Carina Artista

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

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.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

White Button-Up

How to wear a white button-up?

This is how I wore mine.

How do you wear a white button-up?

xoxo

Friday, September 6, 2013

Floral Chiffon

I am in love with this shirt from American Eagle. I wish all my shirts could be made from this fabric. I brought it home and my husband said, "That's fancy." Score.

Best of all, it was only $8 for me!

Do you have a favorite fabric?

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

When I first heard of printed denim, I made fun of it. While the trend has grown on me a little, I think the real reason I love these pants is that they are black and white. The quirkiness of printed denim is offset by the elegance of black and white. (Right?)

Or maybe I just like them because they were Michael Kors and I only had to pay $13 for them. I got them during Belk's Labor Day sale. They were originally $125, which means they were 90% off.

This shirt was $5. I got it at the same sale.

The bracelet was $3 at Hallmarks.

Would you wear printed denim?

Creamsicle

Top: Banana Republic, $6 at Plato's Closet

Skirt: Banana Republic, free from a friend

Shoes: ALDO, $10 from Plato's Closet

Bracelet: $2 from Hallmark

Necklace and earrings: $10 from Tatiana's Fashions

(I know, you can't see the earrings, but they're not that special. They're matching pearl drop earrings.)

Total: $28 for the 6 pieces

Peasant Dress

I got this dress from a friend who was getting rid of her old clothes. The belt was about $5 from Plato's Closet.

The shoes are OLD! They are from Fashion Bug and even though they offer my feet no support, they fall off my feet when I walk, and they are very dirty, I still can't help but keep them around. I haven't found another pair of shoes quite like them.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

B&W

I think this top and skirt both cost me $6 each. The skirt is Merona. The top is from TJMaxx.

Jeans Weather

Shirt and shoes: Goodwill

It got a little cool this week! Time to bust out my favorite AE jeans.

necklace: $5 at Tatiana's Fashions

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Braided Rope Details

Have second hand shirt prices been on the rise? Some of you may laugh, but buying all my shirts at $12 is way to expensive for me. Hence a Goodwill shopping spree. Three dollars and forty cents a shirt.

The top pictured here is Lauren Michelle. Her tops seem to be selling for $25 on Ebay. The details on this shirt are refreshingly original and the color is gorgeous to me.

On the other hand, I feel like an old rich lady when I wear it. Would you wear this type of top?

necklace: $5 at Tatiana's Fashions

a similar shirt from Lauren Michelle

Friday, August 9, 2013

Menswear Inspired

I'm *trying* to expand my personal style bubble. But I'm going to need some help with it, because I'm outside of my comfort zone. Help me out by taking the poll below!

Which look is your favorite?

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I ended up wearing this outfit with the heels and brown shorts (the middle outfit). Here is where I got each piece and how much I paid for each:

- I bought these Mossimo (Target) shoes for $12 at Plato's Closet. I love that they have a zipper, which allows the shoe to fit even closer to the heel.

- This August brand hat I got at a local thrift shop for $5. I was a little freaked out about wearing a used hat so I soaked it in piping hot water with antibacterial soap and detergent.
- The shorts are Refuge (Charlotte Russe). I got them for about $10 at Plato's Closet.
- The shirt is from the Gap and cost me $6 at Plato's Closet.

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Here are some similar looks:

(So you can see how much I really look like a man!)

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Southern Inspired

I feel like I've been posting a lot of free clothes lately! Here is another dress I got for free when one of my friends was cleaning out her closet and I invited myself over to scavenge. It is J.Crew.

The belt was from Goodwill ($1 - $3?), the bracelets were a gift, and the earrings came as a set with a necklace for $8. The boots were $12 from Uptown Cheapskate.

I'd like to share with you my process of creating this outfit. I first started with the dress. I then found 3 coordinating pieces that would add accents of color. This baby blue / aquamarine color happened to be the only color that worked. Then, this Northern-born girl added a touch of Southern: cowboy-esque boots.

How do you usually create an outfit? What do you start with?

Lacy

The top is from Gilly Hicks and may have been $30 originally. I got it for less than $10.

The cardigan is Express, which I got when a friend was cleaning out her closet.

See the shoes on this post.

I love the lace details on the tank top and the pearly buttons on the cardigan.

Dolman Sleeves

Top: Charlotte Russe, $6 from Plato's Closet
Skirt: Banana Republic, free from a friend's closet cleaning

My husband says that whenever I wear dolman sleeves that I look like a flying squirrel. Anyone else had similar reactions from boys?

Monday, July 29, 2013

Infinity Scarf

I'm in love with this new infinity scarf from AE (of course, 60% off for me).

The top is about 5 years old, from Kohls.

The shoes are ALDO, which means they are quite comfortable. I got them at Plato's Closet for less than $10, which means they were quite a steal!

My pants are from the LOFT, $2 from a yard sale.

What's your favorite way to wear a scarf? Do you like scarves that are already made to be worn as infinity scarves?

Emerald Green and Hi Lo

skirt: AE (60% off for me) shoes: AE

I'm trying NOT to buy every high-low skirt that I come across, but it is a struggle.

I got this Express shirt at Plato's Closet for about $8. I've only worn it on St. Patrick's Day until now!

Chambray Shirt

This is how I've worn my chambray shirt so far:

Learn how to roll up your sleeve like I did on this blog, slide #5.

What's your favorite way to wear the chambray shirt?

Shiny Pants

I know, you can't tell, but these pants are SHINY! They are also purple. They were $3 at Uptown Cheapskate and are Heritage 1981, which is a brand sold at Forever 21.

The top is Banana Republic, $15 from a fellow blogger.

Do you ever rock shiny pants?

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

A Wedding Outfit

Here is what I wore to a wedding this weekend. The dress from the Belk line Madison and probably cost between $58 and $86 originally. This has been one of my more expensive dress purchases at $20, which means it was only 65% - 75% off.

The shoes were between $7 and $12 at Marshalls or Rugged Wearhouse. I never wear them, and almost donated them recently. I loved wearing them with this dress, so I'm glad I kept them!

Below is a slightly better picture of my new haircut.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Haircut

Skirt, top, and scarf: AE

I got my hair cut, which for me always means that I add layers. I usually never take any more than half an inch off the end unless I'm donating at least 10 inches of hair. I'll be curling my hair a lot more so I can take advantage of all the layers!

Also, I love skirts. Can you tell?

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Lilly Pulitzer Cardigan

Top: IZ Byer California, $4 at consignment store
Cardigan: Lilly Pulitzer, $10 at Plato's Closet
Crops: AE

If there is any one brand that I could be content to wear exclusively, it would probably be Lilly Pulitzer. As of today, this is the only Lilly Pulitzer piece I own.

Anyone have suggestions on where to buy Lilly pieces cheap?

ETCETERA

I found this skirt at a local thrift shop for $17. It was made by ETCETERA, and judging by their website, it probably cost between $165 and $250 originally.

The shirt is by Josephine Chaus, which I bought for about $8 in the VIP section of Bargain Box in Raleigh, NC.