dress for less

anthro summer sales
it’s been a while since i devoted a post to my favorite store! in the past, several of you have commented that while you love anthropologie‘s style, the pricing isn’t exactly in wallet-friendly territory.

sadly, i agree. maybe someday when i have a Real Job, i will be able to just grab my few selections off the rack each season without a second thought. but for now — it’s all about the sales. i thought i’d share a few summer sale picks, as well a few tips on how to get the most from markdowns at anthro:

■ keep your wishlist full. on the website, you can keep as many items in your wishlist as you want! that way, you can put things in when they are full price and check back obsessively periodically to see if they go on sale.

■ go on reconnaissance missions. head to the store with no intent on buying — just to try things on with the idea that if things work, they’ll go in your cart for possible sale purchases. this way you avoid annoying trips to the post-office (or your local store) for returns.

■ keep up with your favorite fashion blogs! in particular, my two favorite anthro-themed sites are effortless anthropologie and anthroholic. both are great about posting sale tip-offs — even sometimes the night before things are actually marked down online! for me, keeping up with these sites (via google reader) is best way to find out if my picks are marked down in a timely manner so that i can grab my size before it sells out.

■ check ebay. this one is controversial. sometimes, even when an item is still in-store, you can find it on ebay for less. i’m not sure how that happens or works (disgruntled employee?) or whether it’s legitimate, but sometimes it just does. so if you want something badly, it might be worth a quick search.

a few current sale picks:
of note, not all available in every size (and many are sold out in the smaller ones, so us petite ladies are out of luck). sometimes sizes pop back in stock, though, so i recommend checking back if there is an item that strikes your fancy. summer has only just begun, so i love that there are markdowns likely to be worn for a full season (which is a long one in NC!).

buds & bunches tee would make a cute layering piece. now $30 (down from $58)

i wish this pallas athena tank was still left in my size! $40 (down from $68)

i posted and drooled over this paisley swoop tank back when it was full-price! now $30 (from $58)

the gilded lily skirt looks like a bit of a fashion risk, but perhaps worth a shot for $40? (down from $78)

island holiday dress looks easy, breezy, and wearable for summer. $80 (down from $148)

organization station
i have received a couple of recent requests for an organization overview, and i am definitely going to follow suit. in addition to a top 10 organizational tools post (thank you kristin for your suggestion), i think it would be fun to do an organization intervention for anyone interested. this would entail emailing me your organizational dilemma/issue, and we would work towards some simple solutions (to be written up in a post).

email me if you are interested!

giveaway reminder
i LOVED hearing your stories in yesterday’s music-lesson-themed post, and i’m also finding your organizational tips in the giveaway post from monday very helpful. just a reminder that the raffle closes friday, so leave your tip and enter to win!

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6.8.10

workout: 35 minutes elliptical + day 4 strength (lower body) from summer shape up, week 1. see gina’s post in the link for details. i love how clearly her plan is laid out and the links to each strength-training exercise.

CE cookthrough: superfast and supereasy tofu noodle bowl with ginger, basil, and mint from this month’s clean eating mag:

instant noodles (or almost): blot/squeeze a block of extra-firm tofu to soak up excess moisture, then let sit to marinate in a mixture of freshly grated ginger (about 4 tsp), honey (~1T), soy sauce (~1T), and sesame oil (2 tsp).

while this sits, cook up your favorite noodle — i used a mix of whole spelt and whole wheat angel hair.

slice up some red peppers, fresh mint, and basil to add to the mix. throw in a blob of peanut butter for good measure (my addition). done, with lunch leftovers to boot! and tasty, too (although josh wasn’t sold on the peanut butter/mint combo, i thought it worked).

studying: 1 hour board review session.