Deal Divas

Black Friday: Christmas shopping deals worth the wakeup call!

2009-11-24T11:56:19-05:00

It's that time of year again when the savagery of shopping shines in all its splendor!! Ahhh, Black Friday, the only day of the year when wearing pajamas in public is kind of okay and hair pulling is included with your George Foreman Grill purchase.

Seriously tough, the majority of Black Friday deals won't be made public until Thursday's newspaper, lucky for you the Deal Divas are here to give you a sneak peak at what to expect and which deals just might be worth the wake up call ...

Tech and home:

Best Buy, which opens at 5 a.m., has a door-buster sale on an HP G60-507DX 15.6-inch laptop with Intel Celeron processor for $197. Each store is only getting five laptops, limit one per customer, so you may want to get there around 3 a.m. when they start passing out tickets. Another highlight is Target, which also opens at 5 a.m., and will hand out maps indicating popular sales throughout their stores. If you spend $100 or more between 5 a.m and noon you'll get a $10 gift card.

Clothing and shoes:

Fashion Bug will be selling their popular Right Fit jeans for $12 on Black Friday. Need to stock up on staples? Ann Taylor Loft, will take 20 percent off your entire purchase on Black Friday if you buy before noon. And if you haven't been to the Limited lately, Friday might be a good time to go. The store is offering 40 percent off your entire purchase all day and you'll get a free scarf with a purchase of $75 or more. And yes, it's actually cute ... see for yourself.

[free Limited scarf]

At the malls

Victoria's Secret at International Plaza will give its first 100 customers who spend $60 or more a free tote bag. Other cool deals include a $29.50 Sherpa robe and buy one bra get 50 percent off the second. (VS full coverage bra pictured right, $38.)

Another cool deal at IP is at PacSun where the first 50 shoppers will get a scratch-off ticket worth up to 50 percent off their entire purchase.

Knock out shopping for the hubby and dad at Westshore Mall where Banana Republic is offering buy one, get one free on cashmere sweaters on Black Friday. (cashmere sweater pictured left, $181)

Need to stock up on beauty products? At University Mall, from 6 a.m. to noon, Beauty Mode will offer buy one item and get 40 percent off your second (excluding Bare Escentuals and Dermalogica.) And at Citrus Park Town Center, Charlotte Russe is offering 25 percent off all clothing and accessories on Black Friday.

Road trip

Prime Outlets at Ellenton is giving shoppers a leg up on sales opening at midnight with savings at a bunch of stores including the Gap Outlet, Banana Republic Factory Store and Kate Spade.

Bulk up

Between now and the weekend, B.J.'s Wholesale, is offering a free 60-day membership, and some great Black Friday coupons along with it. Print this pass to get the free membership and go into your closest B.J.'s to pick up the coupons so you'll be ready for Black Friday, when the wholesale store will open at 7 a.m.

Want more deals? Keep checking back in with Deal Divas or better yet sign up for our weekly e-mail alert!

Deal Diva Nicole

(Photos from Limited, VictoriasSecret.com and BananaRepublic.com)

80-degree temps in November are driving this diva crazy

2009-11-24T06:00:00-05:00

Dear Florida weather fairies,

It's hot outside today. I know, I know, this is the Sunshine State. If I want to wear a coat, I should move to Chicago.

But here's the thing. It's Nov. 24. In two days, we'll be stuffing our faces with turkey. And if we slip into a sweater for the face-stuffing, we'll sweat. See a problem with that?

I went outlet shopping over the weekend, hoping to beat the crazy Black Friday rush. I bought a fashionable gray boyfriend cardigan, some new trousers and a really pretty purple sweater with a touch of wool in the fabric. I love each piece, and I want to wear them. PRONTO. Letitia wants to wear her boots, too.

Please don't consider me ungrateful. You did a great job this year keeping the hurricanes away. And I see there will be a brief reprieve in the humidity this weekend. But seriously, we've endured this heat long enough. I had to turn my AC on again, and that made me cranky. If I have to even THINK about wearing shorts in the next few months, I might lose my mind.

Sincerely,

Deal Diva Colleen

Fall fashion in Florida: To boot or not to boot?

2009-11-23T14:35:21-05:00

This weather would be silly if it weren't annoying me so much. I can't wear the sweaters that get so little prime time in Florida. Or the leather jacket that I love so much.

But what about my tall boots?

I'm not one of those girls who likes to trot out her knee-high's when the thermostat is still pushing 80. The look is more sweaty than sexy - hardly the point.

But it's Thanksgiving week. My boots cost too much to gather dust in perpetuity in my closet.

What are your feelings? How cold does it have to get before the weather is boot-worthy?

Deal Diva Letitia

(Photo: Date night boot by Volatile, $59.99 at Dillard's)

A Night for Divas

2009-11-23T11:01:31-05:00

In today's casual world, where jeans work almost everywhere, we don't get many chances to dress like the divas we are. So several of us were thrilled this weekend to take the plunge, after much ado over what to wear to the opera.

Now we get to snark on others all the time, so it's your turn sound off: Did we pass the Diva test?

Deal Divas Dalia, Stephanie and Letitia

Black Friday starts early with the Midnight Madness Pajama Jam at Prime Outlets - Ellenton

2009-11-23T06:00:00-05:00

Want to get a head start on this weekend's shopping madness?

The true deal diehards will be scooping up discounts this Friday from midnight to 8 a.m. at the Prime Outlets in Ellenton. Yes, you read that right. STARTING AT MIDNIGHT. If you need sleep to survive the Black Friday craziness, this might not be the event for you. But if you love the idea of pulling an all-nighter and shopping in your PJs, then drive on down!

As part of the 4th annual Midnight Madness Pajama Jam, the first 500 pajama-clad shoppers in line near Lacoste will receive free goodie bags filled with coupons and giveaways.

What kind of deals will you find at the outlets? Get 40 percent off everything at the Banana Republic Factory Store, up to 60 percent off at Gap Outlet, 30 percent off the entire store stock at GUESS Factory, 25 percent the entire store at Gymboree Outlet, 50 percent off one item at Jones New York, 50 percent off your entire purchase at kate spade, 41 percent off everything at Kenneth Cole...

Okay, you get the picture. Some important things to note: In past years, the I-75 traffic headed to the outlets has been thick, so plan accordingly. Also, many of these deals continue in some fashion throughout the Thanksgiving weekend. If that's the case at your favorites, no need to forgo your sleep to save.

Download the discount details here. (FYI, some stores require that you bring the savings flyer to get the deals.) And for you newbies, the outlets are located at 5461 Factory Shops Blvd. in Ellenton.

Deal Diva Colleen

Deal Divas live Tweeting American Music Awards fashion!

2009-11-22T20:22:56-05:00

So far, Janet Jackson has performed in Han Solo's old Millennium Falcon uniform, and the Black Eyed Peas and Pete Wentz have gone militant-fabulous. Who knows what else is in store? Come follow us now here for all the snark!

Photo: Alicia Keys on the 2009 American Music Awards red carpet, Getty Images.

Tonight: Bebe fashion show at Jackson's Bistro

2009-11-20T06:00:00-05:00

Bebe wants to get your holidays off to a good start. The label will show off its holiday collection in a runway show tonight at Jackson's Bistro, 601 S Harbour Island Blvd., Tampa.

The party goes from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., with the fashion show sometime after midnight. Ages 21 and up. Tickets are $15 online and $20 at the door. Proceeds benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. For VIP tables, call (813) 265-1234.

We know what you're thinking: Bebe? VIP tables? I thought this was the Deal Divas blog!

Here's where the deals come in: The first 200 women in the door will get a $25 gift card. So you've already made your money back. And from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m., ladies get free pomegranate and vodka -- Bebe's signature cocktail.

We'll drink to that!

Deal Diva Dalia

Photos: Top: Bebe's red chiffon bustier dress, $129.99, is perfect for holiday season. Bottom: If you're heading North for the holidays, this belted trench coat, $98.00, will keep you toasty.

Move over brown and black. Gray and navy want a turn in our closets.

2009-11-19T11:59:38-05:00

I'm feeling blue these days. And gray. Very gray. But that's not a bad thing.

Lots of us rely on brown and black as our staple neutral palette. They are safe, comfortable and convenient.

But this fall, navy and gray are jockeying for equal play in the world of neutrals, and I'm totally embracing them in my wardrobe. Both colors are versatile. They look great layered together or as backdrops for bursts of color. Neon, anyone?

Gray, my personal favorite of the moment, offers a softer touch to an outfit than its darker brethren. I love how rich pinks and purples really pop against it. Try a patterned scarf over a gray tee. Throw a navy cardigan over a silky gray blouse and vice versa. Confused about what color shoe to put with? Consider brown, silver or burgundy. Or pink. Okay, yeah, I'm obsessed with that color, too.

Deal Diva Colleen

(Photo: Like this look? You can get it at the Loft. And click here for 30 percent off your purchase!)

Fug or fab: Snood, half-scarf, half-hood

2009-11-19T06:00:00-05:00

What do we think about this, friends?

It's called a snood, and the Wall Street Journal discusses its place in the trend spectrum this Christmas. When I first saw the word "snood," I thought they were talking about this game that I used to play obsessively on the computer (PROCEED TO LINK AT OWN RISK and OMG I just noticed I can download it for my iPhone! Life = over). Anyway, a snood in this capacity is actually a scarf-hood hybrid.

My first instinct? It looks like something my Polish ancestors wore on the docks. My mother has regaled me with stories of her youth spent wearing babushkas in Ohio, and it ain't pretty.

My second instinct? There are certain days of the week where this would kind of be awesome. Think about it. Your hair is a hot mess. Your face is broken out. You had too much wine last night and you generally feel like hiding from the world while you run into Publix for toilet paper. This could be a fierce solution to all the world's problems!

They're on the shelves affordably at Zara and H&M this season. What say you, style legions? Fug or fab?

Deal Diva Stephanie

Photo: Missoni snood, Getty Images

JCPenney coupons: $10 off $25 beauty is back!

2009-11-18T17:14:00-05:00

The news this week couldn't get better for coupons-obsessed gals like me.

We have Ann Taylor coupons good for an extra 30 percent off! (Sorry, the Macy's coupons deal that we all love so much already has come and gone.)

But joy upon joys, another beauty just landed in my inbox. Print out these JCPenney coupons for $10 off on purchases of $25 through Monday, Nov. 23.

Read the fine print for the exceptions. I'm thinking JCPenney is the perfect place to start my holiday shopping.

Deal Diva Letitia