Bringing Back the Fanny Pack!

Be warned! I've got a feeling (oh great! now that annoyingly catchy song from Black Eyed Peas will forever be stuck in my head!) that fanny packs will be making a comeback.
Yes, fanny packs are those super flattering (not!) and stylish (also not!) pouches that were worn around the waists of millions in the 80's and early 90's as well as numerous tourists around the world. The British and people in parts of the world other than the U.S. call them bum bags. They also go by other names, including belt bag, hip bag, hip sack, hipster pack, etc. But I just call them cool (ha, ha, ha).
Whatever you want to call them, you can't deny the fact that they are super duper handy. You can carry around all of your goods within hands reach and still have your arms and hands free. They're perfect for amusement parks, hiking, yard sale and thrift store shopping, walking outdoors, and pretty much anytime.
Luckily, in more recent years, designers have begun making more sleek and stylish versions of the fanny pack. Famous designers such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, and Marc Jacobs all have out their own designs of them. Celebrities including Rihanna and Tyra Banks have been spotted sporting them. 
With cross-body bags gaining tons of popularity withing the past year or so, I predict that fanny packs (the new, better looking ones, of course) will be the next new must-have bag. What's popular in fashion many times progresses from one thing to the next and I see fanny packs as the next step from cross-body bags. Only time will tell, but be on the look out! And in the mean time, I plan on making one for myself.

Review: Beall's Outlet

My local, tiny, little mall (aka: "the small") got a Beall's Outlet store a little less than a year ago(I think). After checking it out & shopping at it numerous times, I'm ready to do a personal review on it. The main thing that Beall's Outlet offers is clothes. According to their website(click on the link below to go to it), "Customers can find brand name apparel and accessories for the entire family at up to 70% off department store prices." They even have where every Friday you save 10% off of everything and other special discount days for seniors. So, basically, this type of store is perfect for bargain shoppers like me!
As far as their clothes go, I haven't been that impressed with what they have to offer to people in my age range(almost 23, kinda at that in between stage between being a young 20-something and being an actual adult). I have been able to find some good basic khaki and brown pants for work at great prices. I've also found some cute little skirts. But, for the most part, I feel the clothes they have are more for older women or younger girls. They also have children's and men's clothes but I haven't looked at them. But, I have an almost-23-year-old boyfriend that has looked at the clothes for men, but wasn't impressed and didn't find anything.
Though I'm not too wild about their regular clothes, I do like what they offer for pajamas and lounge wear. I've seen lots of really cute pajama pants, pajama sets, pajama shorts, robes, and cute little night gowns in a variety of prints and styles at terrific prices. I've gotten a couple pairs of silky pajama shorts for only about $3-$4. (FYI, see my future post about the amazing use for silky pj shorts!) I have also gotten some nice night gowns and robes for my mom from there.
They also have shoes for men, women, and children. They have a decent selection of shoes. I was able to find a cool pair of boots that I wear as rain boots for only about $12, which is cheaper than any rain boots I had looked at. I think with their shoes, at times you might luck up and find cool shoes, but other times you might not.
Now, on to my favorite thing that Beall's Outlet offers, jewelry and accessories! I love jewelry and Beall's Outlet has tons of marvelous jewelry at unbeatable prices. They don't really offer any "real" jewelry (like the kind in fancy little boxes that stays locked up in glass cabinets and cases), except for some sterling silver stuff. But, what they do have is great beaded jewelry, costume jewelry, and most all other kinds of jewelry that doesn't stay locked up. For example, they have a lot of jewelry that would be sold at Target or Belk for $10-$20, but they have it for anywhere from about $3-$10. I can ALWAYS find some kind of jewelry there that I would like to have. Their other accessories, including scarves, purses (including brand name purses), sunglasses, hair accessories, etc, are also pretty good.
Beall's Outlet also offers a variety of other things including makeup and fragrances, home decor, books, small kitchen appliances and tools, some small electronics and electronic accessories.
...Overall, I think Beall's Outlet store is a pretty great store. Though it is lacking in some areas, the other areas that I like make up for that. It is one of those stores where sometimes you'll have to really look to find something, but if you luck up and do find something, it'll probably cost a fraction of what you would pay elsewhere. And, it can be hit or miss at times (except for the jewelry section to me!). So, if there's a Beall's Outlet near you, you should definitely check it out, you might be surprised at what you can find!
Link to Beall's Outlet website