Bloomingdale’s At Mall Of America To Close « CBS Minnesota

Bloomingdale’s At Mall Of America To Close « CBS Minnesota

I hope Zara, or Mango, or Topshop come to that space.

Gift Registry

I was just reading someone's blog, and half the things she was wearing were gifts from sponsors. Which got me thinking I would like some gifts too. If someone out there wants to give ME something, I could use a leopard print umbrella. It's raining, and though I have one, very old, very ugly, brown umbrella, I can't find it. In return for purchasing me this umbrella, I will tell everyone who comments on it "[your name] gave it to me!"

Reveiw: Salvation Army, Burnsville

Salvation Army
14101 Irving Avenue, Burnsville
(at the end of a strip mall, I think the same one as Primetime Sportsbar.)
Visited Saturday, April 16, 2011

Postives:
+ Close to my house (maybe just a plus for me and other south metro folk.)
+ Has a parking lot!
+ Clean (for a thrift store)
+ Good quality merchandise, reasonably priced
+ Usually there is a tag color sale (i.e., all yellow tag clothing is 50% off)
+ I'm a little vague on what Salvation Army does with the money from the stores, but I think it's good stuff.

Negatives
-Closed on Sunday (they are a religious organization, I guess, but still.)
-Annoying radio station playing (bring MP3 player)
-Organized by category (Men's shirts, Boys pants, etc.) and color, but not really by size.
-Someone blatantly cut in line while I was there, but I guess poor manners of patrons can't be blamed on Sal. Army.
-One wretched fitting room and kind of a scary bathroom. (Is there a trift store in the world with a sanitary-looking bathroom?)
-They staple the price tags to the clothing labels so you have to pry them off when you get home. Boo.


My "haul"
2 wicker baskets to help organize my bathroom (I spray painted them blue and took out the pink gingham liners.)
1 mirror for my guest room, which I spray painted metallic black.
1 boys suit jacket, which is actually so snug in the shoulders that I can barely move my arms. Maybe should have about that one for a little longer.
1 J.Crew chambray button up
I think my total was a little over $20 for all five items, with the jacket being the most expensive. I wonder if I can shrink my shoulders to fit it.

Not the most exciting shoe in the world...

I bought these mary jane pumps from Target a few months ago.


I really like them for work.  The heel is walkable, and they are balanced well enough that they don't kill my toes.  The wide straps don't cut into my feet either.  They are "vegan-friendly," but not cheap-looking.  I've been happy with them.

**Full disclosure: actions you take by clicking on the links may yield commissions for this blog.  Which would be great, but I thought you should be allowed to make an informed decision.**

I bought these on clearance at my local Target store a few weeks ago because I was looking for some gray boots.  I like these, but the lug sole does give them more a casual feel. Of course, they are "vegan-friendly," AKA, fake suede. I don't really care; most of my shoes are cheap as hell. My feet aren't particular.  My recommendation is to check the shelves of your local Target store, especially if you wear a size six, and see if you can find them for half off.  If not, they appear to be available online...


**Full disclosure: actions you take by clicking on the links may yield commissions for this blog.  Which would be great, but I thought you should be allowed to make an informed decision.**

Brown or Black?

Black:


Brown:



I like them both. If only my funds were limitless. 
 
**Full disclosure: actions you take by clicking on the links may yield commissions for this blog.  Which would be great, but I thought you should be allowed to make an informed decision.**

Winter sucks. Maybe new boots would help?

I have these:

Except much dirtier and more horrid.
I want these:
  Or something similar. I sort of resent the idea of spending so much cash on icky winter boots, but in the climate I live in, I suppose it makes sense.  If I had bought these in October, the cost per wear would probably be around $3 by now. Sick.

Recommendations

I've written about this before, I think, but Amazon's recommendation page drives me a little batty.  I mostly use it to get ideas for books to check out from the library. I rate stuff I've read, and the list (supposedly) kicks back other books I might enjoy.  Por ejemplo, I recently read (and liked, okay?) the Sookie Stackhouse books.  So according the Amazon algorithm,  I probably only want to read books featuring vampires, fairies, werewolves, ghosts, gnomes, etc.  Gah! Ninety percent of the recent glut of this type of book flat-out sucks. I'm going to have to check "not interested" on about one hundred items to get some fresh ideas. 
P.S. to fantasy writers: If you spell vampire, "vampyre" or kindred, "kyndred," I refuse to read your stupid book. Annoying!


And sometimes, the recommendations are kind of mind-bending.  Amazon suggests I might want to buy Fig Newtonsbecause I put a portable clothes drying rack on my wish list. What are people out there doing that unites these two products?!

Dear Conde Nast:

Please stop shrink-wrapping all the magazines you send me. I know you deperately want me to renew (early and often), but all that nasty plastic is starting to piss me off. If I want to resubscribe, I will use one of the eleventy billion postcards you thoughtfully scatter throughout your pages. Alternatively, I will go on this new-fangled thing called "the internet," where I can buy magazines with no paper waste what-so-ever. No more plastic wrap! I beg of you.

Sincerely,

K.

Closet Voyeurism

A blogger (when I remember who, I will credit her) mentioned recently how much she liked seeing other people's closets. I also like seeing other people's closets, so I thought I would post mine. The above is a picture of the outside; it's hard to get a good shot, both because of the shape of the room, and because I'm a terrible photog. Anyway, it's a pretty standard closet with bi-fold doors and one hanging bar/shelf. It's actually really long with two sets of doors, but my husband uses the other half. I keep trying to encroach, but he will have none of it. Notice that the closet appears to be leaking garments. I assure you, this is absolutely normal. Do not be alarmed.


Here's the inside:



Looking at this picture, I realize how much space I'm wasting up top. I might need to get in there and figure out a better way to use that. Maybe a shelf? While I'm at it, I should probably recycle those boxes. Also, note the Leopard Print Faux Fur Coat of Dooooom. This may be the final straw that causes Amish Ryan to divorce me. Or die of embarrassment. But it's so cuuuute, says I. The reason for the massive laundry pile, besides sheer laziness, is that if all my clothes are clean, they do not fit in this closet. I hope to have a walk-in someday, but until then, I may just get a bigger laundry basket. You may also notice what isn't here: shoes. They don't fit, so they are all piled up in boxes around the corner in the bedroom. The Shoe Mountain will be Exhibit B in the divorce filing, right after my faux fur coat.

Want List: Christian Louboutin Poseidon Peep Toe Pumps

If I had these, I would wear them everywhere. I would have to, to justify the $1,195 price tag. Are these made of solid silver, Mr. Louboutin?

photo: saks.com

Outfit 3/2/2010- In the Navy, Part II

After much searching (okay, not really) I finally found some navy tights that don't clash with this skirt. Navy has to be one of the most difficult colors in the world. There are so many interpretations of it. For example, I bought some "navy" tights from welovecolors.com, and they were really much brighter than I would consider navy. These are from Walmart, and for $5, are pretty good. What else to say about this outfit? It's pretty boring, though I do like the lavender and navy combo. Unfortunately, the button-up is a little snug, and in my hurry to beat the timer on my camera, I neglected to tug it back into place. I really did iron it before I wore it to work.

The best part is the shoes!

I just bought these navy platform peep-toes a month or so ago. It's hard to find navy shoes that aren't really dowdy. These are a dark navy with a kind of sparkly, snake-print pattern. They are Calvin Klein (not crazy-expensive Calvin Klein, more like the Calvin Klein that made the tee shirts and jeans I coveted as a middle schooler.) Anyway, I luuuurve them. Such a nice shape!

Silver Locket (unseen) Gift from husband

Lavender button-down: Express, $20? (clearance, for sure)

Navy skirt: thrifted, brand is Alia, $4

Navy tights: Walmart, brand is George, $5

Navy shoes: Calvin Klein via endless.com $98 (Unless my mom asks, then they were $50.)

Outfit, February 24, 2010- Browned Down

No natural fibers were harmed in the making of this skirt.

Mens Button Down Shirt- Thrifted, $1
Sad Brown Skirt- Thrifted, probably $1 (I'll buy anything for $1)
Big Brown Belt- Charlotte Russe, $8
Tights- DSW
Brown Boots- Mossimo for Target, $30? (I paid full price. Gasp.)

I had mixed feelings about this ensemble. It's really cold here (it was 6 degrees when I left home) so I had to wear the tights. In order to keep the skirt from climbing up my thighs, I had to wear a slip. The shirt is really long, so I had it tucked in past my butt, over the tights and under the slip. Basically, I felt lumpy all day. I don't know how people layer as much as they do-- it drives me mad.

The skirt really doesn't help. It's made out of that fabric that they make grandpa pants out of, and it's made for someone more hour-glassy than me. In this case, I'm hoping that the extra flare to the hip made my waist look smaller? Right? I've been thinking about learning to sew, and I think this skirt would make a good starter project. It isn't lined, for one thing, and for another, I really don't care if it gets destroyed. Stay tuned- I might just do it.


I bought these boots at Target four years ago, and I still really like them, even though they aren't real leather. They have a really cool Victorian shape to the heel. They also have the narrowest shaft I've come across on a boot! My calves are a pretty ordinary size, and I can barely zip these to the top.

Outfit, February 18, 2010

This picture is distressingly dark, but I guess since the outfit is all black, it doesn't really matter. I wanted to wear this new black and white striped top I found last Sunday, but I couldn't find anything to pair it with. Finally, after the third incarnation bit the dust, I put this black dress over the top, jumper-style. I've been hesitant to do this, mostly because I've hated jumpers for years. This hatred probably stems from the fact that my mom thought they were adorable, and liked to buy them for me when I was a youngster. In my mind, they seem really childish. However, a couple of the blogs that I follow have "rocked" (sorry) the jumper to great effect. Also, if grown women are wandering around in rompers, I guess I can jumper away. I grabbed these black Nicole Miller pumps to wear with it, and realized when I got to work that they have white top stitching, which I think works really well with the stripes of the top. To keep the whole thing from looking too first day of kindergarten, I wore a big silver chain necklace. I got two compliments on my "dress" and zero comments on my jumper. Score one for me.

I love the shape of these. They have a huge chunky heel, but no platform.

Black & White Stripe top- thrifted, $1 (originally The Limited)

Black Dress- thrifted $1 (vintage!)

Silver necklace- Deb $4?

Black tights- George (Walmart) $5

Black Nicole Miller Pumps- DSW, $28 (Clearance!)

Here's the top view.

Decisions, Decisions...

Hypothetical decisions, as I am broke. If I were going to buy a pair of sequin Chuck Taylors from 6pm.com, should I get:Black?

Silver?

or Blue?

I'm leaning toward blue, but maybe they would look bad with jeans? Perhaps the black would be more... understated. Ha! Also, Dear 6pm.com, why are these still $52.00 when they came out two years ago? That's less than half off! I pretty much refuse to buy anything unless it's 80% off.

Amish Ryan would hate these. It may be worth $52 just to see the look of horror on his face.

Outfit, January 28, 2010 School Marm Chic

This is a picture of an outfit that I wore 3 weeks ago. I am an awesome blogger, no doubt. I've had this blouse (I hate that word!) for about a year, but couldn't figure out how to wear it. It didn't look right untucked, it didn't look right tucked in, it didn't look right buttoned up to the neck or unbuttoned. Finally, I just tucked it in, rolled up the sleeves a little and put on a huge black belt. I think this would have looked better with brown boots and a brown belt, but alas, the brown tights were in the laundry, so that whole plan came tumbling down.

My hair was supposed to be a loose, messy bun, but my hair refuses to have any volumn at the crown, so it turned out to be a regular school-marm type bun. My hair puts me in the depths of dispair. (Anne of Green Gables, anyone?)



Raspberry colored blouse, thrifted at Savers, $4, (possibly vintage)
Black Belt, Charlotte Russe, $8
Khaki colored pencil skirt, thrifted at Arc's, $1
Black tights- ?
Black Charles by Charles David Boots- $100, unless you are my mom, then they were only $50. Shh.

Stamp of Authority

You remember back in the olden days, when the library actually stamped the due date on a card in your library book? Well, I really, really thought those self-inking stampers were cool. I hoped I would get to use one someday, so I could smack it on all kinds of important documents. Ka-chunk!

Cut to 2010, and I have not one, not two, but THREE of those stampers on my desk at work, all for my very own. After stamping an estimated four million documents, I can assure you, the ka-chunk! isn't as satisifying as I dreamed it would be.

Pet Peeves: Whistling

Gah! I'm annoyed by people who wander the world accomanied by their own little "Mayberry" soundtrack. Shut the hell up. Whistling falls under the category of just because you can, doesn't mean you SHOULD.

Signed,

Grumpy Old Lady

Really Late Tuesday Shoes- The Goodbye

So sometimes, I do have to get rid of shoes. My husband took it into his head to count my shoes yesterday, and the number he came up with was somewhat astonishing. Since I was already planning to get rid of these two pairs, it seemed like a good peace offering. The brown ones on the left are from Payless, and despite their three inch heels and wide square toes, they are horribly uncomfortable. They are in really good shape, so to the thrift store they go. The tan pair were from Target about 4 years ago, and they are just worn-looking. Scuffs and scratches just look worse on fake leather. I'm kinda sad, because I really liked these, but I just bought some camel-color Sam Edelman's to replace them, so in the bin they go! How do you decide how to purge your stuff?

Dave Barry on Mall of America

I love, love, love this billboard. I think it should be a t shirt.

I just read this in an old Dave Barry column, orginally published July 22, 2001:

Other than that, our trip to Minnesota was great. The highlight was our trip to the Mall of America, which bills itself as "the largest fully enclosed retail and family entertainment complex in the United States." How big is the Mall of America? Here's an actual quote from the mall's official list of Fun Facts: "258 Statue of Libertys could lay inside the Mall."

Where I come from, that's what we call a LOT of Statue of Libertys.

Fully enclosed spaces are popular in Minnesota, where winter lasts an average of 17 months. So the Mall of America is a huge hit. According to the promotional literature, it draws more visitors every year than the Grand Canyon, which of course is not enclosed (you wonder what they were thinking when they built it).

Also, the Grand Canyon offers very limited shopping, whereas the Mall of America has more than 500 stores. I got the impression there were at least 10 stores devoted just to refrigerator magnets. Also, every 35 feet there's a store selling food. So basically you have thousands of people circulating around, shopping and chewing. It's the ultimate American vacation experience. The only thing that would improve it is if you could rent burros, the way you can in the Grand Canyon, so you could shop and chew in a seated position.

In the middle of the Mall of America is - I swear - an amusement park. It has a roller coaster and various other rides, so that if you get tired of shopping and chewing, you can get sick.

I actually enjoy Mall of America, but I will admit this is fairly accurate. And I'm completely on board with the burro idea.