reason #457 why i love tjmaxx

if you don't shop at tjmaxx/marshall's/ross you really should start. i work for a non-profit and have expensive taste. you do the math. the great part about shopping discount stores is that i can often satisfy both my bank account and my label lust at the same time.

if you don't believe me, here are a couple of my favorite finds:

1. two laundry by shelli segal dresses, both of which retailed for more than $200 for $29 and $39, respectively. that's a lot of percent off. they're classic and well-made and i wear them often.

2. a pair of vertigo paris pants that are (gasp!) shockingly long on my tall frame. the original tag was still on them - $198. i paid $12.

3. a $30-something aerie bra (which i love) for $7. i'll take one in every color, please.

but this weekend i hit the jackpot. my favorite fragrance is marc jacobs' original, which, other than applying liberally anywhere it's sampled, i've never been able to afford. i've never found it on sale and because daisy and lola are his bigger fragrance sellers, it's not easy to find. it generally retails for at least $70 and ranges up to $90 for the larger size.

until this weekend.

...when i walked in to tjmaxx, and sitting all alone on the perfume shelf, was a giant white box that said "marc jacobs" on it. and inside was not only 3.4 ounces of eau de parfum ($90 value), but a lotion and a travel-size bottle, all packed in to a lovely marc jacobs tote. for just $39! i was ecstatic. seriously, i think my heart skipped a few beats when i saw the price. and better yet, i actually ended up purchasing it for $35, because the box (which was cardboard and about which i did not care) had been a little damaged. it never hurts to ask for a price reduction.

so, once again, discount shopping has paid off. not only did i get a price with which i could cooperate, but i got the fantastic adrenaline rush and satisfaction of a perfect find. try and beat that, nordstrom.