Cabin Fever!

My outfit today was inspired by my cabin fever. I've been snowed in for a whole day and NEED to get out! I decided to dress well for my trip to Target because I haven't seen the light of the sun in so long. The dress was clearance from Target. It's super low cut... so I buttoned my cardigan (also Target clearance), and wore a scarf (from... you guessed it). Like my arm candy? The turquoise bracelet is from Alaska!

Christmas

Merry belated Xmas, everyone! I wanted to show off the awesome gift my best friend Chanel made for me! It is a cardigan clip made with clip-on earrings. I'm obsessed and have made a few people very jealous with it.

Here's what I wore on Christmas: I got the navy and pink dress at Marshall's for $15. The navy sweater is from Old Navy, the scarf is from Target, the earrings are from Body Central. I got the boots on sale at Old Navy. I love them and wear them almost every day in the winter. My watch is from Target. Ryan's shirt is the Zambian national football team's jersey. His sister lived in Zambia for the better part of the year. I think it's pretty awesome.

Sucked into a Black Hole

Hello everyone! As the title suggests, both my free time and fashion interest were quickly and violently sucked into a black hole this semester. Even though I love to dress cute, I was worked to the bone and could barely manage to shower everyday, let alone plan outfits.


A pro to this: I didn't have time to go shopping, thus saving me from spending money.
A con to this: I didn't have time to go shopping, thus preventing me from buying all the cute things I want.

This being said, I did have a few outfits I was proud of during this time that I managed to capture. First and foremost, my Halloween costume.
I made both of these costumes! I am Sophia Grace from Youtube and Ellen show fame. I made the tulle skirt thanks to an online tutorial like this one. My whole outfit cost me about $15.

My boyfriend's Charlie Brown costume was just a Goodwill polo with black duct tape. The polo was 1/2 off (about $2.50) and the duct tape was about $4. The hat isn't really a part of the costume,but he insisted on wearing it. This is the first time in our long relationship that he wore a real costume, so I was not about to argue!
Here's me about to enjoy some live music and drinks with my bestie. The dress is from Body Central ($5), the belt from Charlotte (probably less than $5), and the scarf from Target (less than $10, and a staple in my cold weather wardrobe). Thanks to the instagramming, you can't really tell, but I am wearing sage green tights. I love colored tights, but I like to keep them somewhat subdued, like navy blue, army green, or a mustard yellow if I feel daring enough. I get my tights for $5 at Target.

Say No to Tobacoo; Yes to Ciagarette... Pants

Cigarette pants have a silly name but they sure are cute. I feel like a little French girl who should be eating at an outdoor cafe in mine. I got mine at Forever 21 and wear them to work and my internship whenever I don't feel like wearing a dress or skirt. The shirt is from Goodwill but it is Gap brand so it is great quality and fit. The necklace is from Plato's and I tied it in the back to make it hang higher up on me. I wore this to dinner after work at an outdoor cafe in Indianapolis, so I realized my dream, or at least partially.

Tonight I am going to Indy's Irish Fest. What are you guys doing?

1 dress, 2 ways

I wore this purple dress to my internship the way that is seen on the left. It is plum with little leaves on it, so very fall-ish. I tried it the way it is seen on the right, and I liked it better this way, but not for work. I work with clients, and I do not want to make them feel uncomfortable because my dress is too short. BUT I love the look on the right for going out, which is how I wore it later that day. I am not normally someone who wears the same thing by night that they do by day because I love to change my outfit as much as I can, but I understand that most people are NOT this way and prefer to keep their same outfit on. In such cases, I think this is a good example. The left is conservative enough for work. The right gives me more of a figure thanks to the wide belt.

The dress is from Plato's but is originally from Forever 21. The belt is also from Plato's.  The shoes are from clearance at Target!

Fresh & Profesh

I felt super professional walking into my internship in this outfit. I wore this floral shirt from the Jaclyn Smith collection at KMart (surprising, right? I actually have this shirt in a pinstripe print too). I love the petals around the neckline! The skirt is a Goodwill find and I really like how it fits. It's fitted without being too tight; long without making me look too short. Longer skirts can be a problem for me because I am so short, but obviously I'm not going to wear a mini skirt to work! I wore a white belt with a silver buckle, silver flats from Target, and my pearl headband again!

Summer-to-Fall

I had a meeting on Sunday for school. For outside of work meetings, I want to present a neat look, but I don't necessarily get as dressed up as I do for work. This time, I put on this plum-colored shirt and white lace skirt (after Labor Day, like a boss). I had a new Goodwill belt with embroidery thread in deep fall colors I wanted to try with it. I also wore it with my gold necklace tucked under the collar. To dress it down, I wore my comfy bronze-colored moccasins from Wet Seal that I got for $5 this summer. I think they are much more of a fall shoe than summer, don't you? I really liked the mix of deep fall colors with my white skirt. You don't think summer at all with this mixture, do you? That skirt is almost too warm to wear in the summer, anyway!

Like my purse? That's a real Dooney and Burke I got for $10 at Plato's Closet in great shape. If you can believe it, I found a $6 Dooney last week at Goodwill but it was just too small for all of my crap, so imagine my elation at a second chance at great budget fashion!

Out on the Town!

My boyfriend needed to run some stuff down to his college fraternity this weekend, so we and two of our friends spent Friday in my favorite city in the world: Bloomington, Indiana. We saw old friends, had dinner at Nick's (Bloomington's oldest and most classic bar), and caught a show at the Bluebird. The Bluebird is a music venue and the band we saw was Rod Tuffcurls and the Bench Press, a super fun cover band that played Green Day, then Miley Cyrus, then The Cure, then "Under the Sea". We talked to the front man during their break and he gave us a shout out on stage! They are based in Chicago and tour all the time, so you should probably check them out; they are a blast!

Here's me and my bestie.

It was also basically monsooning on Friday night, so my outfit looks like I spilled a drink on it. I'm super clumsy so that is a real possibility. I wore this maroon top from either Sears or KMart (same parent company so many of their brands are the same and I frequent both religiously for cute, cheap clothes) and the skirt from KMart that I got for less than $6. It's great for work or for going out. The belt is from Charlotte Russe and I've worn it all summer with skirts. The shoes were from my sister's wedding this summer and are from Payless. Isn't the purse darling?! I got it Thursday at FNO at For Love 21 for less than $7.

 I've heard maroon is really big this fall. Normally I'm not up on seasonal colors, but I read this on a fashion blog. I just like to wear what looks cute, and I love jewel tones for the fall, so I guess it's a win-win!

#FNOIndy

My lovely friend Meg and I went to the inaugural Fashion's Night Out in Indianapolis. While some stores had recognized it before, they had never thrown a large-scale event for it. In case you've never heard of it, Anna Wintour (the EIC of Vogue and the lady that inspired Meryl in The Devil Wears Prada) started it in NYC to help the fashion industry when the economy tanked. It's supposed to bring fun into fashion. There are good deals, music, runway shows, and cocktails to make it a more social atmosphere.

Meg and I went all out. I had a skirt I had been wanting to wear for about year now. I wore all neutrals and I wore a bold red lipstick. The skirt was less than $15 from Macy's, shirt from clearance at Target, purse a Kohl's clearance find, earrings from Charlotte Russe, and heels from Payless (Christian Siriano brand!). My necklace is really two: one is from a cheap accessories store that is similar to the store "Princess", and the other was a flea market find. My gold bracelet is from a beauty supply store, and my rhinestoned bracelet came in a pack from Burlington.

Intern Style

Check out the outfit I wore today to my internship. I put this together on the fly this morning, which is unusual. I like to pick out clothes days in advance! This outfit is simple, but still cuter than your average work outfit.This is one of the skirts I showed in my post about Goodwill skirts. I thought the outfit looked extra-feminine with the pink skirt, polka dot top, and pearls. The top and pearls were clearance finds at Target. The belt is from another dress I own that was an absolute steal from Sears. The loafers are older from Payless and are insanely comfortable.

Tonight I am going to Fashion's Night Out in Indianapolis. I'm all ready and will share pictures tomorrow. Anyone else celebrating FNO or fashion week? Send me pictures!

Style and Comfort for 12 hours of Classes

Yes, you read that right. I take all of my classes on Wednesday, from 9 AM to 9 PM. Don't worry, I have some gaps in there for meals, but I am on campus for 12 hours. I've discovered that I have to dress for comfort as well as style if I am going to survive Wednesdays.

I always bring a cardigan but lately I've worn a sleeveless top to be ready for any temperature. I've also learned that a no-nonsense updo keeps me focused. I ALWAYS play with my hair and don't notice it.

Unfortunately, my camera wasn't cooperating this morning so this was the best pre-12 hour picture I could get. Top is from Rue 21 and I'm obsessed. I wear it all the time. Necklace was like 99 cents form Deb. There's the infamous Goodwill cardigan from high school.

The pants - now those are a point of pride for me. I found them at Goodwill this Friday. They're high-waisted with a bit of shimmer woven into the fabric. Probably worn by a 60-year-old before me, but I think they look fab and I got a few compliments on them today.

My bag is from Marshall's : 10 dollars and it held 5 texts books and my iPad all day! The scarf has a tree on it and it's from...GOODWILL!

Feeling the love!

Also, one thing, THANKS TO EVERYONE for reading! The number of people visiting this blog is absolutely astounding! Don't be scared to comment if you want. I'm feeling the love!

Unpaid Intern? No problem!

 Mint green makes another appearance today! I wore this to my internship, which has a business casual dress code. This outfit was actually inspired by an outfit I pinned on Pinterest (right). I had actually seen this skirt at Goodwill and left it, then saw the inspiration photo, and went back and bought the skirt. A lot of old lady suits come in fun colors. This skirt, I believe, was once a part of a suit. The skirt is not quite my size, but with the belt it worked out just fine. I really love mint and navy together. How about you?

The navy sweater was a clearance find from Old Navy. Long weekends, like Labor Day and Martin Luther King Day, usually bring GREAT clearances to stores. This particular sale was on MLK weekend and made the clearance an extra 30% off. I don't think I paid more than 6 dollars for the sweater. The belt and shoes have made appearances before on the blog.

I've bought tons of skirts for my internships that were previously owned. As an unpaid intern, it's hard to look professional when you aren't making any money! I look for skirts at Goodwill that are either at or below the knee and that fit but are not too tight. If there is a slit in the back, make sure it doesn't go up too high!
Here are my favorite internship finds from consignment stores:

There really is a skirt for every occasion there, right?

Who's that girl?

I feel like I am channeling Jess from the New Girl today in my sailboat-print high-waisted shorts. When Schmidt mentioned a ban they placed on high-waisted shorts once, I felt Jess's pain, and I've been told more than once that I remind people of Zooey Deschanel. Definitely a compliment! I got these at Goodwill earlier in the summer.  I wore them with a pair of blue and red moccasins I have owned since high school from Payless. That's right, those shoes are going on 6 years old and they are still lookin' good. I like to wear belts, if you can't tell. That pearl headband was probably 99 cents from Rue 21, another one of my guilty pleasure stores. Oh the watch, which I wear everyday, is from Walmart.

 Last night was my younger cousin's 17th birthday party. First of all, WOAH HE IS 17!, second of all, I got to wear my sweet locket that looks like a pocket watch. I got it at an awesome outdoor flea market for a few bucks. Shirt is from Rue 21 (see, you just gotta dig!), sweater I've had since I was probably 17 from Goodwill, and jeggings from Sears, 12 dollars. The shoes are brand new Target brand shoes from Goodwill. One of the many reasons I love Target is that instead of throwing away their merchandise and destroying it so no one can use it from the trash (like Walmart does and H&M used to ), they donate it to Goodwill. Then they can write it off on their taxes. It's a win for Target, win for Goodwill, and definitely a win for me!

Goodbye, summer!

I've mentioned on my blog bio about my affinity for preppy style and pastels. Since the summer season closes this weekend, I decided to share an outfit I wore a few weeks ago.

The coral-colored skirt is the best find. I bought it at a store called Body Central last year for under $5. Yes, the same Body Central that sells questionable club gear and rhinestone-studded everything. Here's a key to budget style: shop everywhere, but be as picky as humanly possible. If something is cheap but looks cheap, do not buy it. I have prices in mind I will never go over. Dresses and skirts, no more than $12, shirts, no more than $8, etc.

The shirt is from the Canvas line of Lands End for Sears. I discovered an after-holiday sale of theirs a year ago and stocked up on Oxfords. They were probably under 15 dollars, but I wear them weekly and are great quality.

The sailboat necklace is from Ebay for less than $8. I love to find unique statement pieces for cheap on Ebay. A lot of the jewelry that is cheap ships from China, so do not expect to get it soon.

In the picture on the right, you can see my pearl headband from Charming Charlie (always moderately priced and usually has great clearance) and my arm full of bracelets. I'm a camp counselor, so I collect these odds and ends throughout the summer.

You can't see my feet, but I believe I paired this with some brown loafers from Plato's Closet.

Labor Day Saturday

This is what I am wearing today. With a flat-as-a-pancake tire on my car and everyone with plans for the night, I'm in for a night of watching the Daily Show and Colbert's RNC coverage I haven't caught up on yet. It could be worse :) Those Hello Kitty shorts may not be the height of fashion, but they're hella comfortable and $6.74 at Walmart!

Barbecue Birthday

Today is my best friend's 24th birthday! She is the one who suggested I start blogging. She herself runs an awesome blog about the DIY projects she does and then sells at an antique / artisan mall. Check it out here!

For her birthday party, I found some darling yellow gingham shorts at Goodwill in the 50% off section! I love Goodwill more than any other consignment store for a multitude of reasons, which I may post on another blog. I felt like the gingham gave the right picnic vibe.

I colorblocked with a mint green shirt also from Goodwill. I have been obsessed with mint green lately. If you go on Pinterest, you will discover the rest of the world is as well. I paired the shirt with my mint green loafers and the navy scarf from the last post, both from Target. I put a yellow bow on my head, which was purchased at Dollar Tree. I love getting hair accessories there.

Much better than the last picture, right?

The party was lots of fun.

Soon, I hope to post how to turn a frumpy lady dress from consignment into a contemporary dress you'd see at any chic boutique.

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog, everyone. On this blog, I plan on posting my outfits that I have created from my small graduate student budget. I hope to share some awesome budget style tips I've picked up along the way. My wardrobe is about 60% clearance items, 30% thrift and consignment, and 10% bargain store merchandise I've paid full price for. I love to style things you would expect to be hideous into cute outfits!

Today I started a new job. I also started playing around with how to take good full-body pictures of myself. I hope to get better at both of these :)For the first day of my new job, I decided to go business casual with a creative twist. I love the color green, so I made sure my skirt and shoes said as much about me as possible. Here's the first, somewhat sad, attempt at a self-picture.

WOOPS FLASH.