If I'm not spending time with family/friends, playing with any animal I can get my hands on or "shopping" (looking at things I don't need and can't afford), you can find me online, searching for a better deal on something that I love. I enjoy a good fashion DIY just as much as (if not more than) crafty DIYs and what better way to showcase these awesome steals other than a blog post? I give you Splurge vs. Steal - a fashion DIY to achieve the same great look for less. There are many knock-off versions of the Rag & Bone Talia Sweater but I think depending on high much you're willing to pay for it, Nasty Gal is the way to go. It's the most similar looking V-neck version of Rag & Bone I've found. Other versions are very similar but the deepness of the V-neck varies greatly, which is a great for those wanting the same look but don't necessarily want the deep plunge of the neckline.
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My Friday Five will not always consist of five affordable items. Sometimes I can't help but fall in love with something I know I can't realistically afford at that moment but it's always fun to wish (or find a similar version for much less!). But one thing I didn't plan was for all of my Friday Five this week to be spring-y or summer-y pieces. With more than half a foot of snow sitting on the ground outside right now, I must be dreaming of my favorite seasons ahead. Not gonna lie, I've never been a snow person or enjoyed cold weather - I dream of 365 days of summer…maybe a little fall thrown in. These five beautiful pieces have me so excited about warmer weather, though. I'm not the biggest fan of pink but I love this hot pink chiffon dress and I'll always be a sucker for anything turquoise no matter what time of year it is so this necklace and tassel clutch from J. Crew are two favorites of mine (I <3 a good tassel). This V-neck sweater is something I've seen around online a lot and on various blogs recently but always in white, but I think the grey/blue tone of this one is more interesting and soooo comfy looking. These New Balance shoes are a big throwback for me. When I was in middle school, anybody who was anybody had a pair of New Balance tennis shoes. Boys, girls, everyone wore them. I never had a pair but that just goes to show you how uncool I was. Ugh. They faded out by the time I got to high school but now THEY'RE BACK and I love them even more now than I did then. Since their return, they are now even being carried by J. Crew, who has done the impossible and somehow made them cooler than how I remember them in middle school. I just hope I can get my hands on a pair before they fade out again. Fingers crossed. SHOP MY FRIDAY FAVES:
Here in NC, the weather has been confusing that last two weeks. One day it's 20 degrees with a chance of snow, the next it's humid with a high of 54. Colder than I'm used to for sure. I took advantage of the one day we had decent weather this past weekend to do a little spray painting for this fun project. Introducing a DIY of gold. Literally. I saw this idea on Pinterest and couldn't pass up the opportunity for a project that included magnetic alphabet letters from my childhood. And spray painting things is always fun. So without further ado, I present to you one of the easiest DIYs you may ever see.
Set up an area outside big enough to lay your cardboard out flat. Spread your letters out on the cardboard with enough space between them to spray paint them evenly. Flip the letters downward to spray the back of them with the primer first. Don't worry about how messy it looks now because you'll be spraying over the magnets anyway - just make sure to spray all sides of the letter evenly. You'll want to spray the back of the letters with two coats of primer, letting it dry in between layers. Once dry, flip the letters over so they are facing up and apply two more coats of primer to the front of them. Repeat with the gold spray paint; once the primer dries from the front of the letters, flip them downward again for two coats of gold, then back over once more for two coats of gold to the front. It's important to allow time for every letter to completely dry in between coats or the paint will smudge (messed a few of mine up because I was a little too excited). I hope you enjoy this DIY as much as I enjoyed making it! I'm loving seeing mine on the fridge.
Happy Friday the 13th! We've made it another week and that means another Friday Five! I didn't plan for two of my favorite things from this week to be scalloped but I don't hate it. I've never seen travel bags with a scallop trim but I am loving this Henri Bendel trio set, especially the bold blue color. Same with this scallop sweater. It's casual but the scallop gives it a cute added touch that makes it unlike any other sweater hanging in my closet. You may not have seen ear jackets like this yet (or maybe you have because you're super cool and I'm just really that untrendy), but I'm starting to see them on all my favorite fashion blogs. I was very skeptical at first because there are so many variations of this earring but Baublebar hit the nail on the head with these. I love the classic diamond stud on the front and then the gold rays peeping out from behind the ear. They're unlike any earring I've ever seen before and that's what makes me like them so much. I'm definitely keeping my eye on them - fingers crossed they go on sale. These Ray-Bans aren't too different from anything Ray-Ban has done in the past but I love this classic matte finish. I am not a high-heel-wearing girl in the slightest but for these black booties I would gladly make an exception. I can only imagine how comfortable the wedge heel makes these to walk in. With the wedge heel, slick black leather combined with the suede and gold zipper… I'm definitely a fan. SHOP MY FRIDAY FAVES:
Valentine's Day is right around the corner! Stumped on what to get or make for work, a friend or significant other? Since it's not usually anyones favorite holiday to celebrate and certainly not the easiest to pick out thoughtful presents for, I have a sweet go-to that is perfect for the occasion. No one can turn away candy, right?
The best part about this sweet treat is that it can be altered to fit any holiday, game day, birthday, etc. I've made them using orange and black M&M's for Halloween & red and green M&M's for Christmas. They would be the perfect addition to match the colors of your favorite football team for game day or personalized for a birthday - the possibilities are endless! So easy to make and so delicious they are guaranteed to get eaten!
One of the problems I face when staying in the office during my lunch is that I tend to find myself online "shopping" and by shopping I mean finding things on Pinterest that I love but don't need. Pinterest leads to me googling the item to see how cheap I can find it, which results in me either talking myself into getting it or worse, disappointment. Usually the latter. Nevertheless, here is my Friday Five - items I've been drooling over all week. SHOP MY FRIDAY FAVES:
I've probably spent more time on Pinterest lately than I'd like to admit, but if I hadn't been on it so much I wouldn't have found these great calendars I love (…all free) and been able to share them with y'all. I'll keep my post short and cut right to the sharing. This beautifully created calendar comes from Chantel Emma. The hand lettering is so simple and feminine, I love it. I've already printed mine out! Download her calendar here. This customizable 2015 calendar comes from Going Home To Roost. You can either print the calendar using their pictures or opt to just download the template and use your own. I inserted two of my favorite Instagrams as an example but you could add any picture you wanted, just cropped to a square shape. Download the calendar here. Last but not least comes this calendar from Sunshine Confetti. It's a giant monthly calendar that you'll want to print off as a larger copy (blog suggested size: 36 x 24 inches) at an office store like Office Depot, Staples, etc. Hang it up on the wall or a bulletin board and you're ready to go! If you don't want to make a print quite that large, you could also simply print the calendar off on a regular printer for an 8 x 11. Download Sunshine Confetti's calendar here. Promise this will be my last calendar post but I couldn't pass up not sharing these wonderful ones with you. Check out my Pinterest for more printables, DIYs and lifestyle pins!
Happy Friday! I woke up this morning to one of the coldest mornings I've woken up to in a very, very long time. Schools were even delayed 2 hours today! When I say cold I'm talking 10 degrees cold over here in NC but with the wind, according to my phone, it felt more like 3 degrees outside. Reading this information from my warm, cozy bed made it even harder to get up. Nevertheless I bundled up to the best of my ability (despite hating thick layers and coats). Here's my attempt at dressing warm. Jacket: Tommy Hilfiger (on sale now!) | Vest: J. Crew (sold out, check ebay) | Sweater: French Connection (similar here & here) | Scarf: BCBGeneration | Watch: Walmart | Shoes: Old Navy If anyone knows me, they know I love T.J. Maxx. It's where I shop for most of my clothes, especially work clothes, with the exception of pants and jeans. My sweater, jacket and scarf all came from T.J. Maxx and all for a great deal! If you have the time and patience to shop around at different stores or online before buying from the first place you find what you're looking for, chances are you will find the same item or one of similar quality for a much lower price tag. Checking stores like T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, Ross, etc. or even googling the item to see if you can find it for a better price online somewhere you didn't think to look are all tactics I use to find a better deal on something. Putting together a great look for less always makes me happy and if I can get by with paying less for something I've had my eye on or a similar version to it, you can bet that I'll find a way! Stay warm out there!
In case you missed it, the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale took place early this week and went out with a huge bang. For those who are not so big on the brands' clothes but appreciate a good, bright and happy pattern every now and then (me), I have great news! Lilly Pulitzer announced some very exciting information on its Instagram account last night.
#LillyforTarget is happening. That's right. A Lilly-Target collaboration is now in the works. The release date for the collection is set for April 19, 2015 and will include 250 new lifestyle items in 15 exclusive prints including apparel, accessories, home and beauty products. Instagrams from the @LillyforTarget account show products such as pom pom pillows, pom pom scarves, pom pom napkins, sandals, totes and clutches, beach towels, bathing suits, jewelry, dresses, tops, shorts, printed plates and utensils. I'm a huge sucker for bright and happy patterns, and paired with pom poms and one of my guilty pleasure stores? Y'all it's trouble. I may not love or even own any Lilly clothes but I will definitely be marking my calendar and setting alarms to make a trip to Target on April 19. With over 46K followers on the @LillyforTarget Instagram account, something tells me I won't be the only one. Here are some of the pictures shared on @LillyforTarget's Instagram account that I'm most excited about! What could be better than a cute 12-month desk calendar?… a cute, FREE 12-month calendar. I found this beautifully simple black and gold calendar from Classy Clutter this morning and had to share. Classy Clutter blog shares all things creative with an emphasis on home decor and furniture and I could seriously spend hours going through all the great ideas and DIYs from this blog.
I think one of the best and most organized ways to display this calendar would be to place the calendar on a gold easel, but there are definitely many other creative ways to display it as well. |
I'm Jess, a recent college grad from NC with a love for DIYs, sweet tea, corgis, nail polish and a good t-shirt collection.
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October 2015
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