Black Friday starts early with the Midnight Madness Pajama Jam at Prime Outlets - Ellenton

Want to get a head start on this weekend's shopping madness?

The true deal diehards will be scooping up discounts this Friday from midnight to 8 a.m. at the Prime Outlets in Ellenton. Yes, you read that right. STARTING AT MIDNIGHT. If you need sleep to survive the Black Friday craziness, this might not be the event for you. But if you love the idea of pulling an all-nighter and shopping in your PJs, then drive on down!

As part of the 4th annual Midnight Madness Pajama Jam, the first 500 pajama-clad shoppers in line near Lacoste will receive free goodie bags filled with coupons and giveaways.

What kind of deals will you find at the outlets? Get 40 percent off everything at the Banana Republic Factory Store, up to 60 percent off at Gap Outlet, 30 percent off the entire store stock at GUESS Factory, 25 percent the entire store at Gymboree Outlet, 50 percent off one item at Jones New York, 50 percent off your entire purchase at kate spade, 41 percent off everything at Kenneth Cole...

Okay, you get the picture. Some important things to note: In past years, the I-75 traffic headed to the outlets has been thick, so plan accordingly. Also, many of these deals continue in some fashion throughout the Thanksgiving weekend. If that's the case at your favorites, no need to forgo your sleep to save.

Download the discount details here. (FYI, some stores require that you bring the savings flyer to get the deals.) And for you newbies, the outlets are located at 5461 Factory Shops Blvd. in Ellenton.

Deal Diva Colleen

DEAL DIVAS HOLIDAY BARGAINPALOOZA!

WARNING: BIG FUN AHEAD!

Colleen and I spent Wednesday working from the malls (it's a hard job, but someone has to do it), finding you the best deals you can ALREADY get for holiday shopping. I know, I know, it's only the first week in November, but that's exactly the point. You can't walk into a store without seeing a heavy array of pine and glass bulb ornaments and snowflake window stickies. Just submit to the seasonal retail gods and take advantage of the sales that come with the madness.

An entire opus will run in the St. Petersburg Times tomorrow. We hope readers will take some notes over their coffee before hitting the stores. But for you, loyal Diva fans, we present a sneak peak. And if you've seen any good sales we missed, add them to the comments section!

HOLIDAY SALES BONANZA!

Deal Diva Stephanie

Alicia Silverstone creates an EcoTools makeup bag line. We want Cher Horowitz!

The flaks at EcoTools, the affordable nature-y bath and beauty stuff sold at Walgreens and Target, keep sending me tons of crap. Big fat boxes of swag. Since I've reviewed them before, I planned to chuck this month's haul of green goop into the charity pile. But when I cracked open the box, I saw something -- someone -- that compelled me to spout off:

 

My idol.

Beloved Cher Horowitz, also known as Alicia Silverstone from Clueless, a film which I have seen, oh, A TRILLION TIMES. That's Christian in the background there. Remember when he macked on Cher's stems? And then she baked him a log of cookie dough only to find out he was totally batting for the home team? But it was OK because in the end, she totally ended up with her sexy older ex-stepbrother played by Paul Rudd? Go Cher Horowitz!

The best day of my life was in high school, when someone said I looked like Cher. I was wearing a hot pink glitter mini skirt, a velvet tank top, a fuzzy sweater and matching pink Mary Janes, so it wasn't a stretch, but I felt I had made something of myself. Go Cher Horowitz!

I'm burying the lead. Cher (fine, ALICIA) has created a new line of makeup bags and brushes for EcoTools, available in December. See?

 
Although she looks like she ate a mellow mushroom in that photo, I'm glad she's working. I'm sure she doesn't want to spend life known as the girl who hooked up Ms. Stoeger with Wallace Shawn (although I can't fathom WHY NOT.) And Alicia has long been a granola type, a supporter of animal rights, a known vegan. Good for her! But... but...

It totally shatters my hero worship fantasies. It's like if Superman turned out to be a clerk at 7-11 who takes steroids and runs amok in tights. Or if Dolly Parton pulled a zipper down her back and emerged as Slappy Squirrel.

Anywho, the makeup bags are very pretty. My office homeslice Marilyn tested the brushes and said they're completely soft and luxurious -- not scary and sharp like freeze-dried manure.

The more I think about it, maybe this is something Cher could get behind. After all, she did go through a spiritual transformation at the end, collecting canned goods and bongs for people in need. Maybe she was always headed down the path of crunch.

Oh, heck. Go Cher Horowitz!

Deal Diva Stephanie

Photos: amazon.com, Times files

K-Mart's layaway goes online

So the big news here is that K-Mart's layaway is now online.

That means, you can shop for all the items you want to buy online and then at checkout you chose the layaway program. It's 10 percent down or $15, whichever is greater. You've got eight weeks to pay off the balance. Pick up your items at your nearest K-Mart.

Pretty easy.

Now the harder part is what would I actually buy from K-Mart that would motivate me to actually keep up with these online layaway payments?

As an adult I've always been a tad to impatient for layaway. But as a small child, my mom and grandmother were fond of the plans. That was back when all sorts of stores had layaway, including the small boutiques. I remember my favorite little-girl suit, a beige jacket and skirt combo with pink ribbon embroidery came from my Granny putting a little bit down each week.

Those memories motivated me to take a look at Kmart.com and find some feasible suggestions for this layaway thing. Here's what I found:

 

1. Cookware. I know. I know. It's not sexy or fashionable, but it's needed! Yet it's one of those things that we either have to save up to buy or pull out the credit card for. Why not put a few items on layaway. Like this silver dollar waffle griddle. It would be a hit on the weekends when you've got guests in town. Add a few other needed cooking accessories to the bill and I would be inspired to make my payments on time.

 
  
2.  Gadgets. I'm not a gear head but I do love a nice useful gadget from time to time. And I have fell in love with my husband's PSP. It's basically a mini Playstation that you can not only play games on but also watch movies. Great for a plane ride! The new PSP Go, pictured above, works like an iPod in that you can download all your games and movies from online. At $250 a pop, this is surely something I'd put on layaway.

3. Fragrance. As I perused Kmart.com I was a little taken aback by their perfume selections. They not only had some selections by Gucci, they also had brands like Chanel and Burberry. No, they weren't the latest and greatest of scents, but they were good enough to give away as gifts. So, my thought is this, put a bunch of perfume on layaway now and give it away as Christmas gifts.

 

4. Jewelry. Since K-Mart and Sears are sister companies, the jewelry available online has been taken up a notch. I probably still wouldn't go hog wild and buy a bunch of diamonds and gold from them but there are some items worth considering. I was especially intrigued by their affordable jade pieces. The elephant necklace above is $79.99. But add a bracelet and some earrings and you've got yourself a layaway worthy purchase.

5. Bikes. This is pretty much a no brainer. K-Mart has some cool bikes at good prices. This pink Schwinn is $169.99.

Deal Diva Nicole

 (photos: Kmart.com)

Dillard's clearance center sale means we're in love again

If you're one of the lucky ones - clearly I'm not hence this blog post - you're off work today.

And if you're really lucky, you're getting your shop on today. If so, don't forget to stop by the Dillard's clearance center at University Mall. The Divas have had a bit of a love/hate relationship with this place.

But one thing we can't argue with is an extra 30 to 50 percent off already marked down items, which is exactly what the clearance center is offering right now. Unfortunately the mega sale ends today.

A fellow shopping comrade of mine scored a pair of $50 jeans for just $7.35. That's cheaper than a movie ticket!

At those prices you can even afford to buy a Dear Ol' Deal Diva like myself a little trinket or two. Did I mention I'm working on a holiday?

I kid. I kid.

Deal Diva Nicole

Hard Candy nail polish comes to Wal-Mart

OMG, do you guys remember Hard Candy? The nail polish with the ring on top of the bottle? In the 1990s, there was nothing cooler than Hard Candy. They had the best colors -- sparkly blue, candy pink, marigold yellow. Unforch, it was sold in department store cases and I could never afford it.

Good news for my unfulfilled 90s potential. Hard Candy is getting a new life at Wal-Mart. Starting this month, the nail polish and other fun makeup items will sell for $10 and less, which I can probably scrape up in the couch cushions if I put in some effort.

I'm totally going to get to sit at the cool lunch table. FINALLY.

Deal Diva Stephanie

Photo: Hard Candy

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.

Sampling Queen: EcoTools, Philosophy

I've been hard at work bathing myself. Aren't you glad? Say we get seated together at a soccer match, and my fave team scores, sending me into wild, arms-up glee of GOOOOAAAALLL!!  Since I've been bathing so much, I won't offend your nostrils!

Of more importance, though, are the products up for review. On the chopping block this week: EcoTools, a brand of Earth-friendly beauty stuff available at Walgreens in the $8-$15 range. Slogan: "Bring the green into your shower scene."

Ugh. The poor folks at EcoTools probably approached the wrong gal. I'm not what you'd call an environmental steward. The whole "go green" mantra actually bugs me. It's just too much. Like... OK, say you walk through a grassy field, and those little prickly spurs stick in the bottom of your jeans, and you spend 20 minutes plucking them, and you put your jeans through the wash, and then a week later you find MORE PRICKLY SPURS, and you realize they have taken over your life, and FRENCH TOAST, now they're also stuck in your carpet. That's how "go green" feels to me. Incessant. Annoying. We get it.

Still, I can't hate on something just because it has broad, overbearing intentions. So here are my honest thoughts on the products:

The "Blooming Planet" body mist, my fave, smells so pretty and clean. I've kept it in my car for last minute spritzes before work. The "Clean Skin, Cleaner World" (seriously?) body wash has a nice lather. The "Sustainable Softness" (kill me now) body lotion and "One Hand Helps the Other" (whhhyyy) hand cream smell more, uh, wood-ish, more lumberjacky. I want something more feminine. I don't want to smell like a cedar chest of drawers. The lotions are rich and smooth, but take a while to absorb. The "Love Heels All" (I just can't deal with this) heel cream is sort of brisk, thick and menthol-y. Nice.

All in all, it's a nice drug store brand, a good gift for the budding granola in your life -- that is, if you can stomach the preaching messages on the bottles:

"By timing your shower and keeping it under five minutes, you can save up to 1,000 gallons of water a month." Or... "If everyone viewed and paid their bills online, instead of printing, we could keep over 18.5 million trees growing each year."

PRICKLY SPUR.

I recently switched from EcoTools to a bottle of Philosophy's Mint Chocolate Chip body wash/shampoo/bubble bath, $16.99 at Target. It smells exactly like it sounds (delicious), and it also comes with a message on the bottle -- a recipe for ice cream!

That, I can appreciate.

~ Deal Diva Stephanie

Photo: EcoTools, Target

BONUS: Here's a video of ABBA singing Dancing Queen. If you replace the word "dancing" with the word "sampling," you'll have the same song that's been raging through my head all day! Enjoy!

Hump day gem: Designer dress for $10

I'll make this brief.

I just spotted this designer Ellen Tracy silk dress at Marshall's (3802 S. Dale Mabry Hwy.) for $10.

Yes, I repeat, $10.

Said dress is $47.97 at smartbargains.com.

Last time I checked, sizes 6 and 8 were left.

 ~ Deal Diva Nicole

[picture: smartbargains.com]

Back to school trends that won't make you panic

It's the first day of school. You are locked in a cold panic, sweat beads landing in your eyeshadow. You accidentally inhale aerosol hairspray.Your entire closet is strewn about like a scene from Soylent Green. Your mother glares at you with intense scorn.

Putting together a first day outfit is rough.

You can't look too fresh, like a guy who gets a hair cut on his wedding day. You can't look like you were up all night plotting with whiteboards and pie charts. You also also can't look dirty and sick, like you had a Slurpee bender all summer.

To aid our young readers in the awful process, Deal Divas present our top five back to school looks. Pick up a few of these pieces and pair them with stuff you already have. You'll look expertly balanced and confident, ready to focus on more important things, like getting to the cafeteria YooHoo cart before it's sold out.

Bohemian

I feel like boho has been a "trend" every season since 1967. Alas, it's 2009 and here we go. It's still awesome, though, mostly because you can eat eight Pop Tarts and no one will notice the bloat. And a one-piece sack is the nicest thing you can do for yourself at 6 a.m. when you are up, but legally might still be considered asleep. Try this one, $24.99 by Xhilaration at Target. Throw on a denim jacket for dress code.

Distressed denim

Your mom will hate you for this, but when has that ever stopped you? Ripped jeans are hot right now, seen on everyone from Reese Witherspoon to Rachel Bilson. Try pairing them with a crisp top and bold jewelry so you don't look totally transient. These Decree boyfriend jeans are on sale for $24.99 at JCPenney. Or, make your own at home by doing knee skids down the driveway.

Scarves

We know it's like 99-point-schweaty degrees out, but these fringed dohickeys are showing up everywhere. If you can stand the stuff on your neck, a lightweight summer scarf is a simple way to bring an old white tee into this millennium without spending a ton of money. This one is only $8 at Dillard's department stores, and look how cute this chick is. Yeah, we hate her, too.

 

Plaid

You no longer have to work on a dude ranch or herd sheep in Scotland to sport plaid without looking dumb. It's everywhere right now, from lumberjack prints to vintage western styles. Guys, try one of these cool, button-down plaid shirts from Old Navy, $15.25. It's inexpensive, and it'll woo the ladies better than your smelly Rays jersey.

 

Oversized bags

Backpacks are gross, aren't they? I always forgot vanilla sandwich cookies in the bottom of mine, and my (incomplete) math homework got covered in yellow sugar dust. Around 11th grade, I decided to switch to something more sophisticated to hold my cookie dust -- an oversized shoulder bag. They add a pop of fun to your school look without saying, "I'm going hiking in northern Vermont!" This awesome Deux Lux Pintuck Satchel is on sale at Urban Outfitters for $39.

Happy shopping!

~ Deal Diva Stephanie

Photos: Target, JCPenney, Dillard's, Old Navy, Urban Outfitters