deals galore!!!

new blog post over at my blog:

JUST ANOTHER PREPPY SHOPAHOLIC

http://www.justanotherpreppyshopaholic.blogspot.com/2012/04/omg-seriously.html

can't wait...

new blog post over at

JUST ANOTHER PREPPY SHOPAHOLIC

click on the link below:
http://justanotherpreppyshopaholic.blogspot.com/2012/02/heads-up.html

it's here! it's here! come on over...

it's here!!!!!

so excited to see that my PINK SWAP package arrived!!

what's inside? let me show you....

you could imagine my excitement when i opened up the box to find a VERA BRADLEY tote inside! AWESOME! what could possibly be inside? the excitement continues...

SO EXCITED, i love everything!!! esp. the VERA BRADLEY wallet -- super cute pattern [very berry paisley] and how about those note cards, notepad and those pink & green pencils...THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

seriously though, could the note cards be any cuter! LOVE 'EM!!!!

below is a closeup of the wallet...LOVE IT!
thank you again peace love and applesauce for everything! it was having you as a PINK SWAP partner...YOU ROCK!

oh well, hope your week is going well! tonight i got a manicure and the color i chose was no spain no pain from OPI. i almost went with pink flamingo to match what is on my toes but wanted something a little darker to match my outfit for a bridal shower i have this weekend.

have a great night!

~ PLD

what do you think? oh, and you have to try these...

greetings!

tonight i had my nails done and of course to match my new gucci hobo! what do you think? not bad, right! i know, i need some color -- right! please don't remind me, lol! now if only i could remember the name of the nail polish? it's from OPI and starts with a "c" and it was a really long name. darn it! next time, ha! ha!

oh well, i forgot to post a photo of the brookside dark chocolates with acai with blueberry...YUMMO!!! the chocolates just happened to be one of the samples at costco! i swear that's how i buy most of my stuff, no sense buying something at the grocer only to get home and be disappointed! if only trader joe's had more samples! whole foods, weekends are the best time for samples there! yea, i am up on my "sampling" - LOL!!

...did i tell you i love costco!!!!

sometimes i find myself going there just for the samples! have you ever done that? come on, i can't be the only one! ha! ha!

it's sort of like walking into target -- you can't get out w/out spending at least $75.00. for some of you it might be more like $100.00 or better yet $150.00, ha! ha!

anyway, i decided to allow myself 1/4 c. of these chocolates a day! best of all, i get my daily chocolate fix while taking in the health benefits as well! it's a WIN - WIN for everyone, LOL!

if you haven't tried these chocolates, you should! 2 lb. bag retails for just under $10.00! just hope my husband doesn't find my stash!

have a great night!

~ PLD

UPDATE 1/19/11:

sun of a gun, just my luck...as i was leaving the bathroom my index finger nail caught on the frickin' latch...S.O.B!!!

oh, i am SO mad!!! which one of you out there jinxed me?!?!? LOL!

my nails were the perfect length [no fake nails for PLD...NEVER!!!!!] and now my index nail is as short as it can get! so pissed!!

i don't you know about you, but if one of my nails breaks/cracks they all get cut down! drives me nuts, but i am making an exception this time! normally, i would cut all the others down but since i am going away this weekend i'll let it slide this time!

oh well, anyone else anal about their nails? i know i'm not the only one out there!!! ;)

so excited....

so excited, looks like santa gave us [okay, "me" since my husband really doesn't care about a subscription to the grosse pointe news, since we moved away a few years ago. ha! ha!] an early christmas present! how did he know i wanted subscription to the grosse pointe news? i haven't subscribed to the grosse pointe news in at least 2 years?!?!? so excited, i'm used to reading the online version every thursday, but the information is limited! it will be nice to have this in my mailbox every thursday for the next 52 week or so! YIPPEE!!!

CURIOUS, DO YOU STILL SUBSCRIBE TO YOUR HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER?

if you have been following my blog, you would know that i really don't want anything for christmas. pathetic, i know! ha! ha! after all, i am constantly shopping and treating myself to whatever i want, so for this subscription to my hometown newspaper to arrive is pretty awesome!

i wonder who bought us the subscription? hmmmmm, i have a few of guesses! ha! ha!

UPDATE: i opened up the gpnews to find out it was last thursday's issue? i should have known better than to think it was today's copy! ha! ha! ha!

speaking of hometown newspapers, what sections do you frequent? a few years ago when everyone was getting married it was the engagement section, then everyone started getting pregnant so it was the birth announcement section and now for some unknown reason i find myself checking out the obituaries...sheesh, what's up with that? ha! ha! then of course i check out the real estate section, but that's been pretty depressing for years!!!!

we still have our house in grosse pointe, but we have had it leased for the past 4 years. we bought during the height of the market and unfortunately our house has probably lost at least $125,000 worth of it's value [GULP!!!!] if we tried selling it today! totally sucks, but the man above has a plan for everyone so i know everything will work out in the end!

enough about the housing market, it turns me into debbie downer!

...so the boursin cheese and pretzel chips was a hit! i knew it would be, ha! ha! thanks to costco, i have 2 more things of boursin to share with friends and family over the holidays!
oh, i forgot to post this on sunday but did anyone who subscribes to the chicago tribune notice the $10 coupon from fannie may candies?!?!? just like last year, so of course i bought 3 more papers!!

unfortunately, $10 doesn't go very far over at fannie may candies. i am not a fan of fannie may, but FREE is FREE ---- and you know i am all about FREE, who wouldn't be - DUH!!!

so i bought some hot chocolate and gummy bears....OOP cost a mere .53 cents!! can't beat it, lol!! i will admit i love their "mint" and "pixie" hot chocolate, along with their ice cream! YUMMY!!! well, it's finally snowing out! we were supposed to get some snow last night and of course the weather guy was WRONG!!! ha! ha!

oh well, have a great night!

~ PLD

OMG!

tonight i stopped over at costco for some boursin cheese and pretzel chips for tomorrow. not sure about you, but i love boursin cheese! it's perfect for holiday entertaining and is often a party staple here in the midwest! YUMMY!!! well, as i was wondering around costco i am across this HUGE 55" disney stocking...OMG! too cool, what child would not love to have this HUGE stocking full of presents christmas morning! ha! ha! ha!i forgot the price but i know it was around $27.00 -- i think?!?!?

guess what arrived? if you have been following my blog you know....my new leather boots from land's end! LOVE 'EM!!!
they are actually super comfy, not those stiff boots that need a little breaking into before they are comfortable! so excited, and of course ---- we are suppose to get 1-4 inches of SNOW! UGH!!! guess i better waterproof them ASAP! ha! ha!

ironically, i thought i purchased the boots in 9.5, after all it was the only size left. well, it certainly doesn't look as though these are 9.5 boots?!?!? lucky for me they are a perfect fit....YIPPEE!!

oh well, hope you are almost done if not done with your christmas shopping! i have for a few weeks now and loving every moment of it! don't get me wrong, i love shopping but i hate crowded malls, parking wars, long lines and so on....so i'll just sit back relax and then hit the stores after christmas once everything goes on sale, LOL!

have a great night!

~ PLD

Impressive!

greetings!

yesterday, i stopped at costco, picked up the latest food network magazine and a box of handy "all natural" homemade crab cakes.

so tonight i couldn't wait to have a crab cake for dinner. i ended up baking the the crab cake in the oven for 26 minutes at 400 degrees. oh, i also put some butter on top! after all, everything tastes better with butter -- doesn't it?!!? at least according to paula dean! hee! hee!

the crab cake was awesome! not too much breading [nothing worse than a crab cake full of bread!] and lots of pieces of decent sized crab! i'd post of photo, but once again i lost yet ANOTHER scan-disk card....darn it! why does this always happen to me?!?!!? so instead, you'll have to settle with a photo of the box from my phone...LOL!

i also created a great apricot marmalade dipping sauce! basically, i used a little mustard, a little lemon juice, some mayo and some apricot marmalade! compliments to the chef, it actually tasted awesome!

plus, you can't beat the savings from dining at home! considering what we pay when we go out to eat! $14.99 for a box of 6 crab cakes at costco is a steal!

also, last night i stopped over at ulta and picked up a bottle of the nail polish below which is called big spender. don't you just love that name! hee! hee!

i just love the color! i also picked up a cuticle cutter [why, i haven't a clue! read on...] and then a bottle of creamy cuticle remover from develop 10 [better question, what the hell was i thinking??!!?].

so last night i tried out the cuticle remover. well, this crap went from creamy to dry, sticky and just plain GROSS! is this suppose to do this? i checked the expiration date and it's good until 2012. oh well, i am tempted just to return the crap! it didn't do a thing to my cuticles! what a waste of $!

then i tried using my cuticle cutter....OMG, talk about a botched job! i think i better leave the cuticle thing to the professionals! you know those nail tech ladies make it look so darn easy!! ha! ha!

i swear there is never a dull moment in my life...LOL!

oh well, hope you all have a great night!

later!

~ PLD

i need your help...

happy friday!

i was at costco a couple of days ago and after a trying sample, i bought this large bottle of sun dried tomatoes:

yup, that would be 2lbs. of sun dried tomatoes!

if you are a member of costco and love sun dried tomatoes ---this is a must! i think it was right around $7.99? YUMMY!!

anyway, now that i have this large bottle of sun dried tomatoes in olive oil i need help with some recipes so i can start enjoying my sun dried tomatoes.

below are a couple of recipes i found on the food network:

penne with sun-dried tomato pesto [giada de laurentiis]

lemon pepper fettuccini with artichokes and sun dried tomatoes [florentyna's pasta factory, inglewood, ca] --- this one sounds really good! i love artichokes!

steak pinwheels with sun-dried tomato stuffing [sandra lee] -- the recipe also includes rosemary mashed potatoes ....sorry, not a fan of rosemary, so i left that part out!

i did a search on google and surprisingly didn't see much? i am sure there must be a cook book using sun dried tomatoes out there some where?

do you have a favorite recipe using sun dried tomatoes?

if so, i'd love to hear about your favorites!

i am thinking about making a breakfast souffle w/ eggs, sun dried tomatoes, artichokes, mushrooms and asiago cheese. sounds yummy, at least i think so! better head downstairs and start cooking!

have a great day!

~ PLD

what a week!

hey there, congrats to all you blackhawks fans out there! the what....49 year draught has ended! blah! blah! blah! maybe the cubs can do the same thing one of these years....LOL!! oh well, next year is a new season --- go red wings! :)

anyway, who knew GPS systems could be SO much fun! seriously!!!

i am great with directions, but i have to tell you the garmin nuvi 1490t i bought at rue la la ....ROCKS!

....so much fun!

although, i am still trying to figure out the whole bluetooth thing!

i activated the bluetooth feature on my t-mobile g1 cell phone but can't seem to get the two to sync! any advise????

can't wait to take it on our next road trip. okay, up to lake geneva, wi and we already know the route but it will be fun to use it anyway! ha! ha!

actually, it will come in handy when we head up to door county, wi next month! haven't been to door county in a few years! i am still trying to make reservations....wish me luck! any advise on door county - places to visit, shop, dine ---- you name it....share it here, thanks!!

oh yeah, before i forget....i stopped at costco tonight and checked out the magazine selection and some of you inquired about the savings. well, i read the sign this time and you can save around 30% off newsstand prices!

have a great night!

~ PLD

saturday's post, come on over...

good morning!

my husband is already off golfing and i have so much planned for today! first off, i need to make a stop at costco to pick up some 4 or 5 metal shelving units. why do they have to open at 9:30am on a saturday?!?!?! shouldn't they be open by 8am...i certainly think so! ha! ha!

last night my husband and i enjoyed happy hour over at the white chocolate grill. love that place, yummy!!! anyway, after i decided to go shopping. SHOCKER!

i stopped over at nordstrom's and bought my mom a gift. she reads my blog, so i can't say what i bought. then i ventured over to costco where i played with a couple of GPS systems:

magellan roadmap 1700 GPS w/a 7" screen

garmin nüvi® 1450 5"

my t-mobile g1 has GPS features, but i just had so much fun that i am contemplating buying one. my parents bought the garmin nüvi® 1450 5" and love it!

i know many of you have these fun gadgets to get you around. so i want to know your thoughts on the magellan and the garmin....is it worth it?

does the system ever fail on you? your feedback would be much appreciated! if i end up buying one i am definitely going to order online since, it ends up being $50 cheaper than the store...WEIRD!

oh well, on my way back home i stopped by swoozie's....but they had already closed for the day! boo!!!

i peaked in and saw lilly pulitzer finally on sale for 50% off! they had tons of stuff...i am definitely going to stop by after costco! i might even pick something to giveaway on my blog...i am due for another blog giveaway! check back....time will tell! :)

almost forgot to mention, eveything is now 50-70% off! YEAH and that store was packed! :)

anyway, after peaking in at the windows at swoozie's i ventured a few doors down to my favorite bakery cafe! i highly recommend anyone visiting oak brook, illinois, to visit labriola. i love this place!

check out their bread selection:
and how about these soft pretzels that you can purchase w/beer cheese:
and check out this almond croissant:
just realized i forgot to take photos of the bakery area...ops! anyway, the food, pastries and mocha's are awesome....and now i am STARVING from looking at those photos - darn it! :)

oh well, it's only 8:10am and costco isn't open for another 80 mins....ugh! i really need to get to costco for those shelving units, so i can tackle my garage--- aka storage! UGH! plus, i want to go over to armitage and michigan ave. for a little retail therapy! it's going to be a great day!

take care and enjoy the weekend!

~ PLD

thank you....

thank you all for sharing your favorite perfumes w/me! i am still looking to purchase another bottle or two.

this afternoon i made it over to nordstrom's to exchange the outfit i bought my nephew. i also ventured upstairs to check out a few scents. turns out there was a perfume event going on and well i ended up with a 1 oz. bottle of hanae morie parfum for $90. i also learned that the magical moon scent that i had before is no longer being sold at nordstrom's. macys will be carry it instead. anyway, i was tempted to but the eau de toilette bottle for $65.00, but was talked into the $90 parfum bottle instead. why? because if i bought the parfum i would get a FREE bottle of body cream a $53.00 value...SOLD!

sorry for the horrible photo...i am still searching for both of my digital cameras! i hope to find them soon!

while at the checkout counter, i was suckered me into signing up for the MOD card! UGH...i have been asked several times, each times i was strong and said, "NO!"...not today! darn it all! she was good! so i added a $10 gift card and they are sending me a $20 gift card, certificate or something like that. i felt uncomfortable providing my SSN and banking information, but went with it! oh well....at least now i will accrue points! hee! hee! looking back i should have joined earlier...oh well! when are those 10 point days? hee! hee!

i also stopped at talbot's and bought my mom a gift card for mother's day. i wrapped it, isn't the wrapping paper cute. i love it! now all i need is a bow and it's all set!

oh well, check out the tulips below -- aren't they beautiful! i couldn't pass up taking a photo..sorry! ha! ha!
yesterday i picked up a dungeness crab and now i need to decide what to do with it? so many choices! guess i better search for some simple recipes! it was a steal at costco for $4.99/lb. too good of a deal to pass up! i love costco!

say hello to my little friend... :)

oh, almost forgot there is a little story behind this dungeness crab! my parents are on vacation and spent the weekend in annapolis. today they stopped in d.c. and are in alexandria at this moment.

i told them to check out buddy's ribs & crabs [best seafood buffet!!!] and phillip's. they ate at cantler's riverside inn one night, lunch at buddy's yesterday and they ate at mcgarvey's the first night. today they had lunch at the fish market in alexandria and for dessert they were heading up to la madeleine! love la madeleine!! all before heading down to williamsburg for a wekk!

meanwhile, i gave them tips and pointers of places to stop and eat while in annapolis and alexandria. such a nice daughter sharing all my favorite hotspots! also, my sister lived & worked in alexandria a few years ago. so she also told them about places to check out in alexandria.

to make a long story short....basically, i am extremely jealous! i would love to be back in annapolis & alexnadria. so in their trip's honor i bought myself a dungeness crab! ha! ha!

i can't wait to take another trip down there next year for my 20 year high school reunion. yes, i did say "twenty" -- GULP!

speaking of my 20 year reunion...ironically, today i learned that one of our fella bloggers and i went to the same boarding school! small world, huh! so cool...and here i am trying to keep my blog anonymous, hee! hee!

oh well, have a great night!

~ PLD

Help, advice needed ASAP!

good morning!

i just realized my perfume assortment is running low. i just sprayed the last of my hanae mori magical moon. my laura mercier perfume is almost gone! my fresh sake perfume is down to about 1/3 of a bottle and so is my missoni missoni perfume. finally my marc jacobs perfume is getting old...
so it's time to invest in some more bottles of perfume!

what's your favorite perfume? i want to know!

i am still looking at buying a bottle of creed - the hot pink bottle, but i think i need about 2-3 new bottles of perfume. so please tell me what you like....with so much out there it can be overwhelming, sort of like eating at the cheesecake factory! ha! ha!

also, anyone picked up a new pair of tretorn's? i almost picked a pair in navy, but they didn't have my size.

do they run big?

the reason i ask i am normally a 9 - 9.5, but the 9 i tried on seemed so big! then i tried on a 8 and it was comfy buy a little tight? i really want to buy a pair!

it's only been what 15+ years since i owned my last pair? i remember when they sold for $30.00 or was it $34.00 --- certainly not the $55.00 they are asking today! ha! ha! i really want a pair, guess i should bring back a proper pair of socks with me and try them on again.

now that i think about it they must have been $30.00, since k.swiss were around $40.00. once k.swiss came around it was bye-bye tretorns! oh, the good old days...no, i am not that old! i was born in the 70's ---thank you very much! ;)

then again, i have to run back to nordstrom's today and exchange the adorable outfit i bought my nephew. i bought 3 mos. instead of 6 mos.....darn it! good thing i showed my husband what i bought and noticed i screwed up! another excuse to go back to oak brook...hee! hee!

plus, i picked up a pair of nautica jeans for my husband at costco...for ONLY $19.99!!! he loves them, so i am going to go back and pick up another 2 pairs --- come on, when can you buy comfy jeans for under $20.00...EXACTLY!!! ha! ha!

first off, i need a starbucks fix! plus, it's sunday and the mall doesn't open until noon. 4 hours to spare...what is one to do? i went to church last night, so it's a free day for PLD!

have a wonderful sunday!

~ PLD