Cheers!

I'm drinking a mimosa here, in case you're wondering. And I'm toasting all of you awesome readers for making this blog a crazy fun hobby of mine! Josh said we should have champagne when this site reached 5,000 pageviews, which it did yesterday! So yes, we busted out the champagne, but since it was one o'clock in the afternoon we mixed it with orange juice so as to not feel like total lushes. Anyway, I just want to say thanks to all you totally awesome people out there who read and comment on this little blog of mine! You definitely brighten up my day :)

I can't believe it was cold enough yesterday to wear tights! I think my body is just used to 80-degree weather, so something like 68 degrees feels frigid. I wanted a comfortable outfit to lounge around the house in but I also wanted to wear these bright blue tights, so this dress from Target fit the bill. I was still a bit too cold in a sleeveless dress though, so I threw on the sweater and knotted it at the waist so I wouldn't have to wear a belt. I borrowed the sunglasses from Josh once we got up to the roof and I realized that it was way too bright to take pictures without a pair (believe me, you don't want to look at pictures of me squinting).

Sweater and dress: Target
Tights: H&M
Shoes: Urban Outfitters
Purse: thrifted from The Dig
Sunglasses: borrowed from husband
Earrings: free from aunt
Silver bangles: H&M
Other bracelet: Fred Meyer

Taking care of business

Here are a few things that didn't work for blog posts of their own...

[photo source]

I just found out about Portland's "Fashion's Night Out" on Thursday September 8th! Are any of you Portlanders going? If so, let me know and we can meet up! There will be tons of fashion-related events at retailers downtown, including fashion shows, makeovers, and stylist consultations. AND Mondo is going to be at an event at Macy's! I just love him. I really think he should have won Project Runway last season. Everything he makes is pure fun, and that polka dot dress (pictured above) that Michael and Nina hated so much was one of my favorite pieces. If I owned it I would wear it all the time. In fact, I would sleep in it.

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How much do I love thrifting? So so so so so so much! Especially when it means I get armfuls of pencil skirts, thick white sweaters, and blazers (and maybe another pair of cropped green pants) for only $15. I scored some serious loot today for crazy low prices. My drycleaning bill is going to cost more than my thrift store bill! If you're looking for great closet basics, don't forget to give thrift stores a try over department stores! It takes more searching to find things that fit, but I feel like the cost (and the earth-friendly aspect!) is worth it.

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Shameless self-promotion about to happen...

I'm on various fashion sites like Chictopia, Lookbook, and Weardrobe, and would love to connect with any of you on there! Also, I usually post my outfits on those sites a day before I post them on this blog. Not that any of you are in daily suspense over what look I will post tomorrow, but if you're ever curious you can check me out on these other sites :)

Chictopia

Lookbook

Weardrobe

What a glorious feeling, I'm happy again

I didn't realize how much I missed the rain until we went about three weeks without it. Yesterday morning I woke up to cool air and rain hitting the pavement, and felt absolutely delighted! This of course meant that I immediately threw on leggings and boots, because like every other fashion blogger I am getting antsy for fall to arrive, and will take advantage of every opportunity to wear something a little cozier. I threw on this t-shirt dress that my aunt gave me the other day to further cozify (not a word, but it should be) my outfit, and added literally every gold bracelet I own to jazz up the otherwise simple ensemble.

I blame any wrinkles in my shirt on the fact that I spent the morning lounging on the couch eating chocolate muffins while watching Arrested Development. (After I went running, of course. I always go running first if I'm planning on eating muffins and watching TV for the rest of the day. It happens a lot.)

T-shirt dress: free from aunt

Leggings: Target

Boots: Urban Outfitters

Bag: Urban Outfitters

Sunglasses: Oscar de la Renta from TJ Maxx

Necklace: free from aunt

Belt and bracelets: H&M

Sunday brights

Lately I've been dying to get more solid bright colors in my closet, since color blocking with brights is pretty much my favorite trend ever. (As seen here, here, here, here, here, and here.) I've tried on bright-colored pants at thrift stores before, but they never fit quite right. Then I found this pair recently, and it was love at first try-on! (I try not to succumb to love at first sight at thrift stores anymore, because I never know if pieces are actually going to look good on me. Then when they don't, I'm heartbroken.) The fit is great, and they're high-waisted which means they were pretty much made for me. For only $5, I had to have them! You will definitely be seeing a lot of them in the future with all sorts of shockingly bright colors. (Hot pink! Purple! Bright orange!) I thought I had used up my quota of brights when I threw on this blue top with the pants on Sunday, but then I saw the belt and thought I may as well make it even crazier!

Top: gift from aunt, from Macy's

Pants: thrifted from The William Temple House

Shoes: BCBG from Macy's
Sunglasses: Oscar de la Renta from TJ Maxx

Belt: thrifted

Earrings: B. Lee Designs

Bracelets: H&M

Maximized and accessorized

I wore this maxi dress on Wednesday because I wanted to stay comfortable and cool in the 85 degree weather, but it’s pretty boring on its own, so I pondered a few different ways to spice it up. I just got the pink and gold bracelets earlier in the week, so I threw them on and liked the contrast against the blue. The scarf seems a bit impractical, but it was actually lightweight enough that it didn’t make me overheat. And the sunglasses - oh, the sunglasses! Normally I don't care too much about the brand of an item as long as it's well made, but I have to admit that I'm very excited to own a pair of Oscar de la Renta sunglasses! Not only were they just ten dollars at TJ Maxx, but they have a fantastic purple ombre to them.

Dress: Forever 21

Sandals: Target

Bag: Urban Outfitters

Sunglasses: Oscar de la Renta from TJ Maxx

Scarf: free from aunt

Bracelets: Cost Plus World Market

Summertime paisley

This paisley dress is one of those pieces that I throw on all the time if I'm in a hurry. It has such a fun and loud pattern that it honestly doesn't need much besides a belt to make it interesting, which is great if I literally have two minutes to change before it's time to leave! (What can I say, sometimes I procrastinate at getting dressed!) I added my Sam Edelman wedges for that retro feel that I can't get enough of, and used this fun toffee-colored satchel for the first time. I got it for only $14 at Urban Outfitters on Tuesday, and I'm so excited about it because it's a neutral color that goes with almost anything, it looks great as a shoulder bag, and it works as a cross-body bag. For Portland gals like me who walk almost everywhere, it's nice to be able to sling your bag across your body for easy arm movement. I'm glad this cross-body bag is a bit more stylish than the messenger bags I see everywhere around Portland though :)

Dress: vintage, thrifted from the Expo Center antiques show
Shoes: Sam Edelman from Piperlime
Belt: thrifted
Purse: Urban Outfitters
Earrings: free from aunt
Ring: purchased at ScanFair

Fill 'er up

I'm currently feeling pretty proud of the fact that everything in this outfit cost less than $10 each! Let's break it down, shall we?

Sunglasses: $7.99

Earrings: free

Tank top: $7

Blazer: $3

Shorts: $8

Bracelet: $4

Shoes: $5

Grand total: $34.99

Not too bad! This means that this whole outfit cost less than a tank of gas.

Tank: Target
Blazer: Old Navy brand, thrifted from The Dig
Shorts: H&M brand, thrifted from Crossroads Trading Co.
Shoes: Urban Outfitters
Sunglasses: TJ Maxx
Earrings: free from aunt
Bracelet: Charlotte Russe

How to score awesome deals on clothing

 Yesterday as I was buying a pair of high-waisted army green shorts (pictured at the bottom of this post) for two bucks at a thrift store, I realized that I've gotten pretty good at snagging deals like that over the years. My closet may hate me because I have more clothes than I could actually wear in a reasonable amount of time, but my wallet loves me because I don't spend too much on individual items! So I decided to put together a list of 4 tactics you can use to get great deals on clothes. And please, let me know in the comments what your money-saving strategies are when it comes to shopping!

1. Shop at thrift stores. 

I know everyone says this, but thrift stores are really one of the best ways to get amazing deals on unique clothes (like the blouse pictured above, which I scored for $1!). The great thing about thrift stores is that you can visit the same store every week, and find different things each time. In my opinion thrift stores aren’t usually the best place to buy shoes (the quality and selection are pretty low, especially if you have big feet like me!), but they’re great places to stock up on belts and scarves for a buck or two each, and a lot of them have an extensive selection of pants and blouses.

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2. Don’t be afraid to buy clothes that are slightly damaged - you'll always get a discount on them.

Slightly is the key word here – if you want a shirt that has a hole along the seam, or a pair of shoes that has a light scuff mark on the heel, ask for a discount – you’ll always get one. As long as you know it’s a problem you can (and will!) fix when you get home, it’s worth it. And I've found that even at thrift stores, where things are already so inexpensive, they'll still give you a discount on damaged merchandise.

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3. Before you buy something online, google the name of the item. 

Brand name items are sold in so many different stores that chances are one of those stores will be having a sale. For instance, I had lusted after the Sam Edelman shoes pictured above for months, and when I finally got to the point where I felt I could no longer live without them, I searched around for a good deal. Instead of paying the full price of $160, I got them for only $70 after searching a few different online retailers. (And if I had waited another two weeks, I could have bought them for only $50!) Beso is a great resource to use if you want to see different prices for the same item all laid out next to each other.

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4. Buy at the end of the season. 

Because stores want to move out their old merchandise and bring in new, seasonally appropriate merchandise, you can get great deals on things like shorts and swimsuits at the end of summer, and wool coats at the end of winter. And in a lot of climates, you’ll still be able to use those discounted winter coats through spring, or wear those inexpensive shorts through fall. I’m still buying shorts even though the warm weather will disappear soon, because I plan on wearing them with tights and boots come fall.

Wildwood

On Sunday morning my mom, grandma, aunt and I went up to Wildwood, which is a park near Mt. Hood. It was such a glorious day - clear skies, warm weather, and a beautiful river to lounge next to while reading magazines. Days like this are what I love about summer, where you go somewhere pretty and do nothing much at all.

I wanted to stay cool but still look pretty, so I threw on this thrifted dress (also worn here). On our picnic, my aunt turned and looked at me and said, "You know, you're the only person I know who would wear a dress on a picnic." When we got back to town and one of my other aunts saw my outfit, she said the exact same thing! I guess I'm always overdressed for everything!

And afterwards we headed to my grandma's house to have a dessert involving angel food cake, pineapple, raspberries, and whipped cream - it was heavenly! I just may post the (shockingly simple) recipe on here later this week!

Dress: thrifted from Village Merchants

Sandals: Casita wedges from Blowfish Shoes

Purse: vintage, thrifted from the Expo Center antiques show

Belt: free from aunt

Sushi Land

On Friday night Josh and I had a date night where we went to Sushi Land, which is the restaurant where we had our first date! It's been boiling hot lately so I threw on one of my favorite summer dresses (also worn here and here), and added this lightweight sheer cardigan to ward off the inevitable restaurant chill. I'm sure I've mentioned before how crazy comfortable these heels are, but I still can't get over it. Before this year, I didn't know heels could be comfortable! And believe me, as soon as I discovered that, I started buying them like crazy!

Dress: Target

Cardigan: free from aunt

Heels: Lulu's

Belt: Ann Taylor Loft, thrifted from Goodwill

Bag: thrifted from The Dig

Bracelet: Fred Meyer

Pretty basic

Do any of you style bloggers avoid wearing something repeatedly on your blog because you feel like it's too much of a statement piece, and you don't want your readers to get tired of it? I feel that way about this skirt. I've worn it only once on this blog two months ago (here), and yet I only now felt like it was okay to wear it again. I'm having tons of fun with this blog, but I think I need to learn to let myself wear whatever I want, not whatever will look good as a blog post. I wanted to wear this skirt about a dozen times over the summer, but didn't because I didn't want you guys to get bored with it. That's so silly! I should be utilizing my closet to its fullest, not trying to wear as many different things as possible.

I'm on the fence about this hat with this outfit. I felt like the outfit was pretty basic without it (and my solution to "basic" is almost always to slap on a hat), but I'm not sure if the hat really added anything to the look. Thoughts?

Top: gift

Skirt: Forever 21 brand, thrifted from Crossroads Trading Co.

Shoes: Madden Girl from Macy's

Hat: free from my dad

Purse: thrifted from The Dig

Belt: free from aunt

Necklace: B. Lee Designs

Bracelets: H&M

It's hot on the roof

Hot pink, that is. I was not, of course, referring to my general state of hotness with the title. There's a heckuva lot of pink going on in this outfit, but I tried to tone it down with the neutral hat and heels (which I have worn three other times in the past week) and add a bit of contrast with my arm full'o'bracelets.

Shirt: free from aunt

Skirt: Zara

Shoes: Sam Edelman from Piperlime

Hat: thrifted

Belt: Gap

Bracelets: Charlotte Russe, H&M, Fred Meyer, and B. Lee Designs

Clutch purse: thrifted from Rerun