Rhonda Shear's Maison Rouge has moved

Just a quick FYI: Maison Rouge, the lingerie boutique owned by actor and TV personality Rhonda Shear, has moved. Still located in St. Petersburg, the store is now at 944 Fourth St. N.

Deal Diva Dalia

Photo: This sexy little number sells for $59 at Maison Rouge.

Ian Beckles rings in November with jewelry line

Ian Beckles is a triple threat: Former Buccaneers lineman, sports radio host and now jewelry designer. Last month Beckles, 42, launched BeFly, a collection of rings.

Beckles plans to expand to necklaces, bracelets and earrings, says his still-in-progress Web site.

Now for the price: $249 apiece.

Still reading? Then I'll tell you the rings are available at Urban Body, 715 S Howard Ave., Tampa. I wonder why Beckles doesn't hawk the goods at his own store, As-I-Be. I also wonder what you think: Is $249 reasonable to spend on a fashion ring? And who's more likely to wear these, you or your guy?

Deal Diva Dalia

(Photos: Ring photos courtesy of Icon B. Marketing and Publicity Group. Ian Beckles photo by Kathleen Flynn of the St. Petersburg Times.)

Shopping, swapping are a breeze at Spinderella's Steals Resale Boutique

Thrift stores may have great prices, but who wants to weed through all that junk to get to the good stuff? Spinderella's Steals Resale Boutique makes it easy to find the used clothing you want. The store is at 6393 Ninth St. N in St. Petersburg.

The 500-square-foot boutique is easy to navigate and stocked only with things you'd actually consider wearing. No "filler" here. The goods include jeans, blouses, dresses, blazers, evening gowns, purses, winter jackets, shoes and more, with clothing sizes ranging from 00 to 28.

Prices vary, but the piece de resistance is the $5 rack. Here's owner Jennifer Steele next to the rack, a gloriously well organized array of clothing, shoes and purses:

When I stopped by last week, I spotted the following brands for the price of a Lincoln: Banana Republic, Saks Fifth Avenue, The Limited, Ann Taylor, New York & Co. and Old Navy. The store also carries a small selection of jeans hand-painted by Steele, soaps, body oils and jewelry.

Can't find what you're looking for? Drop a note in the wish book on the counter or on the store's Facebook page. Specify the item, desired size and your phone number, and if the item comes in, Steele will hold it for you. Also check out the Facebook page for photos of the latest merchandise.

Open since October 2007, Spinderella's Steals is a resale shop, not a consignment store. That means you get store credit, not cash, for the items you bring in. Steele will give you store credit worth half of what she plans to sell them for. So if you bring in a dress and Steele plans to sell it for $20, you'll get a $10 store credit.

That's enough to buy two things off the $5 rack.

Deal Diva Dalia

(Photo by Dalia Colon)

What are your favorite Tampa Bay area indie shops?

Last month you helped us track down Tampa Bay's 10 best dressed. Now we need your help again. The Deal Divas and tbt* are compiling a list of the area's coolest independently owned shops. Think clothing, jewelry, art, home decor, pets, kids, green living and even groceries. What are your faves? You could see your pick profiled in the Dec. 4 issue of tbt*.

Deal Diva Dalia

(Times photo (2004): Jill Wax, owner of La France, a popular vintage clothing store in Ybor City.)

Trade your old costume for a new one at Buffalo Gal Vintage

Today we've been brainstorming Halloween costumes. If DIY isn't your thing and you're too broke to shell out money for a new disguise, then consider this offer from Buffalo Gal Vintage in St. Petersburg:

Bring a men's or women's costume in good condition and exchange it for a traditional or vintage-style costume that's new to you. Women can choose from Buffalo Gal's selection of pinup, rockabilly, vampire and punk gothic getups. For guys, there are zoot suits, Elvis outfits and more.

If you don't find a costume, you'll get store credit to use on Buffalo Gal's vintage and new-reproduction garb from labels like Bettie Page, Pinup Girl and Stop Staring. And the new second-floor men's department is stocked with retro suits, leather jackets, hats and more.

Buffalo Gal Vintage is at 1219 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. N, St. Petersburg. Call (727) 290-8468.

Deal Diva Dalia

(Photo: This sexy sailor girl costume by Pin Up Girl Clothing sells for $62 at PinUpGirlClothing.com. Trade in your old costume for one that's equally va-va-voom at Buffalo Gal Vintage.)

Francesca's Collections boutique opens at WestShore Plaza

There's a new store in town, and its styles and prices are speaking our language.

Francesca's Collections opened at WestShore Plaza on Sept. 19. Consider this boutique shopping without boutique prices. The store, situated between Gap and Soma Intimates, is filled with trendy clothes, fashionable purses, stylish jewelry and cute gift options (kitchy tampon holder, anyone?).

On my visit, I spotted cute $38 dresses that would work great for Florida's fall (i.e., autumnal colors but also short-sleeved). Francesca's staff does a nice job of showing customers how to layer and mix pieces to create different outfits, including a "get this look for under $100" display. If you like Miss Me jeans, you can get those, too.

Diana Gomez, the Tampa store's assistant manager, let me in on a little secret. Francesca's orders only a handful of each size for every piece it sells, so "you're pretty much guaranteed that there aren't going to be 20 people at a party wearing the same thing you are." Amen to that.

The chain runs frequent sales (yipee!), including one through Oct. 4 for 50 percent off all clearance items. Sign up for the mailing list and receive 20 percent off whatever dress Francesca's dubs the "pick of the week."

"We're always running the sales," Gomez said. "It's so beautiful."

Deal Diva Colleen

(Photos: Diamond shadow blouse and Sundance tote, both available at Francesca's.)

Oct. 7 in St. Pete: Find your vintage style

Do you have a closet full of clothes but still feel like you can't dress yourself? S&D Vintage and Spinderella's Steals want to help. The St. Petersburg resale boutiques have teamed up to present You Are What You Wear, an evening of style tips, advice on how to shop consignment and -- now we're talkin' -- wine and cheese.

The Oct. 7 event will take place from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at S&D Vintage, 1100 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg. RSVP by Oct. 4. Spinderella's owner Jennifer Steele and S&D co-owner Shannon West will be your fashion gurus.

"We are teaching people to find their own authentic style," Steele said. "They're displaying their personality through being able to shop vintage, thrift and resale and still be stylish and trendy and not look everybody else."

Admission is $15 and two toiletry items to benefit Operation H.U.G.S., a homeless advocacy group. Guests are also encouraged to bring an item from your wardrobe that you love but can't figure out how to wear. (Sarongs, anyone?) Each participant will leave with a $10 gift certificate good for future use at either store. The event is limited to 20 people.

To RSVP, you can pay in person at either shop or give Steele your credit card info over the phone at (727) 522-3325.

Deal Diva Dalia

University of Florida fans will chomp at the bit for Love That! boutique's Gator merch

If you bleed orange and blue, then head to Love That! boutique tomorrow from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. That's when the South Tampa women's clothing shop will hold a Florida Gators party with special merch, food and giveaways.

Items for sale will include ladies' T-shirts, tank tops, hoodies, baseball caps, sunglasses, watches, hair clips, earrings, writing pens and more. Don't miss iced-out apparel by local designer Bebe Ziegler and Swarovski-encrusted belts, dog collars and cuffs from the national brand B.B. Simon. (The store regularly stocks these items.) A smaller selection of University of South Florida Bulls, Tampa Bay Lightning and Miami Hurricanes paraphernalia will also be offered. And local sandal company Havana Slackers will be on site with discounted footwear.

But wait -- there's more. Outside the boutique, Alligator Bob is scheduled to attend with one of his scaly friends. You can also kick back in the tailgate tent as you nosh on free grilled sausages, beer and gator black bean chili. Yep, it's made with real alligator meat.

"I don't know if that's a good thing to eat your mascot," said Love That! owner Angela Llewellyn. There will also be "girlie" food inside, she said, where Gator football highlights will play on the store's two TVs. And patrons are invited to submit a recipe for swamp juice. The winning alcoholic cocktail will be served at tomorrow's event.

So what's with the UF lovefest?

"My husband's a huge fan. Last holiday, we had some special Gator stuff and it sold so very well," Llewellyn said. "We're doing the gators first because of the national championship. ... We will carry other colleges, as well."

For more info, call Love That! at (813) 902-0500. The store is located at 4109 S MacDill Ave. Just look for the 6-foot-tall blow-up gator.

Deal Diva Dalia

(Photo: This ribbed UF tank top sells for $16.99 at GatorHeaven.com.)

For brand names at consignment prices, stroll through Julie's Walk-In Closet in Brandon

Westfield Brandon rocks my socks, but last week I learned it's not the only place in Eastern Hillsborough County to score brands like Coach, Dolce & Gabbana and Ann Taylor. The new consignment shop Julie's Walk-In Closet at 759 W Brandon Blvd. lives up to its slogan of "consignment shopping with a boutique feeling."

Owner Julie Pomeroy (that's her on your right) worked for 25 years at a veterinary hospital before opening the women's clothing shop on June 18. "We're searching for a shopper who is discriminating, used to quality and not willing to pay full price for those high-end brands," she said when I stopped in last week. Is she speaking our language or what?

On my visit, I found brand names, most at about 70 percent off the retail price, for jeans, tops, dresses, suits, shoes, accessories, maternity wear and more, all organized by size. Love that!

If you're looking to clean out your closet, bring in your like-new clothing and accessories for consignment. Pomeroy is currently accepting light fall items, short-sleeve shirts, shorts, shoes and handbags. You'll get 50 percent of the proceeds. If an item doesn't sell after 90 days, you can pick it up or Pomeroy will donate them to charity.

Keep reading to check out some deals I scoped there last week.

Saturday sale at Designers' Consigner and Designer Exchange in St. Pete

I wrote a story for the St. Petersburg Times recently about development along Central Avenue in St. Petersburg. While reporting, I stumbled into a gem of a consignment shop on the west end near the beach called Designer Exchange. The same owners run Designers' Consigner in downtown St. Pete. I chatted up owner Julie Karikas about serious business for the story, and, like a good shopping addict, about their AMAYZING WARES. They had Trina Turk, Betsey Johnson, Chanel, you name it. It was a sparkly paradise. Here's a picture of the beach store:

Natch, I signed up for their mailing list. Good news. Designers' Consigner (the one downtown at 1033 Central Ave.) is moving out summer items to make way for fall. They're having a sale Saturday only -- take an additional 20 percent off things already marked 75 percent off. Apparently, the sale rack is quite packed. There's also a load off stuff marked half off. Designer Exchange, the beach store at 7038 Central Ave., is having a killer sale, too -- four racks of stuff for $5.

If you go, let us know what you score. And tell them Deal Divas sent you.

~ Deal Diva Stephanie

Photo: Times photo, Dirk Shadd