Shopping

Shabby Apple $50 Giftcard Giveaway

May 12, 2013 · By Rachel · 22 Comments

I am so excited to be doing a giveaway with Shabby Apple! Shabby Apple is an online dress boutique that specializes in vintage and retro dresses. Click Here: vintage dresses to their selection! Some of my favorites include this skirt, this dress, these shoes, and this adorable vintage swimsuit! The giveaway will be running through May 26, 2013 (2 weeks) and is open to US Residents only. Just follow the instructions below. I will e-mail the winner, so please don’t forget to leave your e-mail in the blog post comment! Good luck!!!!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Shopping · Tagged: giftcard, giftcard giveaway, giveaway, summer dresses, summer vintage dresses, summer vintage skirts, swimsuits, vintage dresses, vintage skirts, vintage swimsuits

Cinco de Mayo!

May 3, 2013 · By Rachel · 12 Comments

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Doesn’t Cinco de Mayo make you think of aztec/trbial and boho prints?! Well it does for me and I’m so excited to celebrate with some friends on Sunday. Sunday FUNday of course! I will probably pull out some bright, festive colors even if it isn’t that warm. Hopefully it will be a nice day! P.S. all of these pieces are under $50!

And now… today’s Blog Every Day in May challenge is to talk about things that make you uncomfortable. I have a long list, but here are just a few that come to mind:

Let’s start with the serious ones:

Conflict. Let me get more specific … I mean in your face conflict where I feel like I want to crawl underneath a table and hide. At work. Between groups of friends. Other couples. I get a knot in my stomach when I feel like two other people are about to get in a fight about something. This might be the most uncomfortable type of situation to be in… ever.
Speaking up at Work Meetings. I have only been in my job for a year and a half. I have so many ideas and always want to share my opinion, but i am so uncomfortable sharing these ideas in meetings, when I really should be speaking up. Some of my co-workers have been here 15+ years, it is just one of those companies where people don’t leave, which is great, but right now I feel like too much of a newbie. I really need to get over this and speak up!

Now, less serious ones:

People Watching Me Eat. This is kind of weird, but I eat to eat if that makes sense. I am trying to get better about slowing down, but I got in a horrible habit of scarfing down food in college because I wanted to get to the library to study or off to other meetings for the newspaper or PR club. Food in college was not something to “enjoy” rather something I had to do. And I still have problems. In fact, even my boyfriend is impressed with how fast I eat. I always finish eating before him. It can be really embarrassing, so at work I usually eat at my desk because I like to get stuff done while I’m eating and I don’t want people to watch me eat. It makes me feel SO uncomfortable. I also don’t like being judged for what I’m eating. Have you ever noticed how nosy people can get about what you bring for lunch? That makes me feel extra uncomfortable. Yes I cooked last night! Surprising, I know
Someone Touching my Nose. It makes me feel really uncomfortable. I don’t know why. It’s just weird to have someone touch your nose. My boyfriend thinks it is hilarious to do all the time just to annoy me

What makes you uncomfortable?

Filed Under: Shopping · Tagged: aztec print accessories, aztec print clothes, aztec prints, boho prints, boho skirt, boho styles, cinco de mayo, tribal print, tribal prints

April Budget

April 28, 2013 · By Rachel · 23 Comments

1. Floral One Should Top in Fuschia - Questhaven Fashions $10.00 – $3.50 in promo codes + $3.25 S&H = $9.75 I had an additional promo code I got on Facebook for liking their fan page, so when I saw this top, I had to make it mine. I love the color and flower details, plus with the right blazer or cardigan I can also wear it to work and easily transition into a cute date night, happy hour or going out look!

2. Steve Madden Trench Coat – ShopGoodWill Won Bid at $16.00 + $11.53 S&H = $27.53 The PRICE TAGS from T.J.Maxx were still on this item at a cost of $59.99, so I still paid half of the cost for the trench (even at a discount store) with S&H, so I feel okay even though I wouldn’t normally pay $11.53 for S&H

3. Midi Strap Dress in Orange Red - Asos $21.91 On Sale + Free S&H = $21.91

4. Schutz Gilberta Black Heels – ShopGoodWill Won Bid at $9.00 + $11.50 S&H = $21.50 I paid a little more for S&H, but I don’t mind because when I saw these on ShopGoodwill, I knew I had to have them! They were the perfect basic pair of black pumps and when I looked up the cost of Schutz Gilberta heels, they normally run for $160 a pair. So I’d say I got another great deal! See how I wore them recently here.

5. Copacabana Heels – JustFab $39.95 + Free S&H = $39.95 I have been dying to get a pair of strappy sandals like this, but resisted for awhile. Then I saw these in mint, and had to make them mine.

6. Whitney Floral Heels - ShoeDazzle $22.57 – $9.95 for VIP members + Free S&H = $15.82 These babies were on my Spring Wishlist. So I am pretty pumped about finally having a pair of fun, colorful floral heels!

7. Leaf Floral Print Blazer – Lulu’s $3.00! I won the Word Wednesday daily contest on Lulu’s Facebook (they have really easy daily contests, like their page to enter these contests) and was credited $50 to my account. $46 + $7 S&H = $53 – $50 in Account Credit = $3.00

TOTAL: $139.46

So I was $39.46 over my budget. Not the best, but not bad either. I got two of my closet needs, a trench coat and black heels, so I am feeling good about that. I have also been wanting to add more colorful/patterned blazers to my collection, so I was so excited when I won $50 in store credit to Lulu’s and found this beautiful floral blazer for under $46. Also, I wanted to challenge myself to spend less than $100 a month. It’s not that it doesn’t fit into my overall budget, I just have so much already, it just doesn’t make sense to keep adding and adding things I want. So for the new dress, one shouldered top and two pairs of heels, I am excited to have these things but they weren’t needed. I guess I don’t feel bad about my overspending in clothing this month just because I’m still meeting my other budgeting goals. But again, next month I’m challenging myself to $100. I have a lot of weddings coming up and those are going to get expensive, so the less I spend on clothes/shoes, the better!

***I got two new pairs of jeans, a blouse and blazer from the Easter Bunny (aka my Mom) at the end of March. I don’t normally include gifted items from friends, family, boyfriend in these posts. Do you? Should I? I just everyone to know that I am being completely honest with my budget and include ALL of my purchases in this monthly roundup!

Linking up with Budgeting Bloggers over at Franish!

Filed Under: Fashion, Shopping · Tagged: blazer, blazers, budget, budgeting, floral blazker, floral heels, fuschia top, heels, how to budget, how to shop on a budget, JustFab, justfab heels, JustFabulous, justfabulous heels, Lulus, questhaven, schutz heels, ShoeDazzle, strappy heels, zappos

Guest Post: Wedding Dress Trends

April 28, 2013 · By Rachel · 3 Comments

As a part of the wedding series I’ve been doing (see here, here and here) I have a great guest post for you today featuring some of the top wedding dress trends right now! Hope you enjoy:

Hi everyone! My name is Kaitlin Underwood and I am so happy to be sharing my love of weddings and fashion with you today! Wedding dress fashion is constantly changing, from new, less traditional styles, to more traditional styles made new. There is definitely a look perfect for every kind of bride and I wanted to show you some of my current favorites!

Though not very traditional, colored dresses have been increasing in popularity over the last few seasons. While there are wedding dresses out there in colors from black to blue to red, my favorites are the blush ones like these from the White by Vera Wang collection. Celebs from Gwen Stefani to Reese Witherspoon to Jessica Biel have all opted to walk down the aisle in the subtle color. Pink is a color associated with love and romance so if you’re not going to wear white, pink is a great choice!

If you haven’t heard about the new “The Great Gatsby” movie yet you surely will. The movie featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan is bringing back the fashion from the past. The girl of the “roaring twenties” was rebellious, putting away her corset for a more revealing look and cutting off her luscious locks for a bob style hairdo. While you likely wouldn’t want to wear a flapper dress for your wedding, there are several other styles reminiscent of the era such as these Galina Signature dresses from David’s Bridal that would be perfect to achieve that glamorous look.

Lace is a fabric that has been associated with wedding dresses for quite a while. White actually became the traditional color for wedding dresses because Queen Victoria chose a white gown to feature some of her prized lace back in the 1800’s. Today, designers such as Melissa Sweet have found a way to use lace in modern and innovative ways. For the bride who wants a touch of tradition, lace is the perfect look.

I wonder if Rachel’s sister chose a dress featuring any of these trends? I guess we’ll have to wait and find out! Which is your favorite look?

Filed Under: Fashion, Shopping, Wedding · Tagged: affordable wedding dresses, colored wedding dresses, cute wedding dresses, fashionable wedding dresses, how to shop for a wedding dress, lace wedding dresses, pink wedding dresses, stylish wedding dresses, traditional wedding dresses, wedding, wedding dress trends, wedding dress trends 2013, wedding dresses, weddings

No More Boots: Summer 2013 Shoe Trends

April 27, 2013 · By Rachel · 5 Comments

As any fashionista knows, it’s no good laying back and waiting for the latest fashion trends to wash over you. Planning a wardrobe in advance is key to keeping on-trend and in style. So why plan for spring when you could plan for summer? Crank up the expectation, remind yourself of beaches and barbecues, and get your footwear ready for what may, possibly, if we’re really lucky, turn out to be a great British summer. Roll on June!

If you need a reminder of what’ll be hot and what’ll be not this summer, here’s a reminder of some of the hot catwalk trends that will be making their way to your local high street:

Sheen and shine

There’s going to be a strong preference for shiny, reflective shoes this summer. From iridescent subtlety to bold foil-effect, if you want your feet to get noticed you’ll need a pair of shimmery statement shoes. One of Moschino’s catwalk offerings even had crushed crystals on the heels. Take a look at some of the summer’s metallic shiny shoes in Grazia magazine’s report from Paris.

Chunky heels

Chunky platform heels are quirky and interesting, and make a nice change from stilettos, offering a bit more comfort and support for your soles. You’ll find plenty of fabulous 70s-style platforms around this season, with wooden clogs making a fashion comeback, as well as traditional raffia wedges.

Transparency

There has been a revival of jelly shoes in the last year or two, with a number of designers taking this 90s favourite and mixing it up with other styles, incorporating transparent, jelly-like straps into their pieces. Celebrity advocates include Rita Ora and Azealia Banks, so take a look at some fabulous brightly coloured and transparent shoes here in Fashion District’s report on summer 2013 footwear.

Every girl needs a new pair of shoes to welcome the summer. Shop around online for great deals from top designers, such as these Ted Baker shoes.

What do you think of this summer’s shoe trends? Will you be buying any?

Filed Under: Accessories, Fashion, Shopping · Tagged: chunky heels, heels, metallic, metallic heels, metallic pumps, shoe trends, shoe trends 2013, shoes, spring shoes, spring shoes trends, spring shoes trends 2013, transparent heels

Splurge or Steal: Jewelry

April 14, 2013 · By Rachel · 15 Comments

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Filed Under: Accessories, Shopping · Tagged: baublebar, baublebar gold chain necklace, bow earrigns, F21, f21 bow earrings, Forever 21, forever21 bow earrings, gold chain necklace, jcrew, jcrew baubles, jcrew gold chain necklace, jcrew jewelry, jcrew water lily necklace, jeweliq, jeweliq jewelry, jewelry, kate spade, kate spade bow earrings

March Budget

March 29, 2013 · By Rachel · 23 Comments

Raven Capri and Back in Black Tank - Ellie Monthly Subscription $49.95 + $0.00 S&H = $49.95
Forget Me Not Tank and the Love Struck Legging - Ellie FREE: I won the free workout outfit giveaway from LaurenConrad.com and so excited because I LOVE the workout clothing (could you tell?)
Peek-a-Boo Workout Tank - Ellie $34.95 + 50% off with FEB50 promo code + $0.00 S&H = $17.47
Metallic Pointy Toe Pumps - eBay (replacements of the shoes my dog ate: See here, here and here) – $16.99 + $8.99 S&H = $25.98
Striped Cable Knit Sweater – H&M $37.78 SEEN HERE
Bauble Necklace in Blush Pink - Sassy Steals (a daily deal site that keeps deals going for several days) $4.99 + $2.50 S&H = $7.49 SEEN HERE
Strappy Metallic Sandals - Kohls (tried to find in store but couldn’t so ordered online): $21.97 + $0.43 in tax + $5.99 S&H = $28.35 I bought these for the wedding I’m in this summer. She decided on silver for the jewelry and shoes and we found these on super sale and thought they would be perfect!

Total: $167.02

I went over my budget by $17.02 this month. For me, that isn’t THAT BAD and if I hadn’t bought that extra workout tank for $17 I would have been on track. Oh well, could have been worse (those sales just get me!) The only thing I bought in Vegas was the striped sweater. It was great for the plane ride home and I know I will get a lot of use out of it. I have been working really hard to reduce my budget and stick to it… until this month, I was on track (see January’s budget here and February’s budget here).

Next month my budget is going down even more, $100. Wish me luck!

I am linking up to Fran’s Budgeting Bloggers for March!

Filed Under: Fashion, Shopping · Tagged: 2013 clothing budget, affordable metallic pumps, affordable silver heels, affordable silver pumps, cableknit sweater, cheap pumps, cheap silver heels, cheap silver pumps, deals, ebay deals, ebay finds, ellie, ellie clothing review, ellie review, ellie.com, finds, fitness, fitness clothing, fitness gear, H&M, heels, how to budget, how to find good clothing deals, how to find good deals, how to shop on a budget, march 2013, march budget, metallic pumps, silver heels, silver pumps, striped cableknit sweater, striped sweater, sweaters, workout clothes, workout gear, workout outfit

Spring Wishlist

March 27, 2013 · By Rachel · 28 Comments

I have to admit I have been pretty uninspired lately. From an unorganized closet to the never-ending winter weather, I just mentally and physically feel “blah”… so instead of focusing on these negative aspects, I decided to make a wishlist of some things that are bright, fun and cheery. I may not need them as much as I need some other wardrobe staples, but just as I dream about a gorgeous walk-in closet one day, I can dream about adding all of these pieces to my soon-to-be organized closet, right?

I am hoping that a trip home to Iowa this weekend will help me refresh and rejuvenate. Some weekends, I just need a change of pace, I think everyone does. It feels like I haven’t seen my family in forever (we are approaching 3 months of not seeing them and I only live 3.5 hours away). I always want to visit more, but somehow the weeks and weekends just get away from me!

I hope you all are doing well, and staying positive even in this “lovely” winter we are having. Happy Hump Day!

1. Faux Leather Jacket – Forever 21, $37.80

2. Floral Sandals – ShoeDazzle, On Sale $34.36

3. Green Handbag – ShoeDazzle, On Sale $23.97

4. Floral Skinny Jeans – LC Lauren Conrad @ Kohls, On Sale $27.00

5. Coral Ring – Fantasy Jewelry Box, $49.95

6. Blue Strappy Wedges - JustFab, $39.95

7. Pink Pencil Skirt – JcPenney, On Sale $16.00

Filed Under: Shopping · Tagged: shopping, spring, spring shopping 2013, spring wishlist, wishes, wishlist

Spring Closet Cleaning

March 22, 2013 · By Rachel · 63 Comments

So I have been “organizing my closet” for close to a year now. I’m not kidding… it’s that bad. Last winter my closet decided it had enough and just detached from the wall. See below:

No worries, it has been reattached to the wall and I have done a LOT of work on it since then. But it is still a space that is hard for me to be inspired in. I try to set clothes out the night before if possible, but I don’t always think about it. And sometimes it is fun to choose your outfit with how you’re feeling in the morning, along with checking out the temperature outside (especially right now… silly winter weather this late in March!)

Anyway, I don’t have enough space in our apartment walk-in right now to create my dream closet, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do a better job of going through my clothes, selling, donating and reorganizing the clothes I have. So I have been reading a lot of articles lately looking for new organization and closet cleaning tips and came across this one on Lucky Magazine with tips from Clinton Kelly. For some reason, these tips resonated more with me than any other article I’ve read. I’m sure it was mostly the same advice, just presented in a different way. Anyway, it was motivating enough that I have decided to try out his way of doing things, which is taking ALL of your clothes out of your closet and trying EACH and EVERY piece on. He admits it is an exhausting process, but no one has ever complained about having a clean, organized closet.

And keep in mind—

Too small: DONATE/SELL

Too big: DONATE/SELL

One size too big: TAKE TO A TAILOR

Anything you haven’t worn in a year: DONATE/SELL

So here’s the deal, I don’t think I could accomplish this all in one day (or part with all the things I probably need to part with in one day), so I’m going to start with one section of my closet and move onto the next. I might do two sections a weekend or per week, but this way I feel a bit more accomplished each week and eventually I will have the end result . After all is said and done, I will probably buy some more organizational tools to help with what I’ve kept, but my closet should be a lot more manageable at this point. I have lots of clothes from high school and college still, and it isn’t necessarily that they don’t fit or I don’t still like the style, but I don’t have anywhere to wear them. Why am I keeping them then? This is why it has come to this… sigh.

My closet is organized by type and color, so blouses, cardigans, short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts, dresses, pants, pencil skirts, jeans, etc. (ranging from red to purple and then neutrals). This weekend I will start with blouses and cardigans.

Via A Simple Affair

Then maybe my closet will look a little better, maybe something like this:

via Jimmy Choos on the Treadmill

And someday, hopefully not too far away like this:

Via Daisy Pink Cupcake

A girl is allowed to dream, right?

Do you have any other great tips you have for closet cleaning? Have you tried a closet cleaning process like this before? Please let me know how it went if you have!

Filed Under: Fashion, Lifestyle, Shopping · Tagged: cleaning out your closet, clinton kelly, clinton kelly spring cleaning tips, closet cleaning, donating clothes, how to clean out your closet, how to go through clothing, how to organize your closet, organization, organize a closet, organizing, organizing a closet, selling clothes, spring cleaning, spring cleaning 2013, spring cleaning tips

Vegas Recap

March 12, 2013 · By Rachel · 30 Comments

We didn’t take very many photos because, well, you know the saying … what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. And we wanted to keep in that way! (Okay, my boyfriend didn’t want to waste his vacation time taking photos of my outfits and I don’t blame him… better to just enjoy the time). Thank you EVERYONE for your wonderful and kind words supporting our relationship and 2 year anniversary! I am hoping for another great year and many more!

Happy Tuesday, have a great week!