Shades of Gray

Now that it finally looks like Spring around here, I'm trying to finish up sharing my winter looks. I wore this 50 shades of gray look to a casual Sunday pre-NYFW week influencer event, thou I do confess I had a pair of Converse in my Prada. And because you know I don't do monochromatic, I had to pop it with my yellow heels.

This outfit cost me less than $100 out of pocket and retailed for over $3,000. It helps that I borrowed my mom's Prada again but my $965 Elizabeth and James Iris oversized Mongolian fur collared coat was less than $60 and Nordstrom Rack. Oh and my Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses were a penny at the Rack. Pretty good, right? 

Head to toe:

• Hat: Maniere Accessories, Zulily, $.99 (after $25 credit, RV $50)
• Sunglasses: Dolce & Gabbana, Nordstrom Rack, $0.01!
• Coat: Elizabeth & James, Nordstrom Rack, $59.95 (RV $965)
• Shirt: H&M (my husband's shirt), $5
• Jeans: H&M, $10
• Bag: Prada, borrowed from my Mom (RV $2,390)
• Heels: LK Bennett Florete, sample sale, $20 (retail $305)

You can shop my style here:

Thank you to Belle @littlefashionstylist for another great round of photos.

I've had a flurry of goodies showing up in my mailbox that I typically share in my Insta stories but here are a couple of my faves :)

I've mentioned Octoly before - they basically have a free store for influencers over 10k and in exchange for product you post reviews on Instagram or YouTube. I've slowed down working with them because I noticed other influencers getting paid to collaborate with some of their brands - and personally I'd rather get paid for the same work from other sources. However, recently this Givenchy Beauty Prisme Libre Loose Powder in Mousseline Pastel popped up and I couldn't resist. It helps with redness and the packaging is beautiful. And a free $55 luxury powder is totally worth it for me. Plus it was the perfect opportunity to showcase my new $1,195 Paul Andrew Blossom sandals that I scored for $50 at the sample sale. Like I always say, it totally pays to be first thru the door at any sale!

ThredUP gave me a credit to shop with them and share on Insta and I ended up getting these brand new Jimmy Choo sandals for about $17 OOP!!! I have a similar pair of Choos (last seen here) that are starting to fall apart because I wear them to death so it was time for a replacement. It takes a lot of patience to comb thru everything and it can be frustratinng when you finally find something amazing....and it's not your size (argh!) but it clearly can pay off big time! Sign up here and you can use code HOARD40 for 40% first-time orders (discount up to $50) and it expires on 5/1/17. Be sure to tell me what you score!!

Sample sale season is back with a vengeance! So many good ones coming our way!!! It seems I made a mistake with Eddie Borgo last week because the $5 damage box was full and all the prices were back to normal. UGH. So next time I suggest we all go. I'm super pissed that Marc Jacobs is opening on the last day of Passover so hopefully there will be something left on day 2. I also got an invite to the super private Balenciaga sale - I can't share anything publicly but I can say you should check my Insta stories on the 27th and/or 28th.

My top weekly sample sale picks include:

Marc Jacobs
April 18-23
T 11-8, W-F 9-8, Sat 10-8, Sun 10-4
260 Sample Sale, 150 Greene Street

Marissa Webb
April 22-23, 11-7
104 Grand Street

Oscar de la Renta
April 25-30
T 10-7, W-Sat 11-7, Sun 11-4
260 Sample Sale, 151 Wooster Street

Edie Parker
April 27-28
Th 9-8, F 9-5
Bryant Park Hotel, 40 West 40th Street, 24th Floor Terrace Loft

Can't wait to see what turns up next. It's getting good people!

Happy Passover to everyone celebrating. I'm with my family this week but I'm waiting on pins and needles to see if I'm a finalist for the Redbook Real Women Style Awards. They are announcing someone new every day on their Insta and you then have 24 hours to like the picture and vote for that person. I'm not sure it's the best voting system but something tells me it's not just about the public votes. I decided to be positive and visualize myself on that cover so let's see if I get nominated. My wish to have my picture taken by Bill Cunningham is clearly off the table (I saw him at New York Fashion Week before he died and he looked at me and walked the other way LOL) but getting on the cover of a magazine is still up there on my bucket list. Watch them announce my name on a Saturday or on Passover when I'm offline so I can't even vote for myself. Even if I don't make it this time I am not going to give up until someone puts me on their cover. Hey, a girl can dream...

XO
Michelle the Future Cover Model

Layers on Layers.

Any City girl knows it's all about layering. You go from extreme cold outside to stripping down the second you step inside anywhere. Every store and apartment is boiling hot so you need a tank top for indoors and several layers for the blistering cold outside. I wasn't ready to give up my adorable Rosegal bomber jacket so I decided to layer it up for a day out.

This is one of my everything but the kitchen sink outfits. More is more. My new philosophy is before you head out the door - add one more item. I'm totally over simplicity. There is a reason I'm LeHoarder.

My first layer starts with my $1,495 Elizabeth and James striped Holland fur that I scored at their sample sale a while back for just 99 bucks. I seriously wish I got more because subsequent sales were not as good.

I mentioned Macy's Backstage (their outlet stores) a little while back when I first shared these booties. Right now they have buy one get one free on all their clearance in-store thru 1/2 - totally worth treasure hunting! Both my hat and boots came from Macy's Backstage - thanks again for the giftcard!

From head to toe:

• Hat: BeMine NYC, Macy's Backstage, $12.99 but used gift card they gifted me
• Sunglasses: H&M, $1.50 (sale rack!)
• Coat: Elizabeth and James Holland fur, sample sale, $99 (RV $1,495)
• Jacket: Make Me Chic, gifted - now on sale for $29.90! FYI, I'm wearing a size medium.
• Dress: H&M, $3 (was $49.95)
• Watch & bangle: Daniel Wellington, gifted (Use code LEHOARDER to take 15% off purchases on their website).
• Bag: Mezzanotte Barolo, gifted (RV $195)
• Gloves: Surell, Century 21, $4.50 (RV $99) - back when 90% off was really 90% off...
• Tights: Spanx, Burlington Coat Factory, $13 (RV $28)
• Boots: Betsey Johnson, Macy's Backstage, $49.99 (RV $99) but used gift card they gifted me

I only wear Spanx shaping tights but as you know, I refuse to pay retail. Very few brands still make shaping tights. I've found that the lower end Spanx at Target just aren't as good. I used to find Spanx at Burlington Coat Factory but this year I couldn't find them on the cheap anywhere. Spanx does have an eBay outlet from but right now they were out of my size so I went to the actual Spanx website and they had some great deals in the sale section. PLUS they have a coupon code (N16SK9P) for 10% off and free shipping right now! I ordered this two pack that came out to $13.50 a pair each! Don't forget to use ebates for an extra 3% off! I find that if you get the right size they last for a long time. When you order too small the pull and are more likely to tear.

This amazing bomber is my base layer. They had me sold with the patches. I wore it several times prior to shooting and got so many compliments. My only issue is that it started to pill in some spots. But for less than $30 it packs a punch!

I didn't feel like shooting my favorite Moschino sunnies again so I pulled out these cat-like H&M sunglasses that I found for $1.50. Dress is also H&M ($3 from $50). I seriously love H&M clearance.

Couldn't do my signature red or pink lipstick with the bomber so I'm wearing my new Korres Morello lipstick in Mocha Brown. It comes as a duo with a lip liner but I'm just wearing the lipstick. You can see me wearing the red they sent me here - thanks Korres!

This Mezzanotte Barolo bag is just what I needed. I first shared it with you in a flatlay here. It's the perfect bag to take you from day to night and works as well with jeans as it does with eveningwear. It's so lightweight and better yet, fits my giant phone. Plus the combo of pale gold and gunmetal matches everything. It's available in several colors and on sale right now! I should mention that the buckle is supposed to be flipped up and somehow mine got pushed down for all my pics. Oops. Thank you Mezzanotte!

You can shop my style here:

This round of pictures were taken by my super talented 9-year-old, Ella. Halfway through the shoot she stole my fur coat and hat because she was so cold. She's wearing her favorite Justice plaid shirt and tee again - as a Justice Girls With Heart brand ambassador she's been wearing a lot more Justice than usual. Be sure to follow her adventures on Instagram at @missellasophie. My goal for 2017 is to teach my youngest to shoot as well.

On the stuff showing up in my mailbox front, I received the December Popsugar Must Have Subscription Box. This month it as filled with odds and ends that were gift worthy - though you know I just kept them all for myself LOL. Code SHOP5 (which never expires) will get you $5 off your FIRST Must Have Box! Thank you Popsugar for sending me this box to try!

Influenster sent me their Loreal VoxBox Ever Pure VoxBox. Be sure to sign up for Influenster here to get your free boxes of stuff! People always ask me how to get the good campaigns - my tip would be to link up all your social accounts and share with friends. Plus they have "snaps" and reviews you can complete - these all help your standing.

The candy canes were not included. It was really hard to even find Kosher ones but my kids were begging for them.

I actually use (and swear by) Loreal Pro hair products that I get for free when I hair model.  I hoped these would be as good - but I still prefer my Pro line products. My scalp is super dry and itchy this time of year and Loreal Pro is the only thing that sooths it. What do you use if you have this issue?

Stella and Dot (and Octoly - sign up here) sent me this amazing feather statement necklace (RV $159)! I've been meaning to style it and shoot but I've been a little under the weather lately. Instead I've put together a little New Year's inspo starting with a pair of $250 Louboutins from Nordstrom Rack, My $20 thrifted vintage Oleg Cassini sequin dress (complete with giant 80s shoulder pads which are right on trend) and my Rebecca Minkoff Cleo WOC for a sparkly pop of color. This is the one night of the year that it's socially acceptable to sparkle like a disco ball. Not that I haven't glittered up on a regular Tuesday LOL.

If you haven't already done so, be sure to enter win your own, new with tags Rebecca Minkoff glitter wallet on a chain! You can enter my giveaway here. Just 4 days left!

Happy holidays! Chanukah is still in effect and other than some cash no gifts so far. My friend Morgan of Between the Racks got a Chanel pin for Christmas and I'm totally dying. Traditionally Chanukah is more about gelt (money) than presents thou. My mom always taught me to buy my own gifts - it's easier than being disappointed. And I'm a much better gift giver than most of the people around me so at least I know I'm gonna love it LOL. Actually I take that back, Ella got me a pair of hot pink boot shapers at the dollar store. Cute, useful and thrifty. My girl knows me well.

The good thing about this time of year is that everything is on sale and it's the perfect time to score some great deals at retail. Target hit 70% holiday clearance off today so I spent the morning Target hunting - check out my Insta stories to see what I found! $.89 EOS and $1.50 giant rolls of gift wrap - yes please! In case you missed it, I'm uploading some pics to my @shoppinggalscloset Instagram account. That's more of my personal account where I share more deals, and less polished cell phone shots.

This coming year I plan on being more consistent with my branding and dropping my nickname, Shoppinggal. Right now it's probably a little confusing that my Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook is Shoppinggal, while my Insta and blog are LeHoarder. I hope to transition to my name (Michelle Blashka) and LeHoarder across the board in 2017.

I hope to share my New Year's resolutions and a roundup of my best 2016 deals in my next post. But for now, what are your hopes for 2017?

XO
Shoppinggal

Who's Ready for My Latest Haul??!!

It's been about a month since my last haul post - today I'm sharing my Vera Wang sample sale scores, a thrift store find and some Nordstrom Rack Clear the Rack deals!

The Vera Wang sample sale had some amazing discounts! These $800 Riley sandals were mine for just 25 bucks :) They sold out of most larger sizes so these were the only shoes that came home with me.

I tried on a $5000 fur jacket that would have been $175 but it was too crazy for me - and that says a lot. I love this $1895 menswear inspired wool coat - those cut out shoulders totally sold me. Then I saw Kiley Jenner in pics wearing it to fashion week and it went down a notch or two. But it's really cool - so cool that when the male sales associate saw me in it - he ran and grabbed a larger size for himself LOL. Stay tuned for Fashion Week where we'll have our own who wore it better :)

It looks really expensive...and did I mention it was just $100?!

I went a little crazy at the jewelry table but in my defense, you should see what some of my friends came back with. I was immediately drawn to the bugs so I snapped up the necklace for $37.50 and pins for $20 each. As you can see on the tag, the bug brooches retailed for $395 each. Some of the necklaces retailed for over $1,000 but this is the only one that really spoke to me. All the bracelets were $20 as well. The earrings were $10 and I really only grabbed them because they were cuter than the $5 tee shirts - and I had to purchase 10 items to get the 50% off promotion.

I seriously regret either not getting to this sale a day earlier - and not grabbing more jewelry.

Nordstrom Rack has been serving up quality over quantity recently - here are a few of my recent Clear the Rack finds. This $965 Elizabeth and James Iris oversized Mongolian lamb fur collared coat was just under $60 after discount. Crazy!

My $925 Pologeorgis rabbit and goat fur vest came out to under $39!

And my Alice & Olivia $698 Tina metallic ballgown skirt came out to less than $40 - that's cheaper than sample sale pricing!

I haven't been doing a lot of thrifting of late but I did find this Zara pea coat for $12.50 (it was half price). Other than a tan coat, I'm all set for next season!

So while most of these deals have come and gone I'm linking up some similar pieces on sale so you can score too!

Hope you too have been lucky lately too - would love to hear about your recent finds!

XO
Shoppinggal

Sample Sale-ing 101 and Elizabeth and James & H&M Hauls :)

When I hit a sale, I come prepared. Getting ready for a sample sale is like preparing for battle. Earlier this week I attended back to back previews for Elizabeth & James and Oscar de la Renta. I love dressing up but I always keep things simple for NYC sample sales. I'm gonna break down my rules for you for sample sale success.

1. Always be first in line. I can't stress the importance of this rule enough. Waking up an hour earlier can make all the difference at some of these sales. For less popular sales getting there a half hour early is usually enough but when it's a big name you want to be there 1-2 hours early. The first hour of the sale is when all the best/cheap stuff gets snapped up.

2. Be prepared. I always have a giant tote bag stuffed in my purse to lug home my spoils of war. If it's going to rain I have a tiny umbrella and a couple plastic garbage bags to protect the goods. I also do my due diligence. When a sale is announced I immediately google past sale reports so get an idea of pricing and selection. Then I look online at lookbooks for current and past season collections to create a wishlist. I also check to see if they've had markdowns historically and show up for those days too. It also can't hurt to ask if they'll be replenishing.

3. Don't overdress. I have a uniform. I like slip dresses because I can pop a dress on top of it or try on pants or skirts under it. I'm just not one of those girls who strips down to her panties publicly. Some gals wear the leggings and tank top ensemble but I'm more of a dress girl. In the winter I'll wear Spanx tights under my dress which I'll remove if needed - or it will help suck me in as needed LOL. This also means no makeup - it's just gonna shmear all over the clothing when you're trying it on in a hurry. If I'm wearing lipstick I wipe it off before I go in. No jewelry either - it can get caught and snag the clothing you're trying on - or fall off and get lost. Shoes should slide off easily as well.

4. Check and double check!  Sample sales are final sale so look everything over carefully. Sometimes a small damage or unfinished product isn't isn't a big deal if it's an easy fix or insanely cheap. It's also easy to get caught up in the moment and come home with something stupid. Made many a mistake back in the day. Now I'm a master editor and only buy what I love or can be passed along if I change my mind. I lie - I still make mistakes from time to time.

5. Bring a buddy. Some sales don't have mirrors or dressing rooms. You're gonna need someone whose opinion you trust to be your eyes. Plus a buddy can help you snap up all the cheap samples and then you can edit together. I have a sample sale team at this point - we pass along the pieces that don't work for us and make sure nobody makes any huge fashion mistakes. If I'm solo at a sale I usually make friends in line or the dressing room. Shopping is always better with friends.

From head to toe:

• Sunglasses: Moschino, Century 21, $60 (free with rewards!)
• Lipstick: Uslu Airlines Lipstick in BIR, Net a Porter sale, $1 (retail $25)
• Coat: Altuzarra for Target trenchcoat, Target, $45 (50% off - some things can't wait for 70%)
• Dress: American Apparel, $7.50, Nordstrom Rack
• Bag: Balenciaga Velo, Nordstrom Rack
• Pom Pom: Adrienne Landau, free from her fashion week presentation (retail $45)
• Sneakers: Converse, Nordstrom Rack, $7.50

You can shop my look here. My trench has long been sold out (special collab with Target) but you can probably still find one on eBay. I can't tell you how many men (not even women LOL) have stopped me to ask where I got it.

After the sale my brother took me and his GF out for dinner uptown. Thought I'd share a little Kosher foodporn. To me there's nothing better than a burger done right. And everything is better with guac.

And now for what you've really been waiting for. My recent E&J and H&M scores! Let's start with my Brixton dress that retailed for $695 and I got the sample for $50. It's currently on sale in size 0 & 2 for $347 at Neiman Marcus. Should be fun for a party with a killer pair of heels and a sparkly clutch. I can also wear it as a blazer.

For some reason I was on the fence about $495 zip cardigan for some reason. I LOVE the colors but the fit isn't the best plus it has a tiny hole. But there was something about it and for $30 it was worth a try.

Last but not least is this fur trimmed sweater jacket. I can't seem to find it online so it's possible it was never produced. I really wanted more furs but they didn't have any good samples and I didn't want to shell out $300 for a non-sample fur. It's a little crazy but it could be crazy good or crazy awful. I have a few months to think about it before fur season. And yes, I think one sleeve may be longer than the other. This is what I mean about checking and double checking. When it's on you don't see that issue thou.

As a bonus, they gave out these totes to take home your finds with purchases over $200. I spent less but still came home with two. The price sheet had them listed as $10 each. Lucky me.

I've also been stalking the H&M sale racks. Scored this $70 caftan for $15. Could be a fun summer dress.

I also scored this olive green dress for $15 from $60. Just looked like an interesting piece. It's funny that I have so much designer clothing but I keep wearing my cheap H&M stuff.

BTW today is the Edie Parker sample sale! If you're in the City be sure to pop by for a $300-500 (retail $1,000-1,700) discounted clutch :)

Edie Parker
4/15-16, Fri 9am-7pm, Sat 10am-4pm.
The Arthur Loomis Room at Marriott East Side Hotel, 525 Lexington Ave btwn 48th & 49th sts

This week on Instagram for #freebiefriday I'm giving away these Jessica Simpson size 10 sandals that retailed for $89. Head to Insta to enter and see if you won last week's giveaway :)

On a final note I wanted to congratulate my friend Shira, of A Sequin Love Affair who was nominated by Redbook as one of their Real Women Style Awards finalists. She was actually my photographer this week - thanks, Shira! Please take a moment to vote for here here. You can vote for her every hour - just sayin...

Have a great weekend!

XO
Shoppinggal