If you will be hosting Thanksgiving dinner next Thursday and you just realized that you are low on festive serving and barware, there is no need to worry!

West Elm is currently offering 20% off their stock of Holiday Entertaining pieces, and there are so many chic and affordable items to choose from!

Here are just a few of my favorites...

And if these pieces are a little more than you wanted to spend, or not quite what you were looking for...why not try these beautiful gold embellished glasses from Pier 1?  They are on sale for $4.99 and they would make the perfect addition to your bar for any holiday party!  I saw these over at Starfish and Sundresses yesterday and I think I am definitely going to pick up a set this weekend! 

Thanks for the tip Starfish & Sundresses!

Do you have a favorite and festive piece of servingware that you will be using for the holidays?  I don't think you can go wrong with any of these affordable pieces from West Elm or Pier 1, and they would make great hostess gifts too!

Happy Friday!

One of my favorite brands for shoes and accessories is Corso Como.  This company consistently produces quality, stylish, and comfortable shoes and boots for an incredible value.  And today on Swirl, Daily Candy's new online sample sale site, they are offering a variety of Corso Como products for up to 50% off!  If you are in the market for a new pair of fall shoes I would definitely check it out!  Here's what I have my eye on from this sale...

If you are interested in this sale I would check out the Swirl website today and become a member so that you can take advantage of their future sales!

Happy Shopping!

Thanksgiving is just one week away, and you know what that means...it's almost time to start shopping for your family and loved ones for the December holidays!

But with all the options that now exist to pamper yourself and the people on your holiday shopping list, it can be overwhelming to even know where to begin when it comes to giving gifts for the holidays.

This is why I am so excited to be part of the Blogger Holiday Gift Guide 2010, hosted by one of my favorite blogs: Chic 'n Cheap Living.

Chic n' Cheap Living has done a wonderful job of organizing gift ideas from a number of bloggers in this online gift guide for the holidays.  For example this gift guide includes tips on: how to shop for a man, traveler, foodie, or the fun and feminine lady in your life!

I did the Men's Gift Guide, so please take a trip over to theBlogger Holiday Gift Guide 2010 to check out my guide on how to shop for the men in your life, along with all the other amazing gift ideas that have been compiled in this complete guide!

Here is a preview of just a few of the things I included in my guide for the guys...

Who knew that FLOR carpet tiles weren't just for decorating?  I think any golfer would love this mini putting green to practice their golf game even in the winter!

I have not met a man who does not love these soft washed men's button down shirts.  They are the perfect casual and comfortable shirt for the weekend for any guy.  You can get these online or in the store, but we like to stock up on these shirts for my husband whenever we go to the outlet!

Hmmm, can someone buy this for me too?  If you or your guy is a beer fan I think this makes such a fun gift.  You get to look forward to 12 hard to find, specialty microbrews a month...so you get to enjoy the beer without any of the hard work!  This is also a perfect gift for football season!
 

If you like these few gift suggestions please go over to Chic n 'Cheap Living to check out the complete guide.  I know that shopping for men is not always easy, but I think I have compiled a variety of classic and chic pieces that should work for a number of the men in your life.

Happy Shopping and Gift Giving!

Yesterday while having a conversation with one of my friends, we were speaking about a recent Oprah Winfrey show, and how much we respect this remarkable woman.

Both my friend and I were struck by a quote that Oprah had referenced on her show which she heard from a guest that has always stood out to her over the years...
 

Aren't these words powerful?

I believe this is a great message for any of us who have ever found ourselves fixated on the past, or consumed with a point in time that is out of our control, and that we simply cannot change.

Learning how to forgive can be hard, but when you do, it is always liberating.

The power to forgive ourselves and others is not always easy, but it's something that doesn't cost you a dime, and once you do it, it is life changing!

Thank you Oprah for these great words of wisdom!

When I first began writing Living Luxe for Less this summer, I started a series called Totally Target where I created an outfit made entirely of items from my favorite super store: Target!

For today's Tuesday Fashion post I decided to bring this series back, and do a
Totally Target Thanksgiving Outfit!  I believe this outfit is comfortable, affordable, and just dressy enough to be perfect for the upcoming holiday whether you will be cooking the turkey yourself, or just enjoying it at the dinner table!  I love the idea of dressing up these simple black pants and ivory sweater with some gold, and deep purple accents.  And check out this Mossimo purple tote bag!  Move over Rebecca Minkoff...I love this bag!

Do you know what you will be wearing next week for Thanksgiving?

If you still don't have an outfit planned, hopefully you can find a few pieces here that will work for you!

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One of my favorite blogs, The Zhush, had an exciting addition this week...the author, Sue De Chiara, has expanded her creative and chic blog to also include an online shop: Zhush! 

Sue's blog which focuses on all things style related from fashion to interior design, is aptly named as she describes the title of her blog as a "verb (from the French):to primp or fluff up. I like to apply the word to all things style related.  Everyone's life can use a little zhush..."

Because Sue has such great taste, and I look forward to reading her blog everyday, I could not be more excited about her new online shop!  I know this is going to be a great resource for fashion and home accessory gifts for myself and my friends!  Sue's shop just opened this week, and here are a few of my favorite items she already has to offer...

And on top of Sue having great taste, I believe that she has also done a wonderful job of offering both stylish and affordable items at her store.  This is definitely a great way to shop luxe for less!

Congratulations Sue!  I can't wait to keep reading, and now start shopping at Zhush!

Do you ever feel like everyone has better luck than you do when it comes to picking up antiques and vintage pieces at tag and estate sales?  How does everyone hear about these sales so quickly? 

Tag and Estate sales can be a treasure trove of great antique and home accessories!  Like this amazing sale that Matters of Style recently wrote about...MOS Charlotte found so many great pieces at this sale that she just accidentally stumbled upon!

Because I feel like I'm always a day late when it comes to finding tag and estate sales, I am so excited about this free app that I just found: Yard Sale Mapper!

This app gathers listings for nearby yard sales, tag sales, and garage sales from Craiglist and transfers them to a Google map so that you can efficiently plan a whole day of yard sale shopping!

What a great way to plan a Saturday of thrifting...and as always, it's free!

Wow the sales just keep getting better and better here in NYC!  As already reported by Madison Avenue Spy and Chic 'n Cheap Living, the buzzed about Christian Louboutin sample sale is rumored to be this Wednesday! 

Oh how I would love a pair of these red soled beauties!  The sale is invite only and requires an RSVP, but you now have three days to figure out a way to get on the list...I would love to hear reports back from anyone who is lucky enough to attend this sale!  Here is the flyer...

Another sale not to be missed that I heard about from my friend Manda and Madison Avenue Spy is the Petit Bateau Warehouse Sale which is going on now through Monday, November 29!  Here are the details...

Items will be 50-60% off, and if you spend over $200, Petit Bateau will reimburse your cab fare to the sale which is at their warehouse in Tribeca. Just remember to hold on to your receipt, and put it in a safe place!  Here are the details:

Wednesday, November 10 to Monday, November 29
8:30am to 6:30pm
105 Chambers Street, 2nd floor (@ Church Street)

Has anyone been to any of these amazing sales yet?

Happy Shopping Everyone!

A few weeks ago my husband and I went out to lunch with two of our closest  friends, Manda and David.  Of course we wanted to go out for a delicious meal, but we also wanted to make sure that we kept it affordable!  One of my husband's favorite restaurants in NYC is David Chang's Momofuku Noodle Bar. 

Momofuku means " lucky peach" in Japanese, but since this restaurant specializes in ramen noodle soups, it's name was also probably inspired by the inventor of instant noodles, Momofuku Ando, of Nissin Foods, Japan. 

Momofuku has become a cult classic on the NYC restaurant scene since it first opened in 2003, and you can expect a line almost any time of day.  Our plan for Sunday was to get there right at noon when they opened, and we snagged a table right away!  Here's a shot from the restaurant a little later in the day....

Momofuku has a small but delicious menu, with the two most popular items being the Momofuku Ramen, and the Korean Stuffed Pork Buns.  New York Magazine described this fusion of Asian and American cuisine as "Japanese ramen by way of a Carolina whole-hog barbecue."  And if you have ever tasted this steamy pork soup, I think you would agree with this assessment!

Here are a few highlights from our meal...

The slushie flavors at Momofuku change occasionally, and word on the street is that sometimes there is a Dark and Stormy slushie on the menu!  To read more about the history of the Dark and Stormy, see my post here.  I will definitely have to go back soon to see if this spicy cocktail has found it's way back on the Momofuku menu!

They also have a great selection of microbrews...I love a good IPA, and Lagunitas is one of my favorites!

No peanut butter required...I never knew rice cakes could taste so good!

Even though this noodle bar is known for their pork buns, I love the mushroom version even more...

My soup, and my favorite thing on the menu!

The classic...my husband orders this almost every time!
 

And if you are an adventurous eater, another great option is the $25 Prix Fixe Lunch. 

In my opinion this is one of the best deals in the city.  A gourmet three course lunch for less than $10 a course!  The menu changes daily, but here's a sample of what you can expect...

We didn't opt for the Prix Fixe option this Sunday, so we ended our meal with some delicious gelato from Venieros...right around the corner!  Mmm, just looking at this gelato makes me want to go back for more... 

Momofuku Noodle Bar is located at 171 First Avenue between 10th and 11th Street in New York City.  The next time you are in the neighborhood you should definitely stop by for a bowl of soup...and a slushie!

And even if you don't live in NYC, you can still enjoy David Chang's delicious soup and other specialties.  He now has a cookbook that would make a great gift, and will definitely give you a collection of many new and interesting recipes to try.  I bought it for my husband and he loves it!

Before you know it the holiday party season will be upon us and you will be scrambling for the perfect little gift to bring your generous hosts this holiday season...

I just came across this set of four Cocktail Plates at Crate and Barrel, and I think it would make a great little hostess gift for the holidays!  And you can't beat the price!

I love the graphics and images on these plates!  They would be great for cocktail hour and appetizers the next time you entertain, or they would make a fun accent at your bar.

It just goes to show that you don't have to spend a lot, to find a luxe gift for your friends!