On the Cheap: Sparkle Motion!

Like a cat, I am often entranced by sparkly things:

Oh, J. Crew. You lured me in with your promises of sparkles and joy, but I see our turbulent romance is heading south again. I love you, I really do, but I'm just not willing to put up with your prices ($298). Nor will I put up with you telling me this sweater is "destined to be an heirloom." It's a SWEATER. Do you know what kinds of things are actually heirlooms? Useful things, like crystal stemware, or the grandfather clock--not a SWEATER. Get it together.

So J. Crew did a good job of catching my eye, but as I'm wont to do, I found a similar version of this valuable heirloom for less green:

It's from Nordstrom (I know, I was shocked, too) and is a much more reasonable $88. I still don't really consider that a bargain per se, but let's be real here: if you're going to buy beading, it's going to be more expensive, and I'd rather pay $88 than $298.

I did stumble upon an even more cost-friendly version, but it's not as dramatic (though that could be what you're after):

From Macy's, it rings in at $48. This one, to me, is also the most overtly Christmas-y (probably because the sequin blobs look like little ornaments), so it's fitting for this time of year.

And speaking of the holidays, has anybody started their shopping yet? What are you buying this year? None of those pricess J. Crew heirlooms, I hope.