Third Time's a Charm

You didn't think I'd give up that easily, did you? If you follow me on twitter, you already know that today I continued my hunt for an Equipment blouse and was successful! It took three different TJ Maxx locations before I found my size, but I'm so happy I did! I ended up traveling uptown to the Bridgewater location, which luckily had the best selection I had seen so far. I even was able to choose between two colors! An Equipment blouse is something I've wanted for a long time, but just assumed I would never have because it was so far out of my price range. I don't normally post pictures of my shopping haul, but I was just too excited to not share this with all of you. It definitely needs a good steaming to get out all those wrinkles, but besides that, I love it!

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 :)

Snapshots From the Weekend

On Friday, my roommates and I had a little movie/fro-yo date. We saw Black Swan, which was really, really good. I wasn't sure if I was going to like because I heard it was very dark, but I really enjoyed it, despite some pretty weird/creepy parts. Natalie Portman is so talented, and Rodarte did an amazing job on the costumes. I would definitely recommend it.

Yesterday, my mom came to town to take me to get some x-rays done on my back, and afterwards, we did a little shopping. I was looking for leopard print pumps for an upcoming semi-formal, but I wasn't able to find any I liked. But no worries, I didn't walk away empty-handed. Anthropologie had a big sign in their window saying they were having a sale, but I was a little skeptical. Usually their version of a "sale" is still way more than I am willing to pay. I stopped in to check it out anyway, and I'm so glad I did! I found this chiffon, grecian-style top for $20 and this cream cardigan for $40, originally $128! Bargain shopping can be such a thrill, especially when its at a store I can't normally afford.

Since I wasn't able to find the leopard pumps yesterday, I spent last night scouring the internet for a pair while watching Easy A. Both of these are from Endless.com (gotta love free shipping!); the first is the Franco Sarto Luxe Platform pump and the second is the Nine West Escher pump. They're both $80, which is more than I would normally spend on shoes, but its a special occasion and I'm wearing a dress that was free from my internship last summer. Since I didn't spend a cent on the dress, I'm justifying a little bit of a splurge for the shoes. Which one would you choose?

Day 30- The Grand Finale

What I'm wearing: Gap outlet turtleneck, J.Crew wool mini, Target tights, Target ankle booties, Forever 21 necklace, Forever 21 skinny belt

This is my 30th outfit and what I wore for Christmas Eve. I wore this for Christmas Eve mass and my dad's side family Christmas. I've had this outfit planned out since before the challenge even started because I knew I would want to dress up a little for Christmas Eve (I always do) and made sure to include these items for that reason. Honestly, this outfit is the main reason the turtleneck was even picked as one of my 30 items. I really like how it turned out, especially when I added my favorite Forever 21 necklace. So I finally made it; I'm finished with my second 30 for 30! It took me longer than most, but it was a lot of fun and much more successful than my first time. I'll be putting together a recap within the next few days. The best part of being finished? My shopping ban ended just in time for post-Christmas sales. Yesterday, my Mom and I hit the mall at 7:30 AM. I walked away with hunter green and maroon Hue tights which I have been wanting for forever and were on sale for $7 each, a Calvin Klein winter coat 50% off, a pair of gym shoes for $30 for work, and two calendar which were both 50% off. I think I may have done even better bargain shopping than I did on Black Friday. Nothing beats a good sale!