Bargain Biatch

Born To Shop At Old Navy

Where did the week go and where are my posts??? Just a quickie today about the Born shoe sale at 6pm.com.  Prices are 60 percent off so if you need a pair of sensible and not too ugly shoes jump on it.  And this weekend only Old Navy is slashing prices by 30 percent, like why since the stuff already almost free.  The deal is good on a huge selection of clothing and accessories so stock on shorts and tees, beach stuff and update your entire wardrobe with cute, bright, totally cheap disposable clothing.

 

Top Eight Destinations For Shoulder Season

Shoulder Season, it’s that in between travel gap before and after popular peak times.  It’s like the less popular geeky middle sister squeezed between her head cheerleader older sis  and super jock younger brother.  But middle girl is kinda cute and she can fix your computer and like shoulder season has a lot to offer.  An article in the NY Times gives their top 8 picks to escape the crowds and one of their island destinations was Barbados.  To that I’d add Bermuda.  With temps in the low 70’s, little to no rain and flight time from NY of just over 2 hours it’s a winner.  Check out the Pink Beach Club for discounts and the latest packages deals.

I’d also highly recommend Montreal, and not just in shoulder season.  It’s great and inexpensive year round destination and in an hour in can be in fake France. Enjoy the cold, but spectacular winter wonderland or eat your way through the old city in summer and better believe that your dollar will go a lot farther against the Loonie (whatever) than the Euro

Friday Movie/Theater Review: Creditors

A few months ago I bought tickets through Goldstar for NYC Ballet and in addition to the half price deal, the seats were fantastic, in fact I’ve never had better.  So when I got an email last week from Goldstar for 40 percent off tickets to see Creditors I jumped on it. How could I go wrong since I could walk to BAM have dinner and drinks at Stonehome wine bar and then walk home.  Dinner was good as always and the play was a brisk 90 minutes, Yay because I’m tired of the 2 plus hours of bloated dialogue I’ve endured as of late.  Creditors is a new version of the August Strindberg play directed by Alan Rickman and is an emotional piece about a woman, her younger second husband and a mysterious stranger who stirs the pot and creates havoc between the couple.  They play was extremely well acted and it’s ugly truths about how people behave in relationships reminded me of one of my favorite movies, Closer.  Creditors was a good, if somewhat depressing show.

 

And for a BAM to-fer, Brooklyn Uncorked, the wine tasting and food orgy is returning for a very limited time you can get discounted tickets $60 for 2 people by clicking here.  Even at the regular price of $40 per person it’s still a good deal.  Last year I tasted about 20 wines including some delicious Rose’s from Wolffer Estate and had countless samples of food from local establishments.  That was also first time I tried NuNu chocolates and probably has about a dozen pieces of their salty caramels before blacking out.

 

Tricks of the Trade Furniture Restoration

Awesome home cleaning and repair tips this morning on the Today Show Tricks of the Trade segment.  It's features ways to save money by fixing minor home problems.  As a finish up my bathroom renovation its time to clean up the mess and get the rest of the apartment looking as good as the ALMOST FINIISHED bathroom.  The first tip was about how to cover up the nicks and chips in well worn furniture.  All it takes is a bit of matching liquid shoe polish dabbed on and blown dry with a hair dryer.  Then polish as normal to get it to the original sheen,  the same hold true for unmatched or deep scratches in floorboards. Also good for overall floor restoration minus the sanding and refinishing is a product called Rejuvenate.  My neighbors used this on their floor when they were prepping for an open house and it made dull worn floors look clean and refreshed.  And they gave me the leftover bottle and it did wonders on my dingy floors

 

The second best tip was Eraser Magic for removing scuffs from walls and baseboards without having repaint.  Apparently if you have kids this is as essential as juice boxes and Valium.  

The video also gives ways to mend picture frames, loosen sticky drawers and other simple quick fixes. Going now to home to pick up so low cost supplies for my spring makeover.

 

Celebrate Earth Day With Vodka

In honor of earth day/week, here’s a way to save some green while going green with a vodka theme.  Click here for the top 10 alternative uses for the cleanest of spirits…and while there are even more uses for lemon juice, I might not have a lemon handy but I’ll never be out of vodka!

 

And the second tip is to start a garden.  With whatever space you have.  Since I’m a serial plant killer I think it’s best I stick with the heartier herbs that will do well in a window box.  For under around $10 you can get some thyme (very versatile for cooking) basil (for when tomatoes are finally in season) and mint…for mojitos of course.  And with your own herbs ready for picking, you’ll never have to pay for the overpriced wilted specimens from the supermarket.

Movie Review: Ghost Writer

Taking the path of least resistance I decided to see whatever movie was playing closest to me, so I walked down to BAM to see Ghost Writer.  I’ve been ambivalent about the movie because I don’t to support rapist Roman Polanski, not feeling the forgive and move on sentiment.  But convenience won out over conscience, plus I’m always up for a movie about writer; particularly ghost writers since on occasion made a coupla dollas doing just that.  The movie is a mystery about a ghostwriter played by Ewan McGregor who has just signed on for big money to write the memoirs of Adam Lang, former Prime Minister to Great Britain.  Unfortunately he’s taking over the job because his predecessor’s body was found washed up on the beach in Martha’s Vineyard. Land has retired to an island on the Vineyard with his wife and retinue of staff and secret service.  Lang played by Pierce Brosnan is the perfect pompous ex-politico who’s lived a charmed life and is gracious but self important and self indulgent.  The writing and revisions get off to a decent start but a scandal breaks that implicate Lang in some torture cases that are complicit with U.S. abuses of prisoner of war. The story lurches forward full of lots of twists and turns and atmosphere.  A lighthouse illuminates a dark foreboding beach and the fog rolls in but the plot doesn’t live up to all that wind up.  Excellent actress Olivia Wilson is very good as Lang’s wife Ruth Lang and Kim Cattrall is oddly miscast as a “sexy” aid with an in and out quasi-British accent. But the real star of the movie was the location.  Lots of shots of the solitary dunes and then there’s Lang’s enormous house.  It’s a multi-level compound with open concrete and all the beautifully appointed rooms have floor to ceiling windows that open onto the beach.  I’ll take 2 please.

   

Top Cheap Travel Destinations: I'll Take The Balkans For $1000

Ack!!! Get me outta here.  The start and stop bathroom renovation and the exterior brick and repointing work taking place outside my windows which is basically hours of jack-hammering is going to drive me crazy.  Must leave this dusty hovel and I  came across an enticing  article about the cheapest places to travel.  The list named quite a few places I’ve visited including Argentina, Egypt, Morocco, Mexico (duh), Indonesia and Iceland (which I visited before it went bankrupt so it wasn’t cheap).  There’s also one US spot, Vegas Baby, which can be cheap with lots of discount packages.  From all the other picks I think my next trip might try Bulgaria.  Loaded with antiquity and famous for geo thermal springs I think these stiff joints could use a soak.  And with very low travel costs, the Balkans beckon.

Southwest Airlines To Charge For Carry On? Thanks No, I'll Try Voyage Prive

Just when I thought that flying had gotten as expensive and unpleasant as possible, Southwest Airlines has proven me wrong.  They’ve just announced that in addition to paying extra for checked luggage, they’re gonna charge you for carry on items, and not a nominal fee, 45 bucks a bag.  What Next? A surcharge for the air in the cabin, more if you’re a mouth breather.  Thanks and I Will NOT be booking flight on SouthWest, on general principal alone.  There are still travel deals to be had and I just joined Voyage Prive, which launched earlier this year in the US.  It’s a site French travel site that’s been operating in Europe for about three years and specializes in upscale travel packages. It’s experienced tremendous growth and is now looking to muscle in on the American market and the seemingly endless number of people who are drawn to the luxury ideal (at a bargain) It’s operates a lot like Rue La La and holds limited time sales and in fact, Rue La La has recently branched out and in addition to clothes and merchandise, has had a few boutique for exotic travel and upscale cruises.   I checked out some of the preview sales at Prive and the prices were fairly low for what you got and the destinations were to places you'd actually want to go.  And the packages allow for flexibility and you can upgrade, purchase add ons or book additional days.  You have to sign up but membership is free and I’m going to keep my eye out for my next vacation. 

Friday Movie Review: A Prophet

Most movies nominated for best foreign film barely, (rarely) make it to American screens. They’re basically the fare of eccentric or pretentious art houses (I’m talking about you Angelica), with very limited runs.  Among this year’s Oscar pics I’d managed to see only the overrated and strange “White Ribbon” but A Prophet was top of my list.  It’s playing at the Angelica and also at the tiny Brooklyn Heights cinema so of course I went to see it in my hood. The story revolves around Malik, a young Arab man who was a juvenile offender in and out of the system and is about to begin his first stint in an adult prison.  He’s hardly innocent but is naïve and painfully unprepared to do hard time.  On his first day he’s essentially forced to commit a murder, which gains him the “protection” of the Corsican mob.  Many of the Italian mobsters are doing time in a foreign jail and they basically run the prison, controlling the drug trade and the guards.  It’s a dog eat dog world with lots of factions and divisions.  In addition to the Corsican’s there’s the Aryan brothers try to muscle in while keeping the burgeoning Muslim population at bay.  Malik walks a fine line and somehow manages keep one step ahead of danger and death.  He’s shifts alliances and no only stays alive but builds a reputation and the beginnings of his own empire.  With a running time of over 2-½ hour the movie unfolds at a leisurely pace but it keeps your attention. The character development and maturing of the Malik is realistic and the violence is graphic but it hey, it’s prison movie. Interesting and worth a look. 

Good Hair For Less (than $47,000)

After last week’s movie review of “Good Hair” someone sent me an article about an ex-model, turned foot model, now photographer who spends ten grand a visit at the hair Salon.  Shallow Brandi Irwin goes to the Gemini Salon and has multiple services including the hair of Indian virgins that has been di-pigmented and treated woven into her head.  She gets her “Rapenzel like” locks done about 4x a year plus maintenance appts . OK I’m not that good at math but I am good at STUPID and forty grand plus a year on hair is beyond______fill in whatever blank! Perhaps you don’t have $47,000 to spend on someone else’s your hair but you can still want to look good.  Here are some cheaper options.  But if you want Brandi’s classy tattoos including POSH emblazoned across her knuckles, you’re on your own.

 

Try Beauty School, not everyone is a drop out and they do have to practice on real people. Search for schools in your area and it services can be free or at nominal cost.  There are also salons that have student night.  You might not be able to pick the specific service but it’s a goo option if you’re up fro something new.

 

Be a hair model.  Again for the more adventurous but the cut might open your eyes to and entirely different look and…for free

 

DIY Color. There are lots of well-reviewed coloring products that you can buy and apply.  Overall color is easier than highlights but there are high and low light kits that make it easier. 

 

OR invite and friend or two over and have a beauty night.  It’s much easier to apply color or to perm someone else’s head than on your own multitasking self.

 

Save on the cut and splurge on the color.  Again the coloring process can be tricky and the expert colorist can create more subtle contrasts.

 

Get a home visit.  Many stylists are more than happy to cut you a deal by coming to you.  It’s a win win since there’s no salon split, no overhead and you can invite a few friends and get a group discount