloves: Carolina Amato, sample sale, $15
  • Bag: Tamara Mellon Speed Date, sample sale, $250 (RV $2,195)
  • Boots: Rebecca Minkoff Sari, sample sale, $25 (RV $495)





In case you missed it - note the different color chains on the gloves. Sometime you get a great deal at a sample sale because of a tiny flaw. I honestly didn't notice it until the designer pointed it out but one chain is silver and the other is gunmetal. All I know is there are super warm, cashmere lined leather gloves - and I needed something for the times I didn't want to wear my favorite gold studded leather gloves (seen here).





Just wanted to add that this is what my hair looks like when I roll out of bed. I didn't have time to put in beach waves so I just used a little dry shampoo (Right now I'm using Suave from Target - I like it better than some fancy ones I've tried) and ran out the door.




Linking up my look for you to shop here:





Thank you to my 11 year old son Keva who was this round's photographer. Kids are amazing photographers because they don't get embarrassed easily, take direction, and are willing to lie down on a City street to help you get the shot (or at least mine do). I'm a lucky momma. I've already started to put together a post on photography tips - for the blogger who doesn't use a professional photographer. While someday I aspire to having someone follow me around and take gorgeous shots of me - for now all I have are my kids and some basic editing skills.

Every New Year's Day for the past several years, I've headed to the American Girl Store with the kids and their matching dolls to meet their new girl of the year. They always have activities and freebies so if you're a mom on a budget this is the day to visit that otherwise really expensive store. I wouldn't say I've never spent a penny in the store but most of our 50+ AG dolls and accessories have been thrifted. Ava brought her doll Saige with her and wore the matching dress that we found in the thrift store for $5. Most of my kids clothing is thrifted - thou her boots were just a penny at Nordstrom Rack :)

I just got her these super cute purple glasses at Zenni for less than $40 on Black Friday when they had 20% off the site. I've always been a Zenni fan - they have glasses starting at just $6.95 plus $4.95 shipping. I often place an order for my several family members to take advantage of the flat rate shipping LOL. Ava has a strong prescription but with insurance I still have to pay $50 OOP - these were cheaper and are better quality then the ones she just got from Target. I still have to share my new oversized green glasses with you - so fun!






The kids have a pasttime of sitting on top of the car while waiting for me to shoot. Ava is usually the first one on the car.




Ella has been sick for the past couple weeks and will hopefully go back to school tomorrow. This was shot right before she started to stay home  - you can already see in her face that something was off. Nothing is more difficult than taking pics of a sick kid, but Ella is a pro at this point and she pushed thru to get a few snaps. I should mention that Ella had a sleepover the night before and I forgot to bring her matching doll dress when I picked her up. Oops.

Ella is wearing a leather bomber jacket that is easily 30+ years old. It was given to my brothers as a hand me down a bajillion years ago - and my aunt who gave it to them had it handed to her before that. Classic and quality seriously last forever. She stole my furry fingerless Carolina Amato gloves and my new favorite Be Mine NYC hat, and is wearing Justice jeans and her favorite Nina Kids Carmyn boots (which are now on sale at Nordstrom).

She's been sleeping in braids recently - it gives her these fun, crazy waves. So cute, right?






I'm still a little sick too but at least I'm semi-functional. My husband got us tickets to Florida for the kids winter break next week so at least we have some sun and fun to look forward to.

On the sample sale front, nothing too exciting to report. I hope you guys went to Rachel Zoe this week like I suggested. They had $40 gowns - and some of those retail for $500-1,000 easy. Junk Food has a sale today and tomorrow with $5 tees but I personally have not been there to vouch for it. Ivy Kirzhner also has a sale with shoes for $50-120 this weekend which is good but not amazing. I also heard that Bergdorf Goodman will have an extra 20% off their sale merchandise starting Friday (thru the weekend) so if you're in the City, it's worth checking out.

JUNK FOOD
January 11-12, W 1-5 Th 11-5
525 Seventh Avenue (38-39 Streets) Suite 308

IVY KIRZHNER 
January 13-16, F-Sat 11-8 Sun 12-6 M 11-8
750 Greenwich Street

Happy shopping! If anyone has any suggestions for activities near Ft. Lauderdale I'd love to hear them - kid or shopping related :)

XO
Michelle

PS Last call to enter my Rebecca Minkoff Insta giveaway - I'm choosing a winner this weekend! Enter here!











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Thursday, January 5, 2017

Favorite Finds of 2016 & New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year everyone! 2016 has been full of ups and downs but I wanted to take a walk down memory lane to celebrate all my small victories. It's gonna be hard, but I'm gonna limit it to my top 10 deals - otherwise we'll be here all day. There have been some finds that I have not even shared with you yet but I'll be sharing with you in weeks to come - and they'll have to sit this roundup out.

If you want to go back even further, check out my amazing 2015 roundup here.

It's so easy to focus on what went wrong but I'm gonna take a moment to consider what went right.

  • My social media channels finally really started to grow. It's a lot of work but it's paying off!
  • I partnered with several really great companies - mostly for free stuff but still, it's a start. Got a couple watches, and lots of clothing and beauty products. Life is good.
  • Justice found my daughter Ella through me and signed her on to be a Girls With Heart brand ambassador.
  • Ava was selected as a Nina Kids shoe fit model and we've scored some amazing shoes from them.

And now, let's have a look at all my pretties of 2016. Most of them are going to be recent finds as sample sale season is always at its best at year's end.

1. Jimmy Choo sample sales are always epic and this last one did not disappoint. Anywhere you can find blinged out $2,000+ shoes for $100, has to go to the top of my list. Feel free to drool over my Kallai swarovski sandals, retail $1,595, Swarovski Whistler heels that retailed for $2,450, and my python Charlize clutch - all for $100 each!! Don't forget my $50 damaged Zoe hobo turned DIY project that I successfully dyed black - see tutorial here.






I scored some amazing Paul Andrew shoes at the sample sale this year as well but it can't officially make my list as I haven't worn a single pair yet. Maybe for Fashion Week...





2. My $1,420 Teri Jon floral lace gown is hands down the most beautiful piece of clothing I've acquired this year. After hunting for something (for what feels like forever) and to finally get it - is just so gratifying. Read more about my dress here.




My honorable mention dress will have to be my $149 H&M Collection kaftan that I found on the sale rack for $30. Seriously worth every penny. I LIVED in it all summer.





3. Chanel at a discount like this almost of unheard of these days, so to find flats for $175 is pretty insane. At this point I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Nordstrom Rack. They got rid of their app which allowed you to scan for penny items (now it's just a guessing game) and less designer items have been showing up at my store. Not sure if they're just not making it out of the backroom or they are spread too thin between even more stores. And their pricing for designer transfers and refub items has gone up which is equally disappointing. That said, I did get these flats for a steal.

I still haven't shared a Marc Jacobs collection bag that I found for a penny. I have it scheduled in an upcoming look :)




Honorable Rack mention is this Elizabeth and James $965 Iris oversized Mongolian lamb fur collared coat that was just under $60 at Clear the Rack.


4. Charlotte Olympia flats for $100 at her sample sale. Need I say more? I dream of finding kitty flats at this price one day.




5. I only teased one of these on Insta recently but here's a look at my new $99 Alice and Olivia Fawn fur coats from the sample rack. the purple was the first thing I grabbed and the black and white is a little skunky but I like the 70s vibe. Did I mention these retail for $1,395 each?




6. I've had my eye on some Alexander Wang bags for a while but I thought they were too heavy and the price was never quite right. This round their sample sale had some great deals including my $950 Diego bucket bag for $150 and the $650 mini Rockie was $175 (I think). The Diego isn't the lightest but it's not too bad. The mini is actually super light and in-line to be styled. Did I mention I got one in red too?





7. This is gonna be a tie between the Marc Jacobs sample sale and the Vera Wang sample sale. Both really good sales with fun, wearable pieces - and mostly 90% off :)





8. I really love my Betsey Johnson velvet booties - seen here and here. I literally dreamed of these shoes before I found them. When Macy's Backstage sent me a giftcard to shop I hoped to find a chunky bootie - a fun trend piece. When I spotted them putting these out I knew I found the one. And they're so insanely comfortable. They retail for $100 but were priced $50. My goal for 2017 is to find an equally amazing bootie like this - but with a lower heel so I can live in them.





9. You know Rebecca Minkoff has to make my list one way or another. No real standout piece this year but LOTS of good ones. I love my new guitar straps from the last sale, but my best bag was probably from last sale, earlier in the year. This $75 fringed Regan from the sample table is oh so beautiful. I did pick up some amazing shoe samples this time for $40 a pop thou.




As long as we're talking about Rebeccas I should give an honorable mention to Rebecca Taylor. With $10 damages at one sale and $10 shoes at the other...she was very good to me this year.

10. I know it's not a find per se - but byChloe had to make it onto this list. Since discovering it I've probably eaten there a dozen times easy. It's delicious, colorful, Kosher vegan food. Don't get me wrong, I eat meat. But I love good food for good prices. This is just that. And it looks pretty.





Linking up as many of these pieces as I could find - and some of them on sale!


As I move away from straight sample sale reports and haul posts, I'm gonna to continue to share my scores integrated into looks that I put together. That's not to say I won't still blog about them, but I want to start doing more video (be it Facebook or Instagram live or YouTube) to document those experiences. My intention was always for LeHoarder to be my fashion journal where I share my style and deals - which is why I disclose what I pay for each item. I can't see myself doing straight style posts because that's not who I am either. For me it's the thrill of the hunt and sharing the find.

I think it's easy for the tall skinny young girls who are gifted designer pieces to look effortlessly chic. Maybe I should say easier LOL. Not everyone has style. To me, fashion is expressing yourself creatively and uniquely. Pretty clothing is just that, pretty clothing, not necessarily fashion or style. My challenge has always been hunting down a crazy deal and putting it together with pieces already in my wardrobe. That and dressing for my shape. I've packed on 30 lbs. this year - the same 30 lbs. that I worked so hard to lose 3 years ago. Like a lot of women I struggle with my weight and eating habits. Add being over 40 and having a few kids - your metabolism changes. Your body changes. I'm not 20 and size 2 anymore. But I honestly believe you can look amazing no matter what number comes up on the scale. And that's what I'm trying to share.

When I first put on a significant amount of weight at 35 with my third pregnancy I didn't know what to wear. I wore shapeless mommy dresses and totally lost my joy. I wore Uggs or Crocs and none of my designer shoes fit anymore - even my feet got bigger. As my kids grew up and I woke up from my baby fugue I started to remember who I was and what I was missing. I had to re-learn how to dress for my new shape and make some changes. I lost a bunch of weight, but more importantly found myself again. The funny thing is I didn't appreciate it. At the time I still felt heavy. Right now I look back to even last year and wish I looked like that again.

This year has been an extremely stressful year due to some family issues that I'd rather not rehash. Conflict is hard. My parents leaving the country and leaving me and some of my siblings to pack up our family home of over 30 years was a trip too. When I get stressed I get migraines and compulsively overeat. It's not an excuse, it's just how I deal. I've decided to try to move forward and take control once again. I used to feel like I could only really express myself when I was a smaller size - when I was bigger it was all about strategic hiding. To some degree it still is, but I'm going to try to forgive myself and just be me - no matter my size.

My wish for 2017 is to be brave. That's the one thing I look back and wish I could change in my youth. I'd get so close and then give up because I was afraid or thought I wasn't good enough. And sometimes I just didn't even try. Age gives you some perspective. I wish I had more confidence then. While it's hard to be in what feels like a young girls game, I know that I can't beat myself up for not trying sooner. At least I'm doing it now. It sometimes feels like an uphill battle but I'm not giving up this time.

BTW, congrats to Brigitte B. on winning my Rebecca Minkoff Cleo glitter wallet giveaway. Good news - I'm giving a second away on my Insta right now! Initially I was going to end it Friday but I'm going to extend it for a few days :)




I planned on adding in my favorite looks of 2016 to my I'll have to save that for another day.

On the sale front it's time to start checking department stores for second cuts and TJ Maxx and Marshalls yellow stickers should be right around the bend! I went this morning because last year the first Thursday of the month was the big day but this morning I found them red stickering. Meaning yellow stickers could be a couple weeks off.

Speaking of yellow stickers I would be remiss in mentioning my $99 Valentino Rockrunner sneakers (RV $745) from the last sale. That was my first viral picture with over 2,000 likes. Okay - we knew this was gonna be more than a top 10 anyway LOL.




I'm a little over the Century 21 sale because now that it's 90% off retail instead of 90% off Century's already discounted prices - I'm probably gonna pass again. It's just not worth it when the goods are so badly manhandled. I can find those prices elsewhere - and with pieces in better condition.

There are a few sample sales coming up but the one I would recommend for next week is the Rachel Zoe blowout sale. Last time I scored my $1,395 studded leather jacket for $109! With prices of up to 95% off,  this sale is worth checking out.




Rachel Zoe
1/10-11, 11-7 daily
Clothingline 
261 West 36 Street (7-8 Avenues), 2 Fl

Good luck and happy shopping! If I'm feeling better I'll be sure to come out and play!

XO
Michelle



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