Fashionable Stocking Stuffers

The calendar shows that we have fifteen more days until Christmas that means last minute shopping. If you find that you are one of those people who can’t seem to find that special holiday gift I have the perfect stocking stuffers. With these items you will stay true to your budget and you will also get that big gorgeous smile from the ones you love.  So let’s go shopping…..

My first stocking stuffer comes from the amazing Sephora. This item can be purchased inside the store or online at www.sephora.com. They have a fragrance roller back sampler which has a collection of popular women scents. Inside the collection you can exchange a voucher that comes inside for a FREE rollerball of any featured fragrance. The set contains Chloe See, Gucci Flora, Juicy Couture, and Marc Jacobs: Dot and Viktor’s Rolf: Flower bomb.  This gift set suggested retail value is $40.00 for the holiday season it is $24.00.

Every fashionable girl needs and loves lip gloss in any shade. Sephora has a mini ultra-shine lip gloss set that is perfect for any young female. The set includes a set of four ultra-shine lip glosses for every mood. The colors are Precious Pink, Perfect Nude, Rose Petal and Pin up Pink. The suggested retail value is $32.00 but for the holiday season it is only $16.00.  

         Now we all know diamonds are a girl’s best friend but they may be a little too expensive to purchase this Christmas. I have the perfect alternative for those diamonds; at Top Shop they have Rhinestone Drop Earrings that are stunning. They are square acrylic earrings with crystal rhinestone detail. They can be purchased for $25.00 on the top shop website www.topshop.com or wherever top shop clothing is sold.

            Around Christmas time the temperature always drops. With that being a known fact you can give that special person an item that will keep her warm during the holiday season. Top Shop has a pair of leather metal eyelet gloves that are absolutely lovely. Your friend or family member will be keeping warm in a very fashionable way with this purchase.  The suggested retail price is $50.00.

By the fireplace the mistletoe is hanging waiting for that perfect couple to give that ultimate Christmas kiss. When you give him his stocking with that perfect fashionable gift inside he is definitely going to give you that kiss that you been waiting for. At H&M they have a bow tie + handkerchief set made out of satin fabric.   This particular item is sold out online but I guarantee you can purchase it at any local H&M store. Your perfect guy can wear this set on New Year’s for that outstanding New Year’s Party.  The gift set is $14.95.

            My last stocking stuffer is a pick that most college guys and even young males will love. H&M has a jacquard-knit socks and boxer shorts set.  This set was very popular around Black Friday that it is sold out on online but I am pretty sure that you can purchase this item at any H&M store. The price of this wonderful gift set is $12.95.  

            With all these amazing stocking stuffers I am sure that your Christmas shopping will become very easy. These fashionable stuffers will bring many, amazing and a beautiful smile to your loved ones faces but most importantly you won’t break the bank with these purchases.

           

 

Anthropologie Summer Sale

All fashionistas beware summer is here! That means hitting the beach, vacations and doing some summer shopping. For me, this summer has been all about finding amazing summer pieces that are affordable. With the economy being so bad, I am on a strict budget and I know many can agree. This past weekend I had a chance to surf the net and while I was surfing I came across one of my all-time favorite stores Anthropologie. This particular store has been around for a very long time and their mission is to have pieces that reflect your own personal style. They have over 175 stores throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Let's just say that most of the summer sales start on or before Labor Day. In store items are always the best because you can always try on the items and most of the time depending on the store you can return sale items within 30 days with a receipt. Online summer sales are also good because you can get free shipping if you spend up to a certain amount as well as additional percentage off.

 I had a chance to go and visit one of the locations here in DC and I found that there were various items on the sale rack. Most of the items consisted of handbags, accessories, pants, swimwear, shirts and shoes. I happen to ask one of the sale associates when do they perform their mark downs, and she stated that unfortunately they are not allowed to disclose that information. I was so bummed at her response because how are true fashionistas to know when the big summer sale is coming. The sale rack at Anthropologie really caught my fashion eye because there were some many items to choose from that I couldn’t just pick one. Instead I chose a variety of pieces.

My first  selection is their Sunburst Eyelet Shorts which are perfect for the summer. They are mango colored cotton shorts with two sided pockets. You can dress them up or down depending on your own personal style. In my opinion, I would dress them up with a nice neutral silk color blouse and a pair of gold sandals. The shorts were originally $88.00 but were marked down to $29.95 which is a very good deal. You can purchase these shorts in-store or online at (www.Anthropologie.com).

 

Have you ever been horseback riding? Do you ever have a problem trying to determine what to wear? I have the perfect solution for you. While searching the sale rack I came across the Holding Horses Denim Jumper. This jumper caught my eye as soon as I walked over to the sale rack. I had to try it on and when I did, it fit me perfectly. The jumper has front and back pockets, the denim is very soft and thin and by the material you can tell it is a quality jumper. This particular jumper can be worn in many different ways. I personally, would wear a tank underneath and pair it with some heels. The price of the jumper was originally $148.00 it is marked down for $39.95. You can purchase this item in-store or online (www.Anthropologie.com).

 

Every summer you need at least two good items to complete your summer wardrobe. The first item is a fashionable swimsuit and a pair of good sandals. Online at anthropologie they have many swimsuits that I wanted to purchase. I am on a very strict budget so I had to settle for just one.

The Six Road Marina One Piece is absolutely amazing. The colors remind me of the ocean and the fit is perfect for a girl with a little bit of curves. The swimsuit is strapless and has a cut-out towards the lower back. I would recommend wearing a nice colorful cover up to put over the swimsuit and a nice pair of sunglasses to complete the look. With the purchase of this swimsuit you will be beach ready. The price of the swimsuit was originally $138.00 but it has been marked down to $69.95.

 

Color blocking is a must this summer and it happens to be a very popular summer trend. You can color block with almost anything, whether it be shoes, clothes or even accessories. On the sale rack there was a pair of t-strap sandals that were perfect for the summer. This particular sandal comes in three different colors which are silver, turquoise and black motif. The turquoise and black motif color will give you the color blocking trend just because they have additional colors added. I personally like the turquoise color only because the colors scream summer!! The scandal is true to size it has an adjustable buckle for your own comfort just in case you may feel that are a little big. They will go great with jeans, crop pants and dresses. The price of the T-Strap sandals was originally $78.00 they have been marked down to $49.95.

 

Many retailers are going to have their summer sales to get us fashionistas summer ready but in my opinion I don’t believe their sale is going to top Anthropologie’s. Their summer sale is very trendy, affordable and very fashion forward. Before summer is over I recommend going to the closet location near you or even visiting their website to take advantage of their summer sale. Keep cool and trendy!!

 

Spring 13 Trends

 Fashionistas from far and wide are reflecting on the new trends and themes for Spring 13.  If you splurged on many items last spring you may be in luck cause some of the trends are the same. Fashion is about thinking outside the box and throwing everything out there and seeing what goes with what. So without further ado here are the Spring 13 trends.

Every one needs some color in their life.  This spring it is all about Bright color. Designer Michael Kors has amazing pieces for spring 13, he has a yellow floral lace empire shift dress that is absolutely stunning. The dress is made out of sheer lace, it has a round neckline and it is sleeveless and on the back of the dress there is a zipper. This dress will be perfect for a late happy hour or even a job cocktail party. I would pair the dress with an open toe strappy sandal; I would wear your hair back in a messy bun with small stud earrings. This dress can be purchase at www.MichaelKors.com for $1,995.00. 

If you feel that yellow isn’t your color Designer Alice+Oilva has a pink/orange cheetah print Marlene sleeveless A-line dress. With the A-line shape it gives a retro feel and a fit for modern day mayhem. While wearing this dress you will be on the prowl for after work cocktails. I would pair this dress with an open toe strappy scandal and I would limit the jewelry to just a couple of gold bracelets. You can purchase this dress at www.saksfifthavenue.com for $297.00.

When rapper Jay Z announced that he was going to wear black for a year straight everyone fell in love with the color. While wearing black it makes you feel sexy and powerful. This spring it is about adding some color to that all black, the trend that graced the runaways this year was the black +white combination. Marc by Marc Jacobs has an Avery balck+white silk dress that is perfect for the spring. It has cleverly placed panels and the grosgrain belt detail that will draw close attention. This dress can be dressed up and dressed down; you can pair the dress with some black ankle boots and some silver accessories. You can purchase the dress at www.neimanmarcus.com for $238.00. 

Stripes are always fun and classic. Designer Tommy Hilfiger had fun with stripes on New York Fashion Week Runway. Tommy Hilfiger has a Ponte Stripe Dress that is very polished, simple and classic. The dress comes in two different colors, the sleeves are ¾ and the dress has patch pockets. You can wear the dress just about anywhere; you can wear it while you are running errands or even for a nice picnic in the park. I would recommend wearing some nice wedge heels or even a pair of converse. You can purchase the dress at www.tommyhilfger.com for $68.00. 

 This particular trend is one that most will love. If you are looking to makeover your wardrobe why not add some studs on one of your favorite sweaters or even a pair of your favorite shoes. Steve Madden has a Hamlit Wedge Sneaker that is very urban and it gives a modern metal edge with studs going around the center. This particular show can be worn while you are running errands, lunch with the girls or even on a nice date night. I would wear the shoe with some black leather leggings or some black skinnes. You can purchase the shoe at www.Nordstrom.com for $129.00. 

You said that you can’t show a little bit of skin this spring. Bare Midriffs is a spring trend that will have all eyes on you. This particular trend was all over the runway this year and also last year. For this particular trend you can pair a cropped top with a nice pencil skirt that hits just below the knee or you can pair it with a pair of skinnes. Top Shop has a red Petite Bandage Pintuck Crop Top that is very sexy, the color red shows a great amount of sex appeal and the color is very perfect for a summer soiree. With this piece you can pair a knee length pencil skirt for a more conservative look. This top can be purchased at www.topshop.com for $45.00. 

All seasons will have different trends; spring 13 will be a season that will be a memorable just because the trends this year are phenomenal. Even though these are just trends remember that these trends will fade away but your personal style will remain forever. 

Top 10 pieces of Inauguration weekend!!!

This year inauguration weekend was very big and festive. People from all over the globe came to the nations capital to show their support to President Barack Obama. Many fashionable stars made their guest appearance at many local balls and parties. Throughout the whole weekend there were many who shined bright like a diamond as RiRi would say.  From Michelle Obama  to Alicia Keys to Beyonce which one of these lovely ladies had pieces on that you will love to rock. I have my top ten pieces of inauguration weekend that made the list so take note...

1.  Colorful leather gloves-  A very famous piece that was worn by all the Obama girls.. These gloves come in many different colors from blue to purple to even red.  These gloves can be purchased at J Crew for $328.00. As of right now the only color available is cork which is also an beautiful color.

2. Over the knee boots- With the temperatures being fairly low the best footwear was one that was warm. Eve  Longoria wore an pair with her salmon leather trench coat. The over the knee boot was a perfect choice.

3. Colorful jewelry-  We all know Queen Bey has been over the Internet for lip singing.At this point they need to just give her break she is a excellent performer and she just had a moment.  While she was supposedly lip singing she wore nice emerald earrings and a ring that made her black Pucci gown pop. The emerald pieces were from Lorraine Schwartz line and it was 130 carats worth.

5. Mixed prints-  Solange Knowles is the queen of mix prints but does she have some competition? At the Kids Inaugural ball Sasha and Malia played around with some prints.  Malia wore an green sweater tucked into a blue printed full skirt paired with red tights and some black ankle boots. The younger sister Sasha really achieved the look she wore an purple and pink polka dot cardigan with an black and white plaid skirt that she paired with some suede knee high boots.

6. Dress coats- Designer Thom Browne designed an dress coat for Michelle Obama that was magnificent. The material was silk and the color was navy. The coat had an checkered  pattern which was inspired by an men's necktie. The first lady paired her coat with an bejeweled J Crew belt.

7. The color RED- When you wear the color red it speaks volume. From Alicia Keys to Michelle Obama they wore red gowns that wore absolutely stunning. For another year Designer Jason Wu designed Michelle Obama gown for the inaugural ball.  The gown had an long halter neckline with velvet details.  Alicia Keys gown was designed by the talented Michael Kors. The gown was backless with crystal embellished detail. Both of these ladies were showing that they were on Fire...

8. Designer J Crew- J crew played an major part in inauguration weekend. From leather gloves, bejeweled belt, pea coats and shoes.  All of the Obama ladies were dressed in J Crew from head to toe. Older sister Malia wore an bright plum coat that is $325.00. This particular coat has been apart of J Crew line for years but the company is going to retire the color out of respect for the First Family.

9. The Famous Black Tuxedo- While the ladies were getting all dolled up the men were doing the same. Everyone loves to see a man in a nice suit especially an tuxedo. From the Hip Hop Inaugural party to the official Inaugural ball every male was dressed to impress. Rapper 2chainz was honored at the event and he graced the red carpet in his all black tuxedo with an red handkerchief in the pocket.  I can say he cleaned up very nicely. President Obama wore his black tuxedo with an nice white crisp bow tie, and with that priceless smile he looked magnificent. 

10. Dignity and Honor- Even though these are only words instead of fashion items each person that participate in the inauguration displayed these two. From the Obama's  Stars and even citizens of The United States everyone on that special day showed that they were honored to be apart of history once again and they showed their dignity by just attending. Everyone put whatever differences they made had aside and they celebrated history. Two terms was the chant among many races on that day many came to together from far and wide .Throughout  all the fashionable pieces the most memorable moment was being apart of history once again.

New Year New Style????

Many of us have New Year resolutions that we would like to accomplish and also like to achieve. Those that are really into being healthy increase their workout plans, those that are bad with money try to save, and those that are really into fashion search for the new trend of the year.

While you are on your quest to find that perfect style for the New Year is it imperative to change your style just because the year has changed? Or is it imperative to change your style just because you feel the need too?  

In my opinion I feel like your personal style is something that should stay with you forever, if you feel the need to change something it should be just to change the way you do certain things or the way you approach certain situations. Now if you are a person that feels their personal style isn’t what you want it to be I have a few suggestions that you can try.

My first suggestion is to try to achieve the style of Kate Middleton. With this look you will be more on the preppy side. Even though some of the pieces that Kate wears are more on the expensive side you can find almost the same items at local retail stores such as J Crew, banana republic and even Ann Taylor. 

One thing that makes the Duchess stand out is that she is very elegant, unique and she stays true to herself. Back in 2012 at the Olympics Kate was dressed down, and many were surprise she wore a pair of red ankle skinnes with a classic white top and a blue blazer.

To achieve that look you can purchase a pair of toothpick jeans from J Crew for $98.00, they also have a double breasted school blazer that is fairly expensive $218.00 is the price even though it may be on the expensive side the look will be very polished.

My second suggestion is to try to achieve the style of Solange Knowles. We all know that her style is very creative, colorful and there are many patterns involved. Solange’s style is very funky, creative and also different. Many may be scared to try to achieve her look just because her look is very different.

To achieve her look I won’t recommend going to any retail stores I would go to your local thrift store or consignment shop and try to find some pieces.  Many people may feel skeptical about buying clothes from the thrift store just because they were worn by other people but the good thing about it is that most people won’t have the same items as you.

One consignment shop that is located in DC has the best selection; the name of the shop is called Second INC. They have brands from Marc Jacobs, Burberry, Prada and Chanel just to name a few and the prices are very cheap.

The address is 1702 Connecticut Ave NW Second Floor Washington, DC 2009 they are 2blocks from DuPont Circle Metro. They are open Monday & Tuesday 11to 6, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 11to 7, Saturday from 11 to 6 and Sunday 1 to 5.

My last suggestion is trying to achieve the street style.  With the street style it is more of a chic look and it is more of your own personal style. It doesn’t take a lot to achieve this look, you just want to make sure that whatever you wear you are staying true to your personal style.

In the year 2013 changes can be made, but does that mean that you are obligated to changing your personal style?  

Yes we all know that fashion changes, but are you willing to change your personal style just because a New Year approaches.