Carina Artista

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

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.

Beautiful details on the skirt

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Black Summer Pants

pants: Gap, $2 from a yard sale top: Forever 21, $5 at Plato's Closet
shoes: Anne Klein, $11 at Tatiana's Fashions

I felt like wearing something a little less quintessentially "summer" today. To beat my seasonal boredom, I wore these black pants.

What do you like to wear when you get bored of seasonal clothes?

Patriotic

Top: FANG, free from a friend Scarf: AE

Here was my July 4th outfit. I hope you had a great holiday too!

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Gold Dot Purse

This bag: what a great expression of my personality. Not afraid to be different or unusual. A little unruly (the dots have a mind of their own). Fun.

I'm thinking it might have once been $50, so maybe I got it for 75% off.

Bueno handbag - $13 at a local consignment shop

Shirt: Charming Charlie, $9 at Plato's Closet Crops: A.E.

Shoes: Madison Studio (a division of Belk), $9 at a local consignment store

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Blue Print and Summer White

I found a new local consignment store, where I got this B. Smart dress for $10. I found out that B. Smart is a Sears brand and I probably got this dress for 80-85% off retail. The jacket is Ann Taylor Loft, which I got free from a friend. The jewelry you can find on this post.

Layering Necklaces

Shoes: AE Skirt: Mossimo, $6 from Plato's Closet

I've been learning how to layer necklaces. This is a great trick because you can feel like you have new jewelry just by being creative with what you already own.

short necklace: $10 at Uptown Cheapskate
long necklace: $10 at Charlotte Russe

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Neon Coral and Dark Blue

Things I can't get enough of recently:

hi low skirts and maxi skirts,

bright colors,

and anything that remotely looks like my engagement ring.

Top: Express, $10 at Rugged Wearhouse
Skirt: Lauren Conrad, $10 at Plato's Closet

(left) Necklace: $12 at Uptown Cheapskate
(right) bracelet: $7 at Uptown Cheapskate

I think this is the same skirt. It was originally $58, but is now on sale for $29.

So I got my skirt for about 85% off then!

Purple Hi Low Skirt

I'm in love with this skirt. I'm tempted to wear it every day.
Here are two ways I wore the skirt. Which one do you like best?

Turquoise and Navy

Top: New York and Company, $3 from Goodwill
Scarf: $6 at Uptown Cheapskate
Leather Belt: $10 from a friend's moving sale

You're welcome for my awkward face. I hope you get a good laugh at it.

I had a lot of fun putting this outfit together because the scarf contains both the turquoise from my top and the navy blue from my shorts.

Statement Earrings

Shoes, shirt, earrings, bracelet: AE
capris: Refuge ($12 at Uptown Cheapskate)

When all else fails and I feel like I have nothing to wear (a lie, of course; I have lots of clothes), a pair of statement earrings like these is a great outfit-saver.

I got these for less than $10 at A.E.

Earthy Hues plus Blue

I threw this outfit together quickly and loved the earthy theme I came up with. Of course, I love color, so an all-neutral outfit was a little out of the question.

Here is a better look at my necklace, which I got from Uptown Cheapskate for about $5.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Pink denim

I got these pink crops from American Eagle with a 60% off employee discount. I snagged this Charlotte Russe shirt from a friend when she was cleaning out her closet, and these shoes I got from Goodwill. I hardly ever wear these shoes, but they were the perfect match with this outfit. I'm glad I didn't give them back to Goodwill the last time I cleaned out my closet!

Faux Silk with Embellishments

I got this 100% Polyester shirt from Uptown Cheapskate for $12. It is Express brand, and I'm guessing it was originally about $40. The embellishments on it are beautiful. I wore outfits similar to these two below to both church and work.

This shirt is an XS when normally I wear a Small. Even then, it is very loose on me. To help give me a figure again, I played around with tucking it in and wearing a belt with it. Which of the two options do you prefer?

Shoes: "Blue," $14 via Uptown Cheapskate, shown below

Monday, June 10, 2013

Marble Nails

Have You Tried Marble Nails Yet?

When I discovered marble nails, I was immediately addicted. There are some great tutorials out there, so I won't make another one. All you need is two colors of polish, a toothpick, a small container, some tape or vaseline, and some water. It takes a while to get the hang of it, and sometimes certain polishes aren't cut out for creating the right effect. So you may end up trying 15 times to polish your first nail.

images via google

Monday, May 27, 2013

Purple Peplum

Shoes similar pants Top

Everything except for this necklace is from American Eagle. I'm really excited that A.E. is offering crops (capris) in my favorite fit, The Artist. It is the most comfortable fit for me. These crops came with an employee discount of 60% off (shhh!)

I also am excited that this peplum shirt and I got along so well. The last time I tried on peplum didn't work out for me, so I have been holding a grudge. I guess in the future I MIGHT try on some more peplum (wink).

What styles have you given a second chance recently?

My First Michael Kors Bag

I'm showing off some awesome finds with this outfit. Let's start with the least expensive: the belt I got from Goodwill for $3 (or less?). My top is Express brand, but I snagged it from Rugged Wearhouse for less than $15. It's not silk; it's polyester, but I prefer that because I can throw it in the washing machine, which saves me even more money. The shoes I got from Plato's Closet a while ago. I'm guessing they were anywhere between $8 and $16.

And the crowning jewel of this outfit: my new Michael Kors purse, which I got from a fellow blogger who was selling used clothes and other pieces. The price? $30.

You really can't beat a MK purse for over 90% off retail.

So my deal-finding tip of the day is: A great way to get quality clothes, purses, and other items cheap is to find out where your favorite fashion bloggers sell their clothes (Ebay, personal blog, Threadflip, etc) and keep a constant watch on what they sell.

Mixed Gold and Silver, Plus Comfort

Shorts: American Eagle

I didn't feel well one day, and needed something comfortable to wear to work. I ended up wearing this outfit, but tried to add interest by wearing mixed gold and silver jewelry.

What do you like to wear when your body craves comfort?