When the weather outside is frightful...

Finals are here along with hat hair and persistent colds. Really, it’s hard enough to get up for 8a.m. classes let alone crank out that paper due tomorrow. Sometimes, you just need a break from the eerie silence of the 4th floor of Bird Library. What better way to procrastinate than online shopping?

The euphoric feeling of putting those beloved items you’ve been eyeing in your shopping cart beats trekking to Marshall St. for a Starbucks gingerbread latte any day of the week.

One of my favorite web sites is shopbop.com. Every brand you could possibly wish to browse is located here, in alphabetical order of course. Earnest Sewn, Marc Jacobs, Missoni, Juicy Couture… the list goes on and on.

Of course, there is that pesky financial crisis bringing down the high you get when you see those fabulous black J Brand skinny jeans you so desperately want. You will be happy to hear there is a way around lack of funds—the sale section.

By far the best part of shopbop.com is the sale section. It's like Christmas all year round with not only 30% but 50% and 70% discounts on beautiful leather Botkier bags and luxurious DKNY wraps. No need to feel guilty about whipping out the credit card to buy those stunning strappy Michael Kors heels when you should be purchasing your mother’s Christmas gift--it's almost murder how cheap you're getting them for!

Before you know it, your order has been processed and it’s time to face reality—that essay deadline is looming and you have a headache from staring at the screen on your MacBook for so long.

But you feel much more relaxed and ready to tackle anything, especially when you think of the “surprise” you are going to get in the mail in a week: those fabulous high heels… and a couple of other things you just had to grab before they were lost to some evil online shopper at Georgetown University. Ugh.