heels

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

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

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

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

Birthday Sequins

January 29, 2013 · By Rachel · 56 Comments

I found an $18 long sequin dress at Forever21 the day before my birthday (updated now in my budget post here), so I couldn’t resist buying it after trying it on and falling in love. I was hoping to find a pink dress, but hey, when you find a good deal (covered in sequins), how can you say no? Paired with some crazy earrings and glitter shoes, I was all ready to celebrate!

birthday8

The Blog’s First Birthday!

November 20, 2012 · By Rachel · 40 Comments

It is the blog’s first birthday today and I can’t believe it has been a whole year since I wrote this post on this small little space online. I honestly had no idea what I was getting into, I just knew I wanted to share my love and passion of fashion, style, beauty and LIFE on this space. The best part about it all has been getting to know others through their blogs and meetings some blogger buddies in real life! And I have many to thank…

I Really Love… Wearing Stripes

November 8, 2012 · By Rachel · 21 Comments

And who doesn’t?!?! Stripes literally go with everything and I love being able to layer with them during the fall/winter so here are a few of my favorite layered outfits incorporating stripes (two are with the same striped turtleneck and the others are with my striped sweater and striped mini).

Snakes on a Jacket

October 10, 2012 · By Rachel · 36 Comments

Okay so there really aren’t snakes on this jacket… just snakeskin print. I don’t know, sometimes I just think I’m clever and I laugh like it’s funny. This happens a lot at home and the bf doesn’t even know where it came from, what I’m thinking or what I mean by it. It comes from my mother because I act the same way my bf does when she says things sometimes and I usually end up saying “Oh Mom” but I love her, she’s the best!

Anyway, enough blabbing… so I never thought 1) that I would ever end up wearing this jacket to the office… I thought it might be a bit too crazy for the environment I work in and 2) I never thought I would wear a denim dress to the office thinking it is just too casual. Well, this outfit just goes to show that you should always push yourself to try more and be more creative with your wardrobe. If it is straight out not appropriate, it just isn’t appropriate, but I think the blend of a plain casual denim dress and the dressy features of my snakeskin jacket magically balance each other out. Let’s just say I couldn’t resist a double dose of snakeskin and added one of my go-to work shoes to this outfit, as well as an edgy necklace, a buckle belt and watch to keep the balance between work appropriate and fun/crazy. I got a compliment from a co-worker so I’m going to call it a success!

Jacket: Nordstrom Rack (Similar here) Dress: Lucky Brand (Similar here) Necklace: Target (Similar here) Watch: Nordstrom Rack- BCBGMaxaxria (Similar here) Shoes: Target (Similar here) Lipstick: YSL Rouge Volupte – Color 17 Red Muse (Buy here)

Filed Under: Outfits · Tagged: army coat, army jacket, BCBG, BCBGMaxazria, blazers, button-up dress, denim, denim dress, denim dresses, detailed jacket, dresses, embellished jacket, fall fashion, fall office style, fall style, heels, how to wear snakeskin at the office, how to wear snakeskin print, jackets, Nordstrom Rack deals, Nordstrom Rack purchases, office, office wear, pumps, reptile, reptile print, snakeskin, snakeskin apparel, snakeskin blazer, snakeskin jacket, snakeskin print, Target, Target fashion, Target finds, tights, watch, watches, work outfit, work style

Moments That Take Your Breath Away

October 4, 2012 · By Rachel · 45 Comments

When I realized I have seen family I don’t see very often including my aunts, uncles, cousins, sisters, mom, dad, grandma and bf’s family all within two weeks. That never happens. How lucky am I?
When the bf and I tore up the dance floor at my friend’s wedding to my favorite Lady Gaga song “Bad Romance” and he picked me up off the floor, twirled me around and dipped me at the end of the song. Man he’s good on the dance floor. Man I love Lady Gaga tunes.
Yesterday morning when I realized (while I was all cuddled up with the bf and the pup) that I have my own little family going on and it rocks.

I have been a little more cheesy the past couple weeks, but in all honesty, it’s what makes life so great. After all, these breath taking moments are what we live for, aren’t they? Simple as they are, they make me happier than any pair of shoes. (And shoes make me REALLY REALLY happy). Happy Friday Eve friends.

Dress: Simply Vera by Vera Wang (Similar here) Earrings: Vintage (Similar here) Purse: Coach Factory (Similar here) Lulu Heels: Lulus (Similar here) Lipstick: MAC Faithfully Yours (Buy here)