Shoesday Tuesday: Bonus:

Yesterday, my co-worker Kristin wore these awesome new boots:

Shannon Slouch Ankle Boot, Payless, $29.99

The ruching on the instep brings these booties into the present day, and they are incredibly versatile shoes. From jeans to a sundress to tights and a skirt, these boots will work for just about any look. If I hadn't asked where she got them, I would probably have spent the evening looking through all the shoes at Nordstrom, when all along, they were at Payless. That place has really stepped up the game in recent years. What used to simply be a bargain basement for comfortable, "sensible" shoes now features shoes by American Eagle and Christian Siriano. It wasn't until recently that Payless started to up the ante on fashionable shoes. Fortunately, we get to reap the benefits of their newly discovered good taste. Good fashion sense doesn't have to cost a fortune, I suppose. 

Rate My Look- Shopping Spree Stuff

First I want to congratulate "Anonymous" for correctly guessing which handbag I bought over the weekend. I opted for the smaller of the two and I'm very happy. The price I paid? Well, let's start by talking about the original sticker price- $348. It was marked down to $269.99 and then with a 50% discount followed by a 30% discount the final price was (drum roll, please).... $94.50!!!

And here I am sporting not only my new handbag, but one of the 5 new tops I bought as well. This one happens to be from Ann Taylor LOFT (as is the skirt):

Skirt and Top: Ann Taylor LOFT

Bag: Coach

Shoes: Payless
Necklace: Stella and Dot

Ring: Some little shop on Nantucket... 

I loved this top so much when I saw it in the shop, I actually bought it not only in this fun summer-y print, but I also got it in three other solid colors- peach, white and brown. I've already worn the peach one and I'm certain I'm going to get a lot of wear out of all four of them. I realized the other day that while I have a lot of great skirts, I don't have that many great tops. When I decided to stop at the outlets on Sunday, I had that goal in mind- to find great tops. I'm happy to say I was so successful. In addition to these tops from Ann Taylor, I also scored a fabulous printed silk top from Banana Republic. Maybe I'll post a photo of that one soon! 

Enjoy the rest of your Wednesday, everyone! 

Rate My Look- Vintage Scarf

I recently purchased a couple of vintage designer scarves from Couture Allure and when they arrived a few days later, I could hardly wait to wear them. I got them at major bargain prices, which is always super exciting. But truth be told, I would have paid a lot more for them- they are truly beautiful pieces. One of the things I love about Couture Allure is that the pictures are always very detailed and the descriptions of the pieces even more so. When purchasing vintage, it's important to inspect the materials for any damage or decay. Jody, the proprietor of Couture Allure, is always careful to disclose the detailed condition of each and every item, so you can feel confident when purchasing through her site that the items will be in the condition described and pictured.

But enough about that- how about those scarves? The first was a silk scarf by Elsa Schiaparelli in a bold oversized basket-weave pattern. The colors are very rich and more appropriate for fall, in my opinion, but I'll likely try to work it into a summer look anyway. Check out Jody's photos of the scarf here. The second scarf is a positively ethereal Halston silk chiffon scarf that you can see here on Couture Allure's site or you can see it in these photos of me! I wore this outfit to work and felt so chic and sophisticated:

Dress: By Yours Truly

Belt: H&M

Shoes: Payless

Scarf: Couture Allure

Jolie Cocktail Ring (on the hand in my pocket!): Stella and Dot

I was comfortable all day long, but still felt so polished and put together. It's not that difficult to achieve, either!

1.) Start with a well-fit dress in a flattering color

2.) Add some contrasting, but complimentary accessories

See? A simple two-step program to stylish work outfits! But seriously, if you are looking to create interesting outfits, you don't necessarily have to shop for a new wardrobe. Accessories alone can completely transform an outfit from one distinct look to another and often it's the accessories that make our outfits unique. Anyone can walk into Neiman Marcus and buy a great dress. It's how you accessorize that dress that makes you stylish. 

Rate My Look- Where is Spring?!?!?

At this point, we're more than half-way through the month of May and it has yet to feel like spring around here for more than 48 hours. It definitely makes getting dressed in the morning a little more difficult. I've been getting some use out of my spring jackets, particularly my trusty short denim jacket.

Dress: BCBGMaxAzria via Marshalls

Jacket: Ann Taylor 

Shoes: Payless

Ring and Necklace: Stella and Dot

I've struggled with finding sandals for this summer. I'm not a fan of gladiator sandals- they just don't work that well with my wardrobe. Unfortunately, that's really all there is out there right now! I spent an afternoon shopping for shoes last week and I managed to purchase four new pair of shoes for the summer including the sandals pictured above. Since it was BOGO, I also got a pair of cute, white ballet flats. Here's a better view of the sandals and a picture of the ballet flats for you: 

Popstar Embellished Gladiator Sandals, Payless, $19.99

Feebe Bow Flat, Payless, $22.99

The other two pair of shoes I bought were from Marshalls- a pair of flip flops and a pair of basic black sandals in a smiliar style as the ones from Payless above. Outfits will come with those shoes soon. As for the dress, this is one that is at least a year old, but it is SO comfortable- I really love wearing it. The jewelry is of course Stella and Dot. On this particular day, I wore the Sofia Pearl Bib Necklace and the Camilla Ring.

I can't tell you how much I love these two jewelry pieces. They were two items that I knew I would like, but that I didn't necessarily expect to become every-day pieces. But that's exactly what they are! I wear the Camilla Ring ALL THE TIME! It's very comfortable and it really seems to go with just about everything. The Sofia Pearl Bib Necklace is such a classy, elegant statement and it really elevates every outfit to a completely different level. I've even worn it with a simple t-shirt and jeans and a great pair of heels. I love it! 

Shoesday Tuesday- Springtime Shoes for Work

As warm weather quickly approaches (Sunday was the first day of spring, after all), I'm starting to think about what shoes will be appropriate and comfortable for work. I've asked around and there aren't any rules against sandals or even flip-flops (provided they're "nice" flip-flops), but I know I'll need more than just sandals to get me through. I have a decent collection of flat oxfords that will be nice for warm weather as well as a handful of ballet flats, although most of them are black or brown. Maybe a few neutral ballet flats like these could be a nice addition to my work shoe collection:

Audrey Jersey Knot Ballet Flat, Payless, $19.99 

Cargo Nailhead Flat, Payless, $19.99 

Fig Flower Flat, Payless, $26.99

Feebe Bow Flat, Payless, $22.99 

Since I'm not a huge fan of the gladiator sandal, I'll either need to find ones that are a little more feminine and work with my wardrobe, or I'll need to make sure I have a few of those "nice" flip-flops on hand for the really hot days this summer. 

Magnolia Flower Embellished Sandal, Payless, $22.99 

Patricia Mid-Wedge Flip-Flops, Payless, $19.99 

I've been quite impressed with Payless in the last year or so- they have really come around and created some stylish shoes for bargain prices. Of course, partnering up with Christian Siriano didn't hurt, either. But in all fairness, they truly do have some cute shoe options these days. They may not be the highest quality shoes that will be in your closet for years to come, but at the price you're paying, even if you get 6-8 months out of them, or even just a season, they're still worth the price. 

Some of my favorites currently available at Payless: 

Kutie Knot Platform Pump, $26.99

Tweed Galilea Bow Peep Toe Pump, $44.99

Lyric Lace-Up Shootie, $34.99

What shoes are you looking forward to wearing this spring? Instead of leaving a comment, tell me in a tweet with the hashtag #ShoesdayTuesday and let's see how many tweets we can get with that hashtag! How about 7? Not a very lofty goal, right? But if you need an excuse to help get there, how about if I tell you this is my 700th post since starting this blog? 700!!! Doesn't that seem like an awful lot? It does to me! I feel like I deserve a prize or something! Or maybe just some shoe-related tweets from my readers? It's not too much to ask, right? Right!

Rate My Look- Sunday Best (Yesterday)

Often when I get dressed on Sunday morning, I'm not only taking into consideration the fact that my outfit needs to seamlessly transition from church to work, but also that it's the day after Saturday when I'm required to wear all black. Sometimes I spend more time in my closet, just trying to avoid wearing black. This Sunday I think I was pretty successful in avoiding the color while still looking chic:

Skirt: Second Time Around

Blouse: TJ Maxx

Shoes: Payless

I wish I'd taken the time to get a good shot of my hair- it really cooperated with me this morning and the half-up/half-down look was very soft and elegant looking, which it NEVER is on me. My hair rarely cooperates and I usually end up letting it do what it wants. I'd much rather be able to style it in a way that always complements my outfit, but it doesn't often work out that way. On the rare occasions that it does, I really ought to put more effort into documenting it- if only to remind myself that sometimes there is hope.

As for the outfit itself, I actually bought this top in two colors- grey and cream. The price couldn't be beat especially considering it's far from a basic "basic." The neckline is interesting and asymmetrical, the fabric is soft, sheer and feminine and it's also a very comfortable blouse to wear. It really can't be beat, if you ask me! You haven't seen the skirt before on the blog- I purchased it on consignment at Second Time Around and although I've worn it a few times, I never snapped a photo of any of the outfits. Which is strange, really, because the skirt is awesome. It has red buttons on the front a la sailor-style pants. And I love me some sailor-style pants (and skirts)! I've worn it with black blouses mostly, so it was a nice change to pair it with the grey instead. Overall, I think this outfit is a nice twist on a classic look.

Rate My Look- More Monochromatic

Dressing in an entirely monochromatic outfit isn't always easy and sometimes it can actually get a little boring. I am the kind of person who enjoys wearing color, so monochromatic can be difficult for me- I always want to throw a bit of brightness into just about every outfit.

Last week, a "snowstorm" hit our area and as a result, I gave myself an extra 45 minutes to get to work that day. Of course, Murphy's Law dictates that since I gave myself the extra time, it would not be needed. I decided to spend a few minutes taking pictures of my outfit, since I really had nothing better to do. It occurred to me that it was actually a pretty good outfit to put on the blog for a couple of reasons:

Sweater: TJ Maxx

Skirt: Ann Taylor Loft (only $4!)

Boots: Payless

1.) It uses one of my favorite combinations of colors- yellow and grey. Usually, I prefer a more lemon yellow than this mustard-y one, but it still works. 

2.) It demonstrates the monochromatic concept from the waist down, which is sometimes just as effective as an all-over monochromatic look. In this case, the cinched waist of the skirt creates a nice focal point on my silhouette, and then the grey tights and boots help to draw the eye in a vertical direction, creating a lengthening effect. In truth, we know my legs don't actually start way up at the waistline of my skirt, but that's why it's called an illusion. 

3.) It looks great against the snow-y white backdrop. 

Ok, that third reason isn't really fashion-related, but it's still a great reason to include the outfit on the blog. I was a little disappointed in the lighting when I shot this picture. Can you tell what a gloomy day it was? It snowed almost the entire day. I don't mind snow, but I don't like an overcast sky, at least not for long stretches of time. It's been days since I saw the sun. At least my outfit has a bit of sunshine to it. 

Rate My Look- Hell Froze Over

Dress: Banana Republic

Sweater: Marshall's

Boots: Payless

Boots not pictured: Ugg

Sunglasses: Chinatown, NYC

You may be thinking, "What's up with the title of her post?" I don't see anything major in her outfit. And you'd be right. But what you don't know is that I actually wore this outfit with a pair of real- that's right, REAL- Uggs. Not even my F'Uggs that I occasionally break out, but real, honest-to-goodness, authentic UGGS. And that, my friends is how you know that hell has frozen over. Why aren't the Uggs pictured? I changed into the sleeker boot for work and didn't have time to snap photos of both outfits, that's why. Some other time, I'll try to snag a picture, but let's be honest, you all know how I feel about Uggs, so it's not likely to happen anytime soon. The thing about Uggs, is that while I may not ever appreciate them for their aesthetic value, I certainly do appreciate them for their warmth and comfort. Shearling-lined boots are never a bad thing when you live somewhere that has single-digit temperature readings for several weeks in a row. 5 degrees Fahrenheit? I think I'll break out the Uggs, in spite of how they look, thank you very much. 

Shoesday Tuesday- My BOGO Boots in Action

Last week, I showed you guys my new boots purchased at Payless for cheap- BOGO! I love BOGO sales, unless I find myself with an odd number of items that I like. Then I usually end up either putting one back and regretting it, or adding a fourth that I don't really need and then I regret that. It's a lose-lose. That's why I'm always happy when I find just two items that I love and there is a BOGO sale. That was the case with my new boots. I wanted grey and brown flat boots for work. I don't mind that I bought the exact same pair in two different colors because I figure that if I really like something, I'll wear it. And rather than try to find a different but really similar pair elsewhere, why not just get them both at the bargain price they were offering, right? Right!

Anyway, I wore the grey ones twice in the last few days. First, I helped my brother move into a new apartment and I figured they would be comfortable for trekking up and down a lot of stairs- he now lives on the third floor (no elevator). They worked out great:

I realized after the fact that this outfit would have been even better if I'd topped it off with a cute hat. Oh, well- hindsight is 20/20, right? I liked the bright combination of the turquoise top and the hot pink scarf- it's unexpected and a little bit quirky. The sweater was purchased the same night I got the boots. I had a 30% off coupon for Old Navy, and knowing I needed some black separates for work, I decided to shop there. I was pretty successful- I left with two skirts, a top and a sweater, all for about $55! Between that and the boots, I had quite the bargain shopping night. And I purchased quite a few staples that are versatile and comfortable- I know I'll wear them all a LOT! If you like the sweater, it's available on Old Navy's website here, although I have to tell you that the online price is MUCH higher than the price in stores. Mine was marked down to $14.99 BEFORE my 30% off coupon. 

The next day I was dressing for work and decided I wanted to give the boots another spin. I paired them with one of the cute skirts I got on my Old Navy shopping spree: 

It was a warm day and I didn't need a heavy coat, so my Ann Taylor denim jacket did the job just fine. (P.S. Don't you love how the color-blocking on my skirt is just like the paint job on the side of this building I'm standing in front of? Me, too!) One unfortunate thing is that my skirt is super wrinkled in the photo. I have a 45 minute commute and I'm having trouble figuring out how to avoid wrinkles on the drive. Any suggestions? All I can come up with is driving bottom-less. 

Anyway, since it was warm, I took off the jacket for a few photos, figuring you'd want to see the whole outfit: 

You can see my earrings a lot better in this photo. I'm also wearing my Scrabble ring, but with my hands in my pockets, how would you know? This may not be the most creative looks I've ever worn, but it certainly is one of the most comfortable. 

Next up is an outfit that incorporates the brown version of these boots: 

First of all, you should note that because of the high placement of the belt, even in flats, this outfit has an elongating effect. For more on that subject, visit this post, where I explain the concept in detail. That's not the focus of the outfit today, though. Today, I have a story about this outfit. While driving on an errand the other day, I saw a tree with leaves that were a vibrant red. It's strange to see a tree at its peak right now- most of the leaves have fallen and the ones that remain are mostly brown. But that one tree, still holding onto its color made me smile. It was absolutely gorgeous, especially when surrounded by the bare trees and fallen leaves all around it. It made me want to wear a bold, red dress- something that would make me stand out. Sometimes it's easy to blend in to the way everyone else is doing things. Whether it's the status quo with your fashion choices, or even something bigger like the way you behave in your relationship or your professionalism at work. Why not take a moment (or a day) to stand out from the crowd? Show off your colors when everyone else is fading into the background. Think of an aspect of your life where you tend to let yourself shy away and then make the choice to stand out from the crowd. 

And if you can do it in cute flat boots, more power to you. 

Happy #ShoesdayTuesday, everyone! Don't forget to tweet!

Shoesday Tuesday- BOGO Boots

I'm not a millionaire. I earn a modest salary and try my best to live within my means. I would love nothing more than to have the trendiest shoes and clothes and accessories by all my favorite designers. But, like many people, I have a budget I need to stick to. And so there are times when I shop for shoes at Payless. Why? Because you do. Pay less that is. And if it's a BOGO sale time, once again you pay less.

After three weeks at the new job, I knew a couple pair of flat boots would come in handy. When the snow starts to fall, I'm going to need them to keep my feet dry and warm, but they need to be flat, or have just a slight wedge at the most because I'm on my feet literally all day. It's not an option to wear heels every day anymore! Anyway, I started looking around for a couple new pair of flat boots that would get me through the winter. I saw  these online the other day and thought they would be perfect- totally basic, but basically perfect:

Marley Flat Boot, Payless, $39.95

Since it happened to be a BOGO sale day, I thought it couldn't hurt to also look for some basic wedges. I remembered seeing these online and thought I would try them on because they sure are cute! 

I am glad I tried these on rather than ordering them straight from an online website. I put my right foot in the shoe and immediately decided it would not be an appropriate choice because it felt as if I was walking on a block of wood. I imagine at the end of a long day in these shoes, I would want to cut my feet off. Fortunately, I was also eyeing another pair of those boots and decided to take advantage of the BOGO by treating myself to two lovely pair of boots. I ended up buying one pair in the brown (pictured above) and a second pair in grey: 

I already have a pair of flat black boots, so I think I've covered all my bases in the boot department. At $59.98 for both pair, I think I did pretty well! I hope they are comfortable for the long days I spend on my feet, but you can bet I'll report on them once I've given them a test run or two. 

And now for #ShoesdayTuesday: this week I want to hear about the shoes that YOU wear to work. Construction boots? Crocs? Stilettos? Whatever it is, I want to know. I don't care if they're the most fashionable or the least fashionable- all I care about is that you tell me! Maybe you work from home and your "shoes" are actually a pair of fuzzy slippers! Feel free to either tweet a picture or simply tweet a description. Either way, I'll be happy. And remember to include the hashtag: #ShoesdayTuesday

Happy tweeting!

Ok, it recently occurred to me that not everyone out there knows what a "hashtag" is. You could Google "hashtag" and find out all the technical information about what they are and how they work (and I recommend you do), but the simple explanation is that they help organize tweets. For example, let's say there's a big event coming up at a local venue. The organizers of the event might establish a specific hashtag for the event. Anyone who wants to search Twitter for information about that event simply needs to type the hashtag into the search field and every tweet with it will be filtered into the search results. It's kind of amazing, actually. So, when I tell you guys to tweet with the hashtag "#ShoesdayTuesday, it's so that I can search Twitter to find your tweets! That way, even if I don't follow you (or vice versa), we can still find each others tweets. Make sense? Give it a whirl! 

Shoesday Tuesday- Shop Out of Season

One of the keys to bargain hunting is being willing to shop out of season. It can be really hard to try on a wool skirt in July or a pair of short shorts in October, but if you're willing to do it, you can find some really amazing bargains. Just last month, I happened upon a grey wool skirt at the Ann Taylor Loft in town and scored it for only (drumroll, please)... $4.77!!! For about the same price as a venti latte, I got myself a perfect fall/winter staple item for my wardrobe. It's going to be perfect with just about every pair of tights I own, and I'm really going to enjoy pairing it with other neutrals as well as some jewel tones. I've been dreaming of all the ways I'm going to use it, but you'll have to wait until the weather gets a little cooler before I start putting outfits together with it. Don't worry- in the meantime, I'll keep you satisfied with appropriate summer outfits!

My point is this: if on that hot July day, I'd only allowed myself to be focused on lightweight cottons, linens and chiffons and bright summery colors and prints, I would have missed out on an absolutely amazing bargain- quite possibly the best bargain of the year! Yes, shopping out of season requires a little more patience and fortitude, but you can do it! Ok, I admit, "fortitude" might be a bit dramatic, but I'm trying to impress upon you the amazing benefit of buying sweaters and mittens in the height of summer and scouring the shelves for sandals and tank tops during a blizzard.

I recommend buying staple items off season- wool and cashmere items like sweaters, overcoats and skirts in neutrals like grey, black and beige are perfect off-season items for the warm months. Chiffon sundresses, silk scarves and bright open shoes like sandals, slingbacks and peep-toes are ideal bargain finds in the winter. Of course, if you live in a climate that doesn't have four seasons, the off-season shopping will be a bit harder for you. But don't despair- I promise the bargains will still be had. Avoid buying anything too trendy if you're shopping off-season because the chances of it being in style in nine months or a year down the road aren't always so good. Stick to basics and wardrobe staples and you won't go wrong.

Since it's Shoesday Tuesday, I'm going to focus on some bargain off-season shoe finds for you today. For starters, look for sales in addition to the discount prices. For example, while shopping over this past weekend, I went to Nine West. They had an amazing pair of summer heels marked down from $59.99 to $39.99 PLUS they were offering an extra incentive- buy one, get one half off. So, for a little less than $60, I could have two amazing new pairs of shoes. I managed to exercise restraint, but it was pretty hard considering what amazing shoes these were. I can't find them online, and I didn't take a picture in the store, so you'll have to trust me when I say these were not only fierce strappy sandals perfect for just about ANY summer outfit, but they were incredibly comfortable- seriously, they were the kind of shoe I can stand/walk in ALL DAY without major pain. Just talking about them now is making me regret not getting a bright, colorful pair and a neutral. Honestly, what was I thinking! The only thing that will rectify this situation is if you all manage to find amazing off-season bargains to make up for my loss!

To start, check out these metallic sandals from Nine West for sale online for $34.99, plus an additional 20% off at checkout!

Stunning, right? Also available in white/buff and black, all of which would make excellent staples for next summer's wardrobe. They also still have plenty of sizes and widths available (narrow, medium and wide), but they probably won't last too long. Depending on where you live, a style like this might even get you through Halloween or Thanksgiving.

Another great spring/summer shoe is the hurachi. Payless' open-weave ballet flat style is perfect for warm weather:

At $13.99, it's hard to pass them up. But with their current BOGO sale, you could get these hurachis, PLUS these fun faux-snake skin strappy heels for less than $20 TOTAL! (Only $17.49, in fact!)

These snake skin heels are a mere $9.00 right now, and as if that isn't good enough, after the BOGO deal, they actually end up being only $4.50- even less than my fabulous new Ann Taylor Loft skirt! Take advantage of any additional discount you can find. Look at the Sunday paper to find out when the sales start. Don't throw away your coupons, either- you'll regret it in the end. It's always so satisfying when you can get an additional 10% or more off your already discounted shoe choice! DSW is great about sending out coupons, and they have a lot of great shoes that are heavily discounted right now. With an additional 10%-25% from your coupon, these shoes are less than a lunch out with your girlfriends:

Who doesn't love a Madden Girl embellished faux snake skin wedge? At this price ($14.94 marked down from $60)? Crazy people, that's who! And what about these lovely flat gladiator sandals?

Combined with the wedges, these girly gladiators aren't even enough to get you the free shipping option on DSW.com because you have to spend $35 to qualify! ($14.94+ $19.94= $34.88 BEFORE your coupon discount!) Oh well, I suppose you'll also have to get these lovely (and bright) wedges so you can take advantage of free shipping:

Also available in hot pink and black, these CL by Laundry wedges are an ideal summer staple. Get 'em in all three colors if you like! I promise you'll wear them!

Once you've filled your closet with summer shoes, mark your calendar for six months from now and then don't forget to remind me to write a blog post about winter shoe bargains!

Happy Shoesday Tuesday, everyone!

Reese's Style for Under $100

I love Reese Witherspoon. I have not seen a movie of hers that I didn't enjoy, or at least her performance. I loved Legally Blonde, Sweet Home Alabama, Pleasantville and Election, but I thought she was especially good in Walk the Line. She is also one of those celebrities who nearly always manages to look great- on the red carpet and off. Two of my favorite looks of hers:

And here are those same looks for under $100 each- just for you. Yes, you can leave a comment to thank me.

Stretch Tank, Old Navy, $10

Print Skirt, JC Penney, $19.99

Cross-Body Bag, Nine West, $29.99

Oversize Sunglasses, Sunglass Shack, $17.99

Total: $85.98

For this outfit, I chose to focus on the shape of the pieces and the overall color scheme. The navy scoop-neck tank is pretty spot-on, (in my opinion) and while the skirt is not the same type of print, the silhouette is still flowy and breezy, like Reese's. For the bag, I chose to depart from Reese's white color choice because of how much white is in the skirt in my set. Unfortunately I couldn't find one with brown detailing like hers (which helps off-set the white), so I chose to go with a metallic instead. White would have been too matchy-matchy for my set. Finally, the oversize sunglasses finish off the look and there's enough left in our $100 budget for an inexpensive pair of flip flops or ballet flats. Next!

Organic Tee, Fair Indigo, $15.50

Skinny Ankle Jean, NY & Co, $14.95

Oversize Sunglasses, Forever 21, $5.80

Slingback Flat, Payless, $17.99

Large Hobo Bag, Target, $24.99

Branscombe Necklace, Aldo, $20

Total: $81.23

This look was deceptively difficult to recreate for under $100 because it is actually a LOT of pieces. At first glance, it's a charcoal grey top and a pair of white skinny jeans, but when you look a little closer, there's a necklace, a large handbag, sunglasses and shoes. There's also an iPhone, but I didn't count that towards the fashions. It would have put me WAY over budget!

Happy weekend, everyone!

Shoesday Tuesday- Shoe clips

Remember these shoes I got for a super bargain last week?

I decided to wear them with my outfit today, but I spruced them up with a little accessory. That's right- I added an accessory to my accessory:

Here's my secret: the little baubles? They're vintage clip-on earrings! No joke! I've been thinking a lot lately about the vintage shoe-clip trend and how it needs to make a comeback. Unfortunately, most of the shoe clips I've found aren't to my liking. Then as I was browsing one of my favorite local vintage shops, a lightbulb went off in my head- clip-on earrings! They work perfectly and are often a lot daintier than true shoe clips. Today I wore them on the toe, but they look just as cute on the back or the side:

So what do you think of my (brilliant) idea? And because I know you're dying to see what goes with bauble-embellished pumps, here's my outfit:

Dress: Marshalls, $49.99

Shoes: Payless, $15

"Shoe Clips": Vintage, $6

Necklace: Forever 21, $7.80

This is one of my favorite dresses- it's so elegant, but bright and fun, not to mention super comfortable! And how fun is my photo shoot location today? I'm actually at the post office in this picture, next to the hitching post. As you all know, I currently live in the heart of Amish country, so there are always horses & buggies everywhere I go. Every parking lot at every store has a hitching post for the buggies and wagons. It's kind of hilarious, actually. I was lucky that this one happened to be empty at the exact moment when I wanted to take a picture. I guess it was my lucky day!

Rate My Look: Shoesday Saturday & Weekend Watch Find

I got such a BARGAIN on a couple pair of shoes that I couldn't even wait until Tuesday to make it an official "Shoesday Tuesday" post. I also have some exciting news to share about my broken Kenneth Cole watch.

First, the shoes:

Both of these shoes are from Payless and both were huge bargains. The teal wedges were marked down to $13 and the grey satin pumps were marked down to $15. As if that isn't enough of a bargain, the BOGO sale was in full effect, so I actually got the wedges for only $6.50! Both pair of shoe for about $20! Hurray! I couldn't wait to wear them, so yesterday I put on my newly made orange and grey dress, and then finished off the outfit with the grey shoes and some turquoise earrings.

I realized when I was taking this picture yesterday morning that I rarely include my handbag in my photos. I admit, I don't change out my bag all that frequently. I tend to pick one bag and stick with it for weeks, or even months. For the last few months I've been using a black Coach bag, but yesterday I decided to switch it out for this knock-off bought on Canal Street in NYC last year. It's labed "Dolce & Gabanna" but on another trip to the city, I saw the exact same bag in another underground showroom and it was labeled "Valentino." Hilarious! Anyway, I'm never really concerned with my bag matching my outfit. In fact, if it contrasts a little (or a lot), I'm pretty happy. On a side note, there's a funny thing that happens when I wear this dress. Strangers on the street will stop me to say how much they love it (which is flattering, of course), but when they do this, about half the time, they feel compelled to reach up to the ribbon detail on my shoulder and touch it. It's so bizarre! It's one thing if I know the person, but a stranger? What is it about the anemone on my shoulder that people just HAVE to touch it? I don't mind- it really doesn't bother me, but I do find it fascinating.

In other exciting news, I have a new watch. Remember my Kenneth Cole watch that I loved so much, but then I dropped it and the face shattered and I was so devastated, but I didn't know what to do about it- fix it, trash it, buy a new one- so I just did nothing and now I've gone back to checking my phone for the time and that's just so annoying! (Almost as annoying as that run-on sentence, huh?) Anyway, I decided to stop back in at Kenneth Cole just to see what they had. Sure enough, the watch case had plenty of lovely watches, but none that were quite as perfect as my broken one. I was lamenting my situation to the saleslady and sort of describing the difference between my original watch and the ones available in the hopes that maybe she could offer some advice. She said, "Hold on just a minute. I'm going to call my manager in the back and see if we have any more watches back there." A few moments later, the manager came out holding the exact same watch I'd broken!!!! I just about died, I was so happy! And the cherry on top? It was marked down 40% off the SALE PRICE that I had originally paid. I ended up paying $38 (tax included) for the new watch, which is probably less than the cost of having the original one fixed. SO exciting.

It seems the shopping gods are smiling down on me right now. My Urban Outfitters oxfords, my Payless double-whammy bargain, and now the watch. I feel like my luck is really strong right now. Maybe I should play the lottery...

Rate My Look- Outfits with my shopping booty

Once I buy or make something new for myself, I can't wait to wear it- I have to put together an outfit ASAP. SO, here are my looks from Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively:

The first outfit (Tuesday) was pretty simple- I took a dress I wear pretty often because it's so comfortable, and layered my new Tulle jacket on top. I accessorized with grey tights, my flat, black boots, my new brown headband and some fun chartreuse earrigs and button ring. Basically, the only new pieces were the jacket and headband. I ran around town all day in this. I had a bunch of errands to deal with and it was a perfect outfit for the day.

Yesterday (Wednesday), I wanted to glam it up a little more, so I put my new Brooklyn Industries skirt together with my new satin top and my new Christian Siriano for Payless shoes. I made the outfit a little more funky with the addition of the teal tights. It actually made for a someone monochromatic look with my shoes and tights. I finished the look with a necklace from Forever 21 and went off to work. First thing in the morning, I got two remarsk from women at work about how I looked like a French maid. At first I was a tad insulted, until the men at work said to me, "It's not a bad thing." Anyway, it's funny that was the reaction I got because when I was in the store trying on the skirt, I had a black jacket on, too and Beth said that it looked kind of like a uniform. I figured the soft, satin top helped get rid of that feel (not to mention the teal tights and ocean blue shoes), but I guess I figured wrong. I felt great in this outfit all day, despite the "Can you get my room next, Miss?" and "Housekeeping?" remarks that I dealt with all day.

So what do you think of my two looks? Leave a comment- you know how I love them! Or maybe you don't know how much I love them. So let me tell you: I LOVE COMMENTS! You know you want to leave on, so go on and do it! Then click around the blog- check out the archived posts and leave some more comments! It will make my day and don't you want to make my day? Of course you do!

Have a fabulous day, everyone!

Shoesday Tuesday shopping booty

I started to type out a blog documenting all of my purchases over the weekend and realized it would be unreasonable to publish it. I wanted to make sure I told you where I got everything, how much it cost, whether or not it was a bargain, etc. As I did this, I realized it would take you all about an hour to read this one blog post. So I deleted it. And instead I'm going to show you what's relevant only to Shoesday Tuesday, and then in subsequent posts, I'll cover pretty much everything else. Here's what I came home with after my 3 1/2 days in the city:

To break it down, there's fabric & notions...

... accessories...

...clothes...

... and even some reading material.

(Ok, the reading material was all gifts from friends. They gave me Patti Stanger's Become Your Own Matchmaker and Samantha Scholfield's Screw Cupid: The Sassy Girl's Guide to Picking Up Hot Guys. What do you think my friends are trying to tell me?)

I'm sure you understand now why I'll be focusing only on a few items. Otherwise, you'd be here all day! So, since it's Shoesday Tuesday, I present to you the two pair of shoes I brought home from the city this weekend. First, these gorgeous floral pumps that I found at Daffy's for $26.99:

These shoes could not more ME. I can't wait until it's a little warmer and I can wear them out! Next up, Christian Siriano for Payless:

Admittedly, I wanted these mostly because they're a tiny little piece of Christian Siriano and since I'll likely never be able to wear his clothes (for financial and physical reasons), I absolutely MUST wear his shoes. (I'm sorry the picture is so blurry. I really must figure out how to take better pictures.) Just trust me when I tell you that these shoes are fierce, just like Christian. I adore them. They are probably among the most tame of the shoes in his Payless line, but that suits me just fine.

So there you have it- the two pair of shoes I brought home from NYC. I'm quite happy with my selections. What do you think of them? Leave a comment! And check back later this week for more on my NYC shopping purchases. You won't be disappointed!