The Mother of All Scarves

I've been getting the hang of this blogging thing lately (took me a few weeks, but who's counting?) and I've decided I want to run things a little differently around here. As if I wasn't hooked on enough websites (I'm an avid member of both Pinterest and Tumblr, not to mention I'm here writing this blog. I actually have a life though, contrary to what it may seem!), I was recently introduced to the joys of Polyvore! I created it to make my blog outfits a little more organized. I've decided to focus on y'all, my readers, if you're out there! I created this blog not only to share my own style, but to help you find yours, too. And all while on a budget, of course. Up to this point, I don't think I've really helped so much. I'm sorry! So, in order to try and get back on track, I'm going to be posting a little differently. I'm going to focus my outfits on trends that I'm crushing on, how to wear them, and where you can get them. Welcome to the newly improved Cheap Date!

 Fall's right around the corner, which means my scarves are about to shine. One of the biggest trends out right now, aside from scarves themselves, are animal prints. I've probably mentioned this subject a little too much, but this is the last time, I promise. My favorite scarf (and trust me, I have many) is a light, leopard print scarf! I picked it up a few weeks ago (why it was being sold in the middle of summer, I'll never know) because I'd been looking for one all year, and I wasn't about to pass this find up. I started toying around with the scarf and my closet. I get a strange kind of excitement from making new outfits. Always have. Once I started, I had to force myself to stop. This scarf is so versatile! I picked three of my top favorite outfits to showcase my scarf. Hopefully you'll find some inspirations for outfit creations of your own!

                                                            The Object of My Affection

I picked this scarf up for only $9, full-price! Forever 21 is a blessing, it really is. And now, see how I wore it.

                                                                  Outfit One: Girl's Night Out

Burgundy, black, and cognac are my three favorite colors to pair with leopard or cheetah prints. The brown and black are neutral enough to let the scarf shine, but the burgundy skirt adds a pop of Fall-approved color.

I created this collage on Polyvore, how neat is that??

How I wore It:

(A little candid here. My cat, Mr. Tinkles, popped in to say hello.)

Unfortunately, I don't have a burgundy body-con skirt of my own (I've been looking, trust me!). But that's exactly my point. When I make outfits, I have a certain image in my mind of how I want them to look. I draw inspiration from colors, other girls' outfits, magazines, anything! Find something you like, and then manipulate the items in your closet to create a similar look. My mom calls it "shopping in your own closet" because you can create outfits you never even knew you had! It's a lot cheaper, too.

Where I Got Mine:

*Shirt: $8 (Target)

*Skirt: $10 (Forever 21)

*Scarf: $9 (Forever 21)

*Shoes: $22 (Marshalls)

This entire outfit only cost me $49!

Outfit Two: Running Out

Any printed scarf you wear, especially one that is an animal print, is a loud accessory. It speaks for itself. Wear neutral tones if you want your scarf to be the main attraction of your outfit. Also, because the scarf adds a lot of volume to your top, you'll want to wear skinny jeans to balance it out. Otherwise, you'll end up looking bulky and losing your figure.

How I Wore It:

(You can see my tan lines cross on my upper back!)

Again, I created this outfit on Polyvore (I actually have everything on that collage), but I chose to wear it a little differently. I stuck with the muted tones, opting for black and olive. I kept the brown belt, but, since my legs are super sore from the gym, I chose to kick the heels (ha ha, pun intended) for a flat, brown sandal. I chose this black shirt due to it's low back, so it's a little more interesting then just a plain, black tee. Once again, I encourage you to play around with what you have!

What It Cost Me:

*Shirt: $5 (Forever 21)

*Cargos: $14 (Target)

*Belt: Free with a dress I bought

Shoes: $7 (Target)

*Scarf: $9 (Forever 21)

This entire outfit only cost me $35! Got to love clearance shopping!

Outfit Three: Lazy Day Out

By far, I think this is my favorite outfit, and it incorporates several of my favorite trends! The denim button-up, the riding boots, the leggings. I even went a little crazy and added a complimenting purse. And, most importantly, all of these things are incredibly comfy. When I have to get dressed up, be it for school or any reason, this is one of my top go-to's. It's trendy, cute, and lazy. The ultimate combination, if you ask me.

How I Wore It:

I think every girl has this outfit, so adding a fun scarf or different shoes is a way to make something common into something unique!

What It Cost Me:

*Shirt: $17 (Aeropostale)

*Leggings: $10 (Target)

*Shoes: $35 (Target)

*Scarf: $9 (Forever 21)

This entire outfit cost me $71! A little pricey, but the shoes are to blame. However, for riding boots, they were fairly cheap, and I get a lot of wear out of them in the fall!

And, lastly, my hair inspiration for the day:

I recently saw this picture of Miranda Lambert and hubby Blake Shelton (two of my idols, as well as favorite country artists!):

First of all, they are just so stinkin' adorable! Second of all, I absolutely love her hair in this! So, I decided to do a braided bun of my own, perfect for a day when I really don't want to do my hair.

The best part about this bun? The secret to holding it together is a spin pin:

You can pick them up from a local drugstore for a few dollars, and I promise they really do work!

Anyways, it's my personal opinion that scarves look better with an updo, because it shows the scarf off much better. After all, isn't that the point of wearing it?

Thanks for reading :)

More Cake, Please

I'm often getting told that I look and act older than I am. If that's true, I don't really know. However, I've been thinking lately. I was done growing a few years ago, so, even though I'm seventeen, I have the body of a woman. Now, I'm not complaining! I just struggle sometimes. I see all of these cute, young trends my friends wear and when I try them on, they look a little . . . different, to put it lightly. I was in Marshalls when it hit me. No amount of dieting (my "diets" usually last about an hour before I cheat) or exercising is going to change my body. I  just shouldn't be shopping in the Junior's department! I tried on several shirts that did absolutely nothing for my body or my confidence. So I wandered into the women's section, and I'm so glad I did! Within five minutes I had several potential take-homes. And everything I tried on was contoured to fit my natural curves. The best part? I was shopping for smalls (something I haven't done in a long time)! I realized that I shouldn't feel bad about my body just because my friends' are different from mine. My point is that I've decided to let go. I'm letting go and accepting my body for what it is. I'll still be hitting the gym everyday, my go-to for stress relief, but, when I want to, I'm going to eat the damn cake. I'm going to take the body that God gave me and dress it up as best I can. I found some inspiration to keep me going:

Hard to argue with, if you ask me ;) And so, I'm showcasing my first outfit since my epiphany, brought to you by the Women's Department.

I don't normally like to wear light-wash jeans, but I really liked the way this shirt looked with them! The wedges, of course, were a must!

I wore my oufit with . . .

. . .a navy, woven belt . . .

. . . strappy, navy wedges . . .

. . . rhinestone earrings, and a simple sidebraid! I let my hair dry naturally today (which means it was fairly wavy), so I pulled a few curly pieces out and tucked them behind my ears.

Let's talk dollars:

*Shirt: $15 (Marshalls)

*Jeans: $30 (American Eagle)

*Shoes: $23, semi-sale (Target)

*Belt: Hand-me-down, my mom had it for years!

*Earrings: Birthday gift (Macy's)

I got this entire outfit for $68! And you know what? I had a great day in it, too. I got a free donut as I walked into the supermarket today. Why the baker was handing them out, I won't know, but I wasn't about to question a free donut.

Also, I got a coupon in the mail for free underwear from Victoria's Secret!

I don't know if it was the shirt, the donut, or just a plain old good mood, but I was smiling at strangers and wearing my wedges with pride! I'm turning over a whole new leaf.

More tomorrow :)

Prints, Prints, Prints

 I have a confession to make. If you've read any of my other posts (and I hope you have!), this may not come as much of a surprise. I love animal prints. I do, I just love 'em. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not going around wearing actual animal fur (I'm not an animal right's activist, but I am a vegetarian. I have to speak for the animals on some things!), but lately I've been wearing more and more faux prints (cheetah is my favorite, or is it leopard? I've not figured out the difference).

If there's something else I love (there are a lot of things, actually, I'm fairly easy to please), it's thrifting. I'm obsessed with rummaging through the racks of donated clothes, looking for some diamonds in the rough. Much to my delight, I went thrifting while I was in Georgia and I found some treasures! As if that wasn't enough, they were having a sale, bonus! By far my favorite thrifty find of them all, I was able to combine two of my loves, thrifing and cheetah print, in one shirt! And so, I bring to you my latest outfit.

(It's been way too hot outside to go outside for pictures. I tell ya, five minutes and you're sweating. I'm ready for Fall already!)

Another button-up to add to my collection! I almost walked right by this one on the rack, and I was even skeptical when I tried it on at the store (my high-waisted shorts were NOT a good look with this), but my mama and sister convinced me to buy it. And I'm so glad they did!

Another confession: These jeans are from Forever 21! I have a lot of trouble finding jeans that fit me, so I'm always looking for new places to find a good pair. I'll admit, I was skeptical to try Forever 21, but these jeans fit me really well! They're definitely the "skinny" look, but they don't hug my hips too tightly like so many other jeans have before.

And I opted to pair this outfit with . . .

. . . my white and brown sandals . . .

. . . my textured, brown belt (the one I've been wearing a lot lately!) . . .

. . . some light bracelets, because I wanted a little something extra . . .

. . . and my cream headband!

How much:

*Shirt: $1.75, I love a good sale! (Goodwill)

*Cami: $3 (Forever 21)

*Jeans: $11, full price! (Forever 21)

*Belt: Free, with a dress I bought

*Shoes: $17, part of a BOGO 1/2 half deal (Payless)

*Bracelets: $4.50 (Cotton On)

*Headband: $3 (came in a three-pack from CVS)

This entire outfit cost me $40.25! Aside from the shirt (the most inexpensive part of the outfit!) I can, and have, worn everything else with a variety of different outfits. I'll definitely be heading back to the Goodwill monthly, I'm having such good luck! They always say, one man's trash is another man's treasure . . . I would say I definitely agree with this one!

I've been cooped up in my room all week, I have over 500 pages of summer reading to do, along with annotations and summaries, the whole nine yards. I blame myself, for procrastinating, as I always do. I'm trying to keep posting daily, so please bear with me! Thank you for reading :)

One of Those Days

I was having one of those days today. Ladies, I'm sure you're familiar. It was the kind of day, they seem to come monthly, where I hated everything in my closet and I hated how all of it looked on me. I feel as if that women can sometimes turn into their own worst critics (I'm somehow reminded of Lit's My Own Worst Enemy, although I doubt this was their intended meaning). I'm aware of how self-deprecating I can become, and I'm quite aware as to why, but I still can't stop myself from wanting to pull on sweats and hide. So, I have come up with a few rules that seem to help me through it (there's a point to this, I promise):

1. I always, always, have to do my hair. I recently read in Allure (so it must be true, right?) that 45% of women reported having a worse day due to a bad hair day. As silly as it seems, I always feel ten times better about myself or my outfit when I like my hair. It's purely psychological, I'm convinced, but if it helps, I'm not asking questions.

2. The chocolate is always a good idea. Do I have to explain?

3. Have a go-to outfit! It's important to pick out this outfit when you're, well, in the right mood, if we're catching my drift. Find something comfortable that you feel good about wearing! Something that makes you feel "pretty, oh so pretty" (I'm really feeling the song references today). Later, when you aren't feeling your best, you can stop yourself from picking apart your closet -and yourself- and wear an outfit you know you love! And so I bring to you my go-to outfit.

I don't know what happened with the picture from the front, the lighting came out really weird.

But, that's beside the point. This is my absolute favorite dress in my closet right now. I've had it for almost two years (perks of maturing early and then never growing). It's one of the most comfortable things I own, and, honestly, in this hot weather, all I want to do is throw something on and go.

I wore it with . . .

. . . my beloved cognac waist belt (but seriously, I'm pulling out all of the favorites today) . . .

. . . and some three-toned strappy sandals that I got for a steal!

Color-blocking is pretty big right now! I love orange and pink together, and the red makes it even better. I came across these in Target the other day, and there were a ton of them on clearance! Perhaps that was a sign that no one else liked them, but I was glad to take a pair off of Target's hands.

The cost (but can you really put a price on feeling good? Yes.):

*Dress: $28 (Forever 21) 

Belt: $20 (Target)

*Shoes: $5, hell yeah! (Target)

I put this outfit together for about $53! I was already starting to feel better about the day! After heading to the gym and then out for burgers (veggie, of course) with my best friend, I had completely turned my bad morning around. As for the rest of my night, I have a chocolate cupcake in the kitchen that is calling my name . . .

By the way, I updated my DIY Page with a new tutorial, so be sure to take a look!

Rain, Rain, Go Away

But seriously! I just got back into town and this South Florida weather is not what I was hoping for. There goes any plans I had for tanning. Usually, on such rainy days, I throw on the sweats and throw up the hair. Bring on the Meg Ryan movies! However, coming back into town has brought me back into reality - I've got errands to run. I decided I'm not going to let this rainy day bring me down. I pulled out some of my best and brightest to contrast these grey skies with some color!

It's a little hard to tell, but the little dots on this dress are tiny, cream flowers! I know they say "April showers bring May Flowers." Here's hoping that August showers bring Fall flowers?

I absolutely love this dress! I picked it up a few months ago, but it's such a simple outfit. I have a few dresses with a similar design; I can throw them on when I'm running late!

I accessorised with . . .

. . . my cognac T-straps . . .

. . . a matching waist belt . . .

. . . pearl earrings and my "Tree of Life" necklace!

(I actually wear this necklace everyday, this is just the first time I've ever pictured it.)

I also did my hair a little differently today! I've found a lot of hair tutorials on Pinterest, and I like to try them out every once in awhile. Unfortunately, my attempt at "soft, beachy waves" was a complete failure. I had no choice but to wear my now frizzy hair up. I made a deep part, and then I french-braided the sides until I was left with one ponytail. I pulled the ponytail to the side and made a fishtail (my fishtail always looks like a braid, I'm still learning, but it holds in my layers better than a regular braid). I used this a lot during the year, especially when I'm on second day hair. It's super quick and it saves my hair from the straightener!

What it cost:

*Dress: Around $24, I don't remember exactly (Forever 21)

*Belt: Came with this dress!

*Shoes: $7 (Target)

*Necklace: Gift (but you can find them at Target for around $15)

*Earrings: Borrowed!

I'm looking for my own pair, but I borrowed these pearls from my mama. I've seen some at places like Francesca's, Claire's, or Forever 21. You can find faux pearl earrings almost anywhere, it's just a matter of finding a size and color you like.

This entire outfit cost me $31! A little unfair, considering I didn't have to buy the earrings or the necklace. However, if you don't have a lot of your own, I encourage swapping clothes and accessories with friends! I know when my older sister is in town, my wardrode increases dramatically. You can get all the joy of wearing something new without the commitment of buying it. Friendship is a beautiful thing.

Hope your weather is better than mine!

Hey Ho, Let's Go!

It's that time again! I went through a short phase when I was younger - the kind of phase where I thought purple skinny jeans and black band t-shirts worked well together (in case you wondered, they never did). After about a year or so I grew out of it, but my love for over sized band tees never left! My closet is full of lace and floral prints, but I think we all need one, classic tee. After all, I still want to look cute on my lazy days! As usual, I had in mind the kind of shirt I wanted and, of course, I wanted the vintage look, which is hard to find when you're shopping for new clothes. I stopped in Forever 21 today,  just to peek (I should learn, I never "just peek"). I found the band tee I've been looking for! Any Ramones fans out there? They inspired my outfit for the day!

I can't even begin to explain how comfy this shirt is! I just wanted to curl up and take a nap in it. I thought I'd give you a close-up of the logo. It even has cheetah print on it, how perfect is that?

If you haven't noticed by now, I'm pretty minimal on accessories. I chose to pair my shirt with:

A thin, brown belt, with the shirt tucked in just a little bit . . .

. . . and my brown, t-strap sandals! They may look kind of raggedy (I've had these babies for four years) but I love them! I won't get rid of them until I fall off of my feet.

I also wore lipstick with this outfit. My color of choice was a shade darker than my natural lips, so it's pretty subtle but just enough!

Holla for a Dolla (honey boo-boo, anyone?):

*Shirt: $16 (Forever 21)

*Jeans: $35 (American Eagle)

*Belt: Still free, I wear this one a lot

*Shoes: $7, clearance (Target)

I got this entire outfit for $58! Not too bad, considering how often I wear these jeans and shoes. Also, I was so excited about the shirt I started pairing it with other things already. You'll be seeing a lot more of the Ramones!

As for me, I'll be going out of town for the next few days! I'll be sure to take a lot of photos to share as soon as I'm back. And for any of you readers out there, I just wanted to say thanks!

Keep On Reading!!!!

Taking a Moment

I'm taking a moment to celebrate! I started this blog about a week ago, and already I'm over 250 views! Whoever you are, thank you so much for visiting and reading! To celebrate, I started to expand just a little bit. I added two new pages, a DIY page (every good girl needs one!) and a Splurge page (because every good girl can be a little bad). I'll be adding to these regularly, I already have a few DIY projects lined up!

As for today's outfit, I don't have one :( I was volunteering all morning, and I came home for dinner, only to head to the gym afterwards. I figured y'all wouldn't be interested in seeing my gym clothes, although, you'll be happy to know, I bought those on bargain, too ( $8 yoga shorts and a $3 Hanes t-shirt). I promise I'll make it up to you tomorrow!!

Y'all come back now, ya hear?