The Basement of the Bargains

About now, I want a new purse. I want one that makes me think of summer and the beach…something that would be superfantastic to carry on the Fourth.

In short, I want something like this:

See? Betsey Johnson went and made precisely what I wanted
. It’s leather in your choice of white or brown (but I think the white looks more summery and festive) studded with brass in the shapes of circles, squares, and stars. It’s designed to either be carried as a clutch, or draped nicely over one shoulder on a chain strap. The top closes with a magnetic snap for convenience.

Who would bother looking at fireworks when there’s something like this in the vicinity?

In addition to the charm of the overall look, there’s the charm of the deal I found on it. The retail price may be $185.00, but if you go to 6pm, you can find it for a mere $56.35! That’s 70% off!

Oh my, I think I’m seeing more stars.

Beautiful.

There’s nothing like gold. Whether it’s the real metal shining in a bit of jewelry or the color used to decorate glass, fabric, leather, or wood, gold adds warmth to nearly everything it touches.

Case in point, these handsome mouthblown glass goblets in the Sparkle pattern from Global Amici:

Imagine these by candlelight at an intimate dinner party. Just think how they will glow, how the mosaic pieces of green glass will catch the light, how much more delicious your wine or water will appear in them.

And then imagine the secret smile you’ll wear as your friends and family ooh and ah over them and wonder how much they must have cost. The retail price for a set of four may be $80.00, but you’re headed over to Smart Bargains, where you’ll get them for just $49.99.

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I don’t know about you, but I have a certain soft spot in my heart for charm bracelets. Correctly composed, they can tell you a lot about the person wearing them. What’s more, if someone is working on a charm bracelet, it’s easy to find gifts. Just look for a charm that relates to that person’s life and/or interests.

Of course, some people love the concept but prefer to have a pre-fab bracelet. For those among us, you could do a lot worse than this delightful example designed by Betsey Johnson:

With its whimsical hearts, flowers, and teatime items, it speaks to the girly girl in all of us women.

While it used to cost $55.00 (not bad for such a great piece of designer jewelry), it’s on sale now at Nordstrom. In fact, it’s on sale for just $32.90!

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