let this be our little secret...

Hello everyone.

There was a small project I had been working on for a little while. I am finally finished!!!

Meet B:

My beautiful, funny and talented sister.

Isn't she gorgeous???! [Not that I need a response to know the answer already.]

Well this past weekend I persuaded her to let me do a mini photo shoot with her as my lovely model. [Actually, it didn't take much persistance; she was all too happy to jump in front of the lens... I guess classic cases of narcissism runs in the family, eh??]

[Does this pose look familiar? It should!]

Anyways, other family members have been no stranger to my blog so why should my sister be any different? She asked my style opinon on an outfit one day and I about lost my mind! From then on, I have insisted that I throw my "expertise" into damn near each outfit she decides to wear. Lol. [If only I were kidding.]

Check out more of  my handywork below...

[You all will be pleased to know each item was inexpensive, which is the point of this blog!]

I wanted everyone to see her as I do, a beautiful person from the inside out and one of my daily inspirations!

Now, tell me that big sis doesn't know best! ♥

All items hauled from F21, Charlotte Russe, Target, JCPenney and our very own closets.... :)

operation: color me stylish - day 9

Alrighty! We are steady moving along...

Check me out below!

The simplicity, yet chicness of this outfit seems surreal...

So, the story behind this awesome cardigan? I found it chillin between two hideous options with a $15 price tag. Why would the price be relevant? Because, right underneath the Marshalls tag was one with Tahari's MSRP of $178!!!! By no means am I bragging, but I like to share my finds and the places I go, because not only can you find things at more affordable places (Walmart, Target), sometimes you even stumble across the occasional designer or name brand for less (dare I say, cheap)! If I ever come off as uppity or pretentious let me know! That is certainly not my angle. Shall I list my finds below? Yeah??! I thought you'd like to know...

Cardigan: Tahari found at Marshalls. $15
Tank: Hanes. Purchased a men's value pack for like $5
Khakis: Dockers. Also found at Marshalls. $14
Shoes: BCF $10
Necklace: H&M $3
Earrings: Kohls $5
Glasses: Prescription.

More posts to come tomorrow! Gonna finish watching Law and Order: SVU and catch some zzz's!

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

operation: color me stylish - day 2

Today was pretty good!

No. 1 - It's FRIDAY!

No. 2 - I went to see Valentine's Day with my mommy... it was cute, but not quite what I had expected.

No. 3 - I liked my outfit today too! Ha! I'm really on a roll, no? Check me out below:

The fact that I am wearing fuschia and purple on my way to see a V-day movie is purely coincidental, I swear! And, please excuse the face above, there wasn't any makeup on it yet! ;)


Tee: Target $4.24
Tank: Hanes (the men's kind) from Walmart. I don't remember the price... I wanna say, 5 for like $7?
Denim Pencil Skirt: Gap. I got it on sale too! One of those Friends and Fam discounts and it was already clearanced.
Scarf: Walmart $3
Tights: Target $5
Shoes: Bahama Sunwear $12
Ring: BCF $4. You can't really see it though.
Necklace: Walmart $3. You can see a close-up of it here.

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend! Once again, thanks for taking the time to stop by... Later!

Comment, subscribe, follow, whatever! ♥

operation: color me stylish - day 1

So I mentioned that I wanted to dress a bit better and really test myself color-wise...

Today I kept it pretty simple, I mean, it's only day one!!! Take a look for yourselves and tell me what you think:

And a close up of my jewelery and makeup...

Dress: Target $5
Tank: Kohls $5
Skirt: Charlotte Russe $10
Sweater: Marshalls $7
Belt: Dots $5
Tights: ?
Boots: Coconuts $19
Earrings: H&M $3.80
Bracelet: from a random beauty store for $1!


I loved everything about this outfit. Even though there is still some black, the blue was enough to lift my spirits! It's still a bit cold, so the layering helped. The dress I'm wearing underneath my skirt has got to be the most comfortable in the world. And, the cute little cardigan is by Kenar. I found it on the clearance rack at Marshall's and it made my day! I had been wanting something with leopard print and actually found a couple of things last month. I'll be updating on my clothing haul soon, that way, everyone can see the stuff I'll be incorporating during my personal challange.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thursday! ♥

so like i said... (pt 2)

Okay, I'm ready to continue with what it was that I started earlier! In this post I figured I would do a small clothing haul. I found some great stuff right before my b-day that I thought I would share. So, on to part two...

An adorable sweater dress I found for $5!!! (The scarf was a gift from my grandma.)

A silk top by Kenar that was on the clearance rack at Marshalls.

A closer look at the collar detail.

A $5 skirt from Target and a suede purple belt from Old Navy.

One more cool Target find... $15!

I found this cute brown bomber at Burlington Coat Factory for $20.

Lastly, this coat that I found at Walmart. Only $7!!! The cool part? It reverses to a matte side!

I gotta admit, with this recession going on, it's easy to feel guilty about spending large amounts of money on trendy things. Maybe that's one of the reasons why I make it my mission to find a deal. It think us self declared cheap-cesses have a right to be on trend and stylish too! Why break the bank for things that may be out next season? My advice: Take some time to peruse the 30% - 50% off racks, hit up places like Goodwill to find things that are one of kind, affordable or inexpensive to alter (they carry blazers for $6! I found one from the Gap.) and change things like buttons, or adding trim/studs/distressing to make things new or luxe! Also, for me, accessorizing is key! Scarves, shoes and hats are crucial for taking my clothes to the next level, yet, won't leave me scrounging for change...

...so tell me, what are some of the items you've found that didn't leave a hole in your pocket? ;)

two! count 'em, TWO fabulously frugal finds!

Guess what I found? Give up? No worries... I'm gonna tell ya! I went to Target and Walgreens and procured some sweet stuff. I went to Ulta to see if they had the powder blush I wanted and was sorely disappointed. That trip was a total bust! So, I stumbled into Walgreens to peruse their makeup aisle instead. I didn't see anything worth trying until I was on my way out. I noticed their Wet N' Wild display and decided to take a look at their blushes. None had ever really caught my eye before now. I saw one in Berry Shimmer for $2.99 and thought, "What's the harm?" Take a look...

This stuff was well worth the $3!!! It's SO pigmented and has incredible staying power! It complemented my skintone well and had just the right amount of sparkle to catch the sunlight. Saying I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. My point? Don't judge a blush by its price. Go check them out for yourselves! Given some of the other blushes I have tested, this stuff is about as pigmented as Nars. When I say pigmented, one light-handed tap may be a little too much color, so go easy. If it's not for you, who can really complain over the amount spent? Not even me, and I'll admit... I'm a cheapie.

After Walgreen's I zipped on over to Target to get some necessities (Ick... necessities usually don't include the fun stuff!). Anyways, I stumbled across their cosmetics clearance and looky what I found...

Okay, okay. Maybe I didn't "stumble" persay. It was more like a deliberate detour in that direction. Still, I got the Napoleon Perdis Liquid Veil in Buenos Aires Bronze 03. This stuff is AWESOME! It's supposed to be for those who want a little color to go a long way. Boy, does it ever! I used mine as a highlighter to bring a nice, healthy glow to my face. You still don't know the best part though...I got it for $3.50! Now if that isn't frugal AND fabulous, I just don't know what is! I'll let these pics speak for themselves. What do you think?

I guess I'm a little curious. What do you think is on that clearance rack (or affordable display) just waiting for you to scoop up? You may want to take a look! ;)

the cheap stuff.

Since my blog is about staying stylish for half the price (or on a good day, even less than that!), I figured I would share the stuff I found at Target the other day. There they were, just calling my name... I promise I can smell a deal from a mile away! Anyways, here's a couple of pics of the stuff I got...

Cute right?! And all the red stickers mean they were all on sale! The three pack of earrings in the first shot (top right) was only $1.74 and all the stuff in the second picture was $1.00 each! My favorite is the cute rose necklace on the right. I also picked up some $.99 polish. Sometimes, they get a bad rep, but with a good base and top coat, they can last about as long as OPI...

On the left is Wet N Wild WildShine Nail Laquer in Blazed. I'm wearing this now on my toesies and it's a nice combo between girly and feisty. The one on the right is N.Y.C. Long Wearing Nail Enamel in Big Apple Red. Walgreen's was out of Red Red by Wet N Wild (which has received CosmoGirl's Kiss of Approval), so I opted for the N.Y.C. brand, which has yet to let me down. I haven't tried it yet, but I usually change up my polish after a week. With this 'summer-esqe' weather, you'll want to pull out the sandals and it's a no-no for icky feet!! Plus, you can be a little wilder with color choice cause you can always cover up with closed-toe shoes. Just wanted to share some fun finds... I wonder what's waiting for you at your local 1-stop shop??! ♥