Indie retail rocks my world...

Tired of the mall? Looking for something different? Need some extra flash from your little wad of cash? Look no further, dear local readers, the boutiques are de-stashing & it's time to pump up your shopping cred...

This Saturday, 02/21 from 9AM-4PM at Shorewood High School is the first-ever BOUTIQUE BLOWOUT! Several of the best, independent fashion boutiques around are banding together to provide Milwaukee fashionistas with what they crave - unique style at a discount. Lots of sample items, luxe brand names, 50-75% off sticker prices...sounds like a great way to spend the day with girlfriends, doesn't it?

Some of the shops that will be there are Lela, SHOP, Miss Ruby, Aala Reed, Shoo, EssElle (my personal fave which is going away 4evah, *sniff*), and more!

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:

1) $5 admission (goes to charity)
2) Bring CASH - not sure if any CC's or checks will be accepted
3) Wear a strapless bra and stash some heels in your tote bag
4) Eat a good breakfast and have a shot of caffeine

I predict this will be a no-nonsense, power-shopping, possibly elbowing-other-women-out-of-the-way-for-the-last-one-in-your-size moment. BRING IT ON.

Million dollar butt...

Let's continue our denim discussion, shall we? Everyone has her own preferences in clothes, but ESPECIALLY JEANS. However, because I love them so much, I had to share my own favorites with you, my dear readers.

The Keaton Boot Cut Jean by Earnest Sewn are the best jeans I've bought so far in my fashion life. Mid-rise (no muffin-top, ever!), dark-washed with minimal whiskering (or glitter, dragons, rips, etc.), a lovely, slight bootcut, rigid denim and a touch of polyester, these jeans can make a bad wardrobe day pretty darn good.

As with most designer jeans, my first pair were pretty pricey (I made the mistake of getting suckered into them at a little, frou-frou boutique here in the city) but by the time I realized how much I was paying for them, I had already spied how great my butt looked in them in the shop's 3-way mirror. Damn! Foiled by vanity again...

But never fear dearies, I wised up and found them again on dear ol' Ebay for $40. I now am the proud owner of this jean in both the "Astrid" and "Val" washes.

What's the moral of this story? To go out and buy yourself a high-priced piece of denim-wear? On the contrary! Go out and TRY ON a high-priced piece of denim-wear, note your size and buy them for cheap online. That way, your butt still looks like a million bucks and no one is the wiser.

We must conserve our fashion budgets, no?