More Amazing Deals!

Eeeek! Today I am super psyched because I've been finding so many awesome deals the past few weeks. I would like to share some of them with you to let you know that you too can get incredible things at rock bottom prices!

Thrift Bargains

This gorgeous brand new with tags dress was originally from Charlotte Russe. I got it for $3.50! I can't wait for a special occasion to wear it!

I scored these brand new Liz Claibourne dress slacks for $4.00!

I cannot wait to wear my new $5.00 Chanel style handbag!

An incredible roomy leather carpet bag for only $8.00! This is my new go-to bag!

This $10 gold wolven satchel will work equally great for the office or the beach and is roomy enough for anything you could possibly need to carry!

Swap Scores

These gorgeous Chanel style earrings and the following items were all acquired from swapping items and the cost of postage. These were less than $8. I get complements whenever I wear these glam earrings!

This lovely top originally retailed for nearly $80 and I got it for less than $20. With flutter sleeves and a cutout back, it looks so romantic on!

This fab H&M top looks so gorgeous on and was only $11.50!



Yes, you can even swap for books! Instyle Magazine's Style 101 has so many great ideas!

I am excitedly anticipating the arrival of the following items!

I absolutely love the style of this gorgeous rose print sweatshirt! Perfect for those chilly first days of spring.



I've been looking for a pair of red flats for ages! These will be perfect, if they fit.

I love the style of this great Jane Norman top!

This lacy blue tank will be perfect for the upcoming sunny California weather I'm waiting for!

Not Just For Women!

I love it when my husband can benefit from my fab finds! These are a couple items I'm especially proud of!

This beautiful tie was my Valentine's gift to him! Only $2.99, shhhh!

I can't wait to give him this incredible vintage Beatles wallet I swapped for! The best part: its from England!

I sincerely hope you readers are enjoying my posts! I have not had any comments or emails yet, but I would really love to hear some of your thoughts. Let me know what kinds of bargains are important to you!

Money Saving iPhone Apps!

If you have ever researched electronics, you would know that iPhones would not be considered cheap. Costing between $200 and $500 an iPhone is obviously a luxury rather than a necessity; but if you are fortunate enough to be able to afford one, or make it a goal to save up for one, it can do so many incredible things, including things that can help you save money! Iphones and iPads have lots of great apps available, many of which you can download for free, that can give you rewards, coupons, shopping tips and many other helpful resources all at your fingertips! The following is a list of categories of some of my favorite apps for saving money.

Rewards Apps:

Rewards apps are quite possibly my favorite type of app! You basically can earn rewards points to put towards amazing prizes like gift cards to stores!

My favorite rewards app: Shopkick! You use it by earning "kickbucks" by doing things like checking into different store locations and scanning barcodes of products in those locations. As you accumulate kickbucks, you can then redeem them for prizes like giftcards to Best Buy, Target, American Eagle, Coach, and so much more! For more info about how the app works, visit http://www.shopkick.com/app.html

Another great rewards app: Killer Apps! This app is an app to promote other apps. When you download other recommended apps, you earn points towards an itunes gift card, and can eventually earn a $100 dollar gift card!

Gotta Love Stickybits! Another great app where you scan barcodes of products to earn points for fabulous prizes! Get more info at: http://www.stickybits.com/



Coupon Apps:

There are dozens of fab apps that organize links for coupons, but these are a couple of my faves!

Coupons.com is one of the best coupon websites, and its app organizes them all conveniently on your iPhone! What's not to love? http://www.coupons.com/

I also love http://www.couponsherpa.com/!

Free App Finders:

Want to discover more awesome free apps, but aren't sure where to begin? Hey, there's an app for that! :)

My favorite free app finder: AppFree! It updates daily with apps that have gone on sale or become free!

Another great one: App Miner.



Fashion & Shopping Apps:

There are some brilliant apps out there that are great tools for fashion and shopping. Some help you show off pics of your own personal style, and others show you where to find the best deals on great items, but one thing's for sure; you will find them deliciously addicting!

My favorite new app for showing off my outfits is Pose. You can take pics of your fab scores or great outfits and submit them for feedback by other viewers and even link them to Facebook and Twitter! Great for broadcasting your personal style!



A great outfit styling tool, i-style will have you ravaging your closet and snapping pics of every item, so you can compile your morning outfits before you ever crawl out of bed!

If you would love to create your own virtual outfits, models and runway shows, Runway is the app for you!

For all the fans of Lucky magazine and Lucky.com; yes they do have an app and it can help you score amazing deals!

Apps On The Go:

Out and about and suddenly find yourself looking for the cheapest gas price or the best hotel rates? Have we got apps for you!

GasBuddy is my favorite app for finding the best gas prices. It uses gps to instantly find the best deals in your area!

For finding great deals on all things travel related, you can't go wrong with The Kayak app! For its great online deals visit http://www.kayak.com/.

Barcode Scanners:

One type of app that can instantly help you save mone while shopping is an app that can scan barcodes of products and give you a list of prices, both online and in stores near you, so you can go with the most inexpensive one!

I LOVE Redlaser! Check it out on http://redlaser.com/

A teriffic app that takes things one step further: Goodguide! Not only can you compare prices, but you can find out the impact that product makes on the environment! Best shopping app EVER! For more info, visit http://www.goodguide.com/about/mobile.

I certainly hope you find that these apps and websites are helpful and have saved you a ton of dough! If I've missed any of your faves, please let me know! I'd love to try them out!

Design A Dream Room!

So many of us have problems committing to any one decorating style, be it because of a limited budget or just plain indecision. Believe me, I understand the struggle firsthand. Living in a one bedroom apartment that I cannot paint or remodel in any way has left me with some real design issues, not to mention the limited time and money. I am not entirely proud to admit that much of my furniture is quite a mishmash of of wedding gifts and second hand pieces. I have brown carpets mixed with varying shades of woodgrains, black contemporary appliances and a couple green couches thrown in for good measure. Whew. But one room in the house has become my oaisis of design; it's the boudoir that I have focused on picking out great pieces for. I have coordinated a few great pieces in my bedroom to pull the look together and make it something I am glad to come home to at the end of the day.

There are a few simple steps to tackling a design plan for any room, and with just a few additions, your personal style can truly come through and shine!

Step 1: Get a Design Theme:

Whether it is inspired by a color palette, a place, a word, or even a single object, part of what makes a room appealing to the eye is having a coordinated design plan where everything goes well together. With that said, it doesn't mean your room should be super matchy-matchy; it just means to eliminate any unnecessary items that don't fit in with the look of your room.

I personally have always loved a classic baroque/victorian style and I also have a great passion for nature, so I decided to combine these inspirations in a palette black, white, gray and red.

Step 2: Begin Collecting Key Pieces:

Once I had a vision in mind, I began shopping for items that would bring my ideas to life. I found the great comforer set below. It's about 3 years old now but it was originally about $60 from Target (although registering for it as a wedding gift, I got it free!) Target is a great place for marginally priced, chic home goods, especially if you happen to catch them on sale. I recommend going into the store to get a more accurate feel for the item you are considering purchasing, but of course you can always shop on line.

http://www.target.com/

The sheet set I just purchaced from Anna's Linens last week. They were only $14.99 for a full set, and even Wal Mart couldn't beat their prices, averaging about $24 for similar sets. Anna's is a fabulous place to shop for discount housewares! http://annaslinens.com/
I am also a huge fan of candles and wall art! Just picture this at night glowing with candle light! This wall hanging was $5, the small candleholder $4 for a set of 2, and the candle/jewelry holder only $8, all from the Goodwill! They are some of the accent pieces that really make my room feel special! 



Lighting is always an important consideration. You want enough light to suit your purposes. If you like to read in bed, it is good to have a small ajustable lamp on your nightstand. We have a large window that lets in lots of natural light, so we opted for one small lamp to provide a relaxing glow, instead of bright overhead lights. A floor lamp, or a small chandelier, can also be excellent and beautiful choices. The silver lamp pictured was bought on sale at target for only $9.99 and the lampshade came from Ross for only 5.99! Ross is another amazing discount store with everything from clothes to housewares and electronics! I think the last time I visited I ended up with a shirt, a bath set, and a popcorn maker! Sadly they are not an online retailer, but to find your nearest store location go to: http://rossstores.com/

Step 3: Arrange Furniture for Style AND Functionality:

An important thing to consider about design is the flow of the room. Where are people going to be walking? Where would you like people to face when sitting or lying down? What areas need to be kept free of furniture (consider placement of AC/heaters, fuseboxes, closet doors, ect.)? The goal is to set up your room in a manner that is both easy to use and pleasing to the eye. Having a plain square bedroom with one window; it was rather easy to arrange. The bed went against the wall opposite the door with a nightstand on either side and a dresser in the corner next to the closet. With the rest of the floor space free, it is easy to walk around in and makes for a comfortable place to relax. Even if you can't paint you walls or add special architecture to a room, you can arrange meaningful items in an eyecaching design to really make a room pop. Above our bed, my husband and I hung pieces of art that we created, a cluster of photos of special places that I took, and a wood carving of my husband's favorite band that he made. If you are surrouned by items that make you happy, it doesn't really matter how much they cost!

Step 4: Sit Back and Enjoy:
Just remember: decorating does not have to be difficult or stressful. The goal is always to have fun creating a space that you feel comfordable in and that inspires you to be your best self. Think about what you love in life and the ideas will come!

If you have read and enjoyed this blog, please let me know! I would love to see pics of your own favorite rooms and hear your ideas about where to get inexpensive housewares. If you want to show of your design style, email me pics at morningviewangel99@yahoo.com and they could be featured in an upcoming post!

Inspirational Idea Websites

Whether it's from books, magazies, websites, movies, or day to day life, we all draw influences from outside sources for our personal style. The following are a few of my favorite websites for great ideas on how to design a beautiful life! I hope you enjoy them!

http://www.designspongeonline.com/
Design Sponge is a fabulous blog with great home decorating and DIY ideas. It has gorgeous pics and is so intelligently written and easy to navigate. I am sure you will find your newest obsession if you visit this site!

http://www.generation-t.com/ Generation T is probably one of my favorite craft books of all time, and its website has many more incredible projects all made from t-shirts. The author, Megan Nicolay, has started an entire tee crafting movement, and I think the results are Tee-riffic!

http://psimadethis.com/

PS I Made This  is a great collection of DIY ideas for clothing an accessories. The pictures of the crafts and collages are teriffic, and the projects are so easy to do. Erica Domesek has also written a book of projects, pictured at left.

http://life.forever21.com/ The Skinny is actually Forever 21's blog which lets readers know about special discounts, deals and giveaways, oufit ideas, and DIY projects, all utilizing Forever 21 clothing! It's an amazing concept; I with more clothing brands had something similar.



http://www.thenateshow.com/ I love the Nate Berkus Show! Nate, who got his TV start on Oprah, has recently embarked upon his own TV journey with his new hit show focusing on home design, especially saving money and low budget decorating ideas. If I could get my blog featured in a Nate segment, it would be a dream come true! His effortlessly chic style and fresh ideas are inspiring millions of Americans, including me! Definately a must watch! Tune in Mon-Fri 10 Am on Fox.



http://www.luckymag.com/streetstyle Lucky Mag's street style section features fabulous looks from real everyday women's outfit and their tips on how to achieve these great looks. Really inspiring!

http://lookbook.nu/ Lookbook is a website for both men and women to post their outfits and looks and receive comments, feedback and "hype" about their photos. It's a great place to show off your awesome personal style and check out the styles of others from around the globe! Definately recommend!



http://www.weardrobe.com/ Weardrobe is another amazing street style based website where you can create your own profile and upload pics and descriptions of you most glamourous outfits! An added bonus is that members can also create shop links of items in their outfits that an admiring fan can buy! Such a fabulous concept!

These are just a few of the incredible websites, blogs, and books out there that can give you great ideas on how to create a chic, inexpensive and amazing look for yourself and your home! I would love to hear your thoughts and reflections on where your inspirations in life come from. Please share with me any links, books or other idea sources you know of. If you have a project or idea you would like featured in my blog, please let me know; I would be happy to oblige! 

My Top Money Saving Websites!

There's few things I love more than the thrill of discovering a new resource for getting incredible items at even more incredible prices! This is a list of my favorite websites for saving money on a wide range of items. I predict you will come to find some of them indespensable as I have. Enjoy!

Discount Codes and Coupons:

*http://promotionalcodes.com/

Terriffic for online shopping, getting discount and free shipping codes for online retailers, and links to other coupon websites.

*http://www.retailmenot.com/

Very similar to promotionalcodes.com, when I can't find any discount codes on one website, I always check the other and usually find some money saving goodies! Don't shop online without checking!

*http://www.couponmom.com/

Great for getting printable coupons for groceries and toiletries from lots of brand name products and major chain stores. Anther similar stite:

*http://www.grocerycouponcart.com/print-coupons

I also recommend signing up for email coupons from some of your favorite retailers. I have saved loads of money with email deals from Barnes & Noble, Ihop, Papa Murphy's and Old Navy! If you're worried about getting tons of spam email, create a separate email account just for sign up deals and orders.

Freebies and Sweepstakes:
Because so few things in life are ever free, I absolutely love scoring a sweet deal through a sweepstakes or contest! Most reputable sites like the ones to follow are no purchace necessary and only require your name, address, and email. If you're worried about your email being spammed out, read the site's privacy policy; most of these sites will not share your personal information with outside parties, and you will have the option to not subscribe to their newsletters and other emails if you don't want them. Although there are many different types of freebie websites out there, I prefer the ones affiliated with magazines because they are the safest and have the coolest stuff! You generally don't even have to read the magazines to enter their giveaways although it's better to because you will often find magazine only freebies that you can't get on line. One exception would be Seventeen's daily freebies (you need code words listed in the mags to enter). Magazines are fabulous for so many tips and ideas that its a good idea to subscribe to a few that tailor to your intrests. Make sure you actually subscribe as its much cheaper than buying them off the newsstands (and you often get cool freebies with your subscriptions!) And yes, it IS actually possible to win these items; I will show you some pics of my successes. It's totally worth your time!
*http://www.luckymag.com/breaks
Lucky Magazine's website is my alltime favorite freebie finder, because they have the NICEST  things and lots of them! I won the following American Apparel Dress from here. It may be bright yellow (didn't get a color choice) but it challenged me to style it creatively, and the outfit I centered around it ended up looking absolutely fab! It's 28 dollars I didn't spend, by filling out a 30 second form. How cool is that?!

*http://www.seventeen.com/fun/freebies/
Seventeen Magazine has great online freebies; the dailys you need code word for from the mag, but all other freebies listed are accessable to everyone! Plus if you read the magazine, it's packed full of in-store freebie giveaways and coupons, mail in freebie offers, and even text to win offers for the phone addicted fashionista! I have gotten over $200 worth of freebies from this magazine and site alone! Totally worth the $10 a year subscription! I've scored two many freebies from here to show them all, but here's a couple of my faves:

Black leggings from Sears worth $6.50. I practically lived in them all winter!

A great basic v-neck from Aeropostale that was $17.50!

 A couple pairs of super cute Flirtitude undies from JC Penney, worth $7.50 each! (No, I am not modeling.) :)

This fab Mary Kay spf 15 lip balm in Poppy, worth $13, ended up being perfect for me; it's my new go to shade!
*http://www.glamour.com/magazine/sweeps/archive
Although I haven't yet won anything from Glamour, they have a nice monthy selection of high end designer items and there fabulous vacation getaways will have you dreaming... I'm crossing my fingers for Hawaii!

*http://www.marieclaire.com/fun/free-stuff/

Another worthwile magazine site, Marie Claire has great designer items and features cover look giveaways of the clothing and cosmetics of the montly cover stars! There's a dream come true!

 Really, who wouldn't want all this free stuff?! You owe it to your glam self to go freebie hunting!

Clothing and Accessories:

*http://www.girlprops.com/

Has the most AMAZING inexpensive (like in the under $10 range) selection of jewelry and also has other accessories such as sunglasses and hairclips. Much of the jewelry featured in my earlier blog posts has come frome here, but I will show you a few more pieces I have not previously listed.

I love my owlies, only $5.99!

Super cool vintage leaf pins, only $3.99! Wore them on jacket lapels all last autumn.

An awesome gift for my photo lovin' mommy, only $9.99!

*http://www.forever21.com/Default.asp?cookie%5Ftest=1
Forever 21 is incredible for inexpensive everything! Looking for something cheap and chic, you are almost always guaranteed to find it at Forever 21. I especially recommend you click on their "Fabulous Finds" section which features clothing well under $15 and accessories starting at just $1.50. Here are some of my fab finds:

This lightweight waterfall cardigan kept me cozy all winter for $11.50!

Their basic tees and camis are truely fabulous! I got a white scoopneck with lace trim on sale for $3.50; I layer it under EVERYTHING!

I cannot get over these awesome tote bags! In a wide array of designs, they are only $1.50, the perfect eco shopper! Also, make sure to check out the jewelry, cute printed socks and pajamas; you're sure to find something you like in the$0.95 to $5.50 range.

*http://www.charlotterusse.com/home/index.jsp
Similar to Forever 21 in that they have every gogeous item you could possibly want for super cheap, Charlotte Russe is another excellent chain store/online retailer. I always go straight to the sale link for great markdowns on tops and skirts, but their superb jewelry collection is a great bargain even at regular price, about the $4.00 area. This is definately on my wish list:

*http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/division.do?cid=5360

Regularly priced clothing at Old Navy can be moderately expensive, but their sale selection truely shines! I've gotten dresses, tops, shorts, camis, and sweaters all at a fraction of their original cost! I recommend you bypass the regular stuff and go straight to the sale link. They have a wide variety of stuff that is constantly selling out and being replaced with other items, so if you see a design you like, don't hesitate to snap it up! And, of course, who could forget their glorious flip flops!

*http://urbanog.com/

Urban Originals has a vast array of inexpensive trendy items. My absolute favorite thing here: the SHOES. I'm actually not a big shoe person normally, but where else can you find an incredible pair of boots for under $20, or great pairs of flats and sandals for around $10?! These are the items I'm coveting right now: (20.60, 16.70, 15.40)!

Some similar concept and equally excellent websites are:

*http://www.lulus.com/

They have the most unique moderately priced jewelry; I adore my camera ring, only $10!

*http://www.amiclubwear.com/

Pics are a tad risque, but they have lots of nice inexpensive goods.

*http://www.makemechic.com/

*http://www.agacistore.com/

Two major retailers whose websites are worth browsing:

*http://www.walmart.com/

Walmart and walmart.com have many obvious pluses; not only can you shop for anything under the sun all in the same place, but they are making a surprising attemt to be environmentally consious. The items I'm loving right now:

These organic cotton tanks are so wonderful, and at $4.00 each, the price is right!

Only $14.97 for this great Burt's Bees starter kit!

This item may not be especially "eco", but I've been craving a sexy cutout swimsuit for years now, only $20!

*http://www.target.com/

Target may be slightly more moderately priced than some of the other sites I've listed, but what makes them totally worthwhile is there incredible capsule collections by name brand designers! Relaunching March 13th (2011) you have to check out the pieces by:  Luella Bartley, Tara Jarmon, Paul & Joe, Behnaz Sarafpour, Proenza Schouler, Libertine, Alice Temperley, Erin Fetherston, Jovovich-Hawk, Rogan, Richard Chai, Jonathan Saunders, Thakoon, Tracy Feith, Rodarte, Zac Posen and Tucker. Huge names, small prices! :)

Housewares And Gifts:
*http://www.westelm.com/?cm_type=gnav
I absolutely LOVE West Elm; they have the best low priced home goods EVER!

I got this gorgeous bowl serving set and tray as a gift for my grammy-in-law; it was a huge hit! But at only $12, it didn't impact my wallet too hard!

I am DYING to order these $8.00 sparrow salt and pepper shakers for myself, but I think they're sold out right now. :(

*http://www.fredflare.com/customer/home_pretw.php
Fredflare.com is my go to website for unique gifts and accessories! Some items are inexpensive and others are moderately expensive, but you are guaranteed of finding something quirky and fabulous; they have everything!

I got these hilarious gifts for my husband: mini fondue kit: $10, douchebag citations: $6.

This gorgeous flower garden in a can was for my mom-in-law, only $12, oops gave away the secret! :)

Note: If you are thinking of buying me a gift: I would love the above items! :) Only $10, $20, and $27.95.

*http://www.thinkgeek.com/index.shtml

Thinkgeek.com has fab unusual stuff, especially electronics! Great gift ideas for the men in your life. I personally want this solar cell phone charger, only $39.99!

Cosmetics:

*http://www.eyeslipsface.com/Default.asp

Eyes Lips Face is the #1 BEST brand for good quality inexpensive cosmetics! I bough 10 items, nearly an entire makeup wardrobe, and applying coupons and discounts I payed only $5.00 plus shipping! I recommend this brand to everyone as the makeup looks great on and most items are $1.00. I don't thinks anything is over $5.00! It doesn't get any better than that! A few of my fave items, all $1.00:



*http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/home/index.jsp

I love the fragrances and bath products at Bath & Body Works. They are regularly moderately priced, but wait for the combo sales and you will get super fab discounts! Also, their mini sizes are a great every day value.



I love the Coconut Lime Verbena sent; like a vacation in a bottle! Fragrance mist $12, travel hand lotion $5.

Superstar Saver:
http://www.drugstore.com/

I absolutely LOVE drugstore.com for its amazingly low everyday prices on name brand goods. It also has the hugest selection of environmentally friendly goods, which are usually notoriously high priced. Here's a couple of my faves:

Yes To Cucumbers makeup removing towlettes- $5.99, Burt's Bees natural toothpase: $4.99.

I am a website junkie, so if you have any fab money saving websites to recommend, please PLEASE tell me about them. The best deals are best shared! Thanks for reading! XX