Shopping is my Cardio

So I know you're all just dying to know what I ate for my last 4 days in NYC! (or not. LOL) But if you are... I totally have the post ready, however, I haven't been able to add the pics because I don't have my memory card with me. But don't fret my pretties! I will have it back soon enough...For now, how about I discuss what I ended up buying on my trip? I haven't had a fashion-y post in awhile.

Ooh, wait, I have to also tell you that I recently just got Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eye Shadow in Tentation Cuivree from Chanel's Holiday 2010 Collection, courtesy of my uber fashionable cousin, Charz. I'm LOVING the couleurs, all my faves, BTW, and I'm so amazed at how good it goes on. I put it on this morning without my eyeshadow primer and the color was still so vibrant! I guess spending a bit more on eyeshadow definitely IS worth it! One might ask, "Oh you fancy, huh?" I might answer, "Yes. Yes, I am."

hee hee.

So. My purchases. I don't feel like I actually bought a whole lot. I didn't even get my elusive faux fur vest from Zara, despite the fact that there were probably at least 5 Zara's in my vicinity. I was only able to get to one Zara and it had every faux fur vest in their collection, but mine! So depressing. When we were in the NBA store on 5th Ave, I kept seeing girls with all these Zara bags, and I stopped one of them to ask where it was and she was all "Just down the block" But I couldn't find it! I'm so blind. I bet you I walked past it multiple times. Ugh!! I managed to get to a few H&M's, but for some reason, I didn't have as much strength to look through their stuff as I did when I was in Edmonton and Calgary this past summer. Go figure?

Before we went, I also made a list of some of the stores that I definitely wanted to go to (in addition to H&M and Zara). I really wanted to check out Uniqlo (which I think of as Japan's answer to H&M) and TopShop, London's H&M-ish type of store. Uniqlo was a wonderful, modern store, with affordably priced cashmere sweaters stacked in color coded piles up to the ceiling! I was able to find myself a couple of "wrap" sweaters there and ended up getting a couple more sweaters for gifts as well. There were a couple of faux fur jackets that were quite cute, but they didn't have my size in the styles that I wanted. BOO! And they were only like 99.00! Craziness.

As we made our way down Broadway, towards TopShop, I noticed a cute pair of brown suede desert boots (with a heel) in Madewell. We went in so I could try them on. It was a charming store, and I ended up getting the boots, which were a (relatively) reasonably priced $188.00. (Every other boot in this style I had looked at thus far, was over $200.00) After much deliberation and hemming and hawing, I bought them and I am SO happy I did. Love them!

I didn't fare as well at TopShop. I've always been intrigued by TopShop, as it's been "endorsed" by the UK fashion plates: Victoria Beckham, Kate Moss, Alexa Chung and featured on Gok's Fashion Fix. This is before I realized that "it's only 40 quid" in London translates to $80.00 US. Which was pretty much their "standard" price. Don't get me wrong, they did have some great stuff (definitely better and more stylish than H&M), but personally I thought it was a little too steep...

J.Crew is a store I rarely go into - I think of it as a less "corporate" Banana Republic, but a higher end Gap. Don't get me wrong, I think the clothes are actually quite nice, albeit a wee bit overpriced.  However, while we sat outside of Rockefeller Centre, waiting for the Jimmy Fallon show, I decided to check it out. Tracy said she got some good stuff @ the outlet for a good deal (which I failed to check out, I don't know why), so I thought I'd see if there was something good in the regular store. Sometimes you get lucky -  Many times the sale in the regular store is a better sale than the stuff at the outlets! Anyhoo, I really didn't think I would find anything but lo, and behold! I found a gunmetal grey sweater with ruffles! And it was on sale! I also checked out the J.Crew in Soho and was able to find a moss green sweater in the same style, which will go really well with my new boots, some jeans and one of my new Gucci scarves! Very "It's a nice Fall day to walk in the Park" type of outfit. Oh yeah! I also picked up a really nice black leather Gucci bag which I'm thoroughly enjoying, in addition to the scarves! And finally, my last purchase/indulgence was a bag charm from Louis. I think it's so cute!  Like a ridiculously expensive toy. LOL.

So yeah, not too many purchases this time. Its seriously so overwhelming. The sheer volume of it all is enough to make you cry "tears of fashion". And for some unknown reason, a sale rack is impossible to find in Saks and strangely enough, in Gap (or at least the Gap I went into!). I think they ship all their good sale stuff to the suburbs. Oh well.

You might think that after coming back from a shopping mecca like New York, I'd be shopped out. But when I got back home I happened to find these really comfy flats that I originally wanted to buy before the trip (but they didn't have my size!)! They were on sale AND I got an extra 15% off (for being a VIP member, thank you very much!). When my husband saw me carrying my purchase, he just shook his head. Whatevs. A little cardio never hurt anyone.