The Hunt is On...

Last week Harriet and I decided to take a little shopping trip to see what kind of deals we could score at Northpark Mall. Before meeting with Harriet, I decided to stop at Buffalo Exchange to sell a few things that I no longer wanted or needed. While they were sorting through my things, I looked around and found a cute summer romper that fit well for only 15 bucks. I used the money I got from my clothes to buy it and got some cash back as well. I now had a little extra money to spend on some other things I deemed worthy. I arrived at Northpark about an hour later and met Harriet at XXI (Forever 21). This is probably one of the stores I shop at most, being a student, and I have really found some great pieces here over the years. It’s a great place to buy trend items that you don’t want to invest too much money in.

Today, our goal was simple: budget, budget, budget! Buy only things you think you will actually get good

wear out of. As per usual, we found a ton of cute, trendy items throughout the store and brought them to the dressing room. Some fit well, others didn’t. This is almost always the case at this store, but it’s a process that I’m used to at any store, being that I’m very petite. After the discards, I was left with a few items that were potential buys: a nude colored rosette tank dress, a pair of high-waisted grey shorts that surprisingly fit, and a cute hooded rain jacket. I liked the tank dress fine, but wasn’t wowed with it, so I gave that up. The shorts were cute, too, but I decided to pass. So, who in Texas buys a rain coat in April? Well, for a girl who’s moving to Michigan in a month, it’s perfect. Not to mention, the rain jacket was 30 percent off of an already bargain price. I’m going to be looking good the next time it rains!

Feeling a little exhausted after the marathon experience of going to XXI, we refueled with a quick lunch. Then, back to the hunt; next stop: Urban Outfitters. Located directly across from XXI, it’s crazy not to stop in. One of my rules is that I NEVER buy anything from Urban that’s full price. Ever. After perusing the non sale items for a moment or two, I focused my energy and made a bee line to the back of the store. Then we dove in and Harriet pulled out a ruffled black and white dress that was an XSmall and on clearance. I’m feeling optimistic about this one. After digging through a couple more clearance piles, I couldn’t wait to head to the dressing room and try on the dress. As soon as I put it on, I knew it was mine. It fit like a glove and Harriet even said I looked “sexy” in it. Score.

A mere 30 bucks later and we’re on the move. Still on budget and two great items in the bag. As we walked back past XXI we realized we had neglected the accessories department. Time for round two. As a fan of that store in general, I must say that their accessories are some of the best buys in the place. We walked out with several great items: Harriet got a black sequin clutch ($18), a gold sequin wallet/clutch ($7.50), a pair of gold chain earrings that I love ($4.50) and a gold makeup bag ($3.50). I found a

Chanel inspired black and gold chain (the last one!) and couldn’t let it get away for only 5 bucks.

So we headed out, and ran into American Eagle on the way. I was looking for some jean shorts, but wasn’t happy with what they had. As we went to the sale rack, though, all hope was not lost. A lone white chunky knit beanie was sitting there just waiting for me (moving to MI, remember). It fit great and was only ten dollars. A steal. Who cares if I can’t wear it for a few more months? At the end of the day, I spent well under $100 and walked away with a few items that fit well and, more importantly, that I will definitely be wearing. The shopping trip was all that we needed, as we had fun, stayed within budget, and came out happy. We made out like bandits.