Earlier this week I went to Marshalls to check out what's in store for summer. I often recommend shopping off-price retailers like T.J.Maxx and Marshalls one department at a time so you don't get overwhelmed, so this time I hit the clearance racks first. I saw some new-to-my-Marshalls brands appear including Joe's Jeans, Lipsy London (a UK brand that I've seen recently at Bloomingdales) and New York & Co. (not designer, but very inexpensive), plus a few others that I've seen before like BCBGMAXAZRIA, Theory (oh yes), DKNY, and Lucky Brand. I also spotted some nail polish for the very first time by Nicole for O.P.I. - hope to see even more polish in the future. If you shop with an outfit or trend in mind, you're sure to find cute things at Marshalls every time (they get 10,000 new items each week at every store). I was going to buy the white denim shorts but then found some shoes I fell in love with instead, stayed tuned for that post coming up soon.

More pics after the jump!

My brother is getting married in September. I need to find a dress that covers a tattoo my parents (still!) don't know I have, and I don't want them to find out at the wedding. The tattoo is on my inner arm just below my elbow. It's so hard to find cute dresses with sleeves, I was wondering if you had any ideas? Love your blog, thanks! —Alicia D.

I have just the thing: A one-sleeve dress will look gorgeous and on-trend while at the same time concealing your tattoo (until you're ready to reveal it, all in due time!)

Here are some affordable options:

1. MM Couture One Shoulder Pleated Dress, $66
With it's bell sleeves and fitted waist, this dress exudes drama. The accordion pleats give it such great dimension and texture.

Steve Madden's "Haylow" platforms sandals are now just $34.90 (down from $69.95) in nude or black at Nordstrom. I can't believe summer sales are starting already.

More Steve Madden...

Get the look for just a teensy bit less with Mossimo's "Prue" platform heels, $29.99 in magenta, nude or black at Target. Click on any item to shop.

More Mossimo...

How to Wear It:

Cocktail Dresses by Topshop
Platforms by Mossimo

Net-a-porter today launched Coach Classics, an exclusive collection of five handbags originally introduced by Coach in the 1970s. With the current 1970s trend on the runways, Net-a-Porter's Buying Director, Holli Rogers, says this felt like the perfect moment to bring back these iconic styles and introduce them to a new generation of women.

"Coach Classics" include the Madison Satchel, the Stewardess Bag, the Duffle, the Shoulder Purse and the Field Bag in classic Coach hues such as British tan, mahogany, navy, red and black. Prices range from $298 for the Shoulder Purse to $498 for the Field Bag.

While these aren't exactly "budget" handbags, I wanted to highlight them as an example of a time when it's permissible to splurge, especially as a gift or to commemorate a special occasion. When Coach does classic, they truly shine, and these are five gorgeous bags that won't go out of style anytime soon.

Shop it online:
Coach Classics Collection

Click through for bigger pics.

UPDATE: And the winner is… #23 Roxanne! Congrats to our winner and thanks to everyone who entered.

Please note: This giveaway has ended and is now closed to further entries.


This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.



I've teamed up with Walgreens to offer one lucky Budget Babe reader the chance to win a $50 giftcard to shop Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products! I love my name brand-name products and pretty packaging as much as the next girl, but buying store brands is a great way to save money on things where aesthetics really don't matter. For example, I use Walgreens brand hydrocortizone cream (works wonders on bug bites) which costs $6.49 for a 2.0 oz. tube, whereas the name brand cream costs $9.99 for the same amount. Every dollar counts and that $3.50 saved is money I could be using on more important things, like nail polish!



Besides being a great value, your purchase of every Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Product supports bringing preventive wellness services to local communities through the Walgreens Way to Well Fund™, a program that provides free preventive health testes as well as other health and wellness services and education to local communities. With the rising costs of health care, I think this is a great way for Walgreens to do its part and give back. Walgreens will contribute up to $3 million annually to its Walgreens Way to Well Fund™.

Now, on to our contest!

To enter for your chance to win a $50 Walgreens Gift Card:

1. Tell us what's your favorite Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Product in the comments section below (or the product you would most like to try).


2. Follow @budgetbabe on Twitter and send out a Tweet including the hashtag #walgreensbrand and a link back to this post (optional for one additional entry).

Good luck!

Contest ends 12 noon ET on June 22, 2011. Winner will be chosen at random and announced on or before June 23, and has 3 business days to respond otherwise an alternate winner will be selected. Open to U.S. residents. This is a sponsored post. Please read the complete contest rules.