frugal friday!

First off, I agree with what Shift said about cheap swimsuits. I have a friend who changed my mind about thinking I would never wear a white swimsuit - she looked adorable in one last summer (only once she had a base tan, obvi). So I picked one up at Old Navy a couple weeks ago, thinking I didn't need to try it on because I already knew what size I was. I tried it on when I got home and it was COMPLETELY see-through -- even dry. Could you imagine what it would have looked like after I swam in it? Oy. So back it went.

Ok, on to clothes. It's finally getting warm-ish in NYC, so I'm all about ditching the wool sweaters and going for transitional clothes. I love this top:

Wear it now with skinny jeans, long cardigan and flats. Wear it once it's warm with short shorts and cute flat sandals. Some bronzer also might be a good idea, considering my pasty state...

frugal FRIDAY!

Ditto what Shift said about posting...these are weird, crazy times in the working world, and blogging while in the office just isn't as easy as it used to be. But anyway - on to the bargains!

I love the print on this maxi dress - definitely looks more expensive than its $25 price tag. Wonder if I could pull it off with blond hair, or if it would look better on a brunette like Shift? Side note: I got a solid colored maxi dress at Old Navy last weekend for the same price - good stuff there lately!

This dress is a great basic - as a beach/pool coverup or just to throw on to run errands on a hot day. Any dress you can wear a regular bra with (like this one) is a winner in my book. It also comes in a pretty emerald green color that looks way better on Shift than it does on me...I'm just sayin.

forever frugal fridays

TGIF is all I have to say -- this week has been crazy! And it's a long weekend - even better. Am planning on stopping by Forever this weekend just to see what they have - I've been very good about not shopping lately!

I love the print of this top - it looks rich enough that you wouldn't guess it's from Forever. It would look super cute now over skinny dark-wash jeans with a cardigan, or with white jeans once the weather warms up. Which hopefully will be sooner rather than later! I'm officially sick of all my winter clothes and can't WAIT for spring!

Gap: who knew?

I stopped in the Gap today over lunch to pick up a birthday present for the fiance's niece's first birthday (the Baby Gap and Gap store are connected). I hadn't been in a Gap store in awhile, and boy, was I pleasantly surprised! Lots of cute spring stuff, and prices reasonable enough that I (almost) would pay full price for it!

Like this silk blend ruffle top (also in coral, which is cute but requires a tan...)

This open-front cardigan -- I've been hunting for one since last summer - perfect for layering!

And these super-cute sandals -- with a price tag that lets you wear them to and from work without worrying about ruining them.All of the above officially added to my spring wish list!

forever frugal fridays

It's 15 degrees outside, but all I can think about is spring. So here we go:This top would be adorable with skinny white jeans and espadrilles (and a tan, of course). Sigh.

Hello, gorgeous!

I have my first wedding dress fitting in about a month, and realized yesterday that this means I should probably try to go to the gym more than once or twice a week. Then I saw this photo of Isla Fisher (who just had a baby like 6 months ago) promoting her new movie, Confessions of a Shopaholic (which I will probably see since I loved the book so much), and she looks AMAZING:Love the dress, shoes, necklace -- such a great outfit. If I can look half as good as she does, I'll be happy!

Brr!

This winter has been especially bad in New York City. Our winters here are usually pretty mild -- it snows maybe once, and it only gets cold enough for me to break out the Uggs maybe once or twice. This year? It's snowed twice in the past week, and I wear my Uggs so much that I'm actually thinking about buying a new pair. WTF?

So I figured maybe I could find some cold-weather bargains since all the stores have in their spring stuff now (which is great when the wind chill is 5 degrees like it is today). What's on my list? One of those furry trapper hats. Don't laugh -- I have a friend who has one that she got at a vintage store, and she swears she is never cold. I'm jealous.

I like this one (ignore the cheesy Bloomingdale's photo) since it's black and would go with all of my coats. Only problem? Even though it's on sale, it's still $225!After googling "fur trapper hat," I found this one at Fur Hat World (don't ask). It's real fur and $150 on sale, which isn't totally horrible.

Finally, if real fur isn't your thing, this hat from Urban Outfitters is cute and cheap at $35. It's not available online anymore, but I bet you could still find it in a store!

forever frugal fridays

It's always about this time of year that I get really sick of winter. I'm tired of my winter clothes, of being cold, of bundling up within an inch of my life when I leave my apartment only to sweat in the crowded subway, of not being able to walk the dog for more than a block before she rebels and wants back inside. I'm ready for spring! Now! These clothes will make it feel like it's coming a little faster.

This dress is great -- yes, a bit bright -- but throw on black sandals and go. So easy.

This one is great too -- slightly nautically-inspired, but not so much that it's cheesy. Love the other colors too.
This dress is just about perfect. Simple, comfy, casual, and $13! I might need it in every color. Great with flip flops for running errands or as a pool/beach cover-up, or with espadrilles, a straw clutch, and fun jewelry for a night out. Done!

sag awards...mostly one big sigh

so anyone see that sag awards last night? i thought most of the dresses were big yawns but was entertained by a few lovely ladies...

can i just say that i thought this blue dress was gorgeous? if my curves looked like hers i would be as happy as a clam...

loved the color on her

usually not a fan of red on the red carpet but i loved this look on her...the neckline is gorgeous (did anyone else think she sounded funny presenting? she either picked up a bizarro accent or was trying way to hard to sound smart...)

love the gold embellishment with the black

forever frugal fridays

So my company just changed our dress code, which is great. The good news is that we can now wear jeans every day. Woohoo! The bad news is, I haven't bought jeans in at least a year. So of course this means I will need to shop for new jeans and new tops to go with jeans. Hello, forever!This top would be cute but still work-appropriate with jeans and heels, and I could easily wear it into spring once it warms up. This top could be cheap-looking in person (you never know with Forever stuff!) but would be super cute under a cardigan or blazer. Plus, it looks suspiciously like a JCrew top I love that's about $50 more!

dress pressure

with the inauguration just days away, everyone is buzzing about what michelle obama will wear...i'm hoping she goes with a young unknown designer but it's any one's guess. people magazine did a photo gallery of first lady inauguration dresses and some of the dresses are a.maz.ing!

oh course i had to start with jackie...so classic in a dress she designed herself...who knew!

yellow/mimosa is oh so in right now...i even love the neckline on this john moore gown on lady bird johnson.
get rid of the sleeves and this mary matise for jimmae dress for rosalynn carter is a winner (she even had the dress re-purposed because of the bad economy!)

this james galanos dress is pretty on nancy reagan...love the single shoulder

quite the cropped jacket on patricia nixon...karen stark for harvey berin

i left out the balls of boffant (thanks mom!) and sequins that hurt my eyes...yikes.

forever frugal fridays

This one is easy - when Shift was here last weekend, we hit the big Forever 21 store in Soho on Friday morning before it got crazy and crowded. I got this sweater and, while I initally was a little iffy about spending $30 on a sweater from Forever, I sucked it up and got it. Now, I want it in every color! It's long enough to wear with skinny jeans, not too baggy that you can't wear it over a cute top to go out, but not too tight either. It's just about...perfect.

Golden Globes

I know this is old news by now, but I just had to say how much I loved Eva Mendes' look at the Golden Globes last Sunday. Just classic, classic glamour. Her winter white Dior dress fit like a glove and that Van Cleef necklace was killer.
I also loved Kate Beckinsale's J. Mendel dress. This just might be my dream wedding dress, if I had a million dollars (and her ridiculous body!).

I also loved Tina Fey's acceptance speech..."suck it" may be my new favorite phrase!

back in black.

Why black? Well, I'm back in New York City, land of black-garbed locals. Black to mourn the long vacation that I just finished -- two full weeks! Today at work is rough, people. Rough. Black since I'm another year older as of last week. But the vacation was good, holidays were good, even the birthday was good. Back in the city means back with friends and back in my own apartment - I love my family (hi mom!), but it's always nice to be back in your own space. Although the dog is definitely a bit depressed since now she only has two people to spoil her instead of five.

Here are a few random things I'm loving lately...

Red velvet cupcakes, especially when they contain chocolate chips like the ones from The Flying Cupcake in Indianapolis (I know, I will never shut up about these, but I love them) - the fiance has declared them better than any of the fancy-schmancy NYC cupcakes, and I think I agree.

Ruffles on any and all clothing. They're just so feminine and delicate and can transform any outfit. If only I could figure out how to re-ruffle them without having to pay to dryclean them. I got this shirt from J.Crew for Christmas and want it in every color (and the sleeveless version for spring too, thanks).

Dog sweaters. Nothing makes me smile like a dog in a sweater. Lucy got a rather stylish one from Shift for Christmas, and she really likes it.

Speaking of Shift, she's coming to NYC in TWO DAYS - YIPPEE! It's about freaking time. We will have lots of fun and many adventures. But that's another post entirely.

Forever frugal Fridays.

This week has been three weeks long, I swear. I'm just glad it's Friday. Let's get to it.

I love the show Gossip Girl, its cheesy drama, and its crazy fashion. I also love how the character Blair Waldorf has single-handedly brought back the headband. But that doesn't mean I'm going to spend $100+ on the fancy kinds she wears on the show. Enter Forever 21.

I love this feathered version, which looks way more expensive than the $4.80 it costs.
The silk flower on this one is great for dressing up more casual outfits.
This one, with the rhinestone-studded bow, might be my favorite. And at $3.80, it's a bargain. Now if I could only find it in the store...

chains and chains

take a look @ these pretty ladies from dannijo...part edgy and part lovely...

Forever frugal Fridays.

Better late than never, right?

I remember back in the day, before there was a Forever 21 in Indianapolis, half of the things I would get Shift for Christmas would come from Forever. We were both in college and poor, and Forever would save the day with cute bags and jewelry. Ah, the good old days. Since statement necklaces are big this year in the fashion world, these would make great gifts:

headband love

i'm going through a big headband phase right now...and luckily that's a trendy phase to have. check out these adorable headbands from jennifer behr

tartan

all this cold weather has me bundling up...in tartan to be exact. i'm in love with this hot trend and seeing it everywhere...

skinny burberry "muffler" scarf ...

tartan dress from Vivienne Westwood

mini skirt from gap

tartan pillows from william sonoma home

madewell

i love all of these looks from madewell...makes me want to paper my closet walls for inspirations...

how much do you love that gray coat with the brown boots? *love*