Once Upon a Consignment...

Once in a while I find a really good bargain and I just have to share it with you!

I went out with a friend of mine and, since I'm an idiot, I forgot my shorts. So, I did the brainiac thing and and went to the local consignment store and found a consignment store that I could stop in and pick up the needed items!
While there, not only did I find these adorable shorts, but also that damned black and white striped sweater that I've been searching for for about a year now! Pair that with a black tank top that I already own and a marvelous outfit was created!

Shorts: $4

Sweater: $8

Black Tank: $0

= $12 ☺

Beat that, darlin's!

xo - E

No Rules White Pumps!

White Jacket, Yellow Scarf, B/w polka dotted tank, blue jeans, white pumps

Oh look! A rare picture of me! Eek! 

As you can tell it was a gorgeous day out and I went for a hike... in heels! I would recommend it, it was actually fun! 

 I didn't know what to do with that yellow scarf until I did laundry and it ended up next to a polka dotted tank top and *idea!* I wore it all together! I went out with a few friends before hand and had to wear the white jacket. I'm not sure if you can see my awesome white pumps but I've gotten into wearing them everywhere since I can't wear them to work; they're too high! 

Prices are as follows! Hope you can beat me in the shopping wars! ☺

Clothing Item	Price
Glasses	$ 1.50
White Jacket	$ 10.00
Yellow Scarf	$ 5.00
Polka Dotted Tank	$3.00
Jeans	$20.00
White Pumps	$20.00
Total	$59.50

Preppy & Pink

Today, after a lovely swim, I decided to go with a bit of a preppy look! I saw this in my favorite source of outfitting... a magazine!

This was probably being sold for around $80, but as ya'll know me, I can do better!

Grey sweater: $12 

Pink shirt:      $  7

Black pants:   $ 10

Uggs:             $12

Jewelry:         $1 

-------------------------

Sold for:        $42 

HOWEVER: Keep in mind that many of these pieces are worn multiple times in multiple fashionable poses! Why? Cause the only time I ever buy something is when I know that I can wear it with three other items in my always-getting-smaller closet!

Laundry

I'm going to be crass here ladies and gentlemen and talk about my closet. Well, that is nothing new, but I'm talking about a particular drawer in my closet... my drawer of well, 'unmentionables.' To be more specific, my lingerie drawer. To break it down further... MY BRAS. Alright, gentlemen, you can take off now, have a nice day! 
I have always had the problem of not being able to fit into my bras and so lingerie shopping is a bit of a problem for me. I'll try on a few and buy the one that fits the best that particular day and for the rest of the month suffer with the new bra until it is broken in. In this way I also have a tendency to buy the wrong size and I'll suffer because I have no idea what size I really am.

SOLUTION #1: Go to your nearest lingerie store and get your size done! I am aware that JC Penny has the occasional 'bra sizing day' which is convenient. Check the days, or call ahead, the girls at the desk might be more aware of it then I am! The other option that I know does it every day is Victoria's Secret at the mall, particular outlets or maybe there is a size chart on their website! At least once a year I go there and check it out and see whats on sale too!

SOLUTION #2: Buy that absolute perfect size that you know will fit you from now until you decide to stop wearing bras! (Which I think can be at any point in time...) Now take this size and write it on a card and stick it in your purse. Not a bad plan right? Just remember to move that card from purse to purse and you're all set! ALSO with this plan when you get sized at your linguine store use that card that you got from them and stick that in your purse too! 

SOLUTION #3: You have bought your absolute favorite bra and you are all sized and you have your favorite size etc etc ... and now you wear it every day and you sash it everyday. Awesome! One light issue...  you forget what size it is and oh crap... the tag is gone. You no longer know the size of your favorite bra/size because the tag is gone. In my case usually this is because I've washed it so many times and it's now no longer legible. It happens. My solution? I take a sharpie and write in the strap write the size! Brilliant! Now it can't wash off and when it starts to get a little faded  I just touch it up! And now when I go shopping its there and ready for me and I don't need to search my purse again to look for that damn receipt!

Jean Shirt - Conservative

First off, this is NOT ME. Secondly... If you thought it was me, thank you! ☺

So today I was bored and didn't know what to wear to my internship so I decided to shop online for not only ideas but also an answer to what to do with this jean shirt that I've had that's been kicking around for a few summers.  That's when this baby popped up on my laptop. And the best part was, I had everything already!

Today's lovely conservative outfit is...
~ Jean Shirt
~ Black leggings/tight pants
~ Brown Boots
~ Brown scarf!

I got a few complements on it, so why don't you try it too?

Happy Shopping!

In Like a Lion...

Well, Hello again!
I know that I haven't posted an outfit in a while... and I apologize! Quite honestly I've been fishing out outfits from my lovely little notebook and make a few changes here and there. But this week I went on this new site (to me at least) and started pulling outfits from there for my wardrobe! Best part is... I haven't bought anything new yet again!

As for today, a lovely day in March I wore this stunning outfit. And I thought I'd share because so many people loved it!

Black Scarf: $4 (Ocean State Job Lot)
Grey Sweater: $7 (Old Navy)
Spotted button down: $$ (My favorite place!)
Black Cami: $$ (Christmas!)
Black pants $1 (Kohls, yes, Kohls!)
Brown tall boots: $17 (Marshall's) 
= $30! and the best part is, most of these pieces go with other outfits!

Enjoy shopping at home! ♥

Family Party

Hello!

I know it is a bit chilly out but with a couple of modifications you can wear this outfit any time of year! All you need to add to the outfit is, well if you're into tights you can wear dark tights under the shorts or just wear plain old jeans! Easy as pie! As for me this day I wore the outfit as is with black shoes... but I have just found the cutest blue shoes that were on sale! Picture soon!

This Outfit:
- White long sleeve sweater
- Dark blue ruffly shirt
- Blue Shorts
- Black Shoes (Changed mind to $6 Forever 21 shoes... adorable!)
- Long, Butterfly Themed Jewelry

Have fun, gorgeous!

Business Woman Attaire

So, searching your closet to wear something for this week? Well, pull out your sweater, your pencil skirt and your high heeled tall boots and walk out the door! Quite literally, that's what I did! I added in a silver/purple jewelry set that I got last Christmas and tada! Fabulous outfit to the rescue the day!

Have fun shopping in your closet today!

Everybody Needs a TWEED

Admit it, I just got that new song from the Lorax stuck in your head. It's okay. It's catchy and awesome.
I came across this beauty in my favorite little store, Christinas! It didn't cost that much, and when I tried it on, it fit like a GLOVE. And it was perfect for Spring and Fall wear. I couldn't pass it up! I wore it a while ago at an Easter Birthday party, and I don't recall being cold at all! I was wearing a tank top underneath it the first time which made it an outfit for a slightly warmer day than what we've been having!
Today I wore a black short sleeve shirt under the Tweed jacket and I was quite toasty! I wore the new grey pants, and my black shoes with the silver buckle and was quite toasty all day long!
I was given a suggestion, if I could find a light pink skirt to match the light pink in the tweed and if I can find one... I'm buying it!
I wore white jewelry to match, and I still haven't decided if I like it that way or not, maybe you could help me?

Yours till leaves fall.... E.

K.I.M.

KIM = KEEP IN MIND

Keep In Mind that when Roller Blading Wear Pads!

 

☺ Get the picture? ☺

Another little fashion statement for you ladies, and men if your lady is ever in trouble, hairspray may be something you might want to keep in your purse or car!

Hairspray and its uses:

- Keep down static
- Stains out of clothing (especially for pen)

I know you're thinking... WHAT?

If you're in a pinch, and your skirt is sticking to your pantyhose or tights, then using hairspray will keep it down, even if its just for a little while. Such as, when getting in and out of a car, walking to your place at the restaurant, or simply walking to class. It'll keep everything from sticking for a little while, but asap, I recommend buying destickifyer, which can be found in the laundry aisle!

And hairspray is good for something else... stain remover! Just spray a little on your stain and rub away! I had a red stain and it's gone! Give everything a good wash too, just to be sure and your clothes should be back to almost new!

Anything else? Let me know! Thanks! ☺

Window Shopping

I know this is a bit gritty, and not exactly how I do my other posts... but I still enjoy doing this blog! We'll see how this goes, and if I like the layout we'll keep going with it!

This fantastic outfit was actually copied when I was out window shopping with a girlfriend of mine one weekend.
For the top, I'm wearing a short sleeved button down black shirt that has very tight arms when I try to move, but fortunately I didn't have to raise my arms that often today!
For the pants I wore my NEW grey pants that my Grandma just hemmed for me, and don't they look AMAZING??
Just absolutely fantabulous, if I can't say so myself!

I wore a black belt with the grey pants and it made the outfit look absolutely chic! I wore my black shoes with the silver buckle (which incidentaly matched my belt! For the rest of the jewelry I wore silver everything, silver bracelet, silver earrings and a silver necklace that was just long enough. 
The day was fairly cool starting off, so I actually didn't wear a jacket, and when I left school later that day I still didn't need one because I was wearing all dark colors!
Marvelous! Those New York Stylists really know what they're doing when designing an outfit!

 

Switcherooni

 

 

I know it's a bit drab and dreary, but the weather is bit like that these past few days... then I actually walk out the door and it is absolutely beautiful out and its too late to change! You've seen a few of these pieces before, the grey and silver sweater definetly and the black high heels (they're becoming my favorite set of heels lately) but you haven't seen this brown skirt too often. I found this in the bottom of the drawer again, like many of my fabulous pieces, and decided that the grey sweater would look fabulous with it! Well, it didn't look too shabby, but I knew that if I put the off white short sleeve shirt underneath the grey sweater would look too much like another outfit that I like to wear so I swapped it with a light green tank top. 

The brown sweater is actually a bit long so to shorten it up I placed the brown skirt just about above my belly button and luckily it stayed there the whole time! Loved everything about it!
Oh and my jewelry? I wore that long necklace with the little hearts all around it and I got compliments on the skirt, the sweater and on the necklace... all at different times but compliments none-the-less!
I hope you have fun matching your colors, cause thats what I started off doing really, and hopefully you will be just as successful!

Chilly Lizzy

 

Brrr! Welcome to Fall!

Today I was anticipating that it was going to be a little bit chilly so I decided to wear all black, which one one hand was a bit drab and dreary (almost like funeral wear) but on the other hand it was very warm and cozy and comfortable! Who knew?

I bought this lovely jacket and pants at my favorite consignment store and are both VERY comfortable! Which is what I like, right?

The black shirt was inexpensive as it also came from my other favorite place to go... My Cousins Closet and the shoes, well you've seen those lovely things before!

In total this outfit cost me, maybe less than $15? I say less than because those shoes have since been used way past their due date... which started when I bought them in 2009!

Okay, so they're only three years old, but still...

For $30, $10 a year, less than $1 a month... yup, they've paid for themselves by now!

Oh and for jewelry (which I picked up at Claire's for $1 for 3 pairs (they were all hooked together) and $5 for 4 pieces of jewelry at an antique fair!), I wore pearls!

It all looked fairly expensive and gloomy, but I felt very pretty and very warm!

 

Hope you find something just as wonderful!

♥

End of Summer Anyone?

 

Well, today I didn't really have the best start. I woke up late, made breakfast wrong, found a rip up my tights, forgot to pack lunch, almost forgot my glasses, broke my glasses, was late to school, students were absent, drew on my shirt, and picked a fight with anyone that rubbed me wrong. Fortunetly I cooled off after a while and was able to come out of my room without crying. Yayy.

But today I thought I had a fabulous outfit that only had one problem, it was a tad bit too cold for that particular day. But that was easily fixed as I used my wide black scarf as a shawl (vocabulary word: draped or cloaked or something like that) and I was a bit warmer! From the top down, I used the big black scarf, that is quite lovely when up and when down (there is 500 ways to wear a scarf, so foar I've found four or five) and it was nice when a breeze went by. Then I wore a button down striped shirt (grey and white) which matched the black scarf. I then wore my gorgeous black a-line skirt (that I'm still looking to replicate because its that pretty) and that was held up with my big brown braided belt with the gold buckle. Such a lovely belt, I'm happy that I didn't give it away! Lastly, I wore nude tights and my black, I call them granny shoes, to complete the outfit! Oh and for jewelry I wore my black earrings with the black chrystals on the end which looked quite lovely.

I did recieve a few compliments on the outfit, and from my little ones they are still trying to find my outfits in the stores! I still haven't told them that most of my outfits were from parts and pieces from my favorite place to shop... My Cousins Closet!

Open House Night

 

Aren't a pretty thing? I saw this actually on another person, an well, I thought I'd try it out!

 

So what I tried was this:

First I took my tired and true black pants

(that I just found to be slightly too big, but thats okay... right?)

Second I took my off white shirt and put a brown flat tank underneath to give a layered look.

Third, I took my greyish no button shirt and placed on top!

This didn't look all put together until I put the lovely grey tank top on top to make it pretty!

For shoes, I wore my black shoes with the silver buckle...

(I know they're not pictured, I changed my mind when I wore the outfit!)

And for jewelry? I wore my big brown earrings, so pretty!

 

I hope you can find something similar in your closet and are just as successful!

And let me know if you are! I love new ideas as much as you!

No One Knows!

So, you've heard my little bits about haveing clever little fashion tricks, but have you ever used all in succession?

Earrings:
Imagine, you're wearing your favorite earrings and all of a sudden *pop* you've lost the backing! Well, this particular pair of earrings just will NOT do if sitting in your purse all day, worse comes to worse... you could lose more than just the backing!
Solution! Pop out the eraser from a pencil (wooden or mechanical, *I recommend mechanical*) and stick it in the back of your earring. Tada! Problem solved!
Don't forget, when you get home, or to a jewelry store to look for a new backing, those suckers get lost so easily!

Torn Tights:
Imagine, you're sitting in class and *RIIIP!* you're tights decide to start a new fad. Wha? This simply will not do. You are supposed to start the fads, not your clothes! Clothes don't make the man! Wait, that doesn't fit here...
Solution: Use a nail polish. I know, sounds kind of weird. When you use the clear nail polish it stops the run from continuing up (or down) your leg for the time being!
Don't forget, when you get home, throw out these tights! And please buy new ones, this is a temperary fix, like everything else listed.

Long Pants:
Imagine, you're on the run and you forgot to wear the high heels and instead you're wearing the flats. That's not too much of a problem, until you realize that you're also wearing long pants!
Solution: Tape. Yes, tape. Roll up the pant leg until they are over your shoes (no matter the size) comfortably and tape them up.
Don't forget, make sure your pant legs match! Also, don't forget to take out the tape before you wash the pants!

Bra Straps:
Imagine, you're wearing that really chic shirt with the razer back and well, you're bra straps aren't. Bummer. What to do?
Solution: Tie your straps together with a twist tie x2. With the bra on (grab a friend) and tie on one twisty, but loose enough that there is still space between the straps. A few inches down tie another one. Or, if you want to spend a little bit of money look for the giant X hooks that might be found in the bra island at the store.
Don't forget to remove the strap when you wash your bra!

How is that for tips? If you have any more I'd love to hear them!

Sweet Suit

So guess who went for an interview today! Yes, thats right... ME! And well, for the first time in a while, my mom helped me pick out the outfit. Ayup. That turned out to be interesting. Any who's I've had this suit in my closet for years but I've been trying to avoid using it because, well, I have so many other pretty outfits to wear to interviews! Lets not mention how a few years back I went to the movies for an interview with a little summer dress on... yikes.

Now this needed a little extra help since it is pretty down there. Luckily in my closet I also had a vest size collared shirt to help! (These are before and after ironing shots so please ignore the odd numbering of buttons!) The vest helped me get the professional look and set off the drab one color scheme that I had going on. Yick yick. You know how much I like drab!

The suit I found at a Goodwill, and I used it for a state get together. Ask me about the details, I'd love to talk more about it! ☺ So I may have only spent maybe $15 on the whole get-up? Not for a professional look though! The shirt was around $3 - $4 and the shoes were $30... they cost that much because they were originally bought to go dancing in for a play... I just can't give up my plays! And if you look at the first picture again, you can see that at the en dof the day at work, after the interview or what have you, you can turn this outfit into a play date outfit if you have the right shirt underneath! It's a high waist so it hid all the ugly wrinklies caused by the underneath shirt, which is great for me, I always seem to have them!

Oh and one last bit, I didn't take a picture with the jewelry but I did wear bright blue costume jewelry with big balls that matched the earring set. It went well with the light pink shirt and tan suit!

Suit:       $15
Shirt:      $4
Shoes:    $30
Jewelry: $1

Newspaper

Ignore the messy room, but doesn't this look adorable? I found this outfit when I was flipping through the newspaper, and it jumped out at me! The original outfit was a white dress and the belt/scarf combination was pink, but those don't exist in my closet. Nope. So, like any other time, I improvised!
This is a purple dress, that you may have seen before, with a massive scarf that I hung around my neck with a black belt that cinched it all together. I wore black 3/4 tights and black flats, and I looked pretty adorable! It's not really much, just a few plain colors matched together, but it looked really nice with the big gold ($4!) necklace that I placed between the scarf at the V. I wore this to a graduation party, and I had a sweater with me just in case, but it was fairly warm so I didn't actually need it. Happy Closet Hunting!

Dress: $10                             Old Navy
Tights: $10                            Walmart
Scarf: $5                                Old Navy
Necklace: $4                          Forever 21
Shoes: $5                               Target
Belt: $5                                  Thrift Shop

Saved!

Once again, my closet is smarter than me. This three piece ensamble was hanging in my closet one night before I went out to teach again.  I've had this skirt forever it seems like, and I never seem to find a shirt or shoe combo that seems to fit it nicely. Then after buying that black jacket, everything seemed to fit!
The skirt is red with designs that are just too pretty. The shirt is my off white shirt (I should look into getting a replacement, I seem to wear it pretty often!) with an off-white tank top underneath. The black jacket matched the black heels with the silver buckle, but it could also go well with my new hells that I just bought for $20 that come with cushions! (They are really comfortable!)
I also found this small black clutch, but after one date out with someone that I'm not inclined to continue a relationship with (you DO NOT want to date a friends older brother! Things can go bad very quickly!) I realized it had a hole so I plan on scrouging around the Salvation Army stores looking for a new one. I used this one until the bottom began to wear thin!
The jewelry I was a little eh about, I ultimately should have gone with nothing besides my rings and silver/gold patterned watch. (Totally fake and from Walmart, but who can tell?)
Check your closets, friends, before you go out and buy more! If I can find a chic outfit like this in the back of mine, then I'm sure you can too!

Teaching [5]

I wore this new outfit the other day student teaching, and wouldn't you know it, it matched my yellow rubberducky earrings. Awesome right? I bought this at Old Navy, well most of it anyways. I bought the purple shirt, the purple tank top underneath, and the white sweater and Old Navy for $25 altogher I believe. If you think about it, I'm going to wear each item once a month while it's warm at different occasions (I.e. Student Teaching, Church, Interview, out on the town...)

The black pants I've realized are a STAPLE in your closet, as is two black skirts, black heels and flats, a black sweater and large black panties to keep your tights from bunching.

Oh right, the panties... Here's a secret I picked up from working on stage: There is a company that sells rather large black panties that fit right over your regular panties and your tights. On state this is to prevent anyone looking up your skirt when you're on stage. I've used them multiple other times when I've worn a skirt such as if it's breazy out and I don't want to take any chances. I've also found that if you're in a pinch, the bottom half of a set of black bikini will do too.

Have fun!