Shopaholic in Alabama

Happy Weekend Everyone!  Who remembers my friend LG over at Caroline Grace Jewelry ? You know, the jewelry designer who makes the fabulous cuff bracelets such as THIS one? She is headed down to the beach as we speak (hence my post going up in the middle of the night, I don't want her to see on the iPhone while driving!). To celebrate, I stocked up on some of our favorite drinks - wine, Mojitos and Skinnygirl Margaritas. In addition, my friends at the Publix bakery made her a beach-themed birthday cake; I insisted it be trimmed in pink and green with the exception of the water scene on the top. Add some fresh flowers and we're ready to go!  Do you like the cake?  I'm hoping she will be surprised - LG has no idea I did all this! We plan to spend all day today and tomorrow on the beach - working on our tans and solving all the world's problems (LOL, we wish). BFF Ashleigh will be joining us and it promises to be a great time!  Fingers crossed for abundan...

Happy Saturday, Shopaholics! Today I wanted to share a fabulous deal with you! My friend over at Caroline Grace Jewelry (see her Etsy shop HERE ) has marked down a bunch of items to make room for new designs. You might remember that I blogged about a discount of either 15% or 25% off her items a week or so ago. The extra 25% off applies on all the items I'm highlighting today (code "Shopaholic25" during checkout on Etsy).  There are some unbelievable deals, Shopaholics! Black Jeweled Wide Leather Cuff, $76 ($57 after 25% discount - link to Etsy HERE ) Julia Necklace, Sterling Silver with Baroque Pearls & Rock Crystal, $138 ($103.50 after 25% discount - link to Etsy HERE ) Paisley Jeweled Leather Cuff Bracelet, $72 ($54 after 25% discount - link to Etsy HERE ) Masha Necklace, $98 ($73.50 after 25% discount - link to Etsy HERE ) Tropical Fish Jeweled Leather Cuff Bracelet, $78 ($58.50 after 25% discount - link to Etsy HERE ) I love them all - as well as ...

TGIF, Shopaholics! Are you ready for the weekend? Any big plans? We are expecting a high of 61 degrees on Sunday and I am soooooo ready! :-) What would you like from your sweetheart for Valentine's Day? Of course the obvious gifts are nice - chocolate covered Godiva strawberries, a new diamond from Cartier, one, two or three dozen roses, etc - but how about a special piece of handmade jewelry from a girl we all know and love? One of my favorite jewelry designers (and besties, of course) Caroline Grace Jewelry has introduced several new pieces into her line. They are perfect for a "gift to self" or a Valentine's Day gift. My readers know I have blogged about CGJ many times, and it's because her jewelry simply does not disappoint. It's always more beautiful in person than in the photographs. The detail to quality and workmanship in evident, and nothing but the best materials are used in the design process. Each piece is truly a small piece of art. Meet som...

Happy Monday, Shopaholics! I'm betting that many of you had snow, ice and crazy weather over the weekend. Hope it wasn't too bad! Even here at the beach, we are experiencing mid 20's at night. Brrrr....But hey - doesn't the cold weather put you in the holiday spirit? :-) Today I wanted to profile a few of my favorite holiday gifts under $100. Let's see if you like my selections... Flora Earrings, in any color, $44 - from Caroline Grace Jewelry on Etsy (link HERE ). No matter what color is your gift recipient's favorite, you are covered. For winter, I really love them in teal. Of course I love all of Caroline Grace's jewelry - and you can't go wrong with these! A perfect stocking stuffer! Added bonus: CGJ is offering a 15% discount on orders less than $100 to all Shopaholic readers and a 25% discount on orders over $100. Use code "Shopaholic15" for 15% under $100 and code "Shopaholic25" for 25% over $100 at Etsy checkout. Fleece ...

Happy Wednesday, Shopaholic friends! Are you ready for Thanksgiving yet? I'm at my parents' house today, helping Mother prepare for the big gathering tomorrow. There will be a lot of food prepared, as we are expecting quite the crowd. I must admit, I'm already looking forward to the wonderful food! :-) As promised, I have a fantastic surprise for you! One of my favorite jewelry designers, Caroline Grace Jewelry , has generously offered all Shopaholic In Alabama readers a special discount - just in time to kick off the holiday shopping season! Most of you know by now, her designs are some of my favorites. As a result, I have become quite snobby about jewelry. I am lucky enough to own quite a few pieces of Caroline Grace Jewelry and wear at least one piece every time I get dressed. (What can I say, DH is tolerant of this obsession so I go with it). Once you see the difference between a CGJ original and a piece of jewelry that is mass produced,...

Happy Tuesday, Shopaholics! Thanks so much for all your kind words and comments after my last blog post. Admittedly I was feeling a wee bit sorry for myself and a little unloved. You know I'm not normally one to be "down" on anything - least of all myself! Your support means the world to me, and I really appreciate you all caring about my life - even when I'm not shopping. LOL Do you remember me being excited about getting tickets to the Bon Jovi concert here at the beach? I managed to talk my friend Lucy over at Caroline Grace Jewelry into coming down for the concert and to spend the weekend.  It was the first time we'd met in person, although we were already big buddies on Twitter, Facebook, etc. DH was calling her a "computer friend"; so thankfully she came down and proved to him she was a "real friend". We started the weekend by getting fresh pedicures on Friday morning: Then, we went down to the public beach for the concert. We tai...

Happy Monday, everyone! Finally - the birthday celebrations are over! My "official" 40th party was Saturday night. Photos to come later, above is my real birthday cake. The photo isn't that great, but at least you can see it! Today I wanted to show you some of the lovely and generous gifts birthday gifts I received. First let me say I am blessed to have such wonderful family and friends. I KNOW I am a very lucky girl! From my friend over at Caroline Grace Jewelry ...a cuff bracelet in gold leather with an embellished seahorse. This cuff is stunning in person - I've worn it several times already. The gold goes with everything and is a perfect late summer wardrobe addition. You can view on CGJ's Etsy site HERE . Thank you, Caroline Grace! From my lovely friend Heather, a silver seashell platter. I was so surprised when I received Heather's gift, what a sweet friend she is! We used it at my birthday party to display the pink and green M and M's and it...

Happy Saturday to my lovely readers! Hope your weekend is wonderful so far! Today I had planned to post a new giveaway, but I realized (too late at night!) that I needed a little more information from the sponsor. Sooo today we'll take a one day break from new giveaways, but will post a new one on Sunday! :-) In the meantime, congratulations to the following lucky winners! Caroline Grace Jewelry (Day One) - Laurie MCC Designs (Day Two) - AMStarkey Lotus and Lilly (Day Three) - Equinegirls Please contact me ( lori.driver@hotmail.com ) if you've won a giveaway, so I can coordinate your winnings! Thanks to everyone who entered, commented, tweeted, blogged, shared, etc. I really appreciate you ALL reading and being so excited about the giveaways! There are still some wonderful ones coming over the next week, so be sure to stay tuned! Enjoy your Saturday!

Happy Wednesday, Shopaholic friends! Welcome to Day One of Shopaholic Birthday Giveaway Days! I'm hosting these in honor of my 40th birthday coming on August 12...it's a fun way to stop thinking about getting older, and profile some of my favorite designers, websites, stores and brands! HA Thanks so much to one of my favorite friends and Twitter pals  Caroline Grace Jewelry for sponsoring the first giveaway! As you all know, I'm a big fan of Caroline Grace's baubles and wear something from her jewelry line almost every day. This spring and summer the DH was quite tolerant while I built my collection. I have a feeling EVERYONE will want to win this pretty! :-) The Pink Starfish Leather Cuff ($132 retail) is absolutely gorgeous, and one lucky reader will win this beauty! (listing on Etsy HERE ). The cuff is approx. 2" wide and has a beautiful silvertone jeweled starfish embellishment. The cuffs are something special, you can trust me on this as ...

Happy Saturday everyone! The weekend is finally here - and I plan to spend today resting up for ..... drum roll please ..... the Jimmy Buffett concert on Sunday! I am thrilled to report I have tickets in hand, and will be watching Jimmy perform live from the beach here in Gulf Shores, AL. Several weeks ago, over a million people logged onto Ticketmaster in an attempt to score free tickets to the "Jimmy Buffett & Friends" concert, which was originally scheduled for July 1. The concert is Jimmy's gift back to this coast, where he grew up and lived a significant portion of his early years. His sister, Lucy Buffett, has a huge restaurant/bar "Lulu's" in Gulf Shores and he visits occasionally. The intent of the concert was to bring tourism back to the beach, which has suffered significantly in the wake of the oil spill. Enter Hurricane Alex, and the concert had to be rescheduled for July 11. When the tickets went on "sale" - they were gone in ...

TGIF, everyone! First I must apologize for my lack of posts, and being sooooo far behind reading all your blogs! Since DH started the new job, things have been absolutely nuts around here. The oil keeps coming - and it's getting very heavy now. I don't have Buffett tickets for next week (scalpers bought them all up - I can't find one local person that was lucky enough to get them!)Please someone give me a break.....I really need to see Jimmy, for my mental health if no other reason! Anyway, who loves Caroline Grace Jewelry like I do? Many of you! :-) You will be thrilled to hear they are ringing in summer with a huge sale! The details: Now through June 30th, we'll deduct 10% off any order over $100, 20% off any order over $200, and 25% off any order over $300. Just mention "Summer" in the notes at checkout, and your discount will be sent to you in the form of a paypal refund once payment is received. (If you prefer an adjusted invoice with the correct t...