Charlie Graham, Founder of Shop It To Me, shares his thoughts on shopping smartly this holiday season:

Holiday season seems to start earlier every year – and that’s okay with me, as long as it means I can find great deals on the things I want to buy.  As my family and friends will attest, I love sales (well, they might put it a different way).

Last year, holiday shopping season deals weren’t that great.  We scrutinized the data we collected from more than 100 retailers, looking at the number of new items on sale and the percentage discounts.  Only the “Black Friday” post- Thanksgiving sales days offered discounts of 40% or more.

This year, will be different. Here are some trends to watch this holiday season:

1)      Free shipping is the big story for Holiday 2010. Several retailer Web sites have already eliminated the minimum purchase requirement for free shipping, and others are sure to follow. Expect free shipping at major retailer Web sites through the end of the year, not just on Free Shipping Day (December 17, 2010).

2)      Watch the major department store sites and you might not have to wait until Black Friday for some really great sales.  Throughout October and November we’ve seen several Friends and Family sales, “flash” sales and other major sale events at the department store sites.  Our members have been snapping up in-season designer merchandise at 25%-40% off from Bloomingdales.com, Nordstrom.com and Saks.com.  Many have scored free shipping along with it.

3)      Be ready for the post-Thanksgiving shopping weekend.  You’re going to see many 40% off and higher offers between Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  And, based on last year, that weekend’s discounts likely will be the deepest of the season until after New Year’s.

4)      Expect different offers from retailers on different days.  It will be important to monitor your favorite retailers or brands religiously this year, so you don’t miss out on flash sales when they pop up.  If you’re a member of Shop It To Me, of course, we make that part easy.

5)      If you’re shopping for yourself rather than for someone else, remember New Year = New You. During the past two years, sales on January 2 and 3 averaged upward of 45% off making them two of the best days of the entire year to shop on sale.

Enjoy your holidays – and your holiday shopping.  On Black Friday, CyberMonday and Free Shipping Day, we’re going to send you special editions of Salemail that will streamline the sale noise of those chaotic promotional days and make the markdowns personally relevant to you.  And, you can Tweet to us at any time (@shopittome) when you need a little extra personal shopping assistance.

Holiday fashion dreams really do come true. Let your tootsies be the envy of gals everywhere — this holiday season, win your favorite pair of designer shoes!

Entering is a breeze:

1. Just invite friends to join Shop It To Me. You get one entry for each friend who signs up. (Plus you’ll still earn gift cards, too.)

2) Tweet for extra entries. Follow @ShopItToMe on Twitter. Tweet this once/day until Nov. 19th:
I so want to win the <<*insert designer name>> shoes. Follow @ShopItToMe http://bit.ly/alaKTa #fashion

*Designers include Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, Chanel or Christian Louboutin

Important notes:

• See official rules for all the details
• Must be a Shop It To Me subscriber to win
• US residents and residents in England, Wales and Scotland only; 18 years+
• Limited time: only until Friday, 11/19

Season’s Greetings, and good luck!

When it comes to Tinkertoys, Santa’s the man. But truth be told, we’re not sure we can count on him for our tech toy needs. You’ve been good all year…get the gadget you really want this holiday season.

Enter to win! It’s easy:

1. Just invite friends to join Shop It To Me. One entry for each friend who signs up. Plus, you’ll still earn gift cards!

2. Tweet for extra entries. Follow @ShopItToMe on Twitter. Tweet this once/day until Nov. 19th:
I so want to win the <<*insert gadget name>>. Follow @ShopItToMe http://bit.ly/bnCMYn #tech
*Insert one of these gadgets: Bose SoundDock 10, Macbook Air, or Canon DSLR

Important Notes:

• See official rules for all the details
• Must be a Shop It To Me subscriber to win
• US residents and residents in England, Wales and Scotland only; 18 years+
• Limited time: only until Friday, 11/19

Good luck!

The holidays are just around the corner, and with that come the holiday parties! Avoid those “what to wear?” troubles this year, and snag yourself a versatile LBD to help get you through the upcoming festivities in style.

Clockwise from top left: Juicy Couture abstract sleeveless dress, Black Halo Leann dress, Nanette Lepore Strike a Pose dress,  Jill Stuart Dyanna dress, Rachel Roy Draped dress, Robert Rodriguez Lingerie Sheath dress

The best part about a little black dress? You can turn it into a whole lot of outfit! Accessorize differently, switch up the shoes, makeup, and hair, and voilà – you have one trusty garment that you can wear again and again!

*All featured dresses are available at ShopBop.com – and there are dozens more! Plus, as always, they offer free shipping and free returns! Can’t beat that.

There are a few must-have essentials that will have you ready to take on fall in style! Jihan from American Chic is here to break it all down for us, and let you know where to snag these fashionable finds. Be sure to check out her blog dedicated to chic fashion, chic celebrity style, and chic home decor!

1. black riding riding boots, $525.00; 2. leopard print hobo, $75.00; 3. gold watch, $450.00; 4. green nail polish, $23.00; 5. silk chiffon dress, $365.00; 6. striped tee, $155.00; 7. tortoise sunglasses, $198.00; 8. camel coat, $938.86

There are so many things I absolutely must have for the fall: black riding boots to wear over leggings, tortoise shell sunglasses for sunny autumn days, and a demure chiffon dress for the endless galas and society parties (even if only in my dreams!). How many of these pieces fall under your fall fashion list?

Sweater season is in full swing, and there’s nothing better than bundling up in something warm and fuzzy when the temperature starts to drop. To celebrate our excitement, we’re offering our subscribers an exclusive C&C California half-off promotion! From now until tomorrow (November 11th), you’ll receive 50% off all full-priced C & C sweaters with promo code CCSHOPIT50!!

Below are a few sweaters we’re swooning over.

Striped Hooded Grandpa Cardigan: was $98, now $49

Wool/Cashmere Dolman Turtleneck: was $165, now $82

Cashmere Blend Drape Cardigan: was $165, now $82

Cashmere Blend Cropped Crew Sweater: was $165, now $82

Go ahead and hop on over to candccalifornia.com and take a look for yourself! But hurry, sale ends tomorrow. Don’t forget to click through your Salemail and use our exclusive code CCSHOPIT50.

Enjoy!

We’re very excited to announce that we’ve added two amazing retailers to Salemail! Check out Trina Turk.com for chic dresses, separates, and accessories that’ll have you going from day to night in style. And ModCloth.com has you covered for fun feminine frocks, and other fab retro-indie pieces!

Below are a few of our favorite looks on sale right now:

Mandy Dress (20% off)

Essential Tote (25% off)

Fenny Poncho (40% off)

One and Only Dress (50% off)

Floral-escence blazer (50% off)

To The Club Heel (50% off)

*If you haven’t already, be sure to add Trina Turk and ModCloth to your brand preferences, so you’ll start seeing great sales regularly! Just login to your account, click edit brands & hit the all brands button. Then just check off Trina Turk and Modcloth, and hit save!

There’s no denying that animal print has made a major comeback. And the good news is there’s no shortage of assorted cheetah prints in Salemail these days! Here are a few fun items we spotted using Shop It To Me Search this morning:

Joie Satin Animal Print Top (40% off), Juicy Couture Leather Electronic Glove (20% off with code FFSAVE), Carlos Falchi Leopard Print Tote (44% off with code FFSAVE), Steve Madden Caryssa Pump (33% off)

Whether you’re the type to go all out in a teal leopard getup, or you’d rather play it subtle with a cool pair of neutral gloves – there’s definitely something for every style! And these deals just can’t be beat. So go ahead… find your inner “wild thing”, and shop to it!

p.s. It’s never too soon to start thinking stocking stuffers. There are plenty of funky animal print accessories to be found – like these and these!

Sought after celebrity style doesn’t have to be unattainable. We’ve teamed up with USMagazine.com to bring you weekly celebrity looks for less! This first edition will have you dressing like Heather Graham, Diane Lane, or Lauren Conrad without breaking the bank:

Nude dress — Get the look: Rory Beca Monte Carlo Wrap dress ($151 on sale)

LBD — Get the look: Twelfth St. by Cynthia Vincent 40s Day to Party dress ($208 on sale)

Put together comfort — Get the look: Splendid Rolled Sleeve A-line Tunic ($38 on sale), Genetic Denim Shane skinny jeans ($91 on sale) and Gap Floral Embroidery Scarf ($17 on sale)

Now you don’t have to have a movie star budget to live it up in style. Stay tuned for next week’s celebrity looks, brought to you by Shop It To Me and Us Weekly!

Click here to see more style and beauty secrets in the Us Weekly gallery featuring Shop It To Me picks!

There are two main things to consider when it comes to fall/winter boots: appearance and comfort. Julie from I Heart Heels is here to share a few picks that will have you looking stylish and staying warm!  Check out the girl’s guide to looking fabulous – from heels to hairspray.

I love boots – they’re one of my favorite things about fall. Warm and cozy chic. Ahhhh. There is always a new boot trend, and this fall a few of my must-haves are rain boots, shearling and wedges. Combine them? Even better!

I just bought this pair of black wellies by Kate Spade last week, the Randi ($125). And now I can’t wait until it rains so I can try them over my black jean leggings – totally sleek and chic in the rain. They even have a heel (natch), and the bow detail is so Kate Spade, no? Girly and practical, these will def keep you warm in the rain.

I l-o-v-e the wedge on the Juicy Couture Dagmar bootie ($325), and the chocolate suede is oh-so-pretty. Has me pining right now for a pumpkin spice latte. What’s really hot? The details like the cool lacing, zipper detail and faux shearling cuff. All of the qualities I love in a fall bootie – swoon.

The Cole Haan Michelle Shearling boot ($298) also has the on-trend wedge, and guess what? It has Nike Air technology for added comfort! The buckles are super-cute, and you can fold the shearling cuff down or leave it up for those really cold winter days!

And don’t forget the Vince Camuto Fabi riding boot ($198). These leather round-toe stunners are sure to keep your feet cozy-as-can-be with a faux fur lining, chic gold buckles and a rich brown hue to go with anything. Like that warm cup of hot cocoa?

Find these styles and more at Piperlime.com

*Now don’t forget to stop by I Heart Heels for a dose of celebrity style, the latest fashion trends and an inside scoop from behind-the-scenes stylists and designers!