A Weekend at Home {in instagrams}

The trip home to Cincinnati (ignore my dirty car window!)

 

Getting ready for my graduation party

 

My GORGEOUS graduation cake, made by an extremely talented family friend

 

Spending a little time with my favorite boy. He's getting so big!

 

Home decor shopping at Anthropologie to get ready for my big move!

 

My loot from a little trip to the outlets. Oh yes, that's a Michael Kors bag you see 

It was a nice, relaxing, family-filled weekend in Cincinnati. And no trip home is complete without a little shopping with Mom. I finally pulled the trigger and bought myself a "big girl" purse to replace my beat up brown tote from Steinmart. I guess that's one of the perks of having a grown-up job now! It will definitely be making it's appearance on the blog soon :)

Best Kept Secret

What I'm wearing: J.Crew jersey dress (2007), Gap cardigan (2008), Target wedges, NY & Co Outlet necklace

I'm a bargain shopper. The older I get, the more difficult it seems for me to spend a lot of money on one item. Which is why I'm in love with outlet malls. They are a stylish girl's best kept secret; they're a great way to update your wardrobe without spending a ton of money. On a recent trip, I struck gold at the NY & Co. Outlet. They were having a buy one, get one 75% off sale on jewelry, so I snagged three necklaces and a bracelet. All four are colorful and fun, and I think they will be in constant rotation in my summer wardrobe. I didn't get a close-up shot today, but I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot more of this necklace. Also, today I was able to do another outfit shoot in the Numbers Garden on campus. It was so fun; thanks for being such a good sport Alex :)

Day 21- A Brave Soul

What I'm wearing: Forever 21 sweatshirt, Scarf via NYC street vendor, Old Navy jeans, Ciao Bella boots via DSW, Forever 21 pearl earrings, Kate Spade tote

Today, my mom and I did the unthinkable. We braved the outlet malls the Saturday before Christmas. It is so unlike me to be this behind on my Christmas shopping, and even after today's adventure, I'm still not finished with everyone on my list! Please tell me I'm not the only one who has procrastinated this year.

This was the line outside the Coach store at the outlets. I'm more of a Kate Spade fan myself, but we promised my aunt we would pick something up for her, so we got to enjoy this lovely line and the even longer one at the register inside. But it was all in good fun; it's Christmas time!

I Heart the Outlets

Do you want to know one of the greatest things ever invented? Outlet malls. The more I blog and keep track of what I'm wearing every day, I realize how much my wardrobe relies on them. Luckily, there is an outlet mall almost directly between my home in Cincinnati and my university, so it has become a frequent stop on trips to and from school. It was practically a holiday the day the J.Crew outlet opened there. Since then, almost all of my J.Crew pieces have been bought there at awesome bargain prices, including the jeans I wore today.

What I'm wearing: Old Navy jacket, H&M flower pin, Gap outlet sweater, J.Crew outlet jeans, Kelly and Katie flats via DSW, Forever 21 necklace, Kate Spade outlet tote

Three of the things I'm wearing today were from the outlets: my sweater, jeans, and tote. I got the sweater for $20, jeans for $30, and tote for $100. Some may think $100 is a lot for a purse, but for Kate Spade, it's a damn good price. Also these jeans regularly retail at around $90-$100, so they were quite a steal. So moral of the story: I love the outlets. If you don't have one near you, I don't know how you live without!