I freely admit that this Victoria’s Secret velvet blazer is not something that is going to keep me warm this winter, but it is Oh! So smart! It is made from a cotton, rayon and spandex mix, so you can be sure that it will conform rather well to the shape of the body. No buttons or fastenings and a subtle shimmer and a hint of sexy stretch, make this rather desirable in my view.

Another rather attractive number from Victoria’s Secret is this Toggle front coat that is on a discount right now, from 148 dollars down to $118. It’s made from wool and is fully lined, along with a faux fur collar with a zip as well as a toggle fastening option. The front pockets actually make it something that looks and feels good and will be warm as well.

The Out Net is a palace that you get designer coats at discounted prices, as much as 75% discount on certain items. This crepe cardi-coat has a draped front, raw cuffs, buckle-fastening straps at neck and waist, pleats at back, long front pouch pockets, asymmetric hemline. Also very importantly, it is down from 600 bucks to just about 210 which is a 65 % discount!

This Donna Karen double layered cotton trench coat originally costs upward of two thousand which is available however at a whopping 75% discount!

This really warm looking faux shearling coat (no baby goats or sheep died for this one) looked smart and comfy to me, albeit not too sophisticated. The exposed seam detailing and the princess seam with the furry cuffs and collar are very attractive to me, and so is the price at $ 80 down from $ 119. The coat is available in camel, dark chocolate and saddle colors.

There are many more options of course but I leave you to browse some more with these above suggestions that I hope you can use to bundle up before the real winter starts!

Now what a bride wears under her gown is as important as her gown, not only because of how the innerwear will make the dress look and how imperceptible it is beneath the wedding gown but also because of what follows the actual wedding. I thought that this lace chemise set with the top and its matching G-string was great for just $18, however I later realized that this is a wholesale price with a suggested retail price of $44.99 and up and that you have to order a minimum of 2 sets here.

This Silicone Demi Cup Strapless Extreme Lift Wedding/ Party Bra also is a good idea I thought especially since it is down to less than 18 dollars down from the list price of $35.

I find that wedding gowns are so often off the shoulder or strapless that it is best to go with some strapless innerwear for wedding gowns. This Carnival Creations Underwire Tuxedo Silhouette Maker Full Figure Corset is a useful acquisition not only because it is strapless but also because it is figure control, and hopefully gives even the curve challenged among us some Marilyn Monroe-esque rises and falls. You have to get minimum three though.

Lace top stockings under the lovely dress are a given and these sheer bridal lacetop stockings are also available for a 50% discount for just 9 dollars down from $19.

To get that gorgeous floor trailing, fantasy ball gown appearance, the bride has to have sufficient flouncy and bouncy petticoats beneath her wedding gown. This nylon floor length wedding petticoat is down from $19 to just 8.50, also at a more than 50 per cent discount.

This lace nightdress is the sort of thing she would like, pretty and enticing without being too revealing or over the top. In a gorgeous shade of purple, this one has bra support, adjustable shoulder straps and is made from viscose elastane. There is no discount on this one but at $38 for something that looks rather classy, I don’t think it’s a bad deal!

Wedding shopping can be such fun! Don’t you think?

Now some of us may be hesitant to buy swimsuits online, but remember you are most likely to get the best deals online and also have access to the widest variety and choice when it comes to buying swimwear.

One good way to shop for swimsuits is to try some out at your regular bricks and mortar store to see how the cut and size work for you – this way you know how and which size  fits you well and whether you find the cut and fit comfortable. You can then go online to try and find a better deal or a wider range in terms of colors or prints. For buying swim suits online, you can try the following sites that offer great deals –

Smart Bargains stocks a wide variety of swim suits – bikinis, bikini bottoms, tankinis, swim separates, women’s cover-ups, sarongs and so on are all available. You can also expect to find some good discounts on. You can ask for the size you need and they offer you the best options in terms of discounts.

Kohls offer a 35% off weekend sale for selected women’s swimwear. You can shop by style, by brand, by size and so on. You can also mix and match and coordinate swimwear separates to suit yourself. Sandals, flip flops and other poolside purchases can also be made here. Unique swim wear solutions such as the hip minimize, the long torso, the D-Cup, the tummy slimmer, bust enhancer and body sculptor are also available.

Swim wear from Old Navy is another option – accessories, cover-ups, one pieces, two pieces, mix and match, hats and other swim wear is available here.

Target is another great option for buying swimwear online – monokinis, bikinis, maillots, cover-ups, shorts, short skirts and all that you will need for a sunny day on the beach is available.

Also check out Forever 21 for swimwear which starts at just 9.80 dollars.

So there you have it, plenty of options for buying swimwear online. Here’s wishing you a great and fun summer at the beach or by the pool.

So the idea is that if people will send their ‘better halves’ all manner of mawkish gifts, then there is no reason why single people shouldn’t send themselves a gift of two as well! Getting together for a singles party, getting some pampering from a spa or similar, going for a holiday, doing something meaningful like volunteering to help with or donate to a charity can all be terrific ideas for Singles Awareness Day and equally, one can treat oneself to the following gifts –

Send yourself flowers! There is no reason why you have to wait and long for someone else to send you flowers, just go ahead and send yourself a heady bouquet of the flowers that you love best (no putting up with the smell of flowers you don’t like just because someone else thought they were romantic!)

Get yourself this cute little Happy SAD Tee; which you can get for $22 to help you proudly proclaim your singlehood. Alternatively you can proclaim your intention to live it up with this Tee which Says V is for Vodka – Valentine’s Day but with the ‘Valentine’s day’ crossed out and replaced with ‘Vodka’.

If the plethora of cute teddy bears and red hearts on Valentine Day make you gag in disgust, then this one is for you – it says Happy Singles Awareness day and features a little while teddy with a knife driven through its heart and its little red innards spilling out. A bit gory, but it really gets across the point for $25!

And just in case you are inclined to get with something naughty or have hopes of meeting someone really interesting this Valentine Single Awareness Day then this could be just the thing for you – it’s a classic thong featuring a heart with holes in it and the legend “Happy Singles Awareness day”.

Happy SAD gifting all!

This Charmeuse Rhinestones, Crystal Beading Semi-Cathedral Train Dress available in White or Ivory Beading available in Cherry, Clover,Sapphire, White or Ivory Sizes is a very flattering cut and style for a plus sized girl I thought and though traditional I just liked it a lot. You can call a number given at the page to call up for a discount.

This one is rather nontraditional, being a Mahalo Beach dress in a flatteringly cut neckline and the sort of sheath drape that can look good for most body types. My friend is giving a thought to a beach wedding which is why I thought that this one would be a great idea. And at $199, I thought to myself, not bad!

Something like this elegant two piece wedding gown is appropriate even for the more demure of us. Its simple A-line spaghetti strap underskirt is made from matte duchess satin. The classic jacket is made from soft English net adorned with cotton Venice lace and hand sewn seed pearls. The jacket also features a semi-chapel train. Colors available are Champagne, Ivory or White. At 299 dollars I again thought, not too bad!

This short wedding dress is a beautiful one I thought; traditional white but at the same time something can be worn elsewhere as well. Strapless with a close fitting waist, this one has crystal beading, sequins and pearls throughout the gown and an asymmetrical hemline. Also I found the price fairly tempting at $227.

I do wonder what my friend will finally settle on, but as friend, philosopher and guide I did think it my duty to do some of the spade work for her; I hope I did for someone else as well.

Now this Tonino Lamborghini watch (date watch with genuine diamonds) that retails about two thousand three hundred and sixty bucks, got auctioned off for just $202. Pretty good deal that, I thought.

Now this Versace watch (ceramic and stainless steel for women; certificate available) has a retail price of $1,639 and the winning bid for $261 however the watch did not get sold because the reserve price was not met.

This Chanel scarf did not look like much (to me that is), but this little scrap of silk is supposed to retail for $386 (really beats me how people can pay that kind of money for something like that). However when you look at the price that the buyer ended up paying for it in the end, then that makes a little more sense – it sold for $51 which is an 88% discount on the original retail. (I could do better things with the fifty bucks but then that’s just me)

Jewelry is also sold on this site, so that this Novarese and Sannazzaro chain and pendant in gold and diamonds, which retails for $4,789 was sold at a 91% discount at $470.

On this site you have designer brands from Bally, Chanel, Christian Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Hermes, Prada and Yves Saint Laurent to a bunch of other high end brands as well. You have a choice from among sunglasses, jewelry, watches and so on to accessories such as broaches, photo frames, cuff links, and a bunch of other stuff that I can cheerfully live without, but again that’s just me. For the brand and label conscious, I would say this is a great opportunity to get things at amazing discounts.

Here I found a bunch of on sale clearance items including swim goggles, one piece suits from Speedo, Nike, swim caps, kids items triathlon suits, racing suits warm ups, and lots of other stuff. For instance this one piece bathing suit is just $19.75 down from $49.99.

Smartbargains also have a discounts swimsuit section and I liked the look of the two piece suits featured there. This basic black bikini would be a good idea for those that will consent to be seen in a two piece.  Me, I’m like Oprah, I would not be seen dead in a bikini, a one piece works well for me. So this two piece, black number is $59.99 and is down from $138.00. Smart, uncomplicated design I thought.

You may also want to check out all these one piece swim suits for just $25 which is the discounted prices for a limited time; down from $32. Also the one in the picture here, is available at one third the price currently, for $19.99 down from $60 for a limited period.

If you are going to be in the pool and there are going to be kids around, it is an important thing to remember that they must also be entertained. For that I really liked the look of these swimming seat float sofas which are available here at a good discount; some of them for just some ten bucks or so! Now I love Shrek and I know most kids do too, so I thought this one would be great for $11.99 down from $16.79. Always make sure the kids are amused, they will be happy, less whiny and out of your hair as well!

One of the time honored holiday gifts is sweaters right? Well Macy’s gives you quite a choice in the sweater department. This cable knit cardigan with a wide collar is really smart at the sale price of 23.99 down from $54. Lots more options here, cowl necks, tunics, the zippered variety, etc. Check out some really smart numbers for men here, such as these zippered fair isle sweaters that come in several nice masculine colors. Retails at $72, is offered at the very hefty discount of $35.99! Methinks I will get one each for the many male cousins that I have.

Check our Macy’s clearance page which has some beautiful Bath accessories like this Ralph Lauren bath accessories set which is at a 50% discount! Anyone want to buy me a Christmas gift?

I found some interesting traditional gifts at bathandbodyworks.com, like this tea light holder for just $5, down from $7.50. Comes in three different colors. Then this oil warmer / diffuser is also very pretty for $10, down from $15. These are just the sort of things that make ideal gifts for casual acquaintances or office colleagues. Not too personal, but pretty and traditional.

Then I thought these liquid soap dispensers were adorable. Here you have a smiling little snowman in a hat and the little penguin in a red muffler. They dispense anti bacterial hand wash soap in Crisp apple, sweet orange and pineapple with cinnamon spice scent. Each will cost you $10 if you buy singly and $12 if you buy two.

Now I have to tell you that I am not nearly finished with my holiday shopping recce around the net, in fact I am just getting into the mood! So you may all well expect another on these holiday shopping posts soon.

First I registered her with ivillage’s weekly pregnancy guide. This will give her a weekly update of what is happening with her and her baby, via email. So now she knows that her baby is the size of a cherry at week 8 of her pregnancy; not so terrifying after all!

Next I nudged her in the direction of this really cool site for Stylish Maternity Wear. At first I was a little puzzled at the name; what does an erotic dance form have to do with pregnancy and maternity! Then I thought about it a bit: after all a pregnant belly does ‘dance’ a bit J. She could choose from maternity clothes by several designers, diaper bags etc. And some of the stuff was on sale so I was definitely interested! Since one of her chief worries was getting big and losing her shape, I was able to allay her misgivings with some really smart maternity clothes I found on the site.

One of the things that a pregnant mom to be will tell you is how important a comfortable pair of pants can be, which you can team with a lot of different things. These Ingrid and Isabel pants and tops are ideal. The pants can be worn with the band folded down or up to cover the belly. They have many other useful maternity items such as camis, tank tops and belly bands.

Over here, I found a lot of Japanese Weekend Maternity clothes on sale as well: string bikini panties (very comfortable to wear while pregnant), dresses, tops, tanks, skirts, pants etc. I loved this tieback maternity top, with its crossover bodice and sale price of $42, down from $70.

So if you have a friend in the family way or a baby shower to attend, I hope I gave you some good ideas!

Since the Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones, Batman and Spiderman were recent box office hits, costumes based on these characters are bound to feature largely this year. So here you have this Black Spiderman costume for $39.99, down from $54.99. The kids size of the same suit is for $29.99 (down from $46.99), while the traditional red and blue spidey suit for kids is $42.99.

Now if have a toddler think of how adorable he or she would look in this little monkey suit which is available for $37.49, down from $49.99. you can also choose from other similar outfits, such as little giraffe, little kitty, little skunk etc., all for the same price. Many more sale items here.

I cannot think of any little girl who would not love this little pink multi-layered dress with detachable rainbow wings. This Elina from Barbie Fairytopia outfit is available for the clearance sale price of just $12.99 down from $29.99. Add rainbow tights, matching shoes, glow stick and wig and your little girl is ready to go trick and treating!

Here I found lots of interesting ghoulish stuff such as this fairly hideous skull mask/hat for $12.37 and other grisly items.

Fancy being Batgirl or Supergirl? If so take a look at this Batgirl costume available for $49.99, down from $79.99. The batman costume is available here for $39.99 or if you fancy being the evil joker you can get the purple coat, mask and printed shirt for $36.99.

Perhaps for my next post I’ll throw together some Halloween party ideas. So tell me what are your plans for Halloween? I would love to hear about them!