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

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