My Favorite Outfits Under $100

With the weekend coming up I thought it would be a great time to post another one of My Favorite Outfits Under $100 – this time, inspired by a girl’s night out.

Summer is the perfect time to get together with your best friends and no matter how much you may love your other half, there is nothing like a girl’s night filled with best friends and fun.

Super Cute Romper $19.99

(One Shoulder Knit Romper available @ CharlotteRusse.com, $19.99)

The Perfect Purse $20.94

(Exotic Roll Clutch available @ TheLimited.com, $20.94)

Detailed Accessory $8.80

(Zigzag Stretchy Bracelet available @ Forever21.com, $8.80)

Leg Lengthening Pumps $14.99

(Single Peep Toe Pump available @ Wetseal.com, $14.99)

Total Cost = $64.72

I love this outfit 1.) Because it’s SUPER affordable! 2.) It’s cute and trendy! 3.) It’s feminine and flirty.

What are some of your favorite ways to spend time with your girls?

Have a great weekend everyone!

XXoo

Bold Desires

As you all know, I'm in a constant battle between wearing classic neutrals and blacks and the itch to throw on something bold and bright.  This time of year always makes it a bit easier to succumb to bright colors since they are so readily available to buy everywhere.

The BOLD

and the Beautiful

Corset top, $23.00, H M short short, $25.00, Brian Atwood high heels, $649.00, Chloé leather clutch, $1,650.00, Kenneth Jay Lane turquoise necklace, $80.00Oscar de la Renta gold plated jewelry, $290.00, Kate Spade bangle bracelet, $128.00

This is undoubtedly one of the boldest outfits I have ever posted but it is rapidly becoming one of my favorites! It's made up of high-end and low-end items that can be mixed and matched with other items in your closet time and time again.

XXoo

FBFF: Pack Rat

This time of year most people are thinking (dreaming) about their vacations or are already begining to go on them.  That being said, packing makes for a perfect Fashion Beauty Friend Friday topic this week.

Well I'll throw this out there first - as much as I love vacations and traveling, I haven't been on a real in a little over two years. I do have a MUCH needed one coming up in the fall and I cannot wait.

1. When it comes to packing for vacation what’s your mantra? The more the merrier.  I have to bring everything because I never know what I may need!

2. What are your must packs? See question number 1.

3. What are you happy to leave behind? The bills.

4. Any packing secrets that help you get everything into one suitcase? Haha don't try to get everything in just one suitcase or they will charge you an extra $95.00 if it goes 5 pounds over the limit.  I repeat, do NOT try fitting everything in one suitcase. Try carrying a large purse onto the plan as well as putting the most valuable items (for me it's shoes) into a carry-on.

5. Beach reading… what are you taking with you to read in the sand? Ah, I love to read. However, I don't know when I'll get to the beach this summer.

FBFF: Do You Care About Your Hair?

For me, the not so simple answer to this question is kinda. While I understand that good hair is quintessential to helping you look your best, maintaining mine usually takes a back seat to everything else.

This week's Fashion Beauty Friend Friday questions look deeper into this issue.

1. How often do you get your hair cut? Not as often as I should.  I am actually terrible at getting it cut on a regular basis. I hate taking time out of my routine to do it.  I know I should though.

2. Do you go to the same stylist each time, try someone new, go to the cheap hair cutting chains or live it up in a salon? If I'm getting my hair professionally colored (which I don't do often since I'm a brunette) I will go to the same girl at a very nice salon.  Since I have fairly straight hair and usually get it dry cut I'll just run into a random Hair Cuttery for a trim.  I don't want to spend anymore than $20.00 if I'm just getting rid of split ends.

3. Do you color your hair? How often? What’s your natural color? Yes, I do color my hair. I've actually been coloring my hair since high school because my hair gets brassy which REALLY bothers me.  I don't have to do it too often, just when it starts to look bland, brassy and dull.  Then I usually just grab a box kit from somewhere and touch it up myself.

4. The one thing you always do to keep your hair looking great is: Use Frederick Fekkai Glossing Shampoo and Conditioner. It's amazing.

5. What hair trend do you love and wish you could rock? I can't say that there is just one hair trend I'd like to rock other than the one I'm rocking now (which is long hair that I can wear straight, wavy or curly and do various different styles with.) However, it would be fun to be a celebrity and have the ability to cut your hair shorter and then get extensions whenever you wanted longer hair again.  That would be awesome.

What about you? Do you take time to care for your hair? Or does it take a backseat to other things like my poor hair?

XXoo

All That Glitters Isn't Always Gold...

Sometimes it's crystal!

Ever since SWAROVSKI created those small crystal animal keepsakes, I've been hooked. My love of their top notch crystals has stayed with me throughout my life. (I even wore a SWAROVSKI covered net jacket during my wedding ceremony.)

SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS helps bring these glorious crystals to everyday elements - fashion (both garments and accessories,) interior design and lighting.

They are truely one of my favorite things.



Inspired by Dancing With The Stars (anyone voting for Kirstie? I AM!) SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS has partnered with USA Dance to support 10 of our countries best ranked dancers at the USA Dance 2011 National DanceSport Championships.  They created one-of-a-kind costumes and accessories for these dancers and they are absolutely stunning!

To view all of these amazing costumes and vote for your favorite on Facebook, click HERE.  They will be posted until June 8, 2011 when fans favorites are announced.

Let me know which one is your favorite! It was too hard for me to pick just one!

XXoo

P.S. To view more of the amazing things available by SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS check out their website.

This Season's Crop of Tops

Inspired by a lack of comments and a new found obsession with Polyvore and corset/bustier tops, I decided to do a follow up post and share more of my favorites with you.

1.Myla corset top, $305.00
2.Corset top, $40.00
3.TopShop corset top, $40.00
4.All Saints corset top, $120.00
5.Marc Jacobs crop top, $310.00
6.Corset top, $32.00
7.Preen tank top, $355.00
8.Mara Hoffman corset top, $260.00
9.Corset top, $318.00

Given crop tops are such a huge trend would you (have you) dared to bare your stomach this season?

XXoo

Monday Musings

1. B by Ted Baker flower top, 25 GBP
2. Yves Saint Laurent clutch bag, 470 GBP
3. H&M slim leg jeans, 30 GBP
4. Qupid court shoes, $26
5. Dominic Jones rose gold jewelry, 140 GBP

Happy Monday everyone!  Thanks to the possibility of having a post published this July as a guest blogger for Envishoes.com, I have now become obsessed with Polyvore.  I had heard of it before but never knew how fun (and easy) it could be to use! (So my apologies in advance, there might be a lot of posts featuring Polyvore collages!)

Anyhow, I decided to do a post for today featuring one of my favorite obsessions for summer - the bustier/corset top. Paired with jeans and heels, these tops add the perfect amount of feminine sex appeal while staying on top of the trend.

Do you Polyvore?

XXoo