Shoe Leather: Behind the seams of Shoestring Magazine

Shoestring Shopping: Marshalls gets a brand new bag (er, tagline)

As a former erstwhile copywriter for an off-price retailer, I always get a kick out of other people's ad campaigns targeting products as "the look for less," "discount designer," or "high style at a low price."

Mostly, especially these days, it's a farcical equation: traditionally mid-priced or high-end brands trying to make themselves seem Everyman in light of the current economy, or low-end, exclusively-made-in-China retailers trying to make themselves seem chic, classy, and a great value (both of which force me to either spit up in my mouth a little and immediately change the channel, if they're egregiously fake, or, if benign, just chuckle to myself and skip, via the magic of DVR, to the continuation of my regularly scheduled mind candy programming).

Which is why I tonight was so singularly impressed with Marshalls' new campaign and tagline. Seemingly capitalizing on the transparency trend, Marshalls' creative team (or the agency they hired) has nailed in a nutshell the actual process of how true designer goods find themselves in the off-price, highly discounted market.

Here's the script of the commercial (I'll post video later if I can find it online):

[At fashion show, hard focus on thirtysomething female in the front row.]

"This is Lynn. She's a buyer for a posh shoe boutique. She wants to be the first to discover the next hot trend. So, when other buyers started eyeing this designer shoe [zoom to gold lame leather peep-toe booties with 2 1/2 " heel and trendy pleats on the vamp], she ordered more, causing them to do the same, causing Lynn to go completely overboard. Marshalls will take those expensive shoes off her hands at a ridiculously low price for their new Shoe Megashop. Her competitive nature is now your Shopportunity. It pays to be Shamelessly Shopportunistic.TM"

Now, the real truth is that the process highlighted in this 20-second spot generally takes about 18 months to come full circle in the real world, meaning that it used to be impossible (or relatively so, outside of competitive NYC and LA warehouse sample sales) to get in-style, in-season looks at real people prices. But, that's all changing, like everything else, due to technology and the speed of internet time.

Check back in mid-October for the Shoestring launch issue and our in-depth feature article on the burgeoning trend of online sample sale sites.

Until then, shop for discount designer shoe trends at Marshalls' Shoe MegaShop and enter the Marshalls "Love Affair of the Sole" $1,000 shopping spree sweepstakes.

I don't know how Kate Newlin, author of 2006's Shopportunity!, feels about the new branding, but I do know that every good Bargainista could always use another pair of shoes—especially when they're wearing that sexy red price tag emblazoned with my favorite four letter word: SALE.

Shoestring Events: Fluff Festival 2008

I'm a sucker for all things old-timey, especially when it a) favors creature comforts (especially foods), and b) supports local history or local business. Lately, due to the economy, I've been doing a lot of both. Especially on the PB&J sandwich/bag lunch front.

That's why yesterday, Travel Pants and I celebrated the anniversary of the creation of one of life's simplest and most affordable pleasures: marshmallow Fluff.

In my psuedo-hometown (ancestral hometown slash coming-of-age stomping ground?) of Somerville, MA, birthplace of Fluff and home to the annual What the Fluff? Festival, we celebrated this wondrous creation by snacking on $1 Fluffernutters (made with also-locally-produced Teddy Peanut Butter), Rice Krispie treats and cupcakes from Kick Ass Cupcakes, viewed an exhibit of original art from the Fluff Boy comic book, and, last but not least, voted for the Pharoah of Fluff.

Since its late, and, as the adage goes, a picture says a thousand words, here's our photographic coverage on Flickr.

My only regret? Being too full to try the Fluff Alexander.

Shoestring Music: MP3 Sale at Amazon.com

Thanks to my friend Chuck for this great score!

For what seems like today only, pick up or download Radiolina, the new album from Manu Chao from Amazon for just $2.99 (which, at 21 tracks, is like paying just 14 cents a song.)

My sister (soon to be known to readers everywhere as Shoestring's worldly, cheap-chic vacation columnist, Travel Pants), got me hooked on Manu Chao while she was living in Montevideo, Uruguay, a few years back. I could barely pronounce his name correctly, but quickly got hooked on Manu's modern blend of chill-out music with a cosmopolitan, jet-setting intellectual feel (Manu has a hybrid French and Spanish upbringing) and subdued political activism messages.

Apparently, that resonates with Americans right now, as it seems like he's starting to finally draw a following. Pants and I went to check out a new hipper-than-thou Boston boutique the other night, and guess who was on the loudspeakers?...that's right, Manu Chao.

Get your groove on and support the budget-friendly news you love from Shoestring and Bargainista by  downloading Manu Chao now from Amazon.com.

Modern / world music not your thing? Download Jay-Z's entire Life & Times of S. Carter, volume 3 for just $0.99!

Free Money: Mental Floss $50,000 Tuition Giveaway

Thanks to my good friend and former writer, Karen English, for the intro to this awesome magazine, Mental Floss (edited by her brother, Jason, whom I hope to meet someday).

Mental Floss is currently hosting a $50,000 tuition giveaway contest (five awards of $10,000 each) on their site, for use towards tuition and books during the Fall 2009 semester.

Here's the deal, from the horse's mouth:

"In 750 words or less, explain why you (as the most deserving person on the planet) should win a $10,000 prize for tuition/books in the fall of 2009. That’s it! The contest is open to full-time students pursuing an undergraduate degree at an accredited two-year or four-year college or university in the U.S. or Canada in the fall of 2009. (Applicants must turn 18 by August 15, 2009.) The contest closes on January 31, 2009, and full details can be found at tuitiongiveaway.com."

Sadly, graduate students (or those wondering if, given this economy, they should spruce up their resumes and/or GRE / GMAT / LSAT / MCAT scores) aren't eligible, but you can always subscribe to the magazine anyway to increase your intellectual capital (and base of fun, random facts for bar conversation). Enjoy—I know I do.

Love smart, independent media? Support Shoestring, Bargainista.com, and Mental Floss by subscribing to the print version of Mental Floss through Magazines.com. A portion of every subscription goes to support the very blogs you are currently reading. And they say it's hard for one person to make a difference. Poppycock.

Shoestring News: RIP Paul Newman (and Newman's Own?)

This morning, I awoke in a haze—partly due to cold medicine, partly due to my pre-coffee detangling of last night's debate rhetoric—to the sad news that Paul Newman, actor and activist, passed away at age 83, after a long battle with cancer. Rest in peace, Cool Hand Luke. All our love and sympathy goes out to your family and friends.

Since the early 80s, Paul and his eponymous brand, Newman's Own, have been at the forefront of the natural foods and responsible consumerism movements, and, at Shoestring, we're enormous fans of Paul's body of work, not only as one of the best American actors in the history of Hollywood, but as a socially conscious entrepreneur. I would even venture so far as to say that the way he's handled his successes over the years have made him an idol of mine.

Paul and Newman's Own have made high-quality, all-natural foods and products available to the masses for almost 25 years, and now, like our economy, the Newman's Own future is unclear, which infinitely saddens me and is a double blow on a dreary Saturday. My cabinets are stocked with the likes of Newman's Own dog food, which was a security blanket last year during the pet food contamination scare and eventual recall, and Newman's Own salad dressing, which comforts me during what seems to be a never-ending quest to regain my coed figure before turning 30. Just as his smart, anti-hero films were a touchstone during my rebellious, brooding teens and early twenties, his brand was a go-to during the early years of the "green" trend.

Paul's foodstuffs are just like he was: accessible to anyone, anywhere; equally high brow and rough-and-tumble; both classic and cutting edge. We're hoping his family and his executive team will choose to let his likeness and legacy survive, even, and especially, as we mourn his passing.

Support Paul Newman's family company and charitable causes, while at the same time supporting the news you love from Shoestring and Bargainista, by shopping for Newman's Own products through any advertisement in this post.

Shoestring Events: Free Museum Admission

Thanks to our friend Lynn Truong (who I met at BlogHer earlier this year) and her web site Wise Bread for the head's up on Museum Day 2008, held nationally tomorrow: Saturday, September 27th.

Sponsored by Smithsonian Magazine, the fourth annual Museum Day 2008 features free admission (by signing up for a printable pass on the official Museum Day web site) to hundreds of museums and cultural institutions nationwide. There's coverage in each state, so we're sure that all you Bargainistas will be able to find something fun, free, and intellectually inspiring to do tomorrow. Especially here in Boston, where it's raining buckets. I'll be hiding out at the Museum of Fine Arts with my Ginger Ninja if you need me.

Museums not your thing? Find budget-friendly sports, theater, movie, and more tickets at StubHub.com. A portion of every transaction made through the advertisment below goes to support Shoestring Magazine and Bargainista.com. You love us, you know you do.

Bargain Beauty: e.l.f and Nordstrom makeup hoax

My friend Kimmie just forwarded an email to me, supposedly from Nordstrom, announcing that they were buying the budget-friendly makeup line Eyes Lips Face (or e.l.f, as it's more commonly known) and are having a 50% off sale. It's simply not true, according to Nordstrom's fraud alert department.

Here's the text of the bogus email so you don't get swindled:

"Nordstrom is changing the logo on their makeup, so they're selling everything for $1. The make-up line e.l.f. ( eyes-lips-face) has been bought out by Nordstrom and will be re-packaged with the Nordstrom name on it. They are getting rid of all the make-up in ELF packaging. They are selling almost everything for $1. You do have to pay shipping for orders under $75. They have everything - powder, mascara, lipstick, a mineral line (100% natural), brushes & cases, nail polish, lotions, you name it - it's there.  A few things are out of stock already. The website is X. When you check out there is a space for a coupon code. Use CAROLINA and  save an additional $7.50 if your order is over $15.00. Shipping is free on orders over $75."

True, they are currently having a free shipping over $75 promotion, and you will save 50% on orders over $15 through November 2008 using the CAROLINA coupon code, but the relationship with Nordstrom is patently untrue. Plus, most of their makeup is just $1 normally, not just during the sale. As an ardent Bargainista, I have long been a huge fan of e.l.f products, and Meghan and I jumped at the chance to join their partnership program when we created Shoestring, Bargainista, and our blogs. (Note: The advertisements and text links you see in this email are not paid for by e.l.f, they were chosen by us and endorsed by us—we only make money if you decide to purchase their products of your own accord.)

If you do decide to shop, my personal favorites are the Nail Polish Remover Pads, always $1 each, which I carry around with me everywhere in case of unfortunately-timed chipping, and the "Fur Free" tweezers for $10, for which 50% of all sales go to support People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) efforts and advocacy to end animal cruelty. I also love their brushes, currently 50% off or $6.00 for the complete 12-brush set—especially compared to my true loves, from Laura Mercier, at $29 a piece. I would also suggest signing up for their newsletter and mailing list, through which they regularly send out "the look for less" emails comparing high-end cosmetics products to their $1 to $5 versions. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.

Get great deals AND support the budget-friendly scoop you love by clicking on any e.l.f link or ad in this post. A portion of every sale goes to support Shoestring and Bargainista Media so we can keep telling it like it is, cheap and chic.

Shoestring News: Daily Candy loves our Market Editor!

We've always known how amazingly fabulous she is, but now Daily Candy Boston has recognized Shoestring's own Kara Butterfield, Market Editor, and her company, Make Ready, in yesterday's edition!

Much like the show Freestyle on HGTV, Kara is an aesthetic magician who takes the items you already own and re-styles them in genius new ways that are both hip and at the heart of the way you *actually* live. (And, reinforces our belief that what's good for the wallet is also good for the planet.)

Meghan and I couldn't be more proud of Kara for this amazing press coverage, and hope that you'll check out Make Ready if you're looking to spiff up and sensationalize your dorm room, apartment, or home. I can attest personally that each and every time Kara visits my urban shoebox, she leaves it infinitely more chic—and usually just by moving one or two items or making one suggestion.

Stay tuned for Kara's dynamic decorating ideas in our launch issue of Shoestring Magazine, hitting the web in mid-October!