Lipstick to Crayons » Apparel

Ross Dress for Less Comes to St. Louis/$25 Giftcard Giveaway – CLOSED

lipsticktocrayons — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:00:27 +0000

If you love getting awesome, name-brand stuff at ridiculously low prices, then you need to visit a Ross Dress for Less store. And that visit got a whole lot easier for St. Louis-area residents last week (3/3/12) when the nation’s largest off-price apparel and home fashion chain made its debut in the area with two new locations in Chesterfield, Mo. and Fairview Heights, Ill.

I was among a lucky group of women who got invited to a special opening of the store and I left the place with a LOAD of great bargains. Here’s a list of my delightful finds, all for $134.19:

a name-brand (can’t say the brand) dress for me to wear to my Godson’s first communion
a boutique-quality sundress for my teen
two pairs of shoes (also name brand) for my 4-year-old
a name-brand summer top for me
a “sliders” burger basket for my grill
a “Live Laugh Love” wall decal for my family room
an 18×24 wooden framed mirror for my kitchen

As promised, I found the same brand names carried in department and specialty stores priced at 20 percent to 60 percent less at Ross. In fact, the above-mentioned dress would have cost me nearly “$130 at my favorite department store, and I got everything on that list for $134.

Ross Dress for Less stores — more than 1,000 nationwide — have been in business for 30 years and carry apparel, shoes and accessories for the whole family, as well as home fashions. It’s literally a treasure hunt shopping experience.

The Ross “strategy” is “no frills, big thrills.” And that holds true in the store — no fancy displays or staging of the merchandise but thrilling merchandise just the same. Despite the “no frills,” the store was super organized and easy to navigate, and the racks aren’t overstuffed like you find in some discount stores. Plus, the associates were helpful, efficient and informed, even on the first day the store was opened for business. I think that bodes well for the customer service going forward.

But don’t take it from me — try it out for yourself. I was told (and I believe) that the best way to find those treasures at Ross is to visit often and snatch them up when you find them. Enter the contest below for a $25 Ross Dress for Less giftcard to get you started.

Giveaway Guidelines:

To enter the contest, you MUST subscribe to Lipstick to Crayons (subscribe button in upper right corner) and then comment below that you did so (or leave a comment telling me you’re already a subscriber). After completing this mandatory first entry method, you can gain additional entries by doing any or all of the following (but be sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do):

Blog about this contest.
Tweet this giveaway on Twitter (You can tweet daily, but leave a comment for each time you do so).
Add Lipstick to Crayons to your blogroll or my button to your sidebar
Become a fan of Lipstick to Crayons on Facebook.
Post a link to this contest on your Facebook page.

This giveaway closes at 11:59 p.m. Central time March 20, 2012. Be sure to include a valid email address with each of your entries. The winner will be randomly chosen via random.org and will be notified via email and announced on this post.

If the winner does not claim the prize by March 23, 2012, she will forfeit the prize to an alternate winner who will be drawn at random.

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS TO CAROLSUE, COMMENT #39.

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Training for the Chicago Marathon — almost halfway!

lipsticktocrayons — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:14:15 +0000

Well, I’m almost halfway through my training program for the 2011 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. And the training has been grueling in this heat!

This will be my third appearance in the Chicago Marathon. It was my first-ever marathon in 2005, with a time 4:30:54, and I went back in 2006 and completed it in 4:34:08. I initially wanted to complete the race in under four hours this year, but I’m starting to think that might be too aggressive of a goal. So, my goal now is to go faster than 4:30. And, I’m starting a new nutrition program that I hope will result in an 8-10 pound weight loss, which should also make me faster, right?

I’m really looking forward to this particular race because two of my closest friends are going to travel with me to Chicago and we’re going to make a “Girls Weekend” out of the affair. We haven’t chosen our hotel accommodations yet, so that’s next on the list.

Then it’s time for me to start shopping for new running shoes. Any suggestions? I’ve been training in New Balance so far, and I may stick with those, but I”m open to suggestions.

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Isotoner smarTouch Gloves Giveaway – Stay connected in the cold! CLOSED

lipsticktocrayons — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 10:00:01 +0000

Almost a month ago I told you about some exciting new gloves from Isotoner that let you operate your touch screen phone while wearing gloves.

Isotoner’s smarTouch gloves allow you use touch screen devices in frigid weather without removing your gloves. You can now operate your phone, mp3 player, GPS device and more without worrying about your fingers freezing!

I also mentioned I have some information on a great giveaway! Isotoner is running the “Give the Gift of Touch” sweepstakes in which you and a friend could win smarTouch gloves and an Apple iPad. All you have to do is send a friend a virtual pair of smarTouch gloves on Facebook. If they click on the gift, both are entered to win.

To enter the giveaway and to see a great video featuring the gloves, visit www.smartouchgloves.com.

Finally, the folks at Isotoner have given me the chance to give away a pair of gloves to two lucky winners!

Giveaway Guidelines:

To enter the contest, you MUST become an email subscriber to Lipstick to Crayons. The subscribe button is in the upper right corner of the site. Once you subscribe (or if you are already a subscriber), leave a comment below telling me you did so, and make sure the email address you provide is the one you used to subscribe. After completing this mandatory first entry method, you can gain additional entries by doing any or all of the following (but be sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do):

Blog about this contest
Tweet this giveaway on Twitter (you can do daily tweets, but leave a comment each time you do)
Favorite Lipstick to Crayons on Technorati
Stumble this post
Add Lipstick to Crayons to your blogroll or my button to your sidebar
Become a fan of Lipstick to Crayons on Facebook.
Post a link to this contest on your Facebook page.

This giveaway closes at 11:59 p.m. Central time November 9, 2010. Be sure to include a valid email address with each of your entries. Winners will be randomly chosen via random.org and will be notified via email and announced on this post.

If any winner does not claim the prize by November 12, 2010, she will forfeit the prize to an alternate winner who will be drawn at random.

USA residents only please!

Some content for this post provided by representatives for Isotoner.

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS TO LISA, COMMENT #12 AND KELLY COMMENT #20.

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25 Percent Coupon Code for Moody Mama’s Maternity Clothes & Fall Fashion Tips

lipsticktocrayons — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 02:42:30 +0000

It’s that wonderful time of year when the leaves begin to change color and the air becomes crisp. Fall is upon us, which means it is time to start bringing out the boots, sweaters, and outerwear. How can you keep on trend and stay out of a wardrobe rut as the weather turns colder? Here are some fall fashion tips based on certain occasions that will help you stay warm and looking chic through the upcoming autumn months.

Date Night

Whether it’s on the weekend or during the week, it’s fun to get gussied up for a night out with your loved one. If you’ve got feminine flair, love vibrant colors, and dresses, there are tons of styles this fall that will float your boat. The prim and proper looks of the 60’s are back, as are rich jewel tones; therefore just because the weather’s changing, doesn’t mean you have to wear pants or succumb to a neutral color palette. This season, rich colors like ruby red and deep violet will quench your thirst for color and body conscious fits will make your feel sassy by allowing you to show off your curves. Looking to not just turn heads, but break necks? Try the Tina Dress from Fierce Mamas. Paired with some tights and a high heel (it’s date night after all…) this look is sure to wow. Still want to feel sexy but looking for a more casual look? Try the Eva Dress with some black leggings and a pair of booties.

Day at the Office

This just in- corporate America has adopted a new policy called pre-maternity leave. That’s right-not only do mamas get time off once the baby is born, but they also can put their professional lives on hold until their morning sickness and cravings have ceased and desisted! We wish, but until that bill gets passed, we have to deal with bringing our bumps along to work everyday. Work it, while you work. Looking good can make your feel better; so don’t hide under bulky sweaters and giant muu-muus when heading into the office. Get a professional and comfy look by wearing a jersey dress with sleek lines, or opt for a knit dress with chic appliqués like the Milly Dress by Fierce Mamas. Worn barelegged with mid-calf boots, or with black leggings and a ballet flat, these styles are versatile and can be worn post work day as well.

Weekend Wear

Everyone has at least one season appropriate staple item in their closets. It’s that piece that goes with anything and can be worn anywhere. (At least that’s what you told your husband when he saw the price tag). Now’s the time to get that fall article and you’ll find it at MoodyMamas.com with their Striped Tunic. Wear it with leggings for a trip to the park with the kids or pair it with some skinny’s and flat suede boots to grab lunch with friends. You’ll wear it so often that you should probably just go ahead and buy two.

So, if you’d like to try some of these fashion items, you can go to Moody Mamas and use the discount code MAILGIFT for 25 percent off (good through Oct. 31).

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$10 JC Penney Coupon Code Plus Free Shipping

lipsticktocrayons — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 21:35:01 +0000

Right now, JC Penney is offering free shipping on shoes, and you can use the coupon code LIZ4YOU to get $10 off your purchase. I just bought my husband a pair of winter snow boots using this code and got them for $39, plus free shipping. Enter the code at checkout (pick the checkout option that says promo code.

Thanks STLMommy!

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Free Shipping and Fall Sale at Hanna Andersson

lipsticktocrayons — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 02:26:10 +0000

Hanna Andersson (even more than Gymboree) is my all-time favorite kids’ clothing designer. If you’ve never shopped their collections for your youngsters, you are missing out. The quality and adorable designs are unmatched.

Right now, they are offering free shipping on orders over $100 for a limited time. Plus, customers can save on dresses, tees, pajamas and more during Hanna’s Fall Favorites sale. Click on the button below to enjoy this sale:

Or, you can shop for some Fun Halloween Long Johns, T-Shirts, Treat Bags, & More at Hanna Andersson!

Don’t forget the Pre-Season Cold Snap Sale at Hanna Andersson. Up to 30% Savings On Select Winter Essentials!

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Very Unique Gift for Young Girls and Tweens

lipsticktocrayons — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 02:01:32 +0000

You’ve heard of the friendship bracelet and friendship necklaces. And you’ve probably seen tote bags that can be personalized with paint pens or jewelry kits that girls can use to make personalized accessories. But have you heard of friendship fashion? Or clothing that can be personalized again and again?

Mia My is a one-of-a-kind friendship jacket that allows girls to show off their unique personality and/or their best friends. It’s a stylish white blazer that comes with four yummy scented colorful markers for the girl’s to decorate or for B.F.F.s to sign their chic jacket. And if they want to restyle their Mia My jacket, just toss it in the wash and the ink is gone!

Mia My asked me to review one of their jackets, but my 15-year-old shot me down. “I am NOT wearing any such thing,” she declared. I’m thinking it really is for the tween set and younger. So, I asked my neighbor’s adorable daughter, Ava, to put the product to the test. She was delighted to do so, and what you see here is her third design on the jacket. She wasn’t satisfied with her first two designs, so her Mom washed it and voila — ALL TRACES of the previous design were gone!

Ava loves the jacket because it provides an outlet for her creativity. And she has something that no one else at her school has. Plus, she has some ideas for decorating it for school spirit day, St. Louis Cardinal’s Day, various holidays, etc. What FUN!

What impressed me about the jacket was the quality of the design. It is constructed like a well-made designer piece. The fabric is thick, the seams are sturdy and the cut is tailored and stylish. It’s not the kind of quality construction you can find in just any children’s clothing — this is boutique-quality stuff.

What impressed Ava’s Mom was the fact that no matter how dark she colored her designs, they washed out easily in the laundry. She did say she thought the markers were “running out” rather quickly, but you can buy additional marker sets for $4.99.

The Mia My jacket comes in two different styles, the one you see Ava wearing in the above pictures is available in sizes 4, 5 and 6. And a teen size jacket that ties around the waist is available in sizes XS, S, M, L, and XL. The jackets sell for $49.99, so they are rather pricey for a birthday party favor, which is one idea suggested by the company. I’m sure that would make for some kind of fun birthday party activity, but it would be expensive. Of course, the birthday girl could perhaps receive the jacket as a gift, and then her friends could sign their birthday wishes onto her jacket, and that would be fun, too.

I personally think this would be a great birthday or Christmas gift, so if you’re starting your shopping early this year and want something unique, Mia My has my endorsement.

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St. Louis Moms — You Gotta Sign Up for This!

lipsticktocrayons — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 21:05:25 +0000

If you’re a Mom (or a Dad) living in the St. Louis area, you absolutely must sign up for STL Kids Club Deals. These deals are launching this month, and will work similar to Groupon. STL Kids Club deals will offer special discounts of up to 75% off at the retailers, restaurants and service providers that parents and families in St. Louis use most. In other words, they will cater to the needs and busy lifestyles of families and they will arrive in your email Inbox if you’ve signed up for the deals.

It’s free to join, and you won’t be bombarded with all kinds of spam — just one or two emailed deals a week that you won’t be able to pass up! I have it on good authority that the first deal is amazing! (I won’t tell you what it is, and I’m not sure what day it will be distributed, but it will be this month. You’ll want to be signed up so that you don’t miss out, because I know it will go fast.)

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Low-heeled Shoes to Make Your Fashionable Heart Sing!

lipsticktocrayons — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 15:08:22 +0000

I love shoes — particularly strappy, spike-heeled shoes. But those styles have made less and less sense with each passing year. Last year, I bought a pair of “croc-like” shoes to get me through my days of chasing my toddler and I couldn’t have felt more fashionably “Momified” unless I’d wore them with a Moo Moo and an apron. But when I started giving up my heels, I found fewer and fewer pairs of fashionable shoes from which to choose. I just don’t like the look of flats, so why bother, right?

WRONG! Scarpasa believes that low heels are far from frumpy and when done right, are just as sexy as sky-high heels. The unique online shoe boutique delivers a carefully curated collection of fashionable and walkable shoes that make the perfect transition from a day of carpools to a night on the town. Looking chic and feeling good no longer have to be mutually exclusive! So when the company contacted me and asked me to review a pair of their shoes, what could I say?

Here’s the pair I received, and ZAZING! These are the kind of shoes that make you want to buy multiple outfits to go with the shoes. I honestly tore through my closet as soon as they arrived and determined how many different ensembles I have that will work with these shoes! Then I put them on, and OMIGOSH! They fit perfectly and feel great. And they look so adorable. And I walked all over the mall in them the first time I wore them and not a single moment of discomfort.

These slip-on Pons Quintana’s stylish python contrast flats (superbly made in Spain) are so chic. Made with with woven brown leather, a soft, flexible design and a hint of python print at the toe and heel, I can wear these covetable leather skimmers with cropped pants or dresses to add a touch of the exotic to my Mommy style.

We’ve all been there before. You buy a stylish pair of high heeled shoes only to suffer from immense discomfort later in the evening. Being active women, we’re always on our feet – running around, meeting people, working, living life… and painful heels just don’t cut it. At the same time, few of us have the time or energy to hunt down stylish shoes we can actually walk in.

Scarpasa was created for active women like us: Women who love being stylish, but who also love being able to go somewhere and not worry about whether their shoes will send them home early; women who need wearable fashion we can walk in – style for women on the go. After all, even the uber-fashionista deserves a break from her high heels sometimes.

Finding stylish, wearable shoes shouldn’t be a difficult process, but somehow it is. Who has time to look for these shoes? Scarpasa does. At Scarpasa, they do the work for you, scouring the world for quality flats and low and mid-heeled shoes. They have an international collection of the hottest wearable footwear from independent designers so you can look good and feel good while doing what you do best.

Now, if you’ve spent any time around this blog, then you know I’m all about being frugal. Scarpasa shoes are NOT frugal. It’s that simple. So when I was asked to review them, I really thought I’d have to say something like: “I LOVE these shoes, because what’s not to love, but they’re too expensive.” Honestly, I don’t know if I’ve ever owned a pair of $265 shoes. But now that I’ve worn these shoes half a dozen times, I will say this: they are supremely well-made and exquisitely comfortable. I will probably wear them more than any other pair of shoes in my closet and I suspect they will last several years, even at high-usage. So, I think the price needs to be divided by some formula that includes these variables:

Fashionable quotient
Comfort
Lasting Power
Functionality
Longevity in the face of constant wear

Using this elusive formula, I can suggest that even a frugal shopper like myself might have to admit that the price is commensurate with the quality. And right now, all of the Spring and Summer styles are discounted to make room for the fall stock.

About Scarpasa: Scarpasa is a new online shoe boutique that delivers stylish shoes in flat and walkable heels to today’s practical fashionistas. Founded by Wharton MBA Chris Luhur, Scarpasa is aimed at modern women on the go who need well-made, versatile shoes. The Scarpasa team scours the world for fresh, wearable styles from independent European designers, many that are available to the US exclusively through Scarpasa. The carefully curated selection of flats, slides, sandals, wedges, pumps and boots all provide the support necessary to take you from day to night, in high style.

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Jeans are Fun. Breast Cancer Sucks! Let’s do a Free Jeans Giveaway! – CLOSED

lipsticktocrayons — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 01:34:19 +0000

If you visit here often, you know I love Lee jeans . What’s not to love? It’s a great brand. The jeans FIT! They’re stylish without showing my crack to the world. They’re affordable. I could go on and on.

Here’s another reason to love and support the brand. Lee is sponsoring its 15th Lee National Denim Day on October 8 to raise money for breast cancer research and awareness. It’s one of the largest single-day fundraisers for breast cancer, and it involves simply putting on a pair of jeans that day and then donating $5 to the cause. You can watch some inspiring videos by clicking on the box below, and then learn how to participate:

Now here’s a way you can win a free pair of jeans to sport on Lee National Denim Day. Five lucky Lipstick to Crayons readers will win a free pair of Slender Secret Keller Bootcut Jeans (pictured below) by entering the contest below (US residents only!!):

Giveaway Guidelines:

Watch the videos in the widget above and make a comment about one of them
Blog about this contest
Tweet this giveaway on Twitter (you can do daily tweets, but leave a comment each time you do)
Favorite Lipstick to Crayons on Technorati
Stumble this post
Add Lipstick to Crayons to your blogroll or my button to your sidebar
Become a fan of Lipstick to Crayons on Facebook.
Post a link to this contest on your Facebook page.

This giveaway closes at 11:59 p.m. Central time September 17, 2010. Be sure to include a valid email address with each of your entries. Winners will be randomly chosen via random.org and will be notified via email and announced on this post.

If any winner does not claim the prize by September 20, 2010, she will forfeit the prize to an alternate winner who will be drawn at random.

USA residents only please!

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS TO SUSAN, COMMENT #22, MARTHA, COMMEN $117, AMY COMMENT #134, V.C. COMMENT #138, AND CHARLENE COMMENT #171.