A Different Kind of Bun

Cardigan: Belks. $11          Top: AE, $8            Skirt: Plato's Closet, $9

I'd like to show you another of my favorite updos. This one is a quick fix. 

I put my hair in a ponytail, twist the whole ponytail so it looks like a rope, and then wrap it around the base of the ponytail in a circle until it forms a bun. Of course, my hair never cooperates; it is very slippery and has lots of layers, so it ends up looking messier than your usual twist bun. After I've formed the bun, I clip it with four little claws to hold it in place. My favorite part? NO BOBBY PINS!

See below for information about the flute earrings I'm wearing.

These flute earrings were a family gift. I took this picture several years ago.

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Headbands

Necklace: $4 from when my friend Corinne had a closet sale
Headband: $2 from A.E.O.

I didn't wear a this headband with this outfit, but I thought it might be a good addition.

I'm not sure though! So, what do you think?

Do you think the headband is a good addition to the outfit?



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Ankle Booties

 

Top: $11 at A.E.O.

Crops: $20 at A.E.O.

Shoes: $11 at Uptown Cheapskate

Sweater: Croft and Barrow, $9 at Hut no. 8
Necklace: $5 at Uptown Cheapskate


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Grey Flower Purse

About a year ago, I saw a purple purse with a giant flower on the front. I didn't buy it because I was trying to save money, but I have regretted it ever since. I found this grey purse at Hut no. 8 recently and knew I couldn't pass up this design twice. It was $20. Read more about my floral pants here.



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Dressing Halfway Like An Old Lady

I think I get old lady points for the jacket. My husband said the tights made me look like a hooker.

Any thoughts?

Jacket: $20 at AEO (Originally $80)

Shoes: ALDO (old)

Dress: BCBG Max Azria, $15 at Plato's Closet (Originally $150-$250??)

Bonus points go to anyone who can explain what BCBG means without having to look it up.

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Wearing Autumn Leaves

This Forever 21 dress was $15 at Plato's Closet. The denim jacket was 60% off for me at AE.

These earrings are a great story, though. I was shopping at World Market and found these beautiful earrings for $15. I was about to buy them, but I decided to buy a giant chunky green jewel necklace instead. Later that day, I saw the exact same earrings for $4 at Uptown Cheapskate. What a fateful find!

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Giving B&W Some Visual Interest

Black and white sometimes makes me feel uninteresting. But I have made this outfit more interesting by adding extra features to catch the eye. The hi-low skirt, the varying sizes of stripes on the shirt, and the scarf all help make this outfit visually engaging. This way I don't feel like I woke up and said, "Oh, black goes with white, so why don't I just put them together because I have nothing else to wear."

The Apostrophe sweater was $3. The scarf was a gift. The shoes were about $7. The AE skirt was $15. The bracelet was $3 at AE, shown in more detail here. 

Total = $28

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Casual Halloween Outfit

It was unseasonably warm on Halloween this year, which is why I was able to wear shorts. This was a simple Halloween costume that I could wear to one of my jobs. (I don't mean American Eagle -- I currently have 3 jobs.) 

The shirt was $5 at Five Below and the earrings were free from attending a camp.

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Fall Decorations

big metal pumpkin: $10 at Michaels       Little pumpkins: $6 for a dozen at Marshalls

 When I was growing up, I don't remember us ever decorating for fall. So I got an "innovative" idea this year to go out and get decorations to make it seem more autumn-like in my home. I know, it's not much, but I'm beyond excited about the humble beginnings of my fall decoration collection ... to be continued for years to come!

leaves: $1 for a pack of 50, at the Dollar tree               real pomegranates: grocery store

string of leaves: $4 at Michaels          little pumpkins: $1 each at Dollar Tree

Putting a spider web up is trickier than I thought! I'm pretty pleased with it, though.

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Birthday Suit ... Jacket

I got this great Apt 9 suit jacket at Hut no. 8 for $8.

This phenomenal red dress of an unknown brand came from my friend Corinne, when she had a closet sale recently. When I saw it, I said, "This dress is presidential!"

These shoes, though? Not so presidential. Just when you think you have enough shoes, you find an outfit who's best match is a $3 pair of Goodwill shoes that you bought when you were a sophomore in high school. 

And this gorgeous sapphire ring was a birthday present from my mother and father in law. 

Am I spoiled? I'll never say so.

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Pink Much?

Pink chambray top: $9 at AEO

Bracelet: $2 at AEO

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A Spring Scarf In The Fall

Scarf: $5 at American Eagle

Shirt: $10 at American Eagle

Denim Jacket: $24 at American Eagle

Crops: $20 at American Eagle

Bracelet: approx. $13 at American Eagle (in 2005)

Watch: Family gift
(Something I didn't buy from AE) Sperry's: $25 at Uptown Cheapskate

By the way, I did not plan to wear 5 items at the same time from my store; it just happened. And I'm not sure know how to interpret this "coincidental" outfit. Either I found my perfect fashion soulmate within American Eagle Outfitters ... or I need to shop outside of my store more often. What do you think?

Total: $97 (OUCH!)
The full retail value of this outfit is somewhere around $270, excluding the watch, which has a ridiculous MSRP of $700.

Bracelet from AE. Forgive the low quality. I am without camera for the week.

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Country Western

When putting together this outfit, I thought this country western belt was the best fit. It was a hand-me-down from a friend. What do you think about the belt?

These jeans were $8 at American Eagle and the button-up was $20 at Gap. The necklace and earrings together were $10. My watch was a family gift. The Wallabees cost me $20, but the little dress shoes cost me $3.

total cost of Wallabee outfit: $58

total cost of outfit with flat dress shoes: $41

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Which shoes do you like better with this outfit?

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Now, let's talk about hair. Hair is an accessory and part of any outfit. On days when I wear a collared shirt, I cannot wear my completely down because it looks messy. I will wear it half-up, in a pony tail, or in some kind of bun. When a pony-tail is the best fit for a work outfit, I like to dress up the pony tail by wrapping a strand of hair around the elastic, as shown below.

One way I like to dress up a simple pony tail.

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Masculine Femininity

Here's how I previously wore this skirt. It's a Lauren Conrad skirt that I got for $10 at Plato's Closet. Here's how I've previously paired this American Eagle jacket. The shoes are also AE. This shirt is probably 10 years old, and it was probably free.

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Red Crops

Crops: $20 at American Eagle (not a great price, but they were 60% off)

Top: White House Black Market, $3 at a consignment store (Probably $100 originally)

Necklace: $10 at Tatiana's Fashions

Bracelet: $4 at Hallmark

Total: $37 

photo from AE.com

shoes: "Blue." More info here

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Navy Blue, Turquoise, and Lime Green

Today I dare mix turquoise, lime green, and navy blue.

My necklace, top, and shorts are all from American Eagle. The top was $3 from a consignment store. The necklace was 80% off, at about $2. The shorts were from Plato's Closet and cost about $11. I think the belt was a gift. The shoes were about $20 from Uptown Cheapskate.

Total cost: about $36

Would you wear these colors together?

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Beige Blazer

dress: XSCAPE, $10        blazer: Wet Seal, $12

When one of my friends cleaned out her closet, she sold me this plum-colored tiered dress for $10. My leopard shoes were probably around $3. I scored the blazer from Uptown Cheapskate for $12. The headband was $3 from American Eagle.

Total: $28

headband: AE

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Delicate Necklace + Shoe-Shaped Ring Holder

Free dress, $3 AE necklace, $50 ALDO shoes, and my mom's earrings.

The shoes were also a gift from my mom, so I guess technically they were free.

Total money I spent on my outfit: $3.

necklace from American Eagle Outfitters (80% off for me)

I also would like to share some of my non-wearable fashion finds with you.

Recently, I bought this shoe-shaped ring holder from Ollie's Bargain Outlet for $4.

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