show us your life : favorite stores

Clothes
Oh I love new clothes! My favorite thing to do after a shopping spree is to have a private little fashion show at home just to make sure they still look ok in a non-store mirror before removing the tags. However I hate spending a lot of money on clothes just because styles change so quickly. Now I'll spend a little extra on my jeans and more traditional pieces, but I'm definitely not your 'Label Shopper'... That being said, I'm drawn to stores with cute pieces for reasonable prices. (This is why I'm really looking forward to seeing where ya'll find cute things!)



Cute tops and dresses. Their bottoms are usually too big for me. But they also have really cute, CHEAP accessories too - scarves, sunglasses, jewelry, etc.





I like these 2 for my 'staple' pieces... You know - solid shirts and sweaters, chinos, etc.

I also like Target, Old Navy, and little boutique shops like Francesca's. And I'm blessed to live in a shopping mecca - with not only some insane name-dropper gallerias - but some of the most amazing outlet malls you'll ever see! Our outlets have some pretty high-end stores so I tend to save my bigger purchases for those trips... (Ahem, my 7s!)

Baby Wear
I LOVE shopping for Knox! James jokes that he's my little boy baby doll and I'm just playing dress up with him. (There's probably more truth in that than he realizes... Ha!) But, that's just one of the many perks of being a mommy, right? Some of our favorite baby/toddler stores are...







I like Gap and Children's Place not only because they have adorable clothes, but their pants have adjustable waists. Genius! (Oh and my sis works at CP... Umm discount?!) And we have an Osh Kosh Outlet here - they have some of the cutest little boy stuff and their jammies are my favorites. Sometimes Gymboree comes out with a really cute "theme" and I'll shop there too.

Groceries



I probably do the bulk of my grocery shopping at our local Super Target. They always seem to have a good selection and fresh meats and produce. I also love their store brands and the fact that their milk and meats have no added growth hormones.



Tom Thumb is another favorite of mine. I think it's just a Texas thing, but for you TN people out there - it is a lot like Seesle's used to be. Their prices are a little higher than the mega-markets, but they always have fresh, local-grown produce, fresh baked bread every day at 5, and delicious prepared foods. Oh and they still use paper bags and walk your groceries out to your car :)



We like to make a Sam's run at least once a month to stock up on necessities (cereal, snacks, meat, juice, etc.) and just to browse for good prices on fun stuff. (Check out their jewelry. Seriously!) We recently got a beautiful espresso wood entertainment center with french doors from there for under $400! You just never know what you'll find at Sam's...



This is a picture of our local Central Market and man do I love this place! They have the freshest meats, fish, and produce you can find (organically grown and flown in daily), and they make their own gourmet breads and cheeses right there in shop. And it's set up just like a "central market" - all meats and cheeses are cut and wrapped as you buy them, chefs prepare fresh dishes at various stations, and the fruits and veggies lay on beds of ice. (It's the simple things...) They also carry all kinds of international products as well, so if you ever need any off-the-wall ingredient - this is the place to come! However, I refuse to go on a weekend because it is PACKED.

Home Decor, Etc.

Home goods and all things crafty just might be my most favorite things to shop for...



Target, obviously...



...because they have adorable, CHEAP home and holiday decor. My house probably looks like a Kirkland's add.



This is a sister-store to Marshall's and I'd never seen one until I got to Texas. Name brand, unique decor at a fraction of the cost! They carry every thing from dishes, to bed linens, to furniture!



I get so excited when I see my PB magazines in the mail. I don't buy a lot from them directly, but I love their decorating style. They give me ideas. (Then I run off to Home Goods to copy them.) I do love PB furniture though.I'm currently eyeing one of their dining room tables and a play room organizer. I've also gotten Knox quite a few things from PB Kids.



Along with Target - HL is one of those store I go to when I'm bored. I love their home decor and I'm always looking for something crafty to keep me occuppied. I didn't realize until I moved to Texas, but Mardel - the Christian supply store - is a HL based store. (Kind of a neat story about the guy who started HL. Google it...) Well anyway, the 2 are side-by-side here so I usually end up hitting up both when I go. I also like Joanne's and Michael's for crafty things.

I also love me some furniture shopping! Haverty's, Ashley's, American Home Store (in TN), Unclaimed Freight... I love them all! I've got me a house-and-a-half full of furniture picked out that I'm just itching to buy once we finally settle on a house...

Beauty


Macy's is my one-stop-shop for all my beauty needs. [You know... IF I needed them. ;) ] I get my make-up from MAC and then my skincare products come from Origins and Prescriptives. However, I do get a few things like mascara and eyeliner from just the regular ole drugstore.