Outfit: Another Vintage Dress

-Vintage Paisley Day Dress: $18 + free shipping, ModernMode
-Wide Gray Belt: $4.50, Forever21
-Apt. 9 Gray Tights: $5, Kohl's
-Gray Booties: $?, Unknown

This is my second vintage dress and it came from ModernMode. The owner of the shop (Meg) is so sweet and has even agreed to do a trade with me for some other dresses in her shop that I liked (which, by the way, should be here any second... where are you Mr. Mailman?).

I've had these boots for a couple of years and have no recollection whatsoever of where I got them or how much they cost. But I used to be a real cheapskate when it came to shoes, so I'm sure they weren't more than $20 or so.

My Forever21 Order Came Today...

Why do I love thee so, oh vintage inspired purse?
Is it you emerald green leatherette-ness that holds me under you curse?

Or is it the sneaky way you open up
with the top of you popping apart?

Or is it your luscious lining?
Oh, what a work of art!

Perhaps it is because of your detachable shoulder strap,
So I can wear you long the way I like.

Or take it off when I want to,

and hold you at knee's height.

Or just simply in the crook of my elbow,
Where a girl's best friend should be.
Oh yes my darling bag,
you are the one for me.

But I think I like you best
Because your price I did not detest.
For weeks now I have longer for you,
But not for 30 buckaroos.

So when I looked online the other day
And saw your price had been halved, so to say,
I jumped with joy and yipped with glee,
Because for 50% off, you can live with me.

The End.

And yes, I am completely aware of how dumb that sounded. Love makes you do stupid things I guess.

Outfit: Dress Up. Dress Down.

"Oh, my shoes!"

-BDG Striped Nautical Tee: $7.19, Urban Outfitters
-Black Pencil Skirt: $?, JCPenney
-Grey Felt Buckle Flats: $10, Target

Yup, you read right. I got a shirt from Urban Outfitters for $7.19. It's a miracle.

Actually, I had a 10% off coupon code, a free shipping coupon code, and the shirt had already been marked down a boatload. The downside is that when the shirt arrived, it was much more short-waisted than a skyscraper like myself can pull off. My solution was to pair it with this high-waisted pencil skirt that I've had sitting in my closet for a year or two (back before I saved receipts, hence the unknown price) and have never worn before. Problem solved.

I love these shoes. So simple and fun. And cheap... always a bonus!

That cute-o little headband is from my Etsy buddy Brydferth. We do trades every now and then, and this headband was a part of our most recent trade. She sends me rose accessories and I send her jewelry. Sweet.

ETA: I got the price wrong on the headband... it's actually $22! Sorry for the goof.

Outfit: My New Best Boots

-Heritage 1981 Grey Dolman Sweater: $10.99, Forever 21
-Denim-Colored Cotton Skirt: $13, Macy's
-Brown Braided Belt: $6.80, Forever 21
-Brown Elle Booties: $34.99, Kohl's
-Ribbon Necklace: Gift, Unknown

I think these boots are the most wonderful things I have ever owned before. They are cute, extremely comfortable, and affordable. Quite honestly when I first bought them I had doubts about whether I was actually going to wear them much or not, because I figured for on $35 they probably weren't going to be comfortable or the fabric would be cheap, etc. But I really couldn't be happier with them.

And I love that they have small heel so they are very versatile. Flat-footed boots are generally only casual, and really high-heeled boots are generally only for more fancy outfits, but with heels at this height I can go either way.

Outfit: Ahoy! This Be What I Wore Today.

Yesterday was Talk Like a Pirate Day, so in tribute to pirates everywhere, I attempted to make my blog title somewhat pirate-y-ish. Let me know how I did.

Black Pointelle Cardigan: $26.99, Urban Outfitters
Ivory Tank: $14.80, Forever 21
Leatherette Braided Belt: $4.50, Forever 21
MEK Nagoya Bootcut Jeans: $81.97, Buckle
Draped Chain Necklace: $6.80, Forever 21
Xhileration Faux Suede Oxford Flats, $14.99, Target
Sequined Leaf Bobby Pin: $3.80, Forever 21

This cardigan is a new one for me... I had a 10% off and a free shipping coupon code for Urban Outfitters so I snapped up a couple of marked down tank tops (good transitional ones for fall, and I'll still be able to wear them next summer) and this black cardigan. I love the ruched shoulders and longer length.

The shoes are also new. This isn't a very good picture of them, so I'll try to get a better shot of them next time I wear them. I will say, however, that I am not ashamed to shop at Target for clothes, as I have now acquired my favorite gray cardigan and these cute black flats from there, both at far lower prices than other places I shop at. Thank you Target!

Shoulder the Bag

Though I'm fairly certain not many of you noticed, I haven't posted any new blogs in a few weeks. I spent two weeks in France with my best friend for our senior trip and then the past week since I've been home I'm just been bumming around, not particularly motivated to do much of anything.

But I am back to work now, working on some new jewelry designs and putting together ideas for new blogs. Today's blog is about shoulder bags, simply because I like them and I think you should like them too.

In all honesty, though, shoulder bags are really quite handy. While there are some ridiculously cute handbags out there in the world, they just aren't as practical as shoulder bags are. Shoulder bags are hands-free, leaving both of your hands to do other, more important tasks, such as texting and waving at cute guys (neither of which I do on a regular basis, in case you are wondering...)

Also, shoulder bags are generally smaller than regular purses, forcing you to cut down on the amount of stuff you take out of the house with you. Nothing builds more character than having to decide if you really really need hand lotion and a back-up pair of sunglasses with you at all times. Try it sometime! You'll be amazed at how much stuff you carry with you normally that you end up leaving home when you are using your shoulder bag.

Some of my favorites:

Forever 21 has a wide variety of cute shoulder bags at the best prices you'll find anywhere. All of the shoulder bags I currently own except for one are from Forever 21 and I'm extremely pleased with all of them.

1) Classy Leatherette Should Bag, $26.80
2) Vintage Leatherette Bag in Green, $29.80
3) Leatherette Ruffle Purse, $22.80 (I saw this one in person once and it's really awesome!)
4) Quilted Shoulder Bag, $19.80
5) Claudette Shoulder Bag in Red, $25.80
6) Quilted Shoulder Bag in Lavender $22.80

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ModCloth's shoulder bags are more expensive, but their style is arguably worth it. I don't own any of their bags, but I look forward to getting one someday to see if they really are as awesome as they look.

1) Regal Tender Bag, $65.99
2) Never a Dull Moment Bag, $24.99
3) Marigold Marvel Bag, $27.99
4) On the Same Beige Bag, $63.99
5) The Grace of Grey Bag, $399.99 (Nope, not a typo. But isn't is so gorgeous?)

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Urban Outfitters' bags are a little simpler but still have a nice vintage-but-modern look to them. Next time I order from them I'm considering treating myself to one.

1) Swedish Hasbeens Small Saddle Bag in Red, $265.00
2) Ecote Studded Suede Bag in Tan, $29.99
3) BDG Square Leather Cross-Body Bag in Blue, $68.00
4) Deux Lux Mid Grommet Cross-Body Pouch Purse in Berry, $48.00
5) Cooperative Saddle Bag in Navy/White, $38.00

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Anthropologie is the store I am going to shop at when I am rich. So while it will be a long time before I can ever afford to buy one of these bags, I still enjoy looking and planning ahead.

1) Wandering Wisteria Bag, $288.00

2) Stone-and-Fronds Bag, $188
3) Malleable Bag, $148
4) Unbloomed Rose Bag, $305

And that concludes this blog.

Woohoo for New Shoes!

All those with foot-phobias: look away!

My two packages from Nordstrom and Forever 21 arrived today, stuffed full of some new goodies that I ordered to have on my trip to France in a few days. I got several other things from Forever 21, but I'll have to post about those later (as in, after I get back from France). I also got my ModCloth order yesterday so I'll be sure to do some pictures of my new shirts from there as well.

Anyways, the shoes!

I'll talk about my Nordstrom shoes first. As you may have read in the blog I posted earlier today, I ordered a pair of Seychelles shoes that were on sale. They are some gorgeous mustard yellow heels.
These have a lot of padding inside, and they are so comfortable! I also love the peek of the floral fabric around the inside seem. I appreciate small details like that, even though I can't see them when I'm wearing the shoe.
There was a fancy-pants shoe bag inside the box with the shoes. I'll definitely be hanging on to it.
Even the box itself was fancy. If you didn't mind looking like an idiot, you could even use it as a purse.
The view from above and the side:
In short, I love them! Yes, they were expensive ($60, if you must know), but when it comes to shoes you really get what you pay for. I could probably find some similar looking shoes at Payless or somewhere similar for about half the price, but they wouldn't be nearly as comfortable. Immitation brands copy the looks of the designer shoes but really skimp out on the quality and comfort. And despite what my mother thinks, I actually do care about comfort.

The perfect example of this: Toms.

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I got a second pair of Toms for my trip since they're such great walking shoes. I still haven't managed to convince my family to hop on the Toms wagon, but I'm working on it. They think they look like shoes that my Grandma would wear. That's actually kinda true, though, and it goes back to what I was saying before about Grannie Chic coming into style.

The Toms boxes are long and skinny and have a picture on cute little kids getting some Toms on the top. Go Tom!

Hellooooooo comfort:

The cute little details on the shoes. These are the same for all the basic Toms styles. I LOVE the animal print on the inside. Again, no one can see it when I'm wearing the shoes, but I love knowing that they're there.

I would be remiss if I didn't show off the insoles on these shoes. Just look how thick the arches are!

In every Toms shoe box you get a Toms flag and a Toms sticker. I'm saving them for now because I don't know what I want to do with them yet.

Top and side:
I've worn these shoes (my navy ones, obviously, since I just got these grey ones today) all over the place, including on the beach and even some hiking, and they've been holding up fabulously. I especially appreciated them when I flew up to Alaska a few weeks ago, since they were easy to slip off at airport security and comfortable enough to trudge around airports in.

These shoes cost $44 for the basic colors and they are, in my opinion, worth every penny, if not more. And don't forget that for every pair you buy, they give a pair to a child that needs shoes. It's a sweet deal all around.

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I also got a pair of sandals from Forever 21. I was a bit nervous about it because I've never worn their shoes before, but I ended up being pleasantly surprised.

No majestic wrapping here. Just a white box with no cool bag or flag or sticker or anything. But hey, for $9.99 I'm not going to complain.

These were some seriously tangled shoes. It took me almost ten minutes to get the laces untangles and laced up on my feet.

But I really do like them. They aren't comfortable by any stretch of the imagination, but by the same token they aren't uncomfortable either. Gladiator-style shoes are actually pretty cool because they have so many straps that you can't feel any specific straps pulling at your skin.

I'm looking forward to the sweet tan lines I'm going to get in these shoes, though.
The end!

Unknown

This one is super old (well, like 2-3 weeks). I forgot I had the pics and needed to post them.

Pink Button-Up Top: $19.99, Charlotte Russe

BKE Madison Jeans: $74, Buckle

Pink Quilted Should Bag: $20.80, Forever 21

Black American Eagle Gladiator Sandals: $24.99, Payless

Purple Cabochon Headband: $12, DivineBijoux on Etsy

I really love this purse a lot. It's a great color and the antiqued silver studs keep it from looking too boring.

I also love this headband a lot. Just enough color to compliment the shirt, but not enough to overpower it. The seller that I bought it from was so nice, too.


Token shoe-shot, since I'm too tall to get my whole body in one picture :).

VR

Outfit: A Giant Flower is Eating Me

Hibiscus Striped Oatmeal Tunic Top: $17.80, Forever21

MEK Nagoya Bootcut Jeans: $81.97, Buckle

Black Quilted Shoulder Bag: $17.80, Forever21

Simply Vera, Vera Wang Charcoal heels: $48, Kohl's

Just look how gloriously long these pants are! I'm about 6 feet tall, so jeans that fit me properly are few and far between. Yes, Buckle jeans are expensive, but they fit me the way jeans are supposed to fit. End of story.

I had a slight mental debate about how to accessorize this outfit. The top really does not need any additional embellishment since it already has a lot going on, and I originally just planned on adding the purse. But I ended up wanting a little more, so I opted for a simple, clear teardrop necklace with a copper chain that matched well with the orange flowers.

Side note: this necklace was my 100th piece I sold in my Etsy shop. Yay!

VR

If I Had Money...

I would buy this:
Well, providing the shoes came in my size, the shorts weren't too short, and I actually bought jewelry.

This is all from Forever 21, by the way.

Brand Mixing

Why yes, I stand on my bed quite often. Why do you ask?

Green Woven Button-Up Top: $19.99, Heritage 1981

Ivory Tank: $14.80, Forever21

BKE Madison Jeans: $74, Buckle

Ivory Lace-Up Sandals: $38, Urban Outiftters

Pearl and Chain Necklace: $18, VioletReaction

And now, for no other reason other than because I feel like it, I shall share two pics of my dog.

VR

Urban Outfitters + Me = Love

So, here is the afore-mentioned Urban Outfitters outfit. I wore this last Sunday to church, and I was sad that it was too cold to wear some of my clam-digger shorts with it. I definitely prefer the tank/cardigan look paired with something shorter than jeans, especially during the summer. But if any of you live in Oregon, you know that it is NOT sunny yet, even in the middle of June, and I am therefore resigned to still be wearing jeans. Phooey.

So yeah, this is the most expensive outfit I've ever worn before. Hands down.

Space cadet pose:

Ivory Button-Up Cardigan: $38, Urban Outfitters

Purple Embellished Printed Bib Tank: $38, Urban Outfitters

BKE Madison Jeans: $74, Buckle

Mustard Yellow Shoulder Bag: $17.80, Forever21

Ivory Lace-Up Sandals: $38, Urban Outfitters

Look forward to seeing these shoes a LOT over the summer in my posts, because I adore them. Adore, adore, adore!

I took it easy on the jewelry aspect of this outfit, since there's a lot of embellishment on the front of the tank. So instead of adding more stuff to my neck/face area, I went with two rings instead. Both of these beauties are sold and are no longer available in my Etsy shop.

VR