Light up pitchfork:  $1 @ EFADS
Silver masquerade mask:  $2 @ Dollar Park
Animal shaped soap:  free @ The Body Shop

Last minute Halloween shopping for something that turned out to be a bust.

I'm a sucker for things that light up, so I bought the pitchfork on a whim.  It came with batteries, but they turned out to be dead.  I probably won't ever take it outside, but it amused me.

The mask I bought for a last minute costume.  The feathers used to be in the middle of the mask, but that looked stupid.

The base is surprisingly decent quality for the price.  I thought I might go back for the gold one, but they had them all packed away the next time I went.

The Body Shop was giving away soap on Halloween.  It was advertised in the front window, but you had to go ask for it. 

I got a bear and a rhino, my brother got a turtle and elephant.  Saw a dolphin in the mix but didn't like the color. 

I also ended up getting a sample of one of their creams.  I saw they had a lot of sulphate free shampoos, so I'll probably try one the next time I need shampoo.

I haven't been to that store in decades.  Everything smelled sooo good, and I like how they keep things as natural as possible.  Prices are pretty decent too, so I'll have to go back during a worthwhile sale.

Black quilted purse w/turn lock closure and chain strap:  $3.33 @ Ardene (RSP:  $14.50)
Black circular quilted purse:  $3.33 @ Ardene (RSP:  $14.50)
Black fringe purse w/hook accent:  $3.34 @ Ardene (RSP:  $16.99)
Kroemer soap:  $2 @ Winners (RSP:  $12)

I ended up going to one of the Shoe Warehouses I couldn't get to yesterday.  That one was a bust, but I noticed that the Ardene there was crazy cheap.  It's the first time in a decade I've seen a 10 for $10 sale there!

All shoes, bags, and wallets were priced at 3 for $10.  Sometimes some of the other Ardenes have 3 for $10 sales on their purses, but only on a very small (and usually ugly) selection.

Not this store!  All of their purses were that price, and there was a huge selection. I ended up getting a bunch of purses I had been eyeing for a while.

I really wish I didn't buy this purse since I could have gotten it for half the price if I waited until now!

Soap is from the Winners near the Shoe Warehouse with the ridiculous turnaround time.  It was only clearanced because the music mechanism wasn't working.

I ended up buying it because I like using different soaps, the box was pretty, and I thought I might be able to fix it.  Fixed it, I'm a genius!

I noticed a lot of those soaps came in really gorgeous boxes, and the music box addition is such a cool idea.  I'm just a sucker for pretty things like that.

I never really bothered to before, but I'm definitely going to be checking out that section from now on!  Most of them come in such beautiful boxes, featuring the kind of artwork I adore.

Betseyville - Lucky - vinyl platform rain boots:  $5 @ Shoe Warehouse (RSP:  $149.95)
Extrem - Casciano - purple suede boots:  $5 @ Shoe Warehouse (RSP:  $229.95)

Ended up visiting 7 Shoe Warehouses today.  My plan was to go to all of the ones I could get to via public transit-there were actually two more I wanted to go to, but I ended up running out of time.

It ended up being pretty disappointing, slim pickings all around.  Next time I'll attempt this earlier in the sale.

I saw the above at the first two Shoe Warehouses I went to.  There were actually two more boots I wanted to buy, but I didn't want to carry them around-since there were about ten left (in total for both), I didn't think it would be a problem.

When I went back a few hours later, I was horrified to see them completely cleared out-I ended up finding one pair stashed away somewhere.

I thought they had just moved them, but it turns out they were all sold!  It was mind boggling.

Even though they had one color left in the size I prefer, since I saw they had an even bigger size, I didn't want to settle for that one.

I didn't end up seeing them anywhere else (as I thought might happen) so I ended up going back the next day.  Sadly, they were gone.  Oh well, lesson learned. 

I'll admit I ended up going back for the purple boots to lesson the pain of the above. They're my exact shoe size, so they're pretty uncomfortable.

They were just such great quality though (leather, made in Italy) and I don't have any boots in that color, I just had to have them. 

Roberto Vianni - black peep toe slingbacks:  $5 @ Shoe Warehouse (RSP:  $69.95)
Vianni Collection - black creased leather boots:  $7.50 @ Shoe Warehouse (RSP:  $229.95)

Turns out my solemate had a partner!  I was beyond happy when I saw them today-only one pair, in the exact size I prefer!

I hadn't seen them anywhere else, but they were still marked at $25.  I knew they could be $15 elsewhere, but I didn't know if they would be available anywhere else.

So I took the plunge and bought them anyway.  They ended up being the right price, so I got them for the same price as the other one.  Hooray!

The other ones are the same style as the one I bought yesterday, but that purchase is of course overshadowed by the one above!

Rinaldi - white lace up boots:  $7.50 @ Shoe Warehouse (RSP:  $70+)

Roberto Vianni - peep toe lace up slingbacks:  $5 @ Shoe Warehouse (RSP:  $69.95)

Upon learning that the half off sale had commenced, I just had to go back to this location and try my luck.

Most of the ones I wanted were still available-including the white boots above.  They're in pretty tried on condition, but hopefully they'll look better after a wipe down.

I remember seeing the slingbacks for $25 at the beginning of my shoe warehouse revival-I'm glad I waited until now to get them!

BeWild - brown fringe lace up boots:  $7.50 @ Shoe Warehouse (RSP:  $70+)

BeWild - black fringe lace up boots:  $7.50 @ Shoe Warehouse (RSP:  $70+)

I'm deliriously happy that I waited until now to get these boots.  The brown ones are pretty ubiquitous, but this was the first time I've encountered their raven counterparts.

After this fiasco, I decided to hold out for size 10's whenever possible.  The biggest size I could find thus far was a 9, so I was starting to think that was the largest one available in this style.

Capa de Ozono - greta - brown leather wedge boots w/flower accents:  $5 @ Shoe Warehouse (RSP:  $100+)

Roberto Vianni - brown leather boots:  $5 @ Shoe Warehouse (RSP:  $189.95)

These were some other boots on my list. I didn't think much of the first pair the first time around, but they ended up growing on me.  I thought the flower detailing was quaint and cute.

The second pair was the one I mentioned here-the nice, though somewhat plain ones.  Both of them were steals since they were made out of leather.

These boots were still there, so I kind of wish I waited.

I'm glad I bought the Sam Edelman boots when I did though, since other pair was long gone.

I actually resolved myself to buying that second pair if they were still here today.  I would have cut the fringes off of that one.  Oh well, c'est la vie!

BeWild - black suede lace up boots:  $7.50 @ Shoe Warehouse (RSP:  $70+)

BeWild - brown suede lace up boots:  $7.50 @ Shoe Warehouse (RSP:  $70+)

BeWild - biege suede lace up boots:  $7.50 @ Shoe Warehouse (RSP:  $70+)

I actually came back for these ones.  It took me a painfully long time to decide, since it was the same kind of deal as the BeWild boots above.

I had looked all over, and could only find these boots in size 9-since these were basically built like runners, I resigned myself to defeat here.

At first it was only the black pair (since I hadn't seen that color elsewhere), but then the other two followed suit.  I really hope I don't see some 10's down the road.

They are all the same style, just different colours.

When I first saw them back in January they were $25, so I'm pretty happy that I could get 3 of them for even less than that now! 

They're really nice quality-probably the best I've seen from this brand so far.

Genuine leather, fully lined with fur on the inside-really warm and comfortable.  I'm also exceedingly partial to the pompoms, and lace up boots are my preference.

I just wonder if they'll go down anymore.  I've pretty much seen this boot at every location I've visited, so they might be around for a while.

I also saw these boots in red for $5.  I thought the cream ones were fabulous, but they struck me as somewhat ugly looking in red.

It was an incredibly unflattering, pinkish red-each pair also had a mysterious stain on the same side, which made it even easier to pass up.

Also passed on these Rinaldi boots in black, two other pairs of leather boots, and three other boots.  See, I can restrain myself a little!

Admittedly, I would have bought one of those boots if they were size 10's.

It was such a shame...they were low heeled and had such a cute design-also remarkably uncomfortable considering they were supposedly bigger than my actual size.

BeWild - black patent boots w/buckle detail:  $7.50 @ Shoe Warehouse (RSP:  $70+)

Finally, final clearance time!  All clearanced items are now half off.

I saw these boots back when they were $25...I wanted them then, but I'm really glad I waited. 

I thought they would work out to $12.50-imagine my delight when they were marked down once again when I arrived!

I still lament this purchase though-two more pairs there, I definitely could have gotten them for $5 instead.

Oh well.  The rest of this week will be filled with more Shoe Warehouse trips! 

I hope there'll still be something left.  The first two I went to today were pretty cleared out, compared to the selection from a week ago.

I'm extremely happy that I ended up buying these boots when I did-especially the cognac boots. 

I'm pretty sure the timing was a mistake, since the sale was 'over' when I went back a few days later. 

They had about 4 pairs the last time I checked, but none to be found when I went today.  I would have been pretty upset if I couldn't get them, they're my favourite pair so far!

Sam Edelman - Uri - camel - tan suede over the knee boot:  $7.50 @ Shoe Warehouse (RSP:  $268.95)
Roberto Vianni - brown leather boots with button detail:   $7.50 @ Shoe Warehouse (RSP:  $179.95)

Today was a very sobering experience.  I was confronted with something I've never experienced before-a literal windfall of boots in my size and preferred price range!

There were seriously 15 pairs of boots that I would probably have snatched up if I found them at different times.  Due to the copious amount of boots I've gotten of late, I decided it was time to be more judicial with my boot purchases from now on.

In the end, I just walked away with the above two.  Just had to go for the Uri boots again, the quality is amazing and the style isn't common.  Also, I kind of like knowing I own something that Mischa Barton and other 'celebrities' own. 

The second ones aren't that exceptional overall, but I liked the quality.  Leather, simple design, somewhat stylish, unusual heel I don't have yet (a bit tapered in the middle), nice, classy, and comfortable on.

The rest were easy to pass up because they were either uncomfortable, nothing special design wise, made of cheap feeling material, or just not made of leather.

I actually did pass up a pair of brown leather boots that I thought were quite nice, but there were pretty plain.  They were comfortable and looked good though, so I might go back once their half off sale starts.

Now that my closet is pretty much hemorrhaging boots, I'll probably only be buying leather boots that are significantly different from the pairs I already have.

Though....I might still be taking home some of the aforementioned rejects when they're half off! 

The stylish, not so comfortable ones.  At the very least, I would enjoy looking at them, and wearing them for short periods of time!

Vianni Collection - brown suede boots:  $7.50 @ Shoe Warehouse (RSP:  $189.95)
Vianni Collection - black suede boots:  $7.50 @ Shoe Warehouse (RSP:  $189.95)

I was really busy today!

The above are the same, just in different colours.  Two different sizes too.  I would have preferred a size smaller for the black ones, but that was all they had.

Now I wish I bought the brown ones a size bigger!  I found them in that size at another Shoe Warehouse I went to....still might get them.

The heels are only about an inch, so the boots are pretty comfortable.  Especially since they're larger than my actual size.

Genuine suede too, so they were a total steal.

Rinaldi - dark burgundy boots:  $7.50 @ Shoe Warehouse (RSP:  $69.95)
Steve Madden - Sergeant - black platform boots:   $7.50 @ Shoe Warehouse (RSP:  $159.95)

I love Steve Madden!  I snatched these up the moment I saw them.  I would prefer if they weren't made of nylon (as I prefer leather like materials), but I'm a sucker for lace up boots.

The other ones I just bought to round out my purchases.  Now I kind of regret it (more in the next post), since the quality really isn't that great.  Pretty cheap feeling pvc (not the worst I've seen), but I thought it looked nice enough on.

HP pink plaid netbook:  $53.60 @ Future Shop (RSP:  $379.99)
Hello Kitty mouse:  $2.26 off Ebay

This was my birthday gift from my family-I waited about a month for this.  The netbook, not the mouse.

I'm not really fond of hello kitty, but I wanted a cute, pink, mouse.  This one was the cutest, and also the cheapest, hence my acquisition of it.  It actually ended up being way better than expected-lights up and everything!  

I bought the mouse myself in anticipation of receiving the netbook..had it a good two weeks before I actually received said netbook.

It had to be this one!  I love pink, and this is the prettiest netbook I've seen.  Bonus points for pink plaid, minus points for the shade discrepancy (it's really more purple on the cover, though the inside is a lovely, solid, pink).

Throughout the past two months, they ran through several promotions/price ranges-there were a few times where I almost took the plunge but bailed in the last minutes.  Each time, I decided to wait until a better deal came around.

Well, it finally came!  I checked out Best Buy's website on a whim one day, and noticed it was finally on sale for $299.99!

Naturally, I assumed that Future Shop would follow suite since they are owned by the same company.  Sadly (or so I thought) that wasn't the case.

Long story short, I ended up getting a price match, plus another eight bucks off due to their lowest price guarantee.

With the gift card my mom redeemed from her credit card (which was free), and another free $25 visa gift card, the total ended up being a whopping $53.60 out of pocket.  Totally unimaginable, incredibly delirium inducing.

Leopard print studded chain purse:  $5.75 @ Ardene (RSP:  $11.50)

I barely shop at Ardene.  Most of the time I find their merchandise expensive and cheaply made.

This one was no exception, except I really loved the style.  Such a shame that the pleather is such crappy quality...feels like electrical tape.  Seriously.

For that quality, I really wouldn't want to pay more than $4 for it.  I've gotten way better purses at Claire's for half the price!

Well, I ended up getting it anyway, since I liked the style that much.

I'm not too crazy about the strap coming up through the top though...I'm thinking about restringing it to come out through the sides.

The purses they offer are probably the crappiest quality items they have there.  Probably on par with dollar store stuff, I don't see purses that poor that often. 

I remember they used to have 10 for $10 sales once in a blue moon, but I haven't seen one in almost a decade!  I wonder if they discontinued them.

I prefer Claire's on all levels.  Their stock seems to change more often, the quality is much better, and they're always better priced in the end.

Sam Edelman - Uri - roasted chestnut - brown suede over the knee boot:  $5 @ Shoe Warehouse (RSP:  $268.95)

Vianni Collection - black leather/nylon boots:  $5 @ Shoe Warehouse (RSP:  $229.95)

Vianni Collection - cognac creased leather boots:  $7.50 @ Shoe Warehouse (RSP:  $229.95)

I had such a crappy day today-little did I know how much better it would get that night!

I decided to go to this one on a whim-I actually went to the mall for an entirely different reason.  Well, turns out the timing was right!

They had just marked the above down yesterday, while the new half off sale commenced today!  I doubt these would have been left if I came any later.

They actually weren't even on the shelves yet!  I almost missed them, they were stacked in a corner on one of the sides. 

The Sam Edelman boots were actually still on the top shelves-I had to ask a sales associate to bring them down.

They're probably the best quality boots I have so far-I was really impressed by them!  The insoles are cushioned to a pretty insane degree, and there are just a lot of nice little details I don't see in many other brands.  Genuine leather, a total steal at $5!  

Definitely my best deal so far.  Pretty odd sizing though-9.5.  Haven't seen that around very often, and currently my only one so far.

The second one is the same as the one I bought previously.  I bought them again because these were slightly bigger-40, while the first ones were 39.

The first ones were comfortable, but these ones were even moreso!  For only $5, I just couldn't pass them up.  

Then, the last boots...those are the most beautiful boots I've ever seen!

When I first saw them, they were $50.  Genuine leather and gorgeous, I was almost tempted to pay that price...but decided that I'd wait until they were $25 or so.

Well, I never saw them go down to $25.  I didn't see them for a long time, so I thought someone else had already snatched them up.  Imagine my surprise (and delight) today when I saw them for $15, with no markdowns in between!  

That would have been enough of a steal, but $7.50 was just unfathomable.  My dream shoes for that cheap!  I had my choice out of a few sizes, so I ended up getting the biggest one (41).

Realllly comfortable, and they only had one at that size. A couple of 39's too, which I probably would have settled for if my fortune wasn't as good today.

I'm almost tempted to go back and buy a 'back up' pair, but I probably won't.  Probably.