how I’ve waited so long for summer nights when there’s magic in the air and I don’t have a care

I try not to buy tops that I know will only be in style for a season and then out the next. However, this off the shoulder style looks like it will be around for a while! I wasn’t really sure how I felt about this style in the beginning. To be honest, I don’t like my shoulders because of acne and my scoliosis curve, so highlighting this feature on my body isn’t usually a priority. I went shopping a few weeks ago and saw this blue striped off the shoulder top with bows on the sleeves and knew it was coming home with me. But then it sat in my closet for weeks…. Even I, the fashionista didn’t really know how to style it.

 

My family and I decided to end our 4th of July weekend by going to dinner on the water in Highlands, NJ. The town my mom and her family grew up in so it holds a special place in our hearts! Even though it is hot in July, anyone who lives on the water knows that after 7pm the temperature drops dramatically.  I thought my long sleeve off the shoulder top would look cute and keep me warm by the water. I finally had an excuse to wear it!

This became a perfect summer and patriotic outfit for the 4th of July! We had such a rainy and chilly start to the summer that left most of my cute summer clothes to get lost in the back of my closet. Finally, the weather is starting to get warmer and the sun is staying out to play!

Summer is definitely my favorite season and I also have a very large summer wardrobe because of it. My white shorts or white jeans are a summer staple, so if you invest in one or two good pairs of each they can last you for years. I am constantly wearing the same white J. Crew 3 inch chino shorts with different tops. I literally wore the same shorts every day for a week and no one noticed because I would change up my look by having shirts tucked or untucked into my shorts. I am a big fan of the J. Crew chino shorts because of their length and they can easily be dressed up or down.

This top sat in my closet for weeks with the tags still on, but I love that I finally took it out! I styled it with a silver necklace from Francesca’s to dress it up a bit and my new cork clutch. My Tory Burch Miller Sandals are a summer classic for me. I am shocked I have not scuffed them up after having them for a year, but they are a very durable shoe. They are a bit pricey, but they are lasting longer than any other $20 sandal I have ever purchased. Scroll down for all of the outfit details!

My clutch is currently 50% off and a must have for summer! I get stopped on the street whenever I use it because people ask where I got it from. When I tell them how much it was everyone is blown away! The best part is that it is fake cork so with a Clorox wipe you can wipe it down and keep it looking clean and fresh year after year! If you are a teacher or college student you get another 15% off, too!

My off the shoulder top is currently out of stock, but I put together some other options for you here, here and here. When I shop the items are usually on clearance or major sale, so they sell out quickly! Be sure to follow me on my blog Facebook page because that is where my shopping hauls are posted first.

ready for spring

Hello, friends! I am popping onto the blog today to share an amazing sale with you. This is the cutest necklace I have ever seen and the best news is that it is on sale right now. It is less than $20 and perfect to wear with any outfit. I bought it yesterday and wore this outfit specifically so I could wear it to work today. When I first saw this I knew it was coming home with me and as soon as it went to clearance I bought it. Hurry and buy this because it won’t stay in stock for long! Get yours here.

stripes + ruffles

img_4846One of my most difficult decision while packing for Florida was what I was going to wear to Universal Theme Park. I have to point out that while I was packing for Florida, it was freezing in Jersey. As I was wearing comfy sweatpants and my warm sweatshirt packing shorts and little dresses I kind of forgot what warm weather was. I knew I wanted to be comfortable, but what if it was chilly like it was in Georgia? I wanted to look cute, but also be comfortable. While going through my closet I had an AHA moment and found the perfect outfit.

shirt / shorts / shoes Continue reading “stripes + ruffles”

Fun Flares

In college I played it safe and looked like everyone else. I dressed like everyone else, had long hair like all of the other girls and tried to blend in. I hated high school because of the feeling of never fitting in and in college I did everything to look like everyone else. Since graduating, I have found that my style has evolved and I like to take risks when it comes to fashion and style. In October 2015, I chopped off 13+ inches of hair to donate to Locks of Love. Then in November I went in for a trim and went for a shorter style. The last year I have been playing with a short stacked bob and now a lob. I feel the excitement of having short hair quickly fading. My hair is so long now compared to how it usually is. A coworker pointed out that my hair was not this long the previous week! It grows so fast, which is awesome when I want to play with it doing different lengths. Continue reading “Fun Flares”

pom poms for winter

There are things I want and things I need in life. One of the struggles of being an adult, is having to choose paying my car payment over something I want to add to my closet. This winter, pom pom hats were everywhere. Everyday at work I wanted to buy one, but I just could not justify spending money on a winter hat I would wear only a few times a year. However, after Christmas, we got a lot of returns and all of the winter collection was going to major clearance. While at work one night, I found the black pom pom hat I realllyyy wanted on sale for $9 in the clearance bin. Guys, I was really excited about this hat and the price was too good to be true!

J. Crew Factory has the pom pom hat in a variety of colors, but if you wear makeup daily or want a hat that goes with everything, I suggest getting the black one.

Right now the hats are on major clearance at J. Crew Factory. I cannot guarantee that they are still in stores, but I checked and they are still available online!

 

 

Some of the other colors include…

grey
ivory

now is the time to buy a winter coat

 

For todays Wear it Wednesday, I am sharing how to save money on winter coats. After all of this snow we have been having (it even snowed in Dallas, Texas!), all of us had to bundle up to survive the cold. If this snowstorm made you realize you need a new coat, good news because now is the time to buy one!

Keep scrolling to find out how to get one for cheap this month!

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One of my skills in life is getting the best bargain when I am shopping. I have ways of finding J. Crew for super cheap, finding Lilly Pulitzer pieces for only $10 and have two closets full of clothes that I never paid full price for. In college, I always had friends borrowing clothes out of my closet because I had so many great pieces to wear.

Today I thought I would share with you how I have built an amazing closet over the last few years. One of my biggest trick is to never buy anything full price. I get a lot of my clothes at consignment or Goodwill for just $2.99, Crazy, huh?? It takes some practice and patience to sort through the junk, but I have found some amazing pieces for just a few dollars. When I went to Texas last year, I went to one of my favorite consignment stores and bought a whole new J. Crew wardrobe for our 10 day visit. I spent only $200 for dresses, shirts, pants and a few Lilly Pulitzer pieces for that summer.

An expensive purchase that everyone needs to have is a winter coat. For my first job out of college, it was so close that I would just walk the five blocks to work and not drive. My first winter home I realized that my college peacoat or North Face was not going to cut it for the commute to work! In January, I started to look for a proper coat for the winter, and when I started to look in department stores I found that there was nothing left in the stores or I didn’t like the options. Then I went over to the clearance section and found a big puffy coat from Vince Camuto for under $100! There were a ton of coats in clearance because the stores in January are trying to get rid of the winter clothing and make room for resort wear!

At the store I work in, all of our winter coats are in clearance as well. And you might have gone last week and realized they were not your size. Here is a helpful hint, for Christmas a lot of people get nice coats for their kids or family members, but after Christmas a lot of them were returned. When they are returned, they go straight to clearance because we don’t have room for them on the floor anymore. If there was a coat you saw but didn’t get in time before it sold out or it was above your budget, be sure to go to the stores now and check clearance!

I shop a lot, but I am very smart when I shop… Just like every other girl, I want the newest trends and to fill my closet with beautiful things. I have made some big purchases lately, but I have to point out that they were all on sale. Christmas time is the best time to buy perfumes and makeup, and January-March is the best time to purchase a coat. Just remember that the day a new style hits the stores, you don’t have to buy it right away. Wait a few weeks (or even months) and I can guarantee it will go on sale or be in clearance!

My red coat is on major sale right now! Fellow blogger prepsterange and I have the same coat and we are both obsessed!

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