braving black friday

while some of you are just getting ready to head out to toys r us at midnight and target at 5 a.m. to get in your first bit of black friday shopping, i'm looking forward to finally taking a day to sleep in. i know, it's weird for someone with a shopping addiction to not want to go out on black friday, but i'd rather wait a day at home rather than in a checkout line for an hour, or shop online so i don't get trampled by someone grabbing the last zhu zhu pet (that's for you jennifer!)

but for those of you who are up for tomorrow's challenge, i thought i'd put together a few of my favorite local black friday specials that i've seen so far:

cityplace

a/x armani exchange: spend $150 or more and get $50 off your purchase friday through sunday.

apricot lane: buy one, get one 50 percent off (equal or lesser value) deals on everything in the store friday through sunday.

banana republic: buy one cashmere sweater, get one free on friday only.

bcbg: sales up to 50 percent off, friday through sunday.

francesca’s collections: additional 30 percent off clearance merchandise through sunday, plus sales on jewelry.

gap: buy one, get one free on all sweaters on wednesday and friday only.

lucky brand: buy one, get one 50 percent off (equal or lesser value) on all items in the store on friday only.

mayors jewelers: discounts at 20 to 70 percent off this weekend through dec. 25.

nine west: 50 percent off select boots, 30 percent off other select shoe styles, 30 to 50 percent off select handbags and 30 percent off all hosiery friday through sunday.

quiksilver: winter wear including jackets and fleece at 40 percent off, and new clearance items added at 50 percent off friday through sunday.

see eyewear: select sunglasses now $99, originally priced at $200-$350. more than 100 other pieces are 50 percent off this week.

s!r men's wear: 15 percent off of the new collection, and 40 to 50 percent off select items friday through sunday.

solstice: 30 percent off safilo products friday from open until noon. safilo products include gucci, jimmy choo, juicy couture, marc by marc jacobs, giorgio armani, balenciaga and carrera labels.

victoria’s secret: buy one bra, get one 50 percent off (equal or lesser value) on friday.

white house│black market: Store opens at 7 a.m. Friday. Receive 20 percent off purchases from open until noon. Free totes with any purchase all day while supplies last.

the gardens mall

spend $500 between 8 a.m. and noon friday and receive a $50 pga national resort and spa gift card, while supplies last.

stuart weitzman: on select items, receive 30 percent off the first item, 40 percent off the second and 50 percent off the third friday through dec. 31.

vera bradley: receive the exclusive holiday tote in blue rhapsody for free with any purchase of $100 or more friday, while supplies last.

zara: sales up to 50 percent off starting friday.

the mall at wellington green

mall doors open at 6 p.m., and the first 500 people who enter through the food court entrance will receive free breakfast-on-the-go.

346 brooks brothers: shop all day nov. 24 to nov. 29 and receive 40 percent off your purchase. take an extra 10 percent off your purchase by shopping until noon friday and saturday.

american eagle outfitters: buy one, get one 50 percent off on sweaters and hoodies until sunday.

bailey banks & biddle: save 50 to 70 percent until sunday.

bebe: save up to 65 percent on select items. save 30 percent on select denim and sportswear.

express: receive additional 25 percent off the entire purchase until noon friday, or additional 20 percent off after noon friday.

lady foot locker: take $15 off your purchase of $75 or more, and $25 off your purchase of $100 or more friday, plus converse and nike shox at two for $79.99.

swarovski: receive 25 percent off jewelry with any $100 in-store purchase friday through sunday.

many of these promotions are also available online. if you're not up for the crowds and don't care much about the sales but still want to take part in the shopping spirit, head to worth avenue. good luck and happy shopping!

fab find: let it snow

with the stint of "cold" weather (60 degrees, if even) we experienced in south florida, i got excited because the change of season means i finally get to tap into that portion of my closet that only gets used about five days a year...or maybe eight if i choose to sweat it out a few times. but being a florida girl, i just can't bring myself to spend a ton of money on a winter wardrobe, which is why my eyes lit up when i stumbled into the sales at gap yesterday.

while searching for a tank to print my twilight slogan on for the opening of new moon last night (you bet your ass i was there!), i got a little distracted. i've been looking for the perfect black coat for a while now, but can never seem to find one that's inexpensive without looking cheap, and gap seemed to know just what i was looking for. all outerwear was 50 percent off, which is huge when you're shopping for jackets or blazers that are usually priced at more than $100.

i actually discovered my treasure in the sale section, in which all marked-down items were another 25 percent off. the shrunken peacoat, originally $110, purchased at $52 in the store or $89.99 online, was a comfortable fit for my petite frame, and i love the dramatic zippers on the pockets and sleeves that add an extra edge to the feminine cut.

if you're looking to take advantage of the 50 percent off rather than the sale though, let me suggest the ribbed sleeve wool jacket, originally priced at $118. it comes in gray or black and can easily be dressed up or worn casually with jeans. i'm not sure how long the discount lasts, so you better get over there soon!

if you can't get into a gap this week, you'll miss out on the in-store discounts, but gap.com also has a tempting offer...25 percent entire purchase of regularly priced items with the code GIFT123 at checkout. the promotion lasts through sunday, nov. 22. so grab your hot chocolate and throw on a pair of boots to get yourself in the mood to start cold weather shopping!

bite me.

in honor of the twilight saga: new moon's local premiere tomorrow night at this time (which i, of course, already have my tickets for), i put together a few things to help you get your twilight fix while keeping in fashion...because for anyone over the age of 14, it's sure as hell difficult to enjoy the story to its fullest without looking like a total dork. so let's take a cue from alice cullen and make sure to dive into something that's still stylish, sexy and vampire chic...

one piece that i've been bloody swooning over for the past few months is the p.a.m. oxidised fangs necklace, which also comes in silver. at a whopping $284 in australian, it's definitely a lot of money to pay to wear vampire teeth around your neck for what's probably a total of five days out of the year, but i just can't seem to get over it. there are a lot of fang necklaces on the market right now, but so many of them are cheesy or cheap looking and i've yet to find one that's as well-designed as this one.

if the price is too steep for you, or you just can't fathom wearing fangs at your neck, be sure to head to the palm beach gardens green market to get your twi on. a jewelry vendor there has some beautiful charm bracelets with simple silver wolf and crystal heart charms inspired by bella's bracelet that are classy and subtle.

thirsting for something more than accessories? nordstrom has a newish twilight-inspired line for juniors, "the twilight saga: new moon for bp." while most of it's a little too high school for anyone my age to be wearing, there are a few tops that are cute and no one would even have to know you were team jacob if you wish. try the 'wolf motif' long sleeve tee, which is really just a yoga-like burnout tee that sports tribal design. only problem, for $34 you could probably snag some better threads in nordstrom as long as you choose to go without the twilight label.

if none of these pieces pique your interest, then just take a closer look around. this season is full of styles that have a dark and mystical feel to help you vamp it up. what used to be considered gothic is now becoming mainstream (at least for the next few months), thanks to twilight, true blood and vampire diaries. with black over-the-knee boots and faux leather leggings, to the return of black lace and leather jackets, and then add in some of alexander mcqueen's freakish fashions and a few studded leather bracelets, you're set for a night of neck sucking.

alexander mcqueen's waisted stripe jersey dress, $2,895

so what are you wearing to the show? i'm making my "team edward (unless jacob is shirtless)" shirt as we speak. not as age-appropriate as the options listed here, but i'll sure fit in with the 16-year-olds as i suck down my pre-movie, blood-red cocktail at blue martini while watching the teenie-boppers wait in line.