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Claire's Haul

Claire's Haul

There are some stores that I am not sure I'll ever grow out of...Forever21 (although of course I am older than 21,) American Eagle, and last but not least, Claire's. These so called "teen" stores are stocked with great cheap options if you search and consider styling. It's a little overwhelming at first, but your closet and wallet will thank you later.

I had originally gone into Claire's to look for a new sleep mask, since the dogs had eaten my last one. I had been searching for a sleep mask a few months ago, and wandered into Claire's which surprisingly has a great selection. My last one was a white terry cloth Hello Kitty version wearing sunglasses (I will never stop loving Hello Kitty-nor will I ever waste my money buying diamond Hello Kitty crap) but they didn't have that style anymore, so I picked up this black Hello Kitty with stylish bow. They had more to choose from, but I prefer the terry cloth material because I find it more comfortable than their fake satin.

While wondering around to browse, I came across these awesome tights which were 2 for $14! Score! I love the printed flower fish nets which I plan to wear with a solid color dress and boots, and the white sweater stockings will be perfect for fall and winter.

I've gotten some great statement necklaces from here before, but today I fell in love with  their earrings! The silver dangle earrings and feather and chain earrings were both $8 while the turquoise drops and silver flower hoops were $8.50. They were having a buy 2 get one free deal, but I fell in love with 4 pairs, so I sucked it up and got them all. They trick you with their BOGO sales! I am already planning so many outfits to wear my new earrings with; I can't wait!

Do you still shop at "teen" stores?

These Boots Are Made For Walking

These Boots Are Made For Walking

I spent last year's Black Friday at the Columbia Mall from 4:30am-1pm (thank you for accompanying me Aunt G!) Needless to say, I came home with a lot of loot. One of the main items I was searching for on that expedition was a pair of short, flat(ish), black boots to wear both on my walk to work, and while at work. It's a hard balance to find comfortable, semi dressy short boots that look chic for walking, working, and weekends.

After hours of searching I found what I thought to be the perfect pair. Black leather with a solid 1in. heel. They come up 2in. over my ankle and have the perfect almond toe. I thought I found the perfect pair--that is until this years' booties hit the market. There are a million more options for me to choose from! This style was not as popular last year, and if I had just waited, I would have had so many more styles to choose from. 

What is wrong with the pair I own? Nothing really, and I will not be buying a new pair because mine are still in great shape, but there is one major point I would change-the boots I own can only be worn with pants, a lot of the newer styles look great with both pants or skirts/dresses. I love shoes with versatility, especially flat/low, comfortable walking styles. In my opinion, the pair I own come up too high and have a snug fit right below my incredibly muscular calves which give me a weird stuffed sausage leg look. Besides, can't a girl dream about new shoes?

The new styles I am coveting have a lower rise and or a looser fit at the top.  I love this Coach pair. The styling is classic, but the blue elastic panels give it an edge. What a fabulous surprise to have that peaking out below your pants when you cross your legs. I also bet they look AMAZING with opaque black tights. All of the styles above would make a wonderful, chic, and comfortable fashion statement. The great thing about booties is that they are now a year long shoe, not just relegated to fall!

From top clockwise:

1.    Franco Sarto 'Quiet' Bootie $128.95 http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/france-sarto-quiet-bootie/3392408?origin=keywordsearch&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=&resultback=0

2.    Report 'Georgina' Bootie $69.95 http://www.dsw.com/shoe/report+georgina+bootie?prodId=268535&category=dsw12cat1100004&activeCats=cat10006,cat20173,dsw12cat1100004

3.    Coach 'Lucia' Ankle Boot $248.00 http://www.coach.com/online/handbags/-shoes_bootsbooties-10551-10051-38999-en?t1Id=105&t2Id=38999&tier=2&LOC=LN#114019

4.    Rachel Roy 'Lana' Ankle Boot $325 http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/rachel-roy-lana-ankle-boot/3318085?origin=keywordsearch&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=&resultback=0

5.    Sam Edelman 'Petty' Boot $130   http://m.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/mobile/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=23930647&pushId=WOMENS

6.    Ecote Studded Chelsea Boot $69  http://m.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/mobile/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=24848699&pushId=WOMENS

Brilliant Behind

Colored bottoms are huge this season.  They are in every store in every color imaginable. What is so great is that this is not a new trend.  And since fashion is cyclical, a great place to pick up this look on a budget is at your local thrift store!

If you know me, you know I love the Goodwill.  New merchandise comes in frequently and each store is going to have something totally different.  On my last adventure I scored big in the colored rear department with these 3 great pieces!

Strawberry J.Crew Skinny Cords-How can you not fall in love with these pants! The color is so cheery and since they are corduroy, they will bring a fun brightness to the colder months.

Rust Colored High Waist Jeans-I love the color of these pants.  The shade is almost a neutral and will be great in the transition months of spring and fall. I also think that the straight leg cut is really flattering on me. Great for sneakers, sandals, and boots!

Bright Red Jean Shorts- I usually shy away from red, it is a little too loud for me; however, there is something quintessentially summer about a pair of red shorts. These are great because the color is so saturated that I can wear them casually with a white tee and sandals or dress them up at night with black heels and a black top.

Some great online places to score your own color denim are:

Ebay

Forever 21

Gap

Nordstrom

Olly Olly Oxford

(Gap-Oxfords no longer sold online.)

Lace-up oxfords have been huge this year and I finally found the perfect pair! I saw these in the Gap in January, while in New York City and fell in love. They came in a multitude of colors and my favorite were the navy, although I did have a strange obsession with the mustard ones.  However, they did not have the navy in my size, so I figured I would wait until they went on sale and would buy them online. 

So comfortable!  Sorry the carpet in my room is not so pretty.

And then it happened…instead of going on sale they just disappeared!  No chance of getting my beloved shoes in navy! While in AR we were able to track them down in gray and brown.  I settled on the gray, which is great and will be very versatile for the spring and summer for both work and play.  However, if any of you know where I can grab these in Navy in a size 7, I will love you forever and ever!

Casual cool.

These oxfords are light weight, flexible and buttery soft.  I love the pointed toe, and that the slim silhouette helps them to stay feminine. For $50 they are not breaking the bank either!  However, if you can’t find them in a store near you, there are tons of great options out there for summer.

Fun Summer Option:

1. Miss Me Orb-5
2. Hinge 'Penn' Oxford

Colored Bottoms:

1. Cole Haan Alisa Oxford
2. Steve Madden 'Jazie' Oxford

Work Wear:

1. Going Brogue Flat
2. Ecote Geo Oxford

How do you get your oxford on?

Fayettechill Style

Fayetteville, AR is amazing! The first thing I saw after getting off the plane were cows in a pasture directly across from my airport terminal.  My original assumption that I was in the middle of nowhere seemed correct, but I definitely underestimated Northwest Arkansas. I expected it to be a little more remote, like Ithaca is, but they had everything and more. Multiple movie theaters, every type of food I could ever want to eat,  a beautiful public library, the most adorable park, and the Crystal Bridges Art Museum.

But as my sister knows, SHOPPING is my passion, and boy did we shop! I apologize in advance for my lack of personal pictures from AR.  I was too busy shopping to snap photos, so all my photos were stolen borrowed from the web.

Thrifty Style:

Cheap Thrills. Follow them on Facebook!

There were a plethora of thrift and consignment stores in Fayetteville.  I honestly think that small town has more consignment stores than all of Baltimore! Our first stop was Cheap Thrills.  They had a great selection of both recent items and timeless classics.  I loved the area where they split the clothing by era! Diana got a fantastic new blue party top (tags on) and I got tan Ugg clogs for $35.  I can’t express how much I love these clogs.  They are comfortable with the fur at the toes, a great height with the platform and heel, and the color is perfect for the spring.  I plan to wear them with jeans and adorable sundresses. (They also had some purple Ugg boots which I almost scooped up for Raven’s season, but I thought they were still a little too high priced.)

Ugg Abbie Clogs

Another notable consignment spot was Grey Dog, which was in an old Airstream!  Made over with clothes racks and hardwood floors Grey Dog had a great selection of vintage dresses, all of which I fell in love with!  My mom also got this fabulous 70s style shirt in a shiny, liquidy, pink hue which she wore to Diana’s birthday dinner.  (Sadly, no picture of the cool shirt, maybe mom will post one if she reads this.)

Grey Dog. Follow them on Facebook! 

Pop-Style:

I bought the same print on a brown long sleeve. Follow them on Facebook!

Mustache

There were so many great little boutiques and I can’t remember all of them.  My favorites were Mustache and Riffraff.  I got my two Arkansas souvenir t-shirts at these stores.  They both had a great selection of accessories, clothes, and gifts.  My sister described Mustache as having an independent Urban Outfitters vibe, which is accurate.  A lot of their clothes were emblazoned with cute little mustaches. They did have a variety with men’s and women’s clothes and shoes as well as quirky gifts. Riffraff had a beautiful home section as well as very chic clothes, accessories, and shoes.  A very girly-girl vibe.

I bought the green one on the right. Follow them on Facebook!

Fashion Dos From Fayeteville:

I have been in a total shoe craze lately, so while I did notice some fabulous above the ankle style, there are 3 definite shoe trends I clearly need to get in on. (I realize that I am kind of late to these, but can you blame me, I was focusing on boots all winter?!?!)

Olive Green Toms

Toms- the hipster foot necessity. They look so comfortable and easy for the summer.  I think the most difficult part will be what color to choose.  I am currently leaning towards the classic olive green color, but red and blue also seem fun.

Minnetonka Mocs

Moccasins-Again, I love super comfy, laid back looks.  I want a cute pair in classic tan with a little fringe or maybe a little embroidery.  I am thinking some Minnetonka like these or these. I also think with the right pair of slacks, I may be able to pass them off for work once or twice.  FYI, my sister just told me she scored an awesome pair at the T.J. Maxx in Owings Mills, so I am super jealous.

Chaco Sandals

Chaco Sandals-I can’t figure this out.  I kind of think they’re dorky, but at the same time attractive and incredibly practical.  Everyone was wearing these in AR.  Maybe they are more outdoorsy than we are here, but that’s ok because I want to be more outdoorsy this summer.  I want point out though that I will only buy them in all black, and I want a pair with a back ankle strap so if I get the urge to go rafting I have shoes to wear. The big question will be what strap variation around the top of my foot to choose!  There are so many options.  I will probably have to go to a store (or go crazy with Zappos) and try on the different styles to see what looks the best on. 

Have you been on vacation recently?  What were some style trends you picked up from your recent getaway?

Packing for the Unknown; Arkansas

I was going to do a blog post last week about packing for my trip to Arkansas last week, but it turns out that I did an awful job packing!  I was also planning on writing a ton during the trip, but I only took my computer out once while I was there because we were so busy.

My final packed suitcase; no pictures of the return suitcase as it was a nightmare.

I have a definite process when I pack. 

1. I pull out everything that I think I might want to bring, and then I narrow down. 
2. Then I set limits.
1. For example, for a 5 day trip, I can’t bring more than 5 shirts (not including sleep shirts or exercise shirts, just everyday shirts.)
3. Size also matters.
1. I really wanted to bring this new hi-low skirt I have that is really cute, but it would only be an outfit for 1 day, if that, because it is a little fancy and is more of a night time look. So it didn't make the cut considering how much extra room it took up in my suitcase.
4. Consider what activities you’ll be doing.
5. Leave room for other essentials like toiletries… If you’re not bringing a ton of clothes, you can let your accessories do the talking.  You can wear the same black dress twice with different jewelry and have a totally different look! A whole other outfit would take up way more space than 2 necklaces and 2 pairs of earrings.
6. Leave room for what you may buy while you’re there.  I love a souvenir, or 2, or 3…

Original discard pile; which is now still sitting like this on top of my dresser!

On to my failure! This was my first time going to Fayetteville, Arkansas and I had no idea what we were doing or what it would be like.  I also did not realize how much shopping I would do once I was there!

My First Attempt At Packing; It Didn't All Fit!

When speaking with my sister over the phone she told me I needed a few going out outfits (including heels, which take up major space) exercise outfits, hiking outfits, nice walking clothes for meeting her professors and going around campus, and everyday clothes. That is a lot of different outfits to plan for! I felt like I was packing for a cruise with an excursion each day and fancy dinner each night.

Unfortunately, while I was there it rain most of time and drop into the low 50s. I also caught a cold, so there was no hiking or exercising to be done. (That’s 1 pair of shoes, a hoody, a pair of pants, 2 shirts, and a fleece that didn’t get used.)

As you can see from above, the dress had too much fabric and was put into the discard pile.

Also, the partying was not as crazy as had been explained.  Not that I mind since I am much more of a homebody, but I definitely did not need as many going out clothes as I brought. (I wore both pairs of heels that I brought, but only once each.  I would have been fine only bringing one pair which would have saved a ton of space. Also one dress and two party tops were not worn.)

Lastly, I did a ton of shopping, which I will be posting about soon.  Fayetteville had an amazing mix of stores; hip, new, thrift, and consignment. So I came home with way way more than I arrived with.

Rules to live by:

• Jeans can be worn multiple times, so for a week-long trip you really only need 2-3 pairs.  Make sure they are different styles so it is more versatile.
• Shoes take up a ton of space! You really only need a few different styles; something flat and comfortable to walk in, and something dressy.
• Stick with items you normally wear. If you are not an avid exerciser, it’s probably pointless bringing your running shoes and workout gear.
• Dresses take up less space than separates. Or bring mix and match separates.  My most successful trip I brought all clothes in white, black, and grey with colorful accessories.  It made getting dressed a breeze, plus the color palette made me look very sophisticated. 
• Plan actual outfits and only bring 1 extra.  By planning outfits you force yourself to only pack what you need and it makes you think ahead to what you will be doing that day.
• I say bring one extra because I had an unfortunate accident on the plane last summer where I spilled maple syrup all over myself.  Jen, Nate, and Dave will all attest to how sticky I was and that I had to sit like that the whole flight! It makes sense to have a spare outfit for emergency needs. 

The next time I go to Fayetteville I know I will be brining half as many things.  Maybe even less, or nothing at all…just more excuses to go shopping J