LookBooker x LeHoarder

I'm all about efficiency. As a mom of three who's always on the go, I'm always looking for life hacks to make things easier. When LookBooker reached out to me to check out their app I was all over it. LookBooker is a great way to discover and book new salons and spas near you, and pay thru your phone - tipping too! I downloaded the app, signed in and booked a mani-pedi at Allure Day Spa and Hair Design in NYC. Easy peasy. Sign up here to get $10 off your first appointment! It was so nice to take the time to pamper myself, which is something I rarely do.

After my morning at the Spa I did a little 5th Ave window shopping. When I'm on the go I put on comfortable shoes and bundle up. It's cold out there! Decided to take my $685 Stuart Weitzman boots for a spin. Did I mention I found them for a penny (yes, $0.01) at Nordstrom Rack last year?

From head to toe:

• Hat: Maniere Zccessories, Zulily, $0.99 (I had $25 in credit, RV $50)
• Sunglasses: Moschino, Century 21, free with rewards (Century price $60, RV $295)
• Dress: Merona, Target, $11 (on sale!)
• Coat: H&M, $30, on sale from $199
• Gloves: Carolina Amato, sample sale, $15
• Bag: Jimmy Choo Blare tote, sample sale, $250 (RV $3,050)
• Boots: Stuart Weitzman, Nordstrom Rack, $0.01 (RV $685)

You can shop my look here:

My photos were taken by the adorable @littlefashionstylist Belle, so I in turn, took hers. Just looking at her outfit, she's wearing stuff from 4 different sample sales that I dragged her to. (Two points if you can name them!) I love hanging out with her because she keeps me young and I think it's funny that I'm 42 and she's 24. It was last Fashion Week when I was at a party all by myself when she marched up to me and said hello - and we've been fast friends ever since :)

I'm not sure how she escaped frostbite that day. It was COLD.

So it's NYFW and there's a snowstorm out there. I decided to play hooky and take the morning to blog and catch up. I'm still considering running in to party tonight but we shall see...

It's been a while since I shared my blogger mail. I had a pretty big stack waiting for me when I got back from Florida.

Popsugar sent me their Must Have Box to try. In January's box there were lots of goodies to give you a fresh start for 2017. You can take $5 off your first box with the code SHOP5. Click here to check it out!

Influenster sent me this VoxBox and I feel like I've been demoted. After a few good ones, they sent me another box of random stuff. What I hate about it, is that for each item/brand they give you a to do list of several tasks to accomplish to earn badges and more VoxBoxes. There are seven brands in this box - so multiply that and it's like 20+ different tasks. It's not gonna happen. So I'm gonna share this one pic and say thank you. It's too much work for a few inexpensive free samples. Send me the good stuff Influenster!

On the Nordstrom Rack front, it's pretty dead. I went in because I got an email that they were getting designer shipments but they didn't have anything when I got there. I did find these socks for a penny each last week. I've been stalking those Smart Wool socks. I like to layer them with my tights when it's freezing out.

As for Century 21 - 90% off has hit. I reported it on my Instastories but you should also be following my @shoppinggalscloset Insta page where I post more of my deals. Head to the downtown NYC location for the best deals. And don't bother online for this sale. I didn't find anything but I'm a little spoiled by the good ole days and nothing impressed me.

In sample sale land it's also pretty slow. There are always sales, just not many of note. Wait for the Spring for them to start up again. For now head to Century to see what you can find!

This post has been sponsored by LookBooker and Popsugar - thanks guys!

XO
Michelle the Busy Momma

Dress of My Dreams.

At the first Teri Jon sample sale I attended, I saw a woman walk away with the previous version of this dress and I died a little. I did score this amazing number but it just wasn't the same. For months I dreamed of this breathtaking dress. From the high-low hemline, to the teeny tiny flowers, right down to the perfect lace. This past sale I got there over an hour early and was first thru the door...and they didn't have anything like it. Again, I died a little. In my head it was the most beautiful dress in the world and I neeeeded it.

And then an opportunity popped up - I accepted a project with Teri Jon in exchange for any dress. It was kismet. Let me tell you, in person it's even more spectacular. I got it right in time for my Nephew's Bar Mitzvah party.

I've been looking for the perfect choker for months. At the AV Max sample sale last week I finally picked up a bunch! It's seriously my go-to sample sale for jewelry - and the best part is that everything is under $25.

Unfortunately I forgot my bag and I was over 200 miles from home...so I went to Target. Found this clutch for less than $20. Seriously, where else can you go at 9am on a Sunday? Target to the resuce!

My mothers requests that I have a head covering at religious gatherings so I brought along my favorite fascinator. Married orthodox Jewish women cover their hair and for the longest time I struggled with it. This hat is more of a token covering (as it doesn't cover much LOL) but I've made my peace and I'm okay with that. I grew up in a pretty strict household and you can say I'm a bit of the black sheep. I like to think of myself as a little more modern orthodox and I do modest-ish at best.

These days it's more my vanity than religion that motivates my covered up looks. Your body changes when you have kids. Add being over 40 and it's an uphill battle. Right now I'm the heaviest I've ever been. Sigh. But it's so important to have beautiful clothing that you love - even when you've put on weight. Last time I was this heavy I hid. Literally. I didn't recognize myself. I refuse to hide anymore. In full disclosure I'm 5'5" and 176 lbs. right now. By some miracle my dress is a size 8. I've always looked lighter than I weighed (heavy bones?) so numbers don't bother me. I may not feel my best right now but when you look like crap you feel like crap - so I put on a pretty dress. Some days even a little lipstick can go a long way.

From head to toe:

• Fascinator: Scala, Century 21, $25
• Choker: AV Max, sample sale, $10
• Dress: Teri Jon, gifted (RV $1,420)
• Clutch: Merona, Target, $16.99
• Shoes: Shoes: Jimmy Choo Swarovski Whistler heels, sample sale, $100 (RV $2,450)

My eye makeup was all thanks to my Lancôme Voxbox from Influenster. (Be sure you sign up here to get your free boxes of stuff!) I wanted to try something different so instead of using a colored liner on my top lid I used it on bottom. I love this Drama Liqui-Pencil - I often play with blues, golds, greens and purple to set off my hazel eyes. The Définicils Mascara was not my fave thou. It clumped and didn't give me the long fanned out lashes my Korres mascara does. The lipstick is actually by Korres - it's the Morello Lipstick + Cotton Seed Oil Lip Liner Duo in Classic Red. I was very impressed. It's the perfect shade of red and it stayed on for hours. The company Octoly gifted it to me. If you have over 10k on YouTube or Insta you can apply to Octoly here.

For my girls, I used my giftcard that Macy's Backstage sent me to purchase these dresses for $15 each. I layered them with $1.50 H&M shirts and $1.50 tights from a sample sale. The hair accessories were also sample sale scores. The shoes were sent to us from Nina Kids Shoes - they seriously have the cutest shoes! These are the Alicea ballet flats. LOVE!

It was actually freezing outside but the lighting in the restaurant was terrible. The girls were huddled together in most of the pictures I took of them LOL. I really wanted to find a prettier location to shoot but as always we were running late (and it was 20 degrees out) so we had to quickly shoot in the parking lot.

Nina Shoes sent me these Idabell pumps and let me tell you - they are gorgeous! Even my flats wearing mom wanted to try them on. I should mention they run a little big. I tried sizing down but they were too small in 8.5 so I took the 9 and figured I'd pad them. For some reason I thought they would match my new dress but the color was off. I still needed to take a picture with them anyway. Check out the beautiful crystal heels!

My pics were taken by my son and teenage nephew B. Thanks guys! If you have kids, train them young!

You can shop our looks here:

Last but not least, check out my new Daniel Wellington Classic Black watch. I'm all about rose gold right now. It came with a matching cuff and you can get 15% off their website with code LEHOARDER. I'm also wearing my new Carolina Amato leather gloves ($15) and Marc Jacobs scarf ($20) that were both sample sale scores. Can't forget my new Baci Outlet jacket! I'm extending my Baci Outlet giveaway so you too can get this jacket with the gift card I'm giving away on Instagram! Enter here.

This week I took the week off from sample sale-ing. There are tons of great sales but so far I'm resisting the urge to shop. If I cave I'll be sure to share my adventures on my Insta stories :)

And I still can't believe I own the dress of my dreams. Thank you Teri Jon! Can't wait to wear it again!

XO
Shoppinggal

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things...

When it rains, it pours. So far sample sale season is off to a great start, my mailbox has been full of blogger mail (yay for free stuff!) - and I found Chanel at the Rack. Life is good.

This weekend is Clear the Rack at Nordstrom and I nearly had a heart attack when I found these $750 Chanel flats (with the box!) for just $175 after the extra 30% off! For Chanel that's an unheard of discount. I bet I can dye them black too - but I think I'll keep them blue for now. I do love a pop of color on my feet. (Read how I dyed my Jimmy Choo bag here.)

EVA NYC just launched their hair products in Old Navy - they sent me an assortment to try as well as this flatiron. The slippers are another recent Rack find. They are by Steve Madden and were $20. Sometimes you gotta splurge. It's funny how $175 for Chanel is practically free but Steve Madden slippers for $20 are a splurge LOL.

At the last Clear the Rack I found these Smashbox lipglosses for just $1.50 each. Can't resist a cheap lippie!

On the Influenster front, my latest VoxBox is by Lancôme. It's everything you need for a complete eye look. Very excited by the purple pencil. Be sure to sign up to get your own free products to review here. They've been sending me boxes that retail for over $100 lately :)

I actually won this $54 Hourglass primer from Influenster. Sometimes they have contests for completing tasks.

Marsquest sent me these amazing mirrored navy sunglasses! You can nab a pair for 35% off till the end of the month with code LeHoarder35. I've been dying for a pair of mirrored sunnies too!

I won this Maggy London illusion top in an Insta giveaway (RV $79) and Mezzanotte sent me their Barolo bag (RV $195) as a holiday gift. The boots are from Macy's Backstage by Betsey Johnson (RV $99). Macy's sent me a giftcard to shop their new outlet store and I was so excited to find these for less than $50! Velvet and glitter? Yes please!!! I've worn them a couple times but so far the pics didn't turn out so I'll just have to keep wearing them until I get a good shot LOL.

And I'm always excited when my POPSUGAR Must Have Box shows up on my doorstep! In their November subscription box they included a lot of "chic entertaining essentials" like the AJ Goods nest wire bowl and Pehr chambray runner.

Ella already made off with the Kendra Scott Elaina rose gold bracelet and Meri Meri star party picks. Thank you POPSUGAR for sending me this #MustHaveBox to try. You can subscribe for just $39.95 - and you can get $5 off your first box with code SHOP5.

And before we get started with my amazing Rebecca Minkoff sample sale finds, I wanted to share this MAC that I thrifted for just $5!!! I'm gonna give it to my sis D for Chanukah :)

That would have been amazing had I not found all of these bags for just $10 on the sample table at the sale!!! I actually gave my sister one of the tassel bags (hers was gray) too - I love gifting cheap Minkoff bags.

And now for my amazing shoe finds! Having giant feet pays off. These runway boots and fur heels were just $40!

I found this fur and wool coat on the sample rack for $50. The back is real fur but the sleeves are faux. It's missing buttons (easy fix) but at least it's finished unlike my $20 coat find last year.

This beach towel was a free gift with purchase. It's a cute oversized towel that was made for Michelle Obama's Drink Up campaign.

I also scored this $145 Cleo glitter wallet on a chain for just $10! I also have a few other odds and ends that I scored on the cheap that you'll be seeing in upcoming outfits. And I also grabbed an extra wallet for a giveaway I'll be having on my Instagram soon! Stay tuned!

Doesn't it looks super cute with my new $695 Bisoux Charlotte Olympia lips flats?! Just nabbed them for $100 at the sample sale. I really almost skipped the sale because they cut me from VIP but when I saw a tweet about cheap flats I ran.

Marc Jacobs was amazing this year! They are discontinuing their Marc by Marc Jacobs line so it was a blowout. I scored this leather collection backpack for $80 - a strap was broken but it cost less than $10 to fix. The scarf, gloves and headband were just $20 each and the $698 Bowery boots were $40!

I have so much more to share but it's gonna have to be for another day! I'm linking up some of these pieces for you to shop. So often I scored inexpensive one of a kind or runway pieces at these sales that make it worth the hours in line and insane crowds. If you have never been to a NYC sample sale - put it on your bucket list.

As for my picks for upcoming sales, I have a few! Nothing I need to hit this week but you can see all of the sales on Racked NY here. As always, be sure you're watching my Insta stories as sales/deals always pop up!

My favorite jewelry sale is back - everything is just $5-25! Lots of great gifts! Take a peek at a previous sale here.

A.V. Max
39 W 38th Street, 10th fl
12/5 - 12/9
Mon-Fri 10am-4pm (Tue until 7pm)

Not sure what I'm gonna buy at Alice + Olivia because I can't fit sample size right now but it's one sale I just can't skip. I'm willing to buy for future skinny me. Some sales have been better than others, you can read about my past scores here, here, and here. Get there early and be prepared to fight for this one.

Alice + Olivia
260 Fifth Avenue (Btwn 28/29th)
12/6 - 12/11
Tue 9am-8pm, Wed 9am-7pm, Thu 10am-8pm, Fri 9am-7pm, Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 10am-4pm

I stumbled upon this sale last year while checking out other sales and it's where I picked up all my super cool fingerless gloves that people always ask me about! You can see pics here, here and here.

Carolina Amato
270 W 38th St., Suite 902
12/6 - 12/9, 12/12 - 12/16
Daily 9-5

Good luck and happy shopping!

XO
Shoppinggal

The Cutest Emoji Dress Ever!

It was love at first sight when I saw this Emoji dress on Shein.com. I can't tell you how many people have stopped me to ask where I got it. In full disclosure I got the size large because I wanted an oversized fit. The patches are sewn on a little sloppy but even so, the emojis totally make the dress. Even better, it's just $21.99 and they often have couple codes on their website for free shipping and an additional percentage off.

I wore this outfit to the Rebecca Minkoff sample sale last week. I like comfortable clothing (ergo the cute sneakers) and minimal accessories when I shop. The weather was pretty cold last week so I had to pull out a winter coat and gloves but I refuse to wear tights just yet.

From head to toe:

• Sunglasses: Moschino, Century 21, free after rewards (they were selling them for $59.99), RV $295
• Coat: H&M, $15- sale rack! (RV $99)
• Dress: Shein Blue Striped Hidden Button Shirt Dress With Lovely Patch, gifted, RV $21.99
• Gloves: Carolina Amato, Century 21, $10 (75% off sale!)
• Watch: Jord Wood Watch, gifted, RV $189
• Bag: Marc Jacobs small Antonia, Nordstrom Rack, $25 after Clear the Rack discount & rewards, RV $1,095!!!
• Socks: Forever 21, $0.49 - on sale!
• Sneakers: Sugar Shoes Gwen, gifted, RV $39.99

So this whole look was about $50 OOP. Pretty good considering the retail value is well over $1,700!

A huge thank you to my 9 year old mini fashionista Ella who took my pics for this look. So proud of my super talented kids! Check out her new Instagram account, @missellasophie. She's excited every time someone follows, likes or comments, so please show her some love!

I LOVE my new Jord wood watch! I love how organic they look - and they have so many color woods and faces. Jord sells both men's and women's watches (several are unisex) but I choose the Frankie in Navy and Zebrawood which retails for $189. I personally love a chunky menswear style watch on my tiny wrist.

Your watch comes in this amazing wood box and would make a great gift! Right now you can enter to win $75 off your watch - and you get a $20 code just for entering! Good luck!

Luxury Wood Watch

I got another really amazing box from Influenster - this Vox Box was choc full of Armani Beauty products! They sent me the Eccentrico mascara (RV $32) and three eye tints (RV $39 each)! I've said it before but I highly recommend signing up for Influenster! In short, they send you free products to review on your social media channels. It took me a while to get the good boxes, but when they are good they are oh so good! Sign up here.

Target just released their November beauty box for just $10! The Loreal primer and Revlon eyeliner alone more than pay for the box! Hurry because they always sell out fast!

Last but not least, Popsugar sent me their October #MustHaveBox to try and once again it did not disappoint! Their boxes are just $39.95 (with a $200+ RV!) and you can take $5 off your first box with coupon code SHOP5. I think I'm most excited by the MakeUp Eraser (removes makeup just by rubbing!) and can totally use a new Henri Bendel umbrella and Revlon Colorstay liquid eyeliner.

On the sample sale front, I did so well at Rebecca Minkoff (I went 2x LOL) and I'll be sure to share my finds shortly! This week in sample sales we have Marc Jacobs starting Wednesday and I may check out MIISTA - a London based shoe brand because I want some chunky booties or creepers.

MARC JACOBS sample sale
November 2-6
W 11-8 Th-F 10-8 Sat 10-7 Sun 10-4 
150 Greene Street

MIISTA sample sale
November 4-6
F-Sat 10-7 Sun 10-6
83A Hester Street

Looks like it's gonna be a great week! Be sure to say hello if you see me around the City!

XO
Shoppinggal

*This post was sponsored by Jord Wood Watches, Sugar Shoes, Shein, and Popsugar. Thanks guys!