This Sunday is the annual Bastille Day celebration in Cobble Hill. Also known as the best event in NYC! Smith Street turns into one big petanque court (see pic above)...Bar Tabac unfolds into the street...live music and dancing....and every restuarant along the strip has tents set up selling food for around $5. All the fun starts around noon and lasts until 8pm. Take the F train to Bergen Street or the 4-5 to Borough Hall in Brooklyn. More info here.
The NY Post today reveals the details on Ruth Madoff's possible new home, which to this New Yorker looks downright palatial. While this is surely a downgrade from the $7 million penthouse she and the Bernie were living in, I don't think this 481 sq ft apt-- plus the $2m deal she received from the feds--is such a bad place to fall. It sure beats the 8 x 7 jail cell her husband is in.
I just came across this photo of a very successful vintage hunt on the blog, Absolutely Beautiful Things. That chair! That lamp! That basket!
Sorry..one more JCrew post... they have cargo pants similar to the kind Jen Aniston always sports on the sale rack for $49 (from $69), plus an extra 20 percent off at check out when you add the EXTRA20 code. 
So I tried the second necklace below from JCrew with my dress last night and it didn't work. There is rouching on the side of the dress and with the necklace, it was a bit much. So I am now going the chandelier earring route. Even so, I thought I would share with you two statement necklaces from Banana Republic that are under a $100 that I found on my two-week-long quest. The top necklace is $59 and the bottom is on the sale rack for $69 (from $79).
I've been looking for a chunky necklace to go with my LBD (below) and have swung by Loehmann's, TJ Maxx, Daffy's, Filene's Basement and DSW. Nothing. But amazingly JCrew has great deals on their chunky necklaces right now....the Canopy necklace above is $39.99 (marked down from $98) and the Fireworks necklace below (looks better in person) is on the sale rack for $69.99 (from $110). The Fireworks necklace also has CUTE matching earrings on sale for $29. I can't find the earrings online.
Looking for an LBD to wear to all those weddings this summer?? Well, me too! White House Black Market has several for you to choose from, including the two featured here which I purchased last week. Here's where TSR comes in....I couldn't decide which dress to buy and the sales lady was pushing me to buy both--plus those cute heels below! Because there was no way I was buying all three at full price, I asked what deal they could offer me. Much to my surprise, they offered 15% off everything as long as I signed up to be in their system--not signing up for a credit card like most chains, but just adding my name to their database to receive notices about deals. The lesson: Always ask about any unknown discounts! 
How cool is it that our First Lady is wearing a tee and sweater combo from the Gap?!?! Both are on sale online, but unfortuantely, the pink combo is no longer in stock--man, this woman can move product!
Over a year ago, I purchased A Year in Provence off the $5 rack at Housing Works bookshop in SOHO. [read post here] After I finished reading the book I knew it would be perfect post for The Sale Rack as I felt like I truly experienced a year in the life of the author without stepping foot in the south of France. I couldn't quite capture the essence of the book like my literary friend, Katie Frye, so I asked her to do the honors for The Sale Rack. Read below for what I hope is the first of many book reviews by Frye for TSR.
As I mentioned yesterday, over the last couple months I have been in the process of redecorating my living room (see before shot below). I felt like the room was a little too "patch-worky" and the sage and cream color palette was too airy. My two decor buddies, Katie and Katherine, suggested I weave in persimmon/red to the palette. And within a few days of receiving their advice I came across the March issue of Elle Decor and was truly inspired! Over the last couple of months, I have been slowly pulling it all together. First, I pulled my rug that I bought a few years ago off of Ebay (a steal) from storage. Second, I purchased a beautiful textile (which was another steal) from Costa Rica and framed it (which was not at all inexpensive). By the way, thank you for your advice...I went with the worn-wooden frame sans matte, which was validated by a former top editor at Domino magazine that happened to be standing at the counter at the frame store! Third, I purchased three pillows from Apt 48, which were 20% off!
The Inspiration----March 2009 cover of Elle Decor
A close-up of the wooden frame
Living room--Before. 
Looking for a colorful comfortable chair? Well, you could spend $1,298.oo at Anthropologie (below) OR you could spend $899 on a very similar-looking chair at Jennifer Convertibles (above). That's a $400 difference!
One of my favorite things about summer is the fruit- specifically cherries and strawberries. Two weeks ago, my market had a pound of cherries at $7....thank goodness last week they came to their senses and marked the price down to $4.95.
In honor of Earth Day, I'd like to spotlight what I believe to be the greatest, greenest, and budget friendliest invention of all time. The Brooks Brothers non-iron button down shirt. Why? Wash and Wear. No dry cleaning. I mean it. Just last night I picked up my laundry from the neighborhood washeteria/cleaners and when I pulled my shirt from the bag, I hung it on a hanger and - BAM- it looked as if it had been starched and ironed. 
Village table throw
