I’d been eyeing this lovely pair of nude ruffle Loeffler Randall sling backs ever since I noticed them in my Sale Spot. At regular price, I could only dream from afar. But at 50% off, they could be a great birthday splurge!

Loeffler Randall Aspen ruffle sling back sandals, Reg: $595, Now: $297.50

This morning these Steve Madden look-alikes popped into my Shop It To Me Salemail. (The yellow version is cute!) The price is a very tempting $55.96.

Steve Madden TRUFLE, Reg: $89.95, Now: $55.96 (use code MADDEN20 at checkout)

So what’s the verdict – splurge or save?

Today is a special day at the Shop It To Me office, as we’re celebrating Natalie’s birthday! Here’s a peek at what we did to kick off the festivities:

The excitement will continue on throughout the day with an assortment of junkfood, and tonight she will be celebrating at a fun San Francisco restaurant with close friends. Happy birthday, Natalie! We wish you all the best!

We’re thrilled to announce Shop It To Me was featured on the Today Show this morning as one of the best ways to “Fake Being Rich”!

Take a look and see let us know what you think:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/32414706#32415130

We love the topic – and you certainly don’t need to be rich to have your very own personal shopper. No one has to know how much money you have (or don’t have) just by looking at you. The segment was presented by the lovely Robyn Moreno, author of Practically Posh: The Smart Girl’s Guide to a Glam Life. She showed off some cute DVF dresses scored for nearly half off using Shop It To Me.

Robyn also has a great blog also called Practically Posh, so head over and take a peek. She has all kinds of affordable indulgences, trends and photos to share glimpse into her everyday glam life — definitely up our alley.

Thanks to Robyn and everyone at the Today Show for the feature!

We all know the feeling — staring at a closet full of clothes but having nothing to wear. How do you take pieces you own and create pulled-together looks? Our Trendsetter Chanel Fashionista lends some advice on ways to plan complete outfits. If the ensembles in this post entice you, there’s more where that came from. Just head over to Chanel Fashionista…

Every time I make plans to go somewhere, whether it’s to a wedding or just out for drinks, the first thing that comes to my mind is: WHAT AM I GOING TO WEAR?! It is the inevitable question that probably goes through every female’s mind when events come up. Finding the perfect outfit can take hours. Here is the process I go through when trying to pick out my outfit:

• First, I consider the event and the dress code. If it’s a wedding or another formal event, there is definitely a dress code, either an implied one or a stated one. Because wedding invitations come way in advance, I have plenty of time to first shop my closet and see if anything I have will work. If not, again I have plenty of time to shop around for that perfect dress or that perfect bag. Weddings are pretty easy to plan for because of the advance notice.
• For all dressier events, I start by selecting the main item, usually a dress, and then work on the accessories and shoes. For less formal events, such as bridal showers and BBQs, I still start with a main piece, such as a pair of shorts or a casual summer dress, and then plan from there. How to pick that key piece? I take inventory of my closet many times through the year, so that when an event comes up, I can mentally picture my wardrobe and think of pieces that will be perfect for the event.
• Sometimes when I am bored, I try outfits on and see how pieces look together. This helps me put outfits together, and I am prepared if I ever need to throw something together quickly.
• Also, when I shop I try to buy versatile pieces, pieces that can be mixed and matched to make many outfits.

Here are some examples of outfits I could put together inspired by my actual wardrobe:

Black Halo Jackie O Dress, $343
LuciferVir Honestus web earrings with diamonds, $5,160
Lulu Guinness Pollyana clutch, $288.75
Nine West bonfire, $89
Miss Selfridge 2 row pearl necklace, approx $5.40
J. Crew Jackie cardigan, $59.50
Wet Seal button front tube dress, $23.50
Christian Louboutin large leather bowling bag, $1,385
Forever 21 heart wedge sandal, $29.80
J. Crew wallpaper jacquard short (similar to image), $98
Louis Vuitton monogram speedy 30 (Bag, Borrow, or Steal), $150/month
Beach bronze glatiator sandals, $41

If you shop appropriately and inventory your wardrobe enough to be familiar with your pieces, planning an outfit shouldn’t take up too much time at all. I make a point of trying on all my clothes when I’m not in a hurry and when I have time to see how they look together. In fact, many times I put on a fashion show for my husband and get his opinion. Then, when an event comes up, I can start planning my outfit right away in my head. Once I have my outfit planned, all I have to do is accessorize and I am ready to go!

Just about every girl owns a leaf-shaped pendant, or a floral ring or earrings. Although it’s particularly trendy right now, nature-inpired jewelry has always been univerally appealing. Here our Trendsetter Mary Jo Matsumo shares some of her favorite fellow jewelry designers who are inspired by nature. Check out her own gorgeous luxury jewelry line and blog Trust Your Style.

I’m drawn to nature-inspired jewelry because it’s so timeless. All the celebrated jewelry designers I can think of worked with this theme at some point in their career. Today the genre spans the gamut from classic to modern goth, serene to irreverent, yet I’m convinced that if you invest in a well-designed piece of nature-inspired jewelry it will always be in style.

Here are some of my favorites:

David & Martin

Famed Stockholm design team David Andersson and Martin Lasson behind the jewelry line David & Martin have been awarded numerous accolades and have collaborated with Karl Lagerfeld and Acme Jeans.  They burst onto the scene with their “Chicken Feet” collection that came about after seeing a pretty girl on a Shanghai subway munching deep fried chicken feet. I’m partial to this cuff from their gold Cell Collection, inspired by honeycombs.

Philippa Holland

Brit designer Philippa Holland studied the History of Jewelry at Sotheby’s and is known for her nature-inspired jewelry. Her celeb following includes Sienna Miller, Gwenneth Paltrow, and Cameron Diaz. I’m loving her Beetle pieces made from blackened silver and enamel.

Abigail Percy

I’ve long admired Scottish jewelry designer Abigail Percy’s jewelry. Her delicate and striking work is made from sterling silver with plated gold, so it’s a cost-effect answer to the 18k gold standard of fine jewelry. I’ve been pining for these Creeping Leaf Hoop earrings new to her collection.

Tom Binns

Always a huge fan of Irish-born jewelry designer Tom Binns, this Swarovski crystal and rhodium cuff from his Dumont Noir Florescent collection has all the punch of a classic vintage statement piece. Speaking of vintage, don’t forget to check out all the unique nature-inspired vintage treasures to be found at great prices from the many wonderful online sellers worldwide. Try Etsy and Ebay and don’t be afraid to google the kind of vintage piece you’re looking for, you’ll be surprised how many options you may have.

Mary Jo Matsumoto

It’s probably not surprising that as a resident of Laguna Beach, my first collection of fine jewelry for my Mary Jo Matsumoto luxury line was inspired by nature. Using favorite motifs from the Magical Mind textile that I developed for my handbag line, I created an 18k gold and South Sea pearl collection that includes designs that incorporate starfish, shells, seahorses, fish, butterflies and birds.

I was glued to my TV this past season of So You Think You Can Dance. For starters, the judges noted on several occasions that the group of dancers was the most talented the show had ever seen. But they’re not the only ones who raised the bar. From YSL suits to Dior dresses, in each episode the gorgeous host Cat Deeley wore an outfit even more stunning than the last.

Now Cat’s Alexander Wang finale dress has shown up in my Shop It To Me Salemail for 50% off! There’s only one left, so all you size 4s can still snag this find if you act fast!

Alexander Wang silk wrap dress, Reg: $585, Now: $297.50

We all know how important accessories are: that perfect necklace, sleek cufflinks or the one piece you can’t leave home without – your iPhone. Shop It To Me recently had a raffle for a new iPhone 3GS!

In addition to earning free gift cards, subscribers got one entry for each friend they got to sign up. Congratulations to Corey, the winner of the giveaway!

Corey has been hurting for an iPhone ever since his computer buff roommate got the first iPhone 3G, and “hasn’t stopped talking about it since.”

“I am so very excited to win,” Corey says. “Thanks again to all the people at Shop It To Me for this opportunity, and keep bringing the sales!”

Want more goodies? Remember to keep getting friends to sign up for Shop It To Me so you can rack up free gift cards. We’ve also given away free movie tickets, a Marc Jacobs handbag, magazine subscriptions and more. What’s next? Stay tuned for more contests…

Which celebrity look was your favorite: Leighton Meester’s flirty frock, Kristen Stewart’s rocker spikes, Kristen Bell’s trendy jumpsuit, or Megan Fox’s glam getup?

We all swoon over Rodarte dresses, but they aren’t just for celebs like Natalie Portman and Emma Watson.

Okay I lied, maybe they are. They do run for around 3K a pop. But that will soon change, because Rodarte is doing a designer line for Target!

Celebs in Rodarte – images from InStyle

Needless to say, we’re thrilled about the collaboration. We couldn’t have picked a better designer ourselves - literally! Mark your calendars: the line hits stores on December 20^th. Perfect time to sneak in a holiday gift to yourself (or two, or three…). Hey, they’ll be Target prices!

Without style inspiration we would spend every day of our lives in flipflops, ratty jeans, and baggy shirts.  Cosmochik’s Coterie is here to navigate you toward some of the best places to sip up some inspiration, right here on the web. Her blog is all about immersing yourself in hot fashions, exciting new designer & retailer updates, great shopping finds, and much more! The following are her picks for “best places for outfit inspiration”:

Shopbop Lookbooks

Shopbop offers lookbooks inspired by trends of the moment, such as “Modern Gypsy”, “Tie-Dye Denim”, “Summer Whites” and “Harem Pants”.  Each lookbook includes fantastic photos of “wearable” and most importantly “achievable and wallet-friendly” looks.  Designer brands are clearly labeled, and you can shop the look by a simple click on the photo.

Looklet.com

This is a VERY addicting site for the inner stylist in you.  Sign up for a profile and you can start putting your own looks together from hundreds of current items from a large assortment of designer brands. You can create an outfit for everyday of the week.  Then label and catalog them for your own library of outfits. Or view all looks from other members which are uploaded to the site daily.  It’s like a never-ending closet with outfit inspiration created by you and other aspiring stylists!  Check out some of my creations with the “Whyred” handbag and the “YSL Caged Booties”.

Shop It To Me

There’s no question that Shopittome.com is on my list! How fantastic and convenient is it to have an online personal shopper? Once you get your personalized emails, have some fun by picking out items to put together super cute outfits. It’s basically like stepping into your virtual dressing room and trying out clothes, accessories, and footwear from all of your fave stores and brands. There’s plenty of inspiration from the plethora of fashion photos!

Fabsugar’s “Look of the Day” Posts and “Looks of the Week” Albums

I love how these outfits are created by everyday girls like you, me, a fashionista best friend, or a shopaholic sister!  “Look of the Day” posts provide great outfit inspiration because each piece within the outfit is clearly listed with the brand name.  “Looks of the Week” albums are posted weekly, and Fabsugar introduces each album with fabulous details to look for while you peruse.

Other Fellow Fashion Bloggers (Sea of Shoes, Nitrolicious, Late Afternoon)

The girls that head up these fashion blogs are at the forefront of the hottest trends and freshest updates on industry happenings, as well as having the most creative and amazing photographs of their outfits.  Outfits are described to the finest detail and include a mix of brands from low to high.  What stands out to me is that they are passionate about all things fashion, and it comes through in their posts and photos.  Check in daily to get inspiration for your own outfits from the tops and bottoms, to footwear, jewelry and handbags.