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

At the Office

April 25, 2013 · By Rachel · 38 Comments

I am always looking for ways to mix up the typical work attire. Some days I wish I worked from home and could wear whatever I want. Not so I could wear sweats all day, but just so I could wear anything from my closet without wondering “is this professional looking” “is this long enough?” “will my feet and knees kill going up and down the stairs all day?” I want to be professional and practical yet fun at the same time. I know some people don’t like the look of layering under a dress, but I really liked the idea of this teal turtleneck from Target under a gray sheath dress to add something bright to this otherwise neutral outfit. I love neutrals, but I am always drawn to outfit inspiration that incorporates color. Anyway, with the teal and a leopard belt I felt pretty good about mixing it up at the office.

Also, I have really wanted to show up in sweatpants or jeans every day this week because the boss is out. And I really loving my new jeans, so it would have been a great week to do that. Then I remembered that HR, the CEO and other important people at work would still see me. Drats.

at the office 3

How to Get Glowing Skin

April 23, 2013 · By Rachel · 36 Comments

I have been asked a couple times about how my skin looks so glowing, etc. so I thought I’d put together a post about some of the products I use outside of my everyday beauty routine. I don’t have a ton of secrets, just a few things I use on a regular basis to give me a glow.

Veishea Weekend

April 22, 2013 · By Rachel · 27 Comments

My best friend Robin, her boyfriend’s good friend Josh and I out on Friday night.

I hope everyone had an amazing weekend! I had so much fun back in Iowa for Veishea, seeing all of my friends, hanging out with my little sister and meeting some of her best friends! I can always expect to have an amazing time back home in Iowa And even though the weather was kind of chilly both Friday and Saturday, Sunday morning as we left, the sun was shining and it reached 65 degrees. Made me smile, even though I was heading back to Minne-snow-ta. At least most of the snow was gone by the time I got back last night. Did you do anything fun this weekend?! Hope you have a great week!

My little sister and I Friday night after getting ready!

Filed Under: Lifestyle · Tagged: Iowa, Iowa State, veishea, weekend, weekend fun

What I’m Packing for VEISHEA

April 17, 2013 · By Rachel · 27 Comments

Last year I created a set on Polyvore entitled What I’m Packing for VEISHEA because I am a very visual person and wanted to make sure I packed all the right things.

VEISHEA for Iowa Staters is just another holiday…. we prep, we plan and we look forward to it each and every year! It is such a fun event that people from all over Iowa come to check it out, even people from surrounding states. And yes, even people from the University of Iowa get their party pants on and actually enjoy their time in Ames. In fact, for being an Iowa native, I might get just as excited for Veishea as Californians get for Coachella.

It is a time to dress your best and bring out all the colorful, fun items for spring. I typically always buy something new for VEISHEA and there are a few items on my packing list that are newcomers to my closet (will be recapping these new purchases at the end of the month). Unfortunately it is going to be kind of chilly (between 40-55 all weekend), so daytime attire of jeans, flats, boots and a trench coat is a must. I am ensuring that I have plenty of options for my three nights there. Like I said, it is a time where everyone is dressed to impress!

VEISHEA is one of the events I look forward to coming back for as an alum of Iowa State University and this year is even more special because my little sister is a freshman there. It will be fun to catch up with friends who are still in Ames and hang out with her while meeting some of her friends. Mostly, I love coming back to Iowa to reminisce on my own experience at Iowa State. And this weekend, it won’t get much better than sleeping my on sister’s futon. Oh the college life, how I miss you!

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Outfits, Travel · Tagged: 10dollarmall, asos, asos dresses, clothes, dresses, heels, JustFab, justfab bags, justfab heels, packing, shopping, veishea, what to pack, what to wear

Praying for Boston

April 16, 2013 · By Rachel · 16 Comments

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Today my prayers are with Boston. After the horrific events that took place yesterday, I couldn’t go on today as if nothing had happened. I am deeply saddened. I know at least 5 people who were running in yesterday’s race and just 3 years ago I was there standing at that finsih line to cheer on a good friend. I have wonderful memories from watching this and am sad to know that those who worked so hard to get to this race and participate as well as those who supported all the runners will now remember this day as a tragedy. My prayers are with all the victims and friends, family and supporters there yesterday. #prayforboston

Filed Under: Lifestyle · Tagged: boston, boston marathon, boston marathon 2013, pray for boston

JustFab Party

April 15, 2013 · By Rachel · 62 Comments

Yesterday I threw a JustFab party to introduce some of my friends to the brand that I have been obsessed with over the past year. When I first saw an ad for JustFab, I couldn’t resist two pairs of cute shoes for $39.95 (at that time when you signed up you got buy one get one free!) So I signed up, shared how excited I was about it on the blog, and ever since I have rarely skipped a month of purchasing something because I love all of the new styles they come out with on a monthly basis. Anyone, fashion bloggers and non-fashion bloggers included, can be a brand ambassador for JustFab, so if you are interested, let me know. I’ll makes sure that you get in touch with the right person! For the party, I kept it simple. Just had some cheese, fruit and mimosas. I displayed all of my purchases from the past and wore my absolute favorite pair of shoes from there so far: my mint pumps (see other looks here and here). Oh and my favorite handbag, the Hepburn, which unfortunately is still sold out (I am on the wait list for the black version of this bag). Aside from the extremely crappy weather, I had a great weekend and I hope you did too. Happy Monday!

Shirt, Heartbreaker (Similar) :: Jeans, Kohls (Exact- Dark Wash) :: Mint Pumps, JustFab (No Longer Available, Similar Styles/Colors Here and Here) :: Bag, JustFab (Sold Out, Similar) :: Necklace, Lia Sophia (Exact) :: Bracelets, Gifted & Lia Sophia (Exact, Similar Style Here)