Congratulations Eve from Boston! The random number generator chose you as the winner of the $100 accessory gift coupon from Outfit Additions. Please contact me to arrange the receipt of your voucher. Enjoy your new goodies!

Congratulations sarahw from Montreal! The random generator chose you as winner of the Bare Necessities lingerie set. Please contact me to arrange shipping of your new undies. Enjoy!

Thank you Bare Necessities for sponsoring the giveaway.

Bare Necessities is a wonderful online lingerie site that I visit often, especially during sale time. They offer a wide assortment of product at varying price points, styles and sizes which means that there is usually something for everyone.

Bare Necessities is kindly giving away a luxurious bra and tanga set valued at $169. To enter the competition, answer the following questions and post it in the comments section below.

• Who would you like to be with on Valentine’s Day?
• Where would you like to spend it?
• And, of course, what would you wear?

There are no right and wrong answers, so let your imagination go wild. You can spend Valentine’s Day with anyone, anywhere and wear whatever tickles your fancy.

Note that you need to be a signed up YLF member (with a profile picture) in order to participate. We will pick the winner using a random number generator. Entries to the competition close Friday 12th February at midnight, Pacific Standard Time. Unfortunately, the competition is restricted to US and Canadian residents only.

To recap, here are the things you need to do to be eligible for the giveaway:

1. Sign up as a YLF member if you haven’t done so already
2. Ensure that you have a profile picture
3. Write a comment below (while logged in!)
4. Do this all by midnight Friday the 12^th of February 2010

Good luck!

Over the last few weeks we’ve had a new sponsor: Outfit Additions, an online store specializing in fashion accessories that are hand crafted in the United States. We wanted to write a quick post to thank them and to encourage you to take a look at their merchandise. They have some fun accessories at a price point that makes them perfect as gifts for the holiday season.

Today and tomorrow they are offering 40% off their already-low prices if you use the code “HURRY” at checkout. And if you order by 11:59 midnight tomorrow night (18 December), they guarantee delivery before Christmas day.

These three items caught my eye. The casual, pomegranate nut necklace ($36) would be sweet paired with a black knitted top. The fabric belt ($25.60) could look cute over a button down shirt.  The black acrylic Rhinestone bangles will make an unexpected pairing with a boyfriend blazer, peeking out from under the sleeve ($18, or $12.60 for the plum colourway).

I’m having a lot of fun slowly but surely filling up our new store. Hopefully you have noticed the new items arriving every day. Note the visual summary of the latest additions that will always appear just below the first post on the blog.

Here are my favourites for the week:

• Miz Mooz ” Carlito” ankle boots in apple green: They scream the start of Spring and are a breath of fresh air amongst a sea of black, brown and grey footwear. They’re the most comfortable cowboy boots I’ve ever tried on and I hope to find them under our Christmas tree.
• L.A.M.B. signature flap clutch wallet: I adore Gwen Stefani and for the most part her merchandise rocks. I especially like her handbags and wallets and when this one appeared in signature YLF colours, it felt extra special.
• Nordstrom peacock print scarf: It’s unusual and a good price for the size and quality of this scarf.
• Plus size sequined knit top: Every gal needs a bit of sparkle at this time of year and if dressing up is not your thing, casual bling is the way to go.
• Keen “Bern High” boots: They’re heavenly for your feet, perfect for cold bad weather and super cute too.
• Plus size faux wrap matte jersey dress: This frock is so stunning on I can barely stand it. A timeless look dressed both up and down. And it’s on sale.

Thanks to Christie for pointing out a problem with the star ratings early this week. We have fixed the bug, so please go back and add ratings if you didn’t manage to do so in the beginning. If you already wrote a review, feel free to add another one for that item to register your star rating.

Finally, Thanksgiving weekend has come and gone, but the sales continue. Through 7 December you can get an extra 25% off the Friends and Family sale at macys.com and free shipping when you spend $99 or more (use promo code MACYSFRIEND at checkout). Bloomingdale’s will be offering discounts of between 20% and 40% on more than 1000 items between December 7 and 9.

Happy shopping.

The final day of Thanksgiving weekend sales is here. Here are some examples from our affiliate merchants in the YLF store. These sales are all for today only and apply to online purchases:

• The Limited: 40% off all merchandise plus free shipping on all orders.
• Bloomingdale’s: 20%-30% off and $50 off purchases of $250 or more.
• Lucky Brand Jeans: 30% off (excludes Gift Cards, Sale & Clearance).
• Armani Exchange: 30% off orders of $150 and free shipping.
• Lane Bryant: 40% off site-wide.
• Gap, Old Navy, Piperlime: 20% off and free shipping (code: MONDAY).

Macy’s (code: CYBER) and Saks Fifth Avenue (code: HOLIDAY9) are offering free shipping today only.

Back Friday is viewed as the biggest retail day on the American shopping calendar because it officially starts the Christmas gift purchasing frenzy. If anyone knows how it got its name, I’d love to know. Also, if you have any Black Friday sale stories and traditions to share, I’d love to hear about those too.

Here are some additional sales that kicked off today.

• Diesel: Up to 30% off Diesel Fall Winter Collections on diesel.com until 12/11. Diesel runs small on their tops and very small on their denim so be sure to size up.
• Boden: 15% off plus free shipping and returns on everything at BodenUSA.comuntil 11/30.
• Shoe Mall: 25% off orders $25 or more plus free shipping at ShoeMall.com (use promo code: BLACKFRI). Think boots!
• Gap: 50% off men’s, women’s and kids sweaters until 11/29. Their basic casual turtlenecks get my vote.
• The Limited: 40% off all merchandise plus free shipping for today 11/27 only.

So the sales continue. Are you shopped out, or still going strong?

We are getting a flood of sale notifications from the stores and brands that we are affiliated with. Here is a quick roundup of the big ones for today:

• New York & Company: 50% off everything through Cyber Monday (already running online and in stores on 11/27).
• Lucky Brand Jeans: 30% off on Thanksgiving Day only. A good opportunity to stock up on jeans, casual jackets and slouchy hobo handbags.
• Macy’s: Thanksgiving sale and free shipping with a $99 purchase until 11/28 (use the promo code THANKS at checkout). Head straight for the dress and coat departments.
• Old Navy: On sale through to 11/28. Today’s “doorbuster deals” include 50% off outerwear and $15 sweaters. Be sure to check out their exclusively online plus size collection.
• Bloomingdale’s: 30% to 40% off selected itemsuntil 11/29. A good place to find a fabulous better-end statement piece.
• Layne Bryant: 40% off everything until 11/29. Lots of good stuff here.

Happy shopping.

This week’s bargains are fun and a little more avant-garde than usual. I have every item in my shopping cart.

• Priorities tartan blazer from bluefly for $84.15. I love it’s schoolboy blazer appeal and the fact that it’s green. What a breath of fresh air amongst a retail sea of black and grey.
• Laundry sateen military trench coat from bluefly for $117. 30. I have a black trench in this fabrication and it’s very versatile and appealing. Fabulous with jeans and converse sneakers, but just as great over a cocktail dress. The sheen, seam detailing and buttons add depth to an otherwise boring bit of black fabric. Attitude!
• Banana Republic ruched turtleneck for $34.99. This knit top is soft, fits well and is available in a variety of colours. It makes a good layering item if it’s too slinky to wear on its own.
• Ann Taylor pearl ribbon necklace for $29.99. Dress it up over a LBD, or dress it down over a T with a boyfriend blazer. With party season just round the corner, you might like to look at all of Ann Taylor’s spectacular baubles when you’re next in stores (you’ll get most of them for less with an online coupon).
• Nordstrom oxford brogue for $51.90. It’s casual, comfy, androgynous, and fab with a button-down shirt, pinstripe blazer, pretty scarf and lots of girly bling.

Happy shopping!

With many, many superb outfits in the running for the TJ Maxx competition last week, it was hard to come up with a single winner. But our judge Dianna, the Budget Babe, managed to select a very deserving and fabulous Maxxinista. Drum roll please:

“Marianna embodies the Maxxinista persona with her creative, joyful sense of style and her proven ability to express her modern-classic style on a tight budget. I loved all her looks, so it was tough to narrow it down to just one, but I felt she took some risks with the winning look and that’s what made it my favorite.

Marianna’s mustard yellow sweater embodies the warm, rich hues of Fall and glows in contrast to her rich blue indigo jeans. Her cropped gray jacket fits beautifully and adds structure to the ensemble, while her gorgeous demi-wedge boots are both classic yet totally on-trend–and they look comfortable enough to stand in all day! Marianna’s flawless hair and makeup add the finishing touches to her polished look.

Runner up: Greenglove looks absolutely fierce in her leather jacket, colorful blouse and killer boots. Her tousled hair and bohemian jewelry add attitude and personalize the look. She looks fun, fearless, creative and artistic. In a nutshell, Greenglove’s outward appearance translates into making her someone you’d want to get to know!” — Dianna

Congratulations, Marianna! Happy shopping and keep sporting your fabulous Maxxinista style. Well done Greenglove for coming in as runner up! Your arty and eclectic way of dressing is always inspirational. A big thank you to the Budget Babe for taking the time to judge our competition. Dianna, you rock.

These are Marianna’s other top Maxxinista looks. No prizes for guessing that I have a soft spot for the frock, pearls and leather jacket ensemble, but it’s the outfit above with the mustard yellow sweater that won the competition. Well done.