Jersey Alert: BELLE DE NUIT Silk Flowers & Candles at Riverside Square

My calling it Riverside Square goes to show how long it's been...Oh and read the bottom for the Guerilla Shopper insider special!...

Top-notch silk flower designer - BELLE DE NUIT - is holding court at THE SHOPS AT RIVERSIDE, HACKENSACK, NJ (ROUTE 4 WEST ) through New Year's Day.

Monday - Saturday, 10am - 9:30pm (Closed Sunday - BLUE LAWS!!)
BELLE is located inside the mall between Bloomingdale's & The Cheesecake Factory

GREAT GIFTS
BELLE DE NUIT CANDLES: Great scents; three sizes

Special Guerilla Shopper Deal:
Mention Guerilla Shopper + SPEND $100.00 or more = receive a 100% soy candle for FREE.  Yay!

Gift Cards and Returns and Cash...Oh My!

I asked for a red scarf for Christmas. And I got it. And then when I brought it home I thought, "why did I ask for this?" So I returned it (sorry mom) - but I got something so much better! A gold (OK, not real gold) Skagen watch. I can't get enough of these Skagen watches, I have four! Then I also had a gift card from Bloomingdale's, so I went there and bought some Laura Mercier makeup...and then with the remainder put a small dent in a Elie Tahari coat that I couldn't say no to. It is so great - the style I have been seeking, 30% off, and...IT FITS! Then I headed to the Apple store where I bought a new iPod (an 8GB Nano) that I love - they have made some vast improvements over the one I bought about a year and a half ago. And since I gave them my old one back for "recycling," I got 10% off. THEN I went to Sephora because I had another gift card (thanks mom) and I bought a bunch of other fun makeup odds and ends from Make Up For Ever, Smashbox and Stila. I swear that store is a candy store for women.

Daffy's: Baby Gift

OK, so I realized that I can't really talk about what Christmas presents I am buying or the places I am buying them in, or else those who I am buying for will know what they are getting (assuming that they read my blog on the regular)! But what I will talk about, because I'm pretty sure that they don't read this blog and their newborn baby certainly does not (yet), is the fantastically cute and well-priced gift I bought in anticipation of everyone's favorite party: THE BRISS...

I should probably buy the kid a plane ticket so that he can get out of Dodge, but instead I bought him a wee winter coat (that resembles the one pictured above) by miniman at Daffy's on Madison Ave. And I had a 10% off coupon! Rejoice!

Wrap it Up...I'll Take it

I am feeling somewhat guilty that I haven't been spending as much time on bloggy as I would like to...my day job has been incredibly hectic, thereby reducing my time available to both shop and write. OK, now that I've gotten that out of my system, onto business...

I am hoping today or tomorrow will be my last day of Christmas shopping - I am in the final stages of buying Mother Guerilla some key gifts. And without her there'd have been no baby Guerilla, so she deserves careful consideration, i.e. "I have to get my momma some good sh*t." But that is all I will say for now, lest I eliminate any element of surprise.

But remember, purchasing a gift is not the final step! You must package and market said gift appropriately...you don't have to spend a lot of money to do this, most wrapping supplies can be bought at the local 99-cent store. But better, and I wish I had remembered this myself, is Old Navy. They have some of the coolest, high quality wrapping paper at a very reasonable price. It's like Christmas pop culture on paper! [Thanks to my day-job co-worker for reminding me of this little Old Navy secret].

I know, I know, many of you (especially the boys) don't want to get involved in wrapping paper, ribbons, cards, etc. But just think - if you've spent the time thinking about what to buy, shopping for it, paying for it...don't you think that you and your gift deserve to be presented (no pun intended) in the best possible way? It really adds to the whole gifting experience overall. Trust me and the Ms. Manners who sometimes dwells within my soul.

And check out my gift display! Makes for festive Xmas decor to boot.

Woodstock & Saugerties: Potential part II

(Continued from yesterday...) Then, how fitting is it that my "very special friend" (who recently made the move into the 'woods' for a new job) and I happened to stumble upon Saugerties' one-night annual open house/late shopping night (late being 8 p.m. - this is Saugerties, folks)? The fun folks at Ya Ya's Emporium, which sells funky accessories, global gifts and vinyl records (I'm plagarizing their business card...) were so taken with my Barbara Feinman hat (see my earlier "hat" post, including photo), that we got into a discussion about Guerilla Shopper. Hopefully they'll visit and see themselves in e-black and white!

The store is full of cute, reasonably priced jewelry, bags, wallets, gloves and a great little collection of records in the back including jazz and more. Check it out if you're in the 'hood. It's fun for the whole family!