William Rast for Target!

William Rast is one of my favorite brands not only because it's co-designer is Justin Timberlake, but because the clothes are edgy and fun. They now have a line for Target that is very reasonably priced! Check it out here

What I love now: JCrew 30% off Sale

There is nothing like JCrew's rare additional 30% off sale items sale and it is going on now! JCrew is expensive but now is when a bargainista can score some great deals! Here are a few sale items that I love:

Originally $68.00 now $28.00

Originally $118.00 now $49.00

Originally $128.00 now $49.00

Originally $78.00 now $35.00

 Originally $88.00 now $32.00

Originally $138.00 now $56.00

 Originally $79.50 now $14.00

BEST FIND

Enjoy!

Things That Make Me Happy During Finals

It's officially finals week and it seems that taking a study break and blogging is the only thing keeping me sane right now (with the exceptions of coffee and diet coke)

Here are some other things which cheer me up during finals:

High Socks: It is cold outside and in the library so high (and cute) socks to pair with boots are a must! Love these Kate Spade Socks

Lilly Pulitzer Wink Perfume: Just found a 3 oz. bottle at Marshall's for $17

Sticky Notes: BPIC bought these for me! She's the best!

Bagels: Enough said...

Sporcle.com: The ultimate distraction or educational?

Pandora Radio: Especially my Fleetwood Mac playlist

Starbucks Holiday Cups: Should instantly put a smile on everyone's face

Big Head Phones: Ear buds start to hurt after awhile

Dummy Books: Hey, whatever helps!

US Weekly: Distraction Alert! Only indulge if you have a few minutes for lunch/study break/etc...

For those of you in school, GOOD LUCK ON FINALS!!

For those of you out of school, be thankful finals are not part of your vocabulary anymore!

Either way, ENJOY!!

What's IN and What's OUT

IN:
Brunch
Headbands
Velvet Blazers
Navy nail polish
Tortoiseshell watches
Green puffy vests
Plaid flats
Friendship bracelets
Animal print scarves
Cardigans
Chai Lattes

OUT:
Snake-skin anything
Fishnets
Black nail polish
Large ear-muffs
Denim blazers
Fabric jewelry
Mixing patterns

Spice Up Your Life!

Spice up your life! (and no, I'm not talking about the Spice Girls tune). Winter can sometimes be a huge downer. The weather is cold, finals are upon us and hat hair has officially returned as an epidemic. Thus, it is important to inject some happiness into your life, especially in the little things! By spicing up something simple, you can brighten up any space or mood! Here are a few simple ways I turned something simple into something that will make me smile every time I see it!
The other day I was painting my nails and out of boredom and curiosity decided to put the end of a pen into the nail polish that had puddled onto the sheet of paper I was using to protect my desk from spilled polish. Well it turned out great and I decorated a bunch of pens with different colored polishes!

Now my pens can match my nails! :)

I also love paper-clips so to make them more accessible and nicer to look at I cut out a circle of paper, drew a smiley face and placed the paper-clips around it like a sun! It definitely brightens up my desk!

Indulging once in a while can also spice up a bland day! An AMAZING cupcake shop, Crumbs, just opened in DC and I had to go! The cupcakes are HUGE and come in a bunch of original flavors! The ones pictured here are: Dark Chocolate, S'mores and Cookie Dough! Yum!

A candle can also add an extra "umph" to any space! I especially like seasonal ones like pumpkin and gingerbread!

Lip Gloss! A simple coat of sparkly lip gloss/balm/stick can brighten up your smile! My favorite is Philosophy lip gloss! It comes in great scents!

A cute magnet can also make a plain kitchen a warmer place to be! Love these!

I hope these tips will brighten up your day and get rid of those winter blues!

Enjoy!

The Essentials: Black Friday Edition

Hello!
Sorry I have been terrible at consistently posting but it's finals week and my mind has not been on bargains (wouldn't it be nice if I was majoring in being a bargainista? I would definitely be acing that class :)) So Black Friday was great! I really tried to focus on buying classic items which will never go out of style! (Bargain tip: just because it is on MAJOR sale doesn't mean you should buy it...trendy, tacky things are on sale for a reason.)

I found this WONDERFUL Tory Burch sweater! It is important to have a nice, warm sweater which is versatile and can go with anything from leggings to skinny pants to a jean skirt! Store: Saks

I also found this GREAT Tory Burch cardigan. I love the color (it can be worn in any season). Cardigans can be worn with virtually anything! I love wearing them with dresses and skirts! Store: Saks

Black Ralph Lauren leather boots, a timeless necessity...enough said. Store: Macy's

Here are some other new great (and classic) finds:

 Black Coach Loafers, LOVE! Store: DC Consignment Shop

Black leather Kate Spade cross-body purse. Store: Marshall's

Lorac all-in-one make-up set. Why pay for multiple eye shadows, lip glosses when you can have a little bit of everything for the price of two eye shadows? Store: Ulta

Mittens! So cute (and warm!). Store: Anthropologie
And look what I got off my wish-list!

Yep! The Vineyard Vines Steelers Tote!

More to come soon! Keep your eyes out for a Holiday Gift Guide (on a Budget!)

Enjoy!!

My Current Obsessions!

A short list of the items I LOVE at this moment!
1. Lilly Pulitzer Stationary- I scored all this swag at Marshall's for $15.00!

2. Corduroy Pants- I love cords in every color from brown to pink! Both of these are from JCrew last season on sale (the key is to wait until the end of winter when they go on big sale!)

3. Gold Flats- A fun way to spice up a boring outfit for the holidays! Wear them with black skinny jeans, LBD's, colored skirts with black tights, get creative!

4. Labels- I love putting these on everything from folders to my laptop! They make everything organized and nice

5. Trader Joe's Strawberry Licorice- Addicting but a must for finals cram-sessions!

6. Black Friday- My favorite holiday! Embrace the crowds

Photo Courtesy of http://clog.dailycal.org/tag/black-friday/

ENJOY!

Sorry for my Hiatus!

Sorry I have been MIA but school, work and extracurriculars can do that! Here are two AMAZING purchases to update you on!
I have been looking for a chic, black, every-day peacoat but have been holding out for the perfect (and bargain-friendly) one! At my favorite consignment store in DC, I stumbled upon this great J.Crew coat! it is wool and so comfy! From class to work to a night on the town, this coat will be able to transition from day to night perfectly! Also, how cute is the sapphire silk lining?

Price: $35.00!

I also have been on the search for a cute make-up bag. I found this one at Preppy Monogrammed Gifts. I love this website because the monogram is included in the price!

Price: $18.00 (not including shipping)

Also BLACK FRIDAY IS ALMOST ONE WEEK AWAY!

But more on that later :)

Enjoy!

Underated and Underused: the tragedy of packaging

So you know when you buy a cute necklace/shirt/pencil and it comes in an adorable box or tied with a ribbon? Well you pay for that too so you might as well put it to good use! I love turning packaging into cute decor!
Remember that Stila makeup set I got?

Well I took the makeup out and found myself with a cute plastic case which can be great for pencils and lipgloss! I then took some note cards I got at Target (8 for $1.99)

I then cute them up to fit inside the case, printed a monogram on the computer and taped them inside the case. Now I have an adorable makeup case!

So remember that Lilly Pulitzer pen?

Well I took the plastic top and made a cute desk sign to motivate me!

Then with the sides of the box I cute them into strips and lined the middle of my desk with the printed cardboard.

And those Vera Bradley binder clips?

 Well the top print was too cute to go to waste so I cut it into strips and lined the bottom of my desk lamp.

So remember, do your bland desk and the environment a favor and RECYCLE those packages!

Cute Ways to Keep Those Ears Warm

Sorry this post is short but bottom line- I LOVE HATS/EAR MUFFS!

Kate Spade

Anthropologie

Vera Bradley

Old Navy

Enjoy!

Old Navy